text:
Media editor Dr Lee Duffield looks at the one-sided culture battle being fought against latte-sipping, inner-city dwellers and suggests the perpetrators deserve a kick in the backside from farmers.
THE JIBE about “latte-sipping", "greenie", inner-city dwellers gets a lot of noise but on closer examination, it is much ado about nothing to Australians — except for potentially harming the dairy industry.
The facts suggest that only an ideological fringe really gives a damn if others drink latte; it is after all just milk coffee, nothing that sinister or effete and people all over the country are drinking a lot of it.
STRAW POLLING ABOUT CAFÉ LATTE
Two straw polls have fuelled this report on the purported demon drink: visits to a selection of corner coffee shops to find out how much milk they are ordering in, and a search engine operation to check on the latte rhetoric and the latte facts.
We are talking about the invective in news media against voters in some of the inner-city parts of Australia, like the electorates of Grayndler or Batman, who usually return Labor or sometimes Green members, very rarely Liberals — evidently causing some grievance, sense of injury and exclusion, frustrated sense of entitlement, hurt feelings?
A review of media reports over the last six months or so turns up two points.
The first point is that this anti-latte language is mostly used just by some National Party members and the radical right-wing faction of the Liberals — Senator Eric Abetz coming to mind. Generally, other people in Australia do not use “latte-sipping, inner-city, Green-voting” as a form of insult.
The second point is that the term is used also by conservative journalists among the staff on News Corp newspapers, especially The Australian, putting their opinions and prejudices into columns.
Again, other media are not usually bothered with the tired epithet, maybe more interested in doing some original and creative analysis.
Whatever can go on in Rupert Murdoch’s words factories when somebody is going out on the coffee run? The safest thing for them must be to order Aussie billy tea; sipping a latte may be more than your job is worth.
WHY SO DOWN ON LATTE?
All jesting aside, what is it about the harmless hot drink that causes this element in society to get so upset and out of step?
The offending product itself, café latte, is part and parcel of the coffee and café boom of the last 30 years or so, started a few decades earlier by Europeans who opened coffee shops and put “café latte” on their beverage menus.
Maybe it was the foreign language name that bothered fringe conservatives — too “pretentious”, a feeling then carried over through the years? The later variant soy latte provokes even more trouble.
MAKING A GLASS OF COFFEE
How to make this stuff, so reviled in one small corner, enjoyed everywhere else:
- where you have a coffee machine, pour a shot of coffee, 30 millilitres and add some 150 millilitres of hot milk; then spoon some milk foam onto the top;
- it can be in a cup or in a glass, which even after all these years can make it seem a bit different and might innocently add to the enjoyment of your morning drink.
Coffee made with milk is hardly a new-fangled drink. When instant coffee arrived in force in the 1950s, it was often mixed with hot milk, sometimes called drinking “mud”. And even before that, they did the same using Bushell’s liquid coffee extract — very sickly.
HOW MUCH LATTE AND HOW MUCH MILK?
How much latte drinking goes on nowadays and how much milk?
For one thing, the outlets – coffee shops – are no longer confined to the central business district or the so-hated inner-city.
The search engine poll, "finding café latte”, turns up thousands of places looking for some advertising space on the internet — in towns, outer suburbs, malls, fast food joints and road-stop hamlets.
A challenge: if not too choosy, not a “connoisseur”, not a full-on latte-sipping "greenie", you should be able to find a passable café latte in any National Party electorate in Australia.
Inner-city coffee makers Sally (front) and Elda - preparing the ‘demon drink’? (Image by Lee Duffield.)
The IBISWorld marketing consultancy says it has counted 14,286 businesses selling coffees in Australia, earning $8 billion in revenue — an industry growing at 5.1 per cent annually and employing 73,329 people.
Both companies inform us their work is excellent, so we must assume they use different definitions — 12,000 looks like a fair number.
Investigating these places, our straw poll focused on three cafes: small ones to keep the results conservative not exaggerated, located, yes, in inner-city suburbs.
They purchase each week, respectively, 400 litres, 300 and 210 of Australian dairy milk, mostly full cream but some 15 per cent of it skinny or enriched.
Do your own arithmetic with the average of those by 12,000 outlets, coming to 18.93 billion litres of milk each year.
Considering the amount that goes into processing -- for cheese, ice cream, yoghurt and on and on -- and marketing milk sold to households, it seems unlikely the cafes would be taking quite as much as the 21 per cent indicated by the above calculation.
So the figures are rough but they do show this: the coffee shops are big customers for an important, if somewhat distressed, Australian industry and some people might do better to stop belting into their clientele who drink a lot of milk coffee , AKA café latte.
Out of the politicians among those critical people, the Liberal Member for Corangamite in Victoria, Sarah Henderson, seems to be fighting on two fronts, in two minds.
Ms Henderson has been quoted in The Australian attacking Greens for launching a “latte-sipping campaign” to change the date of Australia Day.
This might be dangerous ground, given that her electorate, even though redistribution has it taking in more of urban Geelong, includes several voters who produce milk, used for, café latte.
"I wish to thank dairy farmers … for attending the meeting I convened in Alvie', Henderson said. She would elsewhere be laying it on thick, also welcoming “the Australian Government's Mobile Service Centre … on a tour of hard-hit dairy regions in Victoria.”
A few more examples — judge by the tone.
The then New South Wales Roads Minister Duncan Gay became fed up with “latte-sipping hipsters of Newtown or Fitzroy”, who should appreciate his work: “It is one thing to sit in your cafe, sipping your latte, and complain about cars and roads…”
Yeah, good argument, that’s telling them!
Likewise, National Party Senator Matthew Canavan, saying he’d picked up a great slogan in North Queensland:
"Don’t take my coal job and I won’t take your soy latte."
Back in Sydney, Lord Mayor Clover Moore got a blast over some Council initiative involving coffee:
"Playing Lord Latte as homeless scrape for survival."
A few shots from The Australian — a field day for the columnists and selected blogs:
- 'Forests should be available for use by all people, not just inner city greenies who want to feel pious ... Perhaps their latte cafe could issue them with a complimentary pass to the park after six cups … '; or,
- 'Has Aboriginal woman Cheree Toka [wanting to fly the Aboriginal flag permanently on the Sydney Harbour Bridge] ever visited an Aboriginal community in a remote area? … Or did she come up with this flag idea sipping a latte in an inner city cafe?'
Application of the term “latte sippers” seems to say: We are different to them, we don’t like them, we reckon you don’t either or at any rate, you shouldn’t.
It’s hardly potent propaganda; not that persuasive, not that constructive and unifying either, nation-wise — maybe something to think about over a coffee.
Media editor Dr Lee Duffield is a former ABC foreign correspondent, political journalist and academic.
Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA.


text:
GRAYSLAKE — As "Pretty Woman" played in the background, model bride after model bride paraded through the room wearing dresses made popular by the movie "Titanic." In the audience, real brides-to-be stared wide-eyed at the glamorous gowns.
At the Wedding Extravaganza in Grayslake on Saturday, turn-of-the-century fashion met end-of-the-century bride. Held at Brae Loch Golf Course and sponsored by the Lake County Forest Preserve District, the event attracted more than 200 brides-to-be, their mothers and even some of the brides' fiances.
In addition to peeks at the latest fashions in wedding dresses, brides got acquainted with a number of Lake County businesses that provide wedding services, including photographers, videographers and disc jockeys.
In the process, the Forest Preserve District showed off its main banquet facilities at the golf course, which at least two couples decided were nice enough for their wedding receptions.
Wedding planners could also sample wedding cake made by Libertyville Bakery. The bakery's top-end cake--a five-tier pastry featuring a fountain--feeds 450 people and costs $800.
But the dresses were what most brides came to see.
" `Titanic' had a big effect," said Laurie Gudgeon, co-owner of Priscilla's Bridal Boutique in Wauconda. "They're getting into richer fabrics, heavier laces. There's a lot of rich detailing."
The boutique showed off 55 dresses, including gowns for the bridal party and flower girls. The dresses ranged in price from $200 to $1,000, depending on the amount of beading, rhinestone work and lace.
Grooms are also mixing styles from past and current eras. Black and white spats are worn with jackets with zippers. The new jackets are called the "wetsuit look" and first became popular in California, said Chad Read, regional manager for Gingiss Formalwear.
Those grooms that came to the extravaganza apparently did so reluctantly.
Colin Mulcahy was dragged out Saturday by his fiance, Janice Jacobs. Both are from Mt. Prospect.
Mulcahy said he was content to leave nearly all of the decisions for the couple's May 30 wedding up to Jacobs and her mother.
"Bridezilla is taking care of everything," he said. "Whatever she wants, she gets."

domain: news


text:
CTIA Enterprise and Applications – what is it all about?
Once again, smartphone aficionados, mobile industry experts, and key company representatives are gathering under one roof to attend one of the most anticipated (at least from our point of view) events of the year. We are talking, of course, about the CTIA Enterprise and Applications trade show that is about to open its doors as early as Tuesday morning.
smartphone manufacturers and software developers unveil the latest and greatest creations. At the same time, those who are lucky enough to attend the show may get the privilege to check out some sizzling hot devices and to experience first hand the latest innovations and trends in mobile software.But what is all the fuss about? Well, during CTIA is usually the time when
However, the list of benefits from attending does not end here. Some of the most important people in the mobile business deliver keynotes during the show and express their point of view on the wireless industry's current state and possible future. That is crucial information for businesses that run activities heavily dependent on wireless communications as it gives them directions how to better manage their operations.
Nearly 200 companies are expected to exhibit their wireless applications, solutions, hardware and software at CTIA Enterprise and Applications over the course of the next three days. Executives from Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon will share their insights on how 4G wireless technologies have evolved and how the nation can take advantage of that. Meanwhile, companies will learn what opportunities for optimizing their business operations modern wireless technologies can provide. The way mobile payments, mobile marketing, and mobile video can revolutionize modern business will also be a topic of discussion.
Needless to say, we at PhoneArena will be attending the show and will be delivering all the spiciest news for you. The event is to set off at 9:30AM PDT so stay tuned for all the latest buzz.


text:
Mayor opens new charity shop in Honiton
PUBLISHED: 14:05 16 December 2010
Civic welcome for Children’s Hospice South West
THE Mayor of Honiton, Councillor Peter Fleming, has officially opened a new charity shop in Honiton.
Children’s Hospice South West has opened the shop in premises formerly occupied by A Dimond and Co, which has relocated to premises next door.
The new charity shop opened its doors this morning (Thursday, December 16).
Councillor Fleming said he was pleased to see the previously empty shop unit occupied again.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Midweek Herald. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


text:
Chinese phone making sensation Xiaomi has released its first ever drone, the (un-inspiringly titled) Mi Drone. This adds to Xiaomi’s ever expanding line of consumer products, including phones, tablets, scooters, luggage, wrist bands, and more.
The Mi Drone, as reported previously, comes with capability to record video in 4K. Besides that, Xiaomi also unveiled a 1080p version which is a bit cheaper.
The USP of the Mi Drone according to its makers is the fact that it can be easily serviced, and despite being a gadget that requires a high level of component integration, is modular. This includes the camera
and the rotors and prop guards, which can be detached easily.
The controller of the Mi Drone will allow for a smartphone to be attached, which as mentioned will act as the viewfinder for the video from the camera (we’re assuming WiFi FPV). A 5100mAh battery will power the drone, which should be good enough for over 20 minutes of flight in most conditions.
Besides that, there’s GPS, GLONASS and a vision-based positioning (equivalent to DJI’s Vision Positioning System?) for geo-location.
As for the range, the 4K version is expected to feature radio gear that’ll give it some serious control radius — 3km. The entry-level 1080p version, on the other hand, is expected to feature a 1km range.
As for pricing, like most other products from the Apple of the East (read: Xiaomi), the Mi Drone comes fairly affordable: 2499 CN￥(or $380) for the 1080p variant, and 2999 CN￥ ($457) for the 4K version.
With only a 20% different in pricing, we’d be surprised if the 1080p version sells more than the 4K edition. Interestingly, there was no mention of the follow me feature (supposed to work with an Mi Band) that leaks pointed at.
“We want everyone to be able to afford good products. That was why I set up Xiaomi in the first place,” Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said. Xiaomi aren’t particularly known for their innovation. It’s primarily the aggressive pricing that sails the boat for the company. It would be unfair to say that Xiaomi have disappointed with the Mi Drone. For instance, DJI’s Phantom 3 4K is $799, which makes the 4K Mi Drone a very compelling alternative.
For now, Xiaomi’s first drone will stay inside the company’s home country of China. Citizens in the country will also be able to purchase a 99 CN￥ backpack for the drone, direct from Xiaomi.
The shipment timelines aren’t very clear yet, however. According to Xiaomi, the 1080p Mi Drone “will be crowdfunded on the Mi Home app starting 26 May 2016” while the 4K version “will be available for testing via an open beta programme at the end of July.”
Either way, Xiaomi loyals — and drone enthusiasts for that matter — will have some waiting to do.
Xiaomi Mi Drone Pictures


text:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Lanvin is teaming up with H&M for a womenswear and accessories (including men's) collection! The clothes hit stores November 23@
Here's the campaign!
Here are pictures of the clothes!
Take a look at these crazy shoes by Benoit Meleard!
Could you walk in those?? Could Lady Gaga?
Posted by BrennaLu at 1:22 AM


text:
TweakTown NewsRefine News by Category:
The Chinese government has unveiled its own custom software, the China Operating System (COS), which is aimed at competing against Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X. Based off Linux, COS is a government-funded OS co-designed by the Shanghai Liantong Network Communications Technology and the China Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISCAS).
The OS clearly mimics the Linux-based Google Android operating system, which is extremely popular on smartphones and tablets.
Open source software isn't as prevalent in China, where the government wants to have better control of computer software. Other open source initiatives struggled to take off in China because user interface, input methods, application support, and speech recognition haven't been able to keep up with the demands of the country's estimated 564 million Internet users.
(Image: CCTV News)
PC benchmark company Futuremark has rolled out a major update for PCMark 8, PCMark 8 v2.0.191, offering additional tests for image processing, video editing and spreadsheets. The Home, Creative and Work benchmarks have all received important updates, including a feature to allow Professional and Advanced Editions to run older versions of each test, which can be used for comparison purposes.
Futuremark wanted to ensure enterprise environments can also be quickly and accurately scored, along with an addition to boost drive performance analysis.
The Steam version of PCMark 8 will update automatically, while the standalone version requires users to download and install the update.
The download link is available here.
Tonight Adobe announced an exciting new feature for its Photoshop Creative Cloud software. The new 3D Printing feature allows users to create, color, and texture their 3D models and then button them up for 3D printing. Photoshop will also build support structure into the model to ensure everything prints exactly as planned.
As a heavy Photoshop user and avid 3D printing guru, this will definitely be something I try out in the coming weeks. While I think I may still prefer the tested methods of modeling an object and then prepping it for printing using a service such as NetFab, but who knows, Adobe could have just changed the game for experienced Photoshop users who are into 3D printing.
Companies that haven't started migrating from Microsoft Windows XP to a newer operating system are running the risk of missing the XP end of support deadline on April 8. Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) support will no longer be offered as the 12-year-old operating system is not as secure as Windows 7 or Windows 8.
"Businesses may not realize the complexity of migrating to a new OS," said Brad Mendonsa, Clare Computer Solutions CEO, said in a statement. "Because the migration involves detailed planning, creating a budget specific to a company's needs, testing, implementation and training, it's important for companies to begin now."
San Francisco Bay Area IT firm Clare Computer Solutions provides these four reasons to migrate: some industries face legal consequences if they don't upgrade; Windows XP will face significant malware and other security threats; no more XP-compatible hardware is being produced; and businesses will pay a steep financial price trying to keep using an unsupported OS in the workplace.
Realistically, businesses should have started to migrate from XP sometime last year - and there are significant business operation issues if they don't migrate.
Microsoft has announced it has teamed up with web hosting and domain name company, GoDaddy, in a partnership that will see the two companies offering Microsoft's suite of productivity tools to small business customers.
This deal will also include the ability to easily connect users' domain names to Office e-mail services. It will also see the full suite of Microsoft's Office software, including shared calendars, cloud storage and instant messaging. What do you think of this move? Is it a step in the right direction for each company?
We reported about NVIDIA's latest GeForce 332.21 WHQL drivers when they dropped, but in case you've missed out, we've made them today's Download of the Day. The new drivers can be downloaded right here.
The fresh GeForce 332.21 WHQL drivers include updated SLI profiles, the latest beta of GeForce ShadowPlay, and much more. If you are a GeForce owner, you owe it to yourself to grab the latest drivers. For more downloads, check out our new Downloads section.
The machine to machine (M2M) industry will grow from a $45 billion market last year to an estimated $242 billion in 2022, according to the Strategy Analytics research group. The healthcare industry, consumer electronics, utilities and vehicles, and emergency all services will quickly control the M2M industry, with companies driving towards better efficiency. M2M helps enable data flow in both wired and wireless systems, with advanced frameworks available for industry specialists needing a customized service.
Healthcare, CE, Utilities and vehicles are areas that will see major revenue growth, through the driving out of inefficiency in existing processes as well as the creation of new service opportunities," said Andrew Brown, Strategy Analytics Executive Director of Enterprise and M2M research at Strategy Analytics, in a statement.
M2M is still in its infancy when compared to the tech market as a whole, but security, mobility, and cost containment are three major concerns. M2M operators need to carefully identify strategic partners and have an appropriate plan to reach newer customers unfamiliar with the benefits of M2M adoption.
NVIDIA has just released its GeForce 332.21 WHQL drivers, which include some new SLI profiles, 3D Vision profiles, performance and stability improvements, and more. For some of the latest games, we have some SLI profiles, which will help with multi-GPU gaming.
We have new SLI profiles for Assetto Corsa, EVE Online (DirectX 11), Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, and Thief. We also have 3D Vision profiles for Injustice: Gods Among Us, and Path of Exile. NVIDIA has pushed in some stability improvements, as well as the usual performance improvements for some titles. You can grab the new drivers right here.
CES 2014 - The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 typically brings about joy for consumers and most companies, but Intel confirmed it would rename the McAfee Security brand. John McAfee, founder of the company that he later sold, now has a name of infamy bringing forth rather negative name recognition. Beyond John McAfee's wild personal issues, including a global search, wild spending and obscure blog posts, Intel is clearly interested in just moving forward.
It was just two years ago that Intel said there were no plans to change the McAfee name, but Intel wants to alter the company's public perception. In addition to a name change, product packaging and marketing will also reportedly be revamped.
During the Intel keynote, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said his company will provide mobile security to smartphones, tablets, wearable electronics, and other mobile devices. Intel will release additional details related to the company's free mobile software for smartphone and tablet owners later this year.
Mozilla wants to push the boundaries of all connected devices, and is shifting focus to the living room with its Firefox OS. The open source operating system offers an opportunity to try and break up the rather proprietary and closed world among today's TVs and home entertainment products.
Mozilla and Panasonic will team up to bring the Firefox OS into the living room on smart HDTVs, with other announcements in the near future likely.
"By producing an OS powered by Web technologies and the Web's principles of openness and competition at every layer of the stack, we're applying the full power and flexibility of the Web to the mobile ecosystem for the first time," said Jay Sullivan, Mozilla Chief Operating Officer, in a blog post.
The mobile ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and Mozilla hopes Firefox OS users find the cloud-based functionality practical.


text:
You don’t need me to tell you that things are grim. But in the car world they’re even grimmer, with the meltdown happening frighteningly fast.
General Motors say they have only enough cash to last until 2009, and their stock is at its lowest since 1950.
Last week GM’s shares fell 43 per cent, while Ford’s crashed 50 per cent. Volvo are axing 4,000 jobs, Jaguar and Vauxhall factories are on short time, and the boss of Subaru said he expects to see a lot of dealer closures in the next six months.
But listen. Our cup is not half-empty, it’s actually half-full.
I can’t believe some of the prices I’m seeing. A T-reg Ford Focus for £500, new shape 2002 Range Rover £7,000, 51-plate Mini One £3,200, and current shape Coopers are down to four grand.
Or how about this… an 04-plate Peugeot 207CC (the one with the clever electric folding roof) with just 62,000 miles for £4,200?
So cheer yourself up and appreciate how cheap the current generation of modern, swish and well-built used cars has become.
Remember how cool it was to own an Audi TT? Well, four grand now gets you a V-reg Quattro with 60k miles and full service history.
Too much for you?
How about an R-plate one- owner BMW Z3 in black with 68k miles for an unbelievable £2,500. But here’s a real gem. A 1998 Merc SLK 230 with just 27k miles being privately advertised with those two little words “must sell” for £4,350.


text:
Wearing face masks will become a matter of “personal choice” with the end of restrictions in England on 19 July, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says. But it seems that companies and individuals intend to interpret the change differently.
While, for example, some airlines have confirmed face masks will still be compulsory after 19 July, shops, pubs and hairdressers are altering policies.
The World Health Organization still advises masks continuing to be mandatory on public transport, in shops and in crowded places. So, a day after the government’s announcement, what are the intentions?


text:
Kangaroos are known best for their significant pouch to carry baby kangaroos and boxing-like arms. But, you may not know about this animal’s habit of jumping in front of oncoming vehicles.
Because if this reason, Volvo has taken its initiative to overcome this problem by studying the behaviors of this animal, for the safety of the drivers and also the kangaroos. Volvo has taken into consideration the kangaroos when designing the cars, and kangaroo crash dummies are sued for that purpose.
Volvo is currently working on the sensor calibration and computer response to kangaroo behavior. This is not the only research done by Volvo which is involving animals. Apart from kangaroo, they have done research on moose, reindeer, and cow which are a threat on-roads.
The automaker uses the similar kind of cameras and radar for pedestrian detection at city speeds. Since kangaroo-involving incidents happen in rural highways, Volvo is focusing on using higher speeds. If everything goes well, Volvo aims for zero injury/death by 2020.


text:
(Integra president and CEO Brett Robinson joins Gov. Laura Kelly)
Just as Kansas beat Oklahoma last year in the competition to land a $4 billion Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant, Kansas just made another megadeal with a computer chip manufacturing firm.
This time, the state approved $304 million in tax incentives over 10 years to Wichita-based Integra Technologies in exchange for a $1.8 billion investment in the company reported the Kansas Reflector.
With the deal, Integra will add 1,994 jobs and build a million-square-foot plant in Wichita.
Click here for Kansas Reflector


text:
Tags » Irfan Pathan
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh has forayed into the fashion industry by launching his brand YWC Fashion in collaboration with designers Shantanu and Nikhil.
The cricket star says all the profits from his clothing line will be used for the betterment of cancer patients via YouWeCan (YWC). 255 more words
After 3-0 loss in Test series finally Australia won the match, defeating the host by three wickets in the first ODIs. Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first, they managed to restrict Sri-Lanka on 227 in 50 overs. 183 more words
Reports are coming that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Pathan junior to come to Russia as the ‘Winter Is Coming’ and he will need someone to warm his chair. 688 more words
Twenty20 cricket, with heavy bats and smaller grounds, should ideally favour batsmen in a format that feasts on high scores. However, the bowlers have evolved and adapted as much as the batsmen have and are restoring the balance between bat and ball. 248 more words


text:
Wellness in (and out of) the Workplace
The COVID-19 crisis has placed significant pressures on many in society - indeed, one in five UK
Phishing and Spear Phishing - Avoiding the Phishing Net...
However, with new securities, efficiencies and collaborative tools come new ways for criminals to
Cue The New!
Relocating Concorde Technology Group during 2011 to our current HQ location represented a huge
How Concorde Can Help You Support Students
Since the UK’s initial implementation of national and regional lockdown and social distancing
The Importance of Microsoft Office 365 Backup
Microsoft Office 365 is extremely popular with businesses across the world, with commercial users
Concorde Earns Status as G-Cloud 12 Framework Supplier
Concorde Technology Group, one of the UK’s leading technology services and support providers, today
Welcome to the Concorde Technology Group Virtual Wine Tasting
We are delighted to invite you to Concorde and Nutanix’s Wine Down Thursday event on the 15th
The New Normal...
The effects of COVID-19 on small and large businesses all around the UK has been damaging to
Goodbye, Windows 7… Say Hello to Windows 10 Today
On 14th January 2020, support for Windows 7 was suspended and Microsoft now no longer releases
Communicating with Your Business Remotely
Maintaining a transparent and disruption-free line of communication between your teams is arguably
Goodbye, Skype: Learn More About Teams
As Skype is due to terminate on 31st July 2021 in favour of Microsoft’s better enhanced and
Remote Working: Remain Secure and Productive
In light of harsher government restrictions on travel, many businesses have opted for an ‘off-site’


text:
As we inch closer and closer to the inevitable release of the PlayStation 5, fans have started to wonder when Sony may be planning to have its big next-gen blowout event. Of course, the current global climate has no doubt affected the console manufacturer’s plans. That being said, recent rumours are now claiming that PlayStation will have its big PS5 event in June, with a State of Play set to follow it up in early August.
As reported by Gematsu, the PS5 event was originally set for the 4th of June, though plans may have since changed. Due to unspecified reasons, the event may see a slight delay, though rumours claim that the next-gen reveal event will still be set sometime in “early June.”
Fans who have been eagerly waiting to see what the console looks like may not have to wait long. Reports claim that “Sony Interactive Entertainment will have shown off the console in detail by the time the event occurs”. Furthermore, the June event is said to include a “significant” number of next-gen titles.
Following its June event, PlayStation will reportedly be hosting a State of Play. This digital Nintendo Direct-style presentation is said to be taking place in early August, and will “highlight a combination of PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 titles”.
While these two events are highlighted, Sony will also reportedly utilise its PlayStation Blog and other social channels for various announcements across the months as well. We have already seen this with the console’s new controller – which was revealed through the PlayStation Blog.
Though these uncertain times have undoubtedly affected many of Sony’s plans, it’s looking as though the official reveal of the PlayStation 5 is truly just around the corner.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for the PlayStation 5? What do you think the console will look like? What games would you like to see announced at either one of these events? Let us know down below.


text:
- February 2, 2023
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Economy
- U.S. manufacturing sinks further in Jan, but few layoffs – ISM
- Euro zone factories have passed their trough in activity – PMI
- China’s Jan factory activity shrinks – Caixin PMI survey
WASHINGTON/LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Manufacturing activity across the United States, Europe and Asia contracted again last month, underscoring the fragility of the global economic recovery, although factories in the euro zone at least may have passed the trough, surveys showed on Wednesday.
The latest figures come as central bankers gear up for another round of interest rate increases to combat high inflation. The U.S. Federal Reserve looks set to hike borrowing costs by 25 basis points later on Wednesday while the European Central Bank and the Bank of England are both expected to add 50 basis points on Thursday.
The Fed’s fastest interest rate-hiking cycle since the 1980s has stifled demand for goods, which are mostly bought on credit. U.S. manufacturing sunk further in…


text:
Tesla Inks 5-Year Lithium Deal with Chinese Supplier
Materials strategy mimics multi-sourcing battery plans
To help keep pace with its surging sales, Tesla has signed a five-year contract to buy battery-grade lithium hydroxide from China's Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group.
The deal is valued at $630 million-$880 million through 2025. This equates to as much as 19,000 ton of lithium hydroxide per year.
Chengdu-based Yahua opened a new plant last May that can produce 20,000 tons of the material per year, more than doubling the company’s previous capacity.
Tesla Model Y (Image: Tesla)
Tesla, which ramped up production at its vehicle assembly plant in Shanghai in January, also sources lithium from China's Ganfeng Lithium, one of the world's biggest producers of the pricey material.
The carmaker also has an agreement with Chinese battery giant CATL (in addition to Panasonic and LG Chem).
Tesla aims to sell as many as 1 million vehicles in 2021—which would double its projected record volume this year—and is planning new factories in Germany and Texas, with an eventual (extremely ambitious) goal of selling as many as 20 million EVs per year.
Needless to say, it’s going to need a lot of lithium to power all the new cars. Deals with more suppliers are likely to follow this one.
For the right parts, or families of parts, an automated CNC turning cell is simply the least expensive way to produce high-quality parts. Here’s why.
BMW brings carbon fiber into mass production: reducing vehicle weight, parts, and production time.
Topology optimization cuts part development time and costs, material consumption, and product weight. And it works with additive, subtractive, and all other types of manufacturing processes, too.


text:
“It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing.” ~Steve Jobs, (Feb 24, 1955 - Oct 5, 2011)
The sculpture, made by XVALA, is due to be shown at a gallery in Los Angeles starting early in October. As for the trash thing, Cory Allen Contemporary Art described it this way in the announcement of the piece:
Coated in an “Apple White finish,” the sculpture is cast in the artist’s patented plastic porcelain, mixed with a recycled resin made up of Steve Job’s residential trash which the artist collected from the tech icon’s home several months before his death.
While American parents have been concerned with their lack of tiger discipline, the Chinese are looking for tips on raising their young from this side of the Pacific. China wants its own Steve Jobs, and it’s not sure how to find—or create—one. At times, the quest has reached the level of national campaign, with the government promising its prioritization and vowing to spend four per cent of the country’s G.D.P. on comprehensive education reform aimed, ultimately, at producing a Jobs to call its own.
Click-through to read more from Jiayang Fan on China’s search for the next great genius: http://nyr.kr/Looaw0
The Apple l, the first Apple computer made by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, is seen on display at Sotheby’s on June 8 in New York City. A rare surviving first model of the Apple computer — a stripped down, clunky device that bears no resemblance to today’s sleek gadgets — sold for $374,000 at auction in New York.


text:
South Africans are switching to cheaper brands to keep meat on the plate, says new report
Cash-strapped South Africans are swapping out their preferred meat brands and products for cheaper alternatives, a new study by Unilever food group's Knorr shows.
Faced with an economy in decline, rising food inflation, and skyrocketing fuel prices, consumers are being forced to tighten their belts – but even so, they are holding on to their meat, the third edition of Knorr's Plate Of The Nation report found.
Consumers have cut out luxuries, the report found. "To manage household expenses, 67% of households are reassessing their spending and sticking to a budget to survive the month."
As much as 66% of households in South Africa manage their grocery expenses by changing brands if the prices on their preferred brands increase.
About 64% of households elect to go for the lowest-priced product within their preferred products as a tactic to keep purchasing their favourite brands.
The Plate of The Nation study, conducted by research house Nielsen and commissioned by packed soup and meal-kit company Knorr, quizzed more than 1,000 South Africans about their eating habits. Respondents were about evenly spread between men and women. It found that South Africans remain staunch meat-eaters, with 89% saying they eat meat.
The typical South African plate is mostly starch, which generally contributes 41% to the meal. Almost a third, 27%, of the plate is usually meat, while 13% consists of vegetables.
There has also been a rise of the flexitarian diet, which increased by 10% in 2022; these individuals are primarily on a vegetarian diet, but eat meat or fish occasionally.
On average, South Africans eat two meals daily, skipping breakfast, and most South Africans eat weekday dinner. During the weekend, more South Africans will indulge in breakfast.
"The report has also found that 83% of young women between the ages 16-24 years, mostly with kids and residing in urban areas snack in between meals, this has increased since 2021 (70%)," the report said.


text:
Editor's Note: Following are excerpts from news stories recently posted under Breaking Industry News on our home page. For links to these and other full news stories, please visit www.greensheet.com/breakingnews.php?flag=previous_breaking_news.
Electronic payments volume was up 3.8 percent, worldwide, during the third quarter 2018 compared to the same period last year. The increase was almost four times the growth in average tickets during the same period, according to the latest SpendTrend report from First Data Corp.
The recently formed U.S. Faster Payments Council is the Federal Reserve Bank's latest bid to improve speed, security, efficiency, cross-border compatibility and collaboration in payments. Developed by the Fed's Governance Framework Formation Team (GFFT), the FPC is open to all payments industry stakeholders, who are invited to serve on committees and work groups and have a voice in the direction of the project, FPC members stated.
The 2018 holiday season has been marked by increasingly stealthy and sophisticated attacks against consumers, merchants and financial institutions, security analysts noted. Bimal Gandhi, CEO at Uniken, cited the Marriott Starwood data security breach that recently came to light as the latest example of compromised data being resold and exploited at scale.
The Federal Reserve Board torpedoed industry efforts to make checks a fully electronic payment option. Regulatory changes disclosed earlier this month make it clear that financial institutions cannot clear electronically created items through the Reserve Bank System. While most checks start out as paper items, the majority today clear between banks and credit unions as electronic images.
Spearheaded by a PCI SSC Special Interest Group of call center and technology experts, Protecting Telephone-based Payment Card Data outlines best practices for mitigating fraud by removing sensitive data from scope. Ben Rafferty, global solutions director at Semafone, said the council last issued call center guidance in 2011, and the landscape has evolved significantly in recent years.
Walmart introduced Order and Pay, a new in-store ordering option that enables shoppers in physical store locations to order and pay for items that aren't available in the store. Consumers work with Walmart associates on the floor to process online orders from Walmart's Dotcom store and then pay for the items at the physical POS, along with other items selected from the shelves (if any).
The Dark Web is having a clearance sale on personally identifiable information, offering criminals a names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers at prices as low as $2 per record. Bryan Lewis, president and CEO at Intellicheck, said much of the stolen data was vetted for accuracy during a lengthy incubation period.
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.Prev Next


text:
Slender: The Arrival, Parsec Productions and Blue Isle Studios' sequel to the Something Awful meme-turned-video game Slender: The Eight Pages, is slated to hit Steam on Halloween with new content, according to a newsletter issued by the game's developers.
A specific release date and details about the new content was not provided in the announcement. Released on PC earlier this year, Slender: The Arrival is a collaboration between Blue Isle Studios and the developers of the original Slender title, Parsec Productions.
Slender: The Arrival was developed as the official re-imagining of Slender: The Eight Pages. It consists of the same gameplay found in the original, incorporating improved visuals, more content, more levels and "an engaging storyline."
Blue Isle Studios announced via its website late last month that Slender: The Arrival now officially supports the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.


text:
ALIFE makes it’s debut in Switzerland this Thursday, June 19th at GRAND and CELLOPHANE.
In celebration, ALIFE collaborated with premiere Swiss Chocolate maker Chocolaterie Blondel to produce custom chocolate bars.
The SWISS “Choco” T-Shirt available exclusively at ALIFE Flagship shops in NYC, LA, Vancouver, Tokyo; and also in Switzerland at:
7, Ruelle de Bourg
Tel: +41 21 312 91 59
LORD FINESSE will be performing live at GRAND on Thursday night, June 19th to celebrate the occasion.
Cellophane will be releasing the pack on the 20th of June.
T-Shirt available at ALIFE stores globally this Saturday, June 21st.


text:
In the late 90’s and early 2000s, the way to lose weight was with elimination diets. It was all about the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet and the fat-free diet. People were swearing off carbs and fat to shed unwanted pounds.
Unless you are accessing food allergies, completely eliminating a food group is not attainable, and most importantly, not healthy. It can cause food nutrient deficiency, osteoporosis and immune problems.
The dieting craze now is about portion control- eating less of everything. Which meanshigh fats, carbohydrates and even sweets are welcomed back in your home, but this time, with a measuring cup handy. Not only is this a healthier way to live, it’s an easier way to live. You won’t go through life feeling deprived and craving the things you love (which always results in a large amount of indulgence).
Over the past year articles, editorials and research reports have covered the growing trend of portion control. An article from the November issue of Baking Management, focused on some of the statistics regarding smaller serving sizes. In the article, “Everything in Moderation,” data cited from Mintel Reports and Infoscan Reviews concluded that the cause of change in consumer behavior is due to customers seeking more healthy alternatives and the economic recession.
About six years ago , the 100 – calorie pack trend hit the shelves. In 2004 Kraft Foods Inc.’s Nabisco brand launched 100-Calorie Packs of some of its most popular cookies and crackers.Our favorite snacks were divided in to bags where we could enjoy what we loved without consuming the calories. But let’s be honest, how many people really only ate one? “In a 2011 survey, market research provider Mintel, Chicago, asked consumers which attributes are important to them in ready-to-eat baked products. While 27 percent seek out single-serving options, 18 percent look for reduced-calorie packs and 17 percent look for 100-calorie options. This could indicate that today’s consumers are placing more emphasis on moderation than calorie counting, says Carla Dobre-Chastain, senior food analyst for Mintel Reports.”
Due to this change in diet, large portions are beginning to look wasteful. As most American consumers are living in smaller households, purchasing a full cake for instance, will most likely be wasted or thrown away. As most American consumers are living in smaller households, purchasing a full cake for instance, will most likely be wasted or thrown away- which adds to the drive of smaller pre-portioned desserts.
Manufacturers and bakers have tackled this trend by providing products that statisfy small portions, health and convenience. But it is clear, that to succeed one has to control their will power. Products being sold as “one serving” size can only make it easier. I’m curious to know, if this trend will fall in to the restaurant industry? and how will chefs tackle it?


text:
CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, is considering expanding its battery-swapping business overseas to meet rising demand from electric vehicle manufacturers, the company said on Wednesday. The high-speed swapping stations replace batteries in electric vehicles as fast as gas cars can be filled up with fuel and are especially useful when drivers run out of charge away from home or office. CATL has already built three large battery swapping stations in China, and plans to build more across the country next year, the company said at a news conference in Shanghai.
According to a senior official who spoke to CNBC, the largest manufacturer of electric car batteries in the world, CATL, is considering expanding its battery swapping business to other markets.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, sometimes known as CATL, is a provider to organisations including Tesla and Ford.
The EVOGO battery changing service was introduced by a Chinese battery manufacturer in January in ten Chinese cities. The idea is to do away with the requirement that electric vehicles stop at charging facilities. Instead, when their other battery runs out, drivers may hire battery packs from CATL and install them in their vehicles. This only takes a few minutes.
Nio, a Chinese electric vehicle start-up, also has a competing battery switching scheme. According to Nio co-founder Qin Lihong, the business intends to increase that by constructing 1,000 battery switching stations outside of China by 2025, with the bulk being located in Europe.
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Li Xiaoning, executive president of international commercial application at CATL, stated that the business is also considering expanding its battery switching solution into Europe.
“In my judgement, this will probably start in China this year. Li promised that we would gradually explore EVOGO’s global reach.
“We are starting to evaluate the possibility of cooperating with many partners. He mentioned that in order to understand the details in practise. ” We consider a variety of criteria. Product technology is one thing, but we also need to take other factors into account, such as the business case, the legislation, local regulations, and other issues of a similar nature.
If CATL expands its business internationally, it could be able to provide battery swapping services to customers without having to make the expensive infrastructure-related investments.
The rising cost of the raw materials required to create CATL’s batteries, such lithium, is one problem the company is facing.
Nevertheless, the company was nevertheless able to more than treble its earnings in the second quarter, despite the sustained strength of the demand for electric vehicles.


text:
A company run by Bruce Lee’s daughter sues a fast-food chain over its use of Bruce Lee’s image without permission. The firm is seeking compensation for $30 million. The fast-food chain has been asked to stop using the image and issued a 90-day clarification notice.
- The fast-food chain says national authority approved the logo, and the company has been using the logo for 15 years.
- The Bruce Lee Enterprises asks the chain to issue clarifications within 90 days to say that it has nothing to do with Bruce Lee.
- The enterprise filed the case after Chinese government pledged to protect intellectual property rights.
Shannon Lee Sues Real Kungfu
Shannon Lee’s Bruce Lee Enterprises sues Real Kungfu, the Chinese fast-food chain for allegedly using her father’s image without permission. The company is also seeking compensation of $30 million (88000 yuan) to cover legal expenses according to Reuters. Further, they are requesting the fast-food chain company to stop using the image. However, according to the fast-food chain, the national authorities approved the logo. The logo depicts a dark-haired man in a martial art pose.
The enterprise also asked the chain to issue clarifications within 90 days to say that it has nothing to do with Bruce Lee. Shannon Lee took over the company from her mother as per Times of India who is now the CEO of the company. Further, she has involved herself in the preservation of her father’s legacy for almost two decades now.
“We’re confused that we are prosecuted many years later. We’re actively studying the case and preparing to respond”
The Guangzhou based fast-food chain has around 600 outlets across China spreading over 57 cities in China. And the company is using the logo of a dark-haired man since 2004. China Cuisine association ranked the chain among the top 10 fast food companies in China last year. The company posted on Weibo says, “We’re confused that we are prosecuted many years later. We’re actively studying the case and preparing to respond.” The company’s statement read “The Real Kungfu chain’s logo is one that the company had applied for and obtained after rigorous screening by the national trademark agency, we have already been using this for 15 years.”
As per its official website, Bruce Lee Enterprises handles merchandising and licensing of late Hong Kong-American actor-director Bruce Lee’s image. The company further aims to share the art and philosophy of Bruce Lee to inspire personal growth, positive energy, and global harmony. It also aims to keep the martial artist’s energy alive.
According to Reuters, the enterprise filed the case after the Chinese government pledged to protect intellectual property rights (one of the key topics in Beijing’s trade dispute with the United States). The enterprise filed the case in Shanghai Court on Wednesday.
Image credit: Bloomberg.com
Mansi is an Intern at ShethePeople.TV


text:
The National Football League (NFL) and Rec Room, a leading platform for virtual worlds, games, and user-generated content, are collaborating to give football fans even more options to support their preferred NFL teams. Starting today, supporters may shop for virtual hoodies and hats for the NFL’s 32 clubs at the NFL pop-up store at Rec Room. Additionally, fans will be able to pose for pictures in the Rec Center photo booth while wearing apparel that has an NFL license.
Brian Sapp, Head of Growth at Rec Room, stated, “The NFL has one of the strongest fan groups in the world. We’re excited to be partnering with them to bring NFL fans together in Rec Room. We’ve always wanted Rec Room to be a place where players can interact with people who share their interests. So we’re thrilled that they will now be able to bond over their favorite NFL teams.”
Players can suit up their avatars with NFL-licensed hoodies and hats in Rec Room
Rec Room players may now dress up their avatars to represent every NFL team in the League in official NFL-licensed sweatshirts and hats. They can also take images to post on social media or hang them in their dorm.
According to Ed Kiang, Vice President of Video Gaming, NFL, “Rec Room is a fantastic venue for NFL fans to meet in the virtual world, cheer on their teams, and celebrate their victories.” He added, “The NFL will be able to reach current fans more effectively by adding Rec Room as another virtual venue. Their community of more than 80 million people worldwide will help us find new fans as well.”
Players can now visit the Store tab in Rec Room to check out the NFL-licensed virtual gear in the game.
What are your thoughts about the partnership of Rec Room with the National Football League (NFL)? Let us know in the comments below!


text:
CD Projekt RED has announced a new fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. The studio plans to release a manga called The Witcher: Ronin based on the famous franchise.
It will be possible to donate to Polish developers already on September 7th.
Save the date! The Witcher: Ronin Kickstarter campaign will launch at noon CEST on Sept. 7th: https://t.co/HG37FYAyTB
We have a special bonus for everybody who pledges within the first 24h — a 12cm tall collector's miniature depicting an epic fight between Geralt and Tengu ⚔ pic.twitter.com/LkgAfT7xK8
— The Witcher (@witchergame) September 2, 2021
According to the plot, Geralt will find himself in ancient Japan, where he will have to face the spirit of Yukki-onnu.
The story will not overlap neither with the works of Andrzej Sapkowski, nor with the trilogy of the Polish studio.
The book will be drawn by Rafal Yaki, the author of the Cyberpunk 2077 anime and Japanese artist Hataya. There will be a total of 100 pages in the manga.
The cost has not yet been disclosed.
Those who support the authors on the first day are entitled to a gift – a figurine depicting a battle between Geralt and Tengu, a winged creature from Japanese legends.


text:
From mid-May 2020 to mid-October, shares of Chinese electric vehicle-maker NIO Limited (NIO) have run up more than seven times in price — 733% to be precise. Recognizing his error in not recommending the stock earlier, JPMorgan’s Head of Asia Auto Research Nick Lai issued a mea culpa this week: “Admittedly, we missed the stock’s major rally YTD.”
But better late than never.
Even if Lai missed the last 733 percentage points worth of gains, he thinks there’s still time for investors to catch the next 44% profit, and for this reason, Lai has upgraded NIO shares to “overweight” with a $40 price target. (To watch Lai’s track record, click here)
Why does Lai think there are still gains to be had here? In a nutshell, because the Chinese car market is changing. What is going on today, explains the analyst, is similar to “the transition from feature phone to smartphone over 2007-2014.” An entire type of product — cars powered by internal combustion engines — is being made obsolete and replaced by a new type of product: “new energy vehicles” (NEVs, include both fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids).
Chinese car-buyers are adopting these new electric vehicles in droves. And adding electric fuel to the fire, Lai argues that as EV car prices reach “parity” with the cost of gasoline-powered automobiles (around about 2022 or 2023), the initial wave of EV purchasing by businesses will be supplemented by consumers stepping up to buy electrics as their personal vehicles — sustaining the sales momentum for years to come.
Currently, about 5% of the Chinese automobile market (21.4 million cars sold in 2019 — 25% more than in the U.S.) is electric. But the analyst projects that this market share will quadruple or even quintuple by 2025, to as many as 20% or even 25% of all cars sold in the Middle Kingdom. Annualized, that would work out to a compound annual growth rate in sales of 41% through 2025.
Now, what does all of this mean for NIO stock in particular?
NIO is one of China’s four biggest electric vehicle makers. It currently boasts two electric SUVs for sale, the ES8 and ES6, recently introduced its EC6 crossover electric vehicle, and is expected to unveil a new electric sedan in December. According to Lai, at its current rate of growth, NIO will be capturing as much as 30% of all “premium passenger” EVs by 2025, and about 7% of total EV sales, making it “a long term winner in the premium space among Chinese brands.”
Extrapolating a sales number from that size market share, the analyst argues NIO could currently be worth about 3x fiscal 2025 sales — a sizeable discount to Tesla’s current valuation of more than 5x fiscal 2025 estimated sales. On the face of it, that sounds reasonable… if, that is to say, you take it as a given that Tesla stock is not vastly overpriced already.
It’s also worth pointing out that industry giants Ford and General Motors, both of which are gearing up sizeable EV operations of their own, currently sell for just 0.2x and 0.4x trailing-12-month sales — i.e. sales that these companies have actually already made, and not sales that they might or might not eventually make five years from now.
Viewed from that perspective, JPMorgan’s valuation of NIO at 3x FY 2025 sales seems a bit optimistic.
Overall, NIO holds a Moderate Buy rating from the analyst consensus, based on 7 “buy,” 2 “hold,” and 1 “sell” ratings. However, with shares trading at $28.48, the average price target of $21.72 implies a 24% downside. (To see NIO stock analysis on TipRanks, click here)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.


text:
Just when you think we’ve experienced the width, breadth and depth of White folks’ audacity or caucasity, there is level untapped.
This week’s example comes from social media influencer Danielle Cohn.
The problem began when Cohn told fans to check out “my new song” “Foolish.” And if the name sounds familiar to you, it’s because you likely know it.
It was Ashanti’s 2002 hit.
Now, if you look into Cohn’s indiscretion, you’ll find that she’s calling her new song, which she released for sale on Apple Music, a cover.
Later, she tried to play innocent, acting as if people didn’t see what she had done initially.
Given the fact that Cohn tried to claim the song as her own, there’s a high probability that she didn’t credit Ashanti before she posted it online for profit, along with the merchandise she tried to sell along with it.
But you already know Black folks were not going to stand idly by and watch this part of the culture be co-opted.
The backlash was swift.
Ashanti has yet to comment on the matter. But the people of Black Twitter, were more than willing to work as her legal counsel on her behalf.


text:
The music industry was reshaped by streaming. So earlier this year, Warner Music Group put a streaming executive in charge.
The company’s new CEO, Robert Kyncl, was most recently the chief business officer of YouTube, where he helped transform the platform into one of the biggest names in creator monetization and streaming music. Before that, he was vice president of content at Netflix, working on partner،ps as it entered the streaming era.
Next month, Kyncl will sit down with Vox senior correspondent Peter Kafka to talk all things music and streaming at the Code Conference. Kyncl has said he wants to prioritize artists and partners at WMG, sees music as being “undervalued,” and believes the company’s next steps may involve AI — “probably one of the most transformative things that humanity has ever seen.”
The Code Conference will be held September 26th and 27th at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in California. X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, GM CEO Mary Barra, and more will be onstage for interviews, with additional names to come. This year’s conference will be ،sted by Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, Platformer founder Casey Newton, and CNBC senior media & tech correspondent Julia Boorstin. There’ll also be some special guest speakers, including Code Conference co-founder Kara Swisher.


text:
Patrick Lange, Business Modification Group
Mid-year numbers are in
In hindsight, the recent pandemic reminded buyers that heating and air service businesses are essential.”
— Patrick Lange
HORSESHOE BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, August 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Accomplished HVAC business broker, Patrick Lange of Business Modification Group released his anticipated mid-year HVAC sale market report today.
Despite increased discussion of an HVAC business consolidation slowdown. There is no evidence to suggest rising interest rates have had an impact on the acquisition market.
“We were unsure what was going to happen after the Fed increased interest rates. It would be logical to assume that with the cost of borrowing money higher, fewer deals would happen. However, so far, this has NOT been the case whatsoever. In fact, deal volumes have increased, and we are ahead of projections.” Those are the words of Lange, the industry’s leader in brokering deals between buyers and sellers.
He attributes the high demand to two things- Cash rich qualified buyers and market demand for recurring revenue service businesses.
He adds, “In hindsight, the recent pandemic reminded buyers that heating and air service businesses are essential. The HVAC business goes beyond being comfortable in your home. For many, it can be a matter of life and death.”
The buyer market is responding favorably to those HVAC businesses that place a priority on performed maintenance agreements (PMA’s) and less on relying on new construction revenue.”If an HVAC business on the market has anywhere close to 20% of overall revenues in maintenance contracts, they’ll be the first to sell.” Says Lange.
The fed is expected to meet again to discuss monetary policy September 20-21. Regardless of the outcome, Lange remains optimistic. “I think the HVAC sale market will remain strong throughout the year, but then again, my crystal ball works about as well as everyone elses.”
About Patrick Lange:
Patrick Lange is an experienced HVAC-specific business broker with Business Modification Group based in Horseshoe Beach, Florida. He has a unique background in financial planning and has even owned an HVAC business himself. This makes him well suited to working with some of the most successful HVAC business owners in the country. Specializing in companies with 1-10 million dollars in revenue, he maintains a network of buyers and sellers in the industry. He has sold more HVAC businesses than any other broker in the United States over the last 3 years and is currently the Vice President of the Business Brokers of Florida (North Florida District.)
Patrick has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Florida.
If you would like further comments or want to interview Patrick Lange, please call (352) 440-4604 or email email@example.com.
Business Modification Group
email us here
Visit us on social media:
You just read:
News Provided By
August 17, 2022, 18:06 GMT
EIN Presswire’s priority is source transparency. We do not allow opaque clients, and our editors try to be careful about weeding out false and misleading content.
As a user, if you see something we have missed, please do bring it to our attention. Your help is welcome. EIN Presswire, Everyone’s Internet News Presswire™,
tries to define some of the boundaries that are reasonable in today’s world. Please see our
for more information.


text:
There are early adopters, then there are early early adopters.
Revealed exclusively to Newshable, the first coder to work alongside bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto, Martti ‘Sirius’ Malmi, is joining a team of developers launching a new cryptocurrency called AXE. The project, which is combining Malmi’s Identifi online reputation system with decentralized database system GUN, is taking on the long-desired mission of decentralizing the Web.
And Malmi’s history in the cryptocurrency space should pique the interest of plenty of enthusiasts.
An amateur college developer in 2009, Malmi played a crucial role in bitcoin’s early days as the only active developer working alongside Satoshi – and even striking up a bit of a friendship. He earned Satoshi’s trust enough to be given admin access to the website Bitcoin.org, and most of the changes in bitcoin’s second code release are attributed to him.
But a couple years in, Malmi followed Satoshi’s lead and left the project, thinking bitcoin didn’t really need him anymore.
“I felt like bitcoin had already gone from zero to one, so to say. It was already up and running with a growing community and had lots of great developers working on it,” he told Newshable.
In 2014, then, he started Identifi, with a decentralized architecture that didn’t include a cryptocurrency at first.
But as he built – with his eyes on reducing the control web companies like Google and Facebook have – he decided something else was needed that hadn’t been tried before and that a crypto token could incentivize its use.
Malmi told Newshable:
“Most of the giant online businesses, such as Google, Facebook, eBay or Airbnb are basically centralized indexes – searchable lists of stuff. If we want to disrupt them, we need decentralized indexing.”
And that’s where GUN, which has been in the works since 2014 as well, comes in.


text:
Legislators, Academics Propose New Anti-Piracy Alternatives13 Mar, 2003 By: Hive News
The battle between content providers and digital pirates rages on. Some legislators are proposing or reviving bills that would change the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), while others, from industry leaders to academics, have tried and suggested various nonlegislative solutions.
Although lame duck Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) chairman and CEO Hilary Rosen later denied it, she reportedly suggested to reporters that computer manufacturers should charge a licensing fee with each unit they sell and pass it on to the RIAA. The Reuters reporter who quoted her stood by the report from a Rosen address at a French music conference.
Though they eventually backed off, Sony and Universal both tried CD copy-prevention strategies that had consumers in the United States and abroad protesting the limited-use discs by returning them to merchants as defective.
Consumers Want to Protect Fair Use
Evidence supports consumer interest in fair use. Almost 60 percent of consumers who responded to a January survey by marketing firm SutherlandGold said Congress' top priority should be protecting consumers' fair use right to access, copy and enjoy content they acquire legally. More than 53 percent said they fear that Congressional mandates intended to limit piracy would only end up making an already complicated problem worse.
“Much has been made of Hollywood's powerful lobbying voice in the digital rights management debate,” said Lesley Gold, a managing partner at SutherlandGold. “This survey shows that the technology community could greatly benefit from waking the real sleeping giant in this debate: consumers.”
Citing the groundswell of consumer backlash against music and movie companies, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) has suggested the answer is for content providers to prominently advertise legal uses of, and restrictions on, their materials with product labels.
Loyola Law School professor Lon Sobel has suggested Internet service providers (ISPs) like America Online, EarthLink and Juno handle charging their subscribers a fee to cover downloads. In theory such a system could work because the ISPs can monitor how much high-bandwidth activity their subscribers conduct. Typically such activity indicates large files -- like music, movies or software -- are changing hands.
The ISPs' ability to identify users who download large files is at issue in two cases the RIAA brought against ISP Verizon. Those cases use a provision of the DMCA to demand that Verizon reveal the names of high-download-volume subscribers to the organization so it can pursue legal action against the target users.
More Congressional Battles Brewing
In light of such enforcement actions, legislators are proposing or revising changes to the DMCA itself.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) reintroduced a piece of legislation March 4 called the Digital Choice and Freedom Act. It would specify that fair use applies to digital as well as analog content and would define consumers' rights to make backup copies and display digital works on the devices of their choice. It would clarify that buyers may sell or give away their copies of digital works, just like they can with traditional hard media. It would also prohibit non-negotiable shrink-wrap licenses that limit consumer rights and expectations. It would also reverse a provision of the DMCA's anti-circumvention clause, which forbids consumers to bypass technical measures that prevent media from playing on a variety of devices.
“There is wide agreement to fight piracy, and it is something that needs to be stopped, but individual consumers are being denied their legitimate rights in the digital age,” Lofgren said at a press conference to introduce the bill. “We can solve this problem, but lawsuits and locking down content are not the solutions.”
Meanwhile, legislators from the other side of the debate are doing CPR on their fallow bills to limit consumer uses of content. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) is pushing his Peer-to-Peer Piracy Prevention Act, which was introduced last session and would give copyright owners immunity from liability for impairing the “unauthorized distribution, display, performance, or reproduction” of their own works on public peer-to-peer networks. It does not address how they would determine the material was being traded illegally without intruding on consumers' privacy.


text:
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A Wisconsin judge has ordered Anheuser-Busch to stop suggesting in advertising that MillerCoors' light beers contain corn syrup, in a preliminary ruling on a lawsuit filed by MillerCoors against its rival.
A judge has ruled that a western Pennsylvania man must stand trial on charges he flushed his grandparents' ashes down a toilet after his mother kicked him out of her home./ Source: MGN
U.S. District Judge William Conley for the Western District of Wisconsin Friday granted a preliminary injunction telling Anheuser-Busch to stop using the words "corn syrup" in ads that compare Miller Lite and Coors Light unfavorably with Bud Light, without giving more context in the ad.
MillerCoors sued its rival, saying Anheuser-Busch had spent as much as $30 million on a "false and misleading" campaign, including Super Bowl ads.
MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley says the company is pleased with the judge's ruling. Anheuser Busch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


text:
New Hebridean paintings all framed!
Meteorological spring starts tomorrow… Upcoming in the calendar: Malvern Art Market on Saturday 26 March Edgbaston Art Market on Saturday 9 April Blue Magpie craft fair, Elmslie House Malvern on Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1st May Malvern Spring Show at the Three Counties Showground, […]
Busy day at Cheltenham Christmas market on the High Street yesterday. Thanks to everyone who visited! i’ll be back at the market on Thursday 16th December. Also the Christmas show with the Herefordshire Guild of Craftsmen continues this week at the Ledbury Market House, open […]


text:
Can lightning strike twice for Anheuser-Busch InBev? The brewer is hoping a formula that worked so well last year can repeat itself in 2013.
Budweiser is rolling out Budweiser Crown Black to retailers on Jan. 21, in advance of a big promotional push that will include a thirty-second spot during Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3.
While Budweiser Crown Black is a new branding, consumers may already know the beer as one of the "Project 12" beers released in a sampler pack this fall. "Project 12" was 2012 Bud initiative which asked the brewers from the company's 12 regional breweries to put their own spin the company's flagship beer.
After extensive consumer sampling and feedback of the 12 beers, including at the Budweiser Made in America music festival over Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia, three beers were released nationwide last October in a sample pack.
(Read More: Nyet! Beer No Longer Considered Food in Russia)
The brews were each named after the ZIP codes in which they were first created. Budweiser Batch No. 91406, from the Los Angeles area brewery, will now be joining the permanent Budweiser roster as the new Budweiser Black Crown.
"It didn't matter where in the United States we asked, this is the beer that consistently drew the best feedback, and overwhelmingly so," said Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser.
The new brand extension is a deep-amber lager with six-percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Traditional Budweiser has a 5 percent abv.
A higher alcohol Budweiser brand extension follows last year's hugely successful release of Bud Light Platinum and the New Year's Eve launch of the higher alcohol Beck's Sapphire.
Bud Light Platinum, which also made it national debut with a Super Bowl spot, went on to become the most successful brand launch of 2012, selling roughly 14 million cases and capturing more than a one percent market share.
(Read More: Beer Made by Monks and the Beer Drinker of the Year!)
Where Bud Light Platinum was aimed at wooing back a younger crowd which may have turned away from beer in bars and nightclubs, Budweiser Black Crown appears to position itself to the large base of consumers which already drinks Budweiser but may be looking for something a little different.
"Our research shows that after beer drinkers try Budweiser Black Crown, 84 percent would purchase it," said Nate Scudieri, senior brand manager for Budweiser Black Crown. "It stays true to the original Budweiser recipe, but has its own unique take."
The beer's national advertising campaign also has an active social media component, with interactive consumer programs on Facebook and Twitter that the company says are "designed to be participatory, similar in spirit to when consumers were asked to help choose the recipe that would ultimately become Budweiser Black Crown." The social media campaign will feature the Twitter hashtag #TASTEIS.
The beer will be sold nationwide in 12-ounce glass bottles available in six- and 12-packs and in 22-ounce single bottles. It will be available in both bars and restaurants and at grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Budweiser is America's No. 1 premium regular beer, selling more than its four nearest competitors combined.
-By CNBC's Tom Rotunno; Follow him on Twitter @TomRotunno
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
We found 7 items for the tag: PHANTEKS
Jan 29, 2013 9:05 am
Phanteks pushes forward with another tower in their line-up; take a look at the new PH-TC12DX.
Nov 9, 2012 4:41 am
Ever have an issue getting the right CPU cooler for the tiniest of cases? Phanteks alleviates that issue with a 45mm tall solution in the PH-TC90LS.
May 9, 2012 7:43 pm
Phanteks delivers a C-style cooler to the lab for testing. Take a look at what the PH-TC14CS brings to CPU cooling.
Dec 1, 2011 6:32 am
Phanteks is new to the CPU cooling game with promises of a great warranty, superior cooling and an appeal no other CPU cooler offers with the release of the PH-TC14PE.


text:
Vernon’s Home Depot Canada branch will launch its Orange Door fundraising campaign Thursday to support North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society (NOYFSS).
Customers can donate $2 at the store’s checkout in exchange for an orange paper door until July 2. All donations will help NOYFSS provide counselling and educational programs that promote healthy development of children, youth and families within the North Okanagan.
“In neighbourhoods across Canada, kids as young as 13 are experiencing homelessness for the first time,” said Jeff Kinnaird, Home Depot Canada president and chairperson of the company’s foundation board of directors.
“Together, we can shine a light on this serious social issue and inspire our friends, family and neighbours to take action to help.”
The Orange Door Project was established with the goal of eliminating youth homelessness in Canada.
One hundred eighty-two Home Depot Canada stores are taking part in this year’s campaign by selling paper orange doors in-store, and by rolling up their sleeves to help local charities complete renovation projects.
The Home Depot Canada covers all administrative costs of the campaign, ensuring 100 per cent of customer donations made at the Vernon store benefit NOYFSS.
In 2016, the store raised $9,036.


text:
The foodservice program at the University of Florida has rebranded as Florida Fresh Dining as it looks to annually ramp up its investment in local businesses.
The team, which is newly managed by Chartwells Higher Ed, says it will prioritize buying products from the Alachua County, where the university is located, as well as from within Florida and within 250 miles of Gainesville. Its “Taste of Gainesville” concept in the school’s Reitz Union will also showcase local restaurants, with two partner eateries being featured daily.
“We believe that creating a stronger bridge between the University of Florida and the local community will foster an enhanced relationship between students and business owners,” Eddie Daniels, assistant vice president of business services, said in a statement. “With the flexibility of Chartwells’ dining services, we’re able to spotlight local flavors and businesses to expand the Gator community.”
Chartwells began managing the University of Florida’s dining program last month. It was previously run by Aramark.


text:
MG Rover collapsed with debts of £1bn
The government is preparing to publish its report into the collapse of Rover in 2005 - an inquiry which has cost more than £16m.
Here is a guide to the events which led to Rover's going into administration, and the developments which subsequently ensued.
1994: Rover is sold to BMW, which invests heavily to try to revive the company's fortunes.
May 2000: BMW
breaks up the business
and Rover is sold after a boardroom upheaval. The company resists an approach from venture capitalists Alchemy Partners in favour of a group headed by former Rover executive John Towers. Phoenix Venture Holdings buys it for £10 and aims to make a profit within two years. It becomes MG Rover, reviving the famous British marque.
October 2000: The final Mini rolls off the Longbridge production line. Having sold Land Rover to Ford, BMW takes the Mini with it, depriving Rover of its more successful component and switching production to Oxford.
2000-2004: Makes losses of £611m in the first four years - amid falling sales. In 2002, it announces an alliance with Chinese group China Brilliance to help fund investment in new models.
January 2004: The bulk of the Longbridge site is sold to raise investment cash. It rents back the land and reinvests the proceeds in the business.
November 2004: MG Rover announces plans for a £1bn joint venture with the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation. (SAIC)
April 2005: The UK government says it has offered a £6.5m loan to cover wages and try to prevent redundancies being made at MG Rover.
April 2005: Beleaguered MG Rover
calls in the administrators
after SAIC pulls out of a deal to save the whole company.
About 6,000 people lose their jobs
after firms that are owed money stop supplying and production halts. It has debts of more than £1bn.
July 2005: China's oldest carmaker
Nanjing Automotive buys MG Rover,
pledging to retain "some" vehicle production in the UK. Nanjing says it plans to use the MG marque on any cars it produces in Europe.
August 2005: The UK's accounting watchdog announces it will examine the role of MG Rover's accountants and auditors Deloitte in the period leading up to the car firm's collapse.
January 2006: A committee of MPs announces
an inquiry into the government's role in trying to save MG Rover.
It says it will examine whether it did too much or too little to try to save the ailing firm, focusing on the roles of former Trade and Industry Secretaries Stephen Byers and Patricia Hewitt.
March 2006: The National Audit Office criticises the government, saying much of the £6.5m it spent on trying to help MG Rover in its final days had been wasted and would not be recovered. However, it adds many workers had been found new work as a result of the loan and it praised some of the DTI's groundwork. The Tories
say the loan was a bribe ahead of the election.
January 2007: Nanjing
resumes MG production at the Longbridge plant.
February 2007: A union survey suggests that a quarter of ex-Rover staff are
unemployed - two years after the firm's collapse.
May 2009: The government says that its inquiry into the Rover collapse
has cost £15m so far.
July 2009: Government says the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the demise of MG Rover.
August 2009: The Serious Fraud Office says it
does not intend to launch a criminal investigation into the collapse of the carmaker.


text:
Image Source: TT News
Toyota is recalling 2,700 of its first fully electric mass-produced automobiles due to the possibility that its wheels could come off. Following Mercedes and Ford, the automotive industry behemoth is the most recent automaker to recall one of its models for engine or technical issues.
According to a spokeswoman, after “low-mileage use,” fasteners on the bZ4X’s wheels “may loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle,” necessitating a recall to address the issues before more widespread distribution and potential casualty issues.
Before the recall, less than two months had passed since the automobile was introduced in Japan. Subaru, a car manufacturer, recently said it would recall 403 electric vehicles it co-developed with Toyota for the same reason.
Toyota announced in a statement, Toyota announced that 2,700 bZ4X SUVs in the US, Europe, Canada, and Japan had been subject to a safety recall.
A spokeswoman added, “If a wheel separates from the vehicle while it is moving, it could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the danger of a crash.”
They continued, “Until the repair is done, no one should operate these cars.”
A Toyota spokeswoman declined to say how many vehicles the business had produced, despite the fact that some bZ4X models had not yet been recalled. However, Toyota stated that the issue had been reported to the Japanese safety authorities on Thursday and that the root cause was “still under investigation.”
Subaru, another Japanese automaker, recently announced that it was recalling 403 of the Solterra, its first all-electric vehicle that was created in collaboration with Toyota, due to worries about loose fasteners. The company did not immediately answer a request for comment from the BBC.
Compared to competing automakers like Tesla, which introduced its first electric vehicle 14 years ago, Toyota is seen as a relative newcomer to the market for electric vehicles. It introduced the bZ4X last month in Japan. Toyota stated earlier this year that the automobile was only offered as a lease “to allay customer worries regarding residual battery performance, maintenance and residual value.”
Due to a lack of computer chips and supply difficulties brought on by the epidemic, the business announced this week that it would reduce the number of vehicles it planned to produce next month by 50,000 to 800,000.
Even while Toyota now plans to produce 9.7 million automobiles worldwide this year, it has hinted that it might have to reduce that goal.


text:
XLMedia PLC warned Monday that it expects lower revenue and adjusted earnings for the full year, as the company reported a 22% fall in pretax profit in the first half of 2019.
As a result, it expects revenue to be around $80 million for the year, compared with $93.5 million in 2018. Moreover, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization--the company’s preferred metric which excludes exceptional costs--are expected to be around $34 million, it said.
For the six months ended June 30, the digital-marketing company said pretax profit was $13.8 million, compared with $17.6 million in the prior year. Adjusted Ebitda for the period fell to $18.6 million, from $21.6 million.
Revenue in the half-year fell 10% to $42.5 million. The board declared an interim dividend of 3.1584 cents a share.
“This year has proven to be challenging for both XLMedia and the industry as a whole, as the gaming industry changes and regulates,” Chief Executive Ory Weihs said.


text:
After all the speculations and guesses finally Google names Android N, and it goes by Android Nougat. The name is revealed after thousands of people suggested various names through an online entry.
Many speculated it to be ‘Nutella’, but given the fact that Nutella is trademarked possibly ruled out the name. They could have partnered with Nutella like they did with Kitkat. But, Google officials decided to do otherwise. Some voiced their disappointment given the fact that many don’t know what a nougat is. And some, in fact, found it annoying. Anyways we now have a name for our new Android version and Google is still continuing with the sweet theme, which started from the Android version 1.5 names as the cupcake.
While everyone is pretty excited about the name, a sneak peek into the features would get you even more excited. This definitely is not an exhaustive list, but these are my personal favorites.
So what should you look for in Android N?
As per Google, the most exciting feature is the multi-window support. We waited for it long enough, didn’t we?
Well, if you own one of those premium phones from Samsung Galaxy or if your device is rooted, you probably have the split screen option, but it’s still not available for most phones and having it in built-in Android would be so cool!
Next in line is our favorite notification shade. Most of us wake up to millions of notifications and forget to action most of it, while catching up on that extra minute of sleep or for that important meeting. But now you with android N, you will have bundled up notifications and what’s even cooler than that is now you can reply to your messages from the notification shade.
If we go by reports, one feature that Google is continuously working on is Doze. If you already have Marshmallow, you will notice how the battery saver turns on when the phone is stationary. This definitely helps while you are on the go and not using your phone. It could save that extra bit of battery for last minute. Now with Android Nougat, the battery saver will be at the moment the screen is turned off. Particularly for a person like me who keeps forgetting to put my phone in charge, this, my friend, is a very welcoming news!
The settings menu, though it didn’t need much of an update. I guess most of us are happy with the settings menu the way it was, but an advanced version is never a bad option. Now you can access what your Bluetooth status is, or what’s your data usage or how much RAM you are using, without actually delving deeper into the settings menu.
I am looking forward to these updates, and I am sure you are too! So when do you think we will get it on our phones?
Well, this year Google has been way ahead of time if we follow the timeline from last two years. The first announcement of Android N was made sometime during March. Whereas in last two years the announcement was made during the I/O in May.
So do you think you would be able to get the version on your Android devices earlier than usual?
Honestly, if you ask me, I doubt that! Why am I being so cynical? Because for the fact that most of us don’t even has marshmallow on our phones yet. Android Marshmallow is currently running only on 10 percent of the Android-powered phones. This 10 percent mostly consists of phones launched after October. Older phones getting an update are even lower.
Well, it has a lot to do with the way an Android ecosystem works. When Google releases a new version, they distribute the code among phone makers. It is the phone manufacturers’ responsibility to roll it out. Google only ensures the update in all Nexus phones, which is why Nexus users get the update immediately after the Beta version is tested and the Android version is officially launched.
The phone makers have their own reasons to withhold the release though. First of all with so many Android phones and so many different models, it takes a lot of time and resource to test and modify the latest version to suit all models they manufacture. It’s even harder for low-end manufacturers. Bigger manufacturers don’t do it either to differentiate their higher end phones or to launch a new phone in the market with a premium pricing.
Another reason is consumers! Though everyone is so excited about the launch of a new Android version, practically they don’t care. What most people look in a phone is a better processor, a better screen, sound, RAM, etc. and not the fact that how likely and how quickly their phone is going to get an update.
So next time my friends, you should also add ‘latest Android update or possibility of a future update’ to your must-have list when checking for a new phone.
Now let’s just hope, we get Android Nougat as soon as possible!


text:
The SBS Cycling Central Social Hub, powered by Australian social media start-up Stackla, has totally smashed key online success metrics since launching in late June. The Social Hub offers fans of the Tour de France a first-of-its-kind second screen social experience and has generated over 1,000,000 page impressions since launching at the start of the Tour.
The team at Stackla is already fielding enquiries from Canada, US and the UK within the first 3 weeks of launching, and plans to take the product to a global audience over the next six to 12 months. And at this stage, their main competitor is a Silicon Valley start-up called Backplane, funded by Lady Gaga and several other angel investors.
How exactly does Stackla work?
What Stackla does is collect and showcase rich social media content from SBS journalists, professional Tour riders, as well as teams and fans, allowing users to sort, rate and contribute to the social conversation around the world’s biggest annual sporting event. Ingenious if you ask me.
Stackla is at the forefront of an emerging trend, where brands and organisations are providing curated social media content to their fans, providing a more relevant & tailored social experience.
“Social media is an integral part of any sporting event we cover at SBS,” said Toby Forage, Executive Producer for Sport Online at SBS.
“Using the Tour de France as a vehicle to launch an innovative platform with the help of Stackla, something that brings the wealth of content across numerous social platforms to life visually, was an opportunity too good to miss. We have been delighted with the response from our audience, who are really enjoying the Social Hub.”
Why has Stackla enjoyed such a successful start?
One of the most exceptional results for SBS is the ‘stickiness’ of the site. Once you are there, it gets really hard to leave! Users generate more than 40 page impressions per visit and an average session time of 27 minutes.
These measurements are up to 10 times regular results. Stackla managing director Damien Mahoney suggests Stackla’s ‘sticky’ social experience is the missing link for brands wanting to leverage existing social media audiences.
“We always knew Stackla had the capacity to bring an event to life, so it works perfectly alongside the amazing coverage of the Tour that SBS is renowned for,” says Mahoney.
“Stackla allows brands to bring the social conversation into an environment they control while providing their fans with the best content from the most popular social platforms.”
“We are stoked to be working with such an innovative partner in SBS who saw the value in working with Stackla – a local, 100% Australian-owned company.”
What exactly is Stackla?
Stackla is a new social media aggregation application aimed at brands wanting to provide their fans with a tailored social media experience. It aggregates content from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Instagram and orders it by relevance inside a simple-to-navigate interface.
Stackla’s unique relevance algorithm allows users to determine which social content deserves the greatest prominence, while the production tools allow an administrator to feature key posts. Effectively, it empowers fans to curate the brand’s social content. Users can use filters to determine exactly which content they which to view, and if they want the ‘fire hose’ live experience or the ‘curated’ social highlights.
This ensures fans are served the best social media content around a brand or event without having to scour all of the available social media platforms, accounts and hash tags. Mobile and tablet optimized stacks will be rolled out in coming weeks.
Stackla is the creation of Damien Mahoney and Peter Cassidy, ex-sports media types and owners of Pillar Sports, a Sydney-based digital agency. Damien was the inaugural editor of afl.com.au in 1998. He worked in online sports space for 14 years with News Ltd, Sportal, ninemsn, Macquarie Radio Network, National Rugby League. He is also the founder of digital sports agency, Pillar Sports and an AFL commentator on Triple M.
Their clients’ unquenchable thirst for content and social media led the pair to experiment with the concept of ‘crowd-sourcing’ event coverage – making the old content consumers the new content creators.


text:
Sales at accessories chain Claire’s fell 1.5% to US$360 million (£202.4m) for the second quarter of 2008, while sales at its European stores outperformed its US division.
The value accessories retailer attributed the sales dip to a decline in comparable store sales, which fell 5.8% across the group over the quarter. Within that, like-for-like store sales in North America dipped by 8.1% while European like-for-like store sales fell just 1.7%.
Claire’s added that the average number of transactions per store had fallen by 12%, but said that this had been partially offset by a 7.5% increase in the value of each transaction. In a statement, Claire’s said the increase in sales per transaction “reflects our strategy to increase average ticket through good, better and best price tiering”. The retailer blamed a drop in footfall in shopping malls for the fall in the number of transactions completed.
Claire’s chief executive Gene Kahn said: “In the second quarter we saw an improvement in the tone of business as our comparable store sales improved during each month of the quarter and our merchandise margin increased. We successfully completed phase one of our Pan-European Transformation project. As a result, we have an integrated team managing our European business and a focused North American merchandising team, with dedicated groups responsible for each of our Claire’s and Icing brands.”
Kahn added that Claire’s launched a cost-savings initiative during the quarter and is on target to reach its goal of a US$15m (£8.4m) reduction in expenses for the year.
“We have made significant progress in upgrading our management team and refining our structure, creating a strong foundation to sustain us through this difficult retail environment and positioning us to reach our performance goals,” he said.
Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter was US$58.1m (£32.4m) compared with US$64.3m (£35.9m) for the equivalent period in 2007.
The gross profit percentage was flat at 49.9% for the second quarters of 2008 and 2007. A 290 basis-point increase in the merchandise margin was offset by an equal increase in occupancy and buying costs.


text:
Guests are Cannabis Trainers founder Maureen McNamara and Orange County Register cannabis reporter Brooke E. Staggs. Talking California pot, budtenders.
Click to read the article
- Debate: How aware are the IRS and Federal Reserve of the cannabis industry's singular concerns?
- Marijuana tech firm MassRoots clears debt defaults, continues cost-cutting


text:
- Tiny Grantwood Winery tops Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition
- Savor Idaho serves as delicious barometer for Idaho wine industry
- 2018 vintage for Northwest wine growers tracks ahead of hot 2015
- Auction of Washington Wines grows Private Barrel lots by 55 percent
- Parks Redwine, owner of NorthWest Wine Summit competition, dies in Atlanta
- 15 years of women in wine at Walla Walla Community College
- Union Wine Co. doubles production, adds sales reps beyond Oregon
- Abacela brings home more gold with Grenache rosé
- Individual tickets available for 32nd annual IPNC in Oregon
- Taste Washington grows attendance by 15 percent
All posts tagged "washington state wine awards"
Anacortes merchant wins top honor at Washington State Wine Awards
SEATTLE — Anacortes wine merchant Doug Charles, Seattle sommelier Thomas Price and Wenatchee restaurant Visconti’s Restorante Italiano received top honors Monday night at the Washington State Wine Awards in Seattle. Charles was awarded the Walter Clore Honorarium,...
- Posted January 15, 2013
Washington State Wine Awards to be announced today in Seattle
The 11th Washington State Wine Awards will be announced today during a four-hour program that starts at 3 p.m. at McCaw Hall in Seattle. This will be the first time for the awards to be handed out...
- Posted January 14, 2013