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CSX is looking at how it attracts new hires as the railroad strives to add employees so that it has enough capacity to handle demand.
Like other industries, the railroads have encountered challenges finding potential employees, and that challenge has stunted CSX’s (NASDAQ: CSX) plans to improve service metrics such as terminal dwell and train velocity, said CSX President and CEO Jim Foote during his company’s second-quarter 2021 earnings call on Wednesday.
Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX needs to examine its hiring practices on a long-term basis to ensure that there will be qualified applicants down the pipeline, according to Foote. The challenge in this current environment is that although the jobs — particularly for train and engine crews — pay well and have good benefits, those perks aren’t attracting people as they once did, he said.
A referral system will help CSX in the short term, but “I’m convinced, and I think the team is convinced, that we need to look at this from a long-term perspective and say, ‘What do we really need to do to make sure that we have a stable, long-term pipeline of people that enjoy coming to work and doing what they need to do?’” Foote said.
He continued, “We have to look at the whole big picture and we’ll do that because we need employees to run railroads, simple as that. And so we’re going to change our thoughts, our processes and throwing money at people these days is not the answer.”
CSX had said early this year that it would be hiring more employees, according to Foote. And although it has hired 200 new employees so far this year to make up for those lost to attrition and to bolster its roster, that total is several hundred short of what the railroad had hoped to hire by this point in the year. It has been hard to find people wanting to be train conductors, he said.
Hiring more train and engine crews would enable CSX to improve its service metrics, particularly those that figure into CSX’s trip plan performance for carloads. CSX’s trip plan performance for carloads was 69% in the second quarter of 2021, compared with 81% in the second quarter of 2020. CSX defines carload trip plan performance as the “percent of measured cars destined for a customer that arrive at or ahead of the original estimated time of arrival, notification or interchange.”
Although there will still be “noise” in the supply chain in the form of conditions such as chassis shortages and port congestion, having adequate T&E crew levels “would clean up the vast majority of issues” CSX has for trip plan performance for carloads, Foote said.
“It’s not nirvana but it would certainly help us improve the reliability of our product and get it back to where it was so we can focus on making it even bigger and better,” Foote said.
Despite hiring challenges, CSX said it has been seeking to ensure that the supply chain congestion experienced on the West Coast doesn’t spread eastward by being “very, very committed to making sure this railroad runs well,” Foote said, noting that CSX has been able to keep its terminals open in Chicago.
“It has been an unbelievable challenge. I have never seen any kind of a thing like this in the transportation environment in my entire career where everything seems to be going sideways at the same time,” Foote said.
Although CSX anticipates “double-digit full-year revenue growth” in 2021, there are some market unknowns, such as when the chip shortage will cease and the automotive sector can resume full production, which also makes it harder for CSX to predict what kind of margins it might see in the second half of this year, executives said.
Both CSX and its customers are facing potential cost inflation and so the railroad is working with customers to see if these cost pressures are transitory or long term as contract renewals come up in the fourth quarter.
“I don’t think there’s anything in this environment that changes our overall approach to how we go to market. It’s about being transparent with the customer around the cost pressures that we’re facing in our business. They get it. They’re facing the same issues and having a discussion around that,” Foote said.
To ensure that CSX has the network capacity available for customers wanting additional capacity into 2022, the railroad has been working with customers’ forecasts so that it can match resources with anticipated demand.
“What we’re asking our customers to do is tell us what that volume looks like so we can resource and prepare from a headcount perspective all the crews,” said Kevin Boone, CSX executive vice president of sales and marketing.
“We certainly have the locomotives. We have the assets out there to go and service that business. So we want to get ahead of that. It’s been an incredibly hard market to predict what volumes are going to do and we’ve all been surprised about the shape of the recovery. But what we’re trying to do is get out in front so we know how much we need to hire and get way out ahead of it to make sure that we’re there for the customer going forward,” Boone said.
For CSX’s second-quarter financial results, click here.


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Here are the latest posts about Marvel on Readers Read:
Marvel Announces New Adult Coloring Books: Star Wars, Women of Power and Doctor Strange (2016-05-30): Marvel has announced a new line of adult coloring books including Star Wars, Women of Power and Doctor Strange themed books.
Marvel Releases New Black Panther Comic (2016-04-11): Marvel has released a new Black Panther comic book series. It is written by Ta-Nehisi Coates with art by Brian Stelfreeze.
Star Wars Returns to Marvel With Release of New Star Wars Comic Series (2015-01-09): The original Star Wars characters will star in the new Star Wars comic which will be released by Marvel. The first issue is expected to sell one million copies.
Hyperion Signs Female Super Heroes, Will Publish The She-Hulk Diaries and Rogue Touch (2013-02-12): Hyperion Books and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up to publish two novels featuring female super heroes: She-Hulk and Rogue.
Cirque du Soleil and Marvel Launch KA Comic (2012-06-15): Cirque du Soleil has partnered with Marvel Entertainment to launch the KA by Cirque du Soleil comics.
Bucky Barnes is Now Captain America (2008-02-19): Captain America's alter-ego Steve Rogers may have been killed but that isn't stopping Captain America from making a comeback - as we all knew he would.
Captain America Returns With a New Look (2007-10-15): Marvel's Captain America superhero was gunned down by a sniper earlier this year but he has managed to make a comeback.
Captain America Eyes the Silver Screen (2005-09-07): E! reports that Marvel Entertainment is planning on producing up to 10 new films based on 10 characters from its comic books.

domain: news


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Small and medium-sized publishers in Hong Kong have said they are exercising more caution when selecting titles for Asia’s largest annual book fair in the city this year as some sellers struggle to keep their businesses afloat.
The companies were among the hundreds of exhibitors that set up booths on Tuesday ahead of the opening of the seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair the following morning.
Chan Sau-wai, the publishing director of Passion Times, an online media outlet founded by local activists, said she was surprised they had been allowed to take part after several other booksellers were banned.
The Trade Development Council (TDC), which organises the book fair, had previously rejected applications by some publishers to take part in the year’s event, which is among several activities arranged to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule.
But the publishing director said Passion Times had been careful when deciding what book titles to curate at the event.
“There’s nothing political whatsoever,” she said.
Chan added that the group planned to showcase a new novel written by one of its founders Wong Yeung-tat, a paranormal title by another writer and a comic book based on the classic 14th-century novel The Water Margin.
However, other participants at the book fair said they were struggling to keep their businesses going.
“Not to mention the recent migration wave, the Covid-19 pandemic alone may have already affected the number of children who visit the book fair,” a senior member of Cite Bookshop said.
“I just need to pull out all the bestsellers and hope for the best.”
Advances in technology had made it difficult for publishers to even sell popular titles, he said.
“Books about lifestyle always sell. However, the free information on the internet and social media is slowly jeopardising that,” he said. “We need to think and find a way to survive elsewhere.”
Previously, publishers Hillway Culture and One of a Kind had said they were notified by the council that their applications to join the fair had been rejected without reason.
Both publishers had taken part in the book fair in previous years.
In April, the founder of Hillway Culture, political activist Raymond Yeung Tsz-chun, was arrested and charged with allegedly taking part in illegal assemblies during the 2019 social unrest.
One of a Kind had published several books about the city’s 2019 social unrest and Occupy Central, a large-scale civil disobedience movement in 2014.
When asked how books deemed problematic would be handled, Sophia Chong Suk-fan, the council’s deputy executive director, said it had never censored any titles ahead of past book fairs.
If complaints were received, she said they would be handled according to the exhibition guidelines.
“We are only a promotion agency, and will only record the complaint. If the complaint reaches a law enforcement agency, we will cooperate with the investigation. It’s not for TDC to decide whether the law is breached,” Chong said.
The deputy executive director said the highlights of this year’s book fair would include the International Cultural Village, which involved 37 of the city’s consulates.
As part of the event, organisers on Sunday will host a seminar called “Israel then and now – beyond travel books”, with a Cantonese-speaking tour guide introducing participants to the country’s top locations, such as Masada National Park and the Dead Sea.
While the council did not provide an estimate on the turnout for the fair, Chong said she believed the government’s consumption voucher and the opening of the Exhibition Centre Station near the event’s venue would help attract more people.
The event will be held from July 20 to 26, alongside the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks event, with a combined number of more than 700 exhibitors showcasing their products at the three fairs.


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Australian businesses attempting to contact corporate regulator ASIC are spending an average of 8.5 minutes on hold despite it having doubled its call centre headcount in the past year.
ASIC call volumes grew from 650,000 in May 2011-12 to more than 1.1 million calls since May 2012, when it combined 8 separate state and territory business name registers into a national database.
Website issues wrecked havoc on ASIC’s call centre initially, with so many businesses calling for help that callers were turned away by a recorded message that said only to call back later.
“After Business Names Online commenced, the volume of calls almost doubled and the average wait time increased to an average of 13 minutes over the past 12 months,” an ASIC spokesperson told Business Insider, noting that callers waited an average of 40 seconds prior to May 2012.
“On a few occasions the wait time exceeded 30 minutes. This has now improved to a current average wait time of just over 8 minutes.”
According to shadow minister for small businesses Bruce Billson, some businesses were forced to wait on hold for more than 45 minutes while others were taking two months to complete tasks that previously took minutes.
ASIC’s spokesperson said it did not expect call rates to fall significantly below current figures, because ASIC’s registry business had effectively doubled in size to 1.7 million names since the online register was launched.
ASIC will continue to support its call centre with a two-year, $7.8 million budget allocation from the Federal Budget last month
ASIC reported last week that it had facilitated the online registration of over 260,000 new business names, 120,000 updates to the register, more than 14 million business name searches and issued close to 500,000 business name renewals since May 2012.
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German discount supermarket chain Lidl is sponsoring a trend on twitter in the UK today, using the hashtag #LidlSurprises – so what could possibly go wrong? Lidl normally do a good job advertising, and the TV campaign that this sponsored trend is backing will no doubt be high in TVR spend
Last year I was asked to keynote a Linkdex Thinktank in London, on the future of travel marketing. Specifically I looked at what we’re doing as an industry in SEO, Social Media & how that applies to travel marketing on the internet. Its not only relevant to travel of course,
Something interesting has just come across one of my networks (hat tip to datadial), just a few days after Digg have announced that they are building a replacement for the much loved Google Reader, they have (coincidentally?) disappeared from the primary google index. Is it an SEO penalty for links?
Every now and then, someone uncovers something nice and shiny. This time its Gianluca Fiorelli over at inbound.org – who has published the URL of the BBC social media strategy PDF file. Its always great finding things like this to see “how the big boys” operate, and Im cross posting it


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3M, Sony Settle Lithium-Ion Battery Patent Suit
Under the new settlement, announced Monday, Sony and its subsidiary, Sony Electronics Inc., are now licensed sources of batteries containing 3M's lithium-ion cathode technology.
“3M believes its cathode materials... are an important technology for current and next generation lithium ion batteries. Over the past decade, 3M has invested significant resources in design, development and commercialization of advanced material technologies...
To view the full article, register now.


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In an interview with German magazine Automobilwoche, BMW’s Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer hints the automaker is ready to shift its policy from sales volumes to improving the pricing and earnings margins.
The German carmaker, the biggest premium auto company worldwide, has actually intentionally decreased its sales in the home country – Germany, where the pricing war is fierce – by several thousand units, according to the executive.
“We’ve been at the head of the premium segment for more than 10 years now. In terms of volume, we’re actually in the middle of thinking this through,” said Reithofer in the interview.
“We very much appreciate the fact that BMW is stepping ahead to stop chasing volumes at any price,” says ISI head of automotive research Arndt Ellinghorst in a note to clients.
According to the CEO, France and Spain have also fallen out of favor with the company due to the pricing competition mirroring Germany, and Ellinghorst forecasts BMW could take its earnings margin from 9.5% in the first quarter to 10% in 2015.
Meanwhile, BMW’s CEO predicts the automaker would be able to retain its top position among luxury manufacturers for at least two years, as the automaker is planning to continue its product expansion plan.


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Conn's, Inc. (NASDAQ:CONN), a specialty retailer of home appliances,
furniture, mattresses, consumer electronics, computers and lawn and
garden products announced today that the Company will be presenting at
the Piper Jaffray Consumer Conference in New York on Tuesday, June 5,
2012 at 4:35 P.M. ET.
The presentation will be webcast and can be accessed via the following
Additionally, the presentation will be available for replay for 90 days
following the live presentation and will be accessible via the above
link or through ir.Conns.com.


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Officials from eLEND Solutions highlighted the seven main components of CreditPlus, the next generation of their online, interactive credit application platform.
Launched on Monday, the company explained CreditPlus can instantly pre-approve shoppers based on dealer-defined credit criteria and can provide shoppers with direct, upfront access to dealership financing sources and real near-final terms of approval from multiple lenders, all of which are controlled by the dealer.
With CreditPlus, officials insisted that for the first time, dealers are able to match a buyer’s credit profile with the right vehicle and the right financing program before the customer has even started the test drive.
Pete MacInnis, chief executive officer of eLEND Solutions emphasized this solution can facilitate a more equal exchange of information between consumer and dealer and the structuring of a more profitable deal.
“Auto dealers are looking for ways to convert online shoppers to in-store buyers … faster,” MacInnis said.
“Today’s shoppers expect more information, multiple choices, transparency and immediate gratification,” he continued. "CreditPlus, powered by a patented rules-based loan decision engine, allows the customer to select from a menu of approved near-final finance terms, such as APR, term, monthly payment, down payment) from multiple lenders — all controlled by the dealer.”
Here are the seven major elements in how CreditPlus is geared to operate:
— Better consumer experience: The company indicated CreditPlus features an easy, short interactive application that is geared to be 100 percent mobile and tablet adaptive. Applicants not only can get approved for financing in seconds, but they can also view their credit score and pick their payments — all of which is designed to drive engagement and accelerate conversion of online shoppers into showroom buyers.
— Better dealer controlled experience: CreditPlus can offer dealers numerous application configuration options, including videos, vehicle detail image selections and lead management tools. The company stressed that dealers are in complete control of credit criteria and payment terms displayed to the customer, which can also can include dealer mark-up, doc fees, service contracts and more.
— Electronic lender rate card: The company pointed out CreditPlus is powered by a rules-based loan decision engine that can aggregate a limitless universe of finance company programs based on credit, stability and ability. Results from real multiple loan underwriting rules, APRs, program guidelines and more are available instantly to the dealer and the customer.
— Communication and system integrations: CreditPlus can drive engagement via automated email and text communications, chat integrations, automated system escalations and alerts — all designed to keep dealers in touch with ready-to buy online shoppers and convert them into showroom buyers faster.
— Security: eLEND Solutions is EI3PA Certified, the highest level of security certification in the industry, offering the most secure environment for collecting, storing, retrieving, modifying or auditing applications.
— Compliance and CFPB protection: Officials contend CreditPlus’ rules-based loan decision engine does not support decisions/terms that could be considered discriminatory or subjective. They added eLEND’s platform includes loan decision reporting and audit trail processes that can be made transparent to dealers, lenders and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
— Industry Neutral Solution: The company noted eLEND Solutions’ credit platform, deal structuring decision engine and API platform is agnostic and compatible with any dealer desk tool and can be integrated seamlessly with all dealer websites and service providers, including inventory management and CRM providers, finance platforms and dealer management systems.
“We’ve witnessed two decades of innovation in online car buying, but the financing process remains outdated and low-tech. This lack of innovation has not only cost dealers time and money, but it has also seriously alienated consumers, who increasingly demand online transparency in everything they do,” MacInnis said.
“CreditPlus’ real, upfront loan terms are a missing piece of the car-buying revolution, bringing dealers more high-quality credit app leads, while slashing the current 3 to 4 hour sales process,” he went on to say.
MacInniss also highlighted consumer adoption of smart, online credit application solutions is remarkably high, according to a Dealer.com study using eLEND’s first-generation, interactive online credit application, Get Pre-approved in Seconds (GPIS).
The study showed that GPIS generated a 2,000-percent uplift in submitted credit applications vs. other standard long-forms submitted on dealer websites. The study mentioned that 50 percent of consumers who start the GPIS credit application complete it versus a mere four percent who complete the process with the traditional static application.
Furthermore, according to a recent IHS Automotive custom analysis of 1,400 dealers nationwide showed that of those consumers that submitted eLEND’s short-form credit application, 54 percent purchased a vehicle and those purchasing from the intended dealer saw average buy rates of 28 percent.
Performance was dramatically higher than the 6 percent to 8 percent closing ratio for standard third party leads, according to Cobalt.
Norm Reeves Honda Superstore general manager Brad Mugg said, “eLEND’s online credit application has been the best lead conversion tool for our dealer group for the past eight years.
“We expect that CreditPlus will drive even higher submit-to-sales conversions and will help us sell and finance more cars, with more speed, transparency and profitability than ever before,” Mugg continued.
CreditPlus is available to U.S. dealers immediately, and store managers can review a company demo here.


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*Why we’re running it: *To evaluate Jaguar’s under-appreciated.. Autocar - Published


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In January the Environmental Audit Committee published a report as a result of an inquiry into disposable coffee cup waste. The report made a number of suggestions to address the issue of growing disposable coffee cup waste in the UK. Among these suggestions was a proposed 25p charge on disposable coffee cups which became nicknamed the ‘latte levy’. The suggestion was met with mixed response, with many concerned that this could harm independent businesses, particularly those who rely on a large takeaway customer base. The responses by United Baristas and James Hoffman in particular are worth a read to help understand some of the concerns from the specialty industry. In response to the report many coffee companies sought to highlight that they offered a discount for people using reusable coffee cups (as much as 50p in Pret, but usually around 25p in many other stores). Starbucks, in partnership with Hubbub, introduced a trial 5p cup charge for some of its London stores, in an effort to try and understand how people can be encouraged to use reusable cups. As I have highlighted in previous posts, the switch to reusable coffee cups for many consumers feels more problematic than the switch to reusable carrier bags (due to issues of the size of the cup, carrying a dirty cup around, having to wash it etc).
The government has responded to the report arguing that there will not be a ‘latte levy’ introduced, as it is more appropriate for coffee shops to offer discount to encourage reusable cup use instead.
“The Government has refused to take any decisive action on the complex issue of coffee cups – including the introduction of a ‘latte levy’ – and has instead chosen to rely on voluntary commitments.” (Parliament, 2018)
The Environmental Audit Committee appears disappointed at this response, arguing that it suggests the government is not taking the issues of litter and disposable materials seriously enough, and that it has no real plan of action in this area. The Committee’s report suggested that charges were more effective for changing the situation for the use of coffee cups (in particular citing evidence from the introduction of the plastic carrier bag charge in the UK), rather than discount in stores, and feels this evidence has been ignored.
“Evidence to our inquiry demonstrated that charges work better than discounts for reducing the use of non-recyclable materials – as was the case with the plastic bag charge. By choosing to favour voluntary discounts for reusable cups, the Government is ignoring the evidence about what works”. (Parliament 2018)
Part of the governments justification for its response is that the coffee cups make up less than 1% of total paper packaging waste in the UK, and therefore it should be considering ways to address the packaging and waste management systems more generally.
One of the key points in the Committee report was around consumer confusion about which materials could be recycled, and argued for clearer labelling of coffee cups to help address this. The government response has focused more on anti-litter labelling instead which the leader of the Committee, Mary Creagh, argues misses the point:
“Evidence shows that while 90% of people put their coffee cup in recycling bins, only 0.25% are recycled due to inadequate binfrastructure. The Government’s anti-littering labelling proposal completely misses the point. Consumers deserve to know if their coffee cup will be recycled or not. The Government’s response to my Committee’s recommendation not only lacks ambition, and puts coffee in the ‘too difficult’ Ministerial in-tray”. (Parliament, 2018)
The Committee report also highlighted how there should be some element of producer responsibility in the disposable cup issue, suggesting that there should be more action from packaging companies, and the possibility of a fee on cups produced that are difficult to recycle. While the government has acknowledged that there needs to be some sort of reform in this area, there has been no set of actions outlined.
Finally the Committee report suggested that there should be a target date of 2023 for disposable cups to be banned, if efforts to make them all recyclable were not successful enough. The government has dismissed this suggested deadline arguing ‘100% recycling from collection is unobtainable’, but has acknowledged that there should be ‘challenging, but realistic’ recycling targets.
The government response generally suggests that it intends to take little action in this area, instead pointing to its wider 25 Year Environment Plan that was published in January 2018 and noting that some of the issues raised by the committee will be considered as part of an upcoming Resources and Waste Strategy. For many who were concerned about the potential introduction of a ‘latte levy’ the response from government is likely to be warmly received. However, the scale of the issue still remains, millions of coffee cups are thrown away in the UK every day – a situation that is unsustainable. While some companies have introduced discounts for reusable cups, and many people went out to buy a reusable coffee cup, it is important that the momentum to discuss issues around waste in the coffee shop industry is maintained and that it continues to be addressed. As I have highlighted before, it will take a large shift in behaviour change from consumers (as well as businesses) to change practices surrounding the use of disposable coffee cups, and even though the government may not be introducing charges to incentivise people to change their behaviour, it doesn’t mean that the system cannot be changed by those involved in it. I’ve been encouraged recently by the greater presence of reusable coffee cups on the high street, and in general the visibility of discussions around waste in the coffee shop industry, it would be a shame if in light of the government’s response if this was to disappear.


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The beta of Minecraft: Remastered will begin rolling out on September 15, 2017, according to a tweet from Mojang, and it will be available on all platforms.
This is a beta test of Minecraft in its first version, with no official release date in mind.
We’re not sure exactly how it will work, but it will provide an amazing experience for players who want to try out Minecraft and the new mods and features.
This beta test is only open to Mojang staff, Mojang representatives, and users of the Minecraft website.
The beta test will be open for about two weeks.
In the meantime, Mojangs official Twitter account tweeted that they are still in the process of rolling out the beta, and that Mojang is working to get the game ready for the general public.
We are also working hard to make Minecraft for the mobile platform as soon as possible.
Mojang will have to fix all the bugs, make all the features work, and get everything ready to be released to the general user.
As for the Mojang servers, they have been taken offline in order to work on the beta.
It’s not clear when this will happen, but we do know that Minecraft: Reborn will be coming out for iOS and Android on September 16, 2017.


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Microsoft’s Pavan Davuluri will lead a staff centered on Home windows software program, units portfolio and semiconductor chips, the corporate mentioned on Monday, whereas asserting the departure of longtime product chief Panos Panay.
The staff led by Davuluri will “construct silicon, methods and units that span Home windows, shopper and cloud for an AI world,” in accordance with a workers electronic mail by Rajesh Jha, government vp of experiences and units group at Microsoft. Reuters has seen a duplicate of the e-mail.
Microsoft has made huge bets on generative AI, integrating the know-how into a big selection of its merchandise, together with cloud, search and productiveness software program and providers comparable to its Workplace suite.
The rejigging of groups comes as Panay steps down after almost 20 years with the Redmond, Washington-based firm, the place he helmed the creation of the Floor line of computer systems and extra lately oversaw the launch of the Home windows 11 working system.
Davuluri will report back to Microsoft Chief Government Officer Satya Nadella, the e-mail mentioned.
Microsoft can also be making a staff to work on internet providers and Home windows experiences with a deal with AI-based choices.
The corporate is internet hosting a “particular occasion” on September 21, the place it’s anticipated to announce updates to its Floor lineup, amongst different updates.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 sequence and Galaxy Watch 6 sequence at its first Galaxy Unpacked occasion in South Korea. We talk about the corporate’s new units and extra on the newest episode of Orbital, the Devices 360 podcast. Orbital is out there on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate hyperlinks could also be mechanically generated – see our ethics assertion for particulars.


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PARIS -- The French government closed the sale of 1.21 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in Renault shares, unloading a stake acquired in a power struggle with the automaker.
France sold 14 million Renault shares in an institutional placement, reducing its stake back to its historical level of 15 percent, the state's investment agency APE said Thursday. Renault will acquire about 1.4 million of the shares as part of the transaction.
French President Emmanuel Macron spearheaded the stake purchase as economy minister in April 2015 and is now reversing the move as promised. The sale may help smooth long-standing tensions between Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, who also heads alliance partner Nissan as chairman, and Macron's government.
Renault's relations with its largest shareholder deteriorated in April 2015 when Macron abruptly raised the state's holding in a shareholder vote to almost 20 percent to secure double voting rights. Macron's move came after Nissan, which generates a majority of the profits in the Renault-Nissan alliance, had sought to gain a say in its partner.
Buoyed by stronger sales, Renault shares have climbed 16 percent in the last two months. The stock closed at 86.60 euros on Thursday, valuing the company at 25.6 billion euros. France will remain Renault's largest shareholder after the sale, narrowly ahead of Nissan.
Renault said Friday that it would buy 10 percent of the 1.4 million shares to use for an employee offering.
Financial analysts who track the Renault said the move would be likely to give a boost to the company’s stock price. "This news is quite positive as it will reduce tensions between the French government and Carlos Ghosn,” Xavier Caroen of Bryan Garnier said in a note to investors.
Evercore ISI said that the government’s move should be taken positively by investors, given that the oversize presence of the French government plays a significant role in the 40 percent discount that the market has applied to the stock. "We believe Renault, Nissan and their shareholders would welcome any further reduction in the French government’s position in Renault,” it said in a note.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the 1.2 billion euros sale represented a 55 million euro gain on when the shares were bought two years ago.
While drawing a line under the 2015 hostilities, the divestment does little to resolve a sense of strategic stalemate over the future shape of Renault, Nissan and their new alliance partner Mitsubishi.
Ghosn, who turns 64 shortly before his current Renault CEO contract expires next year, has said the automakers are ready to forge closer capital ties but are prevented from doing so by the French government. "The day the French state decides to get out, everything is open, and I can tell you it won't take too much time," he said in February.
Reuters contributed to this report


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Defiance, Iowa - With roots dating back almost a century, family-owned Smitty Bee Honey has always recognized and honored their rich company history. The southwest Iowa company is celebrating their 25th Anniversary as a honey packer this year.
The business has come a long way since LaVern “Smitty” Schmitz’s father-in-law purchased a simple beekeeper’s starter kit in the 1920s. LaVern’s son, Doug Schmitz, started marketing the company’s products as Smitty Bee Honey in 1989. Soon after, Doug began packaging honey for retail distribution while also producing honey. In 1991, the company purchased a small building on Main Avenue in Defiance, Iowa, and started marketing honey to fruit markets, apple orchards and small grocery stores. In 1994, Smitty Bee Honey was working with a local food manufacturer who was looking to source honey as an ingredient. As demand for honey as an ingredient continued to rise, the focus of the company shifted.
Throughout the 1990s, bees began dying off at alarming rates around the world due to what is now known as colony collapse disorder. The beekeeping industry in Southwest Iowa also suffered due to farming practices and adverse weather changes which caused honey yields to deteriorate further. Each year, sales exceeded production and Smitty Bee focused more attention on packaging honey. By 1995, the company was purchasing a majority of their honey from other producers in the Midwest and sales continued to grow rapidly. In 2004, Doug decided to focus solely on packaging honey and Doug’s son, Tony Schmitz, joined the company as General Manager. Smitty Bee has since developed into one of the nation’s leading bulk honey suppliers with a strong reputation in the ingredient, food service and retail industries.
The company has a long track record of providing quality products and has invested heavily in product innovation, unique packaging, facilities and quality control. Smitty Bee plans to continue elevating their commitment to quality, ethical sourcing and investment in new technologies. Smitty Bee’s dedication to quality honey not only applies to their safe food handling procedures, but also carries through to their facilities. To accommodate growing customer demands, facilities were recently expanded by adding 20,000 sq. ft. The new space houses a retail production room, additional warehouse space, new offices and an employee center.
Smitty Bee is planning an employee and business relations event as part of their 25th Anniversary celebration to highlight the past, present and future of the company. The festivities are tentatively scheduled to take place at their Defiance, Iowa, location in late summer.


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By CHRIS GRAEME [email protected]
The president of the Portuguese hotels association has warned that the crisis could spell the end of some hotel groups in Portugal.
Miguel Júdice, President of the Associação de Hotelaria de Portugal, said that “many hotel companies were going through tough and difficult times” and some would invariably “go out of business”.
However, contrary to the most pessimistic forecasts, the Portuguese hotel mogul said that the “relatively hot summer months” had been positive for the hotel trade, despite the sector facing “serious problems”, namely an expected increase in VAT, which he claimed could lead to layoffs and the closing down of some companies.
The association has already raised the concern with the current government, the strategy of which, according to Júdice, remains an “unknown factor”.
Speaking in an interview with the daily newspaper Público, he said that the summer season was going “relatively well” compared with expected projections, particularly the month of August which is the traditional period when the Portuguese take their holidays.
But he did warn that the rest of the year was not set to be “fantastic” because both the Portuguese and Spanish were “travelling less” although he did say the prophets of doom would not be borne out.
“It’s too early to say – it’s not going to be a fantastic year but it’s also not going to be a tragic one either,” he said.
Although Portuguese National Statistics Institute figures have shown an increase in receipts and beds filled since the beginning of the year on the same period in 2010, there had also been an increase in supply, which meant many rooms would go untaken.
According to the CEO of the Lágrimas Group, those hotels that were dependent on the national and Spanish markets were suffering the most, although Lisbon, Porto and the Alentejo were all expected to enjoy “acceptable” performances.
Both the United Kingdom and German markets were largely the saving grace for the sector while the Brazilian market had also been surprisingly buoyant. “It has grown considerably because of more flights from Brazil to Portugal and there is clearly a potential for growth,” he said.
When it came to the national market, the Portuguese were holidaying and travelling less. Last year they took 15 days of holiday on average compared with 12 this year and when they do take holidays they spend less and don’t eat out so often.
According to the Portuguese hotels association, people are eating less in hotels, using the hotel bar less and are not booking so many spas and therapies in a bid to save money.
“Speak to any hotel owner and they will tell you that these days its normal to see hotel guests coming in with plastic bags with provisions they bought in the local supermarket,” said Miguel Júdice adding that people might travel more but they are doing so on a shoestring budget.
The interview highlighted two major bankruptcies in the hotel sector: Imocom, a partner with the hotel chain Hilton, and Orizon which held Resort Campo Real.
“It’s possible we’ll see more insolvencies because the hotel sector is one that requires a heavy investment to build. For a long time these investments were possible since financial arrangements with banks and other lenders were favourable.
“Lots of new hotels sprung up in recent years, but now that interest rates are increasing and credit is being squeezed, this is putting stress on hotel groups and some will fall by the wayside,” the hotel entrepreneur said.


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The jockeying is on among leaders in a new B2B mega-category: revenue tech. Scott Vaughan on July 25, 2022 There’s a positioning battle going on across B2B sales, customer, data, and marketing technology providers. Aiming to organize these diverse B2B solutions into a mega-category — we’ll call it “revenue technology” — the race is … Continue reading Get your front row seat for the race to be the B2B revenue platform of record
Your GTM strategy and the core ingredients must be constantly optimized and evaluated for impact by key stakeholders. Scott Vaughan on May 19, 2022 “What is the right go-to-market (GTM) strategy(ies) for our business?” This is a common question being debated and discussed across the C-suite today (note: not just in sales and marketing meetings). … Continue reading Create a B2B GTM strategy that buyers, execs and revenue teams love
Meta offers new professional certificates through Coursera Separate courses cover everything from front-end development to iOS app creation. I. Bonifacic @igorbonifacic May 4th, 2022 Coursera Last year, in an effort to fill outstanding positions, Meta stopped requiring job seekers to hold a four-year university or college degree to apply for some roles. At the time, … Continue reading Meta will limit hiring this year due to slowing revenue growth
Algolia’s visual merchandising helped Paul&Shark improve search relevance and speed, leading to increased conversion rates. Jacqueline Dooley on April 25, 2022 Paul&Shark’s website went live in 2019, but the Italian luxury clothing brand has been around for half a century. “The brand has a long history,” said Giusseppe Miriello, Paul&Shark’s Global Digital Director. Miriello’s role … Continue reading Improving website search was key to boosting Paul&Shark’s e-commerce revenue
Revenue Lost By Poor Digital Experience Can Now Be Measured by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 17, 2022 Tracking the performance and qualifying the financial impact of a customer’s digital experience typically requires the ability to analyze data and benchmark it to compare to others in the industry. Developers at Qualtrics XM believe they … Continue reading Revenue Lost By Poor Digital Experience Can Now Be Measured
In this webinar, learn how AI-powered conversations drive prospective buyers towards the next best action. Cynthia Ramsaran on March 15, 2022 What if you could 10x your best leads, accelerate revenue opportunities and scale your Sales team easily? Welcome to the Conversation-Qualified Era—where contacts enjoy iconic customer experiences, teams can scale personalized attention, and … Continue reading Disrupt the funnel and accelerate revenue opportunities
Focusing on revenue as the key business outcome actually may not be the best way to drive growth. Kim Davis on January 31, 2022 MarTech’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s digital marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, … Continue reading It’s not all about revenue
Revenue goals are important, but when they take over, customer experience, product and brand can get left behind. Darrell Alfonso on January 28, 2022 Fasten your seatbelts. This article will be hotly debated. The martech industry is actually in a revenue bubble, like the dot-com bubble of 1995 and the housing bubble of 2008. And … Continue reading Is martech in a revenue bubble and how soon will it burst?
YouTube Ads Estimated To Contribute $8.95B In Q4 2021 Revenue by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 27, 2022 As earnings season for Q4 2021 gets underway, Raymond James Analyst Aaron Kessler released a research note early Thursday with ad industry estimates focused on search, social and advertising technology. Based on industry data and check-ins with various companies, … Continue reading YouTube Ads Estimated To Contribute $8.95B In Q4 2021 Revenue
Garry Grant December 13, 2021 Paid media is advertising for your business that you pay for. The most common forms of paid media you are likely to come across include the following: Display ads Sponsored ads Paid search Google Ad’s Facebook Carousel ads Dynamic Product Ads (DPA) Twitter Instagram Influencer Marketing Google Shopping Bing Ad’s … Continue reading What is Paid Media? Paid Media Can Help Drive Revenue.


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Panasonic continued to grow the European rugged notebook and tablet market in 2015, according to market analysts VDC Research.
With a 66% rugged notebook and convertible share of sales and a 59% rugged tablet revenue share of sales, the Panasonic Toughbook and Toughpad range sold more devices across Europe than the rest of the rugged notebook and tablet competition combined.
Following its 20th year of continuous success in this sector, Panasonic has now set its sights on Europe's rugged handheld market. The company grew its revenues in the sector by 55% and almost a third of its product range is now dedicated to this market.
"With continued digitalisation of sectors such as retail and manufacturing, alongside the demand for versatile rugged mobile devices in areas such as logistics and utilities, we are seeing businesses embrace our technology solutions to drive ever greater productivity and efficiency," said Jan Kaempfer, General Manager of Marketing for Panasonic Computer Product Solutions. "Based on our customers' feedback we continue to innovate, working with our partners to bring together the hardware form factors, software solutions, professional services and peripherals they demand to achieve their business goals. We are now bringing this same successful, customer focused approach to the rugged handheld market."
In recent months, Panasonic has announced the world's lightest fully rugged handheld tablets. The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-F1 & FZ-N1 handheld tablets have a unique angled rear barcode reader to protect against repetitive strain and enhance user productivity. Panasonic also introduced the world's first fully rugged detachable notebook for business.
The Toughbook CF-20 detachable device meets the needs of mobile workers that require both touchscreen tablet and notebook functionality in an ergonomic but hardwearing form. This year the company has also created its Global Docking Solutions business in Cardiff, in Wales, to meet the needs of rugged Toughbook notebook and Toughpad tablet customers requiring specialised docking solutions for their mobile workforce.


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The British cider producer 'Orchard Pig' is designing a delivery drone that is shaped like a flying pig. As drone technology becomes more accessible, many brands are looking for ways to utilize the flying robots. This company is working on a new drone that will be able to deliver cider directly to customers.
Orchard Pig is currently working on a way to turn the Gloucester Old Spot pig into a delivery drone. The reason for making a drone shaped like a flying pig is largely symbolic as it represents the company's growth over the years. As founder Andrew Quinland explains, "we made the impossible possible and now have used the delivery service to make pigs fly – because why not?" The quirky pig-shaped drone would be used to deliver full shipments of cider to customers in the UK. The drone has already embarked on a series of successful test flights, which indicates that the service may be up and running by next summer.
The drone-based delivery service provides a fun and exciting way for customers to interact with the popular cider brand.
Cider Delivery Drones
More Stats +/-
Self-Destructing Delivery Drones
Surprise Gifting Drones
Parcel Delivery Drones
Mail Delivery Drones


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Graphene partnership to advance flexible plastic electronics in UK
27 June 2013
Cambridge University’s Graphene Centre and Plastic Logic are collaborating to exploit the use of graphene in flexible plastic electronics.
Plastic Logic has donated large scale deposition equipment to the Centre to support the acceleration of manufacturing scale-up of developments on graphene. The research programme will initially have three main project activities:
- To develop graphene as a transparent, highly conductive layer for plastic backplanes, used to drive unbreakable Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) and flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays - a market forecast to be worth $40bn by 2020.
- To develop novel transistor structures with graphene-like materials as the active layer, delivering a step change over the device performance currently possible on plastic, while retaining the ultimate flexibility of the devices.
- To take advantage of Plastic Logic’s expertise in the industrialisation and volume manufacture of electronics on plastic, exploiting the commercialisation of graphene for flexible electronics. This will include key high value segments in the developing new market for flexible plastic sensors, forecast to be worth $2.2bn overall in 2020.
Cambridge Graphene Centre’s Director, Professor Andrea C. Ferrari, said the mission of the Centre will be to investigate the science and technology of graphene, carbon allotropes, layered crystals and hybrid nanomaterials.
"This engineering innovation centre allows our partners to meet, and effectively establish joint industrial-academic activities to promote innovative and adventurous research with an emphasis on applications," she says.
"We welcome Plastic Logic as one of our strategic partners. Graphene and related materials are ideally suited for applications in flexible electronics, and this strong synergy with a world-leading Cambridge-based company can accelerate exploitation."
Indro Mukerjee, CEO Plastic Logic expressed delight that Plastic Logic is working with the world class team at the Cambridge Graphene Centre on this transformational research programme for the application of graphene in his company's flexible plastic electronics process.
"This will enable higher levels of customisation and drive a step change in technology performance, opening up new commercial applications, such as the huge potential market for large area distributed sensors,” he added.


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Manushi was roped in to become a brand ambassador for a jewellery label and at the press meet was seeing doing desi in an Anita Dongre lehenga. Just wish that choli fit better at the bust. The stark outline of the padding at the bust looked really awkward.
Manushi Chhillar at a Press Meet
Photo Credit: Viral Bhayani


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Generation Xers, forget it. You're history, as old as yesterday's sex scandal.
You're too bitter, jaded, pessimistic and there's not enough of you to get marketers excited about selling mass quantities of goods to you.
Generation Y is what's happening. Generation Y, or people below age 24, will drive retailing in the next millenium, according to Cynthia Cohen of Marketplace 2000, a Miami-based consulting company.
In their households, Generation Y-ers (Y-ists?) are already the authorities on brand names, and are influencing purchases on food, furniture and fashion _ they made Tommy Hilfiger the brand he is today, according to Cohen.
Baby Boomers will start slowly shuffling off the stage they have occupied since diaper sales took off in the late 1940s.
Cohen's company talked to instructors and college students across the country, including members of University of Florida's Delta Sigma Pi fraternity. So if you hate her results, blame the Delts. The research was unveiled at the National Retail Federation conference last month in New York City.
The influence of Baby Boomers will start fading during the next 10 years or so as Boomers move into their late 50s and early 60s, according to Cohen. And not because they'll be dead; they're a pretty healthy bunch. But as "grays," as Cohen calls them, they will have already purchased a lot of what they need.
So the next big population bulge, the Y-inistas, will start to storm the stores.
Some characteristics of Generation Y, says Cohen:
* More ethnic than older generations.
* More interracial couples. Tiger Woods, the multi-ethnic golfer, is the poster boy for this group.
* More tolerant of culture, style and behavior. "They may not agree with body piercing, but they agree everybody has a right to do it, if they want to." This is different from Baby Boomers, who have been apostles seeking to sway others to their thinking.
* Not interested in devoting their lives to work, like the Boomers, but can't wait to start spending. Their noses are "pressed to the windows of full-priced retailers."
* Health is a big concern, but they're still tempted by fast-food, clubs and drugs.
* Interested in spirituality and experimenting with religion, but not necessarily in sticking to one religion.
* They change styles based on times of the day. "Grunge by day; exotic by night."
* They have grown up in prosperous times and are thus more optimistic than their older brothers and sisters. But they don't want to get divorced, like their moms and dads.
Retailers need to quicken the speed of change, according to Cohen. Store designs used to change every 10 years; now it's every five years. Soon they will need to change every three years.
Members of Generation Y don't mind blurring boundaries. Barnes & Noble and Borders are an early example of this: drink coffee where you buy books. Young people may want to buy food where they exercise or clothes at sports arenas.
Y members like to have their senses engaged. You may see designers develop a signature smell, to go with their designer logo.
Generation Y is already credited with helping create a mini-boom in movies, with Scream, Scream II, and helping make Titanic a mega-success with repeat viewings. On the stock market, they helped boost the stocks of companies like Wet Seal and the Pembroke Pines-based costume jewelry company Claire's Stores.
One trend they won't spearhead is shopping over the Internet. This group still likes going to the mall, and shopping over the Internet is still too user-unfriendly.
"These are technologically savvy kids," Cohen said. "They're complaining it's too slow; it takes too long."
Cohen predicts shopping over the Internet won't take off until that great day, anticipated by Bill Gates, when entertainment, computers and retailing converge in a meaningful way.
Here's how it might happen: the Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl. They're still dousing John Elway with champagne when the first buying opportunity arises _ click on this icon to order your Broncos Super Bowl champion merchandise.
David Altaner's column about stores and shopping appears on Thursdays. Write to him at 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 33301, or e-mail him at (davidalt95(AT)aol.com).


text: “Most of the 50 million tons of electronic waste that’s generated every year is treated like garbage even though it isn’t,” the team at outerwear and accessories company Vollebak writes in a post announcing their new “Garbage Watch,” made in collaboration with Wallpaper* magazine’s Re-Made project. The timepiece comprises parts of salvaged keyboards, microchips, TVs and more—reincarnated as watch components. With pop-art appeal, the “Garbage Watch” will surely change in style over the course of the next year as Vollebak leads this release from concept to production. A waitlist to reserve a watch is open now. Read more at Vollebak’s website.


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©IDG Communications, Inc. Photo contributed by Matthew Mikaelian.
MediaPost/video insider, 4/21/11
Contrary to popular belief, mobile video inventory is now far outstripping the demand from advertisers — and many players in the ecosystem have an incentive to present mobile inventory as being constrained. (BrightRoll noticed a similar dynamic as the online video advertising business matured.) Well, the jig is up.
As Ray Kurzweil says, we tend to think linearly but information technology scales exponentially. The confluence of three factors have driven this massive growth in mobile video inventory:


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Barring exceptional execution from Nokia, We believe Samsung will have the distinction of being the number one supplier of mobile devices (cell phone and smart phones). Ten years ago the company had a negligible market share compared to the likes of Nokia, Motorola and Sony. Building on its success from the Korean market, Samsung gradually penetrated other Asian markets, eventually developing a strong presence in Europe and the America’s. A couple of years ago Samsung became the number one supplier of mobile devices in the US ahead of Motorola and Nokia.
Samsung’s success can be attributed to:
- Short product cycles
- Excellent design
- Variety of products
- Lower cost products for emerging markets
- Strong branding
Moreover, its success in the smartphone segment started with the Blackjack (yes! it was windows based) series. In the last copleof years the Galaxy S has achieved the distinction of being called the best android smart phone. The company has taken significant share from HTC, Motorola and some share from Apple.
Given that Google is in the process of acquiring Motorola, I will not be surprised to see Samsung offer more handsets with Windows 7/8 and its own OS.


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Prism Awards 2018 – Blue selected as a finalist
The Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation is a leading international competition that honors the best new photonic products on the market. The team at Blue is proud to announce that we have been selected as a finalist for our upcoming product Blue X-FLR8 v2, currently finalizing beta-tests at select partners and customers.
The gas analyzers from Blue are the first gas analyzers based on a broadly tunable laser. They are able to directly quantify traces of hundreds of molecules and operate in real-time. Our analyzers are used to continuously monitor gas pollutants harmful to people or to industrial assets.
Stay tuned for the imminent official launch of our new analyzers.


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Cork Business Association has said the city needs to look at its retail model after it was announced yesterday that one of Cork’s three Argos stores is set to close this year.
The city centre store, located on Grand Parade, is due to close in November.
An Argos spokesperson confirmed the scheduled closure yesterday morning but stated there would be possible redeployment opportunities for their staff: “Our Cork Queens Arcade store will be closing in November. We will offer colleagues the opportunity to redeploy to their nearest store where possible.”
When asked by The Echo the reasons for the closure a spokesperson said it was following a regular review of their estate.
In response to a query about the future of the two other Argos stores in Cork, the spokesperson said: “Customers can continue to shop with us at our nearby stores.”
The company declined to elaborate on the number of employees affected by the closure at the Grand Parade store as negotiations were ongoing with the staff members.
“We cannot pre-empt the consultation process. Colleagues have been offered the opportunity to redeploy to nearby stores.”
CEO of the Cork Business Association Lawrence Owens said it was “very disappointing” to see a prominent retailer deciding to close, but said the important thing now was to look at the space and see what can be done to ensure the city gets another retailer into the location.
“It is disappointing, but we need to look at this from a business perspective and see what went wrong and what we can do better.
“The last thing we want is for the store to close in November and the doors to shut and to be looking at an empty building.”
Mr Owens said the site needed to be regenerated or revamped and was in need of some TLC.
“We need to offer an opportunity for another investment. Losing a big player is tough, but we need to look at the site and the future of the site. The current model hasn’t worked for Argos for whatever reason so we need to be innovative and think of something else.”
Mr Owens said it was a case of working with the other retailers to see what could be done to get another retailer in there.
“We need to be innovative and flexible. Grand Parade has seen a resurgence in recent times with the homeware store Homesense and the revamp of Centra. It has come on a lot over the past few years and we don’t want to let this slip.”


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Twitter's new six-second video sharing app Vine
is no longer an Editor's Choice nor featured on Apple's App Store following a flood of pornographic submissions
that are easily searchable and shareable using the app. Twitter even briefly (and accidentally) featured an adult scene
as one of its "Editor's Picks" shortly after the app's release last Thursday. The Vine app is still available through the app store, but any promotion of it has been suspended and the app itself is likely to be removed if Twitter cannot quickly fix the issue.


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Coffee Talk Event with Alibaba Certified Global Lecturer
In August 2023, Raffles International College Bangkok hosted a Coffee Talk event with Ms. Papitchaya Sangchanthamanee, an Alibaba Certified Global Lecturer and Alibaba Specialist, as the guest speaker on the topic of “Alibaba and E-commerce Business” at the Common Ground Cafe. Many business students came to enjoy this event.
Alibaba is a worldwide organization that specializes in e-commerce. As the world’s fastest growing e-commerce organization, Alibaba has revolutionized the way businesses operate online. With Ms. Papitchaya’s expertise, students would be able to gain a better understanding of the future of e-commerce and how it will shape the global marketplace.
The event was an excellent opportunity for students to learn directly from industry professionals. With Ms. Papitchaya’s guidance, students could learn about the various aspects of e-commerce and how to adapt business ideas to their work. Students also had the chance to ask questions and engage in discussions with Ms. Papitchaya, allowing for a more personalized and interactive learning experience.
As a result, the Coffee Talk event was an exciting opportunity for business students to expand their knowledge and gain unique insights into the world of e-commerce. With the guidance of a highly respected industry professional, students can gain a competitive edge in their future careers and thrive in the evolving digital marketplace.
Explore the heart of tech and science incubation
Mr. Wynn Arunrugstichai, programme director of interior design at Raffles International College Bangkok, was recently invited to attend the opening of the Link Lab Shinkiba 2 building in the Shinkiba District, Tokyo, Japan. The event was a grand affair, attended by many industry leaders. Mr. Wynn was thrilled to be a part of the event, as it gave him an opportunity to witness firsthand the latest developments in architectural design and innovation.
The Link Lab Shinkiba 2 building is one of the projects that have been created with the vision of becoming the heart of the tech and science incubation area in the Shinkiba District of Tokyo’s Bay Area. The building’s typology is made up of laboratory and office space that is set to become benchmarks for future development with its generous internal and external informal meeting spaces designed to stimulate interaction between start-ups and incubate innovation.
This building impressed visitors with its design and the efforts that went into creating such a dynamic and innovative space. This made visitors feel that these spaces were crucial in fostering an environment of innovation and creativity.
Overall, Mr. Wynn had an excellent experience at the opening of the Link Lab Shinkiba 2 building. He was impressed by the building’s design and appreciated the opportunity to engage with other industry leaders and innovators. The event made interior designers feel inspired and motivated, eager to continue pushing the boundaries of architectural design and innovation.
Creative Brand Design Presentation
In July 2023, graphic design and multimedia design students had an exciting opportunity to pitch and present their brand designs at Raffles International College Bangkok. The main focus of this project is on logo design, creating a brochure, and conceptualizing a store in a group presentation. This was an excellent opportunity for the students to showcase their creative talents and put their design skills into practice.
During this activity, the students were able to present their ideas and designs to their friends and lecturer. This allowed them to receive valuable feedback and constructive criticism for their work. The lecturer provided insights on how the designs could be improved and also shared their expertise on industry standards and best practices.
Many students created outstanding outcomes from this activity. Their designs were innovative, creative, and well thought out. The students were able to apply the knowledge and skills they had learned in their classes and produce high-quality work. This activity not only helped them improve their design skills but also provided them with the opportunity to showcase their talents.
In conclusion, this activity was a great success for the graphic design and multimedia students. It allowed them to showcase their creativity, receive valuable feedback, and produce high-quality designs. The students gained valuable experience and skills that will be beneficial to them in their future careers.


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All American Gourmet Co. said net income for its fiscal year ended Jan. 26 was $4.8 million, more than nine times the $514,000 reported for the prior year. Sales for the year totaled $91.3 million, compared to $39.4 million a year earlier.
The Orange-based food processor attributed the gains to "aggressive marketing" of its "Budget Gourmet" brand of frozen entrees.
The company said the net income included a tax credit of $643,000. year-earlier results included a tax credit of $76,000.
For the fourth quarter, All American reported net income of $946,000 compared to $1.3 million for the year earlier, a decline the company said was due to advertising expenditures, increased interest expense and start-up costs at its Atlanta plant. Fourth-quarter sales were $27.3 million, up 70% from sales of $16 million the prior year.
The Atlanta plant began operation in September and the company said it expects a plant under construction in Clearfield, Utah, to be ready for start-up later this year. The Utah plant will be the company's third. All American's principal plant is in Pittsburgh, Pa.


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We have to tip our hats to Kevin Fenwick, an 18-year employee at Janesville Acoustics, an auto industry supplier in Norwalk that plans to close by year's end and move operations out of state. Fenwick, and some other employees are staying on the job but wanted to send General Motors a message by wearing patch at work with the GM logo and a red circle slash around it.
He and other soon-to-be unemployed Janesville employees believe GM put pressure on the company to pull up stakes.
The patches were banned, but Fenwick found a way to express his frustration by parking a car on the public street in front of the factory with an even bigger "No" to GM sign on it. Factory management called police and the officer who responded quickly determined the car was parked legally and the sign wasn't a problem either.
Fenwick's frustration with GM is understandable. About 290 workers at Janesville will be out of a job. Employees at KBI, and retirees from there and its predecessors, New Departure and Delphi, also have expressed frustration with GM, suggesting the automaker is stifling opportunities for KBI to get new work orders.
Janesville management has asked employees to remain loyal during the transition, and we're glad Fenwick and other workers are finding a way to do that while still exercising their First Amendment rights.
We're disappointed with GM and the decision, too, and hope for the best for every family this is impacting, but it's good these employees were able to get their message out.
Get today's Register for the viewpoint "We must be doing something right," about attracting talent to the Northcoast.


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Latest Prepaid Stories
ATLANTA, May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- InComm, the leader in sales and marketing of prepaid products and innovator of transaction processing, is entering into a partnership with K-VA-T, a Virginia-based grocery store chain with locations in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.
DALLAS, May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent advances in hardware and software for the utility industry have made it possible for electric service providers to receive payments before electricity is consumed.
PLEASANTON, Calif., May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackhawk Network, the leading provider of prepaid and financial payment products, has announced the winners of the company's fifth annual Hawk Awards.
Consumers in the U.S., Canada and the UK can support family members with iSend payments in more than 60,000 retail locations and online. Middlebury, CT (PRWEB) May 12, 2011 iSend, a leading U.S.
LAS VEGAS, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- eCommLink, a leading value-added prepaid debit processor, announced today the appointment of Oscar Mota to Chief Operations Officer. In this expanded role, Mr.
PLEASANTON, Calif., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, today announced that two of the company's leading programs won top honors at the Paybefore Awards held on March 7, 2011.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FNDS3000 Corp (OTCQB: FDTC), an international prepaid processing company currently introducing electronic payment solutions to the South African market, today announced its financial results and an operational update for the second fiscal quarter and six months ended February 28, 2011.
LONDON, April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The team at PCS rounded off an impressive few months with recognition at the 2011 Prepaid365 Prepaid Card Awards by winning the Best International Prepaid Card category.
Wipit Provides a Mobile E-Commerce Solution for the Cash-Preferred Customer. See it. Want it.
Consumers Union Offers Tips On Minimizing Bank Account & Prepaid Card Fees SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Most prepaid cards charge higher fees than basic checking accounts offered by the top five banks in the U.S., according to a new analysis released today by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.
- To befool; deceive; balk; jilt.
- An illusion; a trick; a cheat.


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Apple rumored to introduce a 10.5-inch iPad Pro in Q1 2017
Reports of a new 10.5-inch iPad resurfaced after DigiTimes claimed in a new report that production of the tablet will begin next month.
Based on its supply chain sources, Apple decided to introduce a 10.5-inch iPad model because the screen size is popular among users in the enterprise and education sectors. The upcoming tablet will be powered by an A10X processor, which will also be used in the refresh of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Similar to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's predictions, DigiTimes also states that Apple will be launching more affordable variants of the 9.7-inch iPad to compete with Android tablets. Japanese site Macotakara reported last month that Apple will be unveiling a 10.1-inch and 7.9-inch iPad Pro models next year.


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LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Automaker DaimlerChrysler dcx DAI, -0.49% said second quarter operating profit rose to 2.1 billion euros ($2.52 billion) from 641 million euros a year ago, topping analyst estimates, with net profit jumping to 554 million euros from 109 million a year ago. Analysts had forecasted operating profits to rise to a range between 1.83 billion and 1.96 billion euros, according to an AFX News poll. Chrysler operating profits rose to 516 million euros, its fourth straight rise on market success of the new products, higher units sales and further cost reductions, while Mercedes profits fell to 703 million euros on lifecycle-related decrease in unit sales by Mercedes-Benz, high launch costs and start-up costs for new products, it said. It sees a "significant improvement" in operating profit for 2004 excluding restructuring expenditures at Chrysler Group and excluding the capital gain realized on the sale of MTU Aero Engines.
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The audio, originally taken from a video of Hadid from an i-D cover shoot, features the model’s voice saying, “My name, my name is Bella Hadid.” While it was originally set to a supercut of Hadid during fashion week, TikTok users soon began using the audio to make light-hearted videos of themselves feeling attractive or trying out beauty tools.
But things took a turn when users began pairing the audio with examples of restrictive or disordered eating, from blotting grease off a pizza to skipping breakfast, in order to suggest that they feel like a supermodel like Hadid when they monitor or restrict their eating. More extreme and troubling examples have since emerged, with users sharing that they feel thinner after throwing up or that they feel like Hadid after losing their appetite for weeks at a time due to mental health struggles. To date, the Bella Hadid audio has been used in more than 93,000 videos on the platform.
Why the videos are concerning
Although users might make the case that this trend is rooted in humor, experts caution that it may be harmful. For Jennifer Rollin, an eating disorder therapist and the co-founder of the Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Md., the trend is troubling because of the danger it poses to those who are vulnerable to disordered eating or are in recovery for an eating disorder and could easily be triggered.
“This trend normalizes and pokes fun at disordered eating, equating eating less or eating in a certain way with looking like a model—both of which are really unhealthy standards for people who are watching,” Rollin says, adding that the videos may give viewers “ideas” for disordered eating tactics. “It can normalize disordered eating, making it almost the ‘cool thing’ to do, which is incredibly damaging and harmful to people who are susceptible to it.”
Even for those who do not struggle with disordered eating, the trend could exacerbate a problematic misunderstanding of how serious these conditions can be. According to the British Journal of Psychiatry, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses, while the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reports that of the nearly 30 million Americans who are struggling with eating disorders, 26% of them attempt suicide. Studies also show that people with eating disorders are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. Edie Stark, a social worker who specializes in eating disorders, notes that making light of the issue only furthers the lack of recognition of the real harm of eating disorders.
“There’s a common belief when someone has an eating disorder that they’re not sick enough,” Stark says. “This trend reinforces that belief.” Stark argues that a person who’s struggling might see one of these videos and think, “Other people are doing it—it’s not that serious. They’re joking about it, so maybe I don’t have a problem.”
For Abbey Sharp, a registered dietician who uses TikTok to debunk myths that have emerged from diet culture, a primary concern about the trend is that the videos could prevent people from seeking the help they may need. “Eating disorders are a real, major mental health issue. They’re not a joke,” Sharp says. “With this trend, it’s glamorizing it like it’s something to be proud of.”
Sharp also sees the TikTok trend as a departure from the usual “wellness” content that is popular on the platform—videos where creators share what they eat in a day or detail their workout routines, which she views as another harmful form of diet culture. She’s also wary of a troubling return to the aesthetic trend of extreme thinness popularized in the Y2K era, which could have serious consequences for those who are vulnerable to disordered eating. “Unfortunately, we have been seeing the early-2000s ‘skinny era’ making a comeback,” she says. “And as a result of that, there is a return of the glamorization of a lot of these disordered eating behaviors, like extreme examples of restraint, dietary control, or willpower.”
Hadid herself was not involved in the making of this trend, but, as a model, she has long been subjected to unsolicited feedback about her body. The trend’s association with her name is sobering, given that she has spoken openly about her past struggles with anorexia and body dysmorphia. (A representative for Hadid did not respond to TIME’s request for comment.)
Pushing back against the trend
TikTok’s algorithm suggests videos and creators that are trending on each users’ “For You” page, so a given user doesn’t have control over what content shows up in their feed. Rollin recommends taking proactive steps to try to minimize one’s exposure to upsetting or potentially harmful content.
“If people are feeling triggered by this trend and similar trends, work to scroll past the videos or hit ‘not interested’ to try to change their algorithm,” she says. “It can also be helpful to follow people who are promoting more anti-diet and body positive content on the app.”
Sharp believes that TikTok needs to take a stronger stance when it comes to determining what is problematic content. She encourages users to block and unfollow accounts that produce it, and to call out those videos and creators like they would for promoting other forms of inappropriate content.
“As soon as this trend is over, there’ll be another one and another one,” she says. “Until the voices speaking out against this kind of content are loud enough, I’m not sure that we’re going to really see much as much of a decline.”
Stark’s advice to TikTok users is to show themselves some grace, especially if they’re struggling. “Be mindful and take care of yourself when you’re on social media—and understand if you’re feeling triggered by a video, that’s valid,” she says. “If you’re able to see that stuff and be OK, keep yourself safe, but know that you don’t need to change your body. You don’t need to blot your pizza or diet to be better. You’re worthy, just as you are.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the National Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-800-931-2237; in case of a crisis or emergency, text “NEDA” to 741741 for 24/7 support.
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Al Hilal Publishing & Marketing GroupPO Box 1100,
Kingdom of Bahrain
Click here for Contact Details
The Filipino community is rallying together to help typhoon victims back home suffering in the wake of storms that have devastated their homes and livelihoods.
For example, the Filipino Creatives Bahrain, is staging an arts exhibition starting on December 1, and has collaborated with Forex Cargo UMAC-Bahrain to send donations of non-perishable goods and toiletries to the Philippines.
And, fashionably-thrifty Maria Angela Acosta is selling secondhand goods on social media in a bid to raise funds.“I knew I had to do something, even if it’s just a small initiative,” she said.
At the beginning of the month, the Philippines was struck by Super Typhoon Goni, the world’s strongest typhoon of the year, and a week later, was hit by Typhoon Vamco, leaving devastation and chaos in its wake.
Super Typhoon Goni, (also known as Typhoon Rolly) and Typhoon Vamco (also known as Typhoon Ulysses) have affected more than 1.6 million people.
Filipina writer and content creator Maria, who lives in Manama, is using her Instagram account @themarias, which features a collection of secondhand women’s clothing and accessories for sale, to help rally support for the families and farmers affected by the storms.
“I really couldn’t take how helpless the people were and seeing posts on social media of the victims literally crying for help made me so frustrated because I couldn’t do anything,” explained Maria Angela who started a fashion account in 2018 with her friend Maria Claupin, who moved back to the Philippines last year.
The duo had started their passion project for thrifty designs to empower people through stylish and sustainable clothing and called it The Marias after both of them. Now Maria Angela is handling it on her own and hopes her fundraising efforts will help make a difference and inspire others to do the same.
She said: “I felt guilty being safe and having a roof over my head. There were reports that there was no immediate help from the authorities concerned at the affected areas and that all the victims are relying on right now are donations from different people and organisations.
Last Wednesday, Maria Angela posted a new collection of around 20-plus items for sale and all of the proceeds from this series will be donated to the typhoon victims. She has collected BD41 so far.
“It might be a small amount but it’s the least I can do to help my fellow Filipinos,” said Maria Angela who graduated from the University of the Philippines with a bachelor’s degree in communication, a major in journalism and a minor in broadcasting.
And, more clothing, shoes and fashion accessories are being donated to the cause through @vpreloved.bh with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the Philippines Typhoon Relief Fund in a campaign launched by expat Venetia Rosetta D’Souza.
The typhoons caused massive flooding in various parts of Luzon including Metro Manila and Cagayan and destroyed thousands of homes.
Many areas in Cagayan, a rice- and corn-producing region of 1.2 million people, were submerged and the heavy flooding affected thousands of families. Some families fled to rooftops to escape two-storey high floods.
As of last week, the International Federation of the Red Cross said 47,000 people were rescued so far, but that it ‘fears for the safety and wellbeing of thousands who remain trapped’.
Both typhoons come at a time when the Philippines is suffering from a surge of Covid-19 infections. Currently, the Philippines have the largest rate of infections in Southeast Asia, second only to Indonesia.
Maria Angela’s donations will be distributed to the ‘Kaya Natin! Movement’ and ‘For Our Farmers’ campaign.
The ‘Kaya Natin! Movement’ is a non-profit organisation that sends relief assistance to the communities hardest-hit by the recent typhoons and the ‘For Our Farmers’ is a donation drive initiative helping Filipino farmers and fisher folk through sustainable and inclusive projects.
She added: “Once donated, the organisations will use the funds to buy items for relief packs and hygiene kits to be delivered to the affected areas. I’m not accepting monetary donations but I am advising interested people to donate directly to legitimate relief drives in the Philippines.
“There are also a couple of small businesses in Bahrain that are raising funds for the typhoon victims in the Philippines which is wonderful.
“People need to acknowledge that we aren’t all born with the same opportunities either. Some people struggle just to survive. Therefore, I believe that we must practice empathy and kindness to others. If you have an opportunity, a privilege and a platform to help the less capable – then by all means, you should do it. After all, every day is a good day to help.”


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He was magnificent in the first half of the season and now he can't even get a place on the bench (through no fault of his own). ) July 14, 2015 Honda Civic Type R That Can Reach Speeds Upto 168mph 0 The new 2015 Honda Civic Type R was first released during the 2014 Geneva Motor Show solely as a concept car, but now Honda is now announced that they going to release a production version of the new Civic Type R. blog 5#c3580 Aru in response to: Review: Testlink an open source test management system Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:50:50 +0000 Aru c3579@sations.
They came to visit us to see if we needed anything and like the hotel staff they were also extremely helpful. As for the day on which to celebrate your birthday the sensible thing for anybody born on February 29 is to simply celebrate it every year on the last day of February. Our Tried And Tested Best Eye Creams Monday 21 December, 2015 Best Red Lipsticks: 10 Shades That'.
Bring shopping bags and cash and you should be fine (those cash machines at the banks outside run out quickly). Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. (after keeping this place running for 15 years, you've only got yourself to blame for all of us constantly exhibiting false hope) M.


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Gartner: PC Shipments Up 2.3 Percent, Apple No. 3 Vendor in U.S.
"After strong growth in shipments of consumer PCs for four years, driven by strong demand for mini-notebooks and low-priced consumer notebooks, the market is shifting to modest, but steady growth," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “The slow overall growth indicates that the PC market is still in a period of adjustment, which began in the second half of 2010."
Hewlett Packard topped the charts, both in terms of worldwide PC shipments (17.5 percent share of the market) and those solely in the U.S. (26.9 percent share). In terms of the latter, Apple jumped ahead of Acer to become the third largest PC vendor in the country with a 10.7 percent share. Acer, meanwhile, fell from 11.3 percent to 9.3 percent. What's also noteworthy about Apple's rise is that these figures don't take into account tablet PCs -- a segment Apple dominates -- and only include desktops and notebooks (including mini-notebooks).