Archive for August 12, 2020

Hellmann’s New Animal Crossing Island Converts Wirtual Food Waste Into Real Food For Those In Need

Posted in Commentary with tags , on August 12, 2020 by itnerd

As part of its global brand mission to help people be more resourceful with food and waste less. Hellmann’s® Canada has created an island in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons game, that offers a five-star virtual island experience and escape, as well as the opportunity for gamers to make change in the real world, by converting their virtual food waste in the game into real food for people in need.

The world of Animal Crossing sees gamers create their own virtual havens in the form of an island for a peaceful escape from everyday life. There is a variety of food that players can acquire and sell for large amounts of Bells, a form of currency within the game. Turnips are at the top of the food chain when it comes to the valuable food items players can acquire to increase their wealth.

Each week, Animal Crossing players purchase turnips on the ‘Stalk Market’ that will spoil if not sold within the week, becoming virtually worthless in the game. From 3PM EST on Monday, August 17 to 12.15AM EST Saturday, August 22, players will be able to visit the Hellmann’s Island to drop off their spoiled turnips and explore the other beautiful attractions on the island. In exchange for these spoiled turnips, Hellmann’s will donate to Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue charity, to help provide 25,000 meals in total for vulnerable communities across the country.

How it works:

  1. Hellmann’s Island will be open to visitors from 3:00 p.m. EST on Monday, August 17, to 12.15 a.m. EST on Saturday, August 22.
  2. To access the island, gamers will direct message Hellmann’s Canada on Twitter @HellmannsCanada to receive their personal dodo code which will be shared on a first-come, first-served basis.
  3. Selected visitors will be provided with a 15-minute timeslot to drop off their spoiled turnips. For each spoiled turnip dropped off, Hellmann’s will donate a meal to Second Harvest until the 25,000 meal target is achieved.
  4. After dropping off their spoiled turnips, guests will have the opportunity to explore the rest of the attractions on Hellmann’s Island including:
    • Hellmann’s Farm – visitors can take a peaceful stroll through the picturesque canola fields or catch a glimpse of other Hellmann’s ingredients, including freshly laid eggs from free-run hens and barrels of vinegar.
    • Second Harvest Outdoor Kitchen – here, guests can relax and unwind by a waterfall with a healthy sandwich and fresh produce prepared by Second Harvest.
    • Able Sisters Merch Shop – fun merchandise can be downloaded at the local store, including items such as Hellmann’s-inspired dresses, t-shirts and jackets.
    • Resident Services – guests can stop by to check out the bulletin board for more tips on how to be creative and make the most of what’s in their fridge and reduce food waste.
    • Ribbon Island – if they’re feeling adventurous, guests can pole vault over to an island shaped like Hellmann’s iconic ribbon for a quick photo opp.

Hellmann’s has been on the side of food since 2007 with the introduction of the Real Food Movement. This has included brand initiatives such as “Urban Gardens”, Real Food Grants and, most recently, the Real Food Rescue which looks to address the issue of food waste in Canada. To date, Hellmann’s has donated 102,250 meals through the Real Food Rescue program for Canadians in need. An additional 25,000 meals will be provided in partnership with Second Harvest through Hellmann’s Island, the latest in the brand’s efforts to combat food waste and extend awareness to a new platform to reach a new generation of Canadian gamers.

Hellmann’s Island will be open from 3:00 p.m. – 12:15 a.m. EST, Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd August, with dodo codes provided on a first-come, first-served basis on Twitter @HellmannsCanada.

Visit RealFoodRescue.ca for more information and simple tips and tricks to reduce your personal food waste.

Commvault’s Metallic SaaS Data

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 12, 2020 by itnerd

Commvault has announced the availability of Metallic’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) data protection portfolio in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Commvault customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.

Based on Commvault’s core IP, Metallic SaaS data protection provides customers with a scalable, secure, and simple way to protect their data within a modern, hybrid cloud environment.Metallic Endpoint Backup and Recovery joins Metallic Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Office 365 as the second solution in Metallic’s portfolio to be available as in the Azure Marketplace. Supporting the proliferation of remote work in today’s environment, Metallic Endpoint Backup & Recovery protects laptop and desktop data without compromising productivity – offering flexible and granular restore capabilities along with scalability and unlimited cloud storage.

The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. It helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.

To learn more about Commvault’s partnership with Microsoft as well as Metallic’s SaaS portfolio of data protection solutions, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/metallic

Trump Could Force TikTok Off Global App Stores

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 12, 2020 by itnerd

According to a White House document sent out to supporters of President Trump and seen by Reuters, the executive order that Trump signed would have a the means to cut off U.S. business transactions, disrupt TikTok’s funding, and eliminate its ability to operate within the United States and perhaps elsewhere.

“Prohibited transactions may include, for example, agreements to make the TikTok app available on app stores … purchasing advertising on TikTok, and accepting terms of service to download the TikTok app onto a user device,” the document states. 

A source familiar with the White House document verified its authenticity. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Now the document does not explicitly mention WeChat, but if the Trump administration decides to subject it to the same measures. Now if TikTok does sue the Trump administration, which they were supposed to do on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if they use this new information to push their case.

Waze Announces Global Rollout Of Railroad Crossing Alerts

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 12, 2020 by itnerd

Waze, the platform bringing together communities on and off the road, today announced a new feature that will provide alerts to users approaching a railroad crossing.  Waze is seeing Waze users make a significant return to the road following the COVID-19 outbreak. This feature is unique to Waze and puts drivers’ safety first, helping them return to the roads by highlighting the potential risks associated with driving over railroad crossings.

The decision to add railroad crossing alerts to the Waze map follows recommendations from both the US senate and the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to app-based navigation platforms like Waze that doing so can help contribute to the efforts to reduce the number of drivers involved in railroad crossing fatalities. The US Federal Railroad Administration also championed this feature and provided valuable insights as Waze used their publicly available database of US railroad crossings. The feature was advocated for by major rail network operators and other organizations, including MTA Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak, SEPTA, Brightline, Operation Lifesaver Canada, the Railway Association of Canada, CN, SNCF, the Regulatory Agency of Rail Transport of Mexico (ARTF) and the Secretary of Communications and Transportation of Mexico. These organizations have provided the vital data (verified by the Waze volunteer community of map editors) to add railroad crossings to the Waze map in the US, Canada, Mexico and France, and local Waze map editors have taken the initiative to incorporate crossings to the map in the UK, Italy, Israel, Brazil, Colombia, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Netherlands and Ireland.

The new feature will automatically alert drivers using the latest version of Waze on Android or iOS that they are approaching a railroad crossing.  A banner will appear on the Waze app highlighting the crossing and encouraging the driver to approach with caution.

This feature is available on Android and iOS. For more information visit Waze.com.

Canadian Business Travellers Look To Technology To Ease Concerns When Travel Returns: SAP Concur Survey

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 12, 2020 by itnerd

Although it is difficult to predict what the future of business travel will look like, one thing that’s certain is the key role technology will play in easing the concerns of business travellers.

A recent survey of business travellers by SAP Concur – a leader in integrated travel, expense and invoice management solutions – shows:

  • Mobile check-in is the most important mobile app feature (52%) Canadians want when travel resumes, followed by traveller safety information (38%,), the ability to book air travel (38%), andthe ability to view and manage their trip itinerary (36%). 
  • Canadian business travellers are looking for a breadth of on-demand functions, including loyalty programs (30%), the ability to automatically create and submit an expense report (21%), and even the ability to track and offset their carbon footprint (12%)
    • Nearly 3 in 10 (28%) also want automatic notifications for out-of-policy bookings or expenses.
  • 93 per cent of Canadian business travellers note some measures are critical for safely returning to the road, especially mandatory personal health screenings for travelling employees (40%), limiting travel to only the most critical trips (38%), and real-time health and safety updates (34%).
  • When travel starts, Canadian business travellers are most likely to start their booking with online travel agencies (24%) or directly with an airline or hotel website/app (22%). 

Additional findings:

Notable highlights of the 200 responding Canadian business travellers in the global study include:

·       Business travel plays an important role in the success of today’s enterprise:

o   Canadian business travellers expect their company to experience negative outcomes due to travel restrictions around COVID-19, including a reduced number of deals or contracts signed that require in-person interactions (51%) and declines in new business wins that require in-person meetings (44%).

·       Business travellers expect an increase in discrimination against certain groups while travelling:

  • Nearly 9 in 10 Canadian business travellers (89%) expect increased discrimination in the wake of COVID-19, especially against travellers exhibiting cold or flu symptoms (59%), travellers from countries with high infection rates (43%)—and even travellers of Asian descent (43%).
  • More than 1 in 4 Canadian business travellers (27%) also believe there will be an increase in discrimination against the elderly, as well as those wearing enhanced personal protective equipment (26%).
  • Health and safety are now top priority for business travellers when on the road:
  • Health and safety have become the top priority for 2 in 5 (43%) Canadian business travellers which is more than three times as many who prioritize business needs (13%).
  • Safety was only the second priority last year, but the effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated the issue from 24% to 43%.
  • Top concerns about returning to business travel also include infecting their families (69%) and getting sick themselves (68%).

·       Companies need to update travel policies to help business travellers return to the road safely:

  • 93% of Canadian business travellers consider some measures critical for safely returning to the road, including:
    • Mandatory personal health screenings for travelling employees (40%), limiting travel to only the most critical trips (38%), real-time health and safety updates (34%), and easier access to personal protective equipment (28%).
  • More than 9 in 10 Canadian business travellers (92%) believe they’d benefit from company training, especially, trainings on how to protect their health and safety during travel (50%) and how to maintain healthy habits while travelling (50%).

The full global white paper and Canadian findings can be found here.