text:
With a staggering 1.8 million beauty videos amassing over 45 billion views, YouTube has the beauty market cornered, and brands are racing to get behind the eight ball. Nadia Stennett reports.
This week YouTube video marketing platform Pixability released a study of the video sharing site’s beauty ecosystem that’s revealed many brands are well behind the pack when it comes to harnessing the pulling power of YouTube.
According to the new report, Beauty On YouTube 2015, with 1.8 million beauty focussed videos amassing some 45 billion (yep, billion) views currently on YouTube, beauty content on the site has skyrocketed, growing by a whopping 50 percent in the past year.
Unsurprisingly, women make up 89 per cent of the site’s beauty video viewing audience, while more strikingly, beauty videos aimed at over 45s grew 62 per cent faster than the rest of the beauty space, highlighting a shift in a medium that was once considered predominately targeted at Gen Y-ers.
…the ability for beauty brands to respond to the rapidly changing landscape on YouTube is now a key factor in determining success in terms of reach and impact.
“The beauty space on YouTube is massive and constantly evolving, and having a solid understanding of our audience and the influential beauty creator community is critical to our digital strategy,” said Bobbi Brown Cosmetics global social community manager, Andrea Barton of the findings.
Indeed, the ability for beauty brands to respond to the rapidly changing landscape on YouTube and the way their target audience consumes video content in general is now a key factor in determining success in terms of reach and impact.
The Pixability study also emphasises the major ways in which the YouTube medium has changed in the beauty space, including increased variety and quantity of content, evolving audience demographics, increased advertising investment and the shifting rankings of specific beauty creators according to reach and influence.
In particular, as the hierarchy of YouTube’s beauty vlogging elite reconfigures, savvy brands are seizing the opportunity to up their video advertising spend and catch up before they fall behind in the race.
YouTube number one beauty vlogger, 28-year-old Michelle Phan has over a billion YouTube views
One who’s not moving from her rank though, is YouTube number one beauty vlogger, 28-year-old Michelle Phan, with over a billion YouTube views, whose estimated net worth is in the millions thanks to a business empire capitalising on her YouTube fame which includes beauty subscription company, Glam Bags, with an $84 million annual sales run-rate.
Phan’s makeup focussed videos also take advantage of the fact cosmetic related videos are what viewers want, with 51 per cent of YouTube’s overall beauty content being makeup focussed.
The study, which analyses the YouTube practices of 215 beauty brands and 182,621 independent YouTube beauty creators across makeup, skincare, hair, nails, and perfume categories, found that many brands aren’t doing enough in the YouTube space to keep up with their competitors, made evident by the fact independent vloggers like Phan have thus far been more successful at reaching and influencing online viewers than brands.
But don’t despair if you’re a beauty company just getting the hang of the YouTube landscape, the Pixability report also goes on to make some key recommendations to keep your head above water as YouTube beauty space continues to skyrocket.
DO: Partner up
Teaming up with major YouTube influencers is a proven strategy that’s worked to bring many lesser known brands into the spotlight and catapult products to success. Just take beauty vlogger Wayne Goss, whose makeup brush racked up a 12,000 person wait list in two days before it was even released, thanks to the beauty guru’s YouTube fame.
DON’T: Ditch the old
Many brands sporadically tidy up their YouTube channels by deleting old or outdated content, thereby compromising thousands of potential views. Keep in mind that even when a product video is no longer relevant, it is still a means of drawing viewers to your channel. This lesson was learned by prestige makeup giant Dior, who lost over 40 million potential views by deleting old content earlier this year.
To read the rest of Pixability’s recommendations based on he YouTube 2015 Beauty Report, you can register at Beauty on YouTube 2015
Have your say: Is your brand on YouTube? How important is staying abreast of online trends to your business?


text:
13:43 26th Feb, 2015
Samsung Unveils 128 GB Internal Memory Modules | TechTree.com
Samsung Unveils 128 GB Internal Memory Modules
Not only provides more space, but is energy efficient as well.
Samsung seems to be on an innovation spree lately and today’s announcement does not fall short as well. The Korean technology giant unveiled advanced 128 GB UFS 2.0 flash memory modules for premium devices that it claims will allow manufacturers to get rid of the memory card altogether.
UFS 2.0 flash memory will basically replace eMMC 5.0 memory found in today’s high-end smartphones. The memory will act as the internal memory and Samsung has made the module available in a number of capacities including 128 GB, 64 GB and 32 GB options.
Command Queue technology that comes built-in in the new embedded memory, accelerates the speed of command execution in SSDs through a serial interface.
The end result is a stunning 19,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) for random reading, which is 2.7 times faster than the most common embedded memory for high-end smartphones today.
Apart from the speed, the new embedded flash memory modules utilize 50 percent less energy while delivering random read speeds that are 12 times faster than that of a typical memory card.
Indeed Samsung had not forgotten about its ePOP solution, which was announced recently. Using the same, the new UFS 2.0 flash memory can piggyback onto an AP (Applications Processor) making more space for other components.
This is essential, considering how much manufacturers struggle to take advantage of every millimetre of space in their smartphones these days.
Since the chips have already entered production, let’s hope that Samsung is a bit generous and offers the same in the upcoming Samsung GALAXY S6; to be unveiled a few days from now, at the MWC 2015.
- Inbase launches ‘Urban Q1 Pro’ TWS Earbuds with Smart Touch control in India
- Airtel announces Rs 6000 cashback on purchase of smartphones from leading brands
- 78% of Indians are saving to spend during the festive season and 72% will splurge on gadgets & electronics
- 5 Tips For Buying A TV This Festive Season
- Facebook launches its largest creator education program in India
- 5 educational tech toys for young and aspiring engineers
- Mid-range smartphones emerge as customer favourites this festive season, reveals Amazon survey
- COLORFUL Launches Onebot M24A1 AIO PC for Professionals
- Europe may require all phone manufacturers to use USB-C charging
- Amazon Announces Prime Video Channels – A Video Entertainment Marketplace in India

domain: news


text:
Maysteel Industries opens its second plant in Monterrey
Wisconsin-based Maysteel Industries, LLC, a manufacturer of custom, sheet metal enclosures, kiosks, cabinets and server racks, announced it has expanded its footprint in Monterrey, Mexico with an additional 35,000 sq. ft. facility.
Most recently in the news for its upgraded ISO 9001:2015 certification, Maysteel’s flagship Monterrey, facility is a 100,000 sq. ft., vertically integrated manufacturing plant with duplicate capabilities to Maysteel’s headquarters in Allenton, WI.
Maysteel’s newest facility will support new products and increased production from the current facility in Mexico. It will also accommodate additional electrical/ mechanical assembly capabilities for new and existing products. Neither the amount of investment required nor the figure of job positions in the new plant were disclosed.
“Maysteel’s newest facility in Monterrey, Mexico will support the significant growth we have experienced within the last few years” said in a statement Carlos Zozaya, Director General for both of Maysteel’s Mexico facilities. “It will increase our capacity for key processes in fabrication, finishing and shipping, while delivering high-quality, custom, sheet metal products to our customers.”
– Denmark-based logistics company DSV opens new facility in Monterrey
– France-based LISI Automotive expands capacity, product offer in Monterrey plant
– Investment firm acquires Maysteel Industries, deal includes a plant in Monterrey
– Nortech Systems to nearly double its footprint in Mexico with new facility in Monterrey


text:
A quarter-century after grunge's enigmatic rhapsodist took his own life, Kurt Cobain's iconic cigarette-singed cardigan worn during Nirvana's 1993 Unplugged performance has sold for nearly $500,000.
- Nirvana's 1993 show is considered one of the most iconic Unplugged performances, and was recorded less than six months before Cobain's death
- Cobain's Fender Mustang guitar was also sold for $500,000
- Julien's Auctions CEO says rock and roll memorabilia is being collected like fine art by Millennials
The tattered, drab-olive-green button-up sweater with dark stains and a burn hole sold for $US334,000 ($490,000) through Julien's Auctions, setting a new record for the most expensive jumper ever sold at auction.
The thrifted cardigan is the toast of this fall's "Icons & Idols: Rock 'N' Roll" auction organised by the house, which also sold off the late Nirvana front man's left-handed teal Fender Mustang guitar played during the In Utero tour for $500,000.
"This cardigan, it's the holy grail of any article of clothing that he ever wore," said Darren Julien, CEO and president of the house.
"Kurt created the grunge look; he didn't wear show clothes," Mr Julien said at a New York exhibition preview of the auction.
The music cable channel MTV began its Unplugged series in 1989, recording live performances of acts that generally played their normally electrified music on sparse acoustics.
Cobain's haunting Unplugged performance with Nirvana — recorded less than six months before he killed himself at age 27 — is considered one of the most iconic shows of the series, and was released posthumously.
Already deep into an emotional, drug-addled downward spiral, the depressive but singular talent with ocean-blue eyes reportedly lamented to Unplugged programmer Amy Finnerty after the set that the audience seemed not to like the show.
"Kurt," she told him, "they think you are Jesus Christ."
Rock 'the new fine art'
It was the second time the Manhattan-brand sweater has gone up for auction, having sold in November 2015 for $200,000 via Julien's.
The house originally acquired the oversized cardigan from the nanny of Cobain's daughter with Courtney Love, Frances Bean, now 27 years old.
The house's CEO said interest in the rock and roll market has seen a particular uptick in recent years, as the genre ages and its memorabilia becomes artefact.
"I've always said that the rock and roll market is the new fine art market," Mr Julien said.
"Millennials are starting to collect, and they're not collecting Monets and Picassos."
"Wall Street guys" are among the major buyers, Mr Julien said, adding that "hedge funds even are starting to invest in rock and roll artefacts as a way to diversify their client's portfolios."
Other notable sales at the auction included Elvis Presley's 1974 gold Mercedes-Benz 450 ($183,00), a Jimi Hendrix-autographed copy of Are You Experienced? ($66,000), a Heroes-era David Bowie self-portrait ($75,000) and Bernie Taupin's handwritten lyrics for Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in a custom Wizard of Oz frame ($110,000, well over its $9,000 pre-auction estimate).


text:
December 21, 2006
Pfizer completes sale of consumer business
Pfizer said today that it has completed the sale of its consumer healthcare business to Johnson & Johnson for $16.6 billion. “The proceeds from this sale, combined with our strong operating cash flow, give us the flexibility to invest in the growth of our core pharmaceutical business,” said Pfizer CEO Jeffrey Kindler in a statement. The deal was announced last June and cleared the Federal Trade Commission last week after the two companies agreed to sell off several products to resolve concerns the acquisition would reduce competition in some product areas. As part of that agreement, J&J will sell the rights to Pfizer’s Zantac heartburn treatment to Boehringer Ingelheim for $510 million. Additionally, Chattem, of Chattanooga TN, is to pay $410 million for the US rights to five J&J and Pfizer brands including Act mouthwash, Balmex diaper rash ointment, anti-diarrhea drug Kaopectate, sleep-aid Unisom and anti-itch treatment Cortizone. Pfizer’s consumer healthcare division posted $3.9 billion in sales in 2005.


text:
In an exciting development that promises to reshape the landscape of data ownership, Itheum’s highly anticipated Data NFT technology has successfully launched on CanaryNet. This is more than just a significant milestone — it’s the start of a new era where data creators, businesses and individuals can convert their valuable datasets into unique nonfungible tokens (NFTs), thereby unveiling the true potential of their data.
For decades, tech giants and centralized data brokers have profited from users’ data while they remain sidelined. Today, Itheum turned the tables. With its Data NFTs, Itheum is ushering in an era where your data truly belongs to you. This isn’t just about controlling user data, it’s about harnessing its power and transforming it into an asset that can lead to unprecedented opportunities. The future of data is here.
Data NFTs: Tokenizing user data like never before
In today’s evolving, data-centric society, traditional data brokerages and tech giants limit data-creator autonomy. This changes with the emergence of blockchain and Data NFTs, transforming data into a blockchain asset class, providing data owners royalty-earning opportunities and ensuring transparency, security, fair compensation and ownership. Data becomes a tradable asset, and with Data NFTs at the core of Itheum’s decentralized vision, data perception, exchange and monetization are revolutionized. Through unique nonfungible tokens, data ownership is verifiable and distribution controllable, and peer-to-peer data exchange is facilitated, challenging traditional centralized data control and inaugurating a decentralized data economy that benefits creators and consumers.
CanaryNet: A guarded launch for Data NFT technology
The launch of Itheum’s Data NFT technology on CanaryNet represents a significant milestone in its commitment to regulation compliance and operational excellence. CanaryNet serves as a guarded launch, providing transparent guardrails that protect participants in the ecosystem. With CanaryNet, Itheum creates an environment where all participants can engage with real economic value and experience the power of decentralized data ownership. This approach ensures a secure platform while paving the way for mainstream adoption of Web3 data technology.
Data NFT Marketplace: Where data finds its audience
To facilitate seamless data exchange and connect data creators with data consumers, Itheum provides a robust Data NFT Marketplace. Here, data creators and projects can showcase their valuable datasets to a wider audience, attracting potential buyers. The marketplace serves as a hub of opportunities, where data creators can monetize their data, and data consumers can access high-quality insights and fuel their growth.
Pioneering use cases: Unlocking the future of dynamic, tradable data assets
The transformative power of Data NFTs isn’t just theoretical — it has been actualized through innovative projects that demonstrate their versatile applications. These are not merely digital assets but dynamic, living documents and interactive data visualizations that can evolve over time.
Dynamic guides: A new horizon of evolving knowledge
In a world that changes at the speed of light, traditional guides and PDFs often become outdated almost as soon as they are published. Data NFTs change the game by allowing these resources to evolve over time, continually updating with new data, insights and strategies. A compelling example is Andrei’s “Unlocking Liquidity” guide, a Data NFT focused on decentralized finance (DeFi). It not only serves as an invaluable resource for understanding DeFi but is a dynamic asset that updates to reflect new trends, risks and opportunities in the DeFi space.
Data visualizations: Turning static data into a living, breathing asset
Traditionally, data visualizations are static, offering a snapshot of data at a specific moment in time. Data NFTs revolutionize this concept by turning these static visualizations into dynamic, tradable assets. With Foudre’s Bubble Maps collection, for instance, what was once a fixed visualization is now an evolving Data NFT that updates and grows over time, offering a richer and more comprehensive view of the data it represents.
Joining the data revolution: Whitelisting open to all
The whitelisting process is well underway and actively engaging individuals and projects worldwide. This exclusive opportunity allows creators and organizations to transform their data into a brand-new asset class, empowering data ownership like never before. By participating in the whitelisting process, users gain early access to our innovative technology, personalized guidance and support from Itheum’s experienced team.
Ready to redefine data ownership? Whether you’re a solo creator, researcher, analyst, enterprise or a pioneering project — you now have the power to redefine the value of your data. Get whitelisted to turn your valuable data into dynamic, tradable assets.


text:
Best Diets for Seniors
When a panel of health and nutrition experts ranked 35 diets for Best Diets 2015, they considered not only weight loss, but also whether diets were heart healthy, good for controlling diabetes and easy to follow. Now, two panel members discuss which U.S. News-ranked diets make the most sense for seniors.
Fewer Calories/More Protein
For Amy Campbell, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator, the DASH, TLC and Mediterranean diets stood out as smart choices for older adults, because they’re good for weight loss as well as controlling conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
As with anyone, overweight and obesity can be issues for seniors, Campbell says. “People are living longer, so we’re seeing more of it in older adults.” And, she says, “As we get older, our calorie needs go down. People don’t need to eat as much as they did when they were 20 or 30.” Older women generally need anywhere from 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day, depending how active they are, Campbell says, while younger women need about 1,800 to 2,200 daily. For older men, the range is 2,000 to 2,800 calories per day, compared with 2,200 to 3,200 calories for younger men.
Frail elderly people face different issues. “One concern for older people is getting enough protein,” Campbell says. “We need more as we age.” A lack of protein puts people at risk for lower immune function and osteoporosis.
You don’t necessarily have to follow a specific diet, she says, “just a well-rounded diet with extra protein.” That means making the most of the calories you take in, she says, not just eating a bowl of cereal for dinner or making entire meals of toast and tea. “You don’t need animal protein in every meal,” says Campbell, who praises lentils, beans and chickpeas as great sources of inexpensive protein to round out meals.
Campbell says a very low-fat plan like the Ornish diet might be less appropriate and harder for seniors to follow. Similarly, she says, the Biggest Loser diet would not be ideal, and the phases could be hard to comprehend.
For diets in general, it’s best to try and make it easy and fit comfortably into a person’s life,” Campbell says. “Ones that promote good health but are as easy to follow as possible."
Simplicity and Balance
Michael Davidson, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Chicago Medical Center and a Best Diets panelist, says Weight Watchers and diets with similar structures score well because of their simplicity. With Weight Watchers, for instance, foods are assigned different points, which you add up daily to stay at your personal target, which is based on your sex, weight, height and age. "You don’t have to do a lot of thinking about what type of balance of foods or menu plans,” Davidson says, which may be somewhat more challenging for seniors.
Long-term compliance was an important factor in ranking diets, Davidson says: “What can be a lifelong change instead of just a short-term fix for the patient?” Therefore, he says, “it’s really more about variety and food choices, as opposed to portion sizes, that are applicable to an elderly individual. So it’s the kind of diet I prefer for those patients.”
Davidson sometimes sees iron deficiency in frail older patients. “They don’t eat enough red meat; they don’t get enough iron in the diet,” he says. Although the paleo diet was lower-ranking among the Best Diets, he says “it could be a good diet. It’s had a little bit of a hype to it, but the principles are not far off, such as people eating more complex carbohydrates and more lean meats.” He points out that constipation can be an issue for seniors on low-carb, low-fiber diets.
Heart Health and Diabetes
Of the ranked diets, both DASH and the Mediterranean diet can help people with both diabetes prevention and management,” Campbell says. They work because they encourage a variety of foods and make people aware of the carbs they consume, she adds. Both diets are mentioned in the latest nutrition guidelines from the American Diabetes Association.
Davidson says people with high cholesterol do better with low-saturated fat diets that call for low-fat dairy sources, lean red meats and fish. It’s important for seniors with high cholesterol to avoid sweet baked goods with trans fats, he says: “We now recognize that trans fats as especially bad among all the fats we can consume.”
Article written by health us news


text:
Surprise Service Sector Growth, but Inflation Up Too; ECONOMICS
Byline: By Nevill Boyd Maunsell Economics Editor
Britain's service economy shrugged aside its mid-winter gloom with a surprise spurt of growth last month in terms of both activity and sales - but accompanied by a fresh surge of inflation in both costs and prices charged.
February's headline index of service activity published by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and NTC Research rose to a reading of 54 on a scale where anything above 50 indicates expansion, the 58th month of unbroken growth.
A reading of 54 the sub-index registering incoming new business showed orders growing more strongly than at any time for five months and a marked recovery from a four-and-a-half-year low in November. There were still signs, though, of clients hesitating to commit themselves to new spending.
Cost were more daunting than ever, rising faster than at any time in this survey's 12-year history - and companies responded by raising their charges, also at a record pace.
"It is encouraging to see signs of recovery across the UK service sector after a strained period of economic uncertainty and downturn," said Roy Ayliffe, director of professional practice at the CIPS. "Particularly encouraging is the improvement in the financial intermediation and hotels and restaurants sectors, which have suffered the most in recent months. …


text:
BANGALORE, India—Google Inc. is in early stages of negotiations to buy Indian mobile ad firm InMobi, a person familiar with the matter said, as the U.S. company looks to strengthen its presence in the mobile advertising space.
“Google has expressed interest and has reached out” but there is no certainty on whether the Indian company would sell itself, this person said.
Continue reading your article with
a WSJ subscription
Already a subscriber? Sign In


text:
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has announced the shortlist for its Industry Awards.
The Cornwall Project was crowned as the winner of the fourth Scotch Egg Challenge.
As The Hand and Flowers approaches its 10 year anniversary, Tom Kerridge talks about today’s market and launching a new concept within it.
winetimesUK - @winetimes UK
UK Wine Producer Daily is out! t.co/G6buOg18cd Stories via @PubandBarMag @Hambledonwine


text:
GENERAL › NEWS
Najib Calls On Malaysians To Prove They Are Capable Entrepreneurs
He said this after the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) had given a RM13 million grant to help local businesses expand overseas.
"The Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation has given RM13 million out of the RM20 million from the Market Development Grant (MDG) to almost 1,000 entrepreneurs to expand their businesses overseas.
"Make use of our grants to expand your businesses overseas," he said in his latest Facebook and Twitter posting Saturday.
Najib also provided a link to a Bernama news report on Matrade's grants.
Yesterday, MDG senior manager Mohamad Noor Azhad said the number of recipients comprising Bumiputera entrepreneurs increased to 19 per cent this year, from 18 per cent last year under the grant given by the Government.
Last year, he said, the government allocated RM46.7 million under the MDG where 3,000 entrepreneurs benefited.
news coverage in our Newswire service.
Previous Top Stories
Other News Headlines
- Pakatan Supreme Council Accepts Proposal To Nominate Wan Azizah As MB Of Selangor- politic
- AirAsia India Appoints Cargo Agent, Adds Two Destinations- business
- Badminton Squad Make Flying Start- sports
- Tips For A Crime-Free Balik Kampung Trip- features
- Former Thai PM Yingluck Meets Thaksin In Paris: Media- world
Most Read News
Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia,
Wisma BERNAMA,No 28, Jalan 1/65A,
Off Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel : 603-2693 9933 ( General Line )
E-mel : email@example.com
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form except with the prior written permission of BERNAMA.
Best viewed in Firefox 8.0 & Internet Explorer 8.0 with 1024 x 768 resolution


text:
Speaking today (30 September) on BBC Breakfast, he spoke of the measures the Government had taken to help hospitality businesses, despite calls from the sector for more support.
“We have over the last few months provided a lot of specific support for that [hospitality] sector, made sure there are grants available to them, we’ve insured that they don’t have to pay business rates for a year.
“I completely understand that they have concerns about a restriction at 10pm but actually they are able to operate through large parts of the evening.”
Sharma also said that the 10pm curfew had worked in areas that have had local lockdowns and that people recognised its necessity.
“We are taking measure to support the industry, but I think that people also understand and appreciate the reason that we are taking these measures… the reason is to keep this thing under control.”
Sharma’s comments come as more than a 100 UK hospitality businesses have written a letter to the Prime Minister warning that without additional and urgent support many businesses will collapse.
Sharma also pointed out that he had pushed through legislation to allow hospitality businesses to trade outside, although he admitted that the autumn weather might make the ability to trade outside unfeasible for many.
“If it’s pelting it down with rain it’s not such an attractive proposition to be sitting outside. I know how hard it is for may of these businesses,” he said.
The Government is expected to announce additional measures to help curb the spread of Coronavirus at a press conference later today.
While Sharma said that Government policies would be kept under review, he failed to respond to the direct question of whether the Government would reverse the 10pm curfew if it was proved to be ineffectual.


text:
Mumbai gets it's first shopping festival with everything from international brands to fruits on sale
The city gets its first shopping festival that includes retailers from local fruit stalls to international brands
Well-Heeled tourists are known to take off to Dubai to splurge on gold and luxury items that go on sale during their annual shopping festival that remains a big draw. Now, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is aiming to pull off a similar event with the first edition of Mumbai Shopping Festival (MSF). Slated to take place across three weeks, the event will include food trucks, music performances and of course, shopping avenues.
Vian Fernandes and other musicians will perform at the event
The festival has tied up with retail associations that include FICCI, Federations of Retail Traders Welfare Association and Retailers Association of India. Other shopping partners include major malls such as High Street Phoenix (Lower Parel), Oberoi Mall (Goregaon), Grand Central (Seawoods) and Viviana Mall (Thane). T1 and T2 airport terminals will also have shopping zones. The reason behind these associations is to include every kind of shopper and retailer, be it a yuppy kid shopping at an international high street chain or a middle-class housewife on her monthly shopping trail at Crawford Market. Every shopper who drops by these partnering venues stands a chance to win prizes that range from a house, a car to electronics, with a minimum spend of Rs. 500. A downer though is that unlike Dubai, the Maharashtra government is not waving off any taxes.
Various food trucks will participate at the event
“MSF2018 will undoubtedly heighten tourism in Maharashtra. Our aim is to establish this event on a global platform as one of the most sought-after festivals of the world,” Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Tourism and (EGS), Government of Maharashtra, stated at the launch. The weekend of January 13 and 14 will see the first round of MSF Khao Galli in collaboration with Food Truck Association of India at the Worli seaface. The trucks will then set up shop in Malad on January 19 and 20, and Powai on January 26 and 27. One of the highlights will be the MSF Night Bazaar in Malad and Powai, where the market will remain open till 4 am, in an attempt to popularise the new notification of establishments being allowed to stay open 24/7.
“We have received a great response from all retailer associations to execute this festival. Malls and brands have their individual sales, but this is an integrated shopping platform, a festival that aggregates everything. We have both organised and unorganised retailers, from craftsmen from all over Maharashtra to fruit or flower sellers, basically anyone who has a billing system can be a registered participant. A festival such as the Dubai Shopping festival has about eight to 10,000 participating retailers; Mumbai has that many in Crawford Market itself,” says Rahul Gomes, MD, Oaks Management Consultancy, the organisers of the festival.
The festival has also partnered with dabbawalas, where information and coupons will accompany each tiffin. There will be hundreds of live, free-to-attend performances across the city, from Mira Road to Crawford Market. The only ticketed event is the Color Run, a Holi-style marathon which is an international property. The performing artistes include upcoming talented names such as jazz, pop and soul artiste Anusha Ramasubramoney, Praveer Barot, Vian Fernandes, Larissa Coelho among others.
From: January 12 to 31
Log on to : mumbaishoppingfestival.co.in
DISCLAIMER: mid-day and its affiliates shall have no liability for any views, thoughts and comments expressed on this article.
Don't try this at home! Women play 'Talvar Garba' with swords


text:
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Stock in National Discount Brokers jumped 25 percent on Wednesday after a Credit Suisse First Boston analyst upped his estimates for the quarter.
The move also comes a day after NDB NDB, +6.32%, which operates an online broker and market maker Sherwood Securities, announced a pact with Yahoo yhoo to put its NDB.com trading button on the portal's finance homepage. Terms weren't disclosed.
NDB's stock was up 6 7/8 to 33 1/4 in late afternoon trading.
CSFB's James Marks said he raised the earnings estimates and "sent a strong message to the sales force (Wednesday morning) that there's absolutely no reason for this stock to continue to languish as it's at a valuation discount" compared to others in the online brokerage sector.
He raised quarterly earnings estimates to 14 cents per share from 3 cents a share "to reflect the higher account growth rate and higher transactions per account."
Soaring trading volumes are expected to boost transaction revenue for the entire e-brokerage group in the March quarter.
Looking at valuations, Marks told clients "NDB is trading at large discounts to its peers in every metric we track, including market premium per account, price-to-marketing amortized earnings and price-to-pre-marketing" earnings per share.
Other than the CSFB call, an NDB spokesman said the company knew of no other reason for the stock's jump on Wednesday.


text:
(MENAFN) Oman has launched a tender for the preliminary design of nine freight yards, as part of the first phase of the Oman National Railway network, the Construction Week magazine reported.
Bidding for the preliminary design consulting engineer contract will close on 25 March 2013. 20 leading international firms have expressed their interest in the tender.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the nine freight yards will be key junctions along the planned rail network, which will be 1,061km long initially.
The network is aimed to link UAE border near Sohar to Duqm, while also branching elsewhere.
The intermodal nature of the freight yards will allow for the fluid transition of goods between the country's road, rail and maritime transportation systems across the Gulf country.
The largest yards are planned at either end of the network, at Sohar and Duqm, as they will be designed to handle the freight volumes handled by the industrial ports at the respective locations.


text:
Fintech Company GCash, in partnership with DICT, to Establish Swift Incident Response System to Combat Fraud and Cybercrimes
MANILA, Philippines — GCash, a leading fintech company, announced its plans to establish a swift incident response system in cooperation with the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to combat fraud and cybercrimes on its platform.
During a press conference on Monday, DICT Secretary Ivan Uy emphasized that the partnership with GCash aims to establish a “rapid incident response” to address fraud-related crimes committed through the platform.
“The collaboration puts together rapid incident response mechanism so the public can be protected in time,” Uy said.
According to CICC Undersecretary Alexander Ramos, the initiative between GCash and the CICC will “properly protect” the public and prevent online scammers from getting more victims. Ramos also advised victims of online scams to promptly report incidents to GCash and the CICC, rather than posting on social media.
In a separate press release, GCash stated that it will continue to “leverage capabilities” to “synergize efforts in combating cybercrime activities, and improve cyber capabilities and resilience.” The fintech company also revealed that 94 million Filipinos have used the e-wallet, along with six million merchants. In addition, GCash mentioned that it had blocked over four million fraudulent accounts and taken down 810 phishing sites and 45,000 malicious social media posts and accounts as of 2023.
On the other hand, the Philippine National Police reported that swindling or fraudulent schemes are the top cybercrime in the Philippines, accounting for 15,000 incidents as of January 6.


text:
Paying for Dubai taxis is about to get easier
What’s On has details of a new system that means Dubai taxi rides will soon be a cashless experience.
We all know the feeling. The taxi pulls up at your destination, you delve into your wallet and discover either an empty space or a single Dhs500 note.
If you hand the driver that big old note, you might as well be trying to pay with a potato.
You’ll receive that ‘what is this craziness?’ look, and end up spending the next 10 minutes trying to find somewhere that can cash your note into smaller denominations.
Well help is here, because, thanks to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) all taxis will soon be installed with credit and Nol (metro) card readers – meaning you never have to worry about how much cash you’re carrying again.
Passengers will also be given the option to pay via their mobile phones through the use of Near Field Communication (NFC), which requires a special NFC-enabled phone and SIM card.
Dr Yousif Al Ali, the CEO of the RTA’s Public Transport Agency told XPRESS in 2014 how they planned to have all taxis kitted out with this system by the middle of 2015.
Last week Dr Yousif Al Ali stated that “currently 80 per cent of the taxi fleet in Dubai are equipped with the Nol and credit card machines, and the rest of them will be equipped by the end of the year.”
The installations started back in January, and the system is likely to become functional by the year’s end, making life a lot easier for those of us whose daily routines rely heavily on the humble cabbie.


text:
In line with its earlier partnership with OLA, Mahindra Electric has now joined hands with Meru Cabs to offer electric cab services in Hyderabad. Unlike Ola which would be running e20 Plus electric sedan, the Mahindra-Meru partnership will use Mahindra’s eVerito, all-electric four-door sedan. The eVeritos service which was announced on Earth day is part of Mahindra’s aim to promote the adoption of EV technology among the urban masses and also be the flag bearer for sustainable e-mobility transportation in urban areas. The eVeritos, for the time being, will be launched as a pilot EV project and gradually be expanded across the length and breadth of the country.
Meru has been a pioneer when it comes to tech-enabled cab services. Mahindra Electric has been the flag bearer for EV movement for more than a decade now whereas Meru cabs have been running completely on green fuel in cities where CNG is available. The Mahindra-Meru partnership seems like a marriage made in heaven. Mahesh Babu, CEO Mahindra Electric expressed his excitement and hopes on the union. Addressing the media he said, “As pioneers of electric mobility, we at Mahindra Electric are happy to lead electric fleet adoption in India and are glad to partner with Meru for pilot deployment of eVeritos in Hyderabad. We believe that innovative and unique partnership models like this pilot, will lead the way towards sustainable transportation in urban cities.”
Nilesh Sangoi, CEO, Meru was full of positive projections for the rapidly growing EV market. As per him, viability was no longer a concern and also appreciated the Government of India’s National Electric Mobility Mission. He pegged high hopes on EVs’ potential to bring down the air pollution levels and curbing the country’s energy bills. He further added,” Based on the learnings of this pilot, we will expand this initiative to induct more EVs in our network in other cities that we operate in. Over next 4 years, we intend to move a major part of our fleet to EVs. We believe that this initiative will greatly benefit the society, consumers and also enhance the earnings of our driver partners.”
Residents and travelers in Hyderabad can avail The eVerito cab services via Meru’s website, mobile app, call center (4422-4422). e Verito services will also be available at the Meru Zone at Hyderabad airport. The cost for the services will be same as fixed by the Telangana Government’s radio taxi fares for sedans. However, it would still be interesting to see how the pilot project pans out for the two major companies amidst reports of complaints by cab drivers in Nagpur who were unhappy running the e20 Plus due to long charging hours and a dearth of standard infrastructure for EV’s.


text:
What you need to know
- Samsung and LG's display units have reportedly decided to stop supplying panels to Huawei after September 15.
- New restrictions imposed by the U.S. last month bans companies from selling chips made using American equipment to Huawei without a special license.
- Huawei will now have to rely mainly on China's BOE for premium display panels.
A new report published by South Korea's Chosun Biz has claimed Samsung and LG are both going to stop supplying premium smartphone display panels to Huawei after September 15, due to the recent U.S. restrictions.
The stricter export control rules, which were introduced by the U.S. last month, require companies using American technology to obtain a special license before selling chips to Huawei. The ban also includes chips that are used to operate display panels. Both Samsung and LG expect the U.S. move to have a minor impact on their display businesses, as Huawei is far from their biggest customer.
Huawei will now have to increase its reliance on China's BOE for display panels. The report also says Huawei has already started testing display panels from other Chinese display makers such as Visionox, Tianma, and CSOT.
The news comes just a day after a report out of South Korea claimed Huawei plans to produce only around 50 million smartphones in 2021 due to the U.S. sanctions.
TSMC, which manufactured Kirin chipsets for Huawei's HiSilicon subsidiary, will also stop supplying to the Chinese tech giant after September 15. Since the company cannot produce its own chips now, chip makers like Qualcomm and MediaTek have shown interest in selling 5G mobile chipsets to Huawei.
Be an expert in 5 minutes
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android


text:
This report looks at why Southeast Asian countries need big data for recovery from COVID-19 to radically transform the delivery of key services such as health care, social protection, and education.
As the region starts reviving travel, there is a growing consensus the pandemic is an opportunity to fix structural issues that have plagued tourism over the years and rebuild it greener.
Talks to pave way for better air connectivity among the participating countries.
Vung Ang Port will serve as hub for the country’s cargo shipments to its central provinces, Lao PDR, and Thailand.
Railway to connect Bangkok to Kunming.
The suggested measures are designed to improve the efficiency of transport systems, especially with the use of information and communication technology and real-time data sharing across a supply chain.


text:
In an interview with Gizmag, HD’s COO Matthew Levatich, said that the new 500 cc Harley is “nimble, light weight, has a low seat height and supple throttle and braking. I’ve ridden it – it looks great, sounds great, it’s a Harley, and it’s priced right. We want to get it out as soon as we can, but it’s got to be right. New engines are complicated, and we’ve got to get everything right from a durability, reliability and confidence perspective. On the other hand, chassis and other things are a lot more straightforward.”
The yet to be named bike with new 500cc twin cylinder engine could have output of 40 bhp power and 45 Nm torque while prices should commence from INR 3-4 lakhs. The reason we expect the bike to be made for emerging markets like India, is because in June this year, a camouflaged cruiser was spied (by Team-BHP) in Faridabad, Haryana. This is very close to their CKD facility, which is also the only second of it’s kind outside the US.


text:
The vape wars are coming: Companies prepare for the next battle in the cannabis market
Canada's major licensed cannabis producers are making moves ahead of legal vape sales
With the next wave of cannabis legalization looming, the business of pot is once again the business of mergers and acquisitions. If the last phase was all about production and distribution, this phase may be dominated by technology.
Specifically, vape pens.
They're among a series of new products, including edibles, beverages and extracts, that will be for sale legally in Canada in mid-December.
Which explains why Canadian cannabis company Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. has teamed up with British tobacco giant Imperial Brands in a deal worth more than $120 million. Imperial gets a foothold in the cannabis market and Auxly gets exclusive access to Imperial's vape IP, technology and research.
The partnership "accelerates Auxly's plan to go heavily into the recreational market," said Auxly CEO Chuck Rifici. "Particularly, the vape category, which we think will be very large."
In fact, analysts say vaping could become the driving force of the recreational cannabis market.
Chris Damas, editor of the BCMI Cannabis Report, says of all the new products coming on line, from vape products to edibles and everything in between, vape pens will make up half of all derivative sales.
Rifici says when given a choice between rolled joints to smoke and vape pens, consumers have voted with their money.
"We've seen from the market data south of the border and anecdotally across Canada in unlicensed dispensaries," he said. "People seem to disproportionately choose vape devices."
Part of that, he says, is the ease and discretion of using a vape pen. Once legal, the pens will come with pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis extract. With the push of a button, the extract is vaporized (hence the term "vape pen"). Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapour.
Vape pens and e-cigarettes have become wildly popular as an alternative to smoking cigarettes (though the jury is out on whether they're a much healthier alternative). And tobacco companies have been researching, developing and acquiring vape IP for years.
Last December, tobacco giant Altria, parent company of Philip Morris USA, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, made headlines when it announced it was buying a $2.4-billion chunk of the Canadian cannabis company Cronos.
A couple weeks later, Altria spent $12.8 billion US for a 35 per cent stake in Juul, which is easily the most popular brand of vape pen for tobacco users.
Rifici says Auxly's new partner, Imperial Brands, has spent billions of dollars on research, and billions more on acquiring vape technology and intellectual property.
Damas, editor of the BCMI Cannabis Report, says all the large licensed cannabis producers in Canada have been scrambling to prepare for the initiation of vape pen sales in late 2019 or early 2020.
"Aphria, Aurora, Organigram and Supreme cut deals with PAX Labs to be in a position to sell vape cartridges rather than try to develop their own," Damas said in an email.
Damas says it's not just the consumer preference that's driving the cannabis companies to buy vape technology. The economics are just as important.
He says a gram of cannabis costs about $3 wholesale. Seven grams of cannabis can fill four vape cartridges with extract.
Each cartridge "might sell for $50 each," Damas said. "So $21 becomes $200 retail."
The Auxly/Imperial partnership comes during a tumultuous few weeks in the Canadian cannabis sector.
Earlier this month, one of the biggest names in the industry, Bruce Linton, was forced out as co-CEO of the cannabis company Canopy Growth. His ouster came after Canopy's new partner, Constellation Brands, expressed disappointment with the company's earnings.
Another major producer, CannTrust, is under investigation by Health Canada. The company is accused of cultivating cannabis in unlicensed greenhouses. Its CEO and board chair were both fired as the scandal unfolded.
The industry is still in its very early stages. Scandals and shakeups are still common. The valuations of these companies are still in flux, and the future of the industry is the subject of nearly endless speculation.
Just a year ago, some analysts were pointing to cannabis companies teaming up with beer and beverage companies to develop THC-infused products as the next big wave. Now they're pointing to vape pens and new technology as the future.
And it may well be. But the point is no one really knows what the industry will look like this time next year. Every investor, every analyst and every company is trying to make their best guess.
"We're at a really exciting point," Rifici said.
As each new phase of legalization comes into effect, consumers and companies get more information and a better understanding, the Auxly CEO said. Maybe not of where the industry is going, but a better understanding of where it is now.
And Rifici says more products and more brands are about to hit store shelves, giving consumers more choice.
"And I think the race for that really may start in 2020."


text:
Formnext Start-up Challenge Viable AM innovations plus contribution to sustainability
Recognising new, creative, viable, and above all, sustainable business ideas: This year’s Formnext Start-up Challenge once again invites submissions from innovative young companies.
New for this year, companies who enter the sixth Formnext Start-up Challenge will also be competing to win the “AM Ventures Impact Award”. Applications are now being invited from companies that are no more than five years old.
“The Start-up Challenge is a well-publicised success story that has been rewarding very interesting young companies from additive manufacturing for a number of years. Among other advantages, it has given them the opportunity to showcase their business to a specialist international audience as part of Formnext and get off to a flying start in the AM market,” says Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext at exhibition organiser Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
The international panel of high-profile representatives from all corners of the industry comprises Dr. Kristian Arntz, Managing Director and Partner at ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing GmbH, Stefanie Brickwede, Head of 3D Printing@DB and Managing Director of Mobility goes Additive, Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer, AM Ventures, Tobias Kuhl, Senior Project Leader, Entrepreneurial Network at UnternehmerTUM GmbH, Alexander Oster, Director Additive Manufacturing, Autodesk, and Michael Petch, Editor-in-Chief at 3D Printing Industry. The winners will be announced in September 2020. The submission deadline is 4 September 2020.
This year, for the first time in the competition, a young company will also be selected from the applicants to receive the AM Ventures Impact Award in recognition of approaches to sustainability relating to the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Environmental considerations (such as green energy and resource conservation) and social aspects (for example, education and equality) play an important role in this.
Any up-and-coming company with a product or service that is marketready in terms of customers, product status, and revenue can take part in the Formnext Start-up Challenge, provided the start-up is not majorityowned by an established company and was founded after 31 December 2014.


text:
PrePay Solutions has been nominated for Leading Prepaid Organisation (Europe), Best Prepaid Service Provider UK, Best Virtual Prepaid Programme UK for its work with Ticketmaster and Best Prepaid Marketing Campaign UK for its work with Debenhams to launch the Reward Club Card.Ray Brash, managing director, PrePay Solutions, comments on the outstanding achievement: “Our success in making the shortlist in four categories, including Leading Prepaid Organisation, is testament to the successful partnerships we’ve forged. I would like to congratulate Ticketmaster and Debenhams for being nominate with us.”
The Prepaid Awards is held once a year to recognise the significant achievements and successes of the prepaid sector. The event brings people and companies from across the industry to reinforce and recognise the efforts made. Prepaid Awards 2012 will be taking place on 11th October at the Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park, London.


text:
Source:La Tercera (Santiago)
Posted: Thursday, September 1, 2011
Most recent follow-up news item: September 14, 2011
A group of Chilean parliamentarians has tabled legislation that would turn the upcoming, September 19, public holiday into a "feriado irrenunciable".
The aforementioned change would essentially impact the opening of stores and shopping centers (called Malls in Chile) and this was the very issue which was side-stepped last year (2010-07-19) when Chilean President, Sebastián Piñera, signed Law 20.450 which declared Friday and Monday, September 17 and 20, 2010, as additional public holidays, but only on the condition that the final bill stipulate that the only day when retail stores would close was Saturday, September 18, 2010 (2010-07-07).
Links and References
Below are links to the news stories referred to in the above "Chile Reviews September 19 Public Holiday" news story, as well as links to subsequents news stories which refer to the present news story.


text:
Talk about driving a hard bargain!
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is forcing a Ridge auto dealership to cough up almost $100,000 for allegedly lying to car buyers.
Bay Ridge Nissan, located at the corner of 65th Street and Fifth Avenue, cut a deal with Schneiderman to fork over $43,341 to 15 disgruntled customers and $50,000 to the state to avoid criminal charges over allegedly deceptive ads and contracts.
“This agreement is a victory for consumers in Brooklyn and around the state,” said the state’s top lawman.
Consumer complaints led Schneiderman to accuse the car dealer of posting deceitful ads on Craigslist.com, putting out misleading promotions aimed at people who lost their cars during Superstorm Sandy, tacking unasked-for add-ons onto contracts, and tardy reimbursements of down payments when deals fell through.
The attorney general also claimed the Nissan dealer made a range of dishonest statements to customers, including that they would be able to cancel certain add-ons after singing a contract, that they were obligated to obtain financing through the dealership, and that they were required to take certain add-ons. The dealership also allegedly failed to provide buyers with the required documentation.
“Anyone buying a car should be able to expect that when they negotiate prices and terms for vehicles, the contracts will accurately reflect those terms,” said Schneiderman.
Each of the customers involved in the deal will get between $1,000 and $7,000.
A receptionist who answered the phone at Bay Ridge Nissan said the business would not comment.
This isn’t the first time Schneiderman has cracked down on a Ridge car dealer. In 2012, a judge ordered the Giuffre auto empire to pay out more than $500,000 after a successful state lawsuit alleged the family-owned chain had strong-armed customers into signing blank contracts and accepting unwanted add-ons.
The Giuffre Auto Group and Bay Ridge Nissan are not affiliated.


text:
|EXAMPLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES|
The word speculate has appeared in 257 Times articles over the past year, most recently in " No Signs of a Slowdown in Traffic at Disney’s Parks " on May 7, 2008.
... ''Our parks offer a unique experience that simply is not available elsewhere,'' said Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive. Mr. Iger declined to speculate on how the parks would fare in the months ahead, but noted that hotel room reservations at Walt Disney World in Florida were ''very strong'' in April, the first month of Disney's third quarter. ...
|RECENT WORDSfecundseedymustyscrupledisparageobtuseconciliateaproposderisiongrandiloquentPAST WORDSArchivePARTNER SITE|
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day


text:
Some people never have an easy year, but 2020 has been particularly hard, especially for vulnerable people and families living barely above the breadline. As much as parents would like to make their children feel special over the holidays, filling Christmas stockings is impossible. This is where The Salvation Army steps in, with its Big Toy Appeal, which is carried out with its partner, The Entertainer, the UK’s largest high street toy retailer.
Over the past two years, the appeal has delivered almost 60,000 toys and books to children in need. With a little extra help from online options, it’s hoped the appeal will reach even more children so that Christmas retains some of its magic.
The resurgence in Covid-19 has resulted in tighter lockdown restrictions being implemented in certain areas in the UK. People simply aren’t allowed to visit toys stores to purchase gifts, nor can they visit their nearest Salvation Army church to drop off the presents. To circumvent this obstacle, shoppers purchasing from the Entertainer’s two websites, The Toy Shop and Early Learning Centre, were able to donate a toy by adding £5 to their basket.
The Entertainer also undertook to donate one toy for every toy donated by shoppers.
The Salvation Army extends its reach to hundreds more people in need
The devastating effects of Covid have resulted in job losses, furloughing, and escalating unemployment. Not only are more people coming to The Salvation Army for assistance from food banks, but the charity is also supporting more people who can’t leave their homes due to self-isolation, delivering hot meals and other food. For these people, a merry Christmas would be a pipe dream if not for the toys donated to ensure they have something to celebrate.
Commenting on the situation, Tony Daniels, Director of Community Services for The Salvation Army, said, “The pandemic has brought some extremely difficult situations for families throughout this year. Christmas always brings extra demands on family budgets, but this year we’re anticipating it will be even more difficult for many. The Big Toy Appeal allows us, with The Entertainer, to bring Christmas joy to families who need it the most right now.”
Gary Grant, Founder and Executive Chairman at The Entertainer added, “We are so grateful for the generosity of our customers. Each year, our Big Toy Appeal supports an ever-increasing number of families. The financial difficulties we are facing this year will mean overwhelming difficulties for families trying to give their children a joyful and magical Christmas. Every child deserves to know they are special and the Big Toy Appeal is an opportunity for us to work together to help families celebrate the wonder of Christmas.”


text:
This digitalized revolution is undoubtedly booming and the speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent, writes Xendpay Founder and CEO Rajesh Agrawal.
As payment services organizations continue to drive some of the biggest changes in global payments, how can companies determine which strategies will work best in the future?
The Seventh Annual Billing Household Survey from Fiserv supports the assertion that mobile bill pay use has moved from the "early adopter" to the "early majority" phase.
Apple Pay already has jumped to the forefront of mobile payments in its short lifespan, and it appears ready to make the jump into kiosks as well.
Eran Feinstein, founder of 3G Direct Pay Limited, discusses the opportunities and challenges for mobile payments on the continent.
Matt Wilcox from Fiserv discusses the need for the industry to come together to improve the US payment system.
Dan Kramer, the senior vice president of marketing and merchant services for SHAZAM, wrote about how new entrants in the marketplace can be successful.
Data breaches were a hot-button topic in 2014, maybe even more so than Apple Pay.
The rise of mobile has huge implications for how we manage our money. For banks to remain competitive, it’s essential for them to adopt a mobile-first strategy centered on the consumer experience, writes Monitise SVP of Sales & Operations Fırat İşbecer.
U.S. mobile banking imaging technology vendor opens up its platform to developers worldwide.
There are real benefits money remittance companies can have by embracing a mobile-first strategy. In fact, when it comes to financial institutions, I believe that mobile and money remittance are the perfect match.
Growth expected to continue as consumers grow more comfortable with mobile banking.
Remittance companies must move into the mobile channel now or risk being left behind.
Mobile payments are well represented at the Big Show, at least in name.
Direct carrier billing lets wireless subscribers place the cost of a purchase for a digital good on their monthly phone bill. It's facilitated by providers who tap into the billing systems of carriers around the world, connecting billions of consumers to a quick, easy way to make a mobile payment.
With Evolve Money, U.S. consumers can make mobile or web-based payments without a bank account or debit card.
As a result of the recent IRS scandal, I am pretty sure credit card charges for government employees will draw extra scrutiny. There are some 3.5 million charge card accounts in the General Services Administration's SmartPay program, according to the federal government's procurement titan.
The company is expanding its global remittance network by partnering with domestic mobile money service providers.
New York startup Zipmark uses checks as the foundation for its payment scheme.
Can the development of mobile money tools mean financial inclusion for those who need it most?


text:
Provenance Festival, the north east’s food and drink extravaganza, officially kicks off today with more than 100 events scheduled over the next 10 days.
The Times and The Sunday Times Scotland will stage the inaugural The Future and Food and Drink Summit in partnership with Opportunity North East (ONE) on 28 November in Aberdeen.
North east Scotland’s high-value digital tech sector is leveraging its energy industry expertise to drive further innovation and growth.
Titaboutie Farm in Aberdeenshire, run by Andrew and Dan Robertson is one of two demo farms in Opportunity North East’s AgriTech Programme.
North east Scotland's innovative food and drink manufacturers are at the forefront of the industry's drive to deliver the healthy, nutritious, sustainable products consumers increasingly demand.
Forest Farm is Scotland's oldest organic certified dairy and one of north east Scotland's innovators.
Launched in 2021 by Opportunity North East to grow food tourism in the region, the festival will take place from Friday 29 September to Sunday 8 October.
Your privacy matters to us so if you want to find out more on how we keep your data safe, view our Privacy Notice or talk to ONE direct.


text:
October 13, 2010, 11:36 AM — Samsung is now mass producing the industry's first 3-bit-per cell, 64Gbit NAND flash chip, which uses circuitry that's about 14% smaller than before. The new chips pack twice as many bits as Samsung's current NAND flash offering.
The NAND flash also offers better performance by applying Toggle DDR (Double Data Rate) 1.0 specifications to the new chips. Samsung had been producing 30nm-class NAND chips using SDR (Single Data Rate)-based specifications.
The company claimed it is the first to begin production the new class of flash memory using 20 nanometer (nm) class circuitry. The flash chips will be used to create high-capacity USB flash drives, SD memory cards, as well as smart phones and solid-state drives (SSDs).
Until this year, multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash enabled up to 2-bits of data to be written to a memory cell. Single-level cell (SLC) NAND has always been considered " enterprise -class" quality because of its higher native life expectancy and performance. However, more sophisticated wear-leveling software in drive controllers has enabled MLC memory to be used in higher-end products.
In August, IM Flash Technologies (IMFT) - a joint venture between Intel and Micron - also announced it had created a 3-bit-per-cell NAND flash chip using 25nm lithography, as the process of laying down circuitry is called. IMFT's chip also holds 64Gbits. IMFT, however, has yet to begin mass production.
According to a slide leaked to the press, Intel expects to eventually double the capacity of its consumer-class SSDs utilizing the 25nm process. That means its X25-M SSDs will grow to 160GB, 300GB and 600GB capacities. The company would also be able to double the capacity of its more affordable X25-V entry-level drive, which is targeted at the netbook and tablet market. The current X25-V offers 40GB capacity. That would be replaced with an 80GB model.
Samsung would not reveal the exact size of its lithography technology, saying only that it is somewhere between 20nm and 29nm in size. Since November, Samsung has been using 30nm lithography technology to develop NAND flash chips with 32Gbit capacity.
At 25nm, the NAND flash circuitry is 3000 times thinner than a strand of human hair.


text:
THIRTY children from the “House of Joy” enjoyed an early Christmas celebration at Berjaya Times Square recently.
As part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, the team from Berjaya Times Square Management Corporation handed out gifts and festive goodies to the primary and secondary school children from the home.
On hand to greet and spend time with the children was Berjaya Times Square Management Corporation’s marketing manager Bryan Low Der-Shyong.
House of Joy’s administrator Lesley Mah said the children were thrilled to attend the early Christmas celebration.
“Berjaya Times Square gave us four shopping carts full of food for the children and necessities for the Home.
“Children were excited when they found out that they will be going for the rides at theme park. We are grateful that Berjaya remembered us, especially during Christmas and for giving us an opportunity to enjoy the fun rides,” said Mah.
This Christmas, Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur welcomes the festive season with the Magnificent Luminarie – Sculptures of Lights Christmas celebration.
The first of its kind in Berjaya Times Square, Magnificent Christmas is set to redefine the experience of celebrating this festive season with a magnificent display of light sculptures and ornaments on the ground floor of the shopping centre.
To make every visit to the mall even more captivating, Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur has specially prepared an exclusive Christmas gift for all shoppers. From Nov 10 to Dec 26, where shoppers who spend a minimum amount of RM350 (with no more than four receipts on the same day) can redeem a Berjaya Times Square Limited Edition LED Illusion Christmas night lamp that comes in four remarkable designs.


text:
A digger was found at the scene after a brand new Co-op store was left with a large hole in the side of the shop during an alleged theft of an ATM.
Police were called at 12.53am on Thursday, November 8 to the new Co-op store on Conisholme Road, which has only been open for a few days, after the reported theft of its Eau Bank ATM.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “There was a large hole in the side of the shop, and the wall had suffered extensive damage. A digger was also found at the scene.”
There have been no arrests at the time of writing, police said.
Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting incident 8 of November 8.
Second incident this month already
This is the second reported theft of a cash machine in under a week after one was stolen in a ram raid at the Lincolnshire Co-op store at Witham St Hughs store on Muntjac Way in the early hours of Friday, November 2.
It happened at around 2.15am on November 2, when a stolen forklift vehicle was used to remove the ATM from the shop.
The cash machine was then taken away in another vehicle.


text:
Challenges A Social Media Campaign Might Face
To run a successful social media campaign, you need to have the right people on your team as well as know the message you want to get across, as well as setting goals and objectives for the campaign. You can have a great product and a very popular social media campaign, but some problems can arise. I think the biggest challenge to an effective social media campaign is when a crisis arises. It can be a disgruntled employee, an upset costumer, or maybe just mistakes in judgment throughout the campaign.
A great example of a successful social media campaign that hit a minor road bump is the release of the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos from Taco Bell. Released earlier this year, the taco was a highly anticipated product for Taco Bell. Initially, the campaign was very successful with Taco Bell stating that it would be the largest marketing campaign to date surpassing the launch of the original Nacho Cheese Doritos Loco Taco. “Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos have been one of the most anticipated new menu items we’ve launched, and will be the biggest in our company history,” stated Rob Poetsch, a Taco Bell spokesman “We’re pleased with the overwhelmingly positive reaction from our fans, in fact, we’ve seen twice as many social media conversations in the first few days we launched.” (MSNMoney, Sept 2013).
Here is one of my favorite commercials from the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos campaign:
The Taco Bell campaign however successful, still got into a bit of a pickle right before the release. Taco Bell posted a message on their Facebook page stating that the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos would be released a day early. Fans immediately reacted to the news and the post received close to 100K “Likes”. The problem was that once customers went to their local store, there weren’t any tacos available. The tacos not being available understandably upset the customers and fans.
This can be a big challenge for a company because it can stump the momentum of an already successful campaign and overshadow the overall message and product. Luckily, Taco Bell was quick to issue a statement and the Cool Doritos Locos Tacos launched as planned the next day. Disgruntled customers seemed to be quickly appeased and all has seemed to be forgiven. The prompt statement from Taco Bell and the following release helped this tiny crisis blow over.


text:
TyTek urge customers to check and replenish inventory as Chinese supply chain ‘perfect storm’ could last six months
Power blackouts in more than 10 provinces across the mainland of China have forced global suppliers to suspend operations at some of their factories.
A reliable source explained to us that this has the potential to extend into next March and serves to exacerbate the ongoing situation already caused by the shipping crisis, creating a perfect storm in the already under pressure supply chain.
As a result, TyTek urge customers whose product is manufactured in China to place orders with a view to ensuring inventory for the next six months, as we look into the cause of these suspensions.
Our source in China explains: “The recent dual control of energy consumption policy brought in Chinese government has had an impact on the production capacity of manufacturing companies. Deliveries in some industries have had to be delayed to save electric power, and increasingly factory shut downs are being enforced, whereby they can open for half the week or so.
In addition, the China Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a draft of an ‘2021-2022 Autumn and Winter Action Plan for Air Pollution Management’. This autumn and winter (from October 1 2021 to March 31 2022), the production capacity in some industries could be further restricted.
Our source concluded: “So far we have not met any problems in our regular production but we strongly advise you to be prepared for unexpected situations during this time. We recommend that you look at your forecasting and move up your order plan and place your orders earlier than usual.
Please be aware: The Chinese New Year Holiday will be from Jan 31 to Feb 6 2022. Due to tougher conditions in both ocean and air shipping, it will be more difficult to secure bookings.
Besides the scarcity of containers and the rising shipping cost, we would strongly encourage you to place orders before Oct 15 2021 to secure shipping before CNY as many suppliers tell us that they will not be shipping between Jan 20 and Feb 16 2022.
Below are some reliable news sources outlining what we have discussed above:


text:
Digital game retailer, Steam pulled the official Ashes cricket game from sale after players branded it “shameful”, “unplayable”, “embarrassing” and “farcical”.
Publisher 505 Games said refunds would be given to anyone who had purchased the game already on PC.
The game will now be abandoned and not resold in an updated format even though it was delayed for a number of months before release.
505 Games said “The development of Ashes Cricket 2013 has been fraught with challenges almost from the outset” in reference to the Australian developer, Trickstar Games.
Game bugs such as non-existent catching animations for fielders was put down to “The chosen developer, even with their many years of cricket development experience, was unable to overcome the unexpected challenges that the chosen game engine threw up, even with multiple extensions to the development schedule.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia assigned the deal for 505 Games to make The Ashes 2013 to cover the recent Ashes event in England and the current event in Australia.
One of many bugs in The Ashes 2013


text:
Kate Middleton might not be happy with her sister after the gun scandal, but the pair who have previously be seen as thick as thieves have not always seen eye-to-eye, especially when Pippa decided to hide Kate's engagement ring.
While the sisters were out shopping with their mother Carole, Kate was given a nasty shock when she thought she'd lost her engagement ring - that previously belonged to Princess Diana.
The family were out shopping at a jewellery store when younger sister Pippa decided to play a prank on Kate.
The owner of one of the family's favourite jewellery stores has said: "Pippa is a little minx. She has a wicked sense of humour."
"Once, all three of the Middleton ladies came into browse, and while Kate Middleton took off her engagement ring - Diana's - to try on another she liked, Pippa sneakily hid it," the source told You magazine.
The sapphire ring was given to Kate when Prince William proposed in 2010, and considering it held such significance the bride-to-be was really upset.
"Pippa let Kate panic for a few minutes before confessing. She found it extremely funny," they said, before adding: "Not surprisingly, Kate wasn't so amused!"
Well, this sounds like another of Pippa's 'jokes' that go wrong - according to the reports, Pippa and her pals thought their recent 'gun' scandal was funny and have claimed that the gun was actually a toy.
Kate Middleton on her wedding day...


text:
Warren Buffett knows just a bit about how to make money. In his latest letter to his company’s shareholders, the billionaire...Read more Comments Off on Warren Buffett letter: 3 tips for stock investors
UK shares offer good value – but there are risks associated with too much exposure to any one market CREDIT: SARAH JONES FOR THE T...Read more Comments Off on How much should you be investing in Brexit Britain?
Turns out too much money can be a bad thing. Speaking at the Blockchain Connect conference in San Francisco last week, investors...Read more Comments Off on Investing in the Next ‘It’ Blockchain Isn’t So Easy
Taking a simple approach to investing does not make you a simpleton. So keep an open mind about some exchange-traded funds that...Read more Comments Off on Investing giant Vanguard launches ‘one-ticket solution’ ETFs
We’ve all heard of huge investments and acquisitions in the world of tech startups. Last year alone saw Yahoo’s $1 billion acquisi...Read more Comments Off on Mashable Raises $13 Million, Its First Ever Outside Investment
Investments in crowdfunded technology are set to increase seven-fold from an estimated $1.1 billion in 2015 to $8.2 billion by 202...Read more Comments Off on Crowdfunding Investment in Technology Could Hit $8 Billion By 2020
Khadim India IPO will end on November 6 HIGHLIGHTS Khadim India has exclusive retail stores operating under brand Khadims Khadim I...Read more Comments Off on Khadim India IPO Opens: Is It Worth Investing At Share Price Band Of Rs. 745 to 750?
FD interest rates vary across banks and on the basis of their tenures. Bank fixed deposits (FDs) are one of the most...Read more Comments Off on These Are The Interest Rates Paid By SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank On Your FDs


text:
The year begins as it ended: with a new security alert for Android applications. This time, they are clones of Showbox, a dubious app that allows you to see pirated movies, widely distributed in the Samsung Galaxy Store.
In 2022, more than ever, you have to be extra careful when downloading applications on your Android smartphone. Security specialist Max Weinbach came across a disturbing alert when downloading a Showbox clone from Samsung’s Galaxy Store: Google’s anti-virus signaled that the app could pose a danger.
Showbox has a sulphurous reputation. Known to allow pirated movies to be played on Android, it has generated an army of potentially dangerous clones. These applications are indeed able to download and run code which may contain malware. Another security researcher, linuxct, explains that there isn’t much legitimate use for such a feature.
I gave Huawei shit for this, gonna do it to Samsung too.
Samsung is hosting literal malware on the Galaxy Store. Google’s anti-virus protection software, built into Play Services, stops the install.
I’ve found at least 5 of these apps in a row on the Galaxy Store. pic.twitter.com/LiiDJtGwmb
– Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) December 27, 2021
So all that’s left is malicious use, which is why Android’s Play Protect feature reported it. Dozens of Showbox clones are present in the Samsung app store used by Galaxy smartphone owners alongside the Play Store. It should be noted that none of these questionable applications are downloadable from the Google store.
While waiting for Samsung to clean up its Galaxy Store, it is better to avoid picking up this kind of apps in this store unless you like unpleasant surprises. The Play Store is more secure, although everything is not perfect at Google either.


text:
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kohl’s department store motto is “Expect Great Things” and yes as of March 2012 Kohl’s announced the grand opening of eight “8” new stores, bringing approximately 1,000 new jobs nationwide. The company now operates 1,134 stores in 49 states.
We here at Ultimate Party Central had the honor of celebrating a wonderful occasion with Kohl’s ” their 50th year Anniversary”
Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, president and chief executive officer said “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are pleased to be in a position to create approximately 1,000 jobs as Kohl’s continues to focus on growing market share in a challenging economy,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We continue to bring customers innovative new stores where they can enjoy quality national and exclusive brands at exceptional values. This spring we launched the exclusive Rock & Republic collection available at all stores and Kohls.com. To keep the customer experience fresh and exciting, we are investing in our existing store base by adding innovative features and remodeling approximately 50 stores this year.”
The company celebrates the grand opening of eight new stores in seven states, including Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York,North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Of the eight new locations, seven are small format stores with approximately 64,000 square feet or less of retail space, providinggreater real estate flexibility. Kohl’s also continues to invest in its existing store base, adding innovative features and remodeling approximately 50 stores this year. Over the last six years, more than 60 percent of Kohl’s store base has been remodeled with innovation features or newly built.
As for the well deserved festivities the Kohl’s T4 Seasonal meeting was held in the Renaissance in Newark NJ where Kohl’s personal had a well planned and engaging confrence, followed by dinner entertainment and loads of fun.
To View/Download Kohl’s Photobooth Experience : please visit Ultimate Party Central’s Photo Gallery
http://gallery.SITE_NAME/p483341744[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_empty_space height=”32px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E3sIR1al1o”][vc_empty_space height=”32px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text css_animation=”appear”]We strongly recommend that you view this video in HD (High Definition) mode.
Press the gear button near the right of the control bar at the bottom of the video.
Our Led Photobooth was a truly the talk of the night but the entertainment didn’t stop there our premiere DJ Nikki K was personally requested to host the entertainment inthe casino room where craps tables , black jack table , roulette, Slot machines, texas holdem , three card poker , carribean stud, let it ride, and the money wheel; was all part of the enhancements and excitement.
I had the opportunity to speak with Nikki K after the event, ” What an amazing accomplishment that Kohl’s has successfully built such an empire that many people flock to all year round, I honestly do not know anyone that hasn’t visited kohl’s and if they haven’t they are missing out! It was such an honor to meet so many smiling faces and to be part of the celebration. To me Kohl’s represents something that I always believe in; quality brands, value and convenience and to invite so many Kohl’s employees approximately “375” for a dinner meeting and celebration spoke proudly of how kohl’s respects the employees and a fruitful future they have to look forward too.
So after hearing what Nikki K had to say about his experience , I did a little research and found that he has a great point:
Kohl’s stores nationwide and Kohls.com help shoppers play and save with style by providing quality brands at a value they can appreciate. Kohl’s powerful brand portfolio includes private and exclusive brands at exceptional values such as Simply Vera Vera Wang, Jennifer Lopez, LC Lauren Conrad, Marc Anthony, Food Network, Bobby Flay, ELLE Contemporary Collection, ELLE DECOR, Dana Buchman, Candie’s, Mudd, Tony Hawk, Apt. 9, Chaps, Jumping Beans and SONOMA life + style. New this spring, customers can also enjoy the exclusive Rock & Republic collection for men and women. In addition, Princess Vera Wang, the new Junior’s contemporary, premium lifestyle collection, has just recently launch ” the beginning of August 2012″ exclusively at Kohl’s and Kohls.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]


text:
The Best Under-Rated Play in the Agri Market
Marshall is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
The outlook for the farm-machines and construction industry has been a mixed bag over the past couple of years. One of the big names dragging down the entire heavy-equipment industry has been Caterpillar. The company's poor performance due to slowdowns in China and in the mining sector has led to a sell-off of the entire industry. However, I would argue that CAT's problems in mining, or even China, have little to do with the global agricultural market. As a result, I'm still bullish on agricultural-equipment makers and the industry in general.
The big tailwinds? The major agricultural-equipment makers should be big benefactors of the increasing urbanization of emerging economies. And CNH Global (ADR) (NYSE: CNH) could be one of the best bets because of this.
Why? CNH posted 2Q EPS of $1.93, compared to $1.47 for the same period last year, well above the $1.50 consensus. One of the big reasons I'm a CNH fan is that the stock trades at 7.2 times operating cash flow and has a return on equity of 15%.
CNH is the result of the '99 merger between New Holland and Case. The company has a large global footprint, with 44% of its construction and agricultural equipment sales generated in North America in 2012, 31% in EAME, 15% in Latin America, and 10% in Asia.
CNH's agricultural segment makes up over 80% of revenue, and includes tractors, combine harvesters, and seeding and planting equipment. Its key brands include Case and New Holland. Meanwhile, its construction segment makes up 20% of revenue and includes wheel loaders, dozers, backhoe loaders and excavators.
Deere (NYSE: DE) remains the world's largest maker of farm tractors and combines. The company is expected to post revenue growth of some 8% in fiscal 2013. Much like CNH, Deere expects the strengthening farming market to be one of the biggest tailwinds.
During 2012, the company got around 40% of sales from outside North America. Its agricultural segment accounts for 75% of sales, while its construction and forestry segment is 18% of sales.
The thing that gets Deere investors excited is its 2.4% dividend yield; while not exorbitant, it's still well above the dividend other agricultural-equipment makers offer. The dividend is also only a 25% payout of earnings.
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is another major farm-equipment maker. Just like CNH and Deere, the June-ended quarterly EPS was up nicely year-over-year, coming in at $2.15, compared to $2.08 from the same period last year, after sales were up 13% year-over-year.
AGCO sells a full line of equipment, from tractors to combines. The company has over 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries. Tractors make up nearly 60% of the company's sales. But the issue for investors is the 50% in revenue the company gets from Europe. This could prove to be a continued drag on AGCO going forward. But worth noting is that nearly 20% of sales come from the fast-growing area of South America.
While the urbanization of emerging economies will be one of the biggest long-term tailwinds for the likes of Deere and CNH, a notable near-term tailwind includes the delayed planting season that should lead the industry to begin a game of catch-up. The unseasonably wet spring has delayed crop planting, but as farmers look to catch up, they will likely turn to the big machines that can sow quickly.
Emerson Nafziger, agronomist at the University of Illinois, notes that "when you see big planters running fast, they're certainly planting eight or 12 times faster than we planted 30 years ago."
One of the beauties of CNH is that it trades the cheapest among the major equipment makers:
But the story gets better. When you couple the growth rates with CNH's cheap valuation, the stock is an all around growth at a reasonable price opportunity:
CNH is my newest pick for the agricultural industry. I think that Deere could also be a solid industry bet, namely because of its brand's land and market share leadership. And AGCO is one of the other underrated plays in the industry, but its dividend isn't quite as robust, at only 0.4%.
The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for this year. Find out which stock it is in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.
Marshall Hargrave has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


text:
First breaking cover in September of the 2023 calendar year, the 2024 GMC Acadia introduces the crossover’s latest third generation, debuting new styling, a larger cabin, new tech features, and a new turbocharged engine. In addition, the all-new Acadia is significantly larger than the outgoing model, with an extra 8.4 inches in wheelbase and an extra 10.2 inches in overall length. In our opinion, this creates a white space for the now-cancelled next-gen GMC Jimmy.
For those readers who may be unaware, the original GMC Jimmy was offered between 1970 and 1991 as Big Red’s version of the K5 Chevy Blazer. Fast forward to today, and as GM Authority covered previously, The General was, at one time at least, planning to reintroduce the GMC Jimmy nameplate as an all-new rival for the Ford Bronco. The next-gen Jimmy was even poised to offer a V8 engine, but unfortunately, the project was ultimately canned.
Now, however, we think the GMC Acadia’s recent growth spurt opens up enough space between it and the GMC Terrain to slot in a new GMC Jimmy – which, again, would be great, if the project wasn’t already cancelled.
In fact, in an interview with GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft, GMC Acadia marketing manager Katherine Weber acknowledged that there was now indeed a bit more room between the Acadia and Terrain. During the interview, Luft asked Weber if the next-gen Acadia created some white space between it and the Terrain:
“With the 2024 Acadia getting longer, taller and wider, it creates a little bit more room between Terrain and Acadia,” Weber told GM Authority.
While Weber did not describe the extra room between the Acadia and Terrain as “white space,” we think the now cancelled GMC Jimmy project would have been perfect to fill the gap.
Although a next-gen GMC Jimmy is nowhere on the horizon, the possibility of a new Denali Ultimate trim level for the next-gen GMC Acadia isn’t entirely out of the question.
As a reminder, the 2024 GMC Acadia cradles the turbocharged 2.5L I4 LK0 gasoline engine and rides on the GM C1 platform, with production taking place at the GM Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan.


text:
Potential mobile phone users from Delhi NCR region can now opt for a favourite contact number. As Vodafone India has announced its “Choose Your Number” service in the circle, which enables the users to select their mobile phone number combinations for new prepaid and postpaid connection on the basis of lucky numbers, car registration number, date of birth etc.
The new facility from Vodafone is available at all the major retail stores across the capital. It is expected that the company is launching the service in phases and soon it will enter in rest regions of the country.
“Our customer research indicates that there is a deep interest among the mobile users to have numbers aligned with some significant event in their lives. With Choose Your Number offer we want to acknowledge the faith they have invested in our network and offer another benefit to the prospective customers who have shown interest in subscribing to Vodafone,” Apoorva Mehrotra, Business Head, Delhi & NCR, Vodafone India, said.
In order to get a personalised combination of numbers, seekers will have to submit a request application to a nearest Vodafone store within the region. After the submission of application, the operator will notify after confirming with the database, whether the requested number is already allotted to a subscriber, or not.
If the requested phone number will be available with the telco then it will be assigned to the respective customer by the traditional method respective of whether it is for prepaid or postpaid.
Besides this, in an another story, Vodafone has announced that it is planning to invest Rs. 13,000 crores in the Prime Minister’s initiatives, ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’. It will be the second largest investment made by a company followed by Bharti Airtel. Since the firm made its debut in India in 2007, it has invested Rs. 11,000 crore in the country.


text:
The Simone family extends its legacy of hospitality to the newest addition to U.S. 19, Comfort Inn and Suites, which had its grand opening on June 29. Celebrating in the joyous atmosphere with guests, the hotel is well-situated near Keiser University and downtown New Port Richey, bringing quality accommodations to those traveling in the area. The history of the Simones’ hospitality traces back to the 1970s when Eric’s grandfather Augustino Menna purchased hotels along U.S. 19 and in Pinellas and Pasco Counties, laying a successful foundation for today’s many comfortable lodgings.
Eric Simone and his family delighted in the joyous atmosphere of the grand opening of Comfort Inn and Suites on U.S. 19 on June 29. Guests danced, nibbled and were comfortable despite the heat. Located adjacent to Keiser University and near downtown New Port Richey, the hotel is a convenient and modern option for travelers in the area. The Simone family’s history of providing quality accommodations dates back to the 1970s, when Eric’s grandfather Augustino Menna purchased hotels in the area.
The Arcadia Motel was the first of these, purchased after a road trip from Canada to Disney World in Florida. Augustino Menna’s legacy of hospitality has been passed down to Eric Simone and his family, who proudly continue to provide quality lodging in the Tampa Bay area.
Countless hotels have been built along U.S. 19 and in Pinellas and Pasco counties that owe their success to the Menna family’s hard work and dedication.
Founded by Paul Simone, the business has since developed into a multi-faceted venture, now known as Simone Development. Anita Menna Simone serves as VP of operations, sales and revenue strategy, while Eric Simone is VP of real estate and development, and his wife Krista is VP of human resources and operations. As a third-generation member of the family business, Eric is proud to take the company to new heights and create something unique and remarkable. With an unwavering dedication and passion, he believes that anything is possible with the right amount of hard work.
Currently, Simone Development is developing the site formerly occupied by the Magnuson Hotel on the corner of Marine Parkway and U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. Comfort Inn and Suites is situated nearby, at 6206 U.S. 19, next to Keiser University. Those interested in rates, reservations, or more information can call 727-261-9700.
The opening of the Comfort Inn and Suites in New Port Richey is a testament to the dedication that Augustino Menna’s family have been displaying for decades. Receiving rave reviews from guests, the hotel is sure to be the latest success among a long list of accomplishments by the Menna clan. Thanks to team of hardworking members who proudly carry on the hospitality legacy set by Augustino Menna, travelers in the area now have a modern and convenient lodging option to choose from.


text:
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
- Filed Under
Hyundai, always quick to jump on breaking news, has come up with a smart way to tap into sympathy for furloughed federal workers.
It says it is launching a payment deferral program for those who aren't working because of the government shutdown. Hyundai says it will extend auto loan and lease payments during the shutdown for current Hyundai owners who are furloughed.
"We recognize the impact on family budgets that the furlough will drive," says John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, in a statement. "Like we did almost four years ago when we launched Hyundai Assurance, this is our way of ...


text:
The theme here of late has been selling art on Instagram. Just last week I posted details on how to create a shop for art sales on your Instagram profile–read the article here. I also featured the news that artist Caia Matheson sold one of her paintings within one hour of creating her shop and posting her first painting to Instagram–you’ll find the article here.
So I was wowed by the news that celebrities Lindsay Lohan and Leonardo DiCaprio purchased art from artists after discovering their work on Instagram.
After reading my articles, New York artist Jane Dell asked what is the difference–a link to her website on her Instagram profile or the shop? So the answer is that no matter your method, buyers see your work and buy it on Instagram! Just make it easy for them.


text:
The proportion of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Iceland in 2012 was the lowest in Europe, according to the latest figures published by Statistics Iceland.
Photo: Páll Stefánsson/Iceland Review.
The rate in Iceland was 12.7 percent compared to 25 percent in the European Union. Norway had the second lowest rate among European countries followed by the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
The countries with the highest proportion of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia. The indicator is based on three factors: household income, work participation of household members and which material goods the households can afford.
In 2012, purchasing power in Iceland remained the same between years after having dropped from 2009. The trend between 2011 and 2012 is similar for all income quintiles. The purchasing power decreased most for the highest income group between 2009 and 2011.
Click here for more information about the study.