The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the winners of the 2017 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards, recognizing the lifesaving efforts of individuals and organizations from across the country who are working to prepare for emergencies. Each year, FEMA honors individuals and organizations who excel at inspiring the public to be ready if a tornado, hurricane, wildfire, or other disaster were to strike their community.
“We are a stronger, more resilient nation when we work together—in communities large and small—to prepare for and respond to disasters,” said FEMA Acting Deputy Administrator Daniel Kaniewski. “FEMA is proud to recognize the great efforts of individuals and organizations who are helping to create a national culture of preparedness.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8025654-fema-2017-icp-award-winners/
Traveling these days can be complicated with all the rules, restrictions, additional fees, and shrinking leg room – but it doesn’t have to be. Amtrak revealed today an exciting new campaign, dubbed “Break the Travel Quo,” that goes head-to-head against some of the most prevalent pain points of modern day travel and reminds consumers that riding with Amtrak is a far easier, more comfortable and convenient way to travel.
“Break the Travel Quo” takes a lighthearted approach to push against the realities of air and car travel that have become par for the course, juxtaposing commonplace scenarios against the comfort and convenience of Amtrak. Not only does Amtrak boast one of the most generous baggage policies in the travel industry – allowing passengers to bring up to four pieces of luggage for free – but the rail company also offers free Wi-Fi, the freedom to use phones and electronic devices at all times (no “airplane mode”), the ability to travel with small pets on many trains, large spacious seats with ample leg room, and no middle seat.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8176651-amtrak-break-the-travel-quo-campaign/
To motivate parents and their children to spend more time in nature together, the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council today launched a new public service advertisement (PSA) campaign urging families to experience the many wonders of nature close to home together.
The PSAs, created in partnership with The Foundry, Time Inc.’s state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio, focus on family time in nearby forested environments, reminding parents that having a nature experience with their children is not only easy and local, but also fun and full of learning opportunities and benefits. This is the first time that the Ad Council has worked with the creative division of a media company that has iconic roots in publishing on a large-scale production on behalf of one of its PSA campaigns. A range of Time Inc. properties are also donating print and digital advertising space in support of this campaign.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8171051-new-ad-council-u-s-forest-services-discover-the-forest-psa/
Volvo Cars today declares an end to a problem faced daily by drivers around the globe: a lack of suitable and functional storage space inside their car. With its innovative approach inside the new XC40 small city SUV, set to be launched in the coming weeks, Volvo Cars takes the lead in the small premium SUV segment in terms of space, storage and all-round functionality.
The highly anticipated XC40 from Volvo Cars will complete the company’s SUV line-up that also features the top-of-the-range large XC90 and the mid-sized XC60.
As part of the XC40’s development phase, Volvo Cars’ customer research team spent considerable time investigating how city dwellers around the globe use their car on a daily basis – and, more importantly, how they store their belongings in their cars. Customers were also asked how they would like to see the interiors of their cars improved.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8163951-end-clutter-volvo-cars-XC40-small-SUV/
Each day in the U.S. 91 people die from an opioid-related overdose, and the numbers are increasing. In observance of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, American Addiction Centers (AAC) and Recovery Brands are launching a nationwide awareness campaign on how to prevent deaths from opioid overdoses. The campaign features shareable online resources, including an animation video about how an overdose impacts a body, an infographic about how to administer overdose medication, and powerful videos of survivors sharing the life-saving lessons they learned during their darkest hours.
“This is a meaningful endeavor as we partner with our parent company, AAC, in order to present several life-saving resources for people impacted by addiction,” said Ruchi Dhami, director of market insights and development at Recovery Brands, a provider of digital addiction treatment resources. “Since such a large amount of individuals look for information online about addiction and treatment, we wanted to ensure comprehensive education surrounding opioid overdoses existed and is easily accessible for individuals and families impacted by addiction.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8130951-american-addiction-centers-opioid-overdose/
ProNourish™, a nutritional drink brand from Nestlé Health Science (NHS), is furthering its mission to support people with digestive sensitivities with the launch of videos showcasing quick and easy gluten-free and low-FODMAP snack ideas. Short and snappy “hands and pans” recipe videos have gained popularity online, garnering around 500 million views per month. Most commonly, these are intended for the population at large. These new recipe videos from ProNourish™, however, are geared toward people with digestive sensitivities who are following a gluten-free and/or low-FODMAP diet.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8134551-nestle-pronourish-gluten-free-low-fodmap-snacks/
The Lincoln Continental, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Toyota Avalon come out at the top of a group of six large cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The three cars qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, the Institute’s highest award. The Tesla Model S, the Chevrolet Impala and the Ford Taurus fall short of any award because they each earn only an acceptable rating in the small overlap front test.
Vehicles qualify for either the TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ award if they have good ratings from IIHS in five crashworthiness tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints — and an available front crash prevention system that earns a superior or advanced rating. To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle also must come with good or acceptable headlights
Continuing a multi-year string of quality and reliability awards and accolades, J.D. Power’s 2017 Initial Quality Study (IQS) today recognized Kia Motors as the highest-ranking nameplate in the United States for the second year in a row. Kia’s improvement to 72 problems per 100 vehicles marks the best nameplate performance within the last 20 years of the study, driven by five segment awards – the most of any nameplate — for the Soul (Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle), Forte (Compact Car), Cadenza (Large Car), Niro (Small SUV) and Sorento (Midsize SUV). The Kia Soul took home an IQS award for the third consecutive year while Kia’s two newest models, Cadenza and Niro, were outstanding performers in their first model year, with the Kia Cadenza earning the top score among all models ranked in the study. Together with the Optima and Sportage , each of the seven award eligible Kia models included in the 2017 IQS study finished first or second in their respective categories.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8016954-kia-j-d-power-initial-quality-study/
2017 Renault Zoe
Renault has introduced a new Z.E. 40 battery for ZOE. At the same, ZOE owners can benefit from a range of new connected services and equipment upgrades. Order books for the new ZOE line-up are open. The new ZOEs fitted with the new Z.E. 40 battery are made at Renault's Flins plant in France and will be available for delivery before the end of 2016.
Double the range for even longer journeys
As the pioneer of all-electric mobility and Europe's number one seller of electric vehicles, Renault has stepped up its innovation programme and the deployment of its Zero Emissions strategy.
Fitted with the new Z.E. 40 battery, the Renault ZOE now delivers a record NEDC driving range of 400km, which is twice the distance delivered by the model at the time of its original launch.
The new Z.E. 40 battery has a real-world range of 300 kilometres in urban or suburban areas, for example.
The range permitted today by the ZOE is the longest of any mainstream all-electric vehicle and motorists can take advantage of this step forward now.
The ZOE is the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe and provides a real alternative to internal combustion-engine cars, since average daily commuting distances are well within the ZOE's capabilities.
The new battery removes the final psychological barrier that stands in the way of buying an electric car since ZOE users can now travel further and enjoy a wider variety of driving situations without worry about charging. This makes weekend trips a real possibility.
The Z.E. 40 battery's charging rate is similar to that of the standard battery, so 'topping up' doesn't take long at all. For example, just 30 minutes are required on average to charge the battery for an extra 80 kilometres of driving range when plugged into one of the many public charging points in operation in Europe. The ZOE continues to be equipped with the Quick Charge function to take full advantage of the maximum capacity of fast charging points located predominantly along motorway corridors.
An innovation that doubles battery capacity with no increase in size
The ZOE's new Z.E. 40 battery boasts 41kWh of useful energy, equivalent to almost double the storage capacity of the ZOE's standard battery (22kWh of useful energy).
Developed in close partnership with LG Chem, the battery uses high-energy density lithium-ion technology.
Renault and LG engineers have succeeded in increasing storage capacity without making the battery any bigger or a lot heavier. It was optimised by working on the chemistry of the cells in order to increase their energy density, rather than stacking additional battery modules, a commonly used technique.
This major new technology has been developed while ensuring the battery's reliability or safety.
The battery's large storage capacity ensures longer range for the ZOE thanks to the meticulous work that went into integrating the battery in the vehicle. The electronic management system of the battery optimises the ZOE's energy use on the move, while the new air circulation system maintains the temperature of the ZOE's battery at a constant level, making the car economical to run in very hot or very cold weather.
Volvo Cars, the premium carmaker, has announced a close partnership with Google, one of the world’s largest technology companies, to develop the next generation of its award-winning in-car infotainment and connectivity solution based on Android, offering access to a wide array of apps and services. It will launch on new Volvo models within two years.
The partnership promises to revolutionise how Volvo customers engage and interact with their cars. The large catalogue of popular Android apps – developed by Google, Volvo, or third party app developers – will offer connected and predictive services in and around the car.
“We are making an important strategic step with the Google partnership. Google’s platform and services will enhance the user experience by enabling more personalisation possibilities, while Android will offer increased flexibility from a development perspective,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8103651-volvo-cars-google-android-connected/
The Class of 2017, the first crop of Generation Z (people born between 1993 and 1999) to enter the workforce, is more interested in working for large companies compared to last year’s grads (19 percent vs. 14 percent), according to a new study by Accenture Strategy on the future workforce. New graduates desire an engaging employee experience and want to take full advantage of their degree. The fifth annual Accenture Strategy 2017 U.S. College Graduate Employment Study also found that this generation is more prepared to enter the workforce and desires in-person interaction.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8076751-accenture-generation-z-workforce-study/
Today, the newly-developed Body Volume Indicator (BVI)™ was revealed as a modern day measure of body composition and weight distribution following a 10-year collaboration with Mayo Clinic experts who led extensive research on fat distribution, the importance of fat assessment and the limitations of the current standard of Body Mass Index (BMI). In conjunction with the development of BVI, BVI America LLC, a subsidiary of 3D measurement pioneer Select Research, announced the launch of the revolutionary BVI Pro tablet application, which will provide an easily accessible and affordable means for the professional community to use the new BVI measurement in everyday clinical use to assess health risks.
The potential benefits of using Body Volume as a new indicator of risks were presented on April 27 by Mayo Clinic researchers, BVI America and the University of Westminster. It draws on 10 years of rigorous research, testing and validation using several potential Body Volume indices. Now BVI, calculated as a ratio between total volume and abdominal volume, can be used as a supplement to the current measurement standard of BMI, which is based solely on height and weight. BVI is considered to be a more precise means of estimating weight distribution and the fat around the organs, which is not visible to the human eye and can lead to serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. The medical and professional community at large is invited to contribute to the continued development of BVI by downloading and using the BVI Pro tablet application with their patients and clients; anonymous data collected will be analyzed by Mayo Clinic, whose research and validation of BVI will continue.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8093051-bvi-america-body-volume-app-health-fitness/