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Business response to social media complaints is crucial, experts say
When Kathy Chyzy and her son Ryan opened Blu's BBQ and Burgers in downtown Oklahoma City six months ago, she wasn't prepared for the impact of a nasty customer comment on the restaurant review website Urbanspoon.
“I just didn't really realize that people went online and trashed people like that,” Chyzy said. “I wasn't prepared for that. I just thought if you treat people nice, everything will be OK. But some people are just out to be mean.”
A string of bad reviews left online by a handful of people Chyzy believes had a personal grudge against her and the restaurant were upsetting and didn't help business.
Chyzy admits she is not very Internet savvy. When she emailed the local humor website The Lost Ogle about one of the bad reviews, she inadvertently ended up as fodder for the blog.
These days, business has picked up and Blu's is earning more positive reviews online. The restaurant's business has tripled since the negative online attention died down, Chyzy said.
“They intended to kill our business, but we are putting out good food and good service,” she said.
However, Chyzy said she still is unsure how best to manage the restaurant's reputation on the Internet.
“I just tried to let it fizzle out and serve the best food I could,” Chyzy said.
Response is key
As more people turn to Facebook, Twitter and countless customer review websites to vent about negative experiences, how a company responds to online complaints can help make or break a business, local social media experts said.
A company can even gain new customers by responding with speed and sensitivity to complaints online, said Blake Jackson, vice president of digital for the Oklahoma City-based public relations and marketing firm Saxum.
The first step is to take all complaints seriously, he said.
The upscale Boston restaurant Pigalle learned that lesson the hard way in November when its saucy rebuttal to a customer complaint on Facebook went viral. After a patron complained that the restaurant's Thanksgiving pumpkin pie tasted like vomit, Pigalle's head chef Marc Orfaly responded in several expletive-drenched Facebook posts by suggesting the woman was overweight and shouldn't eat dessert anyway.
After gaining Internet infamy, Pigalle announced in March that it would close its doors and reopen under a new name.
“The key is treating the offended party with respect and care, no matter how big or small the issue. It should be clear to everyone in your online community that you are OK with being held accountable,” Jackson said. “Starting from a position of humility immediately ratchets down the tone of the complaint. It also demonstrates to digital onlookers that if they ever have an issue with your business, they can expect the same type of respect. That is the heart of good customer service.”
Oklahoma City mother Andrea Decker and her family learned about the power of social media in March, when they took to Twitter to complain about Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma's decision to deny their 18-year-old daughter Lorelei Decker a cancer therapy they believe could save her life.
Using the hashtag #ApproveLorelei, Oklahoma City residents sent hundreds of tweets venting their displeasure with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The insurance company later reversed its decision and approved a stem cell transplant to treat the teen's Hodgkin lymphoma.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma did not respond to a request for comment.
While social media makes it more difficult for a company to control its image online, Facebook and Twitter also give companies the opportunity to showcase positive interactions with customers, said Jay Spear, director of audience engagement for the Oklahoma Publishing Co., the parent company of The Oklahoman.
Whether a company develops a good rapport with customers online or a negative interaction spirals into a public relations nightmare all depends on how the business responds, Spear said.
“Social media doesn't change anything — all it does is to amplify how smart you are or how stupid you are,” he said.
Keep up with tweets
Like many other companies, OPUBCO monitors what customers are saying about it online, and tries to respond to customer complaints quickly — sometimes even before a customer goes directly to the company, Spear said.
“With social media, it's about being more proactive than reactive,” he said.
The worst thing a company can do is ignore online complaints, said Bill Handy, vice president for digital engagement for the Tulsa-based strategy firm Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR.
“I think the first thing businesses need to be doing is listening to those comments,” Handy said. “If someone had emailed or called or stood outside the business with a sign, then we would listen.”
Good with the bad
It also doesn't hurt for a business to encourage its customers to post their positive comments online if they have a good experience, he said.
“A lot of times, all these customers need is a conduit to do that,” Handy said.
If a company spots a trend of negative reviews from customers, it might be time to re-evaluate its business practices, Handy said.
While larger companies can spend lots of money on market research, social media can serve as an informal sounding board for a small-business owner, he said.
“One bad review is not the end of the world. But if you start to see them a lot, maybe there is an opportunity for change,” Handy said.
At a glance
Social media tips for businesses
• Have a crisis management plan for when customers vent online.
• Treat the customer with respect.
• Take all complaints seriously.
• Don't ignore or try to censor customer complaints online.
• Encourage customers who have a positive experience to share it online.


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Extra August bank holiday flights have been added by Ryanair from three UK airports to Croatia, Greece, Italy and Spain.
More than 5,000 additional seats will be available with new departures from Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands across ten routes with one-way fares starting st £24.99.
Stansted will gain ten extar returns to Chania, Rhodes, Pula, Ancona, Brindisi, Lamezia, Palermo and Trieste.
One additional service to Malaga will riun from Manchester while east Midlands gains two departures to Alicante.
The flights will be on sale for travel on August 26 and 30.
Ryanair marketing director Dara Brady, said: “As vaccination rollout programmes continue and restrictions are being lifted, air traffic is expected to peak this August and we are delighted to announce additional routes for our UK customers to enjoy on their bank holiday weekend.
‘We are putting on 13 additional flights for some of our most popular routes in response to pent up demand from British travellers eager to get some sun.”

domain: news


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The key to weathering the storage pricing fallout caused by last year's floods in Thailand doesn't lie in expanding memory, says Hitachi Data System's CTO Hubert Yoshida (pictured), but in using what's already available more effectively.
Speaking to Computing at HDS's Europe, Middle East and Africa conference in Barcelona, Yoshida said, "For 50 years we've had a [storage] price erosion of about 30 per cent annually. In other words, we would double the capacity every 18 months, and that would reduce the cost of the capacity – so, for the same price, you'd get more capacity.
"So what happened was, people would start to depreciate their hardware over four to five years because it was cheaper to buy new than maintain old."
The 2011 floods in Thailand knocked out that supply chain, causing a domino effect into the standard price erosion of the market.
"By end of summer, prices should be back to normal," said Yoshida. "There'll be some jockeying around with price cuts, but the prices long-term will not return to 30 per cent erosion. Because in addition, technologies for hard disk have slowed down."
As the industry now stands at the limit of perpendicular magnetic recording, with 3TB discs, explained Yoshida (taking into consideration Seagate's recently announced HAMR technology, which has crossed the 1 terabit per square inch storage barrier), there is still rapid deceleration in physical storage progress.
"Seagate said they project that, by the end of the decade, we'll have 6TB discs," said Yoshida. "That's eight years, which means we're not going to be doubling capacity every 18 months. So that means the price erosion is going to level out – to more like 15 or 20 per cent."
Yoshida continued: "That has a major impact; a major cost in IT and storage. So we have to become much more efficient in the way we use storage. That's why virtualisation is key.
"With the intelligence in the control unit, and the media separate, it's more like five to seven years' depreciation," said Yoshida. "That's a long time in terms of other technologies like thin provisioning.
"So with virtualisation, people have the opportunity to adjust their costs to compensate for price erosion. I don't think a lot of people realise the erosion won't be as fast as before, or the implications in terms of cost."


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By: Olly Wehring
The just-drinks leader, written by the just-drinks leader.
Many industry observers will have linked yesterday's major food M&A story with the ongoing rumbles around Anheuser-Busch InBev's widely-expected move for SABMiller. Shareholders of the two brewers clearly did the same, with the pair seeing their share prices fall markedly today.
I have to take my hat off to the Western European divisions of The Coca-Cola Co. By bringing together the marketing and packaging for the group's namesake brand together with its healthier brethren, the units will finally be able to indirectly say what they've been itching to say – but daren't – for at least the last few years.
The announced departure of a company's CEO on the same day as the reporting of a near-20% fall in full-year profits usually looks pretty black and white. But, there is far less of a sword-falling case to conclude when it comes to Carlsberg today.
My time in Chile, courtesy of Concha y Toro, is fast drawing to an end. Having reported on both the country's wine industry broadly, and the company specifically for the better part of ten years, this visit has put quite a bit of meat on the bones of my knowledge of all things Chilean. Such as:
Earlier today, I enjoyed a healthy debate on Twitter with one of my peers here in the UK. The journalist, writing in UK on-trade publication Inapub, was having a dig at 'Dry January', the concept of not drinking alcohol for all of the first month of 2015.
The announcement late yesterday that Cuba and the US have started on the road to normalised relations will be of particular interest to two spirits companies – one evicted from its home by the revolution, the other a co-owner of a rum because of the revolution.
Last weekend, the Wall Street Journal published a fascinating article that looks at the more recent performance – or lack thereof – of Anheuser-Busch InBev's Budweiser brand in the US.
I must be getting soft in my old age, but there are two drinks marketing campaigns that have recently launched, which have resonated particularly well with me. The one thing they have in common is that they both barely feature the product they are promoting – if at all.
SABMiller may have been trying to sneak news of its Brazilian tie-up with Petropolis under the radar, but the news comes on the back of pronouncements by the brewer that it is keen to up its presence in the country. It also comes at a time that SABMiller finds itself in a position where it needs to make an acquisition. And fast.
Pernod Ricard's decision this week to withdraw its support for the geographical indication (GI) 'Plymouth Gin' makes sense to me, but that such a GI exists at all serves only to underline the confusion that still abounds in the gin category.
Diageo's move to take back full control of Don Julio certainly indicates the potential for Tequila. However, it is the company's divestment of Bushmills that speaks even louder, to the future for Irish whiskey.
Back in April, when the Scotch Whisky Association released 2013's export sales figures for the category, many observers expressed disappointment, but not necessarily surprise, at the numbers.
I'm not entirely sure why so many trade press column inches were given over to the latest 'news' from Diageo's new single grain Scotch whisky brand, Haig Club, yesterday. I mean, the launch of the product was initially announced six months ago.
From some of the noises coming out of London yesterday, I am willing to suggest the following: SABMiller is rather annoyed with Heineken. That's probably because, Heineken broke an unwritten rule among the larger companies by going public on its talks with SABMiller.
The book has been closed – for now – on the end of the plc line for Treasury Wine Estates, following yesterday's announcement that it has called time on negotiations with two separate parties on a possible takeover.
- Comment - Diageo Spins the Guinness Wheel... Again
- Diageo's Labels Give Industry Something to Digest
- Who should Stock Spirits Acquire?
- Comment - 'Craft' and the Danger of 'Romance Copy'
- just the Answer: Funkin's CEO, Andrew King
- Diageo lines up UK innovations push
- Craft is an 'abused' term - Pernod Ricard exec
- Pernod Ricard queries nutritional label use
- Diageo's Guinness Golden Ale
- Edrington names European Travel Retail head


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Mideast seems to be entering the crypto craze. This is great news especially following a tough period of time regarding the crypto prices in the market.
As you probably know by now, the other day, Bitcoin dropped below $30k and this made a lot of people in the crypto space freak out.
The good thing is that now BTC bounced back and some optimism is also back in the space.
BTC adoption continues
It’s also important to mention the fact that the crypto adoption wave continues and it only seems to be getting stronger and stronger.
Arab News, Bloomberg and more publication revealed that Danish trading and investment specialist Saxo Bank is launching a new cryptocurrency product, allowing clients from the Middle East and North Africa to trade crypto coins against some major currencies.
“The Crypto FX will allow investors to trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin against euros, dollars, and yen from a single margin account, the bank said in a statement,” according to the online publication.
The bank’s clients can trade and hedge both long and short exposure in the three major coins, it said, and they will be in the form of derivatives and not physical coins.
“The offering sits at the intersection of traditional finance and crypto, which is where we see the market evolving as it draws the attention of retail traders and financial institutions,” Kay Van-Petersen, global macro strategist at Saxo Bank, said.
The new platform comes as governments in the region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, have been introducing new policies regulating crypto-related transactions.
Check out the original article in order to learn more details about all this.
Another important issue worth mentioning is that MicroStrategy announced Monday that it had bought an additional 13,005 BTC for around $489 million in cash.
The average purchase price per bitcoin was $37,617, said MicroStrategy.


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In Vietnam, dubious outlets may serve you a delicious, flavorful cup of coffee made of nothing more than a few drops of coffee essence and water.
Besides mixing coffee with soybeans and corn and selling the final products as ‘100 percent pure coffee,’ the coffee business in Vietnam, one of the world’s biggest coffee exporters, also involves making it from coffee essence.
On June 29, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper visited a grocery store in Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, known as the country’s coffee hub, and asked to buy some coffee essence.
The storekeeper agreed to introduce her products – several plastic bags of ash-colored powders and bottles of blackened, glutinous liquid, in a dark corner, beneath the stairway of the house.
“Pour these into fresh water and you will have ‘pure coffee’,” she said, pointing to the bottles.
At the store, in addition to the ‘magical’ coffee essence, there were also other flavorings and ingredients used to make bun bo and cha lua, or Vietnamese beef noodles and pork bologna, without those kinds of meat.
All were stored in plastic bottles and bags that were either unlabelled, or with labels written entirely in Chinese lettering.
The storekeeper revealed that all products were sourced from Kim Bien Market, infamously known as the ‘market of death’ in Ho Chi Minh City, where myriad kinds of chemicals are as easy to buy as candy.
Because the media have widely denounced the sale of chemicals at Kim Bien, vendors have become more cautious with strangers.
Consequently Tuoi Tre’s attempts to buy coffee essence at the market in District 5 had repeatedly failed, until the owner of a booth named N.N. accepted the reporters’ request.
A bottle of coffee essence on sale at Kim Bien Market in Ho Chi Minh City
She offered two types of essence; one fetching VND200,000 (US$8.93) a kg, and the other at double the price.
The owner then asked her daughter to take out a 5kg bottle of the black, condense liquid that had a strong coffee smell.
The store owner stressed that the product was only essence, and mainly used to increase the flavor of real coffee.
“It is not meant to completely replace authentic coffee as rumored,” she said, before explaining that the best way to use the essence was to “add a few drops to brewed coffee,” which will make it tastier and more delicious.
The store owner also warned the reporters not to touch the essence with their bare hands because the smell would be hard to remove.
“Inhaling too much of this essence will also result in a headache,” she added.
The owner of a nearby store at Kim Bien Market introduced similar coffee essence products, and stated the same disclaimer that it was impossible to make coffee using only the essence.
However, it is not clear what dishonest coffee sellers do with the essence, as they are not obliged to follow warnings from chemical traders.
A recent survey revealed that more than 30 percent of coffee consumed daily across four Vietnamese provinces and cities actually contained miniscule caffeine content, or no caffeine at all.


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Instagram / luxeapothetique
El Arroyo's hilarious roadside sign is arguably more famous than its food.
Owners of longtime Austin eatery El Arroyo — known for its Tex-Mex fare and hilarious roadside sign — are planning a multi-unit expansion across the Lone Star State, starting with a location in nearby New Braunfels, the Austin Business Journal reports
Husband-and-wife owners Ellis and Paige Winstanley told the Biz Journal they last year bought Guadalupe River tubing and entertainment company Rockin' R River Rides with a friend, and a two-story structure at the site will be turned into an El Arroyo location.
"It's 10 acres right on the Guadalupe River, below the Gruene Water Tower," Ellis Winstanley told ABJ of the Rockin' R site. "That will be our second location, and then we’re looking at others.”
Winstanley did not disclose any other potential sites to the ABJ
There's no word in the Biz Journal piece about whether the New Braunfels outpost of the business will employ its own version of the roadside sign, whose comedic messages have garnered a cult following on social media.
The sign's fame has led to a growing retail business that includes mugs, cups, candles, calendars and other merch — each typically featuring a different daily message from the sign — available in countless shops, including San Antonio’s Feliz Modern at Pearl
In addition to the restaurant unit expansion, the company is also set to expand its retail offerings by launching packaged food products later this year.
"It’s starting with salsa, and then it will likely be margarita mix behind that," Winstanley told the Austin Business Journal
The Biz Journal
did not say when the New Braunfels location would open, but Rockin' R is already offering event planning and catering from El Arroyo on its website
The flagship restaurant, founded in 1975 as a counter service taco stand, is located at 1624 W. Fifth St. in Austin.
So many restaurants, so little time. Find out the latest San Antonio dining news with our Flavor Friday Newsletter.


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After a high profile wedding, Pippa Middleton and her husband, James Matthews jetted off to Tahiti, according to the Daily Mail. And all eyes are still on Pippa’s dress and shoe choices.
In the next stop, Sydney, she was spotted in espadrille wedges. Espadrilles a popular summer choice, have been called the shoe of summer 2017.
Pippa’s pair is the Castaner wedge lace-up espadrilles, according to the Daily Mail. They retail for $175 and are currently sold out.
Other celebrities have also been spotted in espadrilles this summer, including Jennifer Aniston, according to PopSugar.
Also, on her honeymoon, Pippa has been spotted in black L.K. Bennett sandals, according to the Daily Mail. L.K. Bennett is also a favorite of sister Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Those sandals are still available for just over $90.
Are you going to be wearing espadrilles this summer? What do you think of Pippa’s shoe choices?
For more frequent updates, follow on twitter @throughthesole, become a fan on facebook, follow us on Pinterest and Instagram. Don’t forget, Through the Sole just joined SnapChat, https://www.snapchat.com/add/throughthesole
Pippa Middleton gets married…what shoes did she wear?
Royal Fashion: Kate Middleton’s shoes for Pippa’s wedding
Pippa Middleton’s Shoe Choices
Kate Middleton’s Wedding Shoes
Other Royal Wedding Shoes: Princess Diana, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth.
Royal Fashion: Kate Middleton Judges a Shoe Design Contest
Shoes for the Royal Baby


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On February 10, 2021, Mastercard’s executive vice president for digital asset & blockchain products & partnerships, Raj Dhamodhara said in a blog post that Mastercard is preparing right now for the future of cryptocurrency and payments, revealing that in 2021 the company will start supporting select cryptocurrency straight on its network. As far as Raj is concerned, this is a major opportunity that will entail a lot of work. However, the company said it won’t support all cryptocurrencies on its network, as many of them have to constrict their compliance measures. The company will think about which assets they support according to their principles for digital currencies, which concentrate on consumer compliance and protections. Mastercard’s philosophy on cryptocurrencies is about choice. Raj stated that the company is not here to suggest people to start using cryptos but to allow customers, merchants and businesses to move digital value, traditional or crypto however they want. People are free to decide whether they want to use cryptos.
According to Raj, doing this work will bring about much more possibilities for shoppers and merchants, enabling them to transact in a completely new payment method. This move may open merchants up to new customers who are already converging to digital assets and allow sellers to build loyalty with existing customers who want this extra option. Withal customers can save, store and make transactions in new ways. Mastercard wants to enable these concepts to flourish and reach their potential, while also developing and boosting the essential guardrails. Mastercard already enables cardholders to spend digital assets through external platforms. But this means the transactions do not literally go through their own network. But now, the company aims to support crypto partners by enabling many more merchants to accept digital tokens. Raj said,
“this would cut out inefficiencies, letting both consumers and merchants avoid having to convert back and forth between crypto and traditional to make purchases.”
Mastercard said it was actively engaging with central banks around the world to possibly launch new digital currencies to allow people to have a new payment method.


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Few people would ever expect a blimp company to change the world. But for Pegasus Airships, a blimp manufacturer headquartered in Rolla, MO, that’s exactly what it’s trying to do. Earlier this year, the company shifted to a sales model focused on social responsibility, where for every single blimp it sells, it donates a second blimp to an impoverished child in a developing country. Amazing!
Pegasus CEO Thomas Schuler said he made the decision to move the company in a more philanthropic direction following a visit to Uganda in 2013. After witnessing the devastating effects of extreme poverty and starvation firsthand, he felt a very strong obligation to do something big to help those in need.
“I kept seeing kids the age of my own kids who had absolutely nothing—no clothes, no food, no low-velocity aircrafts—and it absolutely broke my heart,” Schuler said. “I decided right then and there that I needed to help these kids out. I needed to send them some blimps.”
Months later, Pegasus Airships has now shipped over 50 blimps to kids in African countries, and it appears as if the company’s inspirational mission is really resonating with consumers. Schuler said that company sales are at an all-time high, as people seem to be more excited to buy 192-foot-long blimps if it means they can help individuals in extreme poverty.
“It’s a little more expensive than if I’d bought a blimp elsewhere, but it just feels good knowing I’m helping someone in need,” said Michael Denison, 46, who recently purchased a blimp from Pegasus. “You get the sense that you’re not just giving those kids a blimp—you’re giving them hope.”
And while those children might have otherwise never been given a chance to thrive, once they receive their blimp, it’s fair to say that the sky’s the limit.


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It's been ten years since the New York Times took full ownership of the International Herald Tribune, so the rebranding of the expat title has been a long time coming.
Some readers among the Paris-based IHT's 224,000 print subscribers will likely be sorry to see the inevitable come to pass, when the 126-year-old newspaper changes its name to the International New York Times on Oct. 15. The paper launched in 1887 as the Paris Herald, and was most recently jointly owned by the NYT and the Washington Post from 1967 until 2003, when the NYT took full control.
"There's a lot of nostalgia around the brand," said IHT publisher Stephen Dunbar-Johnson. "It's a romantic brand, and you don't give up on a great brand like the IHT without a profound reason. In one word, the reason is digital."
Digital has brought new competition into the market that the INYT should be better equipped to deal with: the old IHT is currently fighting it out with anyone from CNN and the BBC, to HuffPo and the Guardian, as well as its more traditional rivals.
Mr. Dunbar-Johnson admitted, "I sometimes crave the cold war competition era, when the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist and Newsweek were our competitive set. Now it's much bigger and more complicated."
According to its research, the New York Times brand is strong internationally but is viewed as a predominantly U.S. brand. The challenge is to show that the INYT has relevant content for a global readership. To help achieve this, more web producers have been hired in Europe and Asia, greater editorial control has been delegated to Paris, London and Hong Kong, and contributions to the opinion pages have been expanded to bring in more international voices outside the U.S.
Online, the IHT was rolled into the NYT website a couple of years ago. Of the NYT's 708,000 paying digital subscribers, 10% are outside the U.K.
The plan is simple: to drive people to digital platforms and get people to like the product enough that they want to pay for it. As Mr. Dunbar-Johnson put it, "The proof will be in the reading."
Despite the emphasis on digital, the INYT will not give up on the print model. The IHT's 224,000 print subscribers have remained fairly stable over the last three years, despite some erosion in Europe, and ad revenues have grown in two of the last three years. Mr. Dunbar-Johnson said that while print is seen as being in terminal decline in more developed markets, there is still growth in Asia and the Middle East, and he sees a continued potential for print.
Commercially, the re-launch should create a more streamlined proposition. "It will be simpler for advertisers," he said. "At the moment, we have the IHT team selling NYT products. They often have to explain that the IHT is the global edition of the NYT and get through all that. To present one global mono brand is easier." He hopes the INYT will bring in more financial, tech and energy companies than the IHT, which has traditionally been stronger in the luxury sector.
Antoine DeTrogoff, an associate director at Mediacom's international division in London, said the re-branding as a more integrated multi-platform service will help the New York Times be perceived as a more global brand. "This will help sell it as a global and integrated proposal to our clients."
For the Oct. 15 launch, the INYT is planning a series of events and discussion of issues that are driving the global agenda—to be held in Paris, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, London—to showcase the paper's content and editorial talent. "We didn't want to just quaff drink and blow out candles on a cake," Mr. Dunbar-Johnson said.
An in-house team in New York is still working on the redesign for the INYT, which will be accompanied by a targeted digital-marketing campaign, also created in-house.


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South African telecommunications company Comsol Networks, in collaboration with Verizon and Samsung, is set to roll out the first set of 5G wireless trials in South Africa.
The 5G network set to launch is widely considered the next step in the evolution of wireless networking and is said to have the potential to connect millions of South Africans with high-speed connectivity – faster than 4G. The collaboration is aimed at delivering a wireless solution that rivals ‘FTTx’ offerings, including Fibre-to-the-Business and Fibre-to-the-Home, by early-2019.
According to Sung Yoon, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Africa, the collaboration between the companies brings “so much opportunity in the region due to the diversity of markets and services already in place here, and we think South Africa is a prime candidate to show off the benefits that 5G can bring to consumers here.”
Comsol CEO Iain Stevenson said, “In early trials in the US, Verizon has shown the potential of the 28GHz millimetre spectrum, which has been identified for 5G services by the country’s Federal Communications Commission.” He added that to launch the trial network, a ‘pre-5G’ proprietary standard from Verizon’s 5G Technical Forum (5GTF), will be converted into the 5G New Radio (5GNR) standards after necessary confirmations.
Implementing the fixed 5G wireless service is aimed at changing the way consumers communicate and experience online services. Official standards for 5G have not yet been approved by the International Telecommunication Union. But the collaboration will focus on developing and jointly testing the technology, so it will be ready for commercial launch once the standards have been confirmed.
5th-Generation Wireless Systems (abbreviated 5G) is the marketing term for technologies that satisfy ITU IMT-2020 requirements and 3GPP Release 15. Key features of 5G include high throughput, low latency, high mobility and high connection density.
5G will use additional spectrum in the existing LTE frequency range (600 MHz to 6 GHz) and Millimetre wave bands (24-86 GHz), which can support data rates of up to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps). The wireless System will use Massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) to significantly increase network capacity.


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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter Registers 296,363 Units Sales In Jan 23
Honda has recently launched Activa 2023. Honda has launched smarter and more advanced Activa 2023 with Honda Smart Key in India
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter (HMSI) today announced its sales numbers for January 2023. HMSI’s total sales stood at 296,363 units, including 278,143 domestic sales and 18,220 exports for the month.
Commenting on the sales performance in Jan’23, Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, “Much ahead of the government’s deadline, HMSI recently launched its first OBD2 model, New Activa with Smart Key. Continuing to lead this transition, HMSI will be soon upgrading its other products to meet the latest norms. Further, the budget presented today shed light on the enhanced focus on vehicle scrapping, green mobility and Net-Zero carbon emission goals which outlines the future of mobility in the country, giving a roadmap to boost the Indian auto sector. We are optimistic that such initiatives will usher in growth for the industry.”
Honda has recently launched Activa 2023. Honda has launched smarter and more advanced Activa 2023 with Honda Smart Key in India.
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Superbrands are awarded annual to brands that lead in the field of quality, reliability and distinction
The Fairtrade Foundation has been awarded Superbrand status for 2022/23 in recognition of the strength of its brand and public perception in the UK.
Superbrands, the world’s largest independent arbiter of branding, this week announced the recipients of this status, which is given annually to brands that lead the field in ‘quality, reliability and distinction’.
A Superbrand is defined as one that has “established the finest reputation in its field” and “offers customers significant emotional and/or tangible advantages over its competitors, which customers want and recognise”.
Fairtrade Foundation – the UK arm of the global Fairtrade movement – received the accolade after being selected by business professionals and an independent Expert Council, which evaluated more than 1,500 brands across different sectors. The winners were recognised at a launch event hosted by Superbrands on 26 January.
New consumer research, conducted by Kantar in late 2022, shows that 9 in 10 UK consumers are aware of the Fairtraade Mark (higher than all other ethical labels), while 8 in 10 consumers trust it.
Nilufar Verjee, director of public engagement at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “After nearly three decades of fighting for trade justice, we’re very proud that our brand continues to go from strength to strength.
“However, Fairtrade is more than just a label or a brand: we are an international movement with deep roots in advocacy and campaigning, and deep roots in farming communities worldwide.
“In the UK, we aim to use our platform to amplify the voices of farmers and workers, supporting them to protect their rights, land, health and future livelihoods. So this accolade from Superbrands is truly a testament to the communities behind our Fairtrade products, from cocoa to cotton, and to the UK shoppers committed to buying them.”
Verjee described the award as a tribute to Fairtrade’s grassroots campaigners in the UK. “There is a vibrant community of passionate Fairtrade supporters within schools, universities, workplaces, towns, cities and places of worship nationwide, who are at heart of the Fairtrade movement,” Verjee said.
“The same goes for the hundreds of businesses who continue to choose us as their sustainability partner and display our Fairtrade Mark proudly on their much-loved products.”
Voters in the Superbrands awards judged contenders against three factors” quality, reliability and distinction.
Verjee continued: “As Fairtrade Fortnight approaches, we hope our Superbrand status will help businesses and retailers in the UK to further understand the value, reach and authenticity of the Fairtrade brand and movement, and encourage them to join us in working towards more sustainable and fair supply chains worldwide.”
Shortlisted nominees were voted by 2,500 UK business professionals, together with an independent and voluntary Expert Council made up of nearly 30 senior business-to-business marketing leaders.


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swung to a profit in the third quarter, but the chipmaker's shares plunged on fears of rising inventory and lower profit margins.
The South Portland, Maine-based company delivered better-than-expected financial results for its third quarter, with revenue rising 21% to $417 million and net income of $251.1 million, or 20 cents a share.
Excluding certain items, Fairchild said EPS was 25 cents, above the average analysts' expectation, which called for 20 cents EPS on sales of $410.8 million.
At this time last year, Fairchild had a loss of $20.8 million.
CEO Mark Thompson said demand in consumer and computing end markets drove the company's sales in the quarter, with revenue from analog switch products up 45% year over year.
But the company said internal inventories "increased slightly more than the level required to support our higher shipping rate, growing by about three days of inventory."
As Fairchild takes steps to reduce the inventory, it said that gross margins could decline as much as 2 percentage points sequentially in the fourth quarter.
Fairchild projected that fourth-quarter sales will be flat to up 2% sequentially.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for $426.1 million in fourth-quarter sales with EPS of 27 cents.
Shares of Fairchild were off 8.3%, or $1.56, at $17.20 in recent trading Thursday.


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In a conversation with fibre2fashion, Mr. Rasitha Wickramasinghe, director of business development at GT Nexus, said, “It is important for textile and clothing brands to be connected with all of their trading partners in a collaborative environment that provides visibility into all of the materials, goods and parties throughout the product lifecycle. “
“To maintain this level of supply chain visibility, Indian textile and garment makers need to operate their business as a supply chain network, where everyone is connected and collaborated in one place,” he informs.
According to Mr. Bob Mckee, fashion industry strategy director of Infor Global, In India, there is the perennial issue of labor prices. The textile and apparel manufacturers as well as the fashion industry are obsessed with low labor rates.
“However, in the value chain from yarn to finished products, it is often the smallest factor. Many Indian businesses are now realizing this and switching their focus towards more substantial issues that can transform the business,” he adds.
In a similar vein, Mr. Wickramasinghe says, “The cost of labor is rising in India as well as getting people with the right skills and retaining them is increasingly difficult for many companies.”
“Human errors, processing delays and lack of consistency are other drawbacks of manual labor intensive processes. Therefore, automation of manual, repetitive tasks can improve the efficiency and productivity of organizations significantly,” he adds.
Adding on, Mr. Mckee says, “As a result, larger enterprises and aggressively growing start-ups alike are beginning to see the need for standardized software away from proprietary, domestic alternatives.”
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
Textiles | On 15th Aug 2018
A group of US retailing, e-commerce and logistics firms recently...
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IndustriALL Global Union recently signed a global framework agreement ...
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Indo Count Retail Ventures
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Shri Dinesh Mills Limited
Broad range of fabrics will sell well this financial year
Everflow Petrofils Ltd
‘An innovative technology which India needs desperately is the...
PG Silk Mills Private Limited had a humble start with a hand-dyeing unit....
MAG Solvics Private Limited was established in 1991 to design and develop...
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Mr Ambrose Chan
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Mr Hartmann Huth
Trevira GmbH is an innovative European manufacturer of high-value branded...


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When Satyakam Arya took charge as MD and CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) last November, among his first initiatives was Samvaad.
An interactive session with colleagues across different functions and hierarchies, this concept has been designed to generate dialogue and free flow of ideas. “Every month, we have these discussions with the teams in Chennai and people come up with some really interesting ideas,” says Arya.
From his point of view, there is a lot of change happening all around and it becomes important to constantly generate new ideas. Additionally, there is a chance for people to get to know the CEO better (and vice-versa).
Arya is clearly delighted with what Samvaad has been able to achieve thus far even while reiterating that it is a work-in-progress. By the end of the day, coming up with new concepts or solutions marks the continuation of a journey and not a stop at the final destination.
Agility is another priority at DICV and this is where another initiative, ‘swarm’, comes into play. In the Daimler world, a swarm organisation facilitates agile work. Working in a swarm means removal of barriers across employees where they come together and pool their competencies in a flat structure.
The members of a swarm focus on a task where the solution remains open and throws up creative work with agile methods. This drive at Daimler AG has percolated down to subsidiaries like DICV which realise that it is important to be quick while responding to market requirements.
Beyond his own people, Arya also gives top priority to catching up with his counterparts in the Daimler ecosystem across the country comprising Mercedes-Benz India in Pune, Daimler Financial Services India and the Bengaluru-based Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India.
All the four CEOs first met in Chennai for a brainstorming session followed by one in Bengaluru. The next is scheduled to be held in Pune and there is every reason to believe that these meetings have been very productive. After all, reasons Arya, each of the Daimler entities has its own strengths and it makes sense to share experiences and competencies when needed. The DICV business of making BharatBenz-branded trucks and buses has its strengths as also Mercedes-Benz in passenger cars. This is equally true for R&D and financial services where all the Daimler entities combined have some really serious talent within.
Likewise, Arya is keen to create a startup culture within the organisation where the idea is to look beyond trucks. The thinking behind this move is that the world of mobility is changing by the hour with new disruptions like connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving becoming a reality across the world.
India is seeing enormous creativity emerge in the startup space and companies like DICV fully realise that they can tap some of these sources to get new ideas and stay ahead of the curve. The road ahead could see some really big changes happening and it is here that companies need to be adequately prepared to cope with the new order.
“Beyond trucks is what we call our strategy and the definition of products will change as we provide more services and help the customer. This space will see a lot of action in the coming years,” says Arya.
While the future is full of exciting challenges, things are not so great for the present with a slowdown affecting all vehicle categories in India. “It definitely is a matter of concern and throws up questions on growth in the short-term,” he says.
In medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M/HCVs), the axle load regulations that came in last year have played a role in the current slowdown given that trucks on the road now have 15-20 per cent extra load carrying capacity. Naturally, demand has been impacted to that extent and it will take a while before people buy new vehicles.
Two, continues Arya, the NBFC crisis has been another contributing reason with the liquidity crunch hurting big-time. The economy is also slowing down and that is also working against truck-makers with M/HCV growth slowing down progressively since January this year.
Arya terms the present issue of inadequate access to finance “a huge challenge and a dire situation”. Given that demonetisation switched off a parallel economy from end-2016, it would have helped had the other lifeline been sustained. However, that is not happening thanks to the NBFC crisis and a key umbilical chord for M/HCVs has virtually snapped.
“The good thing is the news on infrastructure development where there is reason to feel upbeat as it will help the entire industry,” says the DICV chief. He is also hopeful that M/HCV sales will pick up in September thanks in part to pre-BS VI buying, coupled with, hopefully, some positive news in the Budget that will be presented early next month.
Arya and his team are also working around the clock on the BS VI deadline which comes into effect from April 1, 2020. “We will have to gradually ramp up BS VI and phase out BS IV to make sure that there is not one truck unsold. This is a huge challenge for the entire industry and let’s not underestimate the magnitude of the task,” he cautions.
The next few months will be tough and companies like DICV need to constantly keep an eye on the entire supply chain and dealer network. Raw material supply will have to be balanced and “we are coordinating closely with the ecosystem which knows how much BS IV/VI need to be produced”.
Going forward, Arya believes that there will be a flat/muted phase for some time post-BS VI which is understandable since the new trucks will be more expensive and there will be some market resistance to buying them as a result. However, things could change from 2021 since the “longterm fundamentals of the economy are strong especially in M/HCVs”.
The other challenge with BS VI is to ensure that clean fuel is available across the country as this will help the auto industry plan its roadmap a lot better. “All cities should at least have one fuel station in place by October before this is spread nationwide by January and going on to March. This can happen in phases,” he says.
This is absolutely essential since auto-makers need to keep their supply base updated constantly on the BS VI timetable. “If I switch over in October for instance, I need to inform my supply base right now in order to plan. God forbid if there is a change subsequently since it will wreak havoc right across the industry,” warns Arya.
Beyond emissions, he also believes that a lot more needs to be done to ensure safety. As he puts it, technology and environment are important but so is safety. “Let us harmonise our approach while focussing on these changes,” adds Arya.
The move to BS VI will also give a fillip to India’s role at a global level. It will throw open more export markets for DICV especially those that are also transitioning to similar emission norms.
Mexico, one of its existing export markets, is a case in point and there will be more in the ASEAN region that could be added to the list.
Whilst on the subject, Arya admits that he is concerned about the fact that there are still a fair number of BS II and III vehicles on the roads. Estimates indicate that 12 BS VI trucks produce the same level of nitrogen oxides as one BS III truck. Similarly, 10 BS VI trucks emit particulate matter equivalent to just one BS III truck, which pretty much gives an idea of the difference between the two when it comes to emissions. “If you remove those older trucks from the road, it will be much better and there is, therefore, a reason for a scrappage policy to be in place,” he says.
Arya also makes no bones about the fact that DICV has delivered on reliability and fuel efficiency. “Those people who understand the value of our trucks continue to buy them,” he says, which is also good reason not to go in for discounting. “We will only produce what we sell. We will not overstock and sell things at a discount,” reiterates Arya.
There is a lot of work happening at DICV beyond BS VI with the ultimate objective being delivering more value to the customer. There could be some interesting product initiatives given the rapid changes in the e-commerce space though Arya does not comment on any specifics.
“The BharatBenz brand is about creating value for the customer. We are studying different segments constantly,” he says. Electric is also an area that is on the company’s radar and it is likely that buses will be the first candidate. And in the event it also decides to focus on intracity options, there could well be an electric pick-up in the foreseeable future.
“There needs to be an ecosystem in place to support electric. India has the potential and we could do a lot more here. The key is to invest in technology and make it affordable by ensuring volumes. It is important to have enablers while pushing for change,” declares Arya.


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Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sometrics Acquired By American Express, Says Report
El Segundo-based Sometrics, the in-game virtual currency and monetization startup headed by Ian Swanson, has reportedly been acquired by American Express. The value of the deal was $30M, according to the report from TechCrunch. Sometrics had raised over $5.25M in funding from Big Sky Ventures, Greycroft Partners, Mailroom Fund, and Steamboat Ventures.


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Post Author Will Rhodes
Personally I find this sickening in this day and age!
What I ask is who is to blame? No seriously.
Do you blame the company who buys their product? Do you blame the person who is employing illegal immigrants – paying people cash in hand so he doesn’t have to pay national insurance contributions and tax?
A bit of both?
Thankfully the BBC have done a program that I think they should do more of:
Factory workers making clothes destined for fashion chain Primark work up to 12 hours a day for £3.50 an hour, an undercover BBC investigation has found.
You can guarantee that some are going to be well pissed over this – but to me it is what the tax payer should be seeing.
The Tory party in the UK want to lower the minimum wage, and I would suppose deregulate hours worked so is this place what we will see if they get their way? It is almost inhuman!
TNS Knitwear Ltd, based in a former Victorian mill in Manchester, supplies clothing to several high street fashion chains.
It is one of Primark’s biggest UK suppliers of knitwear, handling hundreds of thousands of garments for the company a year.
A BBC reporter, who is a non-UK national, applied for a job with the company and was not asked about her right to work.
Victorian mill – and Victorian working conditions by the look.
Many in her section were putting in 12-hour days, seven days a week, for just over half the minimum wage.
By law, workers should be paid £5.73 an hour and Primark’s own code of conduct promises workers a living wage.
But Zahid Sarwar, the co-owner of TNS Knitwear, is filmed on a secret camera telling our reporter she would get £3.50 an hour.
Our reporter also found there was no heating in that area, and staff worked in their coats in bitterly cold temperatures.
An unrepaired toilet meant workers of both sexes were sharing one set of toilets.
One Afghan man, working alongside our reporter, said he was an asylum seeker and had been working illegally in the country for three years.
Now, again, I ask – who is to blame?
While I know that this store chain does sell really cheap clothing that is not too bad in quality for the price – is it right that they allow a company like TNS to treat their workers in such a way – illegal or not, under the minimum wage or not?
You will find that some obscure government minister will say how disgusted they are with this – if it ever gets to their eyes. Yet – as will all things government they will still insist that this is a one off and there are not a lot of companies like this in the UK. That while sniggering behind their hand.
Who do I blame? Well I think it is a bit obvious – I blame those who are in power, have the duty to see that this doesn’t happen. There are laws in the UK where this should not happen, but with a weak government that is you find they are more concerned with keeping their eyes firmly on the next election rather than doing what they should be doing.
TNS Knitwear must file some sort of taxes, VAT records – records of employment etc. How is it that no one picked up on that – they must have been making some form of profit. Yet this is ignored – much like a lot of businesses that get away without paying tax – but you can always blame those who live on council estates – they generally don’t need under cover reporters to go onto the estate to see what is wrong.


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News about BRIDGESTONE Corporation, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
ARTICLES ABOUT BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
The acquisition of the car parts retailer will give Bridgestone about 800 more stores to add to its own network of 2,200 tire and car service centers.
October 27, 2015, Tuesday
Despite great expectations, the elite racing series never managed to make the greatest racetrack in the United States the home of its U.S. Grand Prix.
October 24, 2015, Saturday
More than two dozen Japanese automotive suppliers have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to fix the prices of parts sold to automakers in the United States and abroad.
February 14, 2014, Friday
Bridgestone is investing millions of dollars to determine if a plant that is native to the North American desert might provide a new source of rubber..
April 4, 2013, Thursday
Dandelion root is being used by the automaker in material applications that usually call for petroleum-based products.
May 11, 2011, Wednesday
Taking a cue from luxury carmakers, Michelin now offers North American customers roadside assistance in the event of a flat tire.
March 1, 2011, Tuesday
Keen enthusiasts know that Bridgestone, the tire maker, also produced motorcycles — innovative bikes that sold in small numbers when new, but are increasingly sought-after today.
October 24, 2010, Sunday
In Malaysia's oppressive heat, torrential rain and extreme humidity, it is not surprising that the circuit in Sepang is itself one of extremes.
April 3, 2010, Saturday
The PGA Tour and the Bridgestone Corporation said they had reached an agreement to extend Bridgestone’s title sponsorship of the W.G.C.-Bridgestone Invitational through 2014.
August 10, 2009, Monday
Bridgestone, the tire maker, said its profit fell 18.4 percent in the first quarter as a result of sluggish demand in the United States and a strengthening yen. Net profit fell to 22.96 billion yen ($220 million) from 28.14 billion yen a year...
May 9, 2008, Friday
Copyright © 2008. Quotes and other information supplied by independent providers identified on the vendor disclosures page.


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Leading thinkers in the dismal science speaking at an annual convention offered varying visions of U.S. economic decline, in the short, medium and long term. This year, the recovery may bog down as government stimulus measures dry up.
In the long run, the United States must face up to inevitably being overtaken by China as the world's largest economy. And it may have missed a chance to rein in its largest financial institutions, many of whom remain too big to fail and are getting bigger.
Originally posted by DimensionalDetective
Are we seeing the shift of world power beginning to change hands here? Is China emerging as the new financial mega-power? Or is this still a ways off?
Has corporatism and consolidation, mega-banking and disastrous financial policies run amok signaled the fall of the American Empire from its lead position?
Or is there still time to turn this traiwreck around? I know all empires rise and fall, but how many here feel this is truly the last gasps for us financially?
Exclusive: America has ‘reached the point of no return,’ Reagan budget director warns
"We've reached a point of no return. The size of the government. The massive size of the deficits and the national debt that has been created. The precedents that have been established for bailouts and intervention in every sector of the economy. The K Street lobbying system which totally dominates the Congress. All of these are very unhealthy developments.
"And I'm not sure how they are going to be reversed or eliminated," he concluded. "It may be a permanent way of life. Then, if it is, it'll be both a corruption of democracy and a serious weakening of the private capitalistic economy."
Since November 2009, China is the largest auto market in the world. China's automobile industry has been in rapid development since the early 1990s. In 2009, China produced 13.79 million units of automobile, of which 8 million units were passenger cars (sedans, sport utility vehicles (SUV), multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) and crossovers), and 3.41 million units were commercial vehicles (buses, trucks, and tractors). Of the automobiles produced, 44.3% are local brands (BYD, Lifan, Chang'an (Chana), Geely, Chery, Hafei, Jianghuai (JAC), Great Wall, Roewe, Martin Motors, etc.), the rest being produced by joint ventures with foreign car makers such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Toyota etc. Most of the cars manufactured in China are sold within China, with only 369,600 cars being exported in 2009.
China's annual automobile production capacity first exceeded one million in 1992. By 2000, China was producing over two million vehicles. After China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, the development of the automobile market further accelerated. Between 2002 and 2007, China's national automobile market grew by an average 21 percent, or one million vehicles year-on-year. In 2006, China’s vehicle production capacity successively exceeded six, then seven million, and in 2007, China produced over eight million automobiles. In 2009, 13.759 million motor vehicles were manufactured in China, surpassing Japan as the largest automobile maker in the world.
The number of registered cars, buses, vans, and trucks on the road in China reached 62 million in 2009, and is expected to exceed 200 million by 2020.
The consultancy McKinsey & Company estimates that China's car market will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030.
The main national industry group is the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers
In 2009, 13.759 million motor vehicles were manufactured in China
Automotive Industry in the United States - Wikipedia
In 2009, 5,711,823 motor vehicles were manufactured in the United States, the third largest in the world after China and Japan.
...the United States ...may have missed a chance to rein in its largest financial institutions, many of whom remain too big to fail and are getting bigger.


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2009 Opel Astra Secrets Revealed
8 May 2008
New Opel Astra is set for 2009 with sexier looks, sportier handling, and fuel-efficient engines.
Opel’s next-generation Astra will be armed with sportier styling and improved handling to take the fight to small-car leaders Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.
Our artist’s impression reveals how the European Astra is set to adopt new sheetmetal based on the new Opel Insignia mid-size sedan unveiled in April.
Drive’s spy photographers have caught disguised versions of the new Astra testing at Germany’s Nurburgring circuit, ahead of its expected 2009 debut at either the Geneva or Frankfurt motor shows.
The latest-generation Opel Astra will sit on General Motors’ new global Delta platform, which will also underpin other key future models under the GM umbrella such as the 2009 Saab 9-1 and 2010 Chevrolet Volt hybrid.
As a ‘world car’ throughout the GM empire, it will also be rebadged using the same sheetmetal for the likes of Holden (Australia/New Zealand), Vauxhall (Britain) and Saturn (North America).
Click here to continue article


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Blue Band program celebrates 1 year
It has been one year since the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce first asked local consumers to think blue.
Participants in the Chamber’s Blue Band/Buy Local campaign celebrated the one year anniversary of the campaign Thursday by handing out blueberry muffins and blue band bracelets to Junior College World Series spectators at the entrance to Suplizio Field. The campaign was first announced at JUCO last summer.
About 150 Mesa County businesses have “jumped on the blue band wagon,” as the campaign’s bumper stickers encourage shop owners and customers to do. Blue Band businesses can advertise the campaign with a sticker in their front windows, offer discounts to shoppers who choose to buy local, or hand out the bands and bumper stickers.
LuAnn Harrah, owner of Harrahs Hair Skin & Nails at 1005 N. 12th St., has rolled out numerous Blue Band discounts during the campaign’s first year. Harrah said she joined the campaign to help all local businesses attract customers.
“It gets our name out there and if it helps others, it helps us,” she said.
StarTek Recruiting Manager Jason Crowell got his colleagues into the campaign by offering bands to every employee and by rounding up a few volunteers to help make a video for the campaign’s recent “Singing the Blues” video contest. StarTek, located at 630 S. Seventh St., won the contest with a video advertising the campaign.
“We don’t sell anything locally, so it’s not about that for us. It’s about buying locally,” Crowell said. “I know keeping jobs in the valley keeps people in the valley, and buying locally helps keep jobs here.”
Blue Band Co-chair Nate Wallace, who owns CommWest, 302 South Ave., said the first year has gone smoothly for the campaign. He said it’s hard to measure the campaign’s success, but he believes the campaign achieved its goal of making people think before they buy.
“We just want people to think about where they’re spending their money,” he said.
Wallace hopes to keep that message on people’s minds in the next year of the campaign. The next big effort in the campaign will be a push to buy local during back to school shopping season, he said.
# # #
Here are the two runners-up in the Chamber’s Singing The Blues — Blue Band Wagon video contest:


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The Alliance for Audited Media just released its first half circulation and sales data, and it’s a mixed bag. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: Overall, single copy sales dropped 10 percent compared to the first half of 2012.
Out of the 25 titles considered, women’s titles and gossip rags were hit the hardest. The breakdown: Glamour (sales dropped by 28 percent), Cosmo (-23 percent), O, The Oprah Magazine (-22 percent), Life & Style (-20 percent), Us Weekly (-16 percent). The big winner of the group? Another women’s title. Woman’s Day saw newsstand sales go up by 23 percent for the first half of this year.
Now time for some good news from AAM’s report. Print circulaiton remained relatively flat (down by only one percent for the first half) and digital circulation continued to improve.
In the first half of 2012, magazines reported just 5.4 million digital subscriptions, or 1.7 percent of total circulation. This first half those numbers are up to 10.2 million digital subscriptions and 3.3 percent of total circulation. While digital still represents a tiny slice, things are on the upswing. Not a bad start to the year.


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Ally Becomes Latest Bank to Discontinue Overdraft Fees
One of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with many banks is the dreaded overdraft fee. If customers accidentally spend more than is in their checking account, they may be assessed a charge of $30 or more. What’s worse, this fee is per transaction — with some institutions being accused of rearranging the order in which transactions post in a bid to maximize these fees. Now, at long last, another bank is doing away with overdraft fees altogether.
Earlier this week, Ally Financial announced that it was officially ending the collection of overdraft fees. This comes after Ally had already been automatically reimbursing such fees for customers due to the pandemic. The practice of reversing charges will continue for a bit longer but the company says that they will be removed entirely “in a few weeks.” Ally says that this update will affect 3.6 million checking, savings, and money market accounts.
In a press release detailing their decision, Ally cited statistics showing that overdraft fees not only negatively impact the financially vulnerable but also disproportionately affect minority communities. According to the 2021 FinHealth Spend Report, Americans paid a total of $12.4 billion in overdraft fees last year. Of this sum, 80% were paid by those living paycheck to paycheck. What’s more, 43% of financially vulnerable consumers with checking accounts incurred an average of 9.6 overdrafts in 2020, which translates to hundreds of dollars spent just on fees.
Commenting on the move to do away with overdraft fees, Ally Financial CEO Jeffrey Brown said in a statement, “This is a significant advancement for consumers as we live out our mission and live up to our name – being a true ally. Overdraft fees are a pain point for many consumers but are particularly onerous for some. It is time to end them.” Additionally, Ally Bank president of consumer and commercial banking Diane Morais explained, “We know that money can be a source of stress and confusion, and we try to simplify that for people. Overdraft fees can be a major cause of anxiety. It became clear to us that the best way to relieve that anxiety was to eliminate those fees.”
With this week’s announcement, Ally joins other sizable banks that have also discontinued overdraft fees — including Discover Bank, which moved away from fees in 2019. While this is great news overall, what remains a bit unclear is if customers will still be able to overdraft their accounts at all or whether transactions will simply be declined. However, on that front, the Associated Press reports that overdrafts may be approved at Ally’s discretion and that smaller transactions are more likely to go through. On that note, it will be interesting to see if any other institutions (including potentially brick and mortar ones) follow the lead of Ally and others in ending overdraft fees once and for all.


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Ohio rockers Signals Midwest have just released a complete stream of their brand new album “At This Age”. The album consists of 10 philosophical and anxiety ridden tracks, creating a tone that fits in perfectly with the summer’s end. Check it out here.
“At This Age” is set to be released on September 2nd via Tiny Angels. You can pre-order the album here.


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Knowing your wants and needs
Those who plan and know their risk tolerances are best suited to ride the shifting tides of uncertain times
Amid the ongoing public health and economic calamity caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there are shoots of hope and humanity if we choose to see them. The tragedy is real, but so are the opportunities for reflection and readjustment as we continue to work our way through this unprecedented situation.
There have been many celebratory events, such as graduations, weddings, holiday vacations and family get-togethers that have been rescheduled or put on hold. Few could have imagined six months ago that tens of millions would now work from home, learn how to navigate Zoom, or watch industries like travel, hospitality or in-person entertainment freeze in place and then contract overnight.
Few parents could have imagined how quickly they would need to become home-school teachers — or that the friendly faces seen at the local supermarket would be considered not only an essential worker on the front lines, but also more vulnerable to Covid-19 than most in this pandemic.
But we adapt. College graduations became virtual events and travel and social plans put on hold can be revived at a later date. While a minority of agitators have attracted media attention treating the pandemic as an inconvenient conspiracy, we like to believe the majority of Americans are being responsible humans and are taking this pandemic seriously. The strength of this humanity might bode well for the future.
Most of all, we believe this pandemic will accelerate economic trends that could barely be discerned a few years ago. It can also hasten thinking about what we can and cannot control in our lives and communities.
An event like this pandemic may take years for us to fully comprehend the depth of the economic turmoil, but today or tomorrow can be the day when each of us makes a “checklist” to focus and reassess our wants and needs along with our overall plans and goals. You might ask yourself, “Do I really need that new car? Do we need a six-figure wedding? How much of a nest egg do we want?”
Like it or not, this very personal pandemic has laid bare the mythology that tomorrow will be pretty much like today, only perhaps a little better. The same can be said for our economy-dependent consumer spending addiction.
A recent survey of 42 countries about how the pandemic is impacting consumer behavior by McKinsey & Company showed bouts of sustained consumer optimism about the future combined with realism about the present. Stay-at-home directives, together with economic uncertainty, have become a recipe for reflection on our needs, wants and priorities. For example:
Do you need a new car? Between 31% and 49% of Americans say “no,” even if they might have said “yes” under more normal conditions.
The same “no” goes for spending on foreign and domestic travel, cruises or even a short-term vacation home rentals.
As many of us can attest, grocery and home entertainment spending is way up, but new clothing, footwear and jewelry spending has been sidelined.
Surveys such as these are a limited snapshot of the times, but they do tell us that preferences can change just as we are able to change our approach to saving and investing. Our nation was already skating on thin ice with large amounts of personal debt combined with an anemic lack of savings.
It says volumes about the perils of financial illiteracy that, as the Federal Reserve reported a year ago, 40% of American households do not even have $400 in reserve for an emergency.
That emergency is upon us, and we need to do better for the future.
For many years, we have had many frank discussions with clients about how planning pays both financial and psychological dividends.
Those who plan and those who know themselves and their risk tolerances well, are best suited to ride the shifting tides of uncertain times. Those who could not discriminate between their needs and their wants (i.e., buying a new car or purchasing a second home) and left planning for another day in hopes for a quick miracle, are left victim to the very same tide.
Tom Sedoric is partner, executive managing director and wealth manager and D. Casey Snyder, CFP, is partner, senior vice president and wealth manager of The Sedoric Group of Steward Partners in Portsmouth.


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Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini released a patch for their latest scenery for X-Plane, which fixes the FPS problem in this scenery.
Laminar Research released X-Plane 11.50 which is breaking some addons. DreamFoil Creations' Bell 407 was one of them but the team already released a fix.
The amazing DreamFoil Creations AS350 for X-Plane works on the latest version of the sim but with some issues. DreamFoil has released a patch that takes care of it, though.


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We are so excited to announce that we has been named a CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree for the VOLO Go Cordless Dryer. The announcement was made during CES Unveiled, a tech event bringing together top media, exhibitors and industry leaders for a sneak peek of the products and trends expected at CES 2019, which will run January 8-11, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV.
The VOLO Go’s groundbreaking technology not only frees users from the confines of cords and outlets, but nourishes hair unlike any other dryer on the market. The quartz infrared light and heat penetrates the cortex of the hair, drying it from the inside out. Powered by the same lithium-ion battery cells found in electric cars, the VOLO Go is extremely energy efficient and performs as well as a salon-quality blow dryer. It's safer, it's faster, it's healthier – and it's cordless.
“We are so honored to receive this distinction at CES 2019. We are excited to be a disruptor in a stagnant space and are proud of the hard work our team has done to make the vision of a cordless hair dryer into a reality. Most ‘new’ hairdryers are the same thing in a different package.” - Ryan Goldman, CEO and Co-Founder
The VOLO Go is also better for the environment, consuming about 1/3 the electricity as an old-fashioned hair dryer. If widely adopted, this could result in a reduction of 20 million tons of CO2 per year, comparable to taking 4.2 million cars off the road!
“Hair appliances are a $20 billion a year market, and yet they still require consumers to be tethered to a wall. Between the VOLO infrared heat element, which is healthier for hair, and the lithium-ion battery, the VOLO Go is a feat of engineering that will forever change the hot tools market. Debuting our product at a tech-driven show is important to us because it highlights the VOLO difference: this isn’t just another hair dryer. This is brand new cordless technology that redefines a category and, more importantly, solves a problem by offering active women more freedom in their heat styling, as well as healthier hair.” - Jonathan Friedman, President and Co-Founder
Our VOLO Go Cordless Dryer will be on display in the Innovation Awards Showcase at the upcoming CES 2019, and presages will launch this January 6th!


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Firearms accessories manufacturer Magpul is receiving a $8.3 million grant to move its manufacturing and warehouse operations to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
According to the Associated Press, the grant was originally supposed to be $13 million, but the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board voted 4-1 to lower it to $8.3 million after a change in plans for housing Magpul’s operations in Cheyenne.
The Erie, Colorado-based manufacturer made the decision to move production, distribution and shipping operations to Cheyenne, and its headquarters to Texas, due to strict gun laws enacted in Colorado last year.
“Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,” Richard Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer for Magpul Industries, said in a press release announcing the move. “This relocation will also improve business operations and logistics as we utilize the strengths of Texas and Wyoming in our expansion.”
As the AP reports, Magpul is planning on having some of its operations up and running in Cheyenne this coming November, which will create around 90 new jobs. They are closing their Colorado facility next spring.
“Magpul made the decision to relocate in March 2013 and has proceeded on an aggressive but deliberate path” Doug Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Magpul Industries, said in a statement. “These dual moves will be carried out in a manner that ensures our operations and supply chain will not be interrupted and our loyal customers will not be affected.”
Read more: http://www.kgwn.tv


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Thursday, April 3: Yelp Drops After FTC Complaints
Victor Reklaitis takes a look at which stocks traders will be watching during market action, including Yelp, Perry Ellis, and Micron Technology. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... three stocks to looking at ... the slowest ... which was Yelp ... Wright suggested there was news that they're more than two thousand complaints filed with the FTC about Yelp is in things like a small businesses worried about ... of unfair reviews are fraudulent review site Yelp was down six percent or almost six percent yesterday is that they were watching and will see if they can bounce back from ... that very else ... right as earnings report for the open ... adjusted earnings were slightly better than expected yet the stock has struggled overall for the year it's down about ... ninety percent of us talking on the fashion business is physically hard among when we see a theme with active continuing on Micron ... pray that others it is the difference or it stops more than doubled over the last twelve months will have earnings ... after the bell says the chip company that's really been highflier lately ... great


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Wool, skin, fur, and feathers only look good on their original owners. So PETA is taking some outspoken sheep—along with cows, foxes, and geese—across the country so that they can tell shoppers exactly how they feel about the wool, leather, fur, and down industries. PETA’s “Wear Something Vegan” ads are popping up left and right all winter long.
Updated February 28, 2019:
Updated February 8, 2019:
These three cows are deep in the heart of Texas asking San Antonio to be kind to bovines.
Updated December 20, 2018:
Animals are traversing Pennsylvania to declare their independence and demand freedom from being killed and used for garments. Their first stops were the Washington Crown Center in North Franklin Township and the Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca, where they will stay into the new year to ask shoppers to make 2019 kinder for animals.
Updated December 14, 2018:
If there seems to be a chill in the air at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, H&M, and Eileen Fisher stores in Washington, D.C., it might be because a few of PETA’s animal friends have made their way onto bus shelters nearby. And they’re telling the stores and their customers that animals are not shoes, belts, sweaters, bags, or coats.
Updated on December 4, 2018:
We placed this sheep just steps away from Patagonia’s Atlanta store so that she can stare down the company that has twice resumed selling wool after stopping following PETA exposés. Our billboard asks people to steer clear of wool throughout the holiday shopping season and opt for cruelty-free alternatives instead.
Updated on November 13, 2018:
This week, new PETA billboards debuted in Nebraska and Utah, where PETA eyewitness investigations have revealed horrific cruelty to sheep. The billboards are near the Westroads Mall in Omaha and the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, targeting Forever 21 and Express—which continue to sell wool. Take a look:
Originally published on August 30, 2018:
Our “Wear Something Vegan” campaign kicked off with ads near Forever 21 at the Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore and near and H&M (which continue to sell leather) at the Town East Mall in Mesquite, Texas. They’ll be popping up at other shopping centers, too.
Billboard versions are up outside Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon, California, and Destiny USA mall in Syracuse, New York. (And PETA’s protesting sheep ad in Syracuse also happens to be near The Great New York State Fair, which includes many exhibitions that exploit sheep.)
© Outfront Media
And other animals are riding around New York City on taxi toppers during Fashion Week.
Clear Vision Taxi Advertisement
Clear Vision Taxi Advertisement
These ads will make shoppers think about the fact that animals don’t want to be trapped, beaten, bludgeoned, shot, plucked, skinned alive, or killed so that their parts can be made into a stiletto or a sweater any more than humans do.
As numerous PETA investigations have shown, the millions of cows whose skin is turned into leather endure dehorning and castration, often without painkillers. Several PETA video exposés of the wool industry have revealed that sheep are beaten, stomped on, mutilated, and even skinned alive, while a PETA exposé of the down industry in China documented that workers often pluck the feathers of sensitive geese and ducks several times a year before they’re killed. Dead birds who’d been used for their feathers were found decaying in crates and ponds or tossed outside like trash.
Animals’ wool, skin, fur, and feathers are theirs. And with so many readily available cruelty-free materials, there’s no need to wear animal-derived ones. Check out PETA’s “How to Wear Vegan” guide to find loads of looks that are humane and effortlessly chic, and tell retailers that are still hawking animal parts that skin isn’t in.


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SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday they have won dozens of honors at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 Innovation Awards as the South Korean electronics giants vow to introduce cutting-edge technologies and products at the world’s largest tech expo.
The CES Innovation Awards is an annual event that honors outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products across 28 product categories. It is sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which also hosts CES 2021, the organization’s first-ever, all-digital event taking place from Jan. 11 to 14.
Samsung said 44 of its products and service solutions grabbed CES 2021 Innovation Awards honors, including four Best of Innovation accolades.
The Best of Innovation award is given to those rated highest across the product categories.
Among Samsung’s 44 award-winning honorees, 16 were from TVs, followed by 11 from mobile devices, nine from home appliances, four from semiconductors, three from audio products and one from monitor.
Samsung, the world’s largest TV and smartphone vendor, said its next-generation display and smart TV accessibility solution have been named Best of Innovation winners.
Its Galaxy Note 20 5G smartphones and Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition were also Best of Innovation honorees.
LG received its largest-ever 24 honors at the CES 2021 Innovation Awards, including two Best of Innovation distinctions.
The company said its 48-inch OLED TV and InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator with a voice recognition feature took Best of Innovation honors in the gaming and home appliances categories, respectively.
LG, the world’s largest OLED TV vendor, said its OLED TV won a total of five honors in three categories at the CES 2021 Innovation Awards.
Both Samsung and LG have confirmed their participation in CES 2021. They are scheduled to hold virtual press conferences on Jan. 11 to introduce their new products and innovations.


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June 21, 2016
SMITE World Championships Are Back
As the lovely image above shows, the SMITE World Championships are back again this January 5 - 8 in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA.
Since the 2016 SMITE World Championship in January of this year, SMITE has continued to grow, reaching 20 million players worldwide. This year also saw SMITE's launch on PlayStation 4, making it one of the top action games available on current-gen consoles and PC.
The SMITE World Championship at Hi-Rez Expo 2017 will once again feature the top SMITE PC-teams from around the world, playing for a $1-million prize pool. The top Xbox teams will also compete for a $150,000 prize pool in the first ever SMITE Xbox World Championship.
To see all about the SMITE World Championships and source tickets for yourself, hit up the official site.


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Starbucks embraces the rainbow for Pride
Starbucks is no stranger to a good cause. It’s ahead of the competition when it comes to paying its taxes and its staff, caring about the environment, and battling prejudice. The company reiterated these core values last week as a gold sponsor of Pride, the festival that celebrates acceptance of the LGBT movement. 240 Starbucks employees marched in the London parade on 8 July, demonstrating that Starbucks doesn’t just throw money at these things – it encourages its people to get on board too.
See how Starbucks celebrated Pride 2017
Maria Sebastian, Starbucks’ senior vice president of brand, said: "Diversity's always been a core part of our brand. We've always been known for creating welcoming and inclusive environments; whether it's in our stores or in the broader communities that we serve. So we're really excited to be in our third year as a gold sponsor for Pride of London."
Starbucks progressive morals might not appeal to everyone, but the company is resolute that ethics are at the heart of its business, and this is what it believes. It is also true, however, that it plays very well with the kind of customers the company relies upon. Millennials, the middle class, and urbanites, are all more likely to hold views accepting of diversity and championing environmentalism. And Millennials, certainly, have precedent for using those preferences to decide where they spend their cash.
Ultimately, there is no doubt that Starbucks is genuine in its embrace of progressive opinions. But there’s also no doubt that it’s good for business.
Dominion holds Starbucks in its Global Trends Managed Fund.
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The views expressed in this article are those of the author at the date of publication and not necessarily those of Dominion Fund Management Limited. The content of this article is not intended as investment advice and will not be updated after publication. Images, video, quotations from literature and any such material which may be subject to copyright is reproduced in whole or in part in this article on the basis of Fair use as applied to news reporting and journalistic comment on events.


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Most oenophiles passively enjoy the unintended health consequence of their passion: that wine may help promote a healthy heart.
Repeated exposure could increase the chance of skin cancer.
A serene new spa and wellness center is unveiled.
The latest small-batch, high-quality liquid gold to emerge from Napa Valley is not a Chardonnay, but a facial serum.
Private hydrotherapy rooms and royal roots set the retreat apart…
While many resorts offer the occasional spa treatment for men, few curate an entire spa menu around their needs like Travaasa Experiential
Peloton introduces its new interactive stationary bike.
The Napa Valley resort’s spa targets the needs of men’s skin…
The Solage Calistoga resort, nestled in a canyon in California’s Napa Valley, is home to the 20,000-square-foot Spa Solage, which offers healing, relaxing, and soothing services.
When 19th-century British physicist James Prescott Joule first announced to the scientific community that movement created energy in the
The ability of smart devices to communicate with one another can make life more seamless, helping to save time and keep us connected.


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X7.1 Iperespresso illy Coffee Machine: improved with passion for you
Others would have been content with the success of the X7, not illy. Here's the next generation: X7. 1 has the same soft lines and soft-touch panel, the same.
Cold Coffee Is Booming in the U.S.05/23/16 ,via Bloomberg
Coffee makers from global giants JAB and Illy to smaller upstarts such as High Brew, La Colombe and Chameleon Cold-Brew are putting their brews on ice. They're introducing high-end ready-made chilled bottled and canned coffee, betting U.S. grocery
Rick Bayless Snags Julia Child Award; Kelis Has Never Made a Milkshake05/23/16 ,via Eater
In other vital food news today: Rick Bayless won a coveted award; cold coffee is trending; the surprising truth about Kelis's "Milkshake"; and a San Francisco startup wants to change vending machines as we know them. Cold coffee: so hot right now
Cold Coffee Is Booming In The U.S., Canned Iced Coffee Is The Next Big Food Craze05/29/16 ,via The Inquisitr
Beverage giants like Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola are already joining in on pushing canned iced coffee. Coffee maker giants like JAB and Illy and smaller companies like High Brew, La Colombe, and Chameleon Cold-Brew are already adapting to the new
Eye on eCommerce: Neil Stewart, CEO, Salmon06/06/16 ,via Essential Retail
He goes on to say brands need to think of alternative partners to the grocers, such as coffee machine manufacturers for Illy, or a detergent partnering with a washing machine brand so when it is installed customers are offered the smart replenishment
The best coffee machine deals on Black Friday 201511/26/15 ,via TechRadar
One simply cannot have enough. And there's nothing quite like home-made coffee from a proper machine. The catch? Coffee machines ain't cheap. Unless, that is, it's Black Friday and prices are taking a hammering. And we really do mean a hammering. Illy
Faint Coffee Is Booming in the U.S. - Bloomberg
The coffee trade is getting ready for its very own big chill. Coffee makers from global giants JAB and Illy to smaller upstarts such as High Brew, La Colombe and Chameleon Brumal-Brew are putting their brews on ice. They’re introducing high-end ready-made chilled bottled and canned coffee, betting U. S. grocery shoppers will clasp yet one more way to get their caffeine jolt. Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper and other beverage makers are jumping in. And a Starbucks-PepsiCo partnership, which has long dominated packaged polar coffee, is also introducing new chilled brews. While sugary iced-coffee concoctions, like Starbucks’ Frappucinos, have been popular for years, baristas and coffee bars are seeing an increasing bid for more sophisticated iced espressos and lattes. For the fourth quarter of 2015, Starbucks reported a 20 percent increase in iced salute sales nationwide following its introduction of a new cold brew coffee in its retail stores. Now, coffee makers are making a push for getting more of those high-end, earlier small-calorie and less-sugary cold brews and lattes on the shelves of stores like Wal-Mart, Kroger and Costco. Canned or bottled at-to-drink coffee is a natural evolution flowing from a consumer landscape awash with premium coffee at ubiquitous Starbucks and countless independent coffee bistros. perceptive-to-drink coffee market has been growing by double digits annually since 2011, and Euromonitor International expects the market to reach nearly $3. 6 billion by 2020. The epidemic market stood at $18 billion in 2015, according to Euromonitor. Michael Butterworth, co-creator of the Coffee Compass blog, says the chilly coffees on U. S. grocery shelves now "have a long way to go" in terms of quality and taste. When the beverage industry looks to the future, it sees U. S. consumers craving make-to-drink coffee at levels approaching those in Japan. Coca-Cola Co. , which partners with Illy in the U. S. and other countries, sells more bottles and cans of coffee than anyone else globally, on the whole due to sales in Japan. Foamed Latte There’s been a recent burst of ready-to-drink-coffee deal making and product launches. Starbucks, which teams with PepsiCo for its grocery keep coffee drink offerings, is introducing new sweetened and unsweetened bottled black coffee and cold brews this summer. The Starbucks-PepsiCo partnership, which makes up about 75 percent of the to hand-to-drink U. S. coffee market, “can do more consumer education in a week than we’ll have in a year,” said Campbell, the Chameleon Cold-Brew chief big cheese officer. Peet’s Coffee & Tea, owned by JAB Holdings, now sells cold brew canned coffee since agreeing to acquire Stumptown Coffee in October 2015. La Colombe, backed with funding from Chobani yogurt topple over Hamdi Ulukaya, will be releasing its canned latte... Last month, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, entered into a sharing deal with High Brew Coffee, an independent beverage company started by David Smith. He co-founded Sweet Leaf Tea Co. , which was sold to Snuggle up Waters North America in 2011. Smith discovered the virtues of cold-brew coffee while on a seven month sailing misstep with his wife and two young children a few years ago. Caribbean Crossing Crossing from island to island in the Caribbean, often at night, Smith found paradigm coffee wasn’t giving. Source: www.bloomberg.com
Rick Bayless Snags Julia Progeny Award; Kelis Has Never Made a Milkshake - Eater
Anthony Bourdain and President Obama are kicking off the week by having dinner together in Hanoi , and frankly it's unavoidable to know who to envy more. (Fun fact: Said dinner cost a whopping $6. ). In other vital food news today: Rick Bayless won a coveted endow with. cold coffee is trending. the surprising truth about Kelis's "Milkshake". and a San Francisco startup wants to change vending machines as we recognize them. — Chicago's Rick Bayless has become the second-ever chef to nab the prestigious Julia Child Award. (The inaugural reward, which "honors an individual who has made a profound and significant difference in the way America cooks, eats and drinks," went to Jacques Pepin. ) The Mexican sustenance guru will be honored at a gala event to be held October 27 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in D. C. , and his Frontera Husbandman Foundation will receive a $50,000 grant. — And now, a shocking revelation from Kelis, singer of the 2003 hit "Milkshake" : Regardless of being a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, she's never actually made a milkshake. — Cold coffee: so hot right now. An onslaught of new, cordial-to-drink — and less sugary — chilled coffee beverages are hitting the market, from java giants like Starbucks and Illy as well as indie companies. Starbucks is launching bottled moonless coffee and cold-brew products this summer, Peet's now sells canned cold-brew, and La Colombe's foamy canned latte will in good time hit grocery store shelves, ensuring there are no shortage of new ways to get... — Vending machines have long served as a refuge for the junkiest of jettison foods. But a San Francisco-based startup called Byte wants to change that by providing offices with new-school vending machines stocked with na foods, from Blue Bottle coffee and fresh juices to locally made sandwiches and salads. The small fridges dispense foods with the swipe of a reliability card, and inventory is closely tracked so the machine's contents can be refreshed as necessary. They're already present in 100-plus Bay Area offices, and the proprietorship hopes to bring them to more metropolitan areas soon. Source: www.eater.com
Completely Coffee Is Booming In The U.S., Canned Iced Coffee Is The Next Big Food Craze - The Inquisitr
consumers are drinking more canned and bottled iced coffee than all the time, according to recent reports. The new trend of drinking iced coffee – famously sold chilled and in a can – is beginning to hit the United States after being popular in countries like Japan for years. Coffee behemoths like Starbucks, who recently signed a partnership with PepsiCo, have been putting their coffee on ice for ages and are introducing new psyched up-to-drink chilled bottled and canned brews. Beverage giants like Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola are already joining in on pushing canned iced coffee. Coffee maker giants like JAB and Illy and smaller companies like Dear Brew, La Colombe, and Chameleon Cold-Brew are already adapting to the new demand. “While sugary iced-coffee concoctions, like Starbucks’ Frappucinos, have been favoured for years, baristas and coffee bars are seeing an increasing demand for more sophisticated iced espressos and lattes. Many now say they serve more weak coffee than hot — even during winter. For the fourth quarter of 2015, Starbucks reported a 20 percent increase in iced drink sales nationwide following its introduction of a new cool brew coffee in its retail stores. The appeal of chilled, ready-made iced coffee to Americans is undeniable. Serving hot coffee that is immediately agile to drink is simply not possible, the convenient can enables easy transportation and consumption, and the pre-made product cuts down on preparation metre. Canned coffee can also be chilled and stored in large quantities for a long period of time. While many pre-made iced coffee offerings are slap of milk and sugar, similar to a Starbucks Frappuccinos, many of the newer canned products are low calorie or have less sugar, which appeals to healthiness-conscious coffee-lovers. Canned or bottled coffee seems a natural evolution to the explosion of U. S. coffee shops in the age of big chains like Starbucks and the boundless variety of independent spots. The numbers speak for themselves: the global market for canned iced coffee stood at $18 billion in 2015, and the U. S. furnish for the beverage has been growing by double digits since 2011. Analysts believe the American iced coffee market will... Michael Butterworth, of the Coffee Compass blog, told Bloomberg that the dignity isn’t quite there yet. For all of cold brew’s fans, for example, the method leaves out many essential compounds and flavors that are only soluble at hot temperatures, which is why numerous baristas prefer the Japanese method of brewing coffee hot directly over ice. While canned coffee might have a long way to go in terms of matching the taste of fresh-brewed, there’s no denying that the sell is there, and companies are eager to take up the challenge. The Starbucks-PepsiCo partnership, in particular, makes up 75 percent of the U. S. canned coffee customer base, and plans to introduce new cold brews this summer, including sweetened and unsweetened bottled coffee. La Colombe will also be releasing its canned latte later this year, a guzzle which is designed to foam like a latte when poured and sold 10,000 cans in the first hour when it was offered online in Cortege. [Photo by Fabiano Silva/Getty Images for illy]. Source: www.inquisitr.com
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Coffee-makers are satisfying a thirst for bottled cold brews05/30/16 ,via The Kansas City Star
The coffee industry is getting ready for its very own big chill. Coffee-makers, from global giants JAB and Illy to smaller upstarts such as High Brew, La Colombe and Chameleon Cold-Brew, are putting their brews on ice. They’re introducing high-end ...
Cold coffee the new frontier for beverage makers06/05/16 ,via Watertown Daily Times
The coffee industry is getting ready for its very own big chill. Coffee makers from global giants JAB and Illy to smaller upstarts such as High Brew, La Colombe and Chameleon Cold-Brew are putting their brews on ice. They’re introducing high-end ready ...
New study: Global capsule coffee machine industry forecast to 2021 with key companies profile, supply, demand, cost structure, and SWOT analysis06/06/16 ,via Whatech
https://www.themarketreports.com/report/global-capsule-coffee-machine-industry-2016-market-research-report Companies like Keurig, Philips Senseo, Bosch Tassimo, Nescafe DOLCE GUSTO, LAVAZZA, illy, Eupa, AAA, Dr. Drinks, Joyoung ONE CUP and more are ...