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During a press conference this morning, Impossible Foods announced that it’s branching out from just faux meats and is planning on producing a plant-based milk alternative called Impossible Milk. According to the company, it is not designed to be just another soy milk or nut-based milk alternative. Instead, it’s designed to function and behave just like the animal-derived cow’s milk.
One of the highlights of last year’s Apple Arcade launch was Where Cards Fall, a slice-of-life puzzle game where you would create houses of cards to guide your character through an artfully geometric landscape. It was an Apple Arcade exclusive at the time, and was certainly one of the more compelling reasons to subscribe to the service. Now, however, it will finally be arriving for the Nintendo Switch, Steam and the Epic Games Store early next year.
The United States has officially filed criminal charges against six Russian intelligent officers for releasing the NotPetya ransomware virus as well as disrupting Ukraine’s power grid.
Apple has long retired its MagSafe power ports, but apparently it has yet to let go of the name. The company has just announced new wireless chargers that have inherited the MagSafe moniker: the MagSafe Charger and the MagSafe Duo Charger.
The original Chromecast that debuted in 2013 was a simple $35 dongle. Not only do a lot of TVs now come with built-in apps, Roku and Amazon developed their own streaming sticks over the years — both of which have remote controls and visual menus for easy navigation. Google’s Chromecast soon seemed outdated by comparison.
Slack has announced Slack Connect Direct Messaging, Verified Organizations, plus a couple of experiments like Video Stories and an optional audio feed.
Teracube 2e is a mid-range Android smartphone with a user-replaceable battery, biodegradable case and four-year warranty.
Apple’s iOS 14 has taken some heat for copying Android features. Another big change is the introduction of the App Library, a decluttered app screen that’s suspiciously similar to Android’s app drawer. This one feature, more than any other, is what I feel is a key factor in preventing me from switching to Android.
Marvel fans awaiting the debut of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will have to wait a little longer than expected. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to be the first official Marvel Studios TV show to debut on Disney’s streaming service.
You might already be aware of third-party AR effects on Instagram and Facebook, many of which have become increasingly popular during quarantine. Soon, those effects could be coming to Messenger and Portal as well.
The story of how a suicide video on Facebook Live ended up going viral on TikTok, as well as why such videos are sad but inevitable, and what social networks can do to limit their spread.
JAXJOX Interactive Studio is an all-in-one connected interactive studio that consists of a 43-inch touch screen TV, kettlebell, dumbbells, a foam roller and a push up tool.


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In addition to the apparent benefits of new technologies including AI, the list includes technology that will increase the way we live and work. The earth Economic Discussion board and Methodical American joined to rank well these inventions based on their potential, economical impact, sociable significance, and impact on the community. Even though the many these are still in the early stages of https://www.globalimpactcollective.org/2021/12/29/generated-post-3 development, these innovations will have a profound influence on our lives. To help us decide which inventions to incorporate in our life-changing technology list, a few possibilities:
In neuro-scientific virtual reality, Ms is hoping to capitalize for this trend through the use of mixed certainty to produce virtual places of work for remote control workers. XPRIZE Foundation Chairman Peter Diamandis sees this technology transforming the retail industry. Imagine having the ability to try on dresses and sit in digital seats purchasing them. Likewise, blockchain contains surpassed Bitcoin as the most up-to-date fad in the industry world. In three to five years, these fresh technologies can become available to common people.
Self-driving automobiles will become common in the future, and driverless vehicles may not be a long way behind. Automatic trucking can eliminate the need for truckers, eliminating accidents caused by muddinessconfusion or fatigue. Of course , these innovations may even result in the losing thousands of jobs in the industry. In April 2016, a self-driving truck forced across The european countries. The technology may help people find work in the future, nevertheless there is a good way to go.

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Maine December home sales increase
Prices rise as well
Maine Realtors said both sales and median prices of single-family homes rose in December, reflecting national trends.
The Maine Real Estate Information System, a multiple listing service, said sales were up 11.8 percent to 888 homes. It also said the median price rose 6.25 percent to $170,000, meaning half the homes sold for more and half sold for less.
Nationally, sales of single-family, existing homes rose 11.5 percent in December, while median sales prices were up by just under 11 percent during the month.
Maine Association of Realtors President Bart Stevens said many Mainers seemed to be sitting on the sidelines waiting for the right time to buy, and 2012 seemed to be it.


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On display at the ‘Tales from the East’ exhibition is the first edition and first issue of the Description of Egypt, comprising 23 volumes and illustrated with 935 plates, put together through a collaboration between scientists, artists, and technicians who followed Napoleon Bonaparte to Egypt.
For over 30 years, Bhimji’s work has staged enquiry into image, object, sound and language, searching for the universal, in both its literal and abstract manifestations.
The Expo Centre Sharjah hosted 20 specialised exhibitions in 2020, with the participation of more than 2,500 companies and brands, while adopting stringent precautionary and preventive measures to ensure the safety of visitors and exhibitors. This comes at a time
The fifth edition of Xposure International Photography Festival will connect experts in the field of photography and visual culture with audiences in Sharjah and the UAE
Artists from different backgrounds and nationalities have welcomed Ramadan with a heart filled with peace, harmony, and joy. And art is the best way to express and communicate as Duba-based Art Forum UAE
As many as 29 entrepreneur families from Emirates and Kuwait are participating at an exclusive event in The Dubai Mall to promote their homemade products.
The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), in collaboration with the Sharjah World Book Capital Office (SWBCO), has curated a 50-title Silent Book Exhibition at the ongoing 29th edition of Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2019), running from 24 to 30 April.
The unique sounds and scent of a massive Sharjah pavilion in the heart of Turin International Book Fair (TIBF) 2019 has continued to attract huge Italian crowds, who are pouring in to have their first taste of Emirati culture and hospitality.
A group of 24 young artists aged eight to 17 have showcased their graduation artworks as part of the two-day ‘The Journey’ exhibition and graduation ceremony in Dubai.


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Breaking news for the full foodservice equipment and supplies distribution channel. Includes information on dealers, distributors, design consultants and multi-unit operators spanning leadership changes, mergers and acquisitions, trends, data and much more.
More and more international chains seem to be opening up stores on American turf these days, including London favorites Pret A Manger and Wagamama. Add to that growing list 100 Montaditos, a Spanish sandwich chain that opened its first two U.S. restaurants in Miami earlier this year.
Developing new site models, current and future franchise expansion, financing news and more are covered in this week's restaurant chain operating report.
Updates in this chain operating report include a new fast-casual concept, the approval of one company's bankruptcy restructuring, acquisition news and more.


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Nikola Motors secures $100M funding for producing EVs and hydrogen fuel cell trucks
In an announcement made via a recent press release this week, Utah-based startup Nikola Motors -- which develops electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell trucks -- said that it has secured a new funding of $100 million for bringing its vehicles to the market.
The $100-million funding secured by Nikola Motors is part of a $200-million Series C funding round which will likely be closed by the startup this month.
With Nikola Motors having revealed in a 2017 announcement that it is relocating to Arizona where it would be building its new 150,000 sq. ft. headquarters and a manufacturing plant for producing its vehicles, the new funding will apparently be used by the company to proceed with that project.
In announcing that Nikola Motors has “now closed on $100,000,000,” the startup’s CEO Trevor Milton said in the recent press release that “Nikola’s business model has been vetted, and the investment world is taking notice.”
Milton said that other than securing the new funding and relocating to Arizona, Nikola Motors has also initiated plans for building the world’s biggest hydrogen network with NEL, and has finalized the most advanced class-8 independent suspension on the market with Meritor. In addition, the startup has also bagged a massive order commitment for 800 trucks from Anheuser-Busch, and developed the most energy-dense battery system on the market.
New plans related to production of Model 3 have surprised parts makers. The automotive company has planned to launch its Model 3 by 2018, which is two years prior to what earlier was decided.
According to a recent announcement by Volkswagen, the automaker’s Foshan Plant ‘mega-factory’ in China is being expanded in order to increase its capacity to produce electric vehicles (EVs).
German automaker Volkswagen has revealed in a recent announcement that it is investing $100 million in solid-state battery startup QuantumScape, a startup that recently spun out of Stanford.
According to the indications from a recently-leaked image, car manufacturer Vauxhall has confirmed the release date and design of a new electrified version of its popular Corsa hatchback.
Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has recently made a number of changes to the Model 3 design studio.
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Kandi has recently marked its official foray into the US market, with the launch of two new EVs --- the EX3 all-electric SUV, and the K22 subcompact electric car.


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UNDERAGE volunteers are helping to catch out businesses selling fireworks to under-18s.
Trading Standards Officers are working with Fire Service cadets to carry out spot checks across Cheshire in the run up to November 5.
Police Community Action Teams are supervising the test purchases.
If retailers sell fireworks to someone under 18 they could receive a formal caution or be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000 and jailed for six months.
A Trading Standards spokesman said: "Our message to traders who are unsure of the age of a customer is simple: `When in doubt, don't sell'."


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Every year at Christmas time we always see a spike in waste production; this will come as no surprise to anyone, I’m sure, as we all go out buying presents for family and friends and huge quantities of food for our festive feasts.
Whereas all waste streams will see an uptick, it will be packaging waste that increases the most dramatically.Read More
For the last year and a half, the waste industry along with the entire world has been struck hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The global economy came to a near standstill as entire industries were forced to close down and international travel all but stopped. Oil prices plummeted, supermarket shelves were empty as customers ran…Read More


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Rethink the Dream Feat Coby Bell (Jason Pitts of The Game) & BloodShot Feb 17th
February 17, 2012‐ Cleveland, OH ‐ Coby Bell, star of BET’s The Game and USA Network’s Burn Notice,
will join organizers and supporters of Cleveland’s newest community development initiative, Rethink the
Dream, at its launch party event Friday, Feb. 17 at The Club at Key Center.
Rethink the Dream is an organization that encourages people to Rethink the American Dream as we
know it. It uses the sale of American made merchandise to help promote its simple message, with the
goal of making a lasting impact in our community. Through the pay it forward model, a percentage ofeach sale will be donated to the Dream Launcher Project, which will foster partnerships throughout Cleveland to encourage the creation of jobs on a local level.
“Rethink the Dream’s ultimate mission is to support and build our communities with products made
right here in the United States,” says Jessica Davis, the organization’s founder. “By launching
dreams in my hometown of Cleveland, I am helping to give back to those who helped me achieve
Bell will be on hand at the event, which will feature performances by acclaimed Broadway performer,
Michel Bell, in addition to Cleveland’s up and coming talent Bloodshot216.
This event will also feature a Made in America fashion show which will showcase Rethink the Dream’s American made message apparel which is sold to support the company’s Dream Launcher Project.
The fashion show will feature students from Cleveland’s Jane Addams School. Rethink The Dream is committed to organizations like The Jane Addams Business Careers Center which promotes the education of business skills to today’s youth.
“This event is our way of celebrating our organization, as well as our commitment to helping other local Clevelanders achieve their dreams,” said Davis. “We hope this inaugural event will not only be the first of many successful events here in Cleveland, but prove that prosperity can still be made in America.”
The event will begin at 7 pm with the VIP reception, and the main event will begin at 8 pm. This event is open to the public and tickets are on sale at www.rethinkthedream.com


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Photo by Cory Rivademar
Austin Beerworks’ head brewmaster Will Golden tells us three current trends in the craft beer world.
While the hops used in American IPAs already tend toward citrus notes, brewers are punching up that flavor with the use of juice and purees from lemon, orange and grapefruit to “bring the drinkability way up,” as Golden puts it. Austin Beerworks makes a seasonal Bloodwork Orange IPA using blood orange puree. “IPAs still have a very powerful flavor, but when you add the orange juice or puree, it’s more approachable,” Golden says.
Tart, lip-smacking brews have spiked in popularity—take Blue Owl Brewing, for example. “It seems like every type of brewery does some type of sour ale,” Golden says. There are typically two ways to make sour ale: One method is done in a kettle with lactobacillus, the same bacterial agent used to make yogurt. A challenge of making sours, Golden says, is “isolating that bacteria and keeping it from entering the rest of your brewery.” The other method is barrel aging using different strains of bacteria, which takes 10 to 24 months but yields a more complex flavor than that of kettle-soured beers. Austin Beerworks is currently testing a sour made with a culture that was developed in-house.
Craft breweries being bought by the big guys
It seems like everyone wants a piece of the craft brew pie, especially major beer companies like Anheuser-Busch, which bought Arizona’s Four Peaks Brewing Company and Colorado’s Breckenridge Brewery in December, bringing holdings up to a total of eight subsidiaries. “Big beer has been losing market share and craft beer has been on a market upswing,” Golden explains. With a more educated customer base, tastes are getting increasingly sophisticated and more people care about buying local. Worried about your favorite ATX brand getting bought out by a corporation? Golden says that it shouldn’t be a problem around here. “At least not for the next couple years,” he says. “Austin got a later start in the craft beer industry, and a brewery would have to be pretty sizable for them to take a shot.”


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Not everyone relies on their cell phone for all calls.
Diane Rabb has kept her land line over the years and says, "I use my cell phone probably more than my land line, but at my age I still need a land line so that at night or something if there is an emergency it is right there by my bed."
"We can purchase home phone numbers, but we cannot purchase cell phones," Roanoke City Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Guzo says. "We know that folks are cutting off land lines and their home phones and using cell phones."
"A majority of them are moving away from a land-based home phone service and are moving more toward a wireless device," says Kimberly Zimmerman, Roanoke AT&T store manager.
For people who aren't quite ready to let go of their land-line phone, there is an AT&T wireless home service. It allows people to take the phone set up with them wherever they go. You get to keep that home phone number you have been used to for so long.
But if that home phone number is long gone, you have to sign up through Roanoke City's website to get a text, email, or call about emergencies.
"The program allows us to be very specific on who we target," Guzo says.
More than 90,000 people live in Roanoke, but only 600 people have signed up for emergency cell phone notifications.


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The New York Public Service Commission (Commission) has embarked on the landmark Reforming Energy Vision (REV) proceeding to design a new business model for electric utilities. Today’s business model allows utilities to earn revenues based on how much money they spend to supply and deliver electricity. Under the new model, utilities will earn revenues based on the value of services they deliver to customers and the environment.
Currently, utilities dominate the electricity service market, limiting customer access to the full range of products and services otherwise available in a truly open market. One focus of the proceeding is to remove the barriers preventing third parties, such as retail electric suppliers, solar energy companies, or smart meter providers, from fully participating in the energy market. Allowing full participation by third parties would lead to increased innovation and fuel the development of new products and services.
Several barriers limit third-party participation
To be sure, non-utility companies currently do play a role in today’s electricity markets, but their participation is curbed by several barriers. The first is a limit on the type of revenues they can earn. For example, smart meter providers and open standards-based cloud platforms, like Tendril Connect, earn revenues today by enabling customers to more effectively conserve energy and thus lower their utility bills. Yet these companies provide other benefits to the electricity market as well, such as reduced carbon emissions, improved system efficiency from producing and delivering power locally, or lowering stress on the power grid during times of peak demand. As a result, utilities might be able to avoid or delay costly infrastructure investment, leading to lower electricity prices. These benefits are real, but non-utility players can’t earn revenues for these services under the current regulatory environment. A new utility business model should allow energy service companies to earn revenues from all the benefits they provide.
Another barrier arises from how electricity rates are developed. Electricity rates are set based on the average annual cost of serving a customer, and customers pay the same rate regardless of the time of day they use electricity despite the fact that electricity is more costly to produce during the middle of the day when usage is at its peak. A reformed business model would give customers the option of paying different rates based on their time of usage, allowing customers greater control over their electricity bill. Once electricity pricing gravitates away from a monolithic, one-size-fits-all structure to better reflecting consumer behavior and choices, customers will have greater incentive to adopt renewable energy or energy efficiency measures offered by third parties.
Access to customers would help third parties compete
Lack of customer data is another barrier third parties must overcome. A new business model would give customers easy access to the detailed energy data they need to control their energy use and reduce their electricity bills, which in many cases they don’t have. Once customers are granted such access, they would be able to share their energy profiles with non-utility businesses that could then customize products and services, allowing customers to maximize their value. Indeed, granting third parties access to customer data drove many innovative services offered by telecommunications providers in the nineties, such as free night and weekend minutes and free friends and family minutes.
Finally, third parties also face a barrier of high customer acquisition costs. Currently, the monopoly utilities enjoy has translated into longstanding customer relationships. The REV proceeding will examine whether third parties should be allowed to access customers directly through the utility’s website or even on electricity bills, substantially reducing customer acquisition costs and making their products and services more competitive.
EDF believes removing the barriers to third-party participation in electricity markets would lead to more widespread use of clean energy solutions as they became more cost-effective. The ultimate beneficiaries would be customers who could see lower electricity prices, innovative products and services, and more reliable service as well as cleaner air and a safer climate.
Last month, EDF filed comments (Track 1 and Track 2) in New York State’s historic ‘Reforming the Energy Vision’ (REV) proceeding to re-evaluate the longstanding utility business model in light of a rapidly changing energy sector. We recommend: 1) transitioning from traditional rate of return regulation to performance-based regulation; 2) fully valuing all costs and benefits associated with distributed energy resources; 3) removing barriers to non-utility entities participating in energy service markets; and 4) requiring the utility to optimize the load it serves.
Over the coming weeks, we will devote a blog post to examining each of these recommendations in depth. This next blog post in our Utility 2.0 series will discuss requiring the utility to optimize the load it serves.


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CivicScience data show that despite an increase in COVID cases, those who are “very concerned” about being in public spaces only slightly increased this week and general concern remains relatively low overall at this point.
While cases are rising the most in the Northeast at time of writing, we’re not seeing an increase in concern in this region. In fact, respondents in the Northeastern part of the U.S. are reporting less concern right now than they have even in recent months.
But could case numbers be even higher than reported? Most likely.
Among the more than 30% of U.S. adults surveyed who have been tested for COVID in the last 30 days, nearly half have relied on at-home testing kits only rather than one administered by a health professional. If positive cases aren’t being reported to the official numbers, cases could be misrepresented overall.
While comfort resuming normal activities remains relatively high, we are seeing slight decreases in comfort when it comes to attending major events (-2 pp) and going out to eat (-1 pp).
Fewer people plan to order takeout / delivery from a restaurant this week.
Meanwhile, travel is still booming: plans to travel in the next month remain high at 58%.
An increasing percentage of U.S. adults are shopping in stores the same amount or more than they typically would this time of year, likely due to rising comfort levels doing so.
It’s important to continue tracking trends in grocery buying amid price hikes in CPG. We’re seeing a growing percentage of people reporting they’ve stopped themselves from purchasing something at the grocery store many times due to higher prices.
We’re also seeing a growing trend in use of discount sites. Over the last few months, an increasing percentage of people have used or plan to use online discount hunter sites/apps (up 4 pp since January), likely in response to recent price increases.
Lower income adults are more likely to use/intend to use online discount hunter sites/apps and are also who seem to be driving the increased adoption of such services.
Want more data on consumer spending and COVID recovery? Learn more about what we do for partners.


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Google, the most widely-used search engine on Earth, is involved in much more than noting LOLcat links. It has both gobbled up products and services and come up with its own, ranging from a host of online tools to physical products like Android smartphones and even driverless cars. Their product list features no less than 47 categories of online services, 7 just under “Specialized Search”.
Despite the occasional misstep like Google Glass, it’s been an amazing success story. However, recent developments may cause some wondering at the extent of the company’s influence and ambition. In Europe, for instance, Google has been under investigation for 4 years for antitrust violations. Complaints have come from publishers in Germany and in Spain, as well as Microsoft Europe and travel sites, including Expedia and TripAdvisor in the US. CEO Eric Schmidt is set to visit next week to work things out. The stakes are quite high; the company could be fined billions of dollars.
He also needs to address the raft of complaints on privacy violations. Europe’s “digital czar”, Günther Oettinger, recently fired off a blast at Google and Facebook, warning of the US giants’ exploiting Europeans by harvesting and selling their personal data. He called for a single European-wide law to protect their data privacy, and has spoken ominously of taxing American companies operating there.
Investigation into antitrust charges has also begun in Russia after a complaint from a native search engine company. Meanwhile Google’s had two class-action lawsuits for anti-competitive practices thrown out in California for their dominance by default on Android phones. So it’s safe to say there’s a lot of anxiety coming from many quarters over Google’s policies and not much consensus.
It’s not just size that’s at issue but intention and it’s not the first time. After all, Google quietly abandoned the slogan “Don’t be evil” a long time ago. And it was also Eric Schmidt who famously alarmed many with his dismissal of personal privacy a while before we ever heard of Edward Snowden. Yet their latest moves have even their fans scratching their heads.
Google has recently announced that it will block adult content on its popular Blogger platform after March 23, content it may have previously allowed behind an “adult-only” warning page, and some not even subject to that. This doesn’t mean just explicit sexual pictures. One irate writer of an adult-oriented blog listed the following forbidden interests:
Currently, Blogger blogs marked as “adult” include LGBT and “outsider sexuality” diaries, erotic writers, transgender activists, romance book editors and reviewers, sex toy reviewers, art nude photographers, film-makers, artists such as painters and comic illustrators, text-only fiction writers, sex news and porn gossip writers, LGBT sex activism, sex education and information outlets, fetish fashion, feminist porn blogs, and much, much more.
This ironically, includes writers working against sexual abuse. Only some limited nudity which Google deems “artistic” may be publicly posted.
The offending blogs will be hidden away, not listed in any search results unless the operators remove the offensive materials and receives the corporate blessing. Blogger won’t delete any themselves, just make them non-updateable while Google makes them invisible. Perhaps those website owners should consider moving to other platforms and hosts, such as WordPress and SWCP, for instance.
In any case, it’s not Google’s first blow against adult material. They quickly banned porn apps from Google Glass after some enterprising person tried to sell one. And they had previously banned sexual content for sale on Blogger soon after purchasing it.
But it’s enough to make one wonder. Is the giant corporation responding to pressure? If so, from whom? Anti-porn activists? Christian Fundamentalists? Muslims?
Is this an attempt to clean up the Internet? Or does it have more to do with looking ahead at future corporate interests? It’s interesting to note that Google just launched a new app for Android tablets and phone called YouTube Kids. This will be curated with YouTube videos, with all search results prefiltered for safety, and with parental controls, too. It looks like a clever ploy to, as the old phrase went, “get ’em young”.
The content wars will continue to play out between the giants for some time to come. It will be interesting to see what succeeds and what opportunities are missed. But once again, it may be those creating content and trying to share it that get most often crushed in the scuffle.


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How fast-growing neobank Novo met its customer service challenge
At the start of Novo, a challenger bank for small businesses, its founders personally answered all customer queries from their Gmail accounts.
The Miami-based company’s approach to customer service has changed a lot since then, out of necessity. Its customer base grew from 300 users in January 2019, while Novo was still in beta, to 5,000 users at the end of the same year. The numbers soared into the tens of thousands in 2020 and have risen to over 100,000 this year.
Brian Kale, director of customer success at Novo, began streamlining customer interactions with Zendesk software when he joined the group in January 2019. But in the early months of the pandemic, Novo stepped up efforts using Zendesk technology to automate responses to customer queries, track common concerns, and gain valuable customer information when requesting service.
In addition to lightening the burden on its staff, these tactics will help the business process requests more efficiently as its customer base grows.
Novo’s investment in customer service technology comes at a time when other fast growing neobanks struggled to meet customer demands. It also comes as competition for small business bank accounts intensifies between banks and fintechs.
Speed ââis everything for small business owners, said Ian Benton, senior digital banking analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research. In his own analysis of the Novo app for Javelin, he found that customer service reps respond to queries in the app quickly. In fact, Javelin’s research shows that among the top 25 retail banks in the United States, only three have built-in messaging with a human, which means Novo’s supply is scarce.
âIt’s light years ahead of most traditional banks, even the biggest ones,â Benton said. âThey may have chatbots, but even then they want you to call them or schedule a date for more complex matters. In-app chat is a key differentiator for the few neobanks that do.
Novo’s changes have already had an impact. In 2020, as the world began to shut down and the business moved away, Novo’s weekly ticket count jumped to around 1,800 per week for three reps to manage. (A ticket is an inbound request from a customer via phone, email, or other channel.) As Novo moved to Zendesk’s cloud-based voice system, accelerated its automated responses and deployed a custom app that gives agents More information on a customer contacting the company, the number dropped to about 1,100 tickets per week.
The company entered 2021 with five support reps and has increased that number to 30 in the past seven months.
âNovo quickly realized that in any industry, not just banking, the differentiator between you and your competition is the customer experience,â said Kale.
Some simple design changes encouraged customers to do their own research rather than submitting a ticket. For example, in the spring of 2020, Novo experimented with reversing the order in which the two help search options were presented in the mobile app. Instead of listing the option to contact support first, Novo has moved its frequently asked questions to the top of the page.
This nearly doubled the ratio of article views per ticket created, Kale said.
To answer phone calls, Novo switched from landlines to Zendesk Talk, the company’s cloud-based call center software, in days as employees dispersed across the country to continue doing their job. remote work.
The conversion to Zendesk Talk allowed Novo to manage all customer communications from one place, whether through email, phone, or chat. Novo tags calls, as well as other customer tickets, which means it tags the interaction with words or phrases that indicate the topic. These tags are aggregated weekly and monthly so the business can spot trends, study common customer needs, and justify new products.
For example, Novo introduced âNovo Reservesâ in January, which are sub-accounts that customers can use to organize funds in their master accounts. The neobank found this to be one of the most common requests from its grassroots, especially from ‘profit first’ business owners who wanted to ensure that taxes, payments and incomes were correctly balanced.
Novo also integrated Zendesk Answer Bot in Spring 2020. This is a feature that uses artificial intelligence to retrieve keywords in channels such as chat and email and provide responses to questions. simple questions. For example, a question on how to activate a debit card can be referred to as an article with instructions.
Kale estimates that 80% of customers are open to this quick interaction, which normally takes place via chat and email, and that Answer Bot helps deflect 5% of tickets that would otherwise be sent to an agent.
âWe see customer tickets in two ways,â Kale said. âOne is a question a customer just wants answered, and automation is great for that. “
The other way, he says, is a problem that requires human interaction. To give its agents more information about a customer when they contact, Novo has created a custom application with Zendesk’s open application programming interface. When agents receive a ticket, they display an onscreen dashboard with a business owner’s profile, including recent interactions, meaning they don’t have to switch between screens or put the customer on hold to find key details.
Kale estimates that this saves 30 seconds on each ticket. âLoad times, connections and mouse clicks can really add up,â he said. âThe number of mouse clicks for some tickets could run into the hundreds. “
Currently, Novo is at 10 articles viewed per ticket created, which means there are 10 articles viewed by anyone on the Novo Help Center out of the number of tickets created. Kale says he hopes to achieve a 30-to-1 ratio.
Kristen Durham, vice president of startups at Zendesk, said Novo stands out in three ways: he maximizes core Zendesk functionality, he built his own product using Zendesk APIs, and he uses technology that will help the business to develop in the future.
This highly tactile service is especially important for Novo’s customers, who are largely one- or two-person businesses. Benton finds that Novo differentiates itself from neobank competitors through personalized service, comprehensive FAQs and quick human responses.
“While [our customers] are small businesses, many don’t recognize themselves as businesses but see themselves as a person, âKale said. âThey have consumer-level requirements and expectations. “


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Marine exports from India to China may exceed $1 billion by the end of the year. A trade delegation from China visited India on 9 October 2019, and signed a contract for imports of marine products worth $500 million in the next two years. India is the world’s third largest fish producer; exports of marine products are worth $7 billion. China is a imports of around $12 billion of marine products.
China imported 49,701 tonne of seafood from India in 2017-18. Imports had tripled and touched almost $800 million in the first nine months of 2019, according to the data released by China’s customs authority.


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Think your prime rib holiday dinner is more pricey this year? You're right. But maybe not for the reason you think.
December 21, 2012 The Great Drought of 2012 dominated headlines this summer, but so far, it has not had a major impact on the prices of food on your holiday table, except the dairy products. That prime rib is more expensive for other reasons.
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October 5, 2012 Researchers recently calculated the theoretical food value of the ethanol in a gas tank. At the heart of the calculation is this: Should we burn so much food as fuel? And how will it impact food prices and the world's poor?
Contractors drive piers into the ground to stabilize a settling home in Manchester, Mo. on Aug. 29, 2012.
September 21, 2012 The growing drought in the U.S. makes soil so dry it's pulling away from house foundations. That leads to cracks and gaps underneath the ground, prompting expensive home repairs to shore up houses.
Farm worker Jesus Francisco Cayetano feeds pigs a slop made from food scraps from casinos near North Las Vegas, Nev. in 2006.
September 6, 2012 Getting local restaurants or food factory to donate food scraps to farmers can be complicated. So most livestock producers buy their feed on the open market, and suffer the higher prices caused by the drought in the Midwest.
A YouTube user who goes by Katzcradul posted this image of a parched gulch on her drought-stricken land in Missouri on the site.
August 31, 2012 Farmers are uploading videos to YouTube that offer an intimate perspective of the unfolding drought. Some say rising food prices are already hurting local businesses in their communities.
The information farmers are getting from Twitter can help them decide how and when to market their grain.
August 24, 2012 Farmers are getting real-time news they can use, and moral support, from other farmers on Twitter. The social networking tool is especially important in this year's severe drought, which is affecting most of the country.
These piglets on the Hardin farm in Danville, Ind., are going to cost more to feed than they will fetch at market.
July 25, 2012 The crops taking the worst hit from the current drought are the ones we feed to animals, like corn. Higher corn prices mean it can cost more to feed pigs and cattle than they will fetch at market, meaning higher meat prices for all.
<iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/157355792/157382513" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Stunted corn grows in a field next to a cattle feed lot in rural Springfield, Omaha, Neb.
July 19, 2012 Livestock and chicken farmers say the government's ethanol policy inflates fuel prices and forces them to compete with fuel companies for corn the fuel companies don't even want. This year, gas companies are required to buy 13 billion gallons of ethanol.
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Moishe Mana has made another purchase in the Flagler Street area.
Mana now controls 4½ acres of land, although not contiguous. He has said that he hopes the area becomes ‘a SoHo of the South.’
Moishe Mana Blazes West On Flagler Street Assemblage
Israeli Businessman Mana Makes $5,100,000 Strategic Corner Property Purchase
Israeli businessman Moishe Mana has acquired yet another retail building to add to his Downtown Miami assemblage.
Mana has purchased The Thomas Center, located at 172 West Flagler Street and 21 SW 2nd Avenue, for $5,100,000.
The two-story property totals 26,083 square feet property, located at the SE corner of Flagler Street and SW 2nd Ave, and represents a strategic addition to his Downtown Miami portfolio. The purchase is a pivotal acquisition, connecting Flagler to the burgeoning Miami River.
The deal closed on Friday, Feb. 20th, 2015
Mika Mattingly and Shai Ben-Ami of Sterling Equity Commercial represented Mana’s company, Jersey Art Holdings, in the purchase. Ryan Shaw of Marcus and Millichap represented the seller, Flagler Station Partners.
The property is close to All Aboard’s MiamiCentral, Government Center station and just a few blocks from the Miami River.
Mana recently purchased Flagler Station, another strategic move, having purchased the old Woolworth building next door. Located at 48 E Flagler Street, Mana purchased the 113,742-square-foot property, which sits on a 24,600-square-foot parcel of land, for $20,000,000. The deal also included the purchase of the 47,339-square foot retail building at 76 E Flagler, which sits on a 24,000-square-foot lot. The purchase price was $15,000,000.
“Mr. Mana is nearing his finale in a well-orchestrated assemblage,” says Mattingly.
In total, Mana has now acquired close to 500,000 square feet of retail properties in Miami’s urban core, totaling 4½ acres of land.


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WADSWORTH, Ohio, March 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornwell Quality Tools was recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine's Fastest-Growing Franchises list. This highly competitive list recognizes the 150 companies with the greatest franchise unit growth in North America, based on data submitted for Entrepreneur's Franchise 500® ranking. Thanks to its exceptional growth, Cornwell Quality Tools was ranked #67.
"This is an exciting time to join the Cornwell family," said Bob Studenic, Cornwell Quality Tools President and CEO. "We've been growing steadily and firing on all cylinders the past several years. We have a strong business model that supports and backs the dealers. It shows in how we treat and care for dealers. This has brought a lot of attention to Cornwell Quality Tools and has sparked a significant amount of interest about the company from potential franchise owners," said Studenic.
"Franchising trends are always changing, and our ranking of the fastest-growing franchises offers crisp insight into what's hot right now," says Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur's editor in chief. "And through this list, we're also able to see the strategies that help newer brands ramp up quickly and that enable older ones to maintain their momentum."
Entrepreneur's 2019 Fastest-Growing Franchises ranking is based on each company's net franchise-unit growth in the U.S. and Canada from July 31, 2017, to July 31, 2018, with ties broken based on percentage growth. Cornwell Quality Tools position on the ranking demonstrates the brand's rising popularity with both franchisees and customers.
To view Cornwell Quality Tools ranking, visit https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/fastestgrowing. Results can also be seen in the March issue of Entrepreneur, available now on newsstands.
About Cornwell Quality Tools: Headquartered in Wadsworth, Ohio, Cornwell Quality Tools is the oldest mobile tool company with a market presence since 1919. A family and employee-owned company, Cornwell is committed to the pride that accompanies the sale of quality materials. With the use of high-grade alloy steel, combined with modern heat-treating methods, Cornwell has continued to produce the finest tools in the world, that have truly been "The Choice of Professionals®" for 100 years. Products are sold via 650+ mobile tool dealers across the country. Cornwell has two state-of-the-art distribution centers located in Clearfield, Utah and Wadsworth, Ohio, along with three manufacturing facilities located in Albion, Pennsylvania (Forging Operation), Mogadore, Ohio (Hand Tool Manufacturing), and Van Wert, Ohio (Tool Storage Manufacturing). For more information, please visit www.cornwelltools.com. Or for Franchise information http://franchise.cornwelltools.com. Follow us on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/CornwellQualityTools or Twitter @CornwellTools.
Contact: Anne Elshaw
Publications Manager, Cornwell Quality Tools
SOURCE Cornwell Quality Tools


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Motorola sent shockwaves across the technology industry when it revealed its smartwatch, the Moto 360, for the first time. By all accounts the smartwatch looked like an ordinary watch. Ironically, that’s as radical as it gets for a wrist-mounted com...
We already know the Moto 360 is going to be the best-looking Android Wear smartwatch yet, thanks to its rounded display and simple design. We also expect it to have Qi wireless charging after documents about the device filtered through the FCC. Now I...
Microsoft-owned Nokia will take on Motorola with the launch of its budget Lumia 635, a quad-core smartphone running Windows Phone 8.1 and armed with 4G internet speeds.
Motorola’s budget Moto E will be launching early next month alongside an improved version of the company’s revered Moto G
With Apple expected to launch an iWatch in October, other vendors including Samsung, LG and Motorola, are getting a headstart with smartwatches in varied shapes and colors.
Android Wear smartwatches will be launched by Samsung, LG and Motorola with most of the devices going on sale in select markets today.
Expected news around smartwatches, health systems and Android-connected devices at Google's I/O conference, which starts on Wednesday (US time), is sure to draw attention from consumers as the search giant tries to connect a wide range of home and pe...
Optus has signed yet another smartphone exclusively with the LG F70 following the carrier’s recent deal with HTC.
“A smartphone for all” was the tagline to the Moto E’s press invitation. The ethos behind suggested a smartphone with a low price tag, but one retaining enough functionality to appeal to the masses. The philosophy isn’t unheard of in the technology s...
Motorola has set a date for a new smartphone launch in London which will likely be a budget follow-up to the Moto G.
Smartphone flagships for 2014 have been announced by Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Sony and more. Many of them have found themselves on shop shelves already, but which is the smartphone you want to spend the next 24 months with? This slideshow brings the next...
Motorola's upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch was designed, first and foremost, for mainstream consumer appeal--and to reach this goal, Motorola had to embrace traditional wristwatch design trends.
Google is extending the Android operating system to smartwatches with the launch of Android Wear. Manufacturers including Motorola and LG have already announced the upcoming release of smartwatches that will make use of the new operating platform.
The Motorola Moto X was one of the last smartphones to be made under Google's guise, and it brought with it a range of industry-shaking innovations. These include its ability to leverage Google's Search and Now platforms, and the options – if you wer...
A Microsoft storage patent that was used to get a sales ban on products from Google-owned Motorola Mobility in Germany has been invalidated by the German Federal Patent Court.
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Sony announced the development of millimeter-wave wireless intra-connection technology today, according to a press release on Sony's site. The technology allows high speed wireless data transfer inside electronic devices. The way the system is works is by replacing internal wires and circuitry with wireless connections, thus reducing the size of components and overall cost. Sony claims the new wireless technology will increase reliability, since there is no contact during the transfer of data.
Electromagnetic waves, ranging in frequency from 30GHz to 300GHz, are utilized to obtain ultra high speed data transfer. The press release notes "Sony has integrated highly energy efficient millimeter-wave circuits on 40nm-CMOS-LSIs (with an active footprint of just 0.13mm2 including both the transmitter and receiver), to realize high speed, 11Gbps data transfer over a distance of 14mm using antennas approximately 1mm in size." Because of the small footprint, the circuits can be placed on one chip at a low cost.
Sony's new injection lock system allows for synchronized detection over small circuits, eliminating the Phase Locked Loop, which has been used for synchronization in the past. The updated technology lowers power consumption, while maintaining an adequate transmission range.
No specific date has been announced regarding when products will adopt the new technology.
Image courtesy of Sony Corp.


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As the latest round of Internet earnings season rolls forward, eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) is up next, poised to dole out a fourth quarter print this evening as soon as the bell tolls. It seems that the time-old adage that ‘you reap what you sow’ is about to pay off in a big way for the online auction giant. One bull bets that growth initiatives kickstarted two years prior are revealing strides forward for eBay, and as such, he believes the full-year 2018 guide will mirror more progress ahead.
Top analyst Youssef Squali at SunTrust is banking on this internet player’s success, finding the risk/reward for the stock to be “compelling” ahead of tonight’s turnout.
In a positive quarterly preview, the analyst reiterates a Buy rating on EBAY stock with a price target of $46, which implies a close to 14% upside from where the shares last closed.
Results should meet consensus expectations, Squali bets, which will be indication “that progress on initiatives started 2 years ago to revive top-line growth through improvements in structured data, machine learning, user experience and merchandising, continue.” Moreover, the analyst anticipates “FY18 guidance to reflect further improvement in Y/Y growth in GMV, with positive commentary on capital allocation, given the likely repatriation of most of ~$8.7B cash overseas.”
Likely to benefit from what has shined as a “strong holiday season for eCommerce,” the analyst calls for a 9.6% year-over-year rise in revenues to $2,625 million for eBay along with $0.61 in non-GAAP EPS. Should Squali prove correct, these results would hit the tail-end of the giant’s own guide while likewise aligning with FactSet consensus expectations calling for $2,612 million in revenue and $0.59 in non-GAAP EPS. For context, eBay management has set guide expectations for $2.58 to $2.62 billion in revenues and EPS between $0.57 and $0.59.
“We believe eBay is in position to meet, possibly slightly exceed our/Street expectations, helped by a strong macro environment, which drove better than expected holiday season, with aggregate U.S. online sales up 14.6% Y/Y (Adobe),” writes Squali.
Additionally, “We expect Marketplace to continue to underperform relative to overall ecommerce, however, eBay has the potential to show further Y/Y FXN growth improvement as the structured data initiative, enhanced buying/selling experience, and brand marketing campaign launched in earnest in 4Q17, begin to have the desired impact,” highlights the analyst, calling for “stable” marketplace gains and some steps forward from StubHub.
Compared to the third quarter performance of Marketplace gross merchandise volume (GMV) that grew 8.5%, the analyst calls for 8.1% growth. However, compared to StubHub’s GMV growth of 2.0% in the third quarter, the analyst predicts a 5.0% rise for the fourth quarter.
For 2018, the analyst currently angles for $10.4 billion in revenue from the giant, with the Street slightly less bullish at $10.3 billion. Furthermore, on top line growth, Squali hovers above the Street’s expectations, setting a high estimate for 8.2% in year-over-year top line gains against the Street’s 6.5% along with a 7.3% forecast for GMV ahead of consensus of 5.2%. For free cash flow (FCF) for the new year, Squali projects $2.5 billion, just under the Street’s $2.6 billion estimate.
Youssef Squali has a very good TipRanks score with a 73% success rate and a high ranking of #49 out of 4,757 analysts. Squali yields 19.8% in his yearly returns. However, when recommending EBAY, Squali forfeits 1.1% in average profits on the stock.
TipRanks indicates a mostly optimistic analyst consensus circling the online auction giant. Out of 9 analysts polled in the last 3 months, 6 are bullish on eBay stock with just 3 playing it safe on the sidelines. With a return potential of 9%, the stock’s consensus target price stands at $44.13.


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Over 1300 visitors attended the Sign Africa Cape Town Expo to see the cutting-edge equipment on display, with exhibitors reporting good leads and sales on the day.
Platinum sponsor Roland exhibited its full range of cutting-edge equipment, including the new SolJet Pro 4 XR-640, the company’s largest and fastest printer/cutter, as well as the SOLJET XF-640 High-Speed Inkjet Printer.
Platinum sponsor Avery Dennison showcased its Supreme Wrapping Film with new finishes, including a Satin finish in black, white, Carmine Red, Bubblegum Pink and White Pearl and its Carbon Fibre Supreme wrap.
OKI SA exhibited the OKI ES9541, the graphic arts industry’s first five colour, A3 LED printer.
NSDS launched the Viper2 direct to garment printer which is available with the patented White ink management system.
GSW showcased cutting-edge equipment from Mimaki, Fujifilm, Esko and TheMagicTouch.
Neil Felton, CEO of FESPA, visited the Sign Africa Cape Town expo to show support to the region for the upcoming FESPA Africa expo. He met with existing and new exhibitors on his two-day visit to the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Felton said, ‘I’m amazed by the overwhelming response, anticipation and energy in support of FESPA Africa from both suppliers and visitors. Africa is a fast developing market which is adopting a wide variety of technologies, and shows such as FESPA Africa will be clearly focused on delivering these opportunities to this market. We are up 25% on booth space sold from the Sign Africa 2013 event and there is an increasing number of suppliers that are supporting their distributors in the region so that you will see an even higher quality show with a greater variety of new products and technology. In addition to the South African market, the marketing campaign will also be focused on increasing the number of buyers from countries outside of South Africa over the next few years.’
‘The interest shown from clients, even those from all the way in Congo was amazing. We will welcome further companies to the Modico Family in the following weeks as the interest shown was double of last year’s figures,’ said Chayce Strydom, Marketing & Support, Modico Africa.
Judges visited each stand at the expo and judged the stands according to criteria based on design and staff friendliness and professionalism. The stand winners and runners up include:
Sign Africa Small Stand:
Sign Africa Medium Stand:
First: Craft Signs
Second: AWT swissQprint
Sign Africa Large stand
First: GSW and Sign-Tronic
Forthcoming regional expos include:
Polokwane, 14 May, Meropa Casino, Polokwane (please note the date change).
Johannesburg, 2-4 July 2014, Gallagher Convention Centre
Durban, 26-27 August, Durban ICC


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Insight Report by World Economic Forum on how TradeTech is fundamental to harnessing the innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to support the public good.
Mapping TradeTech: Trade in the Fourth Industrial Revolution was developed in cooperation with more than 50 global industry experts, policy-makers, academics and civil society leaders. It provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of emerging technologies on the global trade system, including the top ten most transformative technologies, according to a survey of hundreds of respondents from throughout the supply chain worldwide, as well as the top seven trends, from geographical considerations and the reinvention of logistics markets to supply chain resilience.
“On the one hand, TradeTech creates benefits such as efficiency gains, new digital products and services, and positive environmental impacts. On the other, TradeTech may pose challenges such as fragmented regulations, lack of data harmonization and a widening digital divide,” said Ziyang David Fan, Head of Digital Trade, World Economic Forum. He added: “Businesses and policy-makers have to work together in order to fully unlock the potential of new technologies for trade.”
TradeTech, or the set of technologies and innovations that enable trade to be more efficient, inclusive, and equitable, is fundamental to harnessing the innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to support the public good. Yet the incorporation of technologies in trade could result in unintended consequences that should be addressed to ensure TradeTech works for all companies regardless of their size, and for all countries regardless of their level of development. This report aims to shed light on the landscape of emerging trade technologies and consider the opportunities and challenges for each, ranging from AI to IoT to 3D printing.


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Abu Dhabi:Abu Dhabi Airports Duty Free, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports, has launched a new home delivery service, allowing residents across the UAE to buy Abu Dhabi Duty Free products from the comfort of their homes.
Now, residents can browse and choose from an expansive selection of items from leading international brands and have them delivered straight to their door. The new service comes as a results of Abu Dhabi Duty Free’s desire to cater to those remaining at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Shareef Al Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “We are delighted to launch Abu Dhabi Duty Free home delivery service, enabling residents of the UAE to take advantage of a growing selection of our most popular items we have to offer at Abu Dhabi Duty Free without having to leave their homes.”
“This new program forms a part of our commitment to our customers to ensure they can enjoy our great range of products while staying safe. We have made the online ordering process incredibly easy and will continue find ways to make our products and services as attractive and rewarding as possible,” added Al Hashmi.
How It Works
The Abu Dhabi Duty Free website (https://addf.ae/) allows residents to easily register for an account, shop for duty free items, pay for them online through a secure gateway, and then have them delivered anywhere within the UAE.
Customers also have the option to create ‘Wish Lists’ of products to be purchased at a later date. All purchases will be delivered by Aramex as per every customer’s delivery preferences. Abu Dhabi Duty Free’s customer support team is available during business hours to assist and answer any queries.
About Abu Dhabi Airports
Abu Dhabi Airports is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy. It was established in March 2006 to spearhead the development of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure. In September 2006, Abu Dhabi Airports assumed responsibility for the operation and management of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International Airports. In 2008, Abu Dhabi Airports added Al Bateen Executive Airport (an exclusive business aviation airport), as well as Sir Bani Yas and Delma Island Airports to its portfolio. These airports are geared to serve the various segments of air travelers, the aviation marketplace, and will help contribute to Abu Dhabi’s development as a destination for both business and leisure tourism.
Currently under way is the multi-billion-dollar re-development and expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport designed to increase the overall capacity of the airport.
You can follow Abu Dhabi Airports on:
Website: www.adac.ae www.abudhabiairport.ae
© Press Release 2020


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Headline inflation settled at 6.1 percent in September this year, higher than the 5.3 percent recorded in August, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said on Thursday. In a briefing, Mapa said inflation in September last year was at 6.9 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food items, however, was down to 5.9 percent from 6.1 percent in August. Mapa said the higher headline inflation rate during the month was primarily brought about by the higher year-on-year increase in the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages at 9.7 percent from 8.1 percent in the previous month. The main contributor to the higher inflation of food and non-alcoholic beverages was the faster increase in the prices of cereal and cereal products with an inflation of 14.1 percent from 8.3 percent in August and meat at 1.3 percent from -0.1 percent the previous month. For rice alone, inflation went up to 17.9 percent from 8.7 percent in August. Mapa said transport, with an inflation rate of 1.2 percent from 0.2 percent in the previous month, also contributed to the uptrend of the headline inflation. Year-to-date, headline inflation settled at 6.6 percent which is still outside the central bank's 2 to 4 percent target. Inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) meanwhile also went up to 6.1 percent from 5.9 percent the previous month. For areas outside NCR, inflation increased to 6.0 percent from 5.2 percent. For the bottom 30 percent income households, inflation picked up to 6.9 percent from 5.6 percent in August. In a separate statement on Thursday, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) assured that the government will continue to provide support to the most vulnerable sectors while implementing necessary measures to respond to rising prices. 'The government is committed to providing targeted assistance to affected vulnerable segments of the population while food prices remain elevated,' NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said. Balisacan said the government, through the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO), is proactively monitoring the demand-and-supply situation, particularly of key commodities, to give President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his Cabinet appropriate and timely policy recommendations. 'In line with this, we are closely monitoring both local and global markets in terms of price movement, as they may be affected by the availability of supply or disruptions in the supply chain,' he said. During the last IAC-IMO meeting on Oct. 3, 2023, the committee recommended extending the lower Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff rate on rice under Executive Order (EO) 10. 'To address the increasing price of rice and ensure enough supply through timely and adequate importation, the IAC-IMO recommends extending the lower MFN tariff rate on rice until December 2024, but subject to review in July 2024. This policy response must be complemented by efforts to improve the predictability and transparency of issuing the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance for rice and all commodities,' Balisacan said. To help cushion the impact of elevated inflation and address food poverty, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently launched the digital Food Stamp Program. The program provides PHP3,000 worth of monthly meal augmentation. The DSWD will also provide a PHP10,000 cash subsidy to 78,000 farmers listed in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Rice farmers are also set to get PHP5,000 as financial assistance to help sustain their productivity amid the increasing cost of production. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board also provided fuel subsidies to 74,089 public utility vehicles. The National Food Authority Council also increased the buying price of dry palay to PHP23 from PHP19. The buying price of wet palay was also hiked to PHP19 from PHP16. President Marcos also issued EO 41 which prohibits the collection of pass-through fees on national roads and urges local government units to suspend the collection of fees from vehicles transporting goods. Balisacan said the global price of rice continues to rise due to the impacts of El Niño and rice export bans among key rice-exporting countries, resulting in a need to have a more robust response to stabilize local prices and revisit the proposal to temporarily lower tariffs on rice, regardless of origin. 'As we implement short-term measures to ease the negative effects of inflation, it is imperative that we also address our long-term food supply issues by providing support for our local farmers to boost their productivity and resilience. These include investing in irrigation, modern high-yielding varieties, pest control, and logistics,' he said.
Source: Philippines News Agency


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Other recent instances of devaluation consist of Venezuela, Bolivia and Vietnam. In the longer term, this could lead back to the centralisation problem on a much larger range and elevate problems with financial policy and potential transmission effects from systemic problems in one economic climate to the worldwide economic system. The creation of a CBDC would certainly keep the Reserve bank’ capacity to regulate the money supply, as the electronic money is merely an extension of the existing fiat money however it offers an alternate payment device to various other cryptocurrencies that maintains value in the traditional money system. The correspondent account that Clear Joint gives is the foundation of our client offering.
He and his co-authors are requiring a public discussion on these personal privacy issues around Central Bank Digital Money (CBDC). They claim that the rush to release CBDCs with the absence of an educated conversation might dramatically lower the little specific personal privacy that still remains. In a new remark piece published in Nature Human being Behavior, lead author and City researcher says the new currency runs the risk of wearing down private privacy. His duty includes leading techUK’s operate in building a better understanding of the ‘technological art of the possible’ in order to use it to the reform and development of financial systems. This consultation– released jointly by HM Treasury and the Bank of England– opens that discussion …
Trump Pledges To Obstruct Prospective Us Central Bank Digital Currency
The experiments additionally revealed that the power needed for the framework is minimal compared to the energy consumption and ecological impact of crypto-assets such as bitcoin. It’s a true game-changer, supplying accessibility to alternate repayment options for citizens and corporates, as well as changing financial market negotiation and interbank monetary transactions. Some advocates claim that currencies such as Bitcoin could be as transformative as the Net itself, because it allows individuals to send money making use of IP the way they presently send information. At present, it is more often utilized as a product by enthusiasts and innovation lovers than as a currency by organizations. Coindesk notes, Bitcoin has a restriction of 21 million Bitcoins built into the protocol, and it is extremely hard, perhaps difficult, to alter this limit.
Cbdc Versus Cryptocurrency
Nonetheless, the reduction shall be identified in other detailed income to the extent of any type of credit report balance in the revaluation surplus in regard of that possession. However, cryptocurrencies are typically traded on an exchange and as a result it may be feasible to use the revaluation design. Our Online Money Alerts are created to give cryptocurrency companies real-time alerts when a virtual currency is made use of to acquire child sexual abuse imagery. When a virtual money budget (a type of storage space for digital money) has actually been related to any verified online kid sexual assault imagery, the supplier is alerted.
recent media buzz is without a doubt the Libra project , announced by the Facebook team in June 2019. It holds true that representations and efforts concerning the creation of a state cryptocurrency system precede the Libra job  Yet the understanding of public authorities and reserve banks certainly complied with
A study of repayment trends in Europe exposed a changing pattern towards shopping. Payment habits of the public were towards utilizing exclusive electronic ways of settlement, as opposed to cash, which has put at risk central bank provided cash. The COVID-19 pandemic additionally attributed to a modification towards use of digital settlements.
There are other problems to bother with, like the United States midterm elections, browsing with the UK’s financial obstacles and enduring in a bleak macroeconomic atmosphere. There’s nobody kind of CBDC, and different methods are being piloted and developed in numerous nations. At the time of composing, 87 nations are checking out CBDCs because of boosted customer demands of paying digitally rather than with cash. While many
In the existing climate of debased fiat currencies, stablecoins, particularly electronic money backed by stable assets, are emerging as a secure possession. ” A gold-backed CBDC offers an engaging service to slowing down financial growth and increasing inflation that numerous markets worldwide are experiencing,” Hernandez stated. In a rough approximation of operational truth, CBDCs would merely act like an electronic version of the banknotes and coins used as sovereign-backed cash for countless years. As discussed by forex robot , Sveriges Riksbank, in a recent primer3, financial authorities would issue CBDCs for consumer usage in daily settlements much like physical cash money, denominated in the nationwide money and exchangeable at par with business financial institution money. CBDCs have acquired grip internationally because reserve banks imagine them not only as a tool of monetary exchange, but likewise as lorries for financial policy, monetary policy and security, and financial addition. The other advantages of a CBDC include increased protection, effectiveness and comfort, far better services, improvement in cross-border repayments, and limitations on the threats of money substitution.
2023 is assuring to become an additional active year for the “electronic euro”, the ECB’s retail-oriented CBDC project. The ECB knows that to make the digital euro a success, they have to look beyond issuing. The attempted and examined way to realise such an approach on the planet of repayments is to settle on a system with a typical rulebook to make sure compatibility among all settlement processors and various other individuals. In our view, such a scheme rulebook can make or damage the digital euro, as it figures out the simplicity of adoption and the developments that can be built on top of it. The rulebook might also work beyond reserve bank digital money if it allows the handling of payments with commercial financial institution money or stablecoins. The record published by the European Central Bank (ECB) on the electronic euro states that the electronic euro will certainly be, if it enters into force, an obligation of the ECB and the euro system supplied in electronic type for use by residents and services to pay.
With a straightforward link to our online platform, organizations can make payments in their customers’ favored currency. We assist organizations, financiers and stakeholders navigate the FinTech area both domestically and worldwide. Thankfully, central banks recognize the disintermediation threats presented by uncontrolled CBDCs and have actually suggested several ways to limit the danger. For instance, the European Central Bank (ECB) has floated the idea of covering CBDC holdings to EUR3,000 per resident. For commercial financial institutions, however, the possibility of CBDCs featured some stress and anxiety, posturing a hazard both to their very own survival and the security of the broader credit-based monetary system.


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Highest Wholesale Trade Growth in Canada
Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector was busy in July, with sales up 13.5 per cent over last July (seasonally adjusted), the highest percentage increase among the provinces, to $1.27 billion. On a national basis, sales were up only 3.4 per cent.
“July’s nation leading wholesale trade growth shows that our economy is making gains,” Economy Minister Steven Bonk said. “It is a strong leading economic indicator, showing that retailers and wholesalers have demand for their products now and into the future.”
On an annual basis, wholesale trade was up 11.9 per cent, ranking fourth among the provinces.


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Aura Kingdom Launches Into Closed Beta
Aeria Games and X-LEGEND have joined together once more to bring us the highly anticipated MMO: Aura Kingdom, which has launched for closed beta testing on December 23, 2013.
For those that have not been keeping up with our coverage: Aura Kingdom is an new anime MMORPG featuring traditional/action-hybrid combat, faithful companions called Eidolons that can assist players in battle, unique travel systems such as gliding through the air and an impressive cell-shaded art style.
Not only that, but Aura Kingdom also features eight playable classes, a sub-class system that lets players change their weapon and skills while out-of-combat, tons of unique mounts and more.
Aura Kingdom is free to download, and like all Aeria Games titles, is free-to-play. Players with a beta key can download the game now from the official website. Game masters will also be hosting hide & seek events throughout the closed beta where players can win various prizes including potions, EXP and item drop boosters.
For more information on Aura Kingdom, check out our profile page here at MMOHuts.
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Coca-Cola has appointed Alfredo Rivera, a 23-year veteran of the company, as the new president of its North America division, effective immediately. Most recently, Rivera has served as president of the company’s Latin America group which includes 40 countries.
He will succeed James “Jim” Dinkins who is retiring after more than three decades with Coca-Cola and who has led the division since 2018. Dinkins also served as senior vice president of Coca-Cola.
Rivera joined Coca-Cola in 1997 in the Central America and Caribbean division as a district manager for Guatemala and El Salvador. He has since held a number of senior positions at the firm and took up his position as the head of the company’s Latin America group in 2016.
Prior to joining the company, Rivera worked for two independent Coca-Cola bottlers in Honduras and El Salvador. In his new role, Rivera will report to president and COO Brian Smith.
“Alfredo has had a remarkable career in Latin America, which is made up of a large number of highly complex and diverse markets,” said James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
He added: “Alfredo has built a networked organisation that is positioning our business to emerge stronger from the current pandemic. He is a strong successor for the top role in our flagship North America market, where he will build on the great progress we’ve seen under Jim’s leadership. I thank Jim for his many years of service to the company and countless contributions to our business.”
By: Emma Upshall
Source: FoodBev Media
Carlsberg has announced the departure of its chief financial officer (CFO), Heine Dalsgaard, after six years in the position. In a statement, Carlsberg said that Dalsgaard was resigning from the post to take up the role of CFO at a private equity-backed company in a different industry.
Kellogg will split into three independent companies to focus on the snack business, Reuters reported Tuesday. The snacking portfolio will comprise the main business, while the North America cereal unit and the plant-based business will be spun off. The company is also considering a sale of the plant-based business.
The snacks giant says the acquisition will help build on its commitment to “lead the future of snacking” in key geographies worldwide. Once the transaction is completed, Mondelēz will continue to operate the Clif Bar business from its headquarters in Emeryville, California. The snack giant will also continue to manufacture Clif Bars’ products, which include Clif Bar, Luna and Clif Kid, at its facilities in Idaho and Indiana.


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Another Award-Winning Year For Volvo
Here at Mill, it is no secret that we have been spreading the word about the exceptional quality, innovation and pared-back luxury the Volvo brand offers. So it will come as no surprise that we are delighted to announce that the marque is enjoying outstanding industry success, having won numerous prestigious industry awards in the past few years.
Volvo’s award-winning run looks set to continue this year as the Volvo XC40 has already scooped the UK Car of the Year ‘Best Hatch’ award, while the Volvo V60 has enjoyed success gaining the ‘Best Estate’ award.
This double honour from UK Car of the Year offers independent validation of the brand's success in comprehensively renewing its model range, delivering new cars that are desirable, distinctive and at the cutting edge of connectivity and safety technology.
Plus the success of both the XC40 and the V60 vehicles means they are now both in the running for the highly-esteemed ‘UK Car of the year’ award.
It doesn’t end there though, as Volvo has also won double honours in 2019 WHAT CAR? Awards. What Car? Awards are one of the most prestigious and best-respected car industry awards in the UK, so it is a great honour for the XC40 to have retained its 2018 title of Family SUV of the year.
Steve Huntingford, What Car? Editor praised the XC40 – What Car's overall Car of the Year in 2018 – for having become an even more attractive proposition. He said:
"Last year's Car of the Year retains its position as the very best family SUV you can buy. It's as plush as it is practical, and the engines that have been added to the line-up in the last 12 months only add to its appeal."
The XC90 also gained recognition in the awards with its hybrid model, which was granted What Car? Plug-in Car of the Year award. This is a huge boost and an emphatic seal of approval for Volvo’s electrified powertrain which will be rolled out in other models over the coming years.
Jon Wakefield, Volvo Car UK Managing Director, said of Volvo’s impressive awards haul:
"These awards reaffirm the all-round strengths and appeal of our new model line-up. We aim to provide customers with the best possible choice, no matter what their needs, and will continue to develop these model ranges with new powertrains and the latest advances in high-tech equipment."
It’s clear to see that Volvo is storming ahead, gaining recognition for a diverse selection of its range. However, if you needed any more convincing about the impressive Volvo line-up, then why not take a look at Volvo’s impressive awards tally since 2018.
A total of 41 awards in 2018
6 Awards so far in 2019