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After all, the economy is hurting real bad. And to understand the reasons behind the pain, it is essential to understand why farms matter
The Union Budget is barely three weeks away. There are talks about tax sops and financial incentives. But none of them will go very far if the basics are ignored.
After all, the economy is hurting real bad. And to understand the reasons behind the pain, it is essential to understand why farms matter.
Second it is important to note that unlike the Asian tigers – including China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore among others – India is not an export driven market. It is a consumption driven market. When you have half of India’s population living in rural areas, this becomes a critical consumption market – especially for things like motorcycles, tractors, harvesters, seeds, fertilisers, nutrients and a host of consumer goods.
Third, hitherto, except for a brief period when Lal Bahadur Shastri tried to promote agriculture (and coined the slogan Jai-Jawan-Jai Kisan), successive governments have short-changed agriculture. As a result the farmer earns pathetically little from agriculture, as NABARD studies (see table) have shown Therefore, if the economy has to be revived, agriculture needs some key inputs. Here are some suggestions.
One reason why the farm sector’s contribution to India GDP is just around 14 percent is because the farmer is allowed to earn very little for his produce. Leave alone milk where, thanks to Verghese Kurien, the farmer can earn as much as 80-85 percent of the market price for the milk he produces.
Similarly, keep aside the politically pampered rice and wheat crops, where the Food Corporation of India (FCI) guarantees procurement from most large farmers and thus gives them a remunerative price. Ditto for politically protected crops like sugarcane and plantations.
But take the rest of the agricultural sector and you discover that when it comes to vegetables and fruits, the farmer earns barely 10 percent of the market price for his produce. With other non-procurement products, the farmer is lucky if he gets 30 percent of the market price for his produce. As a result, the farmer’s purchasing power has remained poor.
If the government wants the farmer to earn more, it must make provisions for him to earn a better price. That can be done in two ways.
For crops other than vegetables and fruit, the government can actually get the FCI intervene in the commodity markets and offer to pick up any crop at the declared Minimum Support Price (MSP). Typically, even if 5 percent of the produce is picked up by the FCI, traders will increase their price offering and provide the farmers a better deal.
Alternatively, the government has to immediately allow the farm sector to create an autonomous body like the NDDB, which comes in as a market maker. Unless the farmer can receive 50 percent of the market price for his produce, the farmer will remain exploited.
Doles are counter-productive, as they teach farmers to depend more heavily on the government. That will make them more vulnerable. In fact, both the NCDEX and the MCX and their affiliates had made similar suggestions to the government some years ago. But the government hasn’t done anything.
The second thing that the government can do is to announce -- as part of the Budget proposals – to make stopping a meat wagon a punishable offence. Meat kept by the roadside, in Indian conditions, becomes unfit for human consumption in a few hours. The madness unleashed by the gau-rakshaks has hurt farmers, cobblers and the meat industry very badly. The farmer has been the worst affected.
Let’s leave aside cows for the moment. If the cow is to be protected, so be it. But why touch buffalo meat? Most farmers are already moving to adopting buffaloes instead of cows for two simple reasons. First, buffaloes are not considered holy, so they can be sold to the trader – for onward sale to slaughter houses – without any qualms. Second, buffalo milk has more fat content. That fetches farmers more money per litre of milk produced.
But when a buffalo stops lactating, it must be sold. The cost of maintaining a barren or old buffalo is crippling. The farmer normally gets Rs 20,000 per old buffalo. To this he adds another Rs 20,000 and purchases a young milch buffalo. If the trader refuses to purchase the old buffalo from the farmer -- because his consignments can get seized by crazed gau-rakshaks -- then the farmer loses his ability to procure fresh cattle heads. That reduces his income, and increases his expenditure. And, in turn, the scare to take away old buffaloes affects the leather industry and the beef industry – both major employment and forex generators. The minimum estimated loss on account of this could be over Rs 23,000 crore a year
The third thing the finance minister can do is to take away the power to import agri produce from the hands of the bureaucrats and to put it in the hands of farmer groups. Imports cause domestic prices to fall. That hurts farmers. When domestic prices go up – as with onions – let the farmer body import, but sell it at normal market prices, not at less than market prices. That is what NDDB was taught to do under Kurien.
You cannot protect consumers forever. The farmer is a producer, and must also be protected. It is insensitivity to such a requirement that actually emboldened some bright boys in the government who thought that they could allow New Zealand to divert 5 percent of its non-liquid milk dairy produce exports to India. Thanks to a spirited resistance put up by farmers, this move was dropped. The same thing happened a few years ago, when import of pulses was resorted to. Such madness should be avoided.
Unless such situations are remedied, the farmer loses income, hence purchasing power. And, as a consequence, the wheels of the economy have grist thrown in them.Can the finance minister usher in these measures for the sake of economic revival? It would go a long way towards fulfilling the prime minister’s promise of doubling farmers’ income. It must be said that even this assurance is too little because a doubling of 10 percent is still 20 percent, far below the 50 percent desired level.Get access to India's fastest growing financial subscriptions service Moneycontrol Pro for as little as Rs 599 for first year. Use the code "GETPRO". Moneycontrol Pro offers you all the information you need for wealth creation including actionable investment ideas, independent research and insights & analysis For more information, check out the Moneycontrol website or mobile app.


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Germany's Sarstedt starts building blood collection systems plant in St. Petersburg, opening set for 2022
ST. PETERSBURG. July 22 (Interfax) - Germany's Sarstedt AG started construction of a medical equipment plant in the Maryino industrial park in the Petrodvorets district of St. Petersburg on Monday, an Interfax correspondent reported from the groundbreaking ceremony.
The amount of investment in the plant is now estimated at 21.2 million euros (1.5 billion rubles), which is twice the initial estimate. The cost was estimated at 750 million rubles when a memorandum on construction of the plant was signed by the company, VTB and the St. Petersburg government at the 2018 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. VTB Group manages the Maryino industrial park.
The plant of about 9,000 square meters will have two production lines to manufacture single-use blood collection systems (venous and capillary).
The German company's CEO, Jurgen Sarstedt said at the groundbreaking that Sarstedt made the decision to localize production in Russia in 2016. In future, the company plans to expand the plant's product line, and expects that its products will not only be supplied to medical institutions in Russia, but also to those of the CIS and other countries that border Russia, he said.
Commercial production is scheduled to begin in May 2022, Sarstedt said.
Sarstedt, a family-owned company founded in 1961, specializes in manufacturing laboratory and medical equipment and supplies for medical and scientific purposes. The company has 33 sales organizations and 13 production facilities in Europe, North America and Australia. The company's headquarters are in the German city of Numbrecht.

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The year-over-year sales of the PS3 are increasing (or, at least, they increased), with 13 million sold worldwide in fiscal 2009 versus 10.1 million in fiscal 2008. That's only going to increase in 2010, as everyone is forced to buy a second PS3 so the console will appear in stereoscopic 3D even while no 3D games are being played.
Posted on Jan 26th 2015 11:00AM
Posted on Jan 26th 2015 10:00AM
Posted on Jan 23rd 2015 7:00PM


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(Natural News) Many processed foods and beverages like cereal and sports drinks contain food coloring and anti-caking agents.
According to a study conducted by scientists from Binghamton University and Cornell University, these ingredients and additives may damage your gut health.
The study revealed that metal oxide particles in particular could be disrupting the health of your intestines. Details of the study were published in the journal Antioxidants.
People consume nanoparticles daily, reveals study
Elad Tako, senior author and associate professor of food science at Cornell, warned that people are consuming nanoparticles from food coloring and anti-caking agents on a daily basis.
He cautioned that they still don’t know how much people consume and there is no definitive data on the long-term effects of this consumption. Through the study, Tako and his colleagues were able to demonstrate some of these effects.
Tako added that the study findings could be used to learn more about gastrointestinal health and development.
In earlier studies, Binghamton researchers led in vitro cellular assessments and screened different nanoparticles used frequently in food and pharmaceutical industries.” The research team then narrowed its focus to specific metal oxide nanoparticles to confirm proper testing dosages that are suitable for human consumption.
For the collaborative study, experts from Binghamton and Cornell used human-appropriate doses of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide in the laboratory’s in vivo system.
The model helped the researchers monitor the display of a health response comparable to that of real humans, and they injected the nanoparticles into chicken eggs.
After the eggs hatched, the scientists observed changes in the functional, structural and microbial markers within their blood, the duodenum or upper intestine, and the cecum or pouch that connects the small and large intestines.
Results revealed that titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide, two nanoparticles commonly used in food, “may negatively affect intestinal functionality.” Specifically, the nanoparticles have a negative effect on “key digestive and absorptive proteins.” (Related: These 3 foods can boost your heart and gut health.)
Should products using these ingredients be banned?
The research team also studied zinc oxide, a micronutrient, and iron oxide, an iron fortification supplement, to see how they function. Their findings revealed that zinc oxide nanoparticles help support the intestines and may help them compensate after suffering damage.
On the other hand, iron oxide nanoparticles seemed to negatively alter intestinal function and overall health.
This means that while iron oxide may serve as a viable option for iron fortification, it is not the best option for maintaining gut integrity. Researchers reported that zinc oxide would be the best choice.
While these findings about currently available food-grade nanoparticles aren’t all positive, the research team doesn’t think their use should be banned completely without further research to back up that decision.
They also recommended that more feasible developments would have to be made to introduce “healthier, more cost-effective and sustainable alternatives.”
Tips on how to avoid food dyes
Dyes are used in foods to make processed food look more attractive, but they have no nutritional benefit.
Protect your gut health by following the tips below to avoid food dyes:
Choose organic foods
Look for organic foods with the green-and-white United States Department of Agriculture-certified organic label. Remember that some foods labeled “made with organic ingredients” may still contain synthetic dyes.
The best way to remove artificial food dyes from your diet is to prepare meals using whole, unprocessed foods that are full of various nutrients.
These foods are naturally dye-free:
- Dairy and eggs – This includes cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, milk and plain yogurt.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables – All fresh fruits and vegetables are dye-free. Avoid canned fruits in heavy syrup because they contain corn syrup and sugar. For a healthier alternative, look for canned fruit in water.
- Grains – This includes barley, brown rice, oats and quinoa.
- Legumes – Legumes like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils and navy beans are dye-free.
- Meat and poultry – Fresh, unmarinated beef, chicken, pork and fish are dye-free.
- Nuts and seeds – When buying nuts, look for unflavored almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and walnuts.
Watch out for the term “artificial”
The terms “artificial color,” “artificial color added” or “color added” mean that nature-derived pigments were used and that synthetic dyes must be listed by their names.
Avoid numbers in ingredient lists
You can pick out man-made food dyes that appear in ingredient lists if there is a name of a color with a number following it, like Blue 1 and 2, Citrus Red 2, Green 3, Red 40 or Yellow 5 and 6. Avoid these products to steer clear of food dyes.
Seek out natural colorants
Once you’ve learned about artificial food dyes like Blue 1, look for natural colorants like annatto, beet, carotenes or capsanthin (a paprika extract).
Protect your gut health by eating whole foods and avoiding products that contain food dyes.
Visit FoodScience.news to learn more about harmful ingredients in food products.
Watch the video below to find out how chia seeds can help support healthy gut function.
This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Here are 4 reasons to include tree nuts in your diet.
Natural pigments are a safer alternative to harmful artificial food colorings (AFCs).
Study: Toxic rinse aid used in industrial restaurant dishwashers linked to serious health problems.


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Xiaomi has introduced its first electric car, the SU7, signaling a significant foray into the automotive industry. Unveiled by the company’s Chief Executive, Lei Jun, the vehicle aims to position Xiaomi among the top five global automakers in the next two decades.
Dubbed ‘Speed Ultra’ (SU7), the electric car is set to challenge established players in the electric vehicle (EV) market. Lei Jun emphasized the vehicle’s advanced “super electric motor” technology, claiming acceleration capabilities that surpass those of Tesla and Porsche electric vehicles.
Designed to seamlessly integrate with Xiaomi’s existing ecosystem of electronic devices and mobile apps, the SU7 promises a cohesive user experience for consumers familiar with the brand’s smartphones. This integration is expected to be a key selling point for the vehicle.
The electric sedan will be offered in two variants, featuring impressive driving ranges of 668 km (415 miles) and 800 km on a single charge, respectively. This surpasses the range of Tesla’s Model S, which covers up to 650 km. While pricing details remain undisclosed, Lei Jun hinted at a premium price point that would be perceived as reasonable by consumers.
Apart from its performance capabilities, the SU7 is marketed for its suitability in cold weather conditions. Amid one of China’s coldest Decembers on record, the vehicle boasts rapid charging in low temperatures and advanced obstacle-detection technology for challenging environments, including heavy snowfall.
Production of Xiaomi’s vehicles will be carried out by a BAIC Group unit at a Beijing factory, with an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
Xiaomi’s entry into the automotive sector coincides with a challenging period for China’s car market, grappling with oversupply and declining demand. Despite these industry challenges, Lei Jun remains optimistic about Xiaomi’s long-term automotive aspirations, seeking to elevate China’s automobile industry.
This move into electric vehicles is part of Xiaomi’s broader strategy to diversify its portfolio in response to stagnating demand in the smartphone market. The decision to enter the electric vehicle market was initially announced in 2021, following the lead of other Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Baidu.
Committing to invest $10 billion in the automotive sector over the next decade, Xiaomi has secured approval from authorities, a significant endorsement in a tightly regulated industry, setting it apart from many new entrants in China’s crowded EV market.


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It goes without saying that visual social commerce is growing very quickly, and that is due to the popularity of image-centric social networks. But does that mean online retailers should only focus on discovering ways to make still images work for them? Not at all! In fact, when done correctly, video marketing for eCommerce unleashes a totally different kind of beast. To back this, the following insights were gathered by visual storytelling company Adelie Studios:
- Social video generates 1,200% more shares than text and images combined
- Companies using video enjoy 41% more web traffic from search than non-users
- A video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80% or more
- Homepage videos increase conversions by 20% or more
- Businesses using videos grow company revenue 40% faster year-over-year than organizations without video
- Native video uploads to Facebook have 10 times higher reach compared to shared YouTube links
- Video drives a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines
- 90% of Twitter video views happen on a mobile device
- 4 times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it
In January of 2016, before the launch of Facebook Live Videos, Facebook reported seeing 100 million hours of daily video watch time, and later also announced the willingness to fund original video programming from creators and media companies. That was all in an effort to keep the growth going on and strong. As impressive as that may sound, it still pales in comparison to YouTube, which boasts 650 million hours of videos viewed each day.
At this point, you might be wondering where eCommerce comes into play. Allow us to explain.
All these advances in technology (and the popularity from it) has not only led to images becoming shoppable, but videos as well, only in a different way. At the most basic level, you don’t really need AI to create videos that will allow users to shop for items that are seen in them. There are multiple firms that allow assistance with that if needed, and big names such as Kate Spade have created multiple viral shoppable video campaigns.
Ted Baker also launched a interactive video marketing campaign, which featured shoppable window displays with Google voice search. Tags were added to each video, which made it shoppable. Other options included displaying an overlay, or adding to a wishlist. About this campaign, the sales director of Google UK commented, “We know that mobile plays a key role in any shopping experience acting as the connector between digital and in-store. So we worked with Ted Baker to bring their latest campaign to life using a simple and fun interaction on your smartphone. Placing voice search at the core of the campaign is a creative tactic that fits perfectly with the espionage theme and enhances the consumer experience in a mobile first world.”
Now we know that we previously mentioned AI is not needed to create such video campaigns, but that does come at a cost: time. Without AI, you will have to manually configure and label all content, then sync it with all the landing pages. Offhand, that may not seem like much of an investment in time, however it will get tedious very quickly for most online retailers. That is because eCommerce is seasonal and trends change very quickly. As such, the efforts need to be repeated over and over again to stay relevant. These videos are not evergreen. AI helps save online retailers from that hassle.
With AI, shoppable labels can be populated by algorithms that are trained by machine learning, thereby dramatically reducing the need for manual upkeep by online retailers on the backend. In the greatest case scenarios, AI can even allow purchases to be made straight from the catwalk, as previously done by Burberry.
As shoppable videos becomes more widely adopted by online retailers, it won’t be surprising to see the bulk of videos in the near future being used as a vehicle for selling goods that are featured in it, or at the very least, displaying similar products at various price points. This will be a revolutionary point in the world of eCommerce, considering the 750 million+ hours of videos streamed daily. It would serve as an outstanding revenue stream for the sites that are publishing the videos, content creators, and of course brands and online retailers as well.


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Sea shipping to Kenya has increased in 2022 due to some economical reasons, which we are going to explore. Kenya has a home market of more than 54 million people and is one of East Africa’s most important economic and logistical centers, as well as a stage for multinational companies wishing to enter the country’s market. Kenya has a young, educated, and English-speaking populace.
Over the last decade, Kenya has implemented a variety of political, structural, and economic changes that have primarily supported sustained economic growth, social development, and political advancement. From 2018 through 2020, the country’s GDP increased at a rate of 5.6 percent each year on average. While it decreased by 0.1 percent in 2020, it rose by 7.5 percent in 2021.
Kenya’s GDP is expected to expand by 4.5 percent to 6.3 percent in fiscal year 2021-2022, indicating a partial recovery from COVID-19’s economic impact and accompanying mitigating measures.
Kenya’s major exports include tea, cut flowers, refined petroleum, gold, and coffee, with Uganda, Pakistan, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom being the top importer.
Refined Petroleum, Palm Oil, Broadcasting Equipment, Packaged Medicaments, and Cars are Kenya’s major imports, with most of them coming from China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.


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Italian-speaking doctor chosen for Swiss executive branch
GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss parliament has elected a doctor to the country's seven-member executive branch, the first member from the Italian-speaking south in 18 years.
'Split' review: James McAvoy is outstanding in M Night Shyamalan’s survival thriller
'Spilt' tells the tale of a man with an identity disorder.
Huge underground deposit of ice found on Mars
New York, Nov 23 (IANS) Using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists have discovered a large deposit of ice beneath a region of cracked and pitted plains on Mars.
Time, not, money is the key to happiness: Wharton marketing professor Cassie Mogilner
Mogilner looks at the different experiences and emotions that factor into human contentment, finding that happiness isn’t as unique to each person as we might think.
Why Mauritius' cuisine is a melting pot of European, African and punchy Asian flavours
In Mauritius, exotic meats and robust flavours rule, epitomising the island’s happy embrace of diverse cultures.
Big companies up against hackers hunting for corporate scalps
Firms waging an 'asymmetric war' against nimble-footed hackers, says security startup accelerator.
These stores smell money inside your brain
Sephora is testing a method developed by a San Francisco-based fragrance startup called Pinrose that brings technology and psychology to your nose.
Uber diversity recruiting hampered by lack of leadership, funds
The recruiting arm assigns some members to focus on hiring diverse candidates, an initiative that has received enthusiastic endorsements from Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick.
Economica: How the way options are presented affect consumer choice
Wharton’s Cassie Mogilner, Stanford’s Baba Shiv, and Columbia’s Sheena Iyengar decided to find out how the way options were presented to consumers affected the feelings they ultimately had about a particular choice.
PAU inks MoU with Mozambique university
PAU inks MoU with Mozambique university.Seeks to promote academics,research and extension programme.
Economica: Money does make you happy, if you spend it right
Money can buy you better food, better medical care, more free time and more meaningful labour but research shows otherwise.
Sula Vineyards's CEO Rajeev Samant barely drank wine, but had the right spirit
CEO Rajeev Samant may not be a critic but his savvy palate has steered Sula Vineyards to worldwide success.
Sparkle Lounge: Champagne means celebration
Whenever there's a big celebration afoot, there should be a run on Champagne.
Walmart's India fallout started with allegations of bribery in Mexico
If not for Mexico, Gurgaon based transport co might still be plying trucks for Bharti Walmart, joint venture of the world’s largest retailer.
Champagne bubbles (95m) and deals abound
We May never know just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but apparently the average bottle of champagne contains 95 million bubbles.


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Trade, import and export for MSMEs: Ahead of the winter holiday season in the US and Canada, Walmart has opened its marketplace in Canada for Indian exporters. At a summit for sellers on Tuesday, Walmart announced inviting Indian sellers to apply for its marketplace in Canada where it also operates over 400 stores. “Walmart data shows that customers start researching their holiday buys in October, with steady sales throughout November and December,” the company said.
Walmart added that Indian sellers will benefit from its services including Walmart Fulfillment for fast and easy shipping and Walmart Connect for seasonal promotions. Walmart Connect is the advertising business of the company. In terms of categories, Walmart said Indian sellers have high potential in highly searched categories like home, apparel, leather accessories, and beauty and personal care.
“We are focused on building long-term relationships with even more Indian companies. Helping sellers build their business in the U.S. and establish themselves in Canada with Walmart Marketplace underscores our confidence in the potential of these markets for Indian sellers as we work towards building our exports from India to $10 billion a year by 2027,” said Michelle Mi, VP, Emerging Markets and Business Development, Global Sourcing, Walmart.
In 2020, Walmart had announced to triple its exports of goods from India from around $3 billion to $10 billion each year by 2027. Indian exports via Walmart included apparel, homeware, jewellery, etc.
The announcement to invite sellers to sell to its Canadian customers comes five months after the company allowed Indian manufacturers and trading companies to sell on its Walmart Marketplace as cross-border sellers for international expansion and reach out to over 120 million US consumers every month.
Importantly, Walmart International, which includes Flipkart, had reported a 5.7 per cent increase in its revenues to $24.4 billion during the June quarter of FY23. “India, with its deep pool of talent, proven ability to leapfrog existing digital technologies and extensive manufacturing expertise, has a unique role to play in the global economy, Judith McKenna, President and CEO of Walmart International had said at a company event Converge@Walmart earlier this month.


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There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In 'Great Outfits in Fashion History,' Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks
Any press tour will garner attention — that's literally what they're designed for. But a "Star Wars" press tour? That's on another level.
Knowing this, Kelly Marie Tran made a point of wearing exclusively Asian designers while promoting the third film in the latest trilogy, "The Rise of Skywalker." (Gemma Chan adopted a similar strategy for the "Crazy Rich Asians" press tour.) Aside from bearing some really excellent looks, her wardrobe — styled by Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald — made a statement, and it was a reminder of how impactful and layered these fashion moments can be.
"It's not just that they're Asian, it's also that they’re incredible artists," she told Vogue in December. "I think it's wonderful when you can tie fashion to a message. If I can say something by choosing specific designers and acknowledging their creativity, [while] also acknowledging their heritage and where I'm from, it's a beautiful thing."
Throughout the press tour for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," she wore looks by Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Adeam and Bibhu Mohapatra, PH5 and Self-Portrait. It culminated in this stunning, crimson, halter-neck gown with a chiffon bodice and train by Vietnamese designer Phuong My, for the film's London premiere.
Of working with Tran on the latest "Star Wars" press tour, Bannerman told Fashionista earlier this year: "The world of fashion is quite larger than the handful of mainstream designers who are to be considered household names — and it's constantly growing. Kelly is not only very proud of her heritage, she's also very vocal about being an advocate for more inclusion of people of color in entertainment spaces. We believe there's room for everyone, and once we start accepting more designers, we can really have fun with fashion."
Shop Tran-inspired red dresses in the gallery, ahead.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.


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South Florida Tourism Copes With Fourth Of July Coronavirus Restrictions
Hotels and other hospitality businesses are facing a different Fourth of July this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 cases keep spiking in South Florida and throughout the state. Local governments are instituting restrictions that will likely affect the worry-free vacations that folks would normally be expecting.
WLRN is here for you, even when life is unpredictable. Local journalists are working hard to keep you informed on the latest developments across South Florida. Please support this vital work. Become a WLRN member today. Thank you.
Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties have closed their beaches for the holiday weekend in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Several cities have canceled their fireworks displays, too.
On the South Florida Roundup, host Tom Hudson talked about the state of the South Florida tourism industry. He was joined by Wendy Kallergis, president and CEO of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association, and Scott Berman, tourism and hospitality industry analyst with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Here’s an excerpt of their conversation:
TOM HUDSON: Scott, when you hear Wendy talk about hotel occupancy of 30 percent, maybe 50 percent, what does that spell for the industry in the summertime in South Florida?
SCOTT BERMAN: Last week, greater Miami hotel occupancy was in the low 40s. That is up from the high teens during the first week of April.
But about half of what it would normally be without a pandemic for this time of year. Is that fair to say?
BERMAN: That's a fair question. We're coming off of Super Bowl and a number of other seasonal events. Occupancy pre-pandemic was in the high 70s. And you can't talk about occupancy alone. You have to talk about the room rates as well, a complete deceleration of room rates across the county.
With the price of the rooms going down, fewer heads in beds, on this July 4th weekend, the business opportunity obviously has been hugely impacted by the pandemic and then the closing of the beaches. Is the season lost?
WENDY KALLERGIS: It's in a different world, obviously. We're hoping that with all of these regulations that we have right now, that the cases will be lowered and we can look forward to a better summer. As Scott said, the numbers are really down. We just really have [to have] confidence, [to] keep the confidence for our visitors that we we want them to come. I think that our focus should be on lowering the cases and getting the rate higher up in the occupancy, too.
Are there practices that South Florida is doing or is not doing that other places may be implementing here to try to look for business, at whatever business there still exists?
BERMAN: The owners and operators of South Florida hotels have done a really good job in terms of pivoting to this new reality. There's been a lot of industry protocols and guidelines around safety, hygiene and security, which these owners and operators have access to.
It's very important for this to turn, to regain that consumer confidence. South Florida is largely a fly-in market. Most consumers of hotels and cruise lines fly here. They don't drive. As long as commercial aviation is impacted and the itineraries are at well under 50 percent of normalcy, we, a community of hoteliers and related industries, are at the mercy of the airline industry. And safety begins there as well. Their protocols and all of this conversation around social distancing and middle seats being open, it doesn't help create that consumer confidence that's so required.
The transcript of this interview was lightly edited for brevity and clarity.


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An improved produce growing season seems to have all types of people in the Lawrence area happy after two years of extreme drought.
Everyone from local produce growers and shoppers to school gardens to food banks have benefited from an increase in production of fruits and vegetables this year, which was helped along by increased rain and relatively cool summer weather.
Bob Lominska, who grows produce in North Lawrence and southern Jefferson County for the Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance, said it's been a banner year for plants like cucumbers, green beans and tomatoes. While Lawrence still is a few inches below average in terms of precipitation, it has received significantly more rain than the past two years.
"If we could count on average, this would be paradise," Lominska said. "Sometimes rainfall happens 6 or 7 inches in one day, then we go six weeks without a drop. If it fell evenly, it would be wonderful." Since it doesn't, Lominska said he's been spending a pretty penny lately on water for irrigating his plants.
This year's late snowfall and cool spring prevented fruit from blooming too soon, providing a good supply of peaches and apples in the area, according to Terry Weber, owner of Lawrence's Backyard Produce. The cool weather is also the reason for local spinach this year being "the most amazing I've had in my life," he said.
Still, Weber doesn't put too much stock into the recent weather being a return to the norm. "It's been a weird year, but I've lived in Kansas all my life. I don't know that we've ever not had a weird year," he said.
The Growing Food, Growing Health school garden project at Lawrence's West Middle School and Sunset Hill and Hillcrest Elementary has had a successful 2013. This past Monday, for instance, students harvested 381 pounds of butternut squash.
"From what I hear from a lot of gardeners, this was a beautiful year," said Bill Wood, director for Douglas County Extension. "Some say we had a lot of weeds too, but at least we had produce with the weeds."
Wood said the bountiful season has even caused some farmers market vendors to lower their prices just to get rid of their excess supply. Lawrence food pantry Just Food recently began given away produce this summer after receiving a surplus of veggies from local farmers and gardeners.
With the influx of produce, The Merc Co-op in Lawrence has been able to incorporate more local fruits and vegetables into its kitchen menu as of late. Since June, the co-op has been getting double the amount of produce compared to 2012. Produce manager Linda Cowden said she expects that supply to continue to increase with the good growing conditions for farmers planting their fall crops.
And when there is more local produce available, the Merc's shoppers tend to buy more of it, which fits in well with the co-op's philosophy.
"I definitely believe there has been a shift toward buying locally," Cowden said. "People are making choices on their economic and environmental impact. Considering the difference in flavor and freshness, choosing local is the best way to go."


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Ala. dealership cited for safety violations after 3 employee deathsDec. 14
EV credit survives compromise tax billDec. 13
U.S. House and Senate negotiators have agreed to spare the electric-vehicle tax credit as part of a compromise package on tax reform, according to a Republican familiar with process, Bloomberg reported.
Ontario to introduce rebates to boost electric truck demandDec. 14
Canada's biggest province, Ontario, will introduce a new rebate program worth up to C$75,000 for buyers of electric trucks, in a move that could boost purchases of models by Tesla and rivals like China's BYD.
Cox sues CDK, cites anti-competitive practicesDec. 11
In a battle between two dealership vendor giants, Cox Automotive is suing CDK Global for anti-competitive business practices. CDK and Reynolds and Reynolds, which Cox called a co-conspirator but is not a party to the suit, have colluded to eliminate competition in dealership data integration, the federal lawsuit said.
Automakers question Calif. zero-emission mandate as feds reassess mpg rulesDec. 12
IIHS top safety picks dwindle under new criteriaDec. 7
Carmakers want Silicon Valley's tech without its patent warsDec. 7
Ex-VW exec Schmidt gets max 7 years, $400,000 fine for U.S. emissions violationsDec. 6
Oliver Schmidt, the former executive who spearheaded Volkswagen's multiyear efforts to keep its conspiracy to cheat on diesel emissions a secret from U.S. regulators, received the maximum sentence possible from a federal judge in Detroit.


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Investments in Panama made by businessmen and trade representatives from the United States have become something that would benefit many US companies.
Recognized companies such as Delta Airlines, UPS, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, SunTrust Bank or CNN, among other Fortune 500 companies, are just some of the companies that were present to exhibit in the United States the opportunity to invest in Panama.
Investments in Panama – Gogetit Highlights
- The trade balance between the US and Panama, from last January to July, amounted to 4,453 million dollars. The business relationship is still gain for the US economy, with 4,690 million dollars exported to Panama, while from the isthmus, that market sales were just 236 million dollars.
- A 30% of volumes handled at the Port Authority of Georgia were containers moving through the Panama Canal. It is expected to be transported more containers when the extended waterway start operations in April 2016.
- Panama is on the radar of investments. The Free Trade Agreement is a great opportunity to further strengthen trade relations. Investors are interested in tourism, logistics, real estate and services.
Recently, Panama was in the state of Georgia, in Atlanta, United States. Businessmen and representatives of the Government of Panama, visited the main business hub of Atlanta, as the headquarters for Delta Airlines, CNN, Coca-Cola, UPS and the Hartfield Jackson Airport, the Atlanta Convention Center and the Center for Business Innovation of the Georgia Tech University. One result was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone and promoter of Free Zones in Panama Business Council.
In Panama, endless economic activities can be developed in different areas and special projects for companies such as logistics, freight and passenger transport, telecommunications, natural gas, technology, construction, real estate development areas and port, energy, science and innovation, education, aviation, services, banking and tourism, among others.
You might be interested in: Panama economy is leading growth in the region.
The city of Atlanta, in the United States, offers many business opportunities. This is why it is stated that the opportunity to reach the US market is open, being where the trade mission organized by the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Panama (AmCham), in conjunction with Delta Airlines and representatives of the Panamanian government, seeking to expand this relationship and expose the economic benefits of the country.
Panama’s geographical position allows the connection by air or sea to the rest of Latin America, attracting many US companies who establish their headquarters in areas such as Panama Pacific. That is why Panama is considered a perfect country for US investors. The type of business is very diverse: From multinational companies in order to establish their regional headquarters, to business call centers, exporters, representative offices and more for business incubation and technology innovation.
Now, the Panama Canal expansion project, work involving investment of over 5,250 million dollars that will benefit not only the domestic economy of the isthmus, but the entire eastern United States, preparing to send boats larger towards the Asia and Pacific countries, is a great opportunity for the global maritime shipping transport, and is a response to the growing importance of Panama in this activity.
The Trump era
In statements offered by the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Panama, Jorge Garcia Icaza, acknowledged that the arrival of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States will not have a “major” impact on its relations with Panama.
According to Garcia Icaza, Panama has been able to get along with both Democratic and Republican governments, just the party that returns to the White House in January 2017 after eight years of Democratic domination.
However, said the business leader, the country could indeed be hit by measures taken by Trump against countries in the region. For example, if you decide to undertake modifications to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Chile.
Gogetit Content Manager. Author of important reviews for Gogetit News, “The #1 Source for real estate news in Panama.”
Specialized in the search and analysis of the most important news about real estate in Panama.


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MediaTek expanding IoT ecosystem
Press release; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES
MediaTek is stepping up efforts to expand its Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. The fabless chipmaker has announced a series of new partnerships to push its SoC shipments across multiple devices.
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(WASHINGTON) — United Airlines expects travel to surge in December as more people look to get away for the holidays.
“We’re seeing a lot of pent-up demand in our data and are offering a December schedule that centers on the two things people want most for the holidays: warm sunshine and fresh snow,” Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning and scheduling at United, said in a press release.
To meet the demand, United plans to fly 3,500 daily domestic flights in the last month of the year — making it the airline’s largest schedule since the start of the pandemic. In comparison, United flew just 649 flights in a single day in April 2020.
“We know families and friends are eager to reunite this holiday season, which is why we’re thrilled to add new flights that will help them connect and celebrate together,” Gupta said.
In December, United will begin offering new direct flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix from Cleveland, and to Orlando from Indianapolis. United will offer up to 195 daily flights to 12 destinations in Florida this winter, the most flights to the state in company history. The carrier will also have 66 daily flights to over a dozen ski destinations across the U.S. in its schedule.
The airline expects the busiest travel days for the Thanksgiving holiday to be Wednesday, Nov. 24 and Sunday, Nov. 28. United said popular days for winter holiday travel are expected to be Thursday, Dec. 23 and Sunday, Jan. 2.
If you’re looking to travel over the holidays and have not booked yet, experts say now is the time.
“We expect that prices will remain relatively low until about Halloween, so that’s kind of the day where if you know you get to Halloween, that’s when you should definitely book if you haven’t booked yet,” Adit Damodaran, an economist at Hopper, said in an interview with ABC News. “Because after Halloween, we’re expecting prices for Thanksgiving to start rising about 40% for domestic and international flights for Christmas.”
After Halloween, Hopper said travelers should expect domestic fares to spike 40% leading up to Thanksgiving week, and an additional 25% for any last-minute flights.
ABC News’ Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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Amazon Web Services Experiencing a Massive Outage
It's not just you. Ugh. Another web outage is being reported by USA Today, NBC10, and other news outlets.
Amazon Web Services has been knocked offline. Amazon says it's working on it, but, it the meantime you may not be able to find a date on Tinder, watch a movie on Disney+, send your friend money for lunch on Venmo, ask your Alexa what the weather is, and more.
I first noticed the outage when my Ring app wasn't loading.
It seems like these major outages are becoming more common. with more and more things going digital there are bound to be glitches. Hopefully they find a solution soon.
This story is developing.


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Department stores and other retailers struggling to beat back e-commerce are taking cues from online start-ups by experimenting with small showrooms.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
MAY 14, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - IN&DI GROUP INC
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Tuesday Nov 21, 2017
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Monday Nov 6, 2017
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Tuesday Sep 19, 2017
"The campaign underscores how truck owners are essentially dumping cash all over America's highways from all the hidden costs required in maintaining a private fleet," Ryder's Karen Jones tells"Marketing Daily."
- On Technology: How Hate Groups Forced Online Platforms to Reveal Their True Nature
By JOHN HERRMAN - Monday Aug 21, 2017
Internet companies annexed much of our public sphere, playacting as little democracies — a charade they gave up last week.


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One of the biggest reasons people recycle is the feel-good factor. Knowing you’re doing something beneficial for the planet creates a warm glow. And now, San Antonio-based Logistix Recycling is giving that glow a bottom line.
The company’s cloud-based materials management system enables customers with Internet access to track receipts, shipments of materials, scheduling, pricing information and, perhaps most importantly, environmental impact calculations.
By providing its customers with reports on how many trees their recycling efforts saved or how many cubic feet of landfill space they didn’t take up, Logistix hopes to incent more San Antonians to recycle. Throwing in a couple of bucks doesn’t hurt either.
“There’s no charge to the customers who bring their materials here,” says Zach Walter, director of Logistix’s 98,000-square-foot operation in Northeast San Antonio. “In fact, if the volume warrants, there are certain commodities where we’ll pay people for their materials.”
It pays to recycle
Logistix is handling the processing of recycled material being collected in Alamo Heights. The ability to process Styrofoam and electronics puts the company a step ahead of the competition.
“We do our own curbside pickup and take it to their facility,” explains Alamo Heights Director of Public Works Pat Sullivan. “I’ve had a relationship with their management at other facilities where we’ve taken our recycling and they’ve always given us good customer service. The fact we’re getting paid for our recycling now is a bonus.”
Alamo Heights’ recycling volume has increased from 189 tons in 2006 to approximately 900 tons in 2011. That volume is expected to grow even more now that residents can include electronic equipment and Styrofoam products in their recycling.
Logistix Recycling is a subsidiary of San Antonio-based Operational Technologies. Established in 1986, Operational Technologies has divisions specializing in supply chain management, government contracting and personnel research, biotechnology and the automotive industry. The company also does electronics refurbishing and testing work for AT&T, Motorola and Mexico-based Telmex. Logistix was founded in 2009.
“They have electronic recycling in their blood,” says Walter. “When we were building our facility we wanted to be a one-stop-shop for all recycling. Our customers, both businesses and consumers, want to do all their recycling in one trip. So we created a facility where we can pull the electronics from the single-stream recycling flow for some of the municipalities around San Antonio such as Selma, Schertz, Cibolo and Garden Ridge.
“We can pull those electronics out, bring them into our electronics breakdown room, sort it into its various circuit boards, plastics, wires, etc. and then recycle all of that.”
Providing online audits and processing electronics are two of Logistix’s innovations but not the only two.
“We have an education room where we can accommodate school groups and others who want to come in and learn more about recycling. There’s a viewing window where you can see the entire operation,” adds Walter.
That window is also part of the company’s secure-site document destruction and paper shredding service. Customers can watch their papers every step of the way through the collection, destruction and bailing process.
“We have a machine called a Vecoplan® shredder. It’s a rotary, pierce-and-tear grinder that’s just a beast,” laughs Walter. “It’s an 80-horsepower, slow-speed-high-torque shredder that continually rotates, grinds and tears documents. Those pieces are then filtered through a 5/8 inch screen. That’s about the size of a dime. That way we can be sure there are no social security numbers or anything like that visible. Then those chunks go up a conveyor belt into our bailer where we make 1,800-pound bails of paper that are automatically tied off. All of that is done right here in our facility under 28 cameras because safety and security are a must.
“Then we ship those bails to a mill that turns them into various tissue grades. That’s truly the ultimate security. You’re never going to see anyone’s routing number on a piece of toilet paper.”
With 40 employees, Logistix Recycling currently processes about 3,000 tons of material a month, diverting 90 percent it from landfills.
“Our name is Logistix Recycling and our tag line is ‘Mother Nature’s Workforce,’ Walter adds. “We have a sorting line that’s very manual but, at the same time, we have wireless scales, our forklift is wireless Bluetooth, all of our shredders and bailers are hooked up to the Internet so we can do preventive maintenance from an I-Pad. We’re a hybrid of high-tech and low-tech.
“We’re essentially miners,” he continues. “What we’re really trying to do is mine the recyclables from the garbage. And I’d say we’re being successful at that. 3,000 tons a month is pretty successful.”


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Interflora has become the first trademark holder to challenge Google’s Adword policy of allowing companies to bid on rivals’ trademarked terms. The US flower delivery giant has issued a lawsuit in the UK courts citing the UK Trade Marks Act as its justification.
Interestingly, it is not Google that Interflora is suing but two British companies who have been bidding on the ‘Interflora’ trademark. Apparently, the suit argues that sections 10(1) and 10(3) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 are being breached by Marks & Spencer and Flowers Direct because they have been bidding on the Interflora name and appearing as ‘sponsored links’ on Google searches of ‘Interflora’.
Although it has taken over six months for Google AdWords to spark this legal battle, it is not surprising that it has come. Since the early weeks of the year firms have been screaming that the considerable money they have spent setting up and developing their brands would be devastated overnight by Google’s money making antics.
What is surprising are the targets for Interflora’s wrath. Most industry commentators expected companies to attack Google for establishing the profit generating system that disregarded trademarks but Interflora has chosen to go after the rivals using the system instead. The key, experts suggest, is cost and the fact that it is cheaper to try and scare opponents out of bidding than to instigate a full scale legal battle with Google.
So the suits are likely to just be scare tactics but if they were to go to court the legal conclusion would be of huge importance. Ultimately, it would come down to a decision on whether bidding on a term on an internet search engine is the same as commercially using the term.
If the judge agreed with Interflora Google would be stripped of its lucrative strategy and a bit of its aura of infallibility, while companies would have to revert to old AdWord bidding strategies. However, if the suit was cast out Google would kick back and relax as firms continued to piggyback each others’ brands.


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Allied barges in on Lion bids
DRINKS GIANT Allied Domecq, fresh from its victory in the NZ$1bn (£276m) battle for winemaker Montana, is believed to be trying to gazump rival Lion Nathan's takeover bids for two Australian wineries.
Investment bank Goldman Sachs, which acted for Allied during the eight-month Montana saga, was in the market on Tuesday to buy shares in premium winemaker Petaluma, offering marginally more than Lion's bid price of A$7 per share.
Lion Nathan made a A$222m bid on Tuesday for Petaluma, less than a week after offering A$70m for another winery, Banksia. On that occasion as well, Goldman Sachs bought Banksia shares in the market at just above the Lion offer price.
Market gossip suggests Allied might be building stakes in both Petaluma and Banksia to frustrate Lion, which is already smarting from defeat in the struggle to control Montana.
Sources at Petaluma said Allied and brewing giant Foster's had both talked recently with Petaluma about a takeover. Petaluma's board has endorsed the Lion bid 'in the absence of a better offer', suggesting that it hopes another suitor will step up.
An Allied spokeswoman confirmed the company's interest in the Australasian wine sector but described an Allied bid for Petaluma as 'speculation only'.
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Google’s Nexus 5 smartphone offers a fast processor, a good screen, and the most up-to-date Android software you’re likely to find. But if you’re not fond of phones that come in stark black or white, you currently need to slap a case on the phone to give it a splash of color.
But there’s mounting evidence that the Nexus 5 will be available in at least one more color… and it could be coming soon.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web.
- Red Nexus 5 could launch Feb 4th
We’ve seen the Nexus 5 in red. Now we’re seeing an expected launch date of February 5th… if a leaked Sprint document is anything to go by. [Android Police]
- LibreOffice 4.2 is ready for download
One of the best open source alternatives to Microsoft Office gets an update with a new start screen, GPU support for calculations in the spreadsheet app, and better integration with the Windows 7 and later user interface, among other things. [LibreOffice]
- Facebook launches Paper for iOS: A new way to read your news feed (and post to FB)
If Facebook’s mobile app looks a bit 2009ish to you, there’s now an alternative (for iOS users). The company’s new Paper app provides a more magazine-style view of your social connections and news. [Facebook]
- User/hacker review of the Zopo ZP980 octa-core smartphone
The Zopo ZP980 is one of the first smartphones to feature MediaTek’s 8-core MTK6592 processor… and according to a review from deadhp1 it’s pretty fast, well-built, and supports AT&T’s 3G network, unlike many Chinese phones. [ArmTvTech]
- Report: Samsung agrees to adhere more tightly to Google’s vision of Android
Samsung and Google recently agreed to a patent sharing deal. Now it looks like the companies might be cozying up in another way: Samsung has reportedly agreed to back off from some of its software tweaks that makes Android look nothing like Android on upcoming devices. [Recode]


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RADNOR — A new restaurant part-owned by well-known Chef Jose Garces is coming to Wayne this summer after approval from the commissioners.
This week, the Radnor Board of Commissioners approved a request to transfer a liquor license from Chester to Radnor Township. The transfer is coming from a business that closed.
Under Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board rules, the municipality must approve when a liquor license is transferred into their community.
The new restaurant will be called Buena Onda and will go into a former Jimmy John’s restaurant at 226 N. Radnor Chester Road, Wayne.
Patrick Stapleton, attorney for the applicant, said the company behind the restaurant, 3BM1, owns several restaurants in Philadelphia. Garces is one of the owners.
“It’s a fast-casual dining opportunity with a very limited menu, tacos, primarily, and also a very limited liquor and alcohol menu,” Stapleton said.
He said the alcohol offerings would be limited to sangria, beer, and margaritas.
According to Stapleton, there is no sit-down bar. Instead, the customer orders, and someone brings it to the table. They are also prohibited from allowing third-party businesses, such as Uber Eats or DoorDash, from delivering alcohol.
Scott Campanella, COO of the company behind the restaurant, said the customers walk up to a counter, place their order and then the food is delivered to the table.
The restaurant in Radnor will most resemble another one the company owns in the Callowhill section of Philadelphia.
According to Campanella, at the company’s Callowhill location, about 15% of the total sales come from alcohol.
Campanella said they were initially hoping to open by Memorial Day, but have pushed it back to opening by July 4th. He cited ongoing labor shortages as part of the reason for the delay.
According to documents submitted to Radnor, the restaurant will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and be open seven days a week. It will only close on Thanksgiving and Christmas.


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Salesforce plans to achieve an operating margin of 25% by 2026
Salesforce aims to achieve a higher operating margin for the current fiscal year. In May, the company announced that it would be more careful in increasing its workforce.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF PROBABILITY
In extended trading, the Salesforces stocks increased by 3% on Wednesday, right after a new profitability target was announced to the firm’s determination. Various cloud-software companies have become less attractive to investors. Demand seems to have increased, however, in response to rising prices this year. Now the company’s management teams are trying to regain interest through cost-saving plans and profitability.
NEW TARGETS AT THE COMPANY’S INVESTOR DAY
Salesforce Finance Chief, Amy Weaver, went even further on Thursday, presenting her new targets for the 2026 fiscal year right at the company’s Investor Day in San Francisco. Currently, the company is aiming for an operating margin of 25%, including future acquisitions. At the end of the quarter end by July 31, the adjusted operating margin was 19.9%.
BACK TO THE BASICS
The company has already announced that it intends to reduce adjusted sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of sales to below 35% through partner alliances, productivity gains and self-service efforts. In the July-quarter, sales and marketing accounted for more than 44%.
In addition, Salesforce seeks to coordinate other general and administrative tasks with the assessment of real estate and hybrid jobs. The announced sales target of 50 billion dollars for 2026 is now facing a bit of headwind of 2 billion dollars, according to Weaver.
Nonetheless, Salesforce stocks hits a 52-week low on Wednesday. The company has already started to buy back some stocks, said Weaver.


text: Are you wondering what the music service on Sony’s upcoming PlayStation Phone might look like? PSP owners will soon have access to what may be the best indication yet of things to come. Sony announced earlier this week that a new software update, version 6.35, would prepare the PSP for the Sony’s upcoming “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” service — which bears a name so ill-conceived that even Sony apologetically wraps it with quotes. Like Zune, Rhapsody, Napster and countless other services, Music Unlimited will be a cloud-based product that allows subscribers to stream music on demand to compatible devices. The service will launch soon and when it does, Sony’s PSP will be ready and waiting.


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- Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has appeared on Geekbench.
- The handset bears the model number SM-M526BR.
- Samsung Galaxy M52 specs could include Snapdragon 778G, Android 11 OS, and 6GB RAM.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G could be in the works already as the phone has appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking platform, as spotted by MySmartPrice. This comes just a week after the brand had unveiled the Galaxy M32 in India as a successor to the Galaxy M31. The Galaxy M52 is expected to sit above the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G that launched in India in April. The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G bears the model number SM-M526BR and has managed to score 776 points in the single-core test, and 2877 points in the multi-core test on Geekbench.
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Samsung Galaxy M52 specifications on Geekbench
According to the listing, the Samsung Galaxy M52 ships with an octa-core processor with a clock speed of 1.80GHz with the codename Lahaina. The Geekbench source code revealed the phone will come with Adreno 642L GPU, which suggests the Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC will power the Samsung Galaxy M52. Furthermore, the phone runs Android 11 OS and 6GB of RAM. However, there could be more RAM options at launch. That’s pretty much it about the Galaxy M52 5G specifications from the Geekbench listing. It was earlier speculated that the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is a rebrand of the Galaxy F52 5G that was launched recently, but the latest Geekbench listing suggests that Samsung has upgraded the processor. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the specifications and design will remain similar.
To recall the Samsung Galaxy F52 5G specifications, it has a 6.6-inch FHD+ TFT display with a 1,080×2,408 and 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 SoC paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage that is further expandable via a microSD card. The phone likely runs on Android 11 based OneUI 3.1 custom skin on top. The handset features a quad-camera setup on the back, with a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP wide-angle lens, and two 2MP sensors. it gets a 16MP snapper on the front for selfies. The handset houses a 4,500mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging.


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BMW, Daimler, Ford and VW showed how their electro stations will look likeMarch 8, 2018
The consortium of automakers BMW Group, Daimler AG, Volkswagen and Ford introduced the design of its own network of Ionity charging stations, which it is planned to deploy along the main European highways. Each complex will feature a floating roof and simple structures with an open bright space.
The basis of the charging station will be a light box mounted on a vertical pylon. It is expected that at night it will act as a kind of lighthouse. A feature of the electric stations will be a combination of “flat surfaces, intelligent interfaces and light materials.”
The consortium plans to open 400 charging stations with a capacity of 350 kilowatts. The first 20 complexes have earned in the past year, another 100 have been built before the end of 2018. Completion of the network is planned until 2020.
Now the largest network of charging systems for electric vehicles belongs to Tesla. Their total number is 1130. There are 8496 stations in their territory.
The development of a line of electric models by major manufacturers is associated with the requirements of the European Union for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. By 2021, the average for the model line should not be more than 95 grams per kilometer, which corresponds to a consumption of 4.1 liters for gasoline and 3.6 liters for diesel vehicles.


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Hinton, Bengio and LeCun, the "godfathers" of AI, have been awarded with the prestigious Turing Award for their priceless contribution to the IT and technologic world.Leggi di più...
Maybe it happens to you to hear that the last 31st of March was the World Backup Day 2019, but what's it and why did we decide to promote this anniversary? Into computers, smartphones and tablets there are our whole lifes, family pictures,…
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Smart cities in China are getting more and more attention from other worldwide Countries - Italy included.
The popular instant messanging software WhatsApp has waged war on its many clones and modding, like WhatsAppPlus.
They are bright, they live in the fast lane and they are Social. They are style icons and trend queens. They're women with a lot to say. Here's for you the most famous and interesting female Blogger and Instagrammer of Italy!
On March 13th Instagram suddenly ceased working, followed in a very close row by Facebook and, later, WhatsApp. Users were reasonably upset and panic broke loose. But why it's so difficult to be disconnected from Social Networks?
The Artificial Intelligence is the true core of self-driving cars. But a recent study brought up a rather curious discovery; the softwares are unable to discern dark-skinned people from their surroundings.
The Queen leads her court in a fierce battle againt the Trolls. It may sound like a scene in a fantasy movie or novel. But it's happening for real - and it's happening in our very own world. Queen Elizabeth of England ha taken a firm stand…
It was one of the key hits at 2019 Mobile World Congress; meet Huawey X Mate Falcon Wing, Huawei's foldable smartphone.
A research of the Kaspersky laboratories reveals that the women workly involved in the technological sector are less of what we wonder.


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The eighth World Ducati Week attracted thousands of the Italian motorcycle marque's enthusiasts from throughout the world to the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit in Bologna.
The sheer numbers are a sign of loyalty, passion and love for the bikes from the northern Italian city, Ducati says. In all, 65,000 people attended the three-day festival, equalling the record set in 2012 when it was a four-day event.
Participants arrived from five continents and 56 countries last weekend.
Some "Ducatisti" had made their way from the United States, Australia, Russia and India. Others came from from Brazil, China and Malaysia. Some of the most passionate came from Gabon, Iceland and Nepal.
Saturday drew the biggest crowds. The highlight was the final of the Diavel Drag Race which saw Ducati Corse riders (MotoGP and SBK) battle it out on the racetrack's starting straight on powerful Ducati Diavel Carbon bikes. Victory went to Regis Laconi (a former Ducati SBK rider) with Matteo Baiocco (Ducati SBK test rider) runner-up.
Past and present pro riders went head to head and included Troy Bayliss, Carlos Checa, Andrea Iannone, Yonny Hernandez, Davide Giugliano, Chaz Davies, "King" Carl Fogarty and Pierfrancesco Chili.
The final day saw thousands of Ducatisti and their bikes flood into the race circuit's paddock, eager to enjoy the day before heading home in the knowledge that many will be back in 2016.
The three-day festival attracted dedicated riders from 56 countries.
Given Ducati's success in the format, the Scrambler area aroused considerable interest.
Fans saw the new midsized bike make its world premiere.
The Scrambler, which is expected to arrive in stores early next year, attracted a procession of onlookers, with some waiting hours under the scorching Italian sun to enter the famous "yellow container" and get a sneak preview (with a strictly no-photos, no-filming rule) of the prototype.
The paddock also hosted the Superbike Celebration, a display of bikes that have made Ducati history in the World Superbike Championship.
There were stuntman shows, riding courses, a chance to road-test the new Monster 821, autograph sessions with Ducati Corse champions past and present, plus on-track tests with the Audi R8 V10 and the new Lamborghini Huracan, because of Audi's ownership of the Ducati and Lamborghini brands.


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Enterprise information security management
- May 18, 2007
Microsoft digs deep to pay its way into the lucrative online advertising business.
- May 15, 2007
Experts say that controversy aside, the U.S. Department of Defense's decision to block social networking sites mirrors what businesses have been doing for years to protect networks.
- May 10, 2007
Auditor on your tail? Gartner analysts have six hot technologies that'll impress the inspector -- but with one caveat: Have good policies in place before you buy.
- May 09, 2007
Yahoo deal happening or not, Microsoft is going after Google's core business: online advertising. That, in turn, is a step along the way to the rivals' true destiny. Hollywood, here they come.
- May 01, 2007
A new survey suggests that business executives do not consider business continuity planning as crucial to a company's success as IT executives do. Upshot: No buy-in; no budget.
- March 28, 2007
Company culture and lack of management support are preventing many firms from planning for downtime or disaster.
- February 09, 2007
A new study says your CEO is satisfied with your job performance, but then again, it appears he doesn't really know what you do.
- February 01, 2007
CIOs are increasingly deploying Web filtering and content monitoring tools to keep their networks safe from malware. Big Brother may be watching, but CIOs say too bad -- it's working.
- January 31, 2007
New software developed by IBM promises to put identity management in the hands of the consumer. Will it keep our personal information safe? That depends, analysts say.
- January 24, 2007
Software developers trying to improve their competitive edge by taking their products open source means CIOs will have more flexibility when they shop for software.
- January 18, 2007
Experts say senior IT executives at TJX are most likely on the hot seat today after the retail giant revealed Wednesday a massive computer security breach.
- January 10, 2007
The global economy is spurring companies to make Web sites in many languages. Translation is the name of the game. Find out how one organization is tackling the task.
- December 21, 2006
Of the many issues we followed this year, age discrimination hit home hardest with our CIO readers. But other stories struck a nerve, too. Revisit the issues that mattered most to you in our 2006 collection of best CIO stories.
- December 13, 2006
You've spent thousands to keep malware and hackers out, but what are you doing to keep your data inside? Encryption can lock things down, but you need visibility to make sure the data is truly safe.
- December 08, 2006
VoIP has a lot to offer small businesses, but the market isn't quite ready to serve their needs. Experts say that will change with time.


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A Labor MP has failed to answer a simple question five times about a key feature of his party’s policy.
Labor’s climate change policy came under fire after a major frontbencher failed to answer a simple question about when Australians would be able to afford an affordable electric vehicle.
Last Friday, the opposition unveiled a $600 million plan to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent by 2030 – a pledge that the party promises will create 600,000 jobs and increase household electricity bills of $275 a year by 2025. will cut.
Electric vehicles have been a key feature of Labor’s climate policy, with opposition leader Anthony Albanese promising tax cuts and incentives.
Buyers will be exempted from paying five per cent import duty on imported electric vehicles and 47 per cent fringe benefits tax for vehicles provided through work for personal use.
But when climate change spokesman Chris Bowen was repeatedly asked when Australians might expect to buy an electric vehicle of the same size as the Hyundai i30 – which currently costs around $25,000 – for the same price he could not answer. .
Leigh Sales asked ABC’s question five times at 7.30 but failed to provide a target date, each time giving a roundabout answer full of buzzwords and policy details.
“Well, our policy is to cut the electric vehicle tax, the main lever we’re pushing,” he said.
“We have some electric vehicle policies in place, including electrifying the Commonwealth fleet, which is important because it will flow through second-hand sales after about three years, which is very important.
“So we will have 75 percent of our Commonwealth vehicles … as electric by 2025 …”
Sales were interrupted in an attempt to get a straight answer, “Sorry cut you off, just for one consumer…”
Her question prompted Mr. Bowen to say: “No, fair call. We will cut taxes on electric vehicles and we will eliminate the fringe benefit tax for businesses. Now, why is this important…”
The presenter cut him short again, who asked Mr. Bowen to speak to the average person.
“I just want to know when can I buy an electric car for Rs 25,000,” Sale asked.
Mr Bowen once again tried to respond by saying that a reduction in tariffs from Labor’s tax cut would cut costs “about” $2000.
“And for a business, a $9000 discount…and a business is just as important, about 50 percent of the fleet of cars sold, then flows into the second-hand market, so you get a more affordable second-hand.” Electric vehicles meet,” she said.
Sales responded that the Tesla Model 3, which costs $70,000, would not be an affordable model for the average punter.
Mr Bowen once again cited Labor’s tax cuts.
“We see more affordable EVs available in other countries and we want to make those EVs more affordable in Australia by cutting taxes,” he said.
“And then you put some of the state exemptions on top of that … Put that together … you get electric vehicles more affordable.”
Sales once again sought to ask when Australians can expect to buy an affordable electric vehicle.
“But how soon?” He asked.
“Because people have to decide now – ‘Should I get a new car next year? Should I wait five years? When should I get an electric vehicle’.”
One final time, Mr. Bowen failed to give Sales a date.
“Our tax deduction will be applicable from July 1 when we come to office. State relaxations are already in place, they will start working,” he said.
“We have a very low electric vehicle sales rate in Australia. One of the lowest in the world, which needs to be reversed.
“Australians should have more options. We want to give Australians that option by making electric vehicles more affordable.”


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Tuesday, 12 Nov 2013
ASUS has just announced the local availability of its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti graphics card, priced at S$1,089. The new card features the fully unlocked GK110 GPU with 2,880 CUDA cores, rated at 876MHz, with 3GB of GDDR5 memory.
The iPad Mini with Retina display is officially available for purchase on Apple Online Store (Singapore).
23 launch titles will accompany the release of Sony's PS4 console on 19th December. Highlights among them include FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 and Killzone Shadow Fall. Read on for the full list.
The next generation of consoles have almost arrived! Sony has announced that the PlayStation 4 will be available from 19th December 2013. The PlayStation 4, with 500 GB storage space, will be priced at S$639.
LucidLogix Solutions, a company headquartered in Israel, announced the first in its new series of power efficiency software products for smartphones, tablets and other Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable devices.
Gigabyte has launched the G1.Sniper Z87 motherboard. The board is targeted at gamers with its updated Killer E2200 networking platform. The board's VRM heatsink supports water cooling solutions. As a nod to audiophiles, the G1.Sniper Z87 supports removable operational amplifiers (op-amps) for a personalized audio experience.
Monday, 11 Nov 2013
StarHub today announced the launch of SmartFoundry, an application programming interface (API) platform that allows software developers, enterprise customers and institutes of higher learning to tap on its APIs to accelerate the creation and deployment of products and services for businesses and consumers in Singapore.
LG Electronics Singapore today announced that the G Pro Lite will be available at StarHub and its authorized dealers for a retail price of $498.
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is developing iPhones with bigger displays and curved glass for release next year. In addition, Apple is said to testing new pressure-sensitive technology which can detect various levels of pressure.
Friday, 8 Nov 2013
Tat Chuan Acoustic has announced the Klipsch KMC1 Bluetooth Speaker and the Sonos Play:1 Wireless Speaker. These two wireless speakers may sound familiar to you as they were previously featured during CEE 2013 about a week ago.


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Search Giant Wants a Share of Browser Market
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google’s new browser, Chrome, is named for something it mostly lacks.
Among software developers, chrome refers to the menus, buttons and boxes that surround the main window of a program. The Google browser, which was unveiled Tuesday, dispenses with most of these in favor of a stripped-down look that is in keeping with the spare aesthetic of the company’s search site.
The clever name sets a more understated tone than those of the browsers Chrome will compete with: Explorer, Safari and Firefox. But in a roundabout way it also hints that the most ambitious elements of the browser are invisible.
Chrome sharpens Google’s already intense competition with Microsoft, the maker of Internet Explorer, by far the most popular browser on the Web. Google hopes that Chrome will loosen Microsoft’s grip on the browser market, which it fears Microsoft could leverage to promote its struggling search and advertising business at the expense of Google’s.
But Google also said Chrome was created in large part to allow users to interact with increasingly powerful programs that run in a browser window, like Gmail, Google Docs and applications created by other companies. The company claims Chrome is the first browser built from scratch with such applications in mind.
“I think it is a very basic, fast engine to run Web apps,” Sergey Brin, a Google co-founder and its president of technology, said during a news conference at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View.
The browser’s design underscores Google’s vision that in the next few years the digital lives of computer users will change significantly. Rather than rely on programs that run on personal computers, people will increasingly use software that is delivered over the Web from powerful data centers. They will store their data on remote servers and be able to access it wherever they are. This approach would make operating systems like Microsoft’s Windows much less important.
Microsoft also believes the Web will grow in importance, but it sees the PC remaining at the center of many computing tasks.
By adding speed and new functions to the inner workings of the browser, Chrome will encourage software makers to create increasingly sophisticated programs that can run on the Web, Mr. Brin said.
“A lot of things are difficult to do on the Web,” he said. Chrome will allow developers to overcome those difficulties, he said, and “you will be able to do more and more online.”
Microsoft quickly dismissed Google’s claims that Chrome was better suited for applications.
“It is not the first or best browser for Web applications,” said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager for Internet Explorer at Microsoft. “It is the first from Google.”
Mr. Hachamovitch added: “I think that the functionality available in Internet Explorer 8, for what people do every day again and again, is better.”
To advance its vision of Web computing at the expense of Microsoft’s, Google has been courting third-party software makers for more than a year. As part of its efforts, Google has created enhancements to Web browsing technology that it has made available to others in an open-source format, meaning it can be freely shared and modified.
For instance, last year it unveiled Google Gears, a set of tools meant to allow Web applications like Gmail to continue working even when users are not connected to the Internet — a hurdle that remains one of the major shortcomings of many online applications.
Analysts said the development of Chrome appears to reflect a decision on Google’s part that it needs to take a more direct and active role in furthering Web browsing technology.
“Google needed to make a move to make sure it controls its own destiny,” said Peter O’Kelly, an independent analyst.
Chrome forgoes many of the menus and bars that are common in most browsers, and it combines into one the two separate boxes where users normally type Web addresses and search keywords. As users type, Chrome figures out whether a term represents a search term or a Web site address.
Individual tabs in the browser are designed to work independently, so if a Web page crashes one of them, the rest of the program continues to run.
Google also claims that Chrome is far faster at loading Web pages and running applications, features that it said would persuade programmers that they could rely on browsers to run increasingly complex software.
Google said others are free to use and modify its enhancements in their own browsers. And while the company made it clear that it hoped to chip away at Microsoft’s dominance in the Web browser market, it said it would benefit if all major Internet browsers became better able to run Web applications.
Chrome’s success is by no means guaranteed. Many of Google’s products and services, like Google Finance and Google Video, have received a lot of attention and hype at the time they were introduced, but managed to achieve only modest success. And Chrome’s gains, at least initially, may not come at the expense of Internet Explorer, but rather of Firefox, the open-source browser managed by the Mozilla Corporation.
While Internet Explorer comes preinstalled on Windows computers, Firefox, like Chrome, requires people to download it. As such, these two browsers may appeal to a similar set of users who actively seek alternatives to the programs that come with their PCs.
But John Lilly, the chief executive of Mozilla, said Chrome would help further define Firefox as the only independent browser dedicated to creating a better Web experience, not furthering the agenda of a single company. The publicity around Chrome may also encourage people to consider alternatives to their built-in browsers.
Just last week, Google and Mozilla extended for three years an agreement under which Google pays Mozilla to be the default search engine on Firefox. Mr. Lilly said he knew about Chrome when he renewed the agreement with Google. He also said that the extent to which Google would contribute to the open-source community was not yet clear.
“We have yet to see what open-source means to Google,” he said.
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer holds 73 percent of the browser market, according to Net Applications, a research firm. Firefox’s market share has climbed to 19 percent, while Apple’s Safari has 6 percent.
Google refused to discuss its expectations for Chrome’s adoption by users. It said that it was likely to sign deals with others to further its distribution.
Mitchell Kapor, a computing pioneer and technology investor who is on the board of the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation, which owns the Mozilla Corporation, said Chrome lacked some features that users had come to expect.
“It’s a mistake to believe that their entrance will dramatically alter market share in the short term,” Mr. Kapor said. But he noted that “having a platform that is better suited to run Web applications is an enormous asset.”


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We’ve got Frostpunk on the brain again thanks to the brand new (and quite excellent) expansion called The Last Autumn. After some questionable choices by all parties, we move into the news. Following up on last weeks stories, Super Nintendo World comes states side in 2023 and Cyberpunk 2077 joins the 2020 delay party. We also chat about the developers behind Plague Inc. issuing a warning around the Coronavirus outbreak and Netflix announces more Witcher content with an anime film in the works.
The Gamers’ Inn is a weekly podcast focused on all things video games! Each week Jocelyn and Ryan discuss what they’re playing, go over industry related news, and cover topics that have peaked their interest.


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India's April imports of finished steel from China reach five-year peak
India's steel imports from China hit a five-year high in April, reaching their highest level since 2019, as reported by provisional government data.
China emerged as the second-largest steel exporter to India in April, shipping out 0.1 million tonnes, a significant increase of 79% compared to the previous year. Imports from China accounted for nearly a quarter of India's overall finished steel imports during that month. The majority of China's exports to India were cold-rolled sheets, which are utilized in various sectors such as automobiles, white goods, and consumer durables. Additionally, India also imported electrical sheets and pipes from China.
South Korea topped the list of finished steel exporters to India in April, shipping out 0.2 million tonnes and accounting for 32% of India's total imports.Despite being the world's second-largest crude steel producer, India became a net exporter of finished steel in April, selling 0.9 million tonnes to major buyers like Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates. India's steel exports to Italy experienced a surge in April, reaching their highest level in six years.
While Europe serves as a vital market for India's steel, concerns have arisen among Indian steel manufacturers due to the European Union's plans to impose a levy on high-carbon goods imports starting in 2026, targeting steel imports and a few other commodities.
On the domestic front, India's crude steel production in April stood at 10.7 million tonnes, reflecting a 3.2% increase compared to the previous year.
Driven by rising demand from the domestic construction, railway, and capital goods sectors, India's steel consumption is projected to grow by 7.5% during the current fiscal year, ending in March 2024.


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OnePlus Buds N earbuds and OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2 earphones are all set to hit the Chinese market on April 21, the Chinese business has confirmed. The new audio devices will be launched in the country alongside the OnePlus Ace smartphone. OnePlus Nord Buds, which are explained to debut in India on April 28 are envisioned to get there in China with the OnePlus Buds N moniker. Equally, OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2 are essentially a rebranded OnePlus Bullets Wi-fi Z2, which have been released in India past month. Just a 7 days in advance of the official debut, the business has started out accepting pre-reservations for OnePlus Buds N and OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2 through its formal online keep, JD.com and Tmall.
OnePlus on Thursday declared the official launch day of OnePlus Buds N and OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2 in china by using Weibo. The audio devices are scheduled to start on April 21 at 7pm regional time (4:30pm IST), as for every a teaser poster shared (in Chinese) by the corporation. The teaser indicates an in-ear structure with a stem for the OnePlus Buds N. They are listed to occur in Moonlight White and Twilight Black colour choices. OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2, on the other hand, are neckband model earphones. They are available in Black and Blue shades.
As mentioned, pre-reservation for OnePlus Buds N earbuds and OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2 is currently reside on the Oppo China internet site, JD.com, and Tmall. Both equally the devices are stated to go on sale on the launch day at 6:00pm nearby time (4:00pm IST).
OnePlus Buds N earbuds are speculated to appear as rebranded OnePlus Nord Buds that are stated to go formal in India on April 28. OnePlus Cloud Ear Z2 is envisioned to be the Chinese variant of 8889 neckband-model wi-fi earbuds launched in India in March with a cost tag of Rs. 1,999. They have 12.4mm drivers and are IP55-rated for dust and water resistance. They pack a 200mAh battery as nicely.
For the hottest tech information and testimonials, follow Devices 360 on Twitter, Fb, and Google News. For the newest videos on devices and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Occupation Selections in Blockchain and Crypto: An Overview of How to Strategy a Job Hunt in the Sector


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Australian and New Zealand travellers stung by the closure of Cox & Kings’ antipodean arm say despite travel insurance not covering their trips, tour operators and travel agencies are scrambling to help.
Flight Centre has reassured clients it will be absorbing the cost of hundreds of holidays despite many finding their travel insurance does not cover trips in cases of insolvency.
“We do have customers with future bookings, but they will not be disadvantaged because the Flight Centre Travel Group is honouring all affected bookings. Flight Centre is working with other suppliers to help ensure travellers’ holidays go ahead as planned and with minimal disruption,” a spokesperson said.
“This is at our expense. A significant number of people would have otherwise been adversely impacted. Our consultants have been notifying their customers over the past week or are currently being notified.”
New Zealander Kaye Sinclair, who paid the full instalment for a $15,000 dream holiday which included a Hurtigruten European river voyage and various excursions organised through Bentours, said Albany travel agent House of Travel had not passed on their money to the operators.
“I cannot speak highly enough of them,” she told cruisepassenger.com.au of the agency. “Within the last week, I have been advised that everything will be sorted with third part suppliers.”
European tour operator Hurtigruten has meanwhile agreed to help accommodate those who have paid a deposit on voyages with them, saying they will absorb lost deposits on direct bookings and pursue those lost funds through legal channels.
Hurtigruten have said they will not cancel any bookings without consultation with affected guests or agents, Asia-Pacific managing director Damien Perry saying: “We know how stressful this situation is for people who had planned and booked a once-in-a-lifetime experience that may include Hurtigruten.
“And we are working around the clock to find travel solutions for those guests.”
Perry also said that the company is working closely with agents to investigate their options via the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) ACS chargeback scheme.
“We’re here to help to resolve these issues and it will continue to be our top priority over the coming days and weeks. We hope to make sure any of those affected who have dreamed of a voyage with Hurtigruten will still have the opportunity to experience one of our extraordinary nature experiences.”
The future of Bentour’s parent company Cox & Kings still looks bleak with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) this week terminating its licence for selling tickets and asking the company to surrender its IATA ID Card.
The 1758-founded travel giant, which has defaulted several times on financial payment plans, this week offloaded its Indian business travel division to EbixCash and is looking to sell its European hospitality chain Meininger Hotels as shares hit an all-time low.
500 hotels face immediate closure after Thomas Cook collapse
Hundreds of hotels in Spain, meanwhile, face imminent closure following the collapse of British travel agency Thomas Cook.
“There are 500 hotels which are going to close immediately due to the collapse of Thomas Cook and the situation could get worse if the government doesn’t take immediate action,” the head of Spain’s Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation, Juan Molas, has told local media.
Molas also said the initial estimate of 200 million euros ($326 million) left in unpaid bills following the collapse of the tour operator was far too low.
“It will be much more,” he said. “The amount for only eight chains is close to 100 million.”
Of the hotels facing immediate closure, 100 were exclusively dependent on Thomas Cook, he said, while the rest counted on the travel agency for between 30 to 70 percent of their clients.
According to The Local Spain, Molas said one hotel in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands had undergone a 20-million-euro upgrade and was now faced with 700 rooms “which are going to be empty from October 7” and 200 employees it would be forced to dismiss.
The Canaries and the Balearic Islands are worst hit by the Thomas Cook collapse, with 40 percent of hotels affected.
The industry has put together an emergency plan to be presented to the Spanish tourism minister meeting on October 7th.
Spanish authorities are urging Irish budget airline Ryanair, one of the few carriers that flies to the Canary Islands, to reconsider a decision to close four bases in Spain it made prior to Thomas Cook’s demise, Molas saying it was “critical” the airline maintain its flights.


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RSP Aussie Broadband has appointed a new chair and two replacement directors.
Augmented reality and virtual reality will rely on 5G to change the customer experience inside and outside retail stores, according to one global analyst firm.
Issued by Macquarie Bank, upmarket retailer Myer lets its customers link its new credit card to Apple Pay and Android Pay, and is reported as the first retailer to do so.
Excellent article thx Alex -Pricing to enable bonuses to execs while hiding what they do to their 'essential workers' -[…]
Time for the US gov't to BAN these a***holes at Fecebook, Twatter, Instagrub and elsewhere. PUT THEM IN JAIL FOR[…]
Quite frankly passwords are a pain in the posterior.Why can't I have one secure password that I use on all[…]
Seems that the NBN Co is continuing to rip off consumers.The NBN was supposed to be available to all with[…]
Well u might be of self admitted low intelligence, which u've claimed many times, but u are a good writer[…]


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Alex Tapscott: “Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World ” | Talks @Google
Talks at Google in London were delighted to welcome Alex Tapscott to talk about his book Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World , looking at how the technology behind Bitcoin can reshape the world of business and transform the old order of human affairs for the better.
Alex can be found on Twitter at: @alextapscott
Book on Google Play – with free first chapter!
About the Book:
The technology likely to have the greatest impact on the future of the world economy has arrived, and it’s not self-driving cars, solar energy, or artificial intelligence. It’s called the blockchain.
The first generation of the digital revolution brought us the Internet of information. The second generation powered by blockchain technology is bringing us the Internet of value: a new, distributed platform that can help us reshape the world of business and transform the old order of human affairs for the better.
Blockchain is the ingeniously simple, revolutionary protocol that allows transactions to be simultaneously anonymous and secure by maintaining a tamperproof public ledger of value. Though it’s the technology that drives bitcoin and other digital currencies, the underlying framework has the potential to go far beyond these and record virtually everything of value to humankind, from birth and death certificates to insurance claims and even votes.
Why should you care? Maybe you’re a music lover who wants artists to make a living off their art.
And those examples are barely the tip of the iceberg. This technology is public, encrypted, and readily available for anyone to use. It’s already seeing widespread adoption in a number of areas. For example, forty-two (and counting) of the world’s biggest financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Credit Suisse, have formed a consortium to investigate the blockchain for speedier and more secure transactions.
As with major paradigm shifts that preceded it, the blockchain will create winners and losers. And while opportunities abound, the risks of disruption and dislocation must not be ignored.
About the Author:
Don Tapscott, the bestselling author of “Wikinomics,” and his son, blockchain expert Alex Tapscott, bring us a brilliantly researched, highly readable, and utterly foundational book about the future of the modern economy. “Blockchain Revolution” is the business leader’s playbook for the next decade and beyond.
book Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World