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PPI payouts are 'mad' says Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone
Speaking out: Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone
The founder of Carphone Warehouse has described the compensation paid out to millions of customers mis-sold payment protection insurance as ‘mad'.
Sir Charles Dunstone, a non-executive director at HBOS between 2006 and 2008, said banks had buckled under pressure to pay out more than £11bn and claimed PPI was not mis-sold deliberately.
He told the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards: ‘The numbers seem completely mad to me. I don’t think the policies were mis-sold as the FSA says they were. It seems to me that the banks have just surrendered – that they are so unpopular that they should pay the money.’
The comments sparked an angry reaction from consumer groups, which described Dunstone as ‘completely out of touch’.
During a scandal lasting more than a decade, an estimated 31m PPI policies were sold alongside loans and credit cards.
They were meant to be a safety net for those who lost their jobs or became too ill to work, and could not afford to keep up with their repayments.
But in many cases bank salesmen earning commission foisted them on people who would never have been able to claim on the policy, such as the elderly and the self-employed.
Banks were finally forced to pay compensation when they lost a crucial High Court case in April last year.
PPI is now the biggest mis-selling scandal in UK history, with experts predicting the total bill could top £15bn.
Between 2001 and 2008 mobile phone tycoon Dunstone was also employed by HBOS.
He was a member of the retail risk committee at the lender that was responsible for monitoring potential misselling. He chaired the committee between 2006 and 2008.
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How 2020 Impacted the Online Gaming Industry
When you think about it, not every industry has been struggling as a result of COVID-19. Some sectors, like eCommerce, recorded unprecedented leaps in sales throughout 2020. The cleaning industry also had its moment although not as much as food delivery apps.
In the entertainment space, streaming networks like Netflix, and online gaming industries have also had their fair share of success. Netflix reported a new all-time high record in subscription rates back in May. In the gaming industry, here’s what has been happening in the past one year.
Cancellation of Esports Events
Before 2020, the eSports industry had an extensive list of events scheduled to take place in different cities around the world. Apex Legends had planned to hold a tournament in Texas last May. It got cancelled.
Call of Duty had a series of weekend games planned for its North American audience. But like Apex Legends, Activision Blizzard also suspended these games. Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and FIFA also had lined up events throughout the year.
And guess what? All these events were postponed or cancelled to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, the eSports industry didn’t take long before finding a solution for its problems.
Instead of cancelling every event, many eSports companies took their competitions online. Capcom, which had a host of events in 2020, replaced its physical events with 18 online regional competitions.
Evo 220, Ubisoft, ESL, Summer Game Fest and Fortnite also followed similar routes. They abandoned their earlier plans and organized new events held entirely online. Surprisingly, the move has been a success.
Increased Search Interest
Last year saw a huge fraction of the world spending more time at home than usual. In many cities and countries, businesses came to a halt. Unnecessary travelling was restricted. Schools were suspended government activities slowed down.
But amid these unusual happenings, search interest for online gaming spiked to new levels. In Canada, a study by Abacus Data showed there was a boom in the iGaming industry from April last year. In the UK and the US, studies had similar results.
People who preferred to party outdoors, take trips and go to theaters were now forced to find new ways of entertainment. And online gaming proved to be an ideal fit. This Vulkan Vegas casino review delves more into the subject while also assessing one of the most popular gaming sites online.
All Time High Streaming Figures
The average video game player has no interest in becoming a pro-gamer. However, he’s pretty much interested in watching streams on Twitch and YouTube. Last year, Twitch clocked 17 billion hours—the time people spent watching streams on the platform.
Comparatively, Twitch witnessed an 83% spike in viewership compared to 2019. The company recorded its biggest demand in the final three months of 2020, with fans watching 1.7 billion hours’ worth of content in December alone.
YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming weren’t as successful as Twitch. But at 10 billion and 3.59 billion hours respectively, these two giants performed significantly better than they did in 2019. Facebook, in particular, recorded a 166% viewership jump in 2020.
Intriguingly, outspoken American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex had one of the most viewed streams. Together with a few more gamers, the representative played Among Us on Twitch and attracted some 435,000 real-time viewers.
Mobile Gaming Starts to Dominate
In 2019, mobile gaming apps were the most downloaded apps on both Google and Apple Play Stores. In 2020, the industry’s dominance advanced. According to experts, the rise of mobile gaming can be attributed to several things.
First, mobile gaming technology has increased, whether you like action, MOBA, Battle Royale or casino games. Nowadays, you can play your favorite console game franchise on your iPhone or your dedicated gaming smartphone.
Technology aside, another reason mobile gaming is surging is because mobile games are increasingly affordable. No one has to pay money upfront to get access to a game. Many developers follow the freemium business model.
They let you download their games free of charge. And you can play these games and complete all levels. But to access the best in-game features, you’ll need a subscription fee.
In the iGaming industry, you can also play slots and certain table games free of charge. But this is usually in a demo mode. After some time, you have to use real money to play casino games, at least if you want to win real cash.
Legalization of Betting Activities
Betting on eSports hasn’t always been legal. In the US, New Jersey legalized betting on eSports late in 2019 after previously excluding it from the list of legal betting markets in the state. Around the US, sports betting only became legal in 2018.
But luckily, a growing number of states are adding eSports to their lists of items you can wager on. The only exceptions are video game competitions that involve high school players. You can’t bet on a high school eSports tournament.
Esports aside, online casinos have also been enjoying a ballooning wave of legalization activities. In the US, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia have legal gambling laws.
Last year, these states recorded tremendous demand for online casino services. New Jersey in particular, collected hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the sector. Around the world, Canada, the UK, India and Europe also recorded a high interest in online casino services.
Game Development Delays
Last year, more than half of all video game developers pushed on the release dates for new games due to COVID-19. Some of them fast-tracked the development process and ended up releasing half-baked products.
Although not every developer cited coronavirus as a reason for delaying their game release dates, some of them did. Grand Turismo creators, for example, said they couldn’t release the game in good time because of the pandemic.
Hogwarts Legacy, a Harry Porter inspired video games scheduled to come out early this year, has also been pushed to 2022. Other affected franchises include Prince of Persia from Ubisoft, Far Cry 6 and Gotham Knights.

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The Google Cloud Node.js SDK by Stephen Sawchuk interacts with Google Cloud Storage API, in addition to Google Cloud Datastore, DNS, PubSub, and Engine APIs. Resources include example applications and authorization. To see the original Node.js source on GitHub, visit https://googlecloudplatform.github.io/gcloud-node/#/
Mashery has expanded its API management solution to operate on-premise, within your company's firewall, with a new offering dubbed Mashery Local. Until recently, providers could only deploy Mashery’s API traffic management tools in the cloud. With the new Mashery Local customers has more flexibility, which could see more APIs from larger enterprises.
On February 20-21, The Small Business Web will host its annual Summit in San Jose, Calif. Registration is open and PW readers can receive a $50 discount by entering "PWEB" as the discount code. To learn more about the event, its history and what's in store for 2014, PW caught up with The Small Business Web Founder and Olark's Chief Marketing Olarker, Sunir Shah. Shah provided us a brief history of the event.
While there’s a lot of chest-thumping going on over who has the biggest cloud, there’s no doubt that IBM suddenly has a lot of momentum following its acquisition of SoftLayer. Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains the largest public cloud service by far in terms of the pure number of virtual machines. But when you consider more than just infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) in the cloud, IBM claims to have generated $4.4 billion in revenue across a cloud ecosystem that includes SoftLayer, 150 software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and a vast array of cloud consulting services.


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Activision has revealed early concept art of a reimagined version of Nuketown, the popular multiplayer map that made its debut back in 2010, confirming that the locale will be available as a pre-order bonus in this year’s upcoming sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
According to Treyarch – the studio taking the reins of the series for its 2015 outing as part of Call of Duty‘s new three-tier development cycle – Nuketown has received a new coat of paint ahead of its debut on current-gen consoles. Specifically, the level design has been reworked to allow for the enhanced locomotion and movement found in Black Ops III.
MORE NEWS FROM THE WEB
Controversial though they may be, Activision has indeed confirmed that Nuketown will be a pre-order exclusive perk (it’s exclusive to GAME in the UK), and it’s worth nothing that the revamped arena won’t be available for the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 versions of the upcoming shooter.
In related news, the mega-company recently provided a status report on the recent multiplayer beta that was hosted on PlayStation platforms, which reportedly attracted millions of shooter fans across its week-long run.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III will drag Activision’s juggernaut into the year 2065 when it launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC on November 6.


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Intensive 4-month training programme from idea validation to growth stage
Chosen winners from Alpha Startup Digital Accelerator were BlueDuck, Nanobar and Internspoon selected for their great ideas, strong founders and sound growth strategies.
Khazanah’s KNEO has its debut Demo Day with 12 startups chosen from 30 as finalists. Could they make it count?
MaGIC recently held one of its largest demo days at its campus in Cyberjaya, where over 40 startups pitched their products and business ideas at about 300 investors, partners and other stakeholders.
The Demo Day for the pioneer batch of MaGIC’s MAP startups was a strong success, writes Karamjit Singh.
DNA founder Karamjit Singh had extra fun on today’s Tech Talk segment on BFM as he disrupted Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. Catch the podcast to hear his rationale for doing so.
Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) Asia recently presented its first-in-2014 cohort of 12 teams under its JFDI Accelerate Programme to a strong showing of 150 local and global investors active in Singapore.
Singapore-based JFDI.Asia has announced the final line-up of startups for the Demo Day of its first 2013 seed accelerator programme.


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Jack Dorsey’s Square to acquire Weebly in $365mn deal
San Francisco-based Square, a fintech payment processing company founded by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has announced that it has agreed to buy website development platform Weebly in a deal valued at $365mn.
The transaction will consist of a mixture of Square stock and cash, with Weebly’s network of 625,000 paid subscribers set to expand Square’s customer base and diversify its existing portfolio, moving more readily into omnichannel commerce – Square’s top focus area in 2018.
“From managing orders, appointments, and payments to building a website, running a business is complex, and entrepreneurs around the world want powerful and intuitive tools,” said Alyssa Henry, Seller Lead at Square. “Whether they’re an artist, a winemaker, or a hairdresser, with Square and Weebly sellers will have one cohesive solution to build their business.”
Upon completion, Square will provide Weebly customers with access to the company’s ecosystem of managed payments, hardware and software that will complement Weebly’s existing services.
“Square began its journey with in-person solutions while Weebly began its journey online,” said Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square. “Since then, we’ve both been building services to bridge these channels, and we can go even further and faster together.”
The merger is expected to close in Q2 2018.
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- Apotex sells European operations across five countries to AurobindoCorporate Finance


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Caitlin Essig / Asst. multimedia editor
“Independent bookstores are a dying breed,” said Carl Jacobsma, co-owner of The Book Loft, an independent bookstore that is celebrating its 35-year anniversary.
Jacobsma said the 32-room bookstore, located at 631 S. 3rd St., in German Village found success despite the dominance of chains and online retailers.
The store is a labyrinth of books, with corridors connecting 32 rooms in a building that spans the length of one city block. Each of the rooms feature different subject matters, including gardening books and greeting cards in Room 6, best-sellers and new releases in Room 14 and military history in Room 19.
First-time visitors to the store should “expect to be surprised, because it is unlike any other bookstore,” Jacobsma said.
Michael Hemery, author of “No Permanent Scars,” agreed.
“I like the idea that it’s more than just a bookstore,” Hemery said. “Unlike the colder chain stores, it has an atmosphere and a vibe. The store has a real personality.”
The store’s unusual layout is part of its appeal and is something that persuades customers to come back, Jacobsma said.
Despite the Internet and e-books having hurt The Book Loft’s business, Jacobsma said the decline in business hasn’t been steep enough to be concerned about losing all of his business to those outlets.
“The (independent bookstores) that are established, like we are, continue to survive alongside major chains,” Jacobsma said.
Dan Conway, a 2011 OSU alumnus in accounting and finance, said although he has a Kindle, he still enjoys buying books in their traditional form.
“I use my Kindle for some books they offer for free, like classics or books where the copyright has run out,” Conway said. “I like buying books, they’re more tangible, I can put them on my bookshelf and I can show them off.”
Despite an e-book trend, Jacobsma said the simple fact that Book Loft customers have physical access to the books that might interest them, rather than just seeing pages on a screen, adds to the store’s appeal.
“I think we have a niche that people come here for,” Jacobsma said. “They don’t want to just order something off the Internet. They want to come here and handle the book and look at it. They want to read the excerpts from it.”
Hemery agreed that independent bookstores have a degree of charm, and said hearing of a local store carrying his book meant more to him than seeing his book on a shelf of a chain bookstore.
“It’s the coolest thing, to hear that local stores carry books like mine,” Hemery said. “I think the audience can appreciate it more than someone shopping at a chain store could. It’s a huge honor.”
Jacobsma said author interest in The Book Loft has increased since the September closing of Borders Group Inc.
This as well as the store being the only full-service independent bookstore left in Columbus has helped gained The Book Loft popularity, Jacobsma said.
He said the store has regular customers who visit every year on special trips, and some stay all day. He added during summers, the store services hundreds of customers per day.
One of those customers is Matt Reed, a second-year in electrical and computer engineering. He said he would recommend The Book Loft to anyone who has never been there.
“Open up an hour of your time and go in every room and see what (it has) to offer, because you never know what you might find,” Reed said.
Conway said he also likes the atmosphere of the Book Loft.
“It’s like a library at Hogwarts,” he said. “And I like the close environment of the store. Barnes & Noble is nothing like that.”


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Sri Lanka would set two IT parks in Pallekele Export Processing Zone and the Achchuveli Industrial Zone Jaffna said Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama.
Speaking to employees of the Board of Investment(BOI), Department of Mahapola Trust, Department of Import and Exports and Export Development Board (EDB) last Friday he said that in addition new economic zones would be set up in Hambantota, Kuliyapitiya, Kilinochchi, Meerigama, Trincomalee and Avissawella. The existing zones in Kandy (Pallekele) and Mirigama would be redeveloped.
The Minister said that through these zones foreign countries would be encouraged to set up factories with minimal red rape and allow them to re export.
Samarawickrama said that both Bentota and Pasikudah would be developed as tourism zones with each having around 500 acres allocated and Sri Lanka Tourism, EDB and BOI would have to develop them.
"Sri Lanka exports have been performing below expectations and we have to work hard to increase this by three fold in the next few years.Similarly, the Foreign Direct Investments too were not up to predictions and have ended up below US $ one billion. We must aim at a target in the excess of US$ 5 billion in the next two to three years.We must also understand that the global down turn, economic slowdown in China, US interest rates going up, problems in the Europian Union due to the influx of over one million refugees too had an impact to Sri Lankan exports and attracting FDI's."
The Minister said that Sri Lanka should also look at countries like India where there is a huge 1.25 billion population. "Thailand exports to India are around US$ 5 billion while Sri Lanka exports only account to around US$ 700 despite having an Free Trade Agreement with India."
In a bid to attract more FDI's and promote exports the Minister said he hopes to organize road shows in Tokyo, United Kingdom, New York and Europe in 2016.
"We must also look at more trade agreement with Europe, US and China," the minister opined.
Indira Malwatte, Chairperson, EDB said that dip in exports is a major concern. "However we have observed that due to economic crisis in most countries exports of India, Pakistan, Thailand too has taken a dip."
She said they are looking at increasing local exports especially in areas like manufacturing of rubber tyre, pharmaceuticals, boat and yacht building, tea and in service sectors like BPO and ICT. "We can also look at foreign investors for these sectors," she added.
BOI Chairman Upul Jayasuriya too endorsed that exports have to increase and said that while local apparel export value is around US$ 5 billion, Vietnam a country which got in to the apparel industry after Sri Lanka earns a export revenue of over US$ 23 billion.


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Warner Bros. Discovery Q2 outcomes miss Wall Street’s view
Warner Bros. Discovery, which went public in April, missed Wall Street’s expectations within the second quarter because the media large seems to be to work by way of the rising pains of its merger.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the $43 billion mixture of Discovery and the AT&T spinoff WarnerMedia, trimmed some debt in the course of the quarter and is making an attempt to rein in prices. The firm stated that Warner Bros. began some initiatives earlier than the merger that elevated prices after the mix of the companies was full.
Earlier this week Warner Bros. despatched shock waves by way of Hollywood when it introduced that it axed the “Batgirl” movie deliberate for HBO Max, opting to shelve the $90 million movie. Warner Bros. additionally shelved “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt,” an almost-completed sequel to 2020′s “Scoob!”
Under new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Warner Bros. is shifting its technique on movie releases and trimming prices.
The firm is planning to merge its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming providers, with a U.S. rollout anticipated for subsequent 12 months. Zaslav, who famous throughout a name with analysts that “our streaming strategy has evolved over the past year,” said the company is “exploring the opportunity for a fast or free ad-supported streaming offering that would give consumers who do not want to pay a subscription fee access to great library content, while at the same time serving as an entry point to our premium service.”
The New York-based firm misplaced $3.42 billion, or $1.50 per share, within the quarter. Its adjusted loss was 11 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research anticipated breakeven outcomes.
Revenue for the three months ended June 30 totaled $9.83 billion, beneath the $11.53 billion that Wall Street was calling for.
Shares tumbled 17% in Friday afternoon buying and selling.
Jonathan Kees of Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc. stated in a consumer word that “administration made it a degree to remark that the Warner Bros. companies had been worse than they anticipated and what they noticed in the course of the pre-merger evaluation.”
“This is not a good start to the first quarter as a combined company,” he wrote.
Warner Bros. Discovery Q2 outcomes miss Wall Street’s view.
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We have bad news for you, in case you were waiting for the iPhone 6S to come out this year. It has been recently rumored that Apple will skip the 6S and get straight to releasing the next generation of their smartphones, the iPhone 7. So as fast as this rumor arrived on the world wide web, everybody started to debate on whether Apple will finish its iPhone 6S project or will they get past that and develop the iPhone 7, moreover, releasing it this year. The enthusiasts and tech analysts who are discussing over this matter anticipate that the hypothetical iPhone 7 would come out sometimes in the fall of 2015, in September or October. So you see why this is very intriguing news.
Apart from that, there is also to be taken into consideration the fact that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have ceased to be the hottest topics in the world of technology and gadgets. And this happened mainly because of the better reviewed smartphones that have not yet hit the stores or have been launched, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 7.
Analysts estimate that the new version of the Apple smartphone will be released in the fall of 2015, or even earlier than that, some say. They have also estimated a price for the new product: they say it would be available at a price of 650 dollars.
More speculations have been expressed about the hypothetical iPhone 7. Most experts claim that it would feature the new Force Touch technology, that Apple as integrated into the Apple Watch and into the new MacBook. This new technology allows a better tracking of the touch, based on the pressure applied to the screen by the user. The gadget also sends back a tactile response to the user.
It has also been rumored that the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 7 will feature significant improvements regarding the camera, in comparison to older versions. The camera of these smartphones is said to feature a two lens system, and experts in the field have expressed their prediction that the pictures taken by this new type of camera will be comparable in quality to the ones taken by a DSLR.
The Apple SIM is also one of the most discussed aspects of this matter, being said to be introduced to the new versions of the iPhone. The Apple SIM would allow the users to change the networks without having to change their SIM.
Image Source: Forbes


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TO opponents of business-methods patents, Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of Amazon.com, has become a poster boy for his patent covering a ''one click'' electronic ordering system. One critic has been Tim O'Reilly, a publisher of software books and online information, who posted an open letter to Mr. Bezos on his Web site last winter.
In the letter, Mr. O'Reilly called the Amazon patent ''one more example of an 'intellectual property' milieu gone mad,'' and said it was ''a land grab, an attempt to hoodwink a patent system that has not gotten up to speed on the state of the art in computer science.''
The letter led to a friendly debate that in turn resulted in the two businessmen joining forces to invest in a new company called BountyQuest. The Boston company introduced a Web site last week, BountyQuest.com, where people and companies can offer rewards for information leading to the de-bunking of a patent.
One of the first bounties posted came from Mr. O'Reilly. And here's the rub: He is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with proof that Mr. Bezos's one-click patent should be revoked.
''I didn't talk to him directly about it,'' Mr. O'Reilly said last Wednesday, the day the Web site went into operation. ''But others at BountyQuest did, and Jeff is very supportive. He's trying to be forthright because he believes he has a good patent. And if he doesn't, then he'll acknowledge that, too. I commend him for that approach.''
Mr. O'Reilly's bounty offer is open until January, and anyone can submit proof that they think invalidates the one-click patent, as long as it meets the 12 technical requirements listed on the site, and proof cited pre-dates the patent, which Mr. Bezos and four other inventors applied for in September 1997.
On its first day of operation, BountyQuest.com had 23 bounty postings, seeking so-called prior art, or the proof that an idea was already in the public domain before a patent was issued. BountyQuest's chief executive, Charles Cella, said that some of the submissions arrived before lunchtime on the site's opening day.
The way the system works is that a company or individual, remaining anonymous to the public, must pay BountyQuest $2,500 to post a bounty on the site. It is up to the person or organization that solicits the patent challenges to evaluate the submitted material and determine its validity. BountyQuest, which is to receive a 40 percent commission on bounties paid, will monitor the process and will be liable to pay the bounty if the posting group cannot or will not pay it to a deserving party.
While Mr. Bezos and Mr. O'Reilly have long agreed to disagree about the one-click patent, they started BountyQuest because they had concluded that there was something wrong with the patent system. They chose to act with an investment in BountyQuest because they agreed with the company's founders that something could be done to resolve questions about business-method patents before the controversy spurs a policy review at the federal Patent and Trademark Office or reaches Congress or the courts.
''First off, there's such a raft of issues around patents,'' said Mr. O'Reilly. ''I think we need to proceed on multiple fronts. It will take a long time before the courts and Congress sort out the scope of the patent system as regards computer and software patents. Meanwhile, a lot of history and prior art is vanishing in the mists of time.''
For all his current interest, Mr. O'Reilly said that he ''didn't know anything about the patent system before the one-click issue.''


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Omnicom Digital's chief executive Jonathan Nelson discusses the recent deal with Instagram. He reveals why the partnership has happened, as well as how it will work.
Earlier this week, Omnicom revealed that it was partnering with Instagram in a major advertising deal that is worth tens of millions of dollars (there have been contradicting reports about how much exactly). Spanning an initial one-year period, the partnership marks the photo-sharing platform's first paid ad program.
But how will the partnership work? Who will control the ads? What about effectiveness measurement? ClickZ sat down with Jonathan Nelson, chief executive of Omnicom Digital, to find out the answers to the above questions and more. Watch the video below to hear what he had to say.
On the heels of a fantastic event in New York City, ClickZ Live is taking the fun and learning to Toronto, June 23-25. With over 15 years' experience delivering industry-leading events, ClickZ Live offers an action-packed, educationally-focused agenda covering all aspects of digital marketing. Register today!
Want to learn more? Join us at ClickZ Live San Francisco, Aug 10-12!
Educating marketers for over 15 years, ClickZ Live brings together industry thought leaders from the largest brands and agencies to deliver the most advanced, educational digital marketing agenda. Register today and save $500!
Melanie White is the Editor of ClickZ, where she has worked since July 2012. White has been with Incisive Media (ClickZ's parent company) since 2009 where she was Deputy Editor/ US Editor for one of the financial risk management titles, International Custody and Fund Administration (later Custody Risk).
In addition, White worked on FX Week where she was a Senior Reporter. She has also worked and contributed to a number of other titles, including The Accountant, International Accounting Bulletin, the New York Post, Independent Magazine (UK), as well as the broadcast title Sunday Live with Adam Boulton at Sky News.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce
This Magic Quadrant examines leading digital commerce platforms that enable organizations to build digital commerce sites. These commerce platforms facilitate purchasing transactions over the Web, and support the creation and continuing development of an online relationship with a consumer.
Paid Search in the Mobile Era
Google reports that paid search ads are currently driving 40+ million calls per month. Cost per click is increasing, paid search budgets are growing, and mobile continues to dominate. It's time to revamp old search strategies, reimagine stale best practices, and add new layers data to your analytics.
June 10, 2015
12:00pm ET/9:00am PT


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Ram Gears Up for Next Year’s Models
Now that the 2015 Chrysler 200 has joined the ranks of our lineup, the floodgates have officially been opened. Before long, we’ll have so many new cars rolling their way into our showroom that we’ll need to start breathing out of paper bags so we don’t black out with excitement. Now that we’ve gotten a glimpse of the pickups that will soon be among us, the excitement is greater than ever here at Dick Hannah Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.
Just recently, the brass at Ram decided to pull back the curtains on the 2015 model-year lineup that they’ll soon be introducing to dealerships across the country. Needless to say, Christmas has come early. Want to see why we’re all itching to get behind the wheel? Then go right ahead and watch the video below.
Or if you’d like to tide yourself over until these mean machines arrive, your test drive in the 2014 Ram 1500 awaits at our dealership here in Vancouver, WA. You’ve got a lot to look forward to.


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Car technology has revolutionized the way we drive and interact with our vehicles. Future car technologies are even more promising, allowing you to not only commute without driver assistance but also feel safest on the road.
List of 4 Future Car Technologies
Today we will discuss future car technologies 2020 to give you a feel how fun the driving can be in the future.
1. Car to Car Communication
The US government alongside automakers is working on car technologies to make future vehicles talk to each other as well as their surrounding objects. We have seen numerous times vehicles jumping red lights and cause collisions. In all such scenarios, the car communication technology will alert the cars to prevent a possible collision.
The approaching car should also automatically hit the brakes to avoid an accident. This technology, known as collision avoidance or forward collision warning system, is already available in some vehicles, but it needs to be more advanced and accurate.
In addition, Ford is working on Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication to extend road safety. The V2V technology will make use of wireless signals to communicate with surrounding cars and share information such as location, direction, and speed.
The engineers at MIT are working on V2V algorithms to calculate information from vehicles in order to analyze and offer the best measure if a car comes in the projected path. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests a significant 79% reduction in vehicle crashes through V2V technology.
In addition to V2V, researchers are also testing V2I which allows cars to communicate with road objects such as traffic signals, road signs etc, to control vehicle safety issues. V2I will be able to fetch information from a traffic management system to suggest the best routes.
NHTSA suggests that integration of V2I with V2V systems will decrease road traffic accidents by 81%.
2. Autonomous Cars
Although the idea of self-driving cars has been around for quite some time, reached to us through TV Shows and movies, no one thought it would become a real-life possibility one day. Other than Google, Volkswagen, Ford, and Audi have been testing self-driving cars for years. Ford has recently test drove an autonomous car in Arizona, while Tesla is promising to provide fully autonomous cars in the next couple of years.
Autonomous cars are capable of recording road images, finding alternative road routes and traffic lights etc, using advanced radars, cameras, and lasers that enable these cars to process data faster than humans. Even though the concept may seem far-fetched, GM has also done the testing on its own to deliver an autonomous car by 2020. Uber is also working on autonomous technology and is testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh.
3. Airbag Technology to Prevent Damage
Airbags are usually found in the front compartment of the vehicle but the automakers who value safety through advanced gadgets also extend curtain airbags, side airbags, seatbelt airbags and knee airbags so to reduce the impact of a collision.
Also Read: Upgrade your Car with Smart Gadgets
In this regard, Mercedes was working on an airbag technology to make a vehicle freeze completely in a near to happen collision scenario. The airbags will be an active part of the safety system, deployed with sensors to determine the collision impact. The friction coating feature used by these airbags will double the chances to halt vehicles.
In addition, the bags will also elevate the vehicle to 8 cm for countering car’s motion after applying hard brakes. This will improve bumper to bumper touch and let passengers from sliding down during the accident. This makes airbag, a potential future car technologies relying on vehicle’s existing safety features. Apart from it, automakers are working on external airbags to soften the blow to passengers inside the car. Volvo has provided us an example equipping V40 with a pedestrian airbag to guard pedestrians in a head-on collision.
A few other promising upcoming auto technologies include a semi-autonomous driving system using systems like lane keep assist. Light Detection and Ranging system (LiDAR) to let cars view the world in real time.
4. Energy Efficient Body Panel
According to Exxon Mobil, in 2040, half of all new cars coming off the production line will be hybrids. But batteries in hybrid car are heavy and take up lots of space. That’s where energy-storing body panels come in.
Auto makers are endeavoring to coordinate energy-efficient body panels produced using carbon and polymer fiber to expel the blemishes of Hybrid batteries existing in contemporary autos. These boards panel will be light in weight and adaptable to upgrade the speed of vehicles without influencing their quality.
In Europe, a group of auto manufacturers are currently testing body panels that can store energy and charge faster than conventional batteries of today. These panels could reduce a car’s weight by up to 15 %.
These panels would be able to capture energy produced by car like regenerative braking or by plugged in overnight charging and then deliver its juice to run the car. Not only would this help reduce the size of hybrid batteries, but also weight from the batteries.
Toyota is taking it one step further and researching body panels that would actually capture solar energy and store it. Whether future body panels collect energy or just store it, auto makes are looking into new ways to make cars lighter and more energy efficient. These energy storing panels are going to be one the great future car technologies.
These are just a few of the major future car technologies that will shape up the auto industry. Stay tuned for latest happenings in the automotive tech world.


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Leading Chinese tech stocks retreated Tuesday as the sector lost ground along with the broader market that felt the impact of another scorching hot U.S. inflation report.
Before the start of trading, the Consumer Price Index report for August was released, which showed a gain of 8.3% compared to the same month a year ago, and above expectations of a rate of 8.1%. The core CPI also rose 6.3% from a year ago, while expectations were for 6.1%.
All the major U.S. stock indexes dove into the red following the CPI report, with the Dow Industrials (DJI) down more than 1,200 points on the day, the Nasdaq Composite (COMP.IND) off by more than 5% and the S&P 500 (SP500) falling by more than 4%.
It was a case of guilt-by-association for Chinese tech stocks, as decliners ruled the day’s stock-trading activity.
Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) shares gave up more than 5%, Tencent Holdings (OTCPK:TCEHY) slipped by 3%, Baidu (BIDU) fell almost 6%, Weibo (WB) gave up more than 4%, Pinduoduo (PDD) fell more than 5%, JD.com (JD) shed more than 7% and Bilibili (BILI) ended the day down by more than 8%.
The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) shed 4.6%.
NetEase (NASDAQ:NTES), which had been one of the few gainers earlier in the day, also dipped into the red. NetEase (NTES) had originally gotten a lift after the Chinese government gave its OK to one of the company’s mobile games this month. It was the first time a NetEase (NTES) got Chinese officials’ approval for a game since July 2021.


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bioMérieux to lay off 100 workers
- Andy Giegerich, Business Journal staff writer
A French biomedical firm plans to wind down its operations in Wilsonville by the end of next year.
Representatives from the firm bioMérieux Inc. told state officials on Wednesday the company will close its facility by Dec. 31, 2011. Approximately 100 employees will be laid off in phases beginning next July.
The layoffs will occur as bioMérieux discontinues the production of “routine prepared media products for clinical labs” in North America. The firm specializes in prepared culture media products.
The Wilsonville plant generates $9 million in annual sales.
BioMérieux purchased the plant two years ago when it acquired PML Microbiologicals Inc., another cultured media company.
Clinical applications and the production of routine prepared media products at the Portland site will be discontinued. The company plans to shift production of its other materials to Lombard, Ill.
Approximately 100 employees will be affected by this decision and will be assisted by bioMérieux in their career transition.
The plant closing is expected to bring bioMerieux a non-recurring $5 million charge this year but result in $3 million in future annual savings.
The French company trades on several European exchanges, including in Paris (BIM.PA) and Munich (EYW.MU).
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LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov. 23, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — iMobie Inc., a leading iPhone and Mac related software company, today announced iMobie 4th Anniversary Celebration. To show appreciation for the dedicated and continued support for fans and media partners, iMobie presents 24-hour limited-time Giveaway on its best-selling iPhone content management software – AnyTrans, plus $800 iTunes gift card contest, opening on November 23.
Meanwhile, iMobie also introduces the milestone upgrade on PhoneClean: the world’s first and best iPhone cleaner software, which gets completely redesigned with new features. The first 10,000 users will get PhoneClean for free as Thanksgiving gift (starts Nov. 26, 2015).
Giveaway page: http://www.imobie.com/special/anniversary-2015.htm.
With the release of PhoneClean in 2012, iMobie introduced a new concept of Apple device cleaning. From then on, aiming to enhance the experience of all iOS and Mac users, iMobie has released several innovative products, including the best iTunes alternative AnyTrans, iOS data recovery tool PhoneRescue, Mac cleaning freeware MacClean and more, serving over 10 million users from more than 200 countries.
“We would like to thank all our customers for supporting us and giving feedback to help us improve our products in the past four years,” said Frank Kong, CEO of iMobie Inc. “As we are turning four, we want to celebrate with our customers and show our appreciation for their trust. Kicking off a giveaway of our ace product AnyTrans and a contest for $800 iTunes gift cards is the best way we can think of to bring our customers real benefits.”
1. 24-Hour Giveaway of AnyTrans:
With full support for all models of iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, AnyTrans allows to transfer, manage and back up all/any of your iOS contents in a hassle-free way.
2. Win $800 iTunes Gift Cards:
The brand-new PhoneClean 4 is to release on Nov. 26, 2015 with a limited-time giveaway. Share the exciting news with users’ Twitter friends to win $800 iTunes gift cards.
3. 50 percent OFF Discount on AnyTrans:
As the giveaway of AnyTrans ends, a 50 percent off discount follows on Nov. 24, 2015 to bring customers continuous savings.
Promo information: http://www.imobie.com/special/anniversary-2015.htm.
About iMobie Inc.:
iMobie Inc. was established at the end of 2011, and located in Tianfu Software Park (China), a place gathering great many talented software engineers. For more information, visit http://www.imobie.com/.
Twitter: @iMobie_Inc #Thanksgiving #AnyTrans #PhoneClean
News issued by: iMobie Inc.
Original Image: https://www.send2press.com/wire/images/15-1123-imobie-box-500×375.jpg
# # #
Original Story ID: 2015-1123-01 (10689) :: imobie-airs-4th-anniversary-celebration-with-anytrans-limited-time-giveaway-and-800-itunes-gift-cards-contest-2015-1123-01
Original Keywords: PhoneClean, AnyTrans, iOS data recovery tool PhoneRescue, Apple device cleaning iMobie Inc. Los Angeles California LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Alternate Headline: Black Friday 2015: iMobie Airs 4th Anniversary Celebration with AnyTrans Limited-time Giveaway
NEWS ARCHIVE NOTE: this archival news content, issued by the news source via Send2Press Newswire, was originally located in the Send2Press® 2004-2015 2.0 news platform and has been permanently converted/moved (and redirected) into our 3.0 platform. Also note the story “reads” counter (bottom of page) does not include any data prior to Oct. 30, 2016. This press release was originally published/issued: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:13:08 +0000
Original Shortcode for Story: https://i.send2press.com/rRBmz
News Source: IMobie Inc.


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A trio of business leaders with Wharton School credentials encouraged aspiring executives to focus on personal satisfaction, rather than traditional definitions of success, in their pursuit of rewarding careers.
Participating Wednesday in a taping of a “Success in Business Town Hall” meeting to be aired by SiriusXM later this month were William Lauder, executive chairman of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc.; Pauline Brown, chairman of LVMH Inc., the North American arm of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and Neil Blumenthal, cofounder and co-chief executive officer of Warby Parker. The panel, which also included Karl Ulrich, vice dean of innovation for The Wharton School, was moderated by Maria Bartiromo, anchor and global markets editor of the Fox Business Network.
The three industry panelists, all graduates of The Wharton School, leaned heavily on the lessons learned during their college years and the role they’ve played in their careers since.
Asked how he might have approached his college years differently, Blumenthal chose specifics. “I think I would have taken a computer science class, to be completely honest,” he said. “That’s a big hole as I think about leadership and my knowledge.”
Brown waxed more philosophical: “I wish I had trusted the future more.”
The LVMH executive noted that she experienced something of an epiphany during a leadership development conference she attended several years ago. As attendees assembled at the start of the program, they were advised that among its goals was “to take individuals who lead lives of success to lead lives of significance. And it just hit me like a knife at the time. I’m very mindful of not confusing my success and my failures with my importance as a person and my ability to contribute in ways that are important.”
She stressed that a single business failure shouldn’t be taken as a sign of failure in life or in one’s profession. “Careers are not a straight line, not for anyone, and those that continue to progress are often those that are recovering well from the continual failure and challenge that is inherent” in business, she noted.
Pressed by Bartiromo for tips on successful management, Lauder said, “The single most important aspect to your successful leadership is having really big ears and a really small mouth, and listening to your people, listening to your customers…letting those who are good at what they do do what they do well with as little interference” as possible.
Blumenthal said that his firm had just marked a milestone as it contributed its one millionth pair of eyeglasses to people in need. “I don’t know anybody who the number-one reason they buy from us is because we distribute a pair for every pair that we sell or because we’re carbon neutral,” he said before listing product and service attributes that have helped elevate the firm’s sales.
“That being said,” he continued, “the strong business rationale…is that we’re able to attract and retain great talent because we’re a mission-driven company.”
He referred to a recent study from the World Economic Forum showing that 80 percent of Millennials put mission ahead of compensation when deciding where to apply for jobs.
Meanwhile, Ulrich expressed regret that he didn’t pursue an opportunity to invest in Warby Parker when Blumenthal, while still in school, discussed the idea with him.
“Twenty to 30 students come to my office with business plans every year,” he said. “I loved Neil’s plan.…He’s the one of them who didn’t ask for any money and I deeply regret that.”
The program is scheduled to air at 12 p.m. on Monday on Business Radio Powered by The Wharton School, channel 111 on SiriusXM.
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye


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Rumors have been flying fast and furious today, but there’s little confirmation for most. The preponderance of rumors would seem to indicate that Apple is taking everything a day at a time, rather than proceeding along a carefully thought-out path. Take all of these rumors with more than a grain of salt.
A report on MacInTouch claims that HP will no longer produce Apple- or HP-labelled printers that work with Macs.
A contested rumor on MacInTouch has Motorola ceasing to supply PowerPC microprocessors to Apple within the next year. This makes little sense to us since it would indicate that Apple would cease to make Macs entirely, and if so, why buy Power’s Mac assets?
Another source reports that Apple is considering additional massive layoffs, of up to 5,000 employees. If true, this rumor conflicts with a recent large increase in Apple internal job postings along with an increase in the headhunter fee for Apple employees who find new hires. More indication that Apple is flying blind?


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Spot is part of the largest multimedia campaign in Stoli Group history
March 13, 2017
Stoli Vodka, a brand of Stoli Group USA LLC, New York, is returning to TV with a new commercial for the first time in seven years. As part of the biggest multimedia campaign since the inception of Stoli Group USA, the new television spot, titled "THE Vodka," uses a montage to celebrate the pioneering heritage of Stoli through the lens of those who drink it, the company says. The 30-second spot will run on TV during live sports and late night in target markets beginning March 13 with national digital distribution to include sports and lifestyle properties and premium full-episode players, it adds.
Capping a decades-long streak of vigorous growth, bottled water achieved a major milestone in 2016, when it surpassed carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) to become the largest beverage category by volume in the United States, according to New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC). Total bottled water volume grew from 11.8 billion gallons in 2015 to 12.8 billion gallons in 2016, an increase of nearly 9 percent, which marked the third year of accelerated growth, the market research firm says.
Company also launches reinvented iced tea portfolio
March 9, 2017
The San Rafael, Calif.-based Mighty Leaf Tea Co., which specializes in artisan blends of whole leaf teas, herbs and fruits, launched a new multi-tiered tea program, offering three distinct lines of teas to serve the multi-faceted needs of its foodservice customers. The new program is a part of the company’s broader strategy to offer a high-quality tea program for the foodservice channel at every price point and for every venue, the company says.
Redd’s Brewing Co., a brand of Chicago-based MillerCoors, announced the return of the Redd’s Wicked Limited Release series. Kicking off the return of the series is Redd's Wicked Strawberry Kiwi, a new flavor. The second flavor in the series, Redd's Wicked Strawberry Kiwi hit shelves nationwide on March 1 and will only be available for a limited time, the company says.
New division will serve as broker in Caribbean and Latin American regions
March 7, 2017
Miami-based Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits LLC announced the launch of its new Travel Sales and Export division, becoming the first major U.S. wholesale distributor to offer brokerage services to travel and export market channels, the company says. The new division will serve supplier partners as a broker across the Caribbean and Latin American regions, the cruise line industry, and duty-free operators in the Americas. As a broker, Southern Glazer’s will act as an agent of record and provide sales, marketing and logistical support to these markets, it says.
Stella Artois, a brand of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Leuven, Belgium, and National Geographic announced that a new documentary, "Our Dream of Water,” a film spotlighting the effects of the global water crisis, will make its world premiere on March 22 in celebration of World Water Day. The documentary, debuting on the National Geographic channel, was commissioned by Stella Artois as a part of its Buy A Lady A Drink campaign, an ongoing partnership with Water.org to help provide clean water to people in the developing world, the company says.
More than 14,000 brewery professionals are expected to attend the 34th edition of Craft Brewers Conference & Brewexpo America, which takes place April 10-13 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. At the event, Imola, Italy-based Sacmi will focus on new solutions for the total quality control of labelled bottles at booth No. 2155.
Amestel, a brand of Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., announced the launch of of a new light beer: Amstel Xlight. With 90 calories, 2 grams of carbs, 4.2 percent alcohol by volume and 4 international bittering units, Amstel Xlight is a sessionable, premium quality light beer with a full beer flavor not expected from a light beer, the company says. The new product, which launched March 1 in Arizona, Texas, and Boston, Mass.,is available in six-pack bottles, 12-pack cans and bottles, and a 24-ounce single-serve can.


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A tax on red and processed meat could help save lives and bring economic benefits, it has been revealed.
A new study shows increasing the cost of both forms of meat would significantly reduce the number of deaths associated with them - as well as reducing the financial burden on healthcare by more than 20%.
The proposed move would be expected to include red meat such beef, lamb as well as processed meats like sausages, ham and bacon.
The study was conducted by research teams from the University of Oxford and the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute.
Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the results were published in the science and medicine journal, PLOS One.
What was the research?
The research involved a number of steps, treating red and processed meat as independent risk factors for disease.
Researchers estimated the health impacts of current levels of consumption of both forms of meat, and the projected consumption in 2020, for almost 150 world regions.
They then calculated the potential costs of these health impacts, as well as the impact if everyone consumed one additional portion of red and processed meat each day.
The difference between these figures was used to estimate the "marginal health cost" of having one additional portion a day in each region.
The "marginal cost" was then added to the price of red and processed meat in each region to estimate the potential impact of people changing their consumption of both - and calculated the impact on consumption levels, health and costs for each region.
What were the results?
The researchers results were based on current consumptions of meat and projected the effects on the population in 2020.
They found that by 2020, eating red meat would be linked to around 863,060 deaths and eating processed meat to 1,533,210 deaths worldwide.
Researchers discovered that the majority of these deaths would be from strokes and coronary heart disease - as well as type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
The majority of these deaths (64%) would be in middle-income countries, with 32% in high-income countries and 4% in low-income countries.
The study also found that the overall cost would be $285 billion, with 69% of these costs in high-income countries.
Researchers were then able to estimate the required price increase, from tax, to cover the increased costs of meat eating in high-income countries.
They deduced that a 13.6% increase in the price of red meat would be needed in the UK, with the price in Germany and US rising by 28.1% and 33.8% respectively.
For processed meat though, the price would need a 78.9% increase in the UK - but a shocking 165.8% in Germany and 163.3% in the US.
What would the impact of the price increase be?
The research predicted very little change in red meat consumption (a drop of 0.8%).
This impact would be minor, simply because people would choose red meat instead of processed meat if the latter increased so much in price.
Increasing the price of processed meat would also likely lead to a 25.1% reduction in consumption.
This would all mean 22% fewer deaths (134,320) associated with processed meat but very little change (0.84%) in the number of deaths attributed to red meat consumption.
The change in processed meat consumption would also lead to a 21.7% reduction in healthcare costs.
The researchers concluded: "Including the social health costs of red and processed meat consumption in the price of red and processed meat could lead to significant health and environmental benefits, in particular in high- and middle-income countries."
What has the NHS said?
The NHS has assured that the public "can probably relax" regarding the possibility of a price hike of meat products.
It added that the research was not a government policy, and is based on a modelling exercise - which relies on "many assumptions that may not prove to be accurate in real life."
"It does highlight the potential health risks of eating processed and red meat, especially in high-income countries like the UK", it said though.
The NHS also revealed that the consumption of both red and processed meat products in the UK is higher than recommended by the World Health Organization.
"Even if the figures were reliable, there's a big discussion to be had about whether governments should tax food to encourage people to eat more healthily.
"For one thing, taxing unhealthy food is likely to have a bigger impact on poorer households, who struggle to make ends meet," it explained.
The NHS said though that the research is a "useful reminder" that eating significant amounts of processed meat does have an impact on health.
What do you think? You can have your say on this story by using the comments section below


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CHANGED consumer behaviour is making forecasts difficult for the dairy industry, with a potential global depression looming, according to a Dairy Australia analyst.
Senior industry analyst Sofia Omstedt, speaking at a DairySA service providers update this week, said shopping patterns had shifted significantly, on the back of 'panic buying' behaviour.
She said with Australia a "mature" market for domestic sales, any growth came through value lifts, such as flavoured milks or yoghurts.
"In the past two months, with panic buying, it has upended the value in the short-term," she said. "And longer term, things are likely to change."
Ms Omstedt said sales of long-life milk had almost doubled in that period.
"Lots of consumers that don't normally purchase long-life milk shifted to purchasing that," she said.
"Traditionally, one-third of households might buy long-life milk, but now half of households are buying it.
"But even fresh milk products saw a lift."
She said fresh milk sales lifted about 10 per cent.
"We have seen consumers change their purchasing behaviour, which means forecasts for the future are muddier," she said, "Things we can usually rely on purchasers to do, they aren't doing."
Globally, she said dairy was facing some big shifts due to COVID-19 and its impact on international markets - "as are all global commodity markets".
She said Australia had some advantages - a lower Australian dollar, approaching the end of the highest production season, and a stronger retail market, with less emphasis on food services than other international markets.
She said the United States' market was particularly dependent on schools and food service, with the US Department of Agriculture announcing this week it would be buying dairy products to donate to foodbanks and humanitarian aid to try and clear some of the oversupply.
RELATED READING:How the Australian dairy industry responded to COVID-19
Ms Omstedt said there were still concerns, with global demand expected to reduce while supply lifted.
In Australia, milk production has grown year-on-year for the start of 2020 for the first time in 18 months, while February's production in SA was up 1.1 per cent.
The dairy industry has been working on other ways to support dairyfarmers, putting out fact sheets to help limit the spread on farms.
DA technical and innovation manager John Penry said there had been a cross-industry approach, involving DA, Australian Dairy Farmers and the Australian Dairy Products Foundation, to build resources in an "evolving situation".
He said this included advice about distancing, sanitation and other helpful information to keep those in the industry safe.
Some key information has been sent to dairyfarmers directly, and should arrive this week, while more is available at the DA website and PIRSA.
"Even if people had a look at the COVID pages on our website, it's worth looking at it once a week as things have changed as we find out more," Dr Penry said.
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Toyota could ramp up U.S. production by August
- Steve Ivey, Staff Writer
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to ramp up North American production in August and have all models back to full-scale production by November or December, according to a news release.
Currently, the automaker’s North American plants are operating at 30 percent capacity because of a parts shortage following last month’s March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The company said it plans to continue procuring parts from the same suppliers, but it will consider substitute parts from other suppliers, the release said. Although the shortage affects parts needed for production, replacement parts for service and repair are available.
Despite the shortages, Toyota announced earlier this week that it has no plans for layoffs at its manufacturing plants.
“Our entire company is committed to solving the problems before us so that we can achieve production recovery even one day sooner,” Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., said in the release.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. is based in Erlanger, Ky. The company operates four U.S. plants, including one in Georgetown, Ky., that makes the Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon and Venza models as well as 4-cylinder and V6 engines. It employs about 6,800 people.
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Search Results for 'Marketing Institute of Ireland'
11 results found.
Do you own or manage a small business? Are you thinking of starting a new business? What State assistance is available to you?
He has shot presidents; he survived an air crash, and has worked on projects ranging from New Orleans in the US to St Petersburg in Russia within the last year.
Westport based multi-media and communications company Maigh Eo Media was highly commended and praised at the 2011 All-Ireland Marketing Awards at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin recently. Maigh Eo Media was the only west of Ireland communications company to be recognised at the prestigious awards ceremony, which is accredited by the Marketing Institute of Ireland.
Westport based media productions and communications company, Maigh Eo Media has been shortlisted for a prestigious All-Ireland Marketing Award this week from the Marketing Institute of Ireland.
Last week in this article series we explored how Facebook can be used as a marketing tool. This week we investigate how LinkedIn, now the world’s largest business social media network of 80 million members with almost 350,000 in Ireland, can be utilised effectively.
At the Irish National Photographic Awards held recently by the Irish Professional Photographers Association, former Galway Advertiser photographer, Neil Warner won nine Gold Awards. In addition to this he received the supreme award Irish Pictorial and Travel Best Image Award 2010.
The key to economic and commercial success is not merely genetic, according to a new book of business profiles and analysis by a well-known Galway entrepreneur.
“Customers are the life-blood of business,” according to Brian Burke, principal of Relevant Marketing. “Our mantra is that we know how to find them and we’ll help you to mind them.”
“Customers are the life-blood of business”, according to Brian Burke, Principal of Relevant Marketing. “Our mantra is that we know how to find them and we’ll help you to mind them.”
The Westport Woods Hotel and Spa was the only Mayo winner in the Marketing Institute of Ireland west region’s annual awards. The hotel scooped the eMarketing award, following the Mayo Business Awards win in the eCommerce category last week.


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In September this year, the band was chosen as the winner of Pepsi UnBox
, which searches for emerging music talent in the country every month.
Andrew Bennison, managing director of Prospect Games who were demonstrating their latest game Unbox
at the event, said: "Insomnia is brilliant for indie developers.
You can unbox
a cellphone, a vinyl record, a Happy Meal.
Reports on the quirk first surfaced on Unbox
Therapy, a gadget-review show on YouTube.
review site Unbox
Therapy posted a video on YouTube where a presenter claimed
Pakistan, June 25 -- Some proportion of Iphone 4 users who unbox
their shiny expensive toys are finding that Apple shipped them with dodgy screens.
It also offers customer interaction features such as discussion forums, customer voting, IMDb film information, reviews and blogging, along with access to titles from the Amazon Unbox
digital video download service.
The service, Amazon Unbox
on TiVo, advances existing offerings from Microsoft Corp.
If we receive your order by November 24, we'll get the hyacinths to you in good time to unbox
them and get them growing.
Rather than having to unbox
, rack, cable and test individual components from thousands of boxes, Oracle received 35 ready-to-deploy systems, comprised of 1,050 Netratm X1 servers, which were wheeled into the data center, plugged in, and integrated into their network in under one day.
To return the boxed object back to a value type you must explicitly unbox
No thanks to Unbox
Therapy whose original bend test on the iPhone 6 became viral, logging almost 56 million views to date in one month, bending devices has become the new benchmark to assess the physical strength of new smartphones and tablets.


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current position：Home>Xiaopeng automobile delivered 17398 vehicles in Q2 and is expected to deliver more than 21500 vehicles in Q3
Xiaopeng automobile delivered 17398 vehicles in Q2 and is expected to deliver more than 21500 vehicles in Q3
2021-09-01 02:40:38 【TechWeb】
【TechWeb】8 month 26 Daily news , Xiaopeng automobile released its second quarter financial report . Results show that , Revenue of Xiaopeng automobile 37.613 One hundred million yuan , Year-on-year growth 536.7%; A net loss 11.9 One hundred million yuan , Market expectation adjusted net loss 8 One hundred million yuan , Adjusted net loss for the same period last year 11.4 One hundred million yuan . Every time ADS loss 1.5 element .
Results show that , Xiaopeng automobile delivered... In the second quarter 17398 car , Year-on-year growth 439%. Car sales revenue in the second quarter 35.844 One hundred million yuan , Year-on-year growth 562.4%.
Xiaopeng auto expects revenue in the third quarter 48 One hundred million yuan to 50 RMB 100 million , Expected delivery in the third quarter 21500-22500 Between cars , Year on year growth of about 150.6% to 162.3%.
author[TechWeb],Please bring the original link to reprint, thank you.
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Act now to avoid pain later on Buy Now Pay Later services
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) lenders such as Afterpay, ZipPay and Payright must be regulated by the same consumer protection laws as other credit providers, Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie has told Federal Parliament.
In a motion late yesterday responding to an ASIC report on the BNPL industry, Rebekha said the number of Australians using BNPL services had nearly doubled in the past 12 months and yet there was no regulatory framework to make sure they could afford it, and no protections if they couldn’t.
“The social and economic impact from Australians caught in the debt cycle thanks to Buy Now Pay Later lenders such as Afterpay, ZipPay, Openpay, Payright and BrightePay is going to be enormous,” Rebekha said.
“The Buy Now Pay Later industry is a financial tsunami waiting to happen.
“ASIC found that one in five consumers using Afterpay receiving late fees in the last 12 months, resulting in over $43 million in late fees for the 2018-2019 financial year.
“Most people who missed a payment had been using multiple BNPL services in the previous six months and nearly 40 per cent also had a payday loan.
“These lenders are not bound by responsible lending obligations, but they should be.
“This sector is not subject to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act because the credit terms are short and no interest is charged.
“However, that doesn’t stop late fees and when they need to take out a loan to pay those late fees, where do they go? They go to get a small loan credit contract, and then they pay up to a 200 per cent increase.
“These credit providers told ASIC that no more than one per cent of their customers had been in financial hardship during COVID-19, but that is clearly not borne out by the facts in this report.
“We are failing Australians during one of the most significant economic crises in a generation if we do not act now to regulate this industry.”
In November 2020, ASIC released a report entitled, Buy now pay later: an industry update, which set out the key observations about the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) industry, the experiences of consumers and recent regulatory developments;
(b) The report found that:
i. More than 1 in 5 BNPL consumers surveyed missed a payment in the last 12 months, resulting in over $43 million in late fees for the 2018-2019 financial year.
ii. Most BNPL consumers who had missed a payment had used multiple BNPL providers in the last six months.
iii. Nearly 40 per cent of BNPL consumers surveyed who had missed a payment in the last 12 months also had a payday loan or similar.
iv. 20 per cent of all BNPL consumers surveyed said they had cut back or went without, essentials, like meals, to make their payments.
(c) BNPL providers have stated no more than 1 per cent of their consumers have been in financial hardship during COVID-19. This is inconsistent with the observations contained in the ASIC report for the 2018-2019 financial year.
(d) BNPL providers are not regulated by the National Consumer Credit Protection Act and are therefore not bound by responsible lending obligations.
Calls on the Federal Government to:
(i) Respond to the Report of the Senate Standing Committee on Economics entitled Credit and Financial Services Targeted at Australians at Risk of Financial Hardship tabled in the Parliament in February 2019 as a matter of urgency;
(ii) Introduce a Bill that would amend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to enact the recommendations of the Federal Government’s Review of Small Amount Credit Contract Laws;
(iii) Extend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to BNPL providers; and
(iv) Consistent with the Recommendations of Commissioner Kenneth Hayne, ensure no changes are made to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 that would undermine or weaken responsible lending obligations.


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The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has revealed that pre-ticket sales for the Great British Beer Festival are up 27% on last year.
Last year saw more than 66,000 people attend, and for this year, CAMRA promises a staggering 700 British real ales, ciders, perries, and foreign beers from USA and Australia.
The event will be held at London's Earls Court from 2-6 August, before moving to London Olympia for 2012.
CAMRA head of marketing Tony Jerome said: "We are really optimistic about this year after seeing this significant spike in pre-ticket sales. In the year of CAMRA's 40th birthday we really hope the 2011 festival will be an event to remember."


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From JDSupra, Richard Reibstein discusses a recent case in Massachusetts in which the court said that local Postmates’ couriers are not interstate transportation workers and therefore are not exempt from arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act. Richard writes:
The most publicized legal development in the area of independent contractor law last month involved an opinion issued by a federal appellate court in a gig economy case that generated national attention. In a decision discussed below, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that local couriers who make deliveries to Postmates’ customers of products they pick up from retail stores are not interstate transportation workers. As a result, the court held that the couriers do not fall into the interstate transportation exemption from arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act. In reaching this decision, the First Circuit distinguished the couriers from drivers making last-mile deliveries of products for Amazon, whom the court found to be interstate transportation workers under the federal arbitration law. While this Postmates decision provides companies involved in local delivery services with additional legal authority when they seek to compel arbitration of a proposed class action, the decision is not nearly as momentous as many commentators have suggested. Why? Because companies can also compel arbitration under state arbitration laws, almost all of which do not contain an exemption for interstate transportation workers. We pointed that out in a blog post last year involving a case holding that certain ride-sharing drivers were exempt from arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act but were nonetheless compelled to arbitrate under a state arbitration law. Prudent companies seeking to compel arbitration of proposed class actions based on allegations of independent contractor misclassifications would be also be wise to take the steps we outlined in an earlier blog post where we offered suggestions as to how to draft effective arbitration clauses as part of a process designed to minimize misclassification liability.
In the Courts (3 cases)
POSTMATES COURIERS ARE NOT INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION WORKERS AND THEREFORE MAY BE COMPELLED TO ARBITRATE THEIR IC MISCLASSIFICATION CLAIMS. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has concluded that couriers who deliver goods from local restaurants and grocery stores to customers through the Postmates app are not engaged in interstate commerce and are not, therefore, exempted from their arbitration agreements under the interstate transportation exemption in the Federal Arbitration Act. The couriers sought damages for allegedly unpaid minimum wage, sick leave, and expense reimbursements, claiming they have been misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees under state wage laws. In opposing the company’s motion to compel arbitration, the couriers relied on the Waithaka v. Amazon decision in the First Circuit involving Amazon’s last-mile delivery drivers. But unlike the couriers in the Amazon case, the First Circuit found the couriers providing services to customers through the Postmates app were not engaged in the interstate transport of goods and therefore were subject to arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act.
The First Circuit found it significant that nearly all Postmates app orders placed in Massachusetts are fulfilled within the state, and the average distance travelled by a courier during a delivery is about 3.7 miles. In reaching its decision, the First Circuit stated, “the phrase ‘engaged in interstate commerce’ is a term of art that does not encompass the local retail of goods, even if those goods previously have been shipped interstate.” It further noted that although the couriers transport goods, “they do so as part of separate intrastate transactions that are not themselves within interstate commerce.” (Emphasis added.) The court added: “That the delivered items may once have travelled across state borders does not alter the equation. The interstate journey terminates when the goods arrive at the local restaurants and retailers to which they are shipped.” The First Circuit contrasted the facts in Waithaka v. Amazon, stating: “[U]nlike Postmates, customers bought goods directly from Amazon, which orchestrated the interstate movement of those goods and arranged, as part of the purchase, for their delivery directly to the customer. That local delivery was therefore integral to the interstate movement such that the goods remained within the flow of interstate commerce until arriving at the customer’s doorstep.” Immediato v. Postmates, Inc., No. 22-1015 (1st Cir. Nov. 29, 2022).


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Mayor’s Task Force on Business Development Opportunities
In December 2011, Mayor Moore announced the creation of a Task Force to search for ways to support businesses and make it easier for businesses to succeed by reviewing municipal processes and identifying barriers and opportunities for local businesses.
Chaired by Councillor Mike Forrest, membership included: Councillors Dean Washington and Brad West; former Executive Director of the Urban Development Institute, Maureen Enser; Tri-City Chamber of Commerce President, Davide Fantillo; Downtown Business Improvement Association President, Lih-Ming Tam; and local business representative Chris Galer.
The Process and Consultation
The Task Force considered detailed background information describing the role of economic development and chracteristics of businesses in Port Coquitlam. It obtained extensive public input including a business survey that revealed higher levels of satisfaction with the City’s location, community image and customer services and higher concerns about the cost of land, fees and taxes.
In October 2012, it hosted a business forum to provide an opportunity for local businesses to network and be engaged in the work of the Task Force. The development community provided input on the City’s development approval and implementation processes and an internal review of customer services contributed to the comprehensive report that was presented to Council April 8, 2013.
The report presented in April 2013 includes seven recommendations, each of which is complemented by specific actions to be taken. Listed in priority order, they are:
- Create a strong customer focus throughout City Hall
- Adopt “business-friendly” regulations
- Enhance communications
- Set reasonable taxes and fees
- Increase opportunities for local businesses to provide goods and services
- Recognize and celebrate Port Coquitlam’s businesses
- Create an integrated economic strategic plan


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WASHINGTON -- With the stakes in the billions of dollars, the process of deciding what the nation should eat -- always political -- is turning even more contentious.
A respected committee of doctors and nutrition experts is preparing to submit next month its five-year review of the federal government's dietary guidelines. Industry advocates are burying the panel under reams of statistics and studies that hail the benefits of eating red meat, consuming dairy products and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.
A recent lawsuit by a health activist organization charges that six of the 11 panel members accepted research grants from organizations with ties to the dairy and meat industries.
The suit also charges that the panel -- which includes only one black and one Hispanic -- has been insensitive to the health needs of various minority groups, promoting milk consumption, for instance, when majorities of blacks, Asians and American Indians and half of Hispanics (compared with only 15 percent of whites) are shown by studies to be lactose-intolerant.
Walter C. Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, said the guidelines often flout what medical experts know to be true about the health risks of some food products. Those dangers tend to be drowned out because politically connected food industries have a stake in the outcome, he said.
"Everybody in food and agriculture is happy with the guidelines because they can see a part of themselves on the [food] pyramid," Willett said in a recent interview. "They're all in the game."
The game -- usually played with rival scientific studies and dueling nutritional experts -- escalated last month when the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington-based group that promotes vegetarianism, sued the federal government in an attempt to stop officials from accepting the advisory panel's report and prevent the release of the 2000 guidelines.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, names Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala as defendants and charges government officials with violating the law that bans special interests from exerting undue influence over federal advisory committees.
The group's leaders claim that six of the 11 advisory board members -- all of whom are distinguished academics in health, nutrition or medical sciences -- have what they describe as "inappropriate financial ties" to the meat, dairy or egg industries.
They note, for example, lectures given by some board members before the National Dairy Council and research grants that meat industry groups have given to the academic departments that employ the board members.
Of particular concern to the physicians' committee is the inclusion of milk and dairy foods as recommended daily sources of calcium. The group leaders argue that alternatives -- such as collards, kale and other dark, leafy green vegetables -- should be highlighted in the guidelines as an alternative to dairy products. Those vegetables are high in calcium and lack the side effects of dairy products, such as nausea and intestinal distress, that strike those allergic to them.
Noting widely known studies showing that 95 percent of Asian Americans, 65 percent of blacks, 65 percent of American Indians and 50 percent of Hispanics are lactose-intolerant, the suit concludes that the federal dietary guidelines are insensitive to racial and ethnic minorities.
"The interests of Caucasians are being put first," said Mindy Kursban, staff counsel for the physicians' group. "It's a form of rationalized racism that overlooks minority people's health concerns to sell more products produced by the meat, dairy and egg industries."
Agriculture Department officials disagree, saying that the process for setting the guidelines, which are due out next spring, is open and fair to all.
"It's not unusual for all sorts of people and groups to make comments to the panel and directly to the Agriculture Department," said Shirley Watkins, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. "We do have an obligation to promote American-grown agricultural products, but that's not in conflict with [setting] the dietary guidelines. We don't promote a particular product."
Watkins added that the guidelines, which establish the national standards for healthy eating and are the foundation for school lunch menus, elder care assistance and other public food programs, are just suggestions. People can choose from them as they decide what to eat.
Moreover, she said, federal officials can only tell Americans about the health benefits and costs of what they eat and cannot establish strict rules for every population group.
"We are not being racially biased in our decisions," said Watkins, who is black. "Do they want us to say that, if you're a person of color, like me, you can eat only some kinds of foods? I don't think so."