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For e-commerce firms, April may be the cruellest month
The e-commerce sector cumulatively clocked sales of $32 billion last year. “The economic impact of these three weeks itself will take about three months to recover,” said a partner at a growth-stage investment firm requesting anonymity.
Bengaluru: E-commerce firms in India, including leaders Amazon and Flipkart, will take a major hit if sales of non-essential items continue to be restricted and the lockdown is prolonged, industry executives and analysts said.
Smartphones, electronics, furniture, large appliances, among others, have been categorised as non-essential items in the current situation, but contribute more than 90% of sales at these etailers, according to Forrester Research.
The ecommerce sector cumulatively clocked sales of $32 billion last year. “The economic impact of these three weeks itself will take about three months to recover,” said a partner at a growth-stage investment firm requesting anonymity.
“The strict lockdown is a bad signal for investors, businesses and people globally, especially in the technology space, on the continued risks attached to doing business in India,” he added. Some rules may quickly need to be relaxed for businesses to breathe easy, he said.
If the online channel is opened up gradually, ecommerce firms will have to closely work with manufacturers, importers, the labour ministry, and ecosystem players to ensure that orders are fulfilled. They will also have to fix supply chain gaps by forging partnerships with neighbourhood stores, offline retailers and last-mile businesses.
This is no mean task. Already, the top two ecommerce firms in the country by Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), Amazon and Flipkart, as well as several other niche e-tailers, including Lenskart, FirstCry and Nykaa, have seen sales slump, simply because most or all of their products are termed non-essential goods right now.
“There will be limited demand for non-essential goods due to the impact on jobs and income... but there might be an uptick in demand during Diwali,” said Satish Meena, an analyst at Forrester Research.
If the sector opens up for business fully soon, Meena estimates that the e-commerce industry would grow 9-10% this year to touch $35 billion, although the rate of growth itself will be sharply lower from the 27% it clocked last year.
Analysts said they expect the growth to come on the back of consumers getting accustomed to shopping online as they maintain social distancing even after the lockdown is lifted. Sale of essential goods, helped by the ongoing 21-day lockdown and probably some more, will grow by about 3%, Meena said.
Earlier this week, industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India urged the government to allow ecommerce companies to resume operations completely, since they are best placed to follow social distancing guidelines by delivering products at doorsteps.
This comes after industry tracker Counterpoint Research cut India’s 2020 smartphone production forecast by 7-8% from the 300 million units predicted earlier. It also warned that the demand for smartphones is unlikely to pick up anytime soon.
To be sure, even categories where ecommerce companies operate unhindered, such as grocery and pharma delivery players like BigBasket, Grofers, 1MG and Pharmeasy, have largely missed order and delivery timelines, mainly as a result of acute labour shortages and capacity issues.
Hindustan Unilever, the country's biggest consumer goods firm, said earlier this week that average daily sales and factory output had tumbled to about 40% of its usual run rate, hurt by lack of labourers and transport disruptions. To counter such a scenario, Flipkart group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy told employees during a recent townhall that the company will actively forge more ecosystem partnerships since this would be a critical enabler for growth.
Wrongful declaration of ex-distillery prices, sales to super cartel retail zones and value of corporate guarantee issues amounted to ₹563 crore for the maker of Absolut vodka and Chivas Regal scotch, said the charge-sheet. The company accrued excess profit of ₹163 crore due to market share increase, it said.


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How to buy art: expert's advice 19/05/2014
Last week thewealthnet looked at contemporary art, and in particular at the dangers of investing in it long term (see thewealthnet 12/05/2014). This article focuses on buying in art in general, and explore several areas, which an aspiring art investor needs to consider.
Bursting the contemporary art bubble 12/05/2014
Art is on the radar of many investors, from the mass affluent to the ultra high net worth, and the biggest trend today is undoubtedly the growth in the contemporary art market.
One Oscar pre-owned 14/02/2014
Pawnbroker to the rich and famous borro has announced it has taken possession of an Oscar statuette.
Wholly pickled cow! World's wealthiest artists revealed 17/10/2013
British artist Damien Hirst is the world’s wealthiest artist, with net worth of $350 million, according to data from Wealth-X, an ultra high net worth (UHNW) intelligence provider.
NY hedge funds back art lending initiative for UK and European markets 17/10/2013
Willstone Management Capital Partners, the Panama domiciled art-investment company owned by Olyvia Kwok, a London-based art dealer and former St. James’s gallery owner, is to launch what is claimed to be the first sizeable dedicated art-lending business targeted at the UK and European art market. At present the art lending sector is dominated by New York, primarily because it is home to the world’s biggest art market, especially for contemporary art.
118-carat diamond fetches record $30.8 million 09/10/2013
An enormous 118-carat white diamond was sold in Hong Kong for what Sotheby’s labelled a record price of $30.8 million. The diamond is said to be the size of a small egg.
New art investment vehicle launches in the UK 19/09/2013
Olyvia Kwok, a London-based gallery owner, has launched Willstone Management, a specialist art investment business, which aims to make short- to medium-term profits by exploiting trends in prices of all genres of fine art.
The top ten billionaire art collectors named 07/06/2013
The world's biggest billionaire art buyers have art collections worth a combined $9.18 billion, constituting around 18 percent of their net worth, according to consultancy Wealth-X.
British financial adviser stuns Monaco nightclub by spending £330,000 on vintage champagne 31/05/2013
A British financial adviser to the ultra wealthy stunned party goers at the weekend when he spent an eye watering £330,000 on vintage champagne at a nightclub in Monaco.
Old whisky and cognac set for boom, fund manager predicts 19/04/2013
Oracle Capital Group, a global independent multi-family office and wealth consultancy, has launched the Oracle Paradis Wine Fund as a new alternative asset investment opportunity.

domain: news


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Glanton: Grappling with face mask confusion
A friend called the other day to let me know that she’d heard a hardware store in downtown Chicago had N95 masks in stock. They were selling them two for $19.95.
I tried to persuade her not to rush out and buy them. Sitting on my high horse, I recited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines, which stated that only people who have COVID-19 symptoms or are caring for a sick person should wear them.
Furthermore, the masks were ridiculously overpriced. Before the pandemic, they were selling three for $6.99 on the company’s website.
“It’s ridiculous to walk around wearing a mask if you don’t need one,” I said in my most authoritative voice. “In fact, the hardware store should be donating those masks to the hospitals that are facing a shortage.”
Before I could barely get off the phone, reports were coming about the CDC revising its guidelines. It appears that now, wearing a mask might be a good idea for everyone who has to go outside.
Several weeks into the coronavirus crisis, some of us still aren’t exactly sure what we should or shouldn’t be doing. It’s hard to keep up with all the edicts coming from so many different sources.
The White House’s message on masks has been particularly confusing.
On one hand, we’re hearing horror stories about nurses having to use masks multiple times because there aren’t enough of them available to follow the normal protocol. Every day, there’s a new report about a nurse or doctor getting exposed to the virus while caring for sick people.
Certainly, no one wants to make it tougher on our health care workers. But it is going to be hard to get people not to hoard masks if the government says they might save your life.
The CDC, the U.S. surgeon general and the World Health Organization started out on the same page regarding whether ordinary people should be walking around in masks. For weeks, they urged only people who are sick and coughing to wear them.
While the WHO recently reiterated its stance, the White House and the CDC have reversed course.
Far be it from me to criticize anyone for doing whatever he or she feels is necessary to ward off this deadly virus. If someone feels placing a bandanna over their mouth while grocery shopping will keep them healthy, then go for it.
Lots of people are keeping busy these days creating homemade cloth masks to give to friends or donate to transit drivers, delivery people, store clerks and others who risk exposure in order to supply us with the things we need. Not only are they functional, some are pretty stylish to boot.
But masks shouldn’t give us the false sense of security that we can just go back to normal. As the weather warms up, more and more people will be tempted to get out and about. The surgeon general warned that masks aren’t a substitute for social distancing.
On a recent warm day, while taking my daily stroll through the neighborhood, so many people were out walking that it was impossible to keep the designated 6-foot distance. At one point a woman was walking behind me coughing up a storm. I decided to step off the sidewalk to allow her to pass. Then she stopped right in front of me to let her dog pee on a light pole.
I felt uncomfortable and agitated. I ended up more stressed than I would have been had I stayed home and worked out on my elliptical.
The coughing woman wasn’t wearing a mask, and neither was I. At that moment, I wished both of us were. And I went home with a better understanding of why so many people do.
Dahleen Glanton is a Chicago Tribune columnist.


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Posted by PlasRecycle in News | Posted on 24th Sep 2013
PlasRecycle is delighted to announce that it has built the UK’s first facility for reprocessing post-consumer polythene bags and packaging films, to produce a plastic granulate that can be used for making new bags, replacing virgin materials. Recycling 1 tonne of plastic packaging saves around 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide. PlasRecycle’s new high tech plant will also create 32 jobs, a useful boost to the local economy in Woolwich, South East London. PlasRecycle has spent the last three years developing a high tech proprietary process which is environmentally friendly and converts what has historically been regarded as a waste material into a useful product.


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John Legend and his model wife, Chrissy Teigen, heated up the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards Sunday. The husband and wife were in Las Vegas for the show, with Chrissy showing off a new, straighter hairstyle with bangs that John seemed to admire very much. While they're out and about this weekend for a music award show, John and Chrissy hit the red carpet earlier this month for a fashion industry event. They were among the sexy couples at the 2014 Met Gala. Are you liking Chrissy's new look as much as John is?
John Legend Is Definitely Digging Chrissy Teigen's New Look
Around The Web
The Coen Brothers get dragged into #OscarsSoWhite conversation by Jen Yamato at The Daily Beast while promoting Hail, Caesar!
Chrissy Teigen Shows Off a Mile-Wide Smile and Growing Baby Bump During Date Night With John Legend
POPSUGAR, the #1 independent media and technology company for women. Where more than 75 million women go for original, inspirational content that feeds their passions and interests.


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The Abbasabad Tourism Complex in northern Tehran has been registered by the World Tourism Organisation as a major tourism hub.
“Abbasabad Complex was registered as an international tourism hub on September 11 during the World Tourism Organisation’s summit in St. Petersburg.”, said Chairman of Cultural Heritage Committee of Tehran City Council.
Hassan Khalilabadi stated that the WTO has so far enlisted 158 countries and 500 tourism organisations.
Noting that 14 Iranian entities have joined the World Tourism Organisation so far, he said under the current circumstances that Iran is faced with maximum and unjust pressure of sanctions, tourism can be a job-creating industry.
“City Council’s Cultural Heritage Committee wants to turn Tehran into a tourist destination so that we can make the most of its potentialities,” Khalilabadi added.


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Kenyan legend Eluid Kipchoge broke the two-hour marathon barrier in Vienna using Nike’s Vaporfly batch of shoes, sparking controversy. (File)
Last October, when Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour marathon barrier, not everyone viewed it as a triumph of human endurance. The scepticism about Kipchoge's new Nike Vaporfly shoes —they had never before seen carbon plates, patented foam and air pods—almost undermined his outstanding effort. While allegations of 'technology-doping' flew thick and fast, track-and-field officials were conspicuous by their silence.
Meanwhile, encouraged by the worldwide publicity of the run that the marketing men labelled as marathon's Roger Bannister moment, Nike has now come up with a sprint shoe that is leaner and flatter than the marathon version and has a carbon-fibre plate running from the toe to mid-sole only. This time, however, World Athletics is expected to put its foot down.
It is reliably learnt that the world body, presently studying the new-age footwear, will soon come up with shoe-regulations. “A working group, consisting of technical officials, athletes, health and science practitioners and legal experts, are reviewing the issue of shoe technology and the wording around the rule. We hope to make their findings available early in the new year,” World Athletics said in a statement.
Nike is yet to comment on the development, but if the advances in the sprint version of the shoes mirror those for the marathon version, there is reason to believe that it could help in the taking down of the most famous record in track-and-field — Usain Bolt's 9.58 seconds in the 100 metres.
Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla, a former national 100m champion, feels shoes have become too complex these days and it would need scientific research to ascertain what kind of advantage they give to marathoners and sprinters.
“Today, there are too many moving parts in a shoe. It needs an open healthy discussion and extensive research. In case there is an advantage, it also needs to be seen how we are going to treat the records if there is a significant advantage (because of latest shoe technology). It is a very detailed debate. Would you simply wipe off a record of Usain Bolt because someone has been aided by a spring (technology) in the shoes? In my view, a superhuman effort like 9.58 seconds cannot be removed from the books if someone runs wearing shoes with springs,” explains Sumariwalla, who insists that he isn't wearing the hat of an World Athletics council member while saying this.
It is widely believed that the only way Bolt's record can be improved upon is if a sprinter manages to reduce the ground-contact-time for every stride. There is growing suspicion that the new Nike spikes could have the potential to aid a young sprint sensation like World No.1-ranked American Christian Coleman (best of 9.76s) move closer to the Bolt zone. The effectiveness of the Nike marathon shoe—there is talk that it improves efficiency by 4 per cent —saw a spurt in its sales. With the Olympics scheduled for later this year, sprinters too would be queuing up to sign up with Nike or use its spikes.
One of the vocal sceptics of Kipchoge's feat is Yannis Pitsiladis – a professor of sport science with the University of Brighton – who had launched his own sub-2 marathon project before Nike marketed it on its own. “I have known Eliud for many years and this attention could not have happened to a better person. He probably does believe he created history because in and around him, people have been playing that narrative again and again. But he did not break the two-hour marathon barrier – he ran the distance of a marathon in less than two hours under contrived conditions. They (INEOS, sponsors of the event) kept on comparing his success to Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile but there’s no comparison to that feat. It is the best marketing of a shoe ever done in history...,” Pitsiladis told The Indian Express in October shortly after Kipchoge's feat.


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SoftBank's BBIX launches Thai JV with True IDC
SoftBank’s internet exchange arm BBIX has launched a new joint venture with True Internet Data Center to provide carrier neutral and low latency internet exchange peering services in Thailand.
The new company – which will be called BBIX (Thailand) Company Limited will serve both domestic and international enterprises with internet exchange services resulting in low latency connectivity.
BBIX, from Japan, and True IDC, from Thailand, outlined three major objectives for the JV: simplicity, low latency, and low costs. This involves moving Thailand peering from an internet service provider-led interconnection model to an equal-based peering system based on BBIX’s Thailand IX platform.
Supparat Sivapetchranat Singhara Na Ayutthaya, general manager and CTO True IDC said: "It is time to take Thailand's digital economy to next level by setting up a world class Internet Exchange peering capability that will result in lower latency connectivity, which has become vital due to increase adoption of data analytics and artificial intelligence use cases by enterprises.
“BBIX is Asia's fastest growing Internet Exchange in Asia and I am confident that this joint venture will result in levelling up Thailand's digital economy."
The partnership will not just aim to tackle the growing Thai market, BBIX Thailand said. It will also utilise its position in Thailand to expand services across the region, beginning with nearby Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
It is the latest partnership for BBIX, which is Japanese technology giant SoftBank’s internet exchange arm. It recently announced a partnership with Epsilon that will see it offer on-demand connectivity across the Asian country.
BBIX runs eight points of presence in Japan, and also offers internet exchange services in Hong Kong and Singapore. It provides direct peering for ISPs, CSPs, data centre operators, content providers, and the global carrier community.
Keiichi Makizono, president and CEO of BBIX said: "Thailand's digital economy is now on the rise, but Internet Exchange services is far from their full potential. From our experience as an Internet Exchange service provider in Japan, we have a strong impression that the internet sector of Thailand still has potential to grow, thus we decided to establish a joint venture with True IDC, which is a leading full-service data centre and cloud service provider in Thailand.
“The establishment with True IDC is to provide Internet Exchange centres and services with BBIX's internationally recognized technology, operated and delivered by its 15-year experience in the business field. We believe that BBIX Thailand will be the best Internet Exchange service provider in Thailand."


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The direction of the market in the near future for small businesses can often be seen in surveys of leaders and professionals, and the most recent results are giving positive signs.
According to the most recent National Federation of Independent Business small business survey, business owner optimism rose by 1.4 points in December to reach a new level of 93.9, improving 2.3 points upon January 2013's initial level of 88.9. In addition, owners increased employment by nearly .25 workers per firm, which is the largest improvement in that level in nearly eight years, and the biggest spike since February 2006. About 48 percent of owners either hired or tried to hire applicants in the last three months, further evidence of an employment spike.
In addition, the percent of owners reporting weak sales as their top business problem was the lowest reported since June 2007, while capital spending outlays grew by 9 percent in December. As many as 64 percent of owners reported new outlays, the highest level reached since early 2005.
Overall, the NFIB survey had staunchly positive results, seeing its best report of job creation figures since 2007 with a large increase of spending in the end of the year. Outlooks also appear to be more positive in the next year.
Secondary survey backs findings
Governing reports that small businesses were found to have continued optimism in 2014 in a second survey. Citing a Rocket Lawyer survey of more than 800 owners, the news source saw 81 percent of them expecting to do better in 2014 than in 2013, with key concerns being economic growth and the health of the overall market.
Other reports continued to meet these reports of positive growth. The Rocket Lawyer survey saw only 7 percent of respondents expecting a drop in revenue or business in 2014, with health care laws and tax policy standing as the premier concerns in their business. More than 11 percent, however, had no concerns in the near future. Competition and economic uncertainty were seen as the top potential impediments to business growth, while big business and legal issues were also seen as concerning factors.
Equipment and business industry piece brought to you by Marlin Equipment Finance, leaders in equipment financing. Marlin is a nationwide provider of equipment financing solutions supporting equipment suppliers and manufacturers in the security, food services, healthcare, information technology, office technology and telecommunications sectors.


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As the rising tide of support for cannabis legalization continues to swell, private wealth advisors are beginning to recognize its huge potential as an investment opportunity – just ask Carol Pepper, founder and CEO of Pepper International, a boutique wealth advisory firm that focuses on managing the fortunes of wealthy families across the world.
In an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe, Pepper characterized legal cannabis as “the next huge growth area” and called the opportunities in cannabis markets “staggering.”
“If you want to be in something that’s very growthy, and actually legitimate as it is legalized and controlled properly, I think [cannabis] is the place to go,” said Pepper, who cited a litany of reasons investors should feel bullish on legal weed.”
She continued by rejecting the common refrain heard from many marijuana skeptics that cannabis is simply another frenzied bubble market like Bitcoin, saying that unlike Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, cannabis is a real, tangible product with defined benefits.
“The medical applications for cannabis are staggering. The research is being done and I really think this is the next huge growth area.” said Pepper, adding that legalization in Canada had “blown through expectations” to the point that some Canadian cannabis companies are now beginning to export to Europe.
“I think it is a phenomenal plant that’s going to do a lot of good for the planet and I am glad it is finally being legalized.”
This is compelling evidence coming from someone like Carol Pepper, who was twice recognized in Private Wealth Management’s list of the 50 Most Influential Women in Private Wealth and whose eponymous asset management firm Barron’s designated as one of the top family offices in the United States.
The DEA announced earlier this month that they would increase the amount of cannabis grown legally by 30%—yes, you read that right—in order to expand access to research on the plant’s effects.
The move should excite advocates and cannabis investors alike, as a lack of research is one of the last bastions of resistance to legalization from anti-marijuana camps and institutions.
“I am pleased that DEA is moving forward with its review of applications for those who seek to grow marijuana legally to support research,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with our colleagues at the Department of Health and Human Services and across the Administration to improve research opportunities wherever we can.”
In addition to expanding access to research the agency also announced that certain forms of cannabis would no longer require DEA registration to grow under protections in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, known colloquially as “the Farm bill.”
According to the DEA’s website, “The new rules will help ensure DEA can evaluate the applications under the applicable legal standard and conform the program to relevant laws. To ensure transparency and public participation, this process will provide applicants and the general public with an opportunity to comment on the regulations that should govern the program of growing marijuana for scientific and medical research.”
As the body of research grows and becomes more robust, opposition to marijuana legalization on the grounds that it’s effects are largely unknown, and thus potentially harmful, will surely dwindle. What’s more, facilities and businesses that deal with cannabis purity testing, regulatory compliance and research will see an increased demand for their services.
In a press conference last month, President Trump indicated a hands-off philosophy towards marijuana enforcement that respects states’ rights, a position that he has historically remained relatively quiet on.
When asked by a reporter if cannabis would be federally legalized while he was in office, the President responded “We’re going to see what’s going on. It’s a very big subject and right now we are allowing states to make that decision. A lot of states are making that decision, but we’re allowing states to make that decision.”
The comments came amid contradictory narratives. Just days prior, the Surgeon General issued a warning against the use of marijuana, while a recent study by Economic Inquiry showing lower incidence of opioid overdose deaths in states with legal marijuana programs. While this isn’t the first time Trump has expressed support for states’ rights on the issue, it is one of the few times he has been asked about it directly. Nonetheless, advocates wasted no time voicing their support:
“The reiteration of a non-enforcement policy from the president is a clear sign that states should continue to defy the federal government when it comes to marijuana prohibition,” Justin Strekal, political director for NORML, told Marijuana Moment.
“Congress should swiftly move pending legislation when it returns from the August recess to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and provide the legal relief needed to those individuals and businesses who are struggling under our nations cruel policy of criminalization.”
Trump is notorious for being swayed by public opinion (rather than traditional partisan dogma) and has previously said he “really supports” the STATES act sponsored by Colorado senator Cory Gardener. It’s likely that the White House will continue to monitor this high-profile issue closely and tailor its positions to the sentiments of the body politic.
Cannabis Goes Digital: Online MJ Sales Set to Flourish with the Rise of Web-Based Cannabis Marketplaces
With cannabis markets now more open than ever before—a trend that’s set to continue—one area that’s been slow to adapt has been ecommerce. That appears to be changing, however, with the rise of online cannabis marketplaces and delivery services like Eaze, CannaOne, and BWell Market.
As with all issues whose legality varies across state lines, cannabis has been operating in somewhat of a grey area online; after all, shipping any product from a state where it’s legal to a state where it’s not is tantamount to a violation of state sovereignty.
Enter the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which largely cleared the way for certain forms of cannabis and cannabis derivatives, most notably non-psychoactive CBD and cultivars of the cannabis plant that don’t possess high-enough THC levels to produce psychoactive flowers. These cultivars are commonly referred to as “hemp” rather than marijuana, although technically speaking, they are all members of the cannabis family.
If cannabis is subject to the same consumer behavioral trends that other discretionary purchase are—e.g, the modern preference for ecommerce, online shopping, and home-delivery (think meal prep services, razor delivery services, and gig economy food delivery like GrubHub and Postmates)—online cannabis marketplaces are surely a high-growth area. Indeed Americans are expected to spend over $20 billion annually on CBD alone by 2024, according to Forbes.
The last major hurdle for these operations is a legal one, and like so many other areas in American life, the last holdout is none other than the federal government.
DISCLAIMERS: This site is not intended to provide any investment, financial, legal, regulatory, accounting, tax or similar advice, and nothing on this site should be construed as a recommendation by Key Investment Partners LLC, its affiliates, or any third party, to acquire or dispose of any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. An investment in any strategy involves a high degree of risk and there is always the possibility of loss, including the loss of principal. Nothing in this site may be considered as an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell securities or other services.


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Tevva is ramping up series production of its 12-tonne electric commercial vehicle after being boosted by “universally positive” feedback at last month’s Freight in the City (FiTC). The tech firm said production of the 3.9m wheelbase truck will start in 2020 and, in addition to its six-month ‘Tevva Electrify’ rental scheme, it is now also opening the order book for customers wanting to lease or purchase directly. Tevva said its scheme aims to provide companies “with the proof that electrification […]
Commercial EV company Tevva has welcomed a technological breakthrough in the US which enables rapid charging of batteries, potentially adding 200 miles of driving time.
UK-based electric truck manufacturer Tevva has signed an exclusive partnership with EV and battery industry recruitment expert EVera Recruitment as it ramps up its growth plans.
Freight in the City recently hosted the ‘Hydrogen for Urban Distribution Vehicles’ webinar in partnership with Tevva Electric Trucks. The webinar looked at how hydrogen can be used to boost electric delivery vehicle ranges and government plans for decarbonising commercial vehicles. First up was Alan McKinnon, professor of logistics at Kuehne Logistics University who listed “five levers” that need to be pulled in order to decarbonise city logistics. These include reducing the demand for freight transport in urban areas, shifting freight on to lower […]


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PACCAR reports increased sales, income
BELLEVUE, Wash. — PACCAR earned $99.6 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2010, compared to $26.5 million, $0.07 per diluted share, earned in the second quarter last year.
Second quarter net sales and financial services revenues were $2.46 billion, compared to $1.85 billion reported in 2009.
Net sales and financial services revenues for the first six months of 2010 were $4.69 billion, compared to $3.83 billion last year. For the first six months of 2010, PACCAR reported net income of $167.9 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, compared to $52.8 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in 2009.
Mark C. Pigott, chairman and CEO of PACCAR, said, “Against a backdrop of global truck markets that are only gradually emerging from historically low levels, PACCAR’s results reflect the benefits of higher truck and parts sales and improving financial services profits worldwide. Our customers are benefiting from increased freight tonnage, which has resulted in higher fleet utilization rates, resulting in positive gains for our aftermarket parts sales.”
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Sales of Chromebooks may not be going through the roof, but the embattled device isn't ready to kick the dust and has a potentially bright future in the business world, according to a report by Forrester analyst JP Gownder.
Forrester's recent Forrsights Hardware survey, which questioned 1,282 IT decision-makers from the UK, Canada, France, Germany and the US, found that 28% of respondents indicated some interest in Chromebooks.
Of these, 4% are already supporting Chromebooks, 4% are planning to do so and 16% are showing an interest. The remaining 4% came from executives reporting that employees had expressed an interest.
The stats show that 72% of organisations have no interest in Chromebooks and that they have considerable ground to make on tablets. However, Gownder maintains that while they aren't for every organisation, they fill a niche role for certain businesses.
These include those that have adopted Google's cloud services, such as Gmail or Google Apps, in addition to any that use cloud-based applications that can be accessed with a single password using Google's Chrome browser.
Others he says could benefit include those looking at reducing or cutting out laptop maintenance within the business.
He says: "Imaging Windows PCs and deploying them to workers requires time and effort from infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals. I&O leaders prefer less time spent in this area.
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"Chromebooks require very little imaging; pilot users say any given device can be configured for a new user in under 15 minutes."
Gownder adds that Chromebooks are inexpensive, selling for as low as US$199 (around £129, or AU$219) and suit businesses with mobile workers that move from desk to desk, in addition to providing use to those with key departmental goals.
He says: "If your I&O department holds specific goals, such as lowering support costs, simplifying deployment of devices, ensuring device uptime, or projecting software changes quickly into the workforce, Chromebooks can help support those initiatives."
However, he advises organisations with goals that include empowering "rich customer-facing computing scenarios", to consider tablets as an alternative choice.
He also warns that Chromebooks are unsuitable for some businesses, such as those with a big presence in China (where Gmail and Google Apps don't work) and those for which Windows applications are business-critical.
- Still think Google has its work cut out? Check out 10 things Google should fix on the Chromebook.


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A complete list of all the Micromax Android smartphones available from the company in India, categorized by price.
In a monthly segment, we’ll be taking a look at new device announcements, network carrier news, Android apps, and more, in India.
This week in India, we have 8 new smartphone announcements, some network carrier news, and the sales and market share results from Q1 2013.
With Android Authority’s monthly buying guides covering all major markets around the world, we save you the trouble of doing the research by providing a comprehensive list of all the best Android smartphones available to you in India.
This week in India, Lenovo introduces 6 smartphones to the market, the Micromax A116 Canvas HD gets an update to Android 4.2, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is Rs 10,000 cheaper.
This week, we have three new budget-friendly quad-core smartphones, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z going up for pre-order, and more.
On today’s Weekly News Roundup – india, we take a look at two new smartphones from Micromax, a revamped quad-core Samsung Galaxy Grand, the official arrival of the Nexus 4 and Vertu Ti, a teaser of the Notion Ink Adam 2, and a new discounted international roaming plan by Vodafone.
This week on the “Weekly News Roundup – India,” we take a look at a new glasses-free 3D smartphone from Micromax, four tablets from WickedLeak, Zync, Fly Mobile, and Intex, and some deals and offers from Vodafone.
In a new weekly segment, we will be taking a look at the latest Android news in India, including new smartphone and tablet announcements, software update rollouts, and network carrier news.
While Samsung dominated the Indian smartphone race in the last quarter of 2012, Apple is slowly but surely closing the gap, jumping to second place in terms of revenue in one quarter.


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KYOCERA AVX Articles
Kyocera AVX releases new 9159-600 Series connectors
KYOCERA AVX, a global manufacturer of advanced electronic components engineered to accelerate technological innovation and build a better future, has further expanded its line of single-piece card-edge connectors with the release of the new 9159-600 Series dual-row, inverted through-board card-edge connectors.
KYOCERA AVX releases TCD series DLA 04051 & COTS-Plus conductive polymer capacitors
KYOCERA AVX has launched the TCD Series DLA 04051 and COTS-Plus conductive polymer capacitors.
KYOCERA AVX new automotive antennas at CES 2024
KYOCERA AVX has released the new A-Series low-profile, surface-mount automotive antennas at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.
KYOCERA AVX adds to its TWD HTMC series
KYOCERA AVX has added a new 100mF/3V rating to its TWD High-Temp Max-Cap (HTMC) Series hermetically sealed and axial leaded DLA T4-size wet tantalum capacitors.
KYOCERA AVX releases its first linear card-edge connectors
KYOCERA AVX, a global manufacturer of advanced electronic components engineered to accelerate technological innovation and build a better future, released the new 9159-7X0 Series double-ended linear card-edge connectors with spring contacts.
KYOCERA AVX new high-pass thin-film filters series
KYOCERA AVX has released a new series of miniature high-pass thin-film filters engineered to provide high-frequency performance in a variety of space constrained microwave and RF applications in the telecommunications, automotive, consumer electronics, and military markets.
KYOCERA AVX multilayer organic filters
KYOCERA AVX is now offering three multilayer organic (MLO) filter series that are both designed and field proven to deliver performance in a variety of RF applications.
KYOCERA AVX Gen II PrizmaCap supercapacitors
KYOCERA AVX has expanded its PrizmaCap line of rugged, high-capacitance, and high-reliability supercapacitors with the release of two new Gen II series.
KYOCERA AVX snaps up Bliley Technologies assets
KYOCERA AVX is acquiring assets of Bliley Technologies, which designs and develops low-noise frequency control products with more than 65 years of space heritage in low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO) applications.
KYOCERA AVX releases new scm series series-connected supercapacitor modules
KYOCERA AVX released the new SCM Series double-layer, series-connected electrochemical supercapacitor modules.
KYOCERA AVX expands its time and cost savings 9176-700 series capped IDC connectors
KYOCERA AVX has added new four and five-position models to its 9176-700 series capped insulation displacement contact (IDC) connectors for 18–24AWG wire, which are engineered to satisfy the demanding requirements of automotive, transportation, industrial, lighting, and medical applications.
Antenna simulation benefits from new software release
KYOCERA AVX says that direct links to simulation models for its most popular embedded antennas are available in the latest release of the Ansys HFSS 3D electromagnetic simulation software, Ansys 2023 R1.
KYOCERA AVX simulation models now in ANSYS HFSS ED electromagnetic simulation software
KYOCERA AVX has announced that direct links to simulation models for its most popular embedded antennas are available in the latest release of the globally renowned Ansys HFSS 3D electromagnetic simulation software, Ansys 2023 R1.
Kyocera AVX´s SCC automotive grade Supercapacitors at Rutronik
For the first time, Kyocera AVX is expanding the SCC series to include automotive-certified supercapacitors.
KYOCERA AVX releases extensive range of radial-leaded aluminium electrolytic capacitors
KYOCERA AVX released a range of radial-leaded aluminium electrolytic capacitors engineered for use in industrial, communications, and consumer electronics applications and available with a 24-week lead time, which is currently one of the shortest lead times of any competing capacitor on the market.
KYOCERA AVX announces MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 MLCCs
KYOCERA AVX has announced that its MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 MLCCs have been approved to the Defence Logistics Agency (DLA) Qualified Products Database (QPD).
KYOCERA AVX launches new circuit matching service
KYOCERA AVX has introduced a new circuit matching service designed to help customers quickly and confidently select suitable crystal timing devices.
KYOCERA AVX introduces automotive-qualified supercapacitors
KYOCERA AVX has announced its first automotive-qualified supercapacitors, which are also known as cylindrical, electrochemical, double-layer capacitors.
KYOCERA AVX has extended its AntennaGuard range
KYOCERA AVX has extended its AntennaGuard range of proven, high-performance, and ultralow-capacitance products with two new 0402 multilayer varistors (MLVs) that meet IEEE 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 testing requirements.
KYOCERA AVX exhibiting at CES 2023
KYOCERA AVX, a global manufacturer of advanced electronic components engineered to accelerate technological innovation and build a better future, is exhibiting at CES 2023, which will take place 5–8 January in Las Vegas.


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Somaiya said that both daughters of Raut have a partnership in Ashok Garg's Magpie group
Mumbai: BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Sunday alleged that Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's family is having partnership in a wine company of a big industrialist. Because of this, Mr Raut is supporting the decision of 'sale of wine' in supermarkets, he said.
Speaking with the reporters on Sunday, Mr. Somaiya said that both daughters of Mr Raut have a partnership in Ashok Garg's Magpie group.
The BJP leader alleged that in order to serve the interests of Mr. Raut, the state cabinet has approved the sale of wine in supermarkets and grocery shops. "To benefit Mr. Raut, the state government has changed the policy and allowed wine to be sold in supermarkets," Mr. Somaiya said.
The Raut family had signed a partnership agreement on April 16, 2021 for the business with Mr Garg's Magpie Group, Mr Somaiya said.
"Post this, Mr Raut's daughter Vidhita and Purvshi became partners in the Magpie DFS PVT LTD. Thereafter Magpie Company wrote a letter to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of the Central government on January 12, 2022, stating that its main business is wine distribution. Subsequently, the state cabinet on 27 January 2022 decided to allow the sale of wine in supermarkets and grocery stores. Magpie Company distributes wine to five-star hotels in big cities including Mumbai and Pune," he added.
Rebutting the BJP leader's allegations, Mr.Raut said, "If my family has wineries, I am ready to give it to him (Mr.Somaiya)."
The Sena leader said that Ashok Garg is his friend and being a director in the company is not an offence.


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Home pay-for content. In an interview with Silicon Alley Insider, Susan Panico (Senior Director of the PlayStation Network) says that content in the social networking service is selling tremendously. In fact, in the first four days of the open beta Home produced more money for Sony than the video download service did in its first week.
We're disheartened to hear that one of the biggest sellers is the ridiculously priced Santa outfit. So if you went ahead and bought a £5 Santa suit: congratulations. You've just told Sony that it's okay to charge 79p for a pair of virtual gloves.
Panico says it's "a classic 80/20 model, where 20 percent of your customers create 80 percent of your income." Makes sense to us. There's already a very vocal pro-Home community. We'll be happy to join in next month when some of that promised content starts to drop.


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Innovative black-led companies in the UK are set to benefit from a £100 million (KY$109m) investment fund created by a unique team of venture capitalists who are strategically targeting businesses that also deliver a positive social impact.
Black-owned and managed venture capital firm Impact X has recently been launched to invest significant money in the businesses of under-represented groups such as the African Caribbean community and women in this country and across Europe.
It is managed and advised by an accomplished and ethnically diverse team that has over 500-years’ worth of investment and management experience.
Among the founding members of the team are Paula Groves, General Partner, and a co-founding partner of the technology focussed fund Axxon Capital who has over 20 years’ private equity and investment experience; Ursula Burns, Vice Chair, Digital & Technology, the first black woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Xerox, and named as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes; Eric Collins, CEO, a serial entrepreneur who has helped sell companies to the likes of Microsoft and Nuance as well as running a number of successful venture capital companies across the world.
According to recent research by the Economic and Social Research Council, businesses run by black and minority ethnic (BME) entrepreneurs were estimated to contribute up to £32 billion (KY$35bn) per year to the British economy.
Yet despite growing levels of entrepreneurial activity in the BME community, aspiring black business owners often struggle to get significant investment to help their businesses grow.


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The Mac Showis Feature Guest this Wednesday will be Peter Ryce, Senior Director of Marketing for Macromedia. Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio is their latest release.
The Special Guest on Wednesday is Gene Steinberg, author of recently published Mac OS X Little Black Book.
In the Tech Tips segment, sponsored by Micromatis Tech Tool Pro 3, Shawn welcomes Valerie McLean, Vice President of the Vancouver Better Business Bureau. Valerie will talk about how to protect yourself on the Internet.
In the Mac Media Pro segment, the showis Executive Producer, Mark Stevens, will be talking with Ron Obvious. Ron is the designer, builder and technical director at Canadian Rocker Bryan Adamsi Warehouse Studios. Youill see some of the studio in Adam Tinkoffis Macumentary of The Mac Show in the August CD-Rom of MacAddict magazine. The studio is an incredible place and Ron is a great guy and a *huge* Mac fan.
Our buddy Ron Fairbairn is back with another segment of Mac Basics, Peter Cohen will have all the game news and weill be giving away more Macworld Expo Super Passes!
The Mac Show, in cooperation with IDG Expo, is giving away *10* Expo Super Passes! These passes, valued at $1200.00, are available to be won *only* from The Mac Show!
You can tune into the Mac Show ever Wednesday from 9-11:00PM EST.


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The discovery of natural gas deposits beneath the Eastern Mediterranean has shifted the outlook for Israel's energy market. It is thought that the reserves hold enough gas to feed Israel's consumption for decades, and may even turn the energy-dependent country into an exporter. However, the discovery has served to exacerbate political tensions, and further development faces major challenges.
Until last year, the Syrian retail sector lacked big malls and associated hypermarket chains because the importation of foreign consumer goods and electronic items was banned. However, the Syrian government has gradually liberalized import restrictions and many foreign goods have been removed from the list of banned items, leading a number of Gulf retail groups to consider entering the country.
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Market.biz, the world's leading market research company, offers detailed research, analysis and results in its report covering the world market for Water Tank Panel Cross Section.The report titled
Based in Dayton, Ohio, U.S., IFS recently developed an FRP console for the U.S. Air Force using a custom mold design and specialized paint.
Food Storage Tanks Market 2022-2028
A New Market Study, Titled “Food Storage Tanks Market Upcoming Trends, Growth Drivers and Challenges” has been featured on fusionmarketresea
Oil Storage Market Growth 2021-2027, Covid 19 Outbreak Impact research report added by Report Ocean, is an in-depth analysis of market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation
(Salt Lake City Fire Department) Crews work to rescue a worker who fell unconscious while trapped in a chemical transport tank.
The Salt Lake City Fire Department successfully rescued a wo
June 04, 2021 10:41 ET | Source: Research Nester Research Nest
Prospect Energy, the oil and gas company whose tanks have been leaking air pollution north of Fort Collins, might face penalties from the state after Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division
I’ve never been a big fan of electric vehicles. Oh, I know everybody says they are “the future” but studies now show the yearly cost of operating an EV versus a gas-powered cars is roughly


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Art and Business During the Pandemic: Inspiration from Devin Elle Kurtz
Updated: Feb 7, 2022
Long time Bay Photo customer, Devin Elle Kurtz is about to have her first art book printed.
During the pandemic Devin had to retool her business model to fit the altered business landscape that COVID has created. Most of the 2020 and all of the 2021 conventions where she has sold her art in the past were cancelled. She decided to create a new art series each quarter of the year and started doing online sales centered around each series. She has used Bay Photo Lab for over 8 years and decided to ramp up her online sales with many of our high quality printing options. The sales have been successful with over 1000 orders fulfilled by Bay Photo Lab. Her main Bay Photo products are Photographic Prints, MetalPrints, Canvas Wraps, Press Printed Posters and Press Printed BayBooks. Last fall she was approached by 3dTotal, a UK-based book publisher, to create an art book telling her journey. At 24 years old, she is currently one of the youngest international artists to be chosen by 3dTotal for an art book project.
After graduating from Santa Cruz High School in 2014, Devin has pursued a career as a digital illustrator. She has mainly worked for Rough Draft Studios in Burbank, CA doing backgrounds for the Netflix series, Disenchantment. She also had a successful business selling her personal digital and traditional illustrations at Comic and Anime Conventions around the United States until the COVID pandemic hit.
Much of Devin's inspiration for her art comes from the ocean areas around her hometown of Santa Cruz, CA and her many visits to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Devin says that much of her inspiration for her art comes from the ocean areas around her hometown of Santa Cruz, CA and her many visits to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. During the pandemic Devin came back to Santa Cruz to focus on her independent art career and for more inspiration from the natural surroundings of Santa Cruz. She says this has been the silver lining to the pandemic lockdown.
Devin’s book was launched by 3dTotal through a Kickstarter, which recently began and runs through April 18th. The Kickstarter has already met its initial funding goal and has surpassed $100K in pledges, but books are still available through the Kickstarter. Click here to learn more, and to support Devin's first book!


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•The proposed tax holiday, if granted, will be a major setback to the public health protection agenda advanced by tobacco control policies and interventions currently ongoing in Kenya.
•Instead, the government should consider widespread restrictions on nicotine delivery products such as banning or restricting use of flavours that appeal to minors; as well as prohibiting implicit or explicit claims that the products are harmless or safer
About six months ago, the British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya announced plans to establish a plant in Kenya to manufacture their nicotine pouches for distribution within its African market.
And just last week, it emerged that the plant is nearing completion and that BAT-K was in talks with Treasury and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to have the locally produced pouches exempted from excise duty for two to three years and subsequently lower tax rates.
This is according to a report published in a local daily on Friday, September 18. The company reckons that the tax holiday is justified by the size of foreign direct investment expected from the local plant production and export market; and their belief that the pouches are less harmful than cigarettes hence should be taxed less.
Their nicotine pouch is consumed by placing it under the lip and the nicotine is absorbed through the gum. According to the manufacturer, the product “offers a viable alternative to smoking…and has the potential to lead to a reduction in the projected health burden associated with smoking related diseases in Kenya”.
Since its introduction in the Kenyan market in July 2019, the product has gained a lot of popularity and interest, especially among the youth as acknowledged by BATK in news published in the media in February, 2020.
However, even though the company wants the public to believe that its nicotine pouch brand, called LYFT, is “less harmful”, there are a lot of concerns, both nationally and internationally, on the harm reduction narrative pushed by the industry.
The World Health Organization (WHO) cautions party states to be wary of this narrative, warning against claims of these products aiding with cessation as there isn’t comprehensive evidence to confirm such claims.
On the contrary, WHO points out the potential gateway and renormalization effects brought about by such products.
For instance, the gateway effect presents the possibility of young people (and generally non-smokers) initiating nicotine use at a rate greater than expected, if the product did not exist; and the possibility that once addicted to nicotine one could easily switch to cigarette smoking and possible dual usage.
The renormalization effect on the other hand presents a concern on the possibility that everything that makes such products attractive to smokers may enhance the attractiveness of smoking itself and perpetuate the smoking epidemic.
At the national level, concerns have been raised from various quarters of the public, including parents who have pointed out the dangers and health risks posed by nicotine pouches to the youth in Kenya.
Tobacco control advocates have also voiced their concerns on a number of issues around this product; including its associated health risks such as addiction which could potentially lead to increased consumption of traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, its unclear registration and regulation in the country; and the apparent disregard of advertising and marketing provisions of the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) 2007.
In light of the above, the proposed tax holiday if granted to BAT will be a major setback to the public health protection agenda advanced by tobacco control policies and interventions currently ongoing in Kenya.
Specifically, in granting BATK the tax exemptions, the targeted government agencies (National Treasury and KRA) will be going against provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC- which Kenya is a party to), the national Tobacco Control Act (TCA) 2007 and the TC Regulations 2014.
WHAT IS WHO'S FCTC?
This is an international treaty adopted in 2003 that aims to reduce harmful tobacco consumption and is legally binding on the 181 countries, including Kenya, that have ratified it.
The FCTC’s Article 5.3 guidelines principles state that the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or run their businesses given that their products are lethal. The TCA 2007 in Section 12 (a) requires the Minister in charge of finance to “implement tax policies and where appropriate, price policies on tobacco and tobacco products so as to contribute to the objectives of the Act”.
Additionally, the TC Regulations 2014, in Section 32 prohibit a public authority from granting incentives, privileges, benefits or any other preferential treatment to the tobacco industry to establish or run their businesses.
Section 33 (1) of the Regulations further state that “A public authority shall, while implementing investment and tax laws, and other polices related to tobacco, be guided by the priority to tackle the adverse health, social, economic and environmental impacts of tobacco growing, manufacture, sale and consumption in Kenya”. Sadly though, these provisions are at risk of being flouted if the proposals by BAT are granted.
In the past five years, Kenya has made significant progress in reforming, establishing and implementing tobacco tax structures in line with recommendations of the WHO-FCTC.
As such, through concerted advocacy efforts by CSOs led by the International Institute for Legislative Affairs (IILA) and with goodwill and leadership from Ministry of Health and KRA; Kenya has continued to make efforts towards increasing taxes on tobacco products in order to reach the threshold recommended by WHO.
Even though there is still a lot that needs to be done; for instance harmonising the current two tiers applied to cigarettes into one and further increasing the tax rate; the gains made so far should not be watered down but built upon to strengthen public health protection by eliminating initiation, reducing consumption of tobacco products and their access, especially among the youth.
In order to stand up to its commitment to promote public health as well as obligations under the WHO-FCTC and national TC policies, the government of Kenya should instead take the necessary measures to ensure effective implementation of these policies.
Notably, the government needs to implement recommendations given under the FCTC Article 5.3 and its guidelines, which require Parties to not grant incentives, privileges or benefits to the tobacco industry to establish or run their businesses as well as to not provide any preferential tax exemption to the tobacco industry.
Specifically in regards to the nicotine pouches (and any other emerging tobacco and nicotine products) the government should consider applying WHO recommendations on nicotine delivery products such as banning or restricting use of flavours that appeal to minors; as well as prohibiting implicit or explicit claims that the products are harmless or safer unless approved by a specialised governmental agency.
Lastly, on aspects of taxation; considering that these products and cigarettes are substitutes, differential tax policies based on product type could lead to substitution between the products; hence high tax rates should be applied on such products so as to make them unaffordable to minors to deter initiation and use.
Celine is the current acting CEO of the International Institute for Legislative Affairs


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Ever fancied a cocktail hookah with ecstatic flavours that sublime softly in dim lit cafe floors? Well, a Delhi-based young hotelier has indeed been busy inventing exotic blends of hookah that may change the way sheesha is served in Indian cafes. Named Hookah Legacy, 24-year-old Aditya Modi’s start up is already serving cocktail hookah flavours in Delhi’s restaurants and marriage parties and has plans to expand to other cities in the near future.
“I have been a hookah fan ever since my college days and always wondered that one aspect which is lacking in mixing of flavours in India is the mixing and blending of quality flavours. That’s how I decided to come up with my own venture,” Modi told The Weekend Artist.
But quite like the treacherous blend that goes behind making a sublime hookah serving, setting up a business around hookah was a daunting task. A hotel management passout of the prestigious Les Rouche School, Switzerland, when Modi first floated the idea of starting Hookah Legacy to his family of exporters, their first reaction was “why hookah”. “But my father has always been supportive and backed me in my idea. It is a unique concept and I am poised to take it to wider pool of enthusiasts within India,” he said.
Even though Hookah Legacy started its operations on April 1, Modi and his team of blenders were at the job much in advance. “I use regular flavours. But what sets us apart is the blend and the fruit flavours that we have amalgamated in the mixture. Before we launched the concept, my blender colleagues and I spent numerous evening experimenting with the mixtures. I would give them flavours and they would come up with blends. We have incorporated the blends in our menu,” Modi said.
Currently catering to some well known restaurants in Delhi, Hookah Legacy offers customised Hookah menu with uniquely blended flavours titled: BFF, Orange Bong, Burj Khalifa, Big Ben and more at rates that vary with location and the target customer base. Interestingly, Cuteness Personified, a flavour Modi and his team have blend together is recommended only for the ladies!
While the sheesha, meaning the peculiar glass container remains a signature constant, the other elements which give a unique flavour to the hookah are the silicon chillum, the quantity of water, coconut coal and the blending of flavours. “Very few in India use silicon chillum. But I believe that contrary to a clay chillum, a silicon chillum creates more smoke and looks classier,” he adds.


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The Voi is set to launch a fleet of electric scooters in Cambridge in its first UK trial
Yonkers, N.Y., chose Bird to run the state's first shared electric scooter program.Less than two months after the New York City Council approved the introduction of electric micro-motor vehicles, a fleet of Bird scooters will be launched in August.
"Yonkers' commitment to micro-mobility is unmatched, and Bird is honored to serve here and in New York State in the first electric scooter pilot program," said Rebecca Hahn, Bird's Chief corporate social Responsibility Officer."Like many New Yorkers, Yonkers residents are adopting socially detached transportation habits in the wake of COVID-19.As cities continue to recover and rebuild, we look forward to providing them with a safe, sustainable way to remain mobile and support local businesses."
Yonkers City, one of the first New York cities to adopt scooter-sharing, will now be the first in New York state to do so.
Mayor Mike Spano said, "Yonkers is pleased to once again lead the city in providing smart, emission-free transportation solutions to our communities.""The partnership with Bird will provide residents and visitors with the opportunity to see our city in an easy and convenient way, yet at the same time affordable, reliable and fun."
Chicago also recently selected Bird to participate in the city's 2020 microtransit program.
Voi, the Swedish scooter-sharing company, is to launch a trial in Cambridge to launch its UK business.
The company won a competitive tender process from the Joint Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils this year to run the region's only trial of electric scooters.
This is an opportunity for Voi after it missed a license for electric scooters in Paris last month, forcing the company to pull out of the French capital.
The UK only recently approved electric scooters on a temporary basis next year, providing the next major market for electric scooters.
Sharing companies such as Voi will be able to carry out trials of electric scooters across the country with the approval of local authorities, which will eventually provide information on long-term regulation of the use of electric scooters on UK streets.
The Joint Cambridgeshire and Peterborough authority has issued only one approval in its competitive bidding process, which will allow Voi, which recently raised $30m, to deploy e-bikes in its rental fleet.
The UK government quickly tracked the launch of the electric scooter trial as part of a series of measures to address transport issues during and after locking.
More recently, alternatives to cars and public transport, such as bicycles and scooters, have received more attention as the UK government works to improve infrastructure.
According to many electric scooter operators, their vehicles will help divert traffic during travel and continue to address emissions and congestion in cities.
Voi's operations in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be supported by 50 engineering, mechanical and fleet management positions.
This includes disinfecting scooters every 24 hours to prevent any possible spread of COVID-19.
Cyclists will have to pay £1 to unlock the scooter, which costs 20 cents a minute, or they can sign up for a monthly subscription.
The fleet will be deployed in September and will be integrated with train and bus services across the city, according to the company.
Voi CHIEF Executive Fredrik Hjelm said: "People are eager to get out of their cars and choose greener vehicles."
"Cities that are serious about reducing pollution and congestion see a huge opportunity to introduce modes of transport that can fundamentally improve the way we move in urban areas."
Cambridgeshire's mayor and Peterborough's mayor, James Palmer, said carbon emissions in the area had fallen by 27 per cent this year as the closure left many streets empty and cycling increased by 200 per cent.
Richard Corbett, Voi's UK manager, said scooters could replace one-fifth of the rides in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
In the UK, official use of scooters is still in its infancy, while other cities that have launched schemes have so far encountered problems with abuse and anti-social behaviour.
The trial version of Voi will evolve and adapt over the course of 12 months.
In three months, Voi will provide the authorities with data on journeys and user feedback, as well as recommendations for improving the city's infrastructure to accommodate the new modes of transport.
Organisations that provide such feedback include the Royal Institute of The Movement of the Blind and disabled.
Voi has also launched an "online traffic school" to raise awareness about the safe use of electric scooters.


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Pantone announced 2022’s Color of the Year as “Very Peri.”
Pantone’s color for the year 2021 was Ultimate Gray.
This announcement came on Wednesday, with the company naming the violet and periwinkle hue the year’s color, saying it encourages “personal inventiveness and creativity.”
On Twitter, Pantone wrote: “Introducing the Pantone Color of the Year 2022, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri, a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet-red undertone blends the faithfulness and constancy of blue with the energy and excitement of red.”
(Post link will be here)
Pantone said in a press release: “Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives.”
Pantone’s color for 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic was Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. As the pandemic continues, Very Peri is meant to signify “the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through.”
“As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family, encompassing the qualities of the blues,” Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute Leatrice Eiseman said, “yet at the same time with its violet red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages creativity and imaginative expressions.”


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Supervisors approve motion to ban Kratom, Tianeptine
Published 10:50 am Thursday, December 23, 2021
Soon, the sale of Kratom based products will be illegal in Pearl River County.
Currently Kratom based products can be found in a variety of tobacco stores and convenience stores across the county, but two people spoke to the Board of Supervisors on Monday to plea for an ordinance that would ban the sale of such products.
Laruen Goar, who is an advocate against local drug use and self proclaimed person who has dealt with addiction, and Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department narcotics Detective Joe Garcia, shared some information to help the Board decide.
Goar began her presentation by stating that her journey to beat addiction through programs such as Teen Challenge gives her insight into opioids. According to drugabuse.gov, Katrom is a plant grown in South Asia that can have opioid like properties if consumed by humans.
Goar said some of the products that can be found locally include a powder form, as an ingredient in energy drinks and even in pill form.
Garcia said he’s noticed the products appear to be marketed to young people, and at times is said to help people deal with addictions to other substances. While the product is described as having opioid like properties, Goar warns that substituting one substance for another does not help people beat addiction, it only replaces the previous substance.
There have also been reports of people overdosing on the substance, leading to them acting strangely. Garcia said he has been on calls where young people allegedly took the substance and began acting “out of their minds.”
Some people who are going through the Drug Court program have also been found to be lethargic during a Drug Court visit, later determined to have taken a Kratom based product.
At times people younger than 18 have been known to purchase the products from local retailers because the clerks working the register fail to check IDs, Garcia said.
While there is no federal ban on the substance to date, Goar said that dozens of cities and states have already passed laws banning the sale of Kratom based products. Another substance similar to Kratom that Goar and Garcia asked the Board to ban is Tianeptine, which is a drug used to treat depression. Both drugs are said to become habit forming in people who use them recreationally and frequently, as such they can lead to withdrawals in those who have become addicted.
Garcia said that many of the stores currently selling those substances were part of a recent sting operation by local law enforcement agencies to remove illegal vape products from their inventory.
Board attorney Joe Montgomery said he has started a draft of an ordinance, similar to one passed in another city in the state.
District III Supervisor Hudson Holliday made a motion to have Montgomery complete the ordinance and add Tianeptine to the list of banned substances. That motion passed unanimously to applause from those in attendance.
County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin advised the Board that in order for the ordinance to have any effect, both city governments in Pearl River County will have to pass the same or similar ordinances since County ordinances do not carry much weight in cities.
State Representative Timmy Ladner, who was present for Monday’s meeting, said that there is a large lobby group that supports the sale of Kratom, but the topic has been discussed in the Legislature. However, Lader said he can not promise when the matter will be taken up since the Legislature is currently working on marijuana legislation.


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As we have looked closer at the web security company SiteLock over the last year one of the things that has stuck out is how their web hosting partners are not being upfront about the nature of their partnership with SiteLock.
As we have mentioned before when it comes to one of their biggest web hosting partners, Endurance International Group (EIG), the company has disclosed to investors that SiteLock not only pays them more than half fees for services sold through their partnership, but the CEO and a board of EIG also are the major owners of SiteLock. Those seem like things that should be disclosed to their customers as well since there is an obvious potential for conflict of interest with that relationship, for which their customers should be aware of when considering their recommendations regarding SiteLock. Instead we have found previously that one EIG brand, HostGator, wouldn’t even publicly acknowledge those connections. In that instance they referred to SiteLock simply as a “trusted partner”.
We are frequently contacted by people that have had their web host shut down access to the website based on a claim that the website is hacked and recommend that they hire SiteLock to handle resolve the situation. While in many instances the websites are in fact hacked, there are some serious issues with false claims that websites are hacked. So when we are contacted in those situations we want to find out what evidence there is that the website is hacked first, so that we can double check if the website is in fact hacked before starting on a cleanup. Through that we were recently forwarded a report from the web host Site5 (about a website that was actually hacked), which referred to SiteLock is this way:
If you don’t feel comfortable removing the infected files yourself, we recommend contacting a third party professional who can assist with removing malware, such as SiteLock.
Considering that Site5 has been part of EIG for nearly a year and the connection between EIG and SiteLock, calling them a third party, while maybe technically accurate, clearly doesn’t provide their customers a honest understanding of the connection between the companies. (Not surprisingly from everything else we have seen related to EIG, the quality of Site5 service and support looks to have gone downhill since becoming part of EIG, just look at the number of negative reviews they have received on their BBB page since the purchase).A Better Alternative to SiteLock For Cleaning Up a Hacked Website
If your web host is pushing you to hire SiteLock to clean up a hacked website, we provide a better alternative, where we actually properly clean up the website if it is truly hacked or if isn't we will help you to get the issue resolved for free.
Before you do anything else though, you should check out our post on what you should know when you get contacted by or about SiteLock.


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The latest announcements concerning the nationwide Takata air bag recall did not specify what companies would be carrying out the campaigns and what vehicle models were going to be impacted.
According to a series of news reports, Chrysler has been one of the most deeply impacted automakers. The firm released two recall campaigns with the help of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal agency reported that 4,066,732 vehicles were primarily recalled by Chrysler over the air bag issue. The models listed under the first recall include the 2005 through 2009 Dodge Ram 2500, the 2004 through 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango, the 2006 through 2009 Dodge Ram 3500, 2008 through 2010 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500, the 2007 and 2008 Chrysler Aspen, the 2008 and 2009 Sterling Bullet 4500 and 5500, the 2005 through 2010 Chrysler 300, 300C, SRT8, Dodge Charger and Magnum, the 2006 through 2010 Mitsubishi Raider, and the 2005 through 2011 Dodge Dakota vehicles.
All units of these vehicles have been fitted with dual-stage driver frontal air bags that could be exposed to some moisture. As a result, the inflators that are part of these devices may experience some corruption. Over time, the devices may rupture in the event of an accident since the air bags will deploy in a collision.
To prevent the metal parts from being expelled with deadly force in the event of an air bag deployment, Chrysler and Takata have combined forced to launch this nationwide recall.
Impacted vehicle owners whether they own Dodge, Raider or Chrysler vehicles will be contacted by the manufacturer. Once the vehicle owners are contacted, they will be urged to schedule a visit to an authorized dealer where the vehicle will have the driver’s frontal air bags with functional parts. An official date for when the company will begin contacting impacted vehicle owners hasn’t been scheduled yet.
The second Chrysler announcement issued with the NHTSA impacts more Dodge Ram vehicles.
According to the firm, the 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks were fitted with passenger side frontal air bag inflators that may experience a defect. As a result, the excessive internal pressure caused by the air bag deployment may also cause the metal inflators to explode, increasing the risk of a possible personal injury since the metal parts may impact occupants abruptly. As a result, serious and even deadly personal injuries may occur.
Owners impacted by the Dodge Ram recall are being contacted promptly when the company is able to ensure all impacted units are able to have the passenger air bags replaced.
The official recall announcement associated with the campaign that impacts over 4 million vehicles can be found here. If you have been impacted or know someone who has and you have further concerns related to this issue, contact Chrysler immediately.


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Entropia Universe and ComPet Pet Trading
We are pleased to announce that the revolutionary new system enabling Entropia Universe players to supply pets to ComPet players in return for PED will be available soon.
The first tradeable cross-platform pets will be ‘level-up pets’: pets that can only be used for levelling up existing pets in ComPet. ComPet players will be able to level up their pets faster using this method, so this will create a market for trained ‘level-up pets’ within Entropia Universe.
The ability to transfer ‘regular pets’ from (and to) ComPet will be introduced in future releases.


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Best Buy Canada has put up a pre-order listing for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 for Nintendo Switch, confirming the game is set to release at retail.
At the time of writing, 2K Games has not announced a physical version for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, but given that Best Buy Canada has put up a listing for it, we can safely assume it’s going to happen.
The physical version has a USD39.99 price tag and is scheduled to launch sometime in 2018.
Will you buy it? Let us know in the comments below.


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BAD FOR BUSINESS
As Global emerging currencies are going lower by six percent over the last quaters these countries include Philipines and India. The Rubble is heading south to the tune of fifteen percent. This could an entail global economic slowdown or as looking from a different angle a new form of quantative easing which China has proven could slow economies that are far out pacing the targets or coming out of light speed to fast which could irritate and even aggravate the very communities that it is intended to benefit. This is reflected on the technology which today is becomimg more and more harder to harness due to the profitability and fame of these sectors and the markets that are being created within the sector. The US economy is apparently lacking in the technology race as being the largest economy being the US has to unravel orderly as as business and even government has to scranmble to innovate. Take a Japan for instance that is two years ahead of the US Economy in technology. Looking at younger and smaller economies with large growth and potential will not have technological and financial headwinds that the US experience. Simply put the new economy including global economies are well beyond the Flinstone industrial age that the US Economic model is built on.
Wealth in emerging markets can be seen by those who weigh heavy like the financial sector.Observe this in the hotbed being the Middle East. Take Suadi Arabia for example where financials and financial investing make up more than thirty percent of the countries assetts.
Now India bad for business? Countries are now turning toward a heavily weighted BRIC Economy for manufacturinng. China is exercising this at an alarming rate. Reason being the restrictions are just not their as many other economies have mechanisms in place to charge more and have more bueartic red tape to better observe and control the goals of the countries wishing to do business. With that being said. this could attract other manufactures and even financials to take business to a unsound unrestricted society that has a lot a lot of room to grow. India could easily be the Baltic avenue of the monoploly game. Cheap is good.
THE WIDE WORLD OF TRADE REPORT
THE WIDE WORLD OF TRADE REPORT IS A MEMBER OF THE IZ CORP EXCHANGE.
Disclosure: I am/we are long QQQ.


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Cheese is at Day 1 of a new era of opportunity, according to Julian Mellentin, director of New Nutrition Business. After 40 years of being demonised for its fat and salt content, he believes that cheese stands at the threshold of a turnaround that will see it re-established as a natural and healthy wholefood, like […]
Cheese is at Day 1 of a new era of opportunity, according to Julian Mellentin, director of New Nutrition Business. After 40 years of being demonised for its fat and salt content, he believes that cheese stands at the threshold of a turnaround that will see it re-established as a natural and healthy wholefood, like many other foods before it, from nuts to eggs.
For the food industry it’s great news that science has established that not only is cheese not harmful, with no link to cardiovascular disease or to elevated blood pressure, but also that it could be beneficial thanks to its high protein and calcium content, he says.
“With new science reaching a tipping point, cheese could be the next naturally functional success story,” predicts Mellentin, whose company profiles the cheese opportunity in its June 2015 report.
“People in the dairy industry have a once-in-a-career opportunity to take a dairy food that’s been out of favour for decades and reposition it, with new snack formats and positive health messages,” he adds. “With the right marketing strategy dairy companies can create a massive surge in demand for cheese.”
There is huge potential for growth in cheese consumption in many countries, claims Mellentin. The US, for example, has half the per capita cheese consumption of France’s 26.3kg – a country with one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world (in fact, research suggests effects of cheese on gut flora could help explain the famous French Paradox).
Even a 5% per annum increase in cheese consumption in the US should be achievable – bearing in mind that almonds were achieving 30% growth (admittedly off a smaller base), he continues. Other countries with low cheese consumption are Australia, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, Israel and Sweden.
Cheese has long been held back by fears about saturated fat content, sodium levels, and weight gain, notes Mellentin. Now, he says, those negative perceptions look set to change as advancing science reveals that:
With these negatives removed, other benefits of cheese will become clearer to consumers, Mellentin suggests:
The evolution of science gives every reason to believe that cheese could be the next big food turnaround, just as nuts, once demonised for their fat content, turned out to contain beneficial fats and have gone on to become a snacking success story, Mellentin believes.
How quickly that happens depends on how effectively industry introduces consumers to the new science, how quickly it re-educates health professionals who cling to old ideas about cheese, and how willing companies are to be innovative and create new and convenient products that revitalize consumer interest in this traditional wholefood, he says.
“The real challenge for cheese is not a lack of science demonstrating its benefits,” says Mellentin. “The challenge is whether the industry has the courage to step up and present the new science to health professionals, and to consumers, and – like the nut industry – to press forward with innovative new formats for cheese.”


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February 1st, 2011 | Published in Casino News
With the recent start-up of online casinos, more people are saying farewell to land-based casinos and going online. Of course, the atmosphere of the land-based casinos will always be better than online, but many prefer the convenience of gambling online. It has been proven that online casinos pay out better than land-based, when you gamble online, you don’t have to fight crowds and gambling online is cheaper because you don’t have to pay travel expenses. Gamblers aren’t the only ones that are seeing the benefits to online gambling. The more talk about legalization and regulation of online gambling, the more concerned land-based casinos become.
Why has Online Gambling Not Been Legalized?
One of the main reasons that the US still has not legalized online gambling is because of the effects it will have on land-based casinos. The biggest gambling city in the US, Las Vegas, is even concerned with losing business if it became legal for consumers to gamble in online casinos. The race tracks are also becoming more and more concerned with more competition. Atlantic City also expresses concern because they have already suffered a great loss during the recession.
The New Internet
Just about anything you can think of can be purchased online these days. Take music for example. Now, we no longer have to go to a music store to get the albums we want. We can simply buy them through iTunes or order the album and have it shipped right to our door. The great thing about purchasing music online through iTunes is that you don’t have to purchase the whole album; you can purchase only the songs that you like. Even though it seems easier to buy music over the internet now, music stores do still exist. Yes, they may have taken a big hit when iTunes was developed, but no one is alone in that.
The same thing goes for land-based casinos. Yes, they may lose some consumers to online casinos, but is it enough to not legalize online casinos? If there never were online casinos, would the online gamblers go to a land-based casino? Land-based casinos might lose a few of their gamblers to the online world, but with the rising cost of travel, it is more likely that online gamblers would not have been able to afford a trip to a land-based casino anyway.
Even though land-based casinos might lose some business to online casinos, this does not make them any more special than any other industry that has lost business to online services. Making purchases and gambling at online casinos are more convenient, it saves time and it saves money. This should not be a reason to not legalize online casinos in the US.


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Mother charged as accomplice to daughter's retail theft in Waukesha
Complaint: Mother told police merchandise was sold for heroin
A 37-year-old Wales woman was charged last week with allegedly helping her daughter and her daughter's friend steal merchandise that was later sold for heroin.
Nicole LaFratta, 319 Porthamel Court, was charged on Friday, Dec. 13 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with felony bail jumping and retail theft. LaFratta was previously charged in September with narcotic drug possession and drug paraphernalia possession.
Kayley Fabisiak, LaFratta's daughter, and Jasmine Fred were both charged on Nov. 22 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with retail theft.
According to the criminal complaint, an officer with the Waukesha City Police Department was dispatched on Tuesday, Nov. 26 to the Target Store at 2401 Kossow Road in Waukesha to investigate a report of retail theft.
A Target security officer told police in the complaint that on Nov. 24 two women were dropped off outside the store by LaFratta and proceeded to the electronics section, where they grabbed four speakers valued at $800.
The women left the store without paying and then fled in LaFratta's vehicle, the security officer said in the complaint. He continued to say that they returned a few days later and allegedly stole three sets of headphones valued at $600, the complaint states.
The women were later identified by police as Kayley Fabisiak, 18, and Jasmine Fred, 22.
Fabisiak spoke to police on Nov. 27 and admitted to stealing the merchandise. She told police that LaFratta, her mother, was the operator of the getaway vehicle, the complaint states.
LaFratta told police on Dec. 11 that she did not know that her daughter and Fred were going to steal the merchandise the first time they visited. She admitted that on the second visit she knew the plan, saying that the merchandise was sold to purchase heroin.
LaFratta could face up to six years in prison and $20,000 in fines if convicted.
Her cash bail was set at $3,000 at an initial appearance on Dec. 13 and she was ordered to have no contact with her daughter or Fred.
She is expected to appear at a preliminary hearing on Jan. 2.
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Tesco's recovery continued as market share at Britain's largest supermarket rose for the third consecutive month, figures released on Tuesday (13 December) by Kantar Worldpanel showed.
According to data from the industry research group, the retailer posted a 1.6% year-on-year increase in sales in the period, as the turnaround plan implemented by chief executive David Lewis begins to pay dividends.
Under Lewis' stewardship, the FTSE 100-listed company has lowered prices and bolstered customer service in a bid to recover from the worst scandal in its history. The measures are paying off, as Tesco took its market share to 28.3%, compared with 28% in the corresponding period last year and shares have risen 39% so far in 2016.
"Tesco's volume sales are growing faster than its value sales, particularly in the meat and fresh produce categories," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel.
However, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's saw sales fall for the third consecutive month, with the former recording a 4.7% drop, while sales at the latter two declined by 1.4% and 0.6% respectively.
Discount chains Aldi and Lidl continued to perform better than their competitors, with sales growing 10% and 5.7% respectively,
Meanwhile, Kantar added consumers were yet to feel the pinch of rising inflation, although the price of fresh fish was 5.3% higher year-on-year, while the cost of chilled ready meals and beer rose 2.3 and 2.1% respectively.
"Despite widespread anticipation of higher prices shoppers are yet to feel the pinch of rising inflation," said McKevitt.
However, according to official data released earlier today, UK inflation rose to its highest level in over two years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, came in at 1.2% in November, up from 0.9% in October.
The figure was the highest rate on record since October 2014, when it stood at 1.3%. A break-up of ONS figures suggest much of the monthly rise was driven by increases in the cost of fuel, clothing, restaurants and hotels.
Andrew Sentance, senior economic adviser at PwC, warned that more inflation was on the way. "We should therefore expect inflation to rise to close to 3% by the end of next year, which will squeeze consumer spending and slow economic growth," he added. "We are leaving behind the very favourable world of near-zero inflation which has benefited consumers over the past couple of years."


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I would like to respond to a recent letter regarding the LCBO.
It seems like every year or so we are subjected to a study produced by some right-wing think-tank telling us that we pay too much for beer, wine and spirits.
What do you think? Should Ontario open up its liquor monopoly to competition?
So we’re talking about the pros and cons of Ontario’s beer, wine and liquor monopolies again for, what is it, the 900th time?
TORONTO – Ontario could reap more money from booze sales and consumers could pay less for alcohol if the provincial government opened up the business to more retailers, a new report found.
A provincial pilot project to sell VQA wines at farmers’ markets may need more flexibility to be beneficial, local wineries say.
Canadian chef Lynn Crawford brought her enthusiasm for “all things local” to a whirlwind tour of Essex County food and wine producers Friday, part of a video shoot for an upcoming LCBO promotion.
If Ontario government takes steps like selling LCBO and its electric companies, emerging from the fiscal deficit and debt will still be difficult.
LCBO, thanks for nothing.
I am a student at Cardinal Carter Secondary School and responding on the province’s move to the sale of beer and wine in convenience and grocery stores in Ontario.


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September 23, 2021
Shiji Group achieves Amazon Web Services (AWS) Travel and Hospitality ISV Competency status and selects AWS to build out Shiji's hospitality technology platform, products, and services.
CHEVY CHASE, MD, United States, September 23, 2021 – Shiji Group’s achievement of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Travel and Hospitality ISV Competency status earlier this year marks a milestone in data security and data sovereignty for hotel technology.
Selecting a cloud technology partner to build global industry-leading technology is a critical part of the system architecture. After working with multiple platforms, Shiji selected AWS as the best solution to build out its hospitality technology platform.
Major investments have already been made to build and move many of Shiji’s products onto AWS, with more yet to come. Most recently, Shiji Enterprise Platform was made public, on the back of Infrasys and Concept, which are also migrating away from existing infrastructures.
Using Shiji’s global engineering teams, many of the companies Shiji has acquired are modernizing their architecture through AWS and migrating away from legacy solutions, something that the hospitality industry as a whole has also been urged to do.
As these systems migrate to AWS, and with Shiji’s achievement of AWS Travel and Hospitality ISV Competency status, new paths are being pioneered for guest data to be stored in secure and locally hosted data centers using state-of-the-art architecture that enables data sovereignty to be implemented for enterprise clients around the world.
“After thorough research on stability, security, data protection and more, we have selected AWS as our cloud computing platform. The importance of stability and security for the hospitality industry is critical. We’re extremely proud to be working with AWS and their global team to deliver the future of our industry’s technology,” said Kevin King, COO of Shiji Group.
Since 2014, Shiji Group has been acquiring businesses and building products for the hospitality industry to provide the industry with an open and interconnected set of enterprise-first products. Covering the entire guest journey, it was critical for Shiji to find a solid cloud technology partner to power Shiji’s suite of innovative technology solutions.
Shiji Group is a multi-national technology company that provides software solutions and services for enterprise companies in the hospitality, food service, retail and entertainment industries, ranging from hospitality technology platform, hotel management solutions, food and beverage and retail systems, payment gateways, data management, online distribution and more. Founded in 1998 as a network solutions provider for hotels, Shiji Group today comprises over 5,000 employees in 80+ subsidiaries and brands in over 23 countries, serving more than 91,000 hotels, 200,000 restaurants and 600,000 retail outlets. For more information, visit www.shijigroup.com.
Click below to find out all the ways Shiji can help your hospitality, food service, retail, or entertainment business thrive.