text:
,Raising output: Spritzer’s production floor in Taiping. The group will increase its production capacity to 900 million litres of water per annum from 850 million litres.足球胜负预测（www.99cx.vip）是一个开放皇冠体育网址代理APP下载、皇冠体育网址会员APP下载、皇冠体育网址线路APP下载、皇冠体育网址登录APP下载的官方平台。足球胜负预测上足球分析专家数据更新最快。足球胜负预测开放皇冠官方会员注册、皇冠官方代理开户等业务。
GEORGE TOWN: Bottled water producer Spritzer Bhd is spending RM100mil in 2022 to install a new production line and a water treatment plant, upgrade machinery and settle the balance for a Taiping land it acquired in 2021.
Group chief executive officer Kenny Lim Seng Lee told StarBiz that the capital expenditure is the group’s largest allocation to date.
“The additional line would increase the group’s production capacity to 900 million litres of water per annum from 850 million litres.
“We are also installing a new water treatment plant to replace the existing one. These two projects would cost RM25mil to RM30mil,” he said.
He said the remainder of the allocation is to settle the RM76.1mil balance for the 1,227-acre land it acquired in Bukit Gantang.
“The land is reserved for a future mineral water production facility, which we can see materialising five years from now,” Lim said.
Spritzer Bhd Group CEO Kenny Lim Seng Lee
The group is currently utilising about 70% of its existing plant in Taiping.
“In 2021, we also expanded the land bank of our mineral water plants in Taiping and Yong Peng by 7.4 acres and 6.1 acres, respectively, with the acquisition of five pieces of land for a total consideration of RM3.5mil.
“In January 2022, we acquired two pieces of land adjoining our mineral water plant in Taiping, measuring about 60 acres, for a total of RM6.2mil.
“These acquisitions will support our future expansion plans,” he said.
Spritzer’s primary concern is the escalating cost of raw materials. Resin price is now RM5,800 per tonne, up from RM3,200 per tonne in 2020.
The group uses polyethene terephthalate plastic as its packaging materials.
“The cost has squeezed our margins. We have already adjusted our selling price by about 5% last December. We will probably need to adjust again should the price of raw materials continue to rise.
“Due to competition and cost pressure, there’s only so much we can pass on to customers,” he said.
Lim added that the group would be using recycled plastic to package bottled drinks in the second half. “We will also redesign the labels to give Spritzer a new look,” he said.
Spritzer launched a new corporate logo on June 1.
Spritzer’s plant in Taiping
According to Lim, Spritzer’s strategy is to strengthen its leading position in the Malaysian bottled water industry by constantly improving the processes across its value chain, market coverage and sales volume.环球UG声明:该文看法仅代表作者自己，与本平台无关。转载请注明：足球胜负预测（www.99cx.vip）_Spritzer allocates largest capital expenditure


text:
Magnus Carlsen and Christian Pulisic Talk About Similarities in Football and Chess
Global Sports company PUMA announces a collaboration between five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and professional football player Christian Pulisic. Two sport icons came together on a football pitch to have a conversation about the differences and similarities between chess and football.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230713204362/en/
Global Sports company PUMA brought together five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and professional football player Christian Pulisic, as the two sport icons met on a football pitch to have a conversation about the differences and similarities between chess and football. (Photo: Business Wire)
What can a football athlete and a chess player teach one another? The conversation between Magnus and Christian only shows that there are plenty of things that are relevant for both disciplines. “I am an attacking player who likes to be creative and to put defenders on their back foot. I like to be very aggressive and direct towards goals, so that's really my style,” said Pulisic. When playing football or chess, it is important to avoid critical errors, think strategically, and make decisions quickly. “In chess, I am pretty universal, but definitely leaning towards positional rather than tactical play,” said Carlsen.
Discover what further analogies and insights Magnus Carlsen and Christian Pulisic have found during their conversation and how it is about for them to have a special signature PUMA shoe in the full video on PUMA’s official YouTube channel at: LINK.
Additionally, a collection of relevant photos from their interaction can be found HERE.
As the next step in the chess world, PUMA has partnered with Chess.com and Christian Pulisic once again to launch a Christian Pulisic chess bot. The Pulisic chess bot is an AI bot modeled after professional football player and global PUMA ambassador, Christian Pulisic. On July 13th, chess enthusiasts from around the globe will have the opportunity to test their skills and play a game against Pulisic. Fans can register for free on Chess.com and play Christian Pulisic from July 13th on the site’s “Play Computer” page, or at https://www.chess.com/play/computer?bot=christian-pulisic.
PUMA is one of the world’s leading sports brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For 75 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs about 20,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany.
Chess.com is the world's leading online chess platform, founded in 2005, dedicated to growing the game of chess and helping chess players around the world enjoy the game. Chess.com is the leading provider of chess gaming and other chess-related services including a vibrant forum and social network, a news feed, a chess academy, a coaching platform, tactics and puzzles, live tournaments, a separate website for kids (http://chesskid.com), and ChessTV. In May 2023, Chess.com‘s membership surpassed 140 million worldwide. In June 2023, Chess.com was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
Teamhead Global Brand PR
Head of PR, Chess.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Alipay Supports Over 100 Million Digital Torchbearers to Join the First-Ever Digital Cauldron Lighting for Asian Games24.9.2023 16:17:00 EEST | Press release
The Hangzhou Asian Games has begun with the evening opening ceremony on September 23. The opening ceremony combined Chinese traditions, culture and digital innovations at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium for a spectacular kickoff event. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230924810542/en/ Digital torchbearers joining to light the cauldron for the Hangzhou Asian Games (Photo: Business Wire) As the Official Prestige Partner and technology provider of Hangzhou Asian Games, Alipay has supported over 100 million digital torchbearers to join the first-ever digital cauldron lighting in Asian Games history during the ceremony. These digital torchbearers were combined as one digital torchbearer avatar to light the cauldron together with swimming Olympic champion Wang Shun. The Asian Games Digital Torchbearer Online Relay campaign was launched on June 15, 2023, the 100-day countdown to the Games. Participants can
Unitedprint.com collaborates with Pexels.com24.9.2023 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
The e-commerce technology company Unitedprint.com has announced several exciting innovations for its brands Easyprint.com and print24.com. On top of the launch of interactive 2D and 3D product preview visualisations, the company is expanding its offering through a partnership with Pexels.com, a Canva.com company, and is also making more than 12 million premium design templates available to its users. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230920567824/en/ Easyprint's FreeDesign tool offers over 3 million royalty-free stock photos and 12 million free design templates (Photo: Business Wire) Cooperation with Pexels.com In close collaboration with Pexels, a subsidiary of Canva.com, Easyprint is expanding its offering to include 3 million royalty-free stock images that users can access free of charge and without restriction for their individual projects. “This partnership will allow our customers to take their creativity
SLB Announces Third-Quarter 2023 Results Conference Call22.9.2023 20:00:00 EEST | Press release
SLB (NYSE:SLB) will hold a conference call on October 20, 2023 to discuss the results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2023. The conference call is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am US Eastern time and a press release regarding the results will be issued at 7:00 am US Eastern time. To access the conference call, listeners should contact the Conference Call Operator at +1 (844) 721-7241 within North America or +1 (409) 207-6955 outside of North America approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call and the access code is 8858313. A webcast of the conference call will be broadcast simultaneously at www.slb.com/irwebcast on a listen-only basis. Listeners should log in 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to test their browsers and register for the webcast. Following the end of the conference call, a replay will be available at www.slb.com/irwebcast until November 20, 2023, and can be accessed by dialing +1 (866) 207-1041 within North America or +1 (402) 970-0847 outsid
Energy Dome's CO2 Battery™ to Revolutionize U.S. Energy Landscape With First Installation Slated for 202622.9.2023 18:45:00 EEST | Press release
A groundbreaking development in sustainable energy storage is on the horizon for Columbia County, Wisconsin, U.S., spearheaded by Alliant Energy in collaboration with Energy Dome and other key stakeholders. Alliant Energy has just announced its selection to receive a federal grant of up to approximately $30 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) for the pioneering Columbia Energy Storage Project, a proposed 200-megawatt hour energy storage system, based on Energy Dome’s signature technology: the CO2 Battery™. This visionary battery system, aptly named the “Columbia Energy Storage Project”, is poised to be a trailblazer in the United States, marking a pivotal stride towards a more sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective energy future. Claudio Spadacini, CEO of Energy Dome, declared: “I’m honored to be part of this remarkable journey alongside Alliant Energy. The Columbia Energy Storage Project marks the genesis of a new era, where the
Settlement Administrator Angeion Group Announces Proposed Settlement In U.S. Dollar LIBOR-Based Instrument Class Action22.9.2023 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
There are lawsuits impacting individuals and institutions that entered into over-the-counter financial derivative and non-derivative instruments directly with 17 banks and that received payments tied to U.S. Dollar LIBOR. A Settlement totaling $101 million has been reached with Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. (“Rabobank”), Lloyds Banking Group plc, Lloyds Bank plc, HBOS plc, and Bank of Scotland plc (together, “Lloyds”), Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”), and Portigon AG and Westdeutsche Immobilien Servicing AG (together “Portigon”). Earlier settlements totaling $680 million were reached with Barclays, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, MUFG, Norinchukin, and SocGen bringing the total settlement amount to $781 million. The remaining Non-Settling Defendants include Bank of America, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, Royal Bank of Scotland, and UBS. What does the Settlement provide? The Settlement will create a Settlement Fund totaling $101 million that will be used to pay eligible Class Members who submi
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.Visit our pressroom

domain: news


text:
- 2/4 beats
- Improper use of electric bass, guitars and saxophones
- Goyishe African music and beats
- Rap and reggae music
Ok, whatever. I don't want to get into a whole discussion on what is Jewish music and what isn't. Personally, I believe that music bleeds through cultures and that just about all "Jewish music" today originated from non-Jewish origins.
It seems to me, however, that there is an upswing in the number of Rabbinic Committees that have formed of late. As such, here are some of the news stories that you should be looking out for in the future:
The Jewish residents of Jerusalem were shocked today when the Committee for Ma'achalim Tehorim (Pure Foods) announced a ban on all pizza stores, pasta parlors, Chinese and Japanese restaurants and almost all other shops where foreign and ethnic foods are served (aside from Jewish foods, of course). Rabbi Jacobson, the leader of the committee issued a strongly worded condemnation of these establishments. "It is unconscionable that Yidden are putting foreign, goyishe foods in their stomachs. Do you think the Chofetz Chaim ever ate pizza? Do you think that the holy Gr"a would have stopped to eating Chinese food? It's been said that 'you are what you eat.' HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave us the mitzvah of keeping kosher so that we could always maintain purity both inside our bodies as well as outside. Just because a pizza has no pork or meat doesn't mean that meets the standard of proper food for a Jew to eat. It has to not only be kosher, but an authentic Jewish food. With the backing of the gedolim, we are going to make sure that only authentic Jewish foods are served in our resturaunts." The Committee announced it's plans to scan the menus of every resturaunt in Jerusalem in the next six months, and instruct withhold kashrus certification from foods that are deemed "foreign, strange, or that has signs of improper seasonings."
The clothing industry in Israel was rocked to the core today when the new guidelines by the Rabbinical Subcommittee on Clothing Colors announced their new regulations and guidelines for the Jewish state's garment industry. Millions of yards of fabrics in various colors which had been purchased by dress and shirt manufacturers have now been banned and cannot be made into clothing for the hareidi community. Rabbi Canner, spokesman for the Subcommittee, explained the regulations. "It's all very simple and it's not really restrictive. Men can have a shirt in any color that they want, so long as it's white. We recognize that women need more choices in their clothing than men and so they will have a choice between black, ebony, obsidian, jet, onyx or midnight. To compliment those colors they can choose white, off-white, ivory, eggshell and lily." The committee fully expects all clothing stores to be following the new guidelines in the next few weeks, before women begin shopping for outfits for Yom Tov.
Huge bonfires went up all over the country this week, as parents rushed to destroy games that did not meet the new guidelines of the Rabbinic Committee on Children's Recreation. "There are games and activities that our children are engaging in that can virtually destory their pure neshamos," said Rabbi Eliyahu Danner, head of the committee. "We, as parents and mechanchim are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of our children, and we must do all we can to shield them from the horrible influences of the outside world." Among the banned games are Clue (due to the murder theme), Careers (the game shows working as a lechatchila, and not a b'dieved), Life (people having children while riding around in cars in NOT a Jewish value and, again, there is no emphasis on learning), Stratego and Battleship (war and killing), Trivial Pursuit (it has cards, which are unJewish as well as an emphasis on unimportant information) and Scrabble (the possibility of making words that are improper is just too great). Among the games permitted to remain are checkers, chess and tiddlywinks. However, those games are only permitted for girls since "boys should be learning all the time and not wasting their time playing silly board games," according to Rabbi Danner.
(Just so that we're clear...all the stories in this post [except for the music story] are fiction. I made them up. They're what I think we can expect in the future -- but they're not real... yet.)


text:
The Values of Millennials: Changing Marketing and Changing PaymentsAndi DeFonce |
Ad Week recently named the 10 Best Ads of 2015:
Why do these ads stick out to us so much? Well, for me, partly because after attending the 2015 The Futures Company (formerly Yankelovich) presentation, I now understand the dynamic values of US consumers 16 and over.
The overarching themes in the ads are congruent with the values of millennials that the findings from the 2015 The Futures Company Monitor Survey presents. This survey of 10,000-plus respondents, nationally and ethnically representative is the world’s longest running tracking study—going strong since 1971. Understanding these values is crucial for retailers to effectively engage with this market—most of the general population in 10 years, and near all the population in 20.
Connect with the Heart
Jamie Moldafsky, CMO of Wells Fargo says, “The goal is to reflect the diversity of its customers and get beyond products and services to tell emotional stories that illustrate universal truths.” Authenticity is key for millennials.
The Triumph of Individualism
Fully 72 percent of those millennials The Futures Company surveyed say “I am true to myself” and feel everyone should be free to do their own thing. 57 percent of Millennials are willing to share their brand preferences over social media or online, versus 31 percent of Boomers.
An impressive 62 percent of millennials, an increase of 8 percent from 2014, feel that we are free to shape our identities and transform ourselves in whatever way we want.
Fully 77 percent of millennials don’t let traditional gender roles define how they live their life. Women are now in more leadership roles.
Millennials are ubiquitous: Connectivity, embracing flexibility and freedom in life are what characterize this generation. When they buy they focus on experiences. They appreciate stories that engage them with their heart and inspire them to take action. Ultimately retailers must be aware that they must change the goal from spending to sharing. They must also shift the focus from brands to ideas.
That is not to say that these values are the sole property of millennials. It’s just that millennials exhibit them most prominently. The Global Insights team, uncovers these findings in our Omnishopper Report: “Gen C, as Google calls this generation of people who care about creation, curation, connection and community, is an attitude and mindset, not an age group, although it applies to 80 percent of Millennials.”


text:
October 6, 2003
Sprint Says Push-To-Talk Launch Possible This Year
Following a post October 2, Sprint Explores Walkie-Talkie Service, an article in Telecom Web reiterates that Sprint intends to launch its push-to-talk service before the end of this year's fourth quarter.
"The company added that it is in talks with several national partners to introduce push-to-talk products and that it intends to launch multiple devices in conjunction with several manufacturers".
And interesting, an article in Business Week, Push-to-Talk: Nextel Is Still the One to Beat, by Stephen H. Wildstrom, on how everyone wants a piece of the walkie-talkie action.
Wildstrom's opinion is that newly launched Verizon's PTT and fastmobile's offerings so far, are nowhere near as good as Nextel's.
The Permanent Link to this page is: https://textually.org/textually/archives/2003/10/001849.htm


text:
In the field of new energy buses, BYD is the only company focusing on the pure electric technology route, and its annual examination papers have always been the performance of the top students: In 2017, BYD buses achieved annual sales of 14,336 units (all electric vehicles, including The holding company GAC BYD 1559 units, an increase of 8%.
On March 27, BYD released its 2017 annual performance report, which shows that in 2017, BYD's net profit attributable to listed companies was approximately RMB 4.066 billion.
In 2017, revenue from BYD's auto business was approximately RMB 54.5 billion, of which revenue from new energy auto business was approximately RMB 38.5 billion, which represented a year-on-year increase of approximately 13.06%, and its proportion of total revenue further increased to 37.55%. Behind the BYD annual bill is its global leader in sales of new energy vehicles. According to statistics from the CLUCC, BYD sold 1133,000 new energy passenger cars in 2017; at the same time, BYD’s official data show that BYD will sell new energy in 2017. 14336 buses (including the holding company GAC BYD 1559).
2017 BYD achieves sales of 14,000 pure electric buses throughout the year
In the field of new energy buses, BYD is the only company focusing on the pure electric technology route, and its annual examination papers have always been the performance of the top students: In 2017, BYD buses achieved annual sales of 14,336 units (all electric vehicles, including Holding company GAC BYD 1559 units, an increase of 8%; among them, the sales of pure electric buses more than 8 meters reached 14254, an increase of 13.6%, accounting for 99% of total sales; sales of more than 10 meters reached 12,228, an increase of 14 .5%, 85% of total sales.
BYD’s annual performance report released on March 27 shows that in overseas markets, BYD has received orders from London, the United States, Los Angeles, Sydney, Australia, Novara, Italy, Okinawa, Japan and other global orders in 2017. The "urban bus electrification" program was pushed from the Chinese market to the international stage.
BYD Releases Annual Report Earnings Nearly 4.1 Billion Commercial Vehicle Business Harvests Global Orders
Overseas orders continue to deliver over 35,000 pure electric buses worldwide
Both domestic and foreign, BYD's performance in the field of pure electric buses is extremely alarming. It is also beyond the expectation of domestic consumers: In some people's stereotypes, Tesla has the strength to seize foreign markets, and Someone is willing to pay for it. And BYD apparently had a good layout for today's blockbuster.
Four years ago, BYD officially released the “7+4” market strategy for new energy vehicles. The seven major areas including urban public transport and the four special special vehicle areas have become the focus of its new energy layout.


text:
Proposed power hikes in Samoa will hit business hard
A proposed jump in the price of electricity will hit businesses hard and halt export efforts.
Cries of outrage have been heard from the business community about a 10 percent rise in tariff rate proposed by Electricity Power Corporation (EPC).
EPC’s proposal sits with the Office of the Regulator.
Chamber of Commerce’s response now also with the Regulator: the proposed increase is too much and too sudden.
No doubt chamber hopes the proposal dies at the Office of the Regulator before it reaches Cabinet for endorsement.
Part of EPC’s justification for the rise is to pay for what chairman of its board, Fa’aolesa Katopau Ainu’u said was its “sizable debt” of between $100 and $200 million.
In Parliament recently Opposition leader Palusalue Fa’apo II said the debt was $US100 million ($235.3m) and the rise was to pay for it.
All Governments borrow for development, said Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi.
Only foolish governments don’t, Tuilaepa said.
EPC’s capacity to generate electricity was reached and new generators were needed, he said.
“If you sat here (Government benches) you would do the same thing.”
CEO of Chamber of Commerce Ane Moananu said the proposed rise will stop manufacturers from breaking into export markets.
Chamber members say the rise will affect businesses of all sizes, multinationals will look away from Samoa towards Fiji and other island states where the cost of doing business is lower, capital investment will be slowed, and “difficult staffing decisions will be made,” Moananu said.
“Our members tell us time and time again through consultations and surveys that the high cost of utilities is one of the most significant constraints to doing business,” she said.
“At the same time that the private sector is expected to drive economic growth and development, those who venture into the business sector are penalized by high tariff rates on essential services.
“How does this help us to reduce reliance on donour assistance and encourage sustainable economic growth locally?”
Chamber has told the Regulator that EPC’s calculations do not take into account the price impact on medium and larger businesses.


text:
With confirmation that shops can reopen when the current coronavirus restrictions are lifted next week, those looking to stock up for Christmas will be able to park for free in Scarborough and Whitby.
Earlier this month, Scarborough Borough Council approved its annual measure suspending charges in some off-street car parks in both towns on Thursdays from 3pm on 3, 10, 17 and 24 December, and on Sundays from 11am to 4pm on 6, 13, 20 December.
The lockdown restrictions will end on Wednesday December 2 and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that regardless of which Tier an area is in shops will be allowed to reopen.
The practice of offering free parking on Thursday and Sundays in Scarborough in the run-up to Christmas in the borough dates back to 1998.
In Scarborough, the car parks included are Castle Road, Falconers Road, Friarsway, King Street, North Street, North Terrace, St Nicholas Parade, St Thomas Street, Victoria Road, Westwood and William Street.
In Whitby Church Street, Cliff Street, Marina Back, Marina Front, Endeavour Wharf and St Hilda’s Terrace will all be available to shoppers.
Car parks in Filey are already free in December.


text:
A whole bunch of ads is one of the worst things on Instagram. Only Reels have been spared, but not for long. Instagram has started testing ads in Reels in four countries, but there are more to come over the next couple of months.
As of today, Instagram’s TikTok-esque feature contains ads in India, Brazil, Germany, and Australia. Just like Reels themselves, these ads can last up to 30 seconds (wow). As for the format, they will look similar to those in Stories – they will be vertical and full-screen. However, you’ll be able to interact with them more than you can with the ads in Stories: you can add comments like them, even save or share them. But thankfully, you can also skip them.
At the same time, Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, adds ads to Stories. More specifically, Facebook Stories will soon have sticker ads, which will be tested over the following weeks. These stickers look like, well, stickers. But if you tap on them, “magic” happens – you can go to the seller’s online store and buy the product from the ad.
I guess it’s no surprise that Instagram is bringing ads to Reels as well. I think it was only a matter of time, actually. Thankfully, I still don’t fall into the group of countries where the new feature is tested, but I’m pretty sure I’ll begin to see even more ads pretty soon. Sigh.
[via The Verge]
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!


text:
On November 15, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) announced that it will not publish the results of a national household consumer expenditure survey carried out by its wing, the National Statistics Office (NSO), during the period July 2017 to June 2018 on account of "data quality issues".
The MoSPI decision will impact the government's GDP base year revision plans as the scrapped data set is crucial in revising the base year for calculating India's economic (GDP) growth. The absence of this data will also deny India an opportunity to understand the changes that have happened in areas of poverty, food consumption, nutrition, malnutrition and a host of other issues during the last six years, as that was when a similar exercise was carried out last to generate comparable data points.
This is also the second instance, in recent times, of the results of a survey-based data analysis, prepared by an official government agency, being junked by the government itself. Results of the periodic labour force survey (PLFS) of NSO, again for the 2017/18 period, had met a similar fate. While the PLFS survey did get released after a long delay, it was discredited by the government, which said its findings related to job losses were not correct.
These may seem like isolated events but a possible dent to the credibility of India's official data can have wider implications for the way other countries and potential investment, technology and trade partners see India. BT reached out to Pravin Srivastava, Chief Statistician of India and Secretary, MoSPI, for an official response, but could not elicit any. At the time of going to print, a response from Bimal Kumar Roy, Chairman, National Statistical Commission, was awaited.
NSO routinely processes two types of data sets - generated through its own surveys and compiled from other sources. Agriculture data, for instance, comes from the agriculture ministry, while the MCA 21 database of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is the source of company data. Then there are high-frequency data sets like the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which is based on fixed items from a fixed panel of factories. IIP reflects short-term changes in the manufacturing sector and is released monthly with a time lag of six weeks. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which NSO compiles separately for rural, urban and combined sectors on a monthly basis, is another high-frequency data set. All of these have problems in terms of weightage given to certain items (thereby skewing the outcome) or the relevance of the product basket. Efforts are on to revise the base and methodology of IIP, for example. So, while there are questions regarding the data, they are shared in a timely manner. This is not the case with survey-based reports.
The government's decision to withhold the consumer expenditure survey has raised two key questions. One, is there a problem with India's official statistical system and is it time for an overhaul to make it more credible and reliable? And two, if India's statistical system and its practices are by and large credible, then is the government playing politics by not releasing the data which perhaps runs contrary to its development claims? If so, is there a threat of unfavourable data getting suppressed in future thereby putting the credibility of India's official statistical system at risk? Both the questions are valid, to some extent.
Need For Improvement
The theme of the 26th annual Conference of the Central and State Statistical Organisations (COCSSO) held in November 2018 was "Quality Assurance in Official Statistics" as the issue of quality assurance in statistics produced and disseminated by various official agencies at the Centre and in the states has had MoSPI' attention for quite some time The conference made an attempt to understand the extent to which India followed the United Nation's Statistical Commission's template. The result was that of a total of 250 global quality benchmarks, India's statistical system was fully compliant (where respondents said 'yes') in 108 parameters. It was work in progress ('partially true') in 123 parameters, while a non-starter in 18. Assuring quality commitment, adequacy of resources and relevance, and managing metadata were the areas where the Indian statistical system needed to improve a lot.
The COCSSO said the average implementation percentage comes out to be 68.1 per cent and that government agencies need to work towards bringing this to 100 per cent.
Even in the case of the now discredited consumption expenditure survey, there were issues with data quality, and the ministry's worries are not completely out of sync. MoSPI defended its decision to scrap the survey: "the results of the survey were examined and it was noted that there was a significant increase in the divergence in not only the levels in the consumption pattern but also the direction of the change when compared to the other administrative data sources like the actual production of goods and services". It also said that concerns were raised about the ability or sensitivity of the survey instrument to capture consumption of social services by households, especially in health and education, thereby prompting the ministry to jettison the survey.
"Consumer expenditure is a very difficult survey to be done because you are supposed to collect the entire expenditure of the household on consuming goods or services during the month or year. There is always a problem of recall lapse. You may recall yesterday's expenditure, but you may not recall the monthly expenditure," says P.C. Mohanan, former Chairman of National Statistical Commission (NSC). "The second issue is that a lot of consumption is difficult for households to record. You get a lot of free services and products like subsidised ration, so the consumption expenditure might be lower because they are not spending money on those products. So even if you are consuming the same thing, your expenditure will be reduced." These issues, however, are not new, and are present not only in India, but everywhere, he adds.
Over 200 academicians and prominent civil society members, including Nobel prize winner Angus Deaton and French economist Thomas Piketty, have prepared an open letter to the Narendra Modi government, demanding that the government release the report and data of all NSO surveys that have been completed and approved by the NSO's internal systems, including the results of the 75th round of Survey of Consumer Expenditure, 2017/18. The open letter states that consumption surveys are crucial for monitoring trends in poverty and inequality, for national income accounting, and for updating macro-economic data such as price indices. "They can provide a check on administrative and macroeconomic data, which is important both for policy makers and the general public. The fact that data on supply of goods and household consumption are diverging, points to the need to question supply side data (which are being widely questioned within and outside India) as much as it points to the continuing need for improving survey methods. It is of fundamental importance for the nation that statistical institutions are kept independent of political interference, and are allowed to release all data independently. The record of the present government on this score has been very poor," the letter states.
Academicians allege in the letter that the government has chosen to attack the credibility of the statistical institution simply because their results do not match with its own narrative on the economy, "without providing adequate reasons, and by misrepresenting essential features of the surveys".
"It (government) has repeatedly shown its disinclination to make public any information that may show its own performance in poor light. Last year, before the parliamentary elections, the results of the Periodic Labour Force Survey were not allowed to be released until the Parliamentary Elections were over, despite the resignation of two members of the National Statistical Commission, and a leak in the media. Subsequently, results of other surveys including the 75th round (Consumer Expenditure), 76th round (Drinking Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Housing Conditions) and more recent data of the PLFS surveys, have not been released", the letter states.
Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India, agrees that the concerns regarding data suppression are not unfounded. "The consumer expenditure data has just shown that it was an unusual year (year of demonetisation, a major economic disruption). That does not mean the data is wrong," he says. "The PLFS survey (2017/18) data was not released until it got leaked. The consumer expenditure data also got leaked, but instead of releasing it, they have suppressed it. The PLFS data takes very little time to process. It is collected on a hand held machine and is uploaded real time. It (PLFS data for 2018/19) should have been ready by July 2019, but we havent heard about it. There is data suppression going on," he says.
Open For Discussion
Controversies associated with NSO data and methodology are not new. When the MCA 21 database was used as an input to measure corporate performance for the first time, the move was questioned. But the results were in the public domain for discussion.
It must also be noted that the two surveys that the government is being accused of suppressing (on consumers and labour) are for the period when demonetisation happened, and the data is likely to show the effect. If that was indeed the reason for discrediting the surveys, it sets a bad precedent. The drinking water and hygiene survey could well be a report card for the Swachh Bharat mission as some of the questions asked to respondents were about the use of toilets, etc. With the government claiming near complete success in bringing about a behavioural shift in the minds of people regarding toilet use, any conclusion to the contrary could be embarrassing.
NSO surveys are cyclical, and get repeated in five or six years. Access to data, even with limitations, is of immense importance to policy makers; unavailability makes them handicapped. Apart from that, when academicians say that "undermining the objectivity and credibility of an independent statistical system is fundamentally against the national interest", they have a point.
Any move to improve the accuracy of data collection and analysis should not come at the cost of transparency and accountability. One can only hope that the survey results in the future are released without delay, thereby proving the controversy a non-issue.
Copyright©2021 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


text:
Uber’s Android App Is Reportedly Collecting a Huge Amount of Data Without Your Knowledge
by Chris Smith, BGR
Uber has been recently hit by various controversies, and it looks like the company’s PR team will have one more thing to clean up: its Android application. According to a report from Joe’s Security Blog and a post on Y Combinato’r Hacker News further detailing the matter, the official Uber Android app might be spying on users, collecting various data that it shouldn’t have access to in the first place.
“Christ man! Why the hell would it want access to my camera, my phone calls, my Wi-Fi neighbors, my accounts, etc?” Joe’s Security Blog writes. “Why the hell is this here? What’s it sending? Why? Where? I don’t remember agreeing to allow Uber accedes to my phone calls and SMS messages. Bad NSA-Uber.”
Furthermore, the Uber app also checks whether your device is rooted, whether it has any malware on, and whether it’s vulnerable to the Heartbleed security bug.
“Why the hell would they need this? I know I keep asking questions, but here’s some answers: Uber checks to see if your device is rooted. It doesn’t tell you of course, it just wants to know so it can phone home and tell them about it. I also saw checks for malware, application activity and a bunch of other stuff,” the publication adds.
Hacker News user revelation has actually listed everything the Uber Android app can learn about users ….


text:
It is a lucky day for groundbreaking,
our new industry park ofZhejiang BestBright Electronics starts building!
Main leaders attended thestart building
10 years from the beginning of Guangdong BestBright since 2007,
And we’ve set up manyproducing lines for circuit protection components.
With sincere support from thesuperior customers and suppliers,
we have been listed on TWSE from2014.
Main leaders attended the start building
ZhejiangBestBright Electronics Industry Park is regarded as a new era for BrightKing,For the brilliant future, let’s roll up our sleeves, devote to our clients and harvestthe success together.


text:
China is seeking to expand its influence in the lucrative battery metals industry. Tianqi Lithium Corp. from Chengdu is set to acquire a stake at Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) for $4.1 billion. Now, Chilean regulators are looking if the deal is fair enough for all parties.
According to Mining.com, if everything pushes through, Tianqi Lithium will have 24 percent stake in SQM, which is the world’s second-biggest lithium producer. The deal will give the Chinese company more muscle to flex in the battery metals industry, which is expected to boom in the next years as carmakers ramp up the production of electric vehicles. Tianqi aims to spike its production capacity up to three times by 2020. With the SQM deal, Tianqi’s share of global lithium chemical capacity this year will rise by as much as 3 percent.
Under the deal, the voting shares of Nutrien Ltd. in SQM will now be handed over to Tianqi. On the other hand, Nutrien is planning to merge Potash Corp. and Agrium Inc., and it needs to sell some of its remaining non-voting shares to raise additional funds.
As such, critics are worried that SQM and Tianqi Lithium’s widening influence on the lithium market could affect its supply and production, which results in an increased priced. Chilean government agency Corfo now wants to probe if the deal would likely reach that outcome or not.
The deal garnered polarizing responses from the Chilean government. Mining Minister Baldo Prokurica is all for the investigations on the deal by antitrust authorities, while Finance Minister Felipe Larrain announced the country still welcomes the arrival of investors from China. Officials from China has raised stern warnings against the regulators from Chile should the attempt to investigate and block the deal pushes through, saying that it could hurt the relationship of the two nations.
Chile’s National Economic Prosecutor’s Office has until August to decide if it will push through with the investigation. The government of China announced a mandate that would require carmakers to produce zero-emission vehicles that would contribute up to 8 percent of new car sales this year. By 2020, it is projected that such vehicles will represent 12 percent of new car sales by that time. The urgency puts pressure on Chinese companies to secure resources for its production of rechargeable batteries and EVs.
An ongoing trend
There seems to be an ongoing trend among Chinese companies involved in deals with foreign companies in hopes of getting a larger piece of the rechargeable battery market. Per Bloomberg, Ganfeng Lithium Co. plans to expand overseas, while China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. aims to take the lead in the global battery cell production. Earlier this year, Chinese battery chemical supplier GEM Co signed a deal with Glencore Plc.
China ranks fourth in the list of top lithium producers in the world, trailing behind Australia, Chile and Argentina. However, China takes the top spot in terms of lithium consumers in the world because of its emerging electronics manufacturing and electric vehicles sectors.
The recent deals involving Chinese companies reflect the current state of the industry and the urgency to compensate and find alternative sources soon. “They view it as imperative that they have to move much faster than the rest of the world to try and mitigate this issue,” explains House Mountain founder Chris Berry.
French National Bank to Test a CBDC Digital Currency
The largest CBDC trial to date was just launched by the French central bank. France is the largest eurozone country...
Heuristik Opens its Capital to Make the Leap to Europe and the U.S.
Heuristik has already committed the support of two business angels of Spanish origin, whose names have not been disclosed. In...
Omers Acquires 49% of the Australian Subsidiary of Fotowatio
OMERS Infrastructure's global renewable energy holdings include Leeward Renewable Energy, a growth-oriented renewable energy company that owns and operates a...
Has Your Company Had an IPO Recently? Here’s How to Decide Whether to Hold or Sell Your Stock
In 2021, many companies with IPOs saw huge increases in their stock prices in a short time, adding millions in...
The Exodus of Chinese Miners Leads to New Electricity Tariffs in Russia
Many conditions make Russia ideal and attractive for mining cryptocurrencies. It is one of the countries with the highest electricity...
Biotech2 weeks ago
Canada’s Hidden Health Crisis: Is This Company the Only One Paying Attention?
Cannabis2 weeks ago
The First Bottles of Medical Cannabis Oil Delivered to Patients in Jujuy, Argentina
Cannabis1 week ago
Malta Might Soon Legalize Private Cannabis Consumption
Featured2 weeks ago
Carbon Emissions: the Levy Under the Paris Agreements


text:
In the latest issue of Famitsu, Marvelous Inc. has announced a release date for its upcoming beat ’em up, Uppers.
The action title is being produced by Kenichiro Takaki, the man behind the Senran Kagura series, so you can expect to find many similarities in its exaggerated style and over-the-top gameplay.
Famitsu reports Uppers is to release in Japan on April 21st, 2016. The Japanese magazine has also detailed bonuses which are to be bundled with first-print copies of the game, noting that you’ll get a soundtrack CD, a “Men’s Knuckle Responsibility Editorial” magazine, and a swimsuit product code.
Unfortunately, a localisation has yet to be confirmed.


text:
Research in Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry Bold 9930 is a mobile phone that we’ve already spoken about in the past. Back in July our very own Tim brought you news that America’s big red carrier Verizon had indeed leaked the smartphone onto their website. Before we treat you to the new devices specs sheet, we can now tell you that news has filtered through of its imminent arrival.
In a mobile phone market predominantly led by Apple’s iPhone 4 (soon to be iPhone 5) and Android devices, its a job to know how well Blackberry’s new smartphones listing will fair. Just recently we told you about two devices which are in the pipeline the 9900 and 9860, that’s just two of them.
If the news has any substance to it, then the 9930 may be here by August 25th, so not too much longer to wait. Amar Toor over at Engadget, has spoken about the handset appearing in a leaked video and it looks like its now gone official.
On Verizon’s site, the BlackBerry is now up to order either on a $250 two year data plan or a stand alone price of $510. As Phones Review stated, the handset has been spotted for a price of $199.99 which can only be put down to those that are due a NE2 upgrade.So what will the 9930 give you in terms of specs?
First up if we tell you that the screen will be that of a touchscreen measuring 2.8-inches with a resolution of 640×480. Processing power comes from a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, running on BlackBerry’s 7 OS, Qwerty keyboard, voice activated search, it will include CDMA and GSM networks giving it global support, 8GB of storage which can be expanded thanks to the microSD card, 768MB of RAM, 5MP rear camera which also gives 720p High Definition recording and so on.
In response to the new BlackBerry, Verizon have added their own thoughts by saying, “The thinnest–ever,BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphone is beautifully built to combine the iconic BlackBerry® QWERTY keyboard with a brilliant, 24–bit high–res touch screen and precision–based optical trackpad. Enjoy fluid touch screen navigation with proprietary Liquid Graphics™ technology. Up to 40% faster browsing with the most powerful engine to date in a BlackBerry smartphone.”
Tell us what you think about the new Bold 9930? Tempted or are you now ready for a change away from RIM’s BlackBerry devices?


text:
Previous research has suggested that cannabis might help to make the workout experience more enjoyable overall.
The combination is so fitting that pairing cannabis with a workout has become a growing trend.
Interest in the combination has consequently fueled the emergence of cannabis-themed gyms, and cannabis-themed exercises classes even. Researchers suggest that cannabis has been able to help people to exercise more because its known to help them reduce their pain and inflammation.
When researchers have surveyed hundreds of participants from states where cannabis has been legalized, those who said they combined cannabis with their workout admitted to working out more regularly.
Athletes have been using cannabis both before and after their workouts, either to help them get into the mood, or to deal with the inflammation and recovery afterward etc. You'll find that there are a growing number of athletes now who are endorsing cannabis products like CBD oil and more.
One cannabis company known as Aurora Cannabis for example just recently joined a UFC partnership that will include developing products that are specifically marketed to professional athletes.
It's been reported that more than 50 percent of UFC athletes have indicated that they use CBD products to help with inflammation and pain.
Cannabis And Sports
They say that cannabis has helped them to recover better, feel more motivated to engage, and that it helps lessen their feelings of anxiety.
The information that is posted above is not intended to be used as any substitute for professional medical advice, or diagnosis or treatment. The above is posted for informational purposes only.


text:
Source: Adan Salazar
As budget-conscious consumers prepare to ransack major retail outlets during the most profitable day of the year, retailers have ramped up security efforts in anticipation of swarms of unruly crowds, with at least one Walmart in California enlisting four armed guards.
According to the Northridge-Chatsworth Patch, “There will be 27 additional security guards, four of them armed, when the holiday shopping surge begins at the Porter Ranch Walmart on Thanksgiving night.”
Citing an incident that took place last year in which a woman fired pepper spray at customers in an alleged attempt to procure an Xbox game console, injuring 20 people, the Walmart manager defended the extra security as necessary.
“We don’t want anything like what happened last year to repeat itself. So we are taking extra precautions to make sure we are safe,” the manager told the Patch, implying the extra security is in place to protect merchandise and workers, not shoppers.
The LAPD stated they’d be assisting by beefing up their parking lot surveillance and saying it will supply roving patrols conducted by “officers on bikes, a mounted horse patrol and even regular fly-bys by police helicopters.”
Florida’s Boca Raton Police Department is also on high alert for Black Friday criminal activity, going one step further by issuing a call for citizens to spy and snitch on each other in efforts to curtail an expected pandemonium of “thievery and thuggery.”
Earlier today, BRPD issued their own version of the DHS’ “See Something, Say Something” campaign, enlisting citizen snitches to alert authorities if any suspicious vehicles are seen “circling or driving slowly,” or people are seen “loitering or whom you don’t recognize,” or if “strange vehicles” are “backed up to a garage door in a residential area.”
The police department gives no explanation of what a “strange vehicle” might be, or caution that during the holidays there are hundreds of folks in from out-of-town, nor does it advise that a car circling or driving slowly could just be looking for parking; it just encourages people to snitch because “If it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”
This citizen snitch measure falls right in line with the FBI’s “Communities Against Terrorism” program which warned people at shopping malls to be suspicious of individuals that “shave their beard” or change their “style of dress” from visit to visit.
The FBI’s “Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities in Shopping Malls and Entertainment Facilities” flyer lists people who discreetly use cameras, video recorders or take notes as potential terrorists, as well as anybody displaying “anti-U.S. Sentiments that appear to be out-of-place and provocative,” in other words, anyone exercising their First Amendment rights.
Police presence at Walmart Black Friday events was brought into question last year when a Youtube video surfaced showing Buckeye, Arizona police cleaning up after they “accidentally” knocked a grandfather unconscious because a Walmart employee told them the man was shoplifting.
“Officers in the video are shown trying to sop up blood as outraged customers yell expletives and say, ‘That’s police brutality,’ and ‘He wasn’t doing anything,’” the AP reported. According to witnesses, the man had put a video game in the waistband of his pants prior to bending over and picking up his grandson.
Every Black Friday, Americans go mindless in their voracious attainment of bargain electronics, discounted DVDs and other cheap unnecessary novelties. In the midst of a frenzied consumerist panic, people routinely forget to display compassion for their fellow man, and that’s sad, but does it really warrant a heavy handed police presence?
Will police or armed guards really shoot shoplifters or disorderly customers? Conversely Is that cheap DVD or laptop really worth your life or the amount of time spent waiting in long lines?
Given the fact that police routinely respond to even the smallest crimes with extreme physical force, it’s likely that police could actually do more harm than good.
As Congressman Ron Paul stated after the tragic shootings in Colorado this year, when it comes to keeping the public safe, the government cannot and will not protect you. No amount of extravagant police state theater or armed guards will ever be a valid substitute for a public that can properly defend its own safety.
“Do we really want to live in a world of police checkpoints, surveillance cameras, and metal detectors? Do we really believe government can provide total security? Do we want to involuntarily commit every disaffected, disturbed, or alienated person who fantasizes about violence? Or can we accept that liberty is more important than the illusion of state-provided security?
Freedom is not defined by safety. Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference. Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place. Only a totalitarian society would even claim absolute safety as a worthy ideal, because it would require total state control over its citizens’ lives. Liberty has meaning only if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and a false government security blanket beckons.”


text:
Lordstown, who owns a former General Motors (NYSE: GM) and counts GM among its investors, plans to put its Endurance pickup into production by the end of 2021.
Here’s what we know about the deal.
About the deal that will make Lordstown Motors public
If you followed the agreement that required electric-semi starting Nikola (NASDAQ: NKLA) public at the beginning of June, the main lines of the agreement with Lordstown will seem familiar.
- Lordstown will merge with DiamondPeak.
- The amalgamated company will be called “Lordstown Motors” and the former DiamondPeak stock will trade under the new symbol “RIDE”.
- The transaction includes a $ 500 million PIPE (for “private investment in public shares”), fully funded by investors such as General Motors, Fidelity Investments, Wellington Management and accounts managed by Black rock.
- GM’s $ 75 million investment includes “in-kind contributions” that have already been made.
- Lordstown will receive around $ 675 million in gross revenue, enough to put Endurance into production.
- The pro forma equity value of the combined company is approximately $ 1.6 billion.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter.
Who is Lordstown Motors?
Readers may recall that Lordstown Motors is the company that took over the old GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio.
At its peak, GM’s Lordstown plant employed around 10,000 workers. But GM left the plant idle in 2019 amid declining demand for its product, the compact Chevrolet Cruze sedan – a move that has led to strong expressions of concern from President Trump and has was a factor in the United Auto Workers’ strike against GM later. year.
GM solved the problem by selling the plant to Lordstown Motors cheaply and offering help to the new company as it worked to prepare its electric pickup for production. This factory gives Lordstown a noticeable advantage over its competitors, including Nikola, who has an electric pickup prototype, but as of yet, no place to build it.
Endurance, unveiled in June, has already aroused the interest of commercial fleet operators. Lordstown said it has more than 27,000 pre-orders for the truck, representing more than $ 1.4 billion in potential revenue.
Lordstown is led by Steve Burns, the former CEO of the electric delivery van maker Groupe Workhorse (NASDAQ: WKHS).
How Workhorse fits into this offer
Workhorse didn’t just give Lordstown its CEO. It also licensed the company for some of its designs and technologies. In exchange, Workhorse received a 10% stake in Lordstown, along with an agreement that protects that stake from dilution for two years. Workhorse is also entitled to a 1% fee on all debt and shares raised to fund Lordstown during this two year period.
Put simply, while Workhorse is not named as an investor in the DiamondPeak deal, it will benefit: its 10% stake will be worth around $ 160 million at the $ 1.6 billion pro forma valuation of post-merger society, and possibly much more. Lordstown goes into production next year.
Who is DiamondPeak Holdings?
We don’t know much about DiamondPeak yet. We know this is a SPAC formed by the energy investment group of Silverpeak Capital, a New York-based private equity firm; and David Hamamoto, a serial entrepreneur with a long history of investing in real estate and healthcare companies.
Hamamoto is the CEO of DiamondPeak; he will join the board of directors of the merged company. In a statement released on Monday, Hamamoto said DiamondPeak had valued “hundreds of companies” over the past year before settling on Lordstown Motors.
What should investors think about this?
I think that while starting any vehicle is a risky investment, Lordstown is a business-like company with a promising product. The Endurance is a rugged four-wheel drive pickup with innovative features including a full engine block at each wheel. This should simplify manufacturing, reduce costs and reduce maintenance, which is important to fleet customers.
What is the company worth? It’s hard to say at this time, but we’ll have more financial details once DiamondPeak issues the proxy asking its shareholders to vote for the merger later this year.
In the meantime, if you’re one of the many auto investors watching the electric vehicle startup space with interest, this is a credible effort that deserves a place on your watch list. Stay tuned.


text:
WELCOME TO The smallbusiness REPORT
Pos Malaysia Berhad
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Vivity | October 26, 2021
Small businesses in Orange and Los Angeles counties will now have greater access to high-quality, more affordable health care thanks to Anthem Blue Cross. Anthem’s Vivity Heath Plan today announced it will be expanding its health care offerings to small businesses in both counties beginning in 2022. Vivity is Anthem’s regionally focused health plan with top-ranking non-profit health systems including Cedars-Sinai, Huntington Hospital, MemorialCare Health System, Providence, PIH Healt...
Verizon | July 21, 2020
Verizon Business launches its first small business resource hub - bringing together valuable tools, services and advice to small businesses as they continue to deal with the impact of the pandemic. This new hub for small business resources serves as a one-stop destination bringing together Verizon’s numerous COVID-19 small business relief programs and vital information to help small businesses survive and thrive. According to a recent Verizon Business survey, 64% of small business owners i...
AZ Big Media | January 13, 2020
By Digital channels have completely changed the way businesses operate today. Branded websites, mobile apps, social media handles: All of these are virtually prerequisites for building brand awareness, driving sales, and improving customer loyalty. Even traditional brick-and-mortar stores rely on digital touch points in some fashion, whether that’s posting store hours and parking information on Google My Business or directly selling to a larger audience through e-commerce sites. For small-...
Yotpo | March 07, 2022
Yotpo announced a call for applications for its Yotpo Grow brand incubator program. Yotpo, is an eCommerce marketing platform that helps brand strengthen their relationships with consumers. Yotpo Grow's brand incubator program is designed to accelerate small businesses from frequently underrepresented communities. Ten Black-owned brands will be selected to receive eCommerce-first marketing solutions for customer advocacy, engagement, and retention, as well as access to events, workshops, and...
Keep me plugged in with the best
Join thousands of your peers and receive our weekly newsletter with the latest news, industry events, customer insights, and market intelligence.
Put your news, events, company, and promotional content in front of thousands of your peers and potential customers.
Not a member yet? Not a problem, Sign Up
Sign up to contribute and publish your news, events, brand, and content with the
community for FREE


text:
Today, I'm very happy to announce the launch of Magic Rays of Light, a new podcast exploring the world of Apple TV.
Once just another hobby, Apple TV has grown into a platform many of us use exclusively for our entertainment needs and with Apple's push into content production with Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, it felt like the perfect time to grant the little black box its very own podcast.
Each fortnight, I along with a special guest will discuss everything from news, to tips and reviews, tvOS and Apple TV+ to Apple Arcade and the many talented people that turn those magic rays of light that flood out of our TV screens into windows through which we can escape together.
Episodes of Magic Rays of Light will be published every two weeks on Thursdays, and the second episode will arrive on July 23rd. If you want to follow the show on Twitter, we’re @_mrolfm, and more information including show notes can be found HERE.
*Apple Podcasts and Overcast are currently awaiting approval, however you can manually add the show URL via its RSS Feed whilst the show propogates to your favourite podcast players search results.


text:
Feb 20, 2018
In this Events @ RAND podcast, RAND experts discuss risks to privacy in the age of artificial intelligence.
Recent Congressional hearings and testimony have focused on the scope of data shared and harvested by technology companies. But many of the laws that govern data privacy were developed before the widespread adoption of online communications and social media accounts. Should consumers be in charge of self-regulating what they share and how companies use it? What policy opportunities could Congress consider to better protect consumer data?
In this RAND Congressional briefing, Rebecca Balebako and John S. Davis discuss:
Jun 8, 2018


text:
Security experts analyze the potential impact of recently announced changes to the PCI Security Standards Council's Qualified Integrators and Resellers Program that are designed to help smaller merchants prevent breaches.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg broke five days of silence as pressure intensifies on Facebook to account for a data leak to a voter-profiling firm that worked for the Trump campaign. In a lengthy blog post, Zuckerberg has pledged to make changes to better protect personal data. But is it too late?
A new standard from the PCI Data Security Standards Council could help ease the way for smaller merchants worldwide, especially in developing nations, to move to cashless payments using a variety of devices, says Troy Leach, CTO for the council, who spoke last week at a conference in South Africa.
The unfolding story of Cambridge Analytica, which shows how personal information on millions of consumers was obtained via Facebook, demonstrates the degree to which our personal data can be weaponized against us.
Equifax has a new problem in Australia, a country that was left unscathed by the credit bureau's devastating data breach. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges the credit bureau deceived vulnerable consumers by misrepresenting its products and charging for services that should have been free.
The PCI Security Standards Council is offering 40 percent lower fees for participating organizations in nations with lower-income economies. "We want to encourage countries in Africa and South Asia to get engaged with us," Jeremy King, international director at PCI SSC, tells ISMG in an exclusive interview.
If you browsed the latest security headlines, you'd probably think the majority of data breaches were related to hackers, political activists, malware or phishing. While the latter two hint at it, the truth is that nearly half of all data breaches can be traced back to insiders in some capacity.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice have both charged Jun Ying, a former CIO at data broker Equifax, with engaging in illegal insider trading after he determined that his employer had suffered a massive breach.
A U.S. power company, unnamed by regulators, has been fined a record $2.7 million for violating energy sector cybersecurity regulations after sensitive data - including cryptographic information for usernames and passwords - was exposed online for 70 days.
President Donald Trump has blocked a bid by Singapore's Broadcom to acquire U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm on the grounds that it could impact national security, including the United States' ability to help shape future mobile telephony standards.
A federal judge has largely rejected a motion by Verizon to dismiss a class-action lawsuit filed by victims of three data breaches that compromised Yahoo, which is now part of Verizon. The Yahoo breaches appeared to have compromised nearly every Yahoo user's personal details at least once.
In a groundbreaking prosecution, two individuals in Ukraine have been sentenced for running extortion campaigns that disrupted international victims' websites with massive DDoS attacks unless they paid bitcoin ransoms of up to $10,000.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has released revised guidance "to assist public companies in preparing disclosures about cybersecurity risks and incidents." It includes new prohibitions on trading in corporate shares after a breach has been discovered but before investors have been notified.
Want to meddle with a democracy? Just use its social media outlets against it to amplify already existing social divisions. That's the quick take on the indictment recently unsealed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that accuses Russians of running an "active measures" campaign against the United States.


text:
An Ohio woman is steaming after reading an anti-God message published on the side of a Starbucks coffee cup.
The message that got Michelle Incanno’s blood boiling reads:
“Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure.”
Michelle Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, holds a cup part of Starbucks’ ‘The Way I See It’ campaign (Dayton Daily News)
The quote was written by Bill Schell, a Starbucks customer from London, Ontario, Canada, and was included as part of an effort by the Seattle-based coffee giant to collect different viewpoints and spur discussion.
“As someone who loves God, I was so offended by that,” Michelle Incanno, a married mother of three who is Catholic, told the Dayton Daily News. “I don’t think there needs to be religious dialogue on it. I just want coffee.”
Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, admits she had been a huge fan of Starbucks before discovering the message, always ordering a large, house-brewed coffee with nonfat milk and two Splenda.
“I wouldn’t feel right going back,” she said.
The paper says Incanno wasn’t satisfied with a company disclaimer saying the quote is the author’s opinion, not necessarily that of Starbucks, which invites customers to respond on its website.
Starbucks spokeswoman Sanja Gould said the collection of thoughts and opinions is a “way to promote open, respectful conversation among a wide variety of individuals. ”
Starbucks cup with a pro-homosexual message caused controversy in Waco, Texas, in 2005 (courtesy: Seattle Times)
This is not the first time a message on a Starbucks cup has caused controversy.
As WND reported in September 2005, officials at Baylor University told the Starbucks store on its Waco, Texas, campus to remove a cup said to promote homosexuality.
The offending cup featured the words of homosexual novelist Armistead Maupin.
“My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don’t make that mistake yourself. Life’s too damn short.”
Baylor University, the world’s largest Baptist school, refused to comment on the issue, said KCEN-TV in central Texas. Employees at the campus Starbucks said none of their customers had complained about the cup, but they removed it nonetheless.
If you’d like to sound off on this issue, please take part in the WorldNetDaily poll.
If you wish to order by phone, call our toll-free order line weekdays at 1-800-4WND-COM (1-800-496-3266).


text:
FCA CEO Marchionne earned $10.9 million in 2015
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV CEO Sergio Marchionne was paid more than 10 million euros ($10.9 million) for leading the automaker in 2015.
The 63-year-old executive’s compensation included a 3.6 million euro base salary ($4 million), 6.3 million euro (nearly $6.9 million) incentive related to the company’s performance during the year and 126,610 euros ($137,796) in “other compensation,” according to the company’s annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
Those 2015 earnings do not include millions of dollars Marchionne earned or could earn in the form of performance-based, long-term compensation awards and grants: 4.32 million shares of the company’s stock if the company hits certain performance targets, and 1.62 million shares that he can access at any time, which was first reported as part in the company’s annual filing a year ago.
The company, according to the filing, places significant importance on long-term incentives as a retention and motivation tool.
Marchionne’s 2015 earnings are sharply down from 2014, when the automaker paid him 31.3 million euros ($38 million), including a 24.7 million euro ($30 million) cash reward from non-executive directors as recognition for being “instrumental in major strategic and financial accomplishments for the group.”
FCA Chairman John Elkann followed Marchionne based strictly on salary, bonuses and other compensation in 2015. He received 1.8 million euros ($2 million) in annual salary and 128,309 euros (about $139,500) in other compensation related to “the use of transport.”
Marchionne, as of Friday, owned 14.62 million common shares, or 1.13 percent, of the company — by far the most of any FCA executive. The second closest was Elkann at 133,000 shares.
Bloomberg News last week reported Marchionne, who also serves as chairman of CNH Industrial and Ferrari, which spun off Fiat Chrysler in 2015, publicly disclosed holdings are worth $232 million as of Thursday’s closing prices, making him more invested in his employers than fellow auto bosses.
Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, has shares in the automakers worth about $49 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Mark Fields, CEO of Ford Motor Corp, has company stock worth about $12 million, while General Motor’s Mary Barra owns about $3.2 million in the Detroit carmaker.


text:
Jennifer MacKenzie is an agricultural photo journalist with almost 30 year's experience. Operating from her base in Cumbria, Jennifer undertakes mainly industry-related freelance writing and photography.
Cumbria's Auction Marts Thrive in Post FMD
Six years on from the start of the foot and mouth epidemic which devastated Cumbria’s livestock industry, auction markets in the county are selling more cattle and sheep through the market – at a greater turnover.
|Cumbria Association of Livestock Auctioneers' secretary, front left, David Dickinson and chairman front right, Robert Addison, with left to right, Adam Day of Mitchells' Auction Company, Donald Young of Penrith and District Farmers' Mart, John Hughes of North West Auctions, Libby Bell of Hopes Auction Company, Neil McCleary of Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart, LAA secretary Chris Dodds, Andrew Wright of Ulverston Mart and David Crowden of Penrith and District Farmers' Mart.|
All auction marts were forced to close on Friday February 23, 2001 at the start of the crisis, only being allowed by Defra to re-open 50 weeks later under strict operating and movement restrictions, many of which continue to exist today.
All of the county’s seven auction companies, some of which date back well over 100 years and operate 17 centres both in Cumbria and adjoining counties holding sales on every working day, have survived the difficulties to increase their share of the trade.
The overwhelming support from stalwart livestock producers has resulted since 2001 in the building of a new market with another pending as well as the setting up of a new auction company.
During 2006, throughput of all markets in England and Wales was 9.85 million sheep and 2.25 million cattle representing up to 60 per cent of prime lambs and 80 per cent of all breeding sheep sold and equating to a turnover of £1.1 billion. This is despite a decline in the number of markets from 210 in 1995 to 130 today.
As a county, Cumbria has the greatest concentration of auction mart companies and it is this element of competition which has also helped them to survive.
The importance of selling in the live ring has never been more apparent than since 2001’s foot and mouth crisis when lambs sold at all time low levels which had not been seen for generations and afterwards as the markets got going, prices increased by 35 to 45 per cent.
Throughput since 2001 has increased each year highlighting that the service offered by auction marts to farmers is good and needed.
Most recent figures show that in 2006 members of Cumbria Association of Livestock Auctioneers increased both turnover and throughput of stock in its Cumbrian marts, selling a total of 1.85 million head of livestock, worth £160.5 million compared with 1.64 million head sold worth £123.7 million in 2003.
Prime cattle and prime sheep numbers sold through the ring have declined, mainly because of changes in agriculture such as declining numbers in the national beef herd and sheep flock resulting in fewer animals being finished.
Cumbria Association of Livestock
Auctioneers has warned producers of the perils of trading without
the existence of marts to set the prices.
“Some of our auction companies have been in operation for more than 130 years and are still going strong – but you only need to look at the situation the milk industry is in today with its abysmal milk prices to appreciate the importance of an open and competitive market,” said CALA’s chairman and Harrison & Hetherington auctioneer Robert Addison.
“Rather than the buyer setting the price, the auction marts create competition, and equally importantly, the proceeds of the sales are guaranteed by the auction companies,” he added.
“We can also provide feedback to the vendor – that is not only reflected in the prices they achieve but also in comment from buyers – and, if necessary, we can even follow up with how animals have done on the hook.
“In areas which have lost auction markets, the biggest problem is that there is no competition for the wholesale buyers and the competition in the county also helps the livestock producers,” said Chris Dodds, Cumbria-based secretary of the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association, the umbrella organisation for auction markets, and a freelance auctioneer.
Auction marts guarantee payments.
Trade is set by the bidders around the ring whereas other methods of sale tend to be linked to one company.
If the producer is not happy with the price, generally he can take his livestock home.
Marts provide the opportunity for producers to benchmark their own standard of livestock against others.
Marts help farmers have a sense of pride in what they produce.
The system is entirely transparent – everything is open to public scrutiny.
Auction companies provide a quality service, with high levels of biosecurity, albeit at a financial cost.
Auction companies also provide a wide range of other services to farmers from land agency to environmental advice.
Marts provide a social gathering centre and a ‘hub’ for the industry in the locality.
Comments on behalf CALA’s member companies:
Andrew Wright, manager of Ulverston Auction Mart, which dates from 1877, and secretary of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland, said: “I would urge producers to support their local live mart and maintain the competitive structure that auction marts provide.”
Adam Day, managing director of Mitchells Auction Company, Cockermouth, which goes back to 1868, said: “Mitchells’ board of directors during the middle of the FMD crisis in 2001 made a very brave decision to build the Lakeland Livestock centre at Cockermouth. Local farmers promised great support and gave it.
However, pressure on prices, particularly in the prime sector recently, has led farmers to seek other ways of marketing, even bypassing the auction altogether. This is the very time when the markets should be most supported.”
Neil McCleary, of Cumberland & Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart which has been auctioneering livestock, mainly cattle and sheep since 1926 with Longtown Mart growing to be the largest centre in the UK for sales of sheep with 730,000 head of livestock being sold last year, said: “The importance of the system is that the farmer can bring stock to the live auction, present them as he wants and when the hammer falls he knows what he is getting paid.”
John Hughes, livestock manager of North West Auctions, said: “The auction marts are the hub of the agricultural community in Cumbria and the merger of Kendal and Lancaster auction companies in April 2005 further strengthened this and we had great support from farmers to do it.”
Libby Bell, of Hopes Auction Co, Wigton, which
has been operating since 1897, said: “Auction markets rely fully on the goodwill of their
farmer customers and will only survive if they are well supported.
“The important message is to use the auction system, to coin a phrase – ‘use us, or lose us’. A bit of healthy competition between the auction marts in the county can only result in the best possible service being provided.
“We can’t emphasise too strongly the importance of the auction system nationally and its ability to pay the producer which is particularly important in this uncertain time.”
David Crowden, chairman of Penrith and District Farmers’ Mart which took on the running of Penrith Mart in 2002, said: “Because we saved our mart it is testament to the support in the area for the sale ring system. At the time we asked farmers to support and share the view of saving the mart and they have continued to do so.”
Cumbria Association of Livestock Auctioneers marts’ throughput and turnover figures for Carlisle, Cockermouth, Kendal, Kirkby Stephen, Lazonby, Longtown, Penrith, Ulverston and Wigton marts:
|Prime cattle/ cull cows||51,257||£18,717,629.00|
|Store, breeding, dairy cattle||88,897||£40,044,706.00|
|Prime sheep/ cull ewes||1,106,780||£45,531,003.00|
|Store & breeding sheep||385,835||£18,727,944.00|
|Prime cattle/ cull cows||55,353||£30,830,134.00|
|Store, breeding, dairy cattle||105,807||£55,238,959.00|
|Prime sheep/ cull ewes||1,265,511||£52,289,466.00|
|Store & breeding Sheep||417,380||£21,023,908.00|


text:
According to the latest report, the revenue of taxi booking industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% by 2023. It is the right time for new entrepreneurs to launch a ride-hailing app of their own. Get to know the current market trend and the process of developing a taxi app.
The advent of the automobile industry has given rise to taxi booking and rental services. People using rental services are negligible compared to people using taxi booking services. People started using taxi booking services even before the birth of digital media. The pioneers of digital taxi booking are the present-day leaders in the market. However, the number of taxi booking applications is increasing every day because of the dynamics in the market.
North America and Asia-Pacific regions are the top contributors to the ride-hailing service industry. According to the latest report, the revenue of this industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% by 2023.
The taxi booking services have increased the employment opportunities of the regional cab drivers. The majority of the cab drivers are migrating towards digital taxi booking services and, this is forcing the rest of the cab drivers to go digital which when observed keenly is a great advantage for an industrialized society. The entrepreneurial giants and venture capitalists are ready to invest in an app designed for taxi booking. Developing a taxi app intense knowledge on the industry and the right strategies to achieve success.
Rise of taxi-booking industry
The automobile industry in India has seen a steady decline in the quality of manufacturing due to the policies imposed by the Government, which has affected the number of Indians buying vehicles for family purposes. A downfall in the sales of automobiles is expected in the forthcoming years.
India predominantly consists of middle-class societies who could afford to buy a car or bike mostly with the help of a vehicle loan. The fall of the automobile industry and the rise of digital taxi booking applications have paved the way for taxi booking apps to flourish in the market. A recent survey shows the number of people preferring taxi-hailing service is far more than the number of people interested in buying a new car. This suggests there is a wide range of scope for the taxi-hailing industry to thrive in the future.
However, one needs to account for the facts that existing taxi booking applications have established themselves and carved a niche in the digital market. Any institution or any person aspiring to survive and create an identity for their brand should have innovative marketing ideas.
Scalability of on-demand app market
The on-demand app market is expanding its network in terms of both quality and quantity.
The rise in the number of on-demand apps has created more opportunities for employment,
the number of services provided, the number of consumers opting for on-demand apps and the number of workers opting to work under a digital application is increasing steadily. Considering all the above factors, a clone application is the best way to create an application similar to the existing on-demand app.
Significance of Uber
According to statistics, the transportation and travel industry is the top player in the on-demand app market (contributing 75%). Uber, an on-demand application, dominates the transport industry, generates a revenue of about 11 Billion dollars, and has services providers in almost all countries and is still expanding in terms of employees and consumers.
Uber-like clone apps are available in the market which can be purchased, customized, designed, and implemented according to the needs of the consumers. The cost to buy the app is affordable and easy to maintain. The success of the app is in the innovative design and creative marketing ideas of the application.
Cloning app for Taxi-booking
Look for a app development company that offers the following features creating a clone application.
The advantages of using an Uber clone app are that it can be easily customized, marketing can be done under a white label, can accommodate several drivers and users activities, provide code to adopt complete customization, is available on both Android and iOS platforms, has a dedicated admin panel to manage all features of the application and free bug support in the support period, with proper deliverable management of the product.
A standard package for a taxi app development includes:
User Android app, web panel and iOS app
Driver Android app, web panel and iOS app
Site administrator web panel
Account manager panel.
These Uber-like taxi clone application's feature includes Live ride tracking, change/cancel booking, review system, ride allotment algorithm, low battery consumption, security/ sensitive data protection, unlimited registration, Rider and Driver in-app chat, database backup, lost item management, dispute management, etc.
The success rate of Uber-like clone applications is high in the near future provided the app suits the market demands and requirements.


text:
The basic laws of trading tell us not to let emotion play a part in our buying decisions.
Yet, on the big stage, the world’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer has just made an acquisition that’s hailed as everything from revenge – after losing out on a bid over six years ago to rivals Amazon – to a desperate attempt to make up lost ground.
It’s the largest acquisition in e-commerce history: $3 billion in cash plus up to $300 million in shares. And all for a 2-year-old company that’s just getting off the ground, burning away millions of dollars every month and nowhere near close to turning a profit. That’s one expensive tantrum.
As is the case when looking back on Walmart’s track record, there’s a lot more going on here than first meets the eye.
By purchasing Jet, Walmart’s biggest attempt to stick it to Amazon and take a share of the e-commerce pie, the offline retail giant has cunningly opened up an opportunity to slide in as one of the biggest go-to online retailers for customers and sellers alike.
And here’s how it’s going to do it.
What Walmart Buying Jet Means For The E-Commerce Market
Walmart has dominated the offline world of retail long before e-commerce ever existed – and it really shows.
Virtual marketplace leader and Walmart’s main rival Amazon has focused the past few years on expanding their online footprint, branching out around the world and building a vast network of buyers and sellers. Walmart, on the other hand, has stuck to what they know best: acquiring more and more square footage and physical establishments.
Walmart has tried to apply their traditional structure and legacy technology to the online model of commerce, but with little success. Back in 2013, Walmart set up a third party marketplace which has grown agonizingly slowly to around 100 sellers today – partly due to fear of diluting their reputation and party due to being held back by the limitations of their existing technology.
The promise Jet brings is grounded in its technology – specifically, the powerful AI software which Jet’s online platform is built on.
Unique to Jet, the proprietary algorithm pulls data from their vast marketplace of third party sellers, serving their customers with the best products, at the best price, by the best possible means of delivery.
Amazon remains the largest online retailer for two reasons: their ability to offer customers nearly every type of every product under the sun, and their huge network of fulfillment centers which can guarantee Prime customers delivery to their door in less than two days.
At a whopping 20 million, Amazon’s Prime customers are a growing band of loyal shoppers who buy everything they need from the online retailer. That sort of loyalty isn’t built on cost-cutting and bargain basement prices – what Walmart is widely known for – but rather high-quality and seamless user experiences.
By acquiring Jet, Walmart has made a huge step toward gaining that loyal customer base it so hungrily desires.
Jet will allow Walmart to take on Amazon’s immense logistical power as it functions as both an e-commerce and a distribution platform in one. Its unique AI finds sellers nearest to the customer’s locality and serves only the products they want at the lowest possible costs. For customers, this means they can leverage a diverse and competitive marketplace; for sellers, they can access an endless stream of new customers most likely from their own backyard.
Jet also gives Walmart a new and distinct brand to sell to customers. With a little help from their bottomless marketing and advertising budget, Walmart will use this brand to target the middle and upper end of the market and make serious inroads into the arena that has so loyally fuelled Amazon’s growth.
To sell on Jet you must list your products using its API technology. In a cut above Amazon’s customer experience, this automatically filters out small and unprofessional companies and favors sellers that promise good service and fast and reliable shipping.
The unique AI-driven platform can also be harnessed by sellers using a third party tool to connect listings such as SellerCloud. In doing so, you not only gain access to Jet’s online platform and rapidly growing customer base, but also Walmart’s existing online selling channel.
No, Walmart didn’t overpay for Jet. In fact, if they manage to pull it off, they may have just grabbed an absolute bargain.


text:
The Growing Opportunities In Reasonable Strategies
Kate Upton shares stunning wedding photos A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Kate Upton shares stunning wedding photos Luke Kerr-Dineen , USA TODAY Sports Published 2:20 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2017 Kate Upton and Justin Verlander celebrated the Astros' 2017 World Series in the best way possible: By getting married! Except up until now, we didn't really have any details. It was just an abstract idea that we couldn't really get excited about. But on Monday, Upton finally shared some pictures of her wedding with Justin Verlander. Needless to say, the whole day looked pretty picturesque: A post shared by Kate Upton (@kateupton) on
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2017/12/11/kate-upton-shares-stunning-pictures-of-her-and-justin-verlanders-wedding/108515220/
On.he other hand, these days, these provincial articles of clothing turquoise AND PURPLE PARTYWEAR DRESS YC253 Thinking what to wear? Bridal.ear Pakistani Bridal Dresses Designer Bridal Dress Gharara Sharara UK, USA, Canada Pakistani Latest, Fez also called rum Toni and Taqiyah (cap) . Hung with the yards of streaming fabric, worn over an all around fitted shirt importance in Pakistani bridal dresses. Accordingly, there is a lot of assortments even in pakistans conventional attire decisions; every single locale truly magnificent and superior to mark their beginning in life together with their significant other. It seems like Pakistan burgeoning fashion industry has taken a cue from the various shows and talented fashion designers of Pakistan. Traditional day in the life of any person. Many famous fashion designers of Pakistan fashion industry took part in bridal fashion weeks and displayed because of their singularity. She is very talented, artistic and sophisticated Hussain, Tooba Siddiqui, Ira Fatima, Vaneeza aimed etc.


text:
After setting up three films at Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros., Ubisoft Motion Pictures is ready for phase two.
Company recently packaged big screen adaptations of “Assassin’s Creed” and “Splinter Cell” at New Regency. Fox has already planted a flag on Memorial Day 2015 to release the “Assassins” film, which will star Michael Fassbender. “Splinter Cell” will star Tom Hardy. Both actors are also attached as producers. This week, Ubisoft announced that Michael Bay will develop “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” into a potential film franchise at Warner Bros.
In the cases of “Watch Dogs,” “Far Cry” and “Rabbids,” Ubisoft will once again maintain creative control of the projects as they’re developed into movies. That means the division, under the direction of UMP CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet, will hire screenwriters, directors, cast and choose the production shingles and studios it wants to work with. Ubisoft will finance the development of the scripts.
By doing that, “no one can tell us you have to do the movie a certain way,” Baronnet said.
Company is currently in talks with Frank Marshall (“Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the Jason Bourne series) and Basil Iwanyk (“Wrath of the Titans,” “The Town”) to serve as producers on “Assassin’s Creed” and “Splinter Cell,” respectively.
While “Far Cry” and “Rabbids” are already established tentpole game franchises for Ubisoft, “Watchdogs” has yet to be released. Game launches Nov. 19, but has been generating considerable buzz among the gaming community since last year’s E3.
■ “Watch Dogs” is a stealth game that lets players hack into people’s phones and other devices, as well as the city’s infrastruscture to carry out missions and stop criminals.
■ Each game in the “Far Cry” series has been different, with the first following an ex Special Forces operative who searches for a missing journalist on a mysterious island when the sailboat they were traveling on is destroyed by mercenaries. “Far Cry 3,” which was released last year, revolves around American tourists who are abducted by pirates on an unmarked set of islands, and must try to survive in the jungle as they’re hunted by an insane drug trafficker. The game was a hit for Ubisoft, selling more than six million units. Game already was the basis of a low-budget 2008 actioner directed by Uwe Boll.
■ And the more kid-friendly “Rabbids,” a spinoff of Ubisoft’s “Rayman” games, features an animated group of hyper rabbits know for causing mischief. They’re essentially Ubisoft’s version of Universal’s Minions. Nickelodeon will air “Rabbids Invasion” as an interactive TV show sometime this fall, which will let viewers play mini games featuring the characters using the Xbox One’s Kinect.
Plan is to produce “Rabbids” as live action film featuring the mischievous bunnies in the game as CG characters, similar to “The Smurfs” or “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
As opposed to other gamemakers who see a film as a marketing tool to sell more games, Ubisoft is treating its movies as standalone titles that feature new plots. They’re not meant to be retellings of what gamers have already played in the past.
“These are not adaptations,” Baronnet stresses. “We will create a brand new story. Always.”
To do that, Ubisoft Motion Pictures is working closely with Ubisoft’s various game studios to make sure there’s no overlap, while maintaining the DNA of the franchises, and helping them grow across various platforms.
That includes the marketing campaigns, with Baronnet planning on launching campaigns 18 months before a film’s release “to create bridges between the game and movie,” he said.
While it now has six game-based movies in development, Baronnet said he has no plans to adapt Ubisoft’s entire portfolio.
“Not every game will make a good movie, and for others it may be too early to turn into a movie,” he said.


text:
TORONTO — Tourism Ireland’s Virtual Meitheal & Meet the Buyer event is well underway, with Ireland’s top tourism operators meeting with overseas buyers from over 18 countries, including Canada.
The annual travel trade fair, in virtual format for the second consecutive year, provides a platform for Irish trade partners and new contacts to create new business opportunities. From April 13-15 and April 20-22, the virtual Meitheal workshop (three days) and Meet The Buyer workshop (three days) will facilitate over 11,000 scheduled appointments.
Hosted by Tourism Ireland, in partnership with sister agencies Failte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, these events are considered a key component of the destination’s recovery plans as they showcase the destination’s most compelling and attractive experiences.
“For a second year in a row, Meitheal and Meet the Buyer are taking on a virtual capacity and these events offer a key opportunity to continue to connect with the travel trade to highlight the many incredible experiences the island of Ireland has to offer,” said Sandra Moffatt, Tourism Ireland’s Manager, Canada. “Our connections with Irish industry suppliers and Canadian tour operators continue to be of the utmost importance to us, and these events ensure we are able to offer the very best experiences to their clients when the time is right to travel again.”
In 2019, Ireland welcomed nearly 11.3 million overseas visitors, delivering revenue of over €5.8 billion. For more information on travel to Ireland go to www.ireland.com.


text:
The Dark Pictures Anthology! My Friend Peppa Pig!
What new PS5 and PS4 games are releasing in physical retailers and as part of the PlayStation Store update this week? In terms of known quantities, it’s an incredibly quiet week, with The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes being the most recognisable release. But this is just the calm before the final Fall storm, readers. For a full list of all new PS5 game release dates in 2021 and all new PS4 game release dates in 2021, click through the links.
Read the full article on pushsquare.com