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Booktopia named Business of the Year at Telstra Business Awards
Booktopia has been named NSW Business of the Year in the 2018 Telstra Business Awards.
This is the 26th year of the Telstra Business Awards and last month Booktopia was very proud to be selected as a finalist in the NSW Medium Business category.
The NSW finalists were evaluated across a broad range of criteria, including: strategy and vision, customers and marketing, operations, people and culture, innovation and technology, social responsibility and financial acumen.
Last night, Booktopia won the state award in the Medium Business category as well as the overall state award for NSW Business of the Year.


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May 22, 2013
Hong Kong restricts poultry products import from Catalonia, Spain
Due to an outbreak of low-pathogenic H7N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm in the Province of Catalonia, Spain, Hong Kong has banned the import of poultry and poultry products, including eggs, from the said province, for the protection of Hong Kong's public and animal health.
This was announced on Tuesday (May 21) by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
A CFS spokesman said about 4,600 tonnes of frozen poultry meat was imported into Hong Kong from Spain last year.
"We have contacted the Spanish authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreaks in the country. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

domain: news


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Delhi E-Mart Portal for Artisans (Digital Monitoring of Van Dhan Start-Ups)
By June 2020, the Delhi government hopes to launch an online marketplace for the state’s craftspeople. This is because a large number of people have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic epidemic. This will provide support for around 5000 Delhin craftspeople. The state government will contribute to the creation of an online marketplace to display products and attract more customers. Yet, the government intends to support the state’s craftsmen by using digital marketing to promote their business ambitions. Continue reading to learn more about how the artisans’ internet businesses are supported.
Launch of E-mart portal
|Name of the portal||E-mart portal|
|Portal has been launched in||Delhi|
|Portal has been launched by||Delhi state government|
|Target group of portal launch||Delhi artisans who are rendered jobless due to the pandemic|
|Number of artisans to be covered||5000 artisans will be covered|
|Connecting with buyers||State government is planning to connect almost 5 lakh tribal with buyers through the portal|
|Fund raised from central government||Near about 15 lakhs fund have been raised from central government|
Highlighting features of the portal launch –
- Digital use of the portal – With the support of the Delhi government, the portal launch will make it possible to monitor the expansion of the artisans’ online businesses.
- Amount of portal users who would benefit – The establishment of the platform will enable around 5 lakh tribal craftsmen to interact with customers effortlessly.
- The state’s craftsmen who lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus outbreak were the initiative’s target demographic.
- The primary goal of the portal launch is to provide an online marketplace so that local artists may promote and sell their goods there.
- Enabling GPS on the portal will make it simple to communicate with the village executives, who can keep an eye on the state’s smooth operation, using the artisans site’s GPS link. The state and federal governments will both aid in this.
- The establishment of 1205 Van Dhan startups has helped to provide nearly 3.6 lakh tribal people with employment prospects. Also, it can provide assistance to 18, 000 self-help groups in 22 states.
- Van Dhan Vikas Kendras’ Contribution: In order for the portal to debut successfully, the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have pledged 20% to 30% of a grant that will go toward the cost of raw materials, labor, and other items.
Eligibility criteria to avail of the benefits of the portal launch
- Residence information – Because the web launch was initiated by the Delhi state government, only permanent artisans in Delhi may register on the portal.
- Income information – While registering on the portal, the artisans must provide some financial information pertaining to their prior employment.
- Identity documentation is required for the craftsmen in order to support their claim that they were stranded in other states and have since lost their jobs.
- Evidence of artistry: The portal helps the tribal artists. Hence, if the craftsmen want to register online via the portal, they must make identical work.
Documents required for portal registration
- Identification certificate: The craftsmen must present identification documents such an Aadhaar card, voter ID, ration card, etc.
- Residence documentation — To register for the site, a person must be a permanent resident of the state.
- Income documentation – If the craftsmen have a past employment income certificate, they must present it when registering online.
- Details about the artist – If the artists have any prior documentation of their work in the sector, they should provide it for review by higher authorities.
The state administration has not yet released information about the online registration requirements for this newly opened portal. The beneficiaries will be the first to learn about it as soon as it arises. By the end of June 2020, it is anticipated that the web portal will have been successfully implemented.
Other benefits offered by Van Dhan Startup scheme
- The Van Dhan Startup program has helped Nagaland generate close to 3.5 crores worth of goods for sale.
- 2000 or so products have the potential to be sold on the portal through marketing.
- Products like honey, coffee, bay leaves, bel pulp, donna pattal, and others are highlighted.
- It is aiming to maintain the necessary level of hygiene and is watching out for food safety with 77 Van Dhan Startup centers operating throughout Manipur.
Other links –


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Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins is due to take to the stage at the vendor's Las Vegas partner conference today, fresh from releasing the firm's Q1 numbers. Here we round up the most important information from...
Dell takes top spot ahead of arch-rival HPE as global revenues grow 38 per cent in Q3
Reseller required to add €495m to its top line each year in order to reach target by 2030
Dell's wrestle with activist investors to list company on NYSE seemingly reaching conclusion
CEO lauds 'exceptional growth' after year of integrating large acquisitions made last year


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[Viewpoint]Take stock during uncertain timesDue to China’s announcement of a belt-tightening policy on one hand and the suggestion that the U.S. economy may slide into a recession on the other, stock prices in the world’s major markets are fluctuating. The instability of international financial markets will grow even worse if such a sharp fluctuation of stock prices results in the disappearance of the so-called “yen carry trade,” a strategy of investing in other countries with money borrowed from Japan at a low interest rate.
Stock prices are a mirror that reflects the economy. Sometime in the latter half of the 1990s, the information technology revolution brought vitality to the international economy, led by the United States. Thanks to the development of information technology, the American economy, in particular, reached its goal of a “new economy,” in other words, high growth and low prices.
American households increased their consumption based on the development of that new economy. The surging demand of American consumers could not be satisfied only by American businesses. Chinese manufacturers provided American consumers with a variety of goods at bargain prices. China then used a large portion of the money it earned from exporting to the United States to purchase American government bonds.
American consumers, for their part, could spend more on consumption because China not only supplied them with cheaper products, but also induced lower interest rates by buying American government bonds. This, in return, made it possible for Chinese manufacturers to produce more goods. To manufacture more, China needed more raw materials and half-finished goods.
As a result, the prices of raw materials, including oil, increased and the economies of South Korea and Japan, which exported half-finished goods to China, got a boost. Thanks to harmonious relations between American consumers and Chinese manufacturers, the world economy recorded high growth and stock prices increased consistently during the past couple of years.
However, the American consumers, which had been the prime movers of international economic growth, are faltering. They believed the new economy would sustain itself. Interest payments on loans now swallow up 14 percent of the average American’s disposable income. As the price of real estate also started to drop in the latter half of last year, the purchasing power of American consumers decreased even more. In practice, American businesses are reducing employment and investments while they readjust the scale of production.
The growth of consumption of the U.S. economy, which played the pivotal role in the world economy, is slowing down.
China, another axis of the world economy, is now following a belt-tightening policy to prevent a bubble from excessive investment. Thus, stock prices on the international market continue to fluctuate.
The “yen carry trade” is another river that the international financial market has crossed.
As the value of assets in newly emerging markets grows unstable, investors turn their eyes to safer targets. The profits from American government bonds are declining. The value of the French franc is rising higher than other currencies, including the Australian dollar. The Japanese yen is getting stronger.
If the market participants’ expectations about the increase of the value of yen become reality, the “yen carry trade” could disappear in a short time despite the big gap between the interest rates of Japan and other advanced countries. When the “yen carry trade” was established in 1998, the value of the yen went up rapidly, and Long Term Capital Management, an American hedge fund, was driven to the brink of bankruptcy. This time, too, there will be similar casualties. We should be prepared to cope with sharper stock price fluctuations.
It is highly likely that the United States will respond by lowering interest rates. If the United States does so, it will provide an opportunity to promote the growth of the American economy again in the latter half of this year by stabilizing the real estate market.
China will stop its belt-tightening policy temporarily. If we see the future with a longer perspective, China is now changing its role from simple manufacturer to consumer in the world economy as well, on the basis of increased income. The undervalued Japanese yen will recover gradually.
There is no wrong weather. There are only wrong weather forecasts and unfit clothing for that weather. Daring to put on a garment called stocks when the expectation for the settlement of the “yen carry trade” is high could be a good investment strategy that could yield higher profits.
*The writer is a vice president of Daehan Investment and Securities. Translation by the JoongAng Daily staff.
by Kim Young-ick


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On EQT Ventures’ $52M Series A follow-on investment in Juni, the financial companion made for e-commerce entrepreneurs
In the first wave of neobanking disruption, the likes of Chime, Nubank and Revolut delighted the general population with digital-first banking experiences. This led to enormous value creation and as a result, many in the tech community concluded there wasn’t room left to further innovate in the space.
At EQT Ventures we disagree, in fact we have high-conviction that we are in the midst of a second (huge) wave in neobanking. This time around it’s the rise of “Vertical Neobank’s” — digital-first banks that serve specific segments (e.g. freelancers, landlords, start-ups), as opposed to the general population. Vertical banks will be highly disruptive, and will dominate a segment by offering curated and purpose-built products for the segment’s needs.
First off, Juni is the fastest growing fintech we’ve ever seen, by a long stretch. The company has hit an impressive average weekly growth rate of 80% in just five months.
Secondly, the segment. Juni is building the financial companion for e-commerce entrepreneurs — in other words a Vertical Neobank targeting one of the biggest macroeconomic trends, the shift towards digital commerce. Undeniably a huge and growing segment, but also one with tons of data available via APIs, which facilitates innovation and underwriting.
Thirdly, the founders. The fact that we’ve known Samir (CEO) for a long time, and rate him highly, made the investment decision easy. Samir is joined by Jonathan (COO) and Anders (CTO) — together they’ve backgrounds in payments, fintech and banking, but also before Juni they were all internet entrepreneurs. In short, a team we believe is uniquely positioned to win this segment.
EQT Ventures is incredibly proud and honoured to announce that we are leading Juni’s $52m Series-A extension with participation from FJ labs and existing investors Cherry, Partners of DST Global and Felix Capital. With this new funding round Juni will triple the number of employees and launch an industry-first, fully integrated credit line product to its users.
“From the first board meeting EQT Ventures participated in, earlier this week”


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Cryptozoic Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, today announced the limited release of DC Spyfall at Gen Con, August 2-5, followed by a full retail release on August 8. In this new iteration of the social deduction game Spyfall, 3-8 players take on the roles of DC’s greatest Super Heroes as they have a secret meeting at an iconic location, such as the Batcave, Daily Planet, or the Fortress of Solitude. The twist is that one of them is secretly The Joker in disguise.
Cryptozoic Entertainment, Funimation, and Quidd today announced a wide-ranging partnership to create digital collectibles for an array of properties, including Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, My Hero Academia, Full Metal Panic, and Hellsing. These and other titles from Funimation's catalog will be making their way to Quidd, the leading platform for digital goods, which is available on iOS and Android (LINK).
Cryptozoic Entertainment today announced that it will showcase current and upcoming games at Gen Con, August 2-5 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. At Booth #601, Cryptozoic will demo and sell limited pre-release quantities of several of its highly anticipated upcoming games, including Rick and Morty: The Pickle Rick Game, Pantone™: The Game, DC Spyfall, DC Deck-Building Game: Crisis Expansion Pack 4, and Epic Spell WarsTM of the Battle Wizards: Panic at the Pleasure Palace.
Can’t make it to San Diego Comic-Con or Gen Con? No problem! You can still get Rick and Morty: The Pickle Rick Game before it hits stores in September. Buy it today directly from Cryptozoic and get it shipped right to you!
Cryptozoic Entertainment, leading creator of board games, trading cards, and physical and digital collectibles, today announced that it will sell ten exclusive vinyl figures, several convention-exclusive trading cards, and Rick and Morty: The Pickle Rick Game for the first time anywhere at Booth #115 at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, July 19-22 . In addition, the company will release Series 3 of its popular DC Lil Bombshells figures, the Classic Harley Quinn figure, and the Harley Quinn Puddin’ Pop Statue at the show. Cryptozoic will have signing sessions with Harley Quinn co-creator Paul Dini on Friday, July 20 and Yoshinori Ono on Saturday, July 21.
Fans at recent events have loved our Cryptkins™ Trading Cards — Convention-Exclusive Packs. But we heard from a lot of Cryptkins and trading cards fans who couldn't make it to these events and still wanted a chance to get the packs . . . and we listened! You can now buy them via our eStore, while supplies last! Each six-card pack comes with two Cryptkins promo cards, two "Which Cryptkin" cards, one Quidd redemption card for an Irradiated Cthulhu, and one Sketch Card. For those of you that are new to the trading card hobby, Sketch Cards are pieces of original artwork that are hand-drawn by artists onto a standard-size trading card (2.5” x 3.5”).
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television today announced the release of the Outlander: Jamie Fraser vinyl figure, available exclusively through Cryptozoic. Based on the Jamie Fraser character in Sony Pictures Television’s Outlander TV series, the limited edition figure—only 3000 produced—can be purchased via the company’s eStore and shipped directly to customers. In addition, Cryptozoic will be selling limited quantities at the Official Outlander Convention, July 13-15 in Las Vegas, and San Diego Comic-Con, July 19-22, as well as at future events.
"When the Rick and Morty Season 3 episode “Pickle Rick” debuted on August 6, 2017, it was an immediate hit. Memes, fan art, fan-made T-shirts, and general online chatter were non-stop for the rest of the summer. Being superfans of the show ourselves, we knew we had to make a game based on this incredibly popular episode. But why is it so popular?" - Matt Hyra, Lead Game Designer at Cryptozoic Entertainment
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products today announced the release of Series 3 of DC Lil Bombshells vinyl figures at San Diego Comic-Con, July 19-22, followed by a full retail release after the convention. Fans can come to Cryptozoic’s Booth #115 at the San Diego Convention Center for the first opportunity to buy the 2.75-inch Series 3 figures, which are inspired by 1940s pin-up art and the popular DC Bombshells comics and collectibles that put the spotlight on DC’s powerful female characters.
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Cartoon Network Enterprises today announced the limited release of Rick and Morty: The Pickle Rick Game at San Diego Comic-Con, July 19-22, and Gen Con, August 2-5, followed by a full retail release this September. Fans can come to Cryptozoic’s Booth #115 at San Diego Comic-Con for the first opportunity to buy the 1-2 player tabletop game based on the hugely popular “Pickle Rick” episode of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. It includes Pickle Rick and Jaguar miniatures and a custom, collectible Pickle Rick game case that measures approximately 12.75 inches tall and holds all of the game’s components.
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products today announced the release of the Classic Harley Quinn vinyl figure at San Diego Comic-Con, July 19-22, followed by a full retail release after the convention. This 7-inch vinyl figure pays tribute to the character’s origins by depicting Harley in her classic red-and-black jester costume, the same outfit she wore when she was first introduced in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992.
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products today announced the release of the Harley Quinn Puddin’ Pop Statue at San Diego Comic-Con, July 19-22, followed by a full retail release after the convention. The second in Cryptozoic’s series of hand statues depicts Harley Quinn’s gloved hand holding a lollipop with The Joker’s face on it.
Cryptozoic Entertainment today announced the July 11 release of Wallet. In this party game, 2-7 players compete to find money and an ID that will convince the cops of their innocence. The game is played using an actual wallet with multiple pockets and zippered areas that allow players both to take game cards and put them back, as they try to improve their own chances at victory and lead their opponents into traps.
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, today announced the July 11 release of DC Deck-Building Game Crossover Pack 7: New Gods. The expansion for the popular DC Deck-Building Game series allows players to play as the popular New Gods characters and introduces Homeworld cards to gameplay.
Cryptozoic Entertainment and Cartoon Network Enterprises today announced the June 27 release of Rick and Morty Trading Cards Season 1. The first trading cards for the hit Adult Swim TV series Rick and Morty feature a 45-card Base Set with images from Season 1 episodes, seven Chase Sets, and randomly inserted Sketch and Autograph Cards. Signers include nine members of the series voice cast.
Go for the gold! Here’s your chance to own all three Golden Goddess DC Bombshells Series 2 vinyl figures created exclusively for San Diego Comic-Con 2018! You can avoid missing out on these extremely limited figures by purchasing them now and then picking them up at Cryptozoic’s Booth #115 during Comic-Con.
She’s as good as gold! Here’s your chance to own the Golden Goddess Chun-Li Street Fighter Knockouts vinyl figure created exclusively for San Diego Comic-Con 2018! You can avoid missing out on this extremely limited figure by purchasing it now and then picking it up at Cryptozoic’s Booth #115 during Comic-Con.
Cryptozoic Entertainment today announced that it will showcase current and upcoming games at Origins Game Fair, June 13-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. At Booth #C201, Cryptozoic will demo Rick and Morty: The Pickle Rick Game, Pantone™: The Game, DC Spyfall, and much more. It will also sell several games, including Rick and Morty: The Ricks Must Be Crazy Multiverse Game, Million Dollars, But… The Game, GKR: Heavy Hitters, and The Walking Dead: No Sanctuary — The Board Game, as well as limited prelease quantities of Wallet and DC Deck-Building Game Crossover Pack 7: New Gods.


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BRAVE supermarket staff took time out to take part in a ice bucket challenge for a national charity.
Several staff members from the Tesco Extra store, in Burn Road, Hartlepool, took on the challenge of having buckets of iced water poured over them in aid of Diabetes UK.
Nationally Tesco have chosen Diabetes UK as their chosen charity for last year and this year and fundraising events are taking place throughout the year.
The Ice Bucket Challenge has become an internet sensation in recent weeks with people being nominated to complete the challenge in aid of a charity of their choice.
Staff members taking part include Carolyn Cooke and Angie Dawson. A total of £38 was raised thanks to a bucket collection during the challenge.
Selina Wilson, community champion at Tesco Extra, said: “Angie Dawson was challenged to do it on Facebook and said she wanted to do it at work and raise money for a good cause.
“We were delighted to be able to support Tesco’s charity of the year, Diabetes UK.” So far Tesco nationally has helped raise £12m for Diabetes UK.
Tesco colleagues, suppliers, customers, and Diabetes UK supporters have “really got behind” the partnership which has seen people across the country shaving their heads, jumping out of planes, rowing the Atlantic Ocean and bathing in tubs of beans, all to raise money for the charity.
Since 1988, Tesco has chosen a different charity each year to be the focus for staff fundraising.
During that time Tesco staff have helped to raise millions of pounds for several good causes and charities.


text: BOOM! Studios just sent out a visual press release for a new series coming from creative team behind the “Adventure Time” comic book series. The photo shows a dinosaur in what Kubrickesque space-suit (see below). The image file was labeled as “NewATOriginal”. I believe this is an original series, but if it’s a relaunch or adaptation, it’s outside of my comic book/cartoon knowledge.


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The devil went down to Georgia, but it looks like Charlie Daniels won’t be heading for the border anytime soon.
The singer tweeted at Taco Bell about one of its commercials Monday night and issued the fast-food chain a warning via Twitter.
“The Illuminati is not a frivolous subject,” the “Devil Went Down to Georgia” singer tweeted.
Daniels, who is not shy about his conservative politics, apparently got his Chalupas in a twist over Taco Bell’s “Belluminati” ad campaign hawking its dollar menu.
The campaign uses conspiracy language and imagery to reveal the “powerful connection between the dollar and Taco Bell,” according to Business Insider.
The pitch: Buying something off the dollar menu gives you entree to the “not-so-secret secret” Belluminati.
Here’s one of the campaign’s new 30-second spots.
USA Todays’ For The Win went digging around on YouTube and found that Daniels is not the only person who suspects a connection between Mexican fast food and the nefarious Illuminati.
It found dozens of videos accusing Taco Bell of using occult symbolism in the commercials and flaunting its real-life Iluminati connections. People have been swapping similar “theories” on Twitter, too.
Charlie. Is. Not. Alone.
MSN reported that Taco Bell had not yet responded to its request for comment on Daniels’ tweet, “possibly because they’re awaiting guidance on a response from the Lizard People who control the Pentagon.”
But Twitter had plenty to say about his warning.
Tweeted one person: “Welcome to Taco Bell, Mr. Daniels, can I take your NEW WORLD ORDER?”


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Melania Trump is wearing a light blue pencil dress with a cropped bolero by Ralph Lauren to the inauguration ceremony, according to CNN Style TV’s Derek Blasberg and the New York Times‘ Vanessa Friedman in a live broadcast on CNN this morning. Ralph Lauren, of course, is arguably one of the most iconic American designers of our time. Friedman and Blasberg weighed in.
“By working with Mr. Lauren, she is underscoring a number of different points, which is kind of interesting,” Friedman told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “First, because he built a whole empire on the myth of the American dream. And secondly, the woman that he has been most recently associated with, at least in the political sphere, is actually Hillary Clinton.” Blasberg then added that Clinton is rumored to be wearing Ralph Lauren for the inauguration as well. “I also can confirm that I, too, am wearing Ralph Lauren,” quipped Cooper, who also added that his shoes where Church’s.
All press is good press today for Ralph Lauren.


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Cybertruck may land the F-150 Lightning frunk and the biggest console display on a Tesla
As Tesla's Cybertruck is moving fast from the engineering prototypes to the design verification stages of the production unit, the finalized specs and features are slowly beginning to trickle down the proverbial rumor mill. It was recently confirmed that the retail Cybertruck will be slightly smaller than the prototypes, which Tesla's design chief divulged in an interview many months ago.
At the time he also disclosed that there will be an easy to heal stainless steel body finish covering the Cybertruck to prevent the type of ugly miniature scratches that the material is otherwise prone to. While this hasn't been reiterated lately, there is plenty of new information that trickled down from credible sources and reportedly confirmed by Tesla employees.
The Cybertruck's hood sides will lift, for instance, together with the new light bar, meaning that the frunk will pop open like the Mega Power one on the Ford F-150 Lightning. Thus, it may offer larger storage space at the front, and perhaps a system of outlets to power tools or coolers like you can on Ford's pickup. The Cybertruck is also expected to move to a 48V system for the truck's internal needs, as the typical 12V one that's been in cars since the 50s simply doesn't cut it as there is too much to power these days.
For instance, the Cybertruck is said to employ the largest central console screen on a Tesla so far, to the tune of an 18.5-inch diagonal. The rest of Tesla's models carry a 17-inch display, but the automaker paints the Cybertruck as a big bad pickup so the sheer size of its interior arguably presupposes a bigger main screen as well.


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Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary at Berlin’s Estrel Convention Center from 26 February to 28 February, CallCenterWorld (CCW) will once again be the largest European conference and exhibition for customer service, customer communications and call centres. The motto of this year’s exhibition, “Because customers don’t just call”, is a perfect reflection of the eCommunication products presented by novomind AG. The company will be showcasing its latest software offerings for contact and service centres at booth A2 in Hall 5. Highlights will include Version 8 of novomind iAGENT, which has been eagerly anticipated by numerous customers. “Our novomind iAGENT features 245 new functions which are particularly user friendly and make work considerably easier for employees in cus-tomer service,” explains Sylvia Feja, novomind’s head of eCommunication.
Presentation: “Will we still need call centres five years from now?” on 27 February (3.30 p.m.), Messeforum in Hall 4
At this year’s CCW, novomind’s head of eCommunication will give an interesting presentation to share her profound knowledge and her extensive practical experience. The topics treated will include the prospects for electronic inquiry processing in the emerging social media environment. “Will we still need call centres five years from now?” will be the question posed by Sylvia Feja at the Messeforum of Hall 4 at 3.30 p.m. on 27 February.
As always novomind will also participate in the TeleTalk Demoforum. The schedule: Email Management Systems Forum: 26 February (2.45 p.m), 27 February (11.05 a.m.) and 28 February (1.05 p.m.).
Social Media in Customer Dialogue Forum: 26 February (10.55 a.m.), 27 February (3.15 p.m.) and 28 February (3.10 p.m.).
Schedule for the Contact Center Automation Forum: 26 February (12.45 p.m.), 27 February (1.25 p.m.) and 28 February (4.10 p.m.)
Since 1999 Hamburg-based novomind has been developing innovative eBusiness Solutions for the modern Internet world in four e-business segments: eCommerce (eShops), PIM (Product Information Management), eMarketplace (marketplace integration) and eCommunication (solutions for contact and service centres).
In each of these performance segments, novomind ranks among the technology leaders in Europe. The company covers the entire digital value chain of trade and electronic customer communications.
The Hamburg-based software firm is the fastest growing company in the fields of electronic customer communications and mail management (eCommunication). Its two product lines, novomind iAGENT and novomind Self Service Solutions, allow companies to integrate all their communication channels.
novomind currently serves more than 80 companies including Targo-bank, Club Bertelsmann, Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund, Ernsting’s family, EnBW, OTTO, QVC and Sixt.
Customer Service News
29 Jan 2013


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The internet is a wonderful tool that brings people together. It creates business opportunities that used to be unimaginable. The use of the web has become an integral part of our civilization. Social media is creating a more interconnected world and also a great opportunity for business. But things aren’t as wonderful as they seem, at least not all of the time.
Social media allows a people to inform their followers – and others – of their whereabouts. It leaves an easy-to-find record of where someone has gone and what he or she is doing. Information like this is what allows advertisements on social media to be so effective. It’s also a big reason as to why social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google Plus are free for users.
According to Mashable today, “The Twitter account of Dell CEO Michael Dell’s daughter Alexa disappeared from the Internet Friday, after one of her Instagram photos was picked up by a popular Tumblr blog.” Being wealthy means that not everyone has good intentions for you. With wealth and affluence comes the possibility of family members being kidnapped, even if we don’t hear about it often. Homes can be robbed, harassments can occur, and all sorts of things like this can be made more likely by frequent status updates and information.
But this isn’t just about rich kids on the internet. What was Alexa doing? She was doing what any teenager does with Twitter. “The 17-year-old posted check-ins complete with GPS info, statuses detailing her family’s whereabouts (she posted an invitation to her high school graduation dinner complete with time, data and location…) and photos of her exploits on the family jet.”
Forbes reports that Michael Dell is “rumored to pay $2.7 million annually for protection services.” They also go on to discuss the less-than-safe practices of many other celebrities and their children alike. One would assume that in a celebrity-sized paycheck comes some information about social media. But it’s obvious that people don’t think much about the information they are publishing on the internet.
Implications for Business
As social marketing and the internet continue to expand, the basic issue at hand here will become a more important question for all of us. That basic issue is privacy and how we handle our personal information. Social marketing and advertising demand information to be effective. Platforms that rely on advertising revenue make it easy for users to display this information. It’s how the system works, and it works well for pretty much all parties involved. People get the benefit of being better connected, and social media companies earn their pay.
I’m not sure what the answer is, but as the web continues to grow, businesses and consumers alike are going to have to create a sort of “happy medium” between openness and privacy. We can have our cake and eat it too; we just need to be smart about it.
Do you think about your privacy and personal security when you use social media for yourself or your business?
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The groundbreaking KNUST Solar Vehicle is on its way to becoming the first ever solar-powered 4×4 automobile produced in Africa!
Students of the College of Engineering of The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), have continued to make Ghana proud with their various inventions and innovations in recent times.
From building drones to inventing world’s first open-space fire detector, KNUST has continued to set the pace as far as scientific and technological inventions and innovations are concerned. The latest on their list of innovations is a solar-powered vehicle.
The invention was achieved by KNUST Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Physics in partnership with the Technical University of Munich.
The newly manufactured 4×4 solar-powered automobile which is meant to be a passenger and cargo vehicle, was unveiled and launched at the 51st congregation of the KNUST in Kumasi by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II. The ceremony came off on Saturday, 6th July, 2017.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso said the invention of the solar vehicle is in line with the university’s effort to lead in the innovative technological development of the country, especially in the area of automobile manufacturing.
Prof. Obiri-Danso however, said the KNUST solar vehicle is still undergoing series of tests, aimed at putting in place some finishing touches that will bring it to the desired standard. And if this is completed soonest, it would become the first solar-powered 4×4 vehicle to be produced in Africa.
He therefor called on the government to provide the school with adequate funding, to enable it come up with more researches and innovations that will benefit the country’s development.
The Asantehene also commended the group that made the feat possible, while expressing hopes that the achivement would move the government into showing more zeal in providing support for more of such inventions.
Solar-Powered 4×4 Vehicle – What Exactly Is It?
A 4×4 (“four by four”) or 4WD, meaning “four-wheel drive transmission”, refers to type of a vehicle, specifically one with its drive-train capable of providing torque to all wheel ends of a two-axle vehicle simultaneously.
In most modern 4×4 vehicles, activation of the four-wheel drive is controlled by a button when required. When activated, poor road conditions or off-road problems like mud, heavily sandy, rocky or bumpy terrains become a problem of the past.
A solar 4×4 vehicle is therefore, a four-wheel drive electric car powered by direct energy from the sun. Usually, photo-voltaic (PV) cells contained in solar panels convert the sun’s energy directly into electric energy.
In some cases, the vehicle is completely powered by solar energy, including its entire propulsion and other auxiliary functions; but in some other cases, solar supplies some of the needed energy, while other sources of energy are also utilised.
At the moment, directly powered Solar vehicles are not on sale as day-to-day means of transportation, but are mainly used as demonstration vehicles and engineering exercises.
This is exactly why the KNUST Solar Vehicle will make a mark on global technological development, as it is meant to be a day-to-day passenger and cargo vehicle when finally completed.


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Central banks continue to ease with Australia the latest to do so. That has put both the Australian and New Zealand markets higher, and helped some commodities. U.S. futures are currently higher, bouncing back from yesterday's sell-off. It also appears that the NY AG is getting aggressive again and will pursue more cases against Wall Street firms in relation to their shortfalls which caused the financial meltdown a few years ago. It would have been nice to have gone after the real criminals when they were in office rather than those who took over these entities later and bailed out the economy when no one else would. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out, but we'd rather not see another round of fines and fees coming out for financial institutions, especially as it relates to companies they took over. We understand the legal obligations that exist but find it ironic we cannot move forward as various government agencies go after these institutions for money just as they are getting healthy. No one went after them when they had no money, but now that they do everyone seems to want to prosecute them in order to 'punish' them but at the end of the day it is all about the cash. That will not be a popular thought, but it seems spot on.
We have economic news out today, it is as follows (data set - consensus).
- Auto Sales - N/A
- Truck Sales - N/A
Looking at Asian markets we see markets are mixed:
- All Ordinaries - up 0.99%
- Shanghai Composite - CLOSED
- Nikkei 225 - down 0.12%
- NZSE 50 - up 1.08%
- Seoul Composite - down 0.01%
In Europe markets are higher:
- CAC 40 - down 0.09%
- DAX - up 0.45%
- FTSE 100 - up 0.16%
- OSE - down 0.04%
In hindsight we probably should have stuck to our original thinking on OCZ Technology Group (NASDAQ:OCZ) and not turned bullish on shares, but short-term pain still could lead to long-term gains. Yesterday shares fell $0.27 (7.78%) to close at $3.20/share on volume of 5.1 million shares. The shares came very close to setting a new 52-week low, getting within pennies of that level during trading. The company has earnings coming up, and although we do not think that they will have any surprises, we are still quite interested in what they have to say about the CEO search and other management changes which should lead to better supply chain management.
Investors have watched over the past year or so as Sprint (NYSE:S) has tried to move into the premium market with the iPhone offering and using unlimited data to compete with the likes of AT&T (NYSE:T). We have ordered our iPhone 5 and it will take a month due to our carrier being sold out, however something interesting is happening with other would be "upgraders" we know which we find intriguing. As people are losing their unlimited data plans at the big carriers and with long waits for the iPhone when you do order it, we are seeing many friends, business associates and acquaintances actually ponder switching to Sprint and their unlimited data offer.
As Sprint has moved into the premium market, it now appears that AT&T will be shoring up their prepaid offerings in order to move in on the smaller players which have focused on that segment of the market. It is an interesting move, and could drive margins lower for companies such as MetroPCS (PCS).
It is not a new 52-week low, but it is a new recent low for the stock and we are glad to have advised readers to sell this one after the huge run-up. Peregrine Pharmaceuticals (PPHM) fell another $0.17 (16.50%) to close at $0.86 on volume of 13.9 million shares. Yes the potential exists for this one to move higher on news that they have test results which confirm the positive results they have called into question, but at this point we simply say it is best to walk away and forget about this one. When the integrity of studies is called into question and the results cannot be depended upon, one has to believe the worse and it appears that that will be the case here. The risk/reward with Peregrine is not attractive to us, so this is one we are going to take off of our biotech screen today.
Disclosure: I am long OCZ. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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Last year, One Grand Gallery in Portland put on an exhibition called Ready To Die: A Group Show to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Notorious B.I.G.’s landmark debut album. The show collected Biggie-related art from artists and designers both depicting and inspired by the rapper. After a successful stint in Seattle, One Grand Gallery wants to send the show to Biggie’s home base of Brooklyn. They’ve started a Kickstarter to raise funds to ship and install the show at a to-be-determined Brooklyn gallery.
Kickstarter perks for the show include t-shirts, lace locks (shoelace flair), prayer candles, and original artwork.
But what about the art in the show? Well, it’s cool. Check some of it out in the gallery above.


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Renminbi appreciation is set to continue in the short term. At the current index level around 97 and amid export growth that remains strong, the RMB may still be some way short of the level at which the authorities will be inclined to manage the currency weaker. Even without the threat of a trade war, however, the exchange rate impact on exports in the current environment may be stronger than that in 2015-16, as suggested by the recent appreciation of the real effective exchange rate compared with the CNY index. The moral high ground of an appreciating currency better suits Beijing at this early stage om the trade negotiations. We see potential for the renminbi to appreciate to as much as 98-100 vs the CNY index in the coming months, before the authorities act to rein it in.
RMN index rose from 96.9 on date of publication to 98 on 20 June 2018. It then collapsed back to 92.4 at the end of July as markets began to price in the effects on US-Sino trade war.


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A group of people in Portland are facing charges after the police learned they were allegedly operating a business called Shroom House where they sold magic mushrooms.
According to reports, a store in Portland, Oregon called Shroom House opened its doors to the public on October 24. The shop reportedly sold magic mushrooms to the public.
When the authorities learned about the establishment, they reportedly had two undercover agents visit and purchase just over an ounce of mushrooms. The fungi allegedly tested positive for psilocybin.
The police reported that when they searched the premises, they found more than $13,000 in cash and approximately 22.1 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms.
On the morning of December 1, the man listed as the owner of the business was taken into custody and booked into Multnomah County Jail. He is facing charges of 10 counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance near a school, 10 counts of money laundering, 10 counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, and 10 felony counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
The alleged manager of the establishment was also arrested and booked into the county jail. He is facing the same charges as the owner for his alleged involvement.
Since they are both from out of the area and purported to be a flight risk, and it is believed that they have additional money hidden, the judge set the bond at $1.5 M each.
The alleged owner has not entered a plea, but the manager pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Two additional people who allegedly worked for the shop were accused of delivery of psilocybin, and they were each given a citation for the charge.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a drug offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.


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Just a few days before its expected Initial Public Offering, Facebook is pushing out a redesigned News Feed which is optimized for mobile phones.
In a Facebook post, the world’s largest social network shows a few of the changes that will be coming to the mobile version for Android, iPhone and on m.facebook.com. This includes a larger formatting on the screen for photos and this takes more advantage of the display size. Check a look at the before and after pictures below.
While this may seem like a small redesign but look for many more to come, as Facebook knows that mobile is its weak spot and its greatest opportunity. That’s why it spent $1 billion on Instagram, as the company plans to bolster its mobile presence.
Now, if they could only make some good apps …
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The lawsuit accuses Apple of conspiring with five key US book publishers to raise the cost of ebooks in order to break Amazon's grip on pricing in the digital book market »
According to reports Apple is considering launching a cheaper version of its flagship iPhone product »
In what is best described as a flash memory willy-waving demo, Kingston has unveiled a 1TB USB thumbdrive -- that’s over a thousand gigabytes on your keyring »
With its vast tin reserves, the indonesian island of bangka is experiencing a mining rush that has led to environmental damage and human suffering. The cause? global demand for the solder used to make our smartphones and tablets »
South Park: The Stick of Truth is a game that fans of both role-playing games and South Park will love »


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An anonymous reader writes "Like any popular platform, Android has malware. Google's mobile operating system is relatively new, however, so the problem is still taking form. In fact, it turns out that the larger majority of threats on Android come from a single malware family: Android.FakeInstaller, also known as OpFake, which generates revenue by silently sending expensive text messages in the background. McAfee says that the malware family makes up more than 60 percent of Android samples the company processes."
Attend or create a Slashdot 20th anniversary party! DEAL: For $25 - Add A Second Phone Number To Your Smartphone for life! Use promo code SLASHDOT25. Check out the new SourceForge HTML5 Internet speed test. ×


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Ken Robinson, chairman of the Tourism Alliance, said the announcement by shadow chancellor George Osbourne that a Conservative government would support the tourism industry in this way was a pivotal moment in the acknowledgement of tourism as a substantial employer.
"Research by Pricewaterhouse¬Coopers indicates that there is the potential to gain a £2b tourism legacy from staging the Olympics if we market the country effectively," said Robinson. "This fund will help turn this potential into a reality."
While Osbourne did not say how much a Conservative government would put into an Olympic tourism marketing fund, the Tourism Alliance would like to see £20m earmarked for the purpose, which could then be match-funded by private industry.
Labour is similarly vague on funding. Last month tourism minister Margaret Hodge told an audience at Hotelympia that the industry needed to "provide the right welcome and service if it is to make the most of the massive opportunities provided by the 2012 Olympics", though the Government could not confirm whether further funding would be made available.
"The Government put an additional £20m into marketing the UK overseas to help the recovery of tourism following 9/11 and the foot and mouth outbreak," said Kurt Janson, policy director of the Tourism Alliance.
"This was match-funded by industry and resulted in a £44m fund, which was put into a very successful marketing campaign that brought in an additional million visitors and £500m revenue into the UK.
Chairman of VisitBritain Christopher Rodrigues told Caterer earlier this year that he wanted to see an additional £20m funding be provided to market the UK overseas to ensure that the London Olympics provides a lasting legacy for British tourism.
By Janet Harmer
E-mail your comments to Janet Harmer here.
If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk
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More con videos
aaron posted in cons on January 5th, 2007
From all reports it sounds like the CCC conference in Berlin went very well this year with many great presentations. Those of us that were unable to attend are now lucky enough to see the videos that have already been posted online. It looks like many of them have made it to google video as well.
Also, following up on an earlier entry, Jeff Moss recently posted on a few mailing lists that the Black Hat US videos from 2006 are now available for download. It appears that the regular media page does not have it available, but if you subscribe to the RSS feeds you can get access to the iPod versions (video and audio).


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The upcoming Nikon D6 is expected to be officially announced in February, 2o2o, just ahead of CP+ Show 2020 in Japan. The exact date could be on February 12th, 2020. Here is the updated specs rumors of Nikon D6:
The Nikon D810 and Nikon D610 full frame DSLR cameras now officially listed as discontinued at Nikon Japan official website.
Adorama Camera currently has some hot refurbished Nikon deals with lowest price online ever. The refurbished Nikon D850 body now $2,399, refurbished Nikon D7500 body with 18-55mm lens now $619, refurbished AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens now $1,799. All coming with 90-day Nikon USA warranty.


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To liken the forthcoming Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show coming to the little desert town of Quartzsite, Ariz., to the circus coming to town is not disingenuous. Both are held in a giant tent but, instead of animals and clowns, the show features RVs for sale, home goods, RV repairs, RV upgrades and more.
The show happens in Quartzsite from Jan. 21-29 under a gigantic tent that will measure 590 feet in length which is 60 feet longer than this year. According to the show’s promoter, Kimmy King, there will be 324 booths under the big top with an additional 50 surrounding it outside on the midway. In addition to the vendor booths there will be ten service bays and companies like Dometic will be on hand to provide service and upgrades.
“The show is almost like Burning Man meets an RV show,” commented King.
The tiny town of Quartzsite swells to what has been estimated to be the largest gathering of RVers in the world. Many come from colder climates to spend time in the mild daytime temperatures and gather with other RVers, often in groups of like-minded campers.
This year’s show is significantly bigger than last year. In 2022 a few companies backed-out at the last minute due to corporate Covid policies and concerns. Instead, companies are lining up to be in front of the many thousands of RVers who walk through the event.
Also coming to the event this year are workshops and seminars. A variety of presenters will cover topics from personal safety to useful apps, upgrades, tours and more. Among the in-person presenters will be Mike Sokol, the RV electricity expert, with several presentations on power safety.
While some RVers are there with full hook-ups, the majority are camping off the grid so resources, workshops and off-grid technology are also a big part of the show.
Those who don’t already have an RV, or might be interested in an upgrade, should know that RV Country is back again with over 250 RVs on display. From small trailers to huge towables and motorized rigs, Curt Curtis. Part of the appeal of the show is the choice of RVs, with pricing Curtis describes as show pricing.
“We’re probably more aggressive than normal here just to accommodate interest rates,” noted Curtis in describing the price structure. “The snowbirds are arriving daily.”
At the moment toy haulers are the hot commodity but motorized RV sales tend to pick up as the official opening of the big tent event draws closer. “This is also a great place for us to get trade-ins,” said Curtis, indicating that most buyers are Quartzsite are already RVers.
One of the many vendors on display will be Lectric eBikes, which is bringing many hundreds of their electric bikes and will have a test track on hand for those interested in riding.
The show goes nine days – Jan. 21-29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (3 p.m. closing day) at 700 S. Central Blvd., Quartzsite, Ariz., to see the latest gadgets, get work and upgrades done on their RVs and learn more about the RV lifestyle with workshops and seminars – a new feature for 2023. Attendance at the event is free for spectators as is parking. Located just off Interstate 10, 125 miles west of Phoenix and just 20 miles from the California border, this sleepy little town plays host to an RV extravaganza that started 39 years ago.
Much more than an RV show, The Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show is a destination, a huge rock and mineral show and an exceptional people-watching venue. Attendees will be able to walk through hundreds of new and pre-owned RV models and there will be over a dozen, fully-staffed RV service bays offering repairs and service plus immediate installation of many of the items exhibited and sold at the show.
Specific details, including the schedule of daily free workshops and seminars, can be found at QuartzsiteRVshow.com


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- Voodoo Ranger IPA will be the main sponsor for DreamHack Atlanta’s Open event.
- The New Belgium brand sponsored a DreamHack Open in Austin earlier this year.
- The deal represents an expansion of non-endemic sponsors for DreamHack events.
Colorado-based brewery New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger IPA has teamed with DreamHack for the second time this year to be the primary sponsor of DreamHack Atlanta’s Open Counter Strike: Global Offensive event later this month.
In June, Voodoo Ranger was the main sponsor DreamHack Austin’s Open, but the brewery’s beer was not available for the event. New Belgium said they plan on fixing that this time around.
“Voodoo Ranger was just devastated after realizing his delicious beer wasn’t available for DreamHack Austin, so he’s back for Atlanta! And this time he’s bringing the beer,” Asher Attick, New Belgium brand activation manager, said in a release.
The DreamHack Open circuit is the tournament organizers longest-running series and consists of eight $100K prize pool events a year. Other partners for the event series are primarily endemic and include apparel brand H4X, GG.Bet , Corsair, and Monster Energy.
“Longevity matters for us and as such we are thrilled to see new industries activating with us not just once to reach the esports audience,” said Marcus Lindmark, DreamHack AB CEO.


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It’s been two years since we last invited you to join us at Hannover Messe in Germany, where we mingled with 220,000 of our manufacturing colleagues from around the world to share and explore the leadership and innovations on display.
Since then we’ve built on our theme of augmenting human intelligence from Hannover Messe 2019, helping manufacturers accelerate their digital transformation journey, and addressing their skills gap in manufacturing’s new normal.
While we still can’t converge on the home of Industry 4.0 in Hannover Germany again this year, we’re pleased to be joining a community of around 1000 industry exhibitors as Hannover Messe goes digital for 2021.
Engage with Microsoft at Hannover Messe Digital Edition
So, what does Microsoft have in store for you at Hannover Messe 2021 Digital Edition, April 12-16, 2021? Here are five things to put on your calendar and to-do list:
1. Featuring Satya Nadella discussing their latest World Economic Forum (WEF) Lighthouse Award with Johnson & Johnson CEO, Alex Gorsky, join Caglayan Arkan (VP Manufacturing Industry, Microsoft) for a discussion on Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing with Enno de Boer of McKinsey on how it’ll help accelerate adoption of the learnings from WEF manufacturing lighthouses.
What’s next for manufacturing
Monday, April 12, 2021, 5:00 PM CEST
2. Watch Dr. Marianne Janik’s update from Microsoft Germany, featuring the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Awards (MIMA), and the latest innovations from the traditional home of Hannover Messe, and Industry 4.0.
What’s next for German manufacturing
Monday, April 12, 2021, 11:30 AM CEST
Dr. Marianne Janik will also be a featured speaker in the following Hannover Messe Keynotes:
Industrial pioneers—challenging the now, creating the new
Monday, April 12, 2021, 10:35 AM CEST
Successfully from new normal to next normal—ecosystems as catalyst (egosystems vs. ecosystems)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 5:15 PM CEST
3. Join Caglayan again for a Hannover Messe keynote on digital twins, where he’ll be discussing the next generation of digital twins with Accenture, Blue Yonder, the Marsden Group, and Sight Machine.
How manufacturers are gaining a competitive advantage using digital twins
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 11:15 AM CEST
4. Block time on your calendars now for our Livestreams to learn from our customers and partners how Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing solutions are already helping connect experiences across your operations, workforce, design and engineering processes, customer engagements, and the end-to-end value chain:
- Unlock innovation and deliver new services
Featuring Ansys, PTC, and Johnson Matthey
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 1:00 PM CEST
- Build more agile factories
Featuring PwC, Sandvik, and ZF
Thursday, April 15, 2021, 13:30 PM CEST
- Manufacture a more resilient and sustainable future
Featuring ABB, AVEVA, and Bosch
Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 5:00 PM CEST
- Create more resilient supply chains
Featuring FarEye, Geek+, and O9 Solutions
Thursday, April 15, 2021, 11:00 AM CEST
- Transform your workforce
Featuring Schaeffler and Tulip
Thursday, April 15, 2021, 5:00 PM CEST
5. Visit Microsoft’s Hannover Messe virtual booth where you can join our livestreams for the week of April 12 and explore on-demand videos, showing how Microsoft and our partners are helping manufacturers create a more resilient and sustainable future with Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing solutions.
Register for Hannover Messe to visit our booth and join the sessions.
Join us for Hannover Messe Digital Edition
The pandemic has taught us that the fourth industrial revolution is no longer hype. Every business is on a digital journey. The ones who are well into their journey are creating dramatic gains in terms of productivity, agility, sustainability, speed to market and the list goes on. Join us at Hannover Messe 2021 Digital Edition to learn from our manufacturing experts at Microsoft, and our community of customers and partners.
Follow us on social and visit our website to get the latest on Hannover Messe Digital Edition Sessions and Keynotes featuring Microsoft and our partner ecosystem.
Stay informed about Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing to learn how you can help manufacture a more resilient and sustainable future.


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SALLISAW, Okla. (KFSM) -- Sallisaw police are asking for help in finding some thieves, who broke into multiple vehicles this morning (Oct. 20) in Sallisaw.
Multiple vehicles were broken into. The suspects broke car windows to gain access, others were simply unlocked.
The suspects stole credit cards which they later used at Walmart in Van Buren and then at Walmart in Alma.
Sallisaw Police ask that if you recognize who the people are, to contact Sallisaw Police Department at (918)-775-4177.


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“The louder you yell, the faster they go.”
The advertising slogan for a new spider-like Hasbro toy line, Yellies, caters to the boisterous kid that gets a thrill out of voice-activated toys, but some critics are calling the toy a parent's worst nightmare.
Hasbro introduced the controversial new line of toys this year, according to Business Insider. The "Spooders" are fuzzy, motorized figurines that are activated by loud speaking. The more kids yell at the toys, the faster the cute, little creatures move. The toys run about $18 each on Amazon and are intended for children ages 5 and older. Harry Scoots, one of the most popular Yellies, currently has less than a 2.5 rating on Amazon.
Ordered Yellies for the kids. Voice activated toy spiders. The loud you yell the faster they go. #Hasbro. pic.twitter.com/62LcsdxY85— Vilified Ostracized (@brakinggnus) December 9, 2018
Hilary Hard, a mom who bought the toy for her son, posted on Facebook about Yellies. She wrote that the toy sounded perfect for her "naturally loud and boisterous kid." Once she got the toy going, she quickly regretted her purchase, she said in the post, which has been shared more than 370,000 times on Facebook.
“... In short, maybe a little electronic spider thats [sic] power source feeds off of screams of terror... is not the best Christmas gift for your small child,” Hard wrote.
Hard is not alone in her assessment of the toy’s eardrum-busting, creepy nature.
The person who invented this toy is clearly not a parent. pic.twitter.com/DQGsrn58mI— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) December 12, 2018
If anyone get my kids #Yellies from @Hasbro for Christmas (or any other time of the year) they are going to babysit for free for the rest of their life!#FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/FpBpZbPWYQ— Stella 💕👩👧👧🍷🍹👍 (@StellaNova87) December 14, 2018
If someone gives your kid a #yellies toy this christmas... they hate you #truth #worstchristmasgiftever— AdventuresinMommin (@AMommin) December 4, 2018
The buzz around the toy line may be primarily negative, but some international mom bloggers are riding the wave with #Whattheyell parties, which gather children to scream Yellies into submission in a group setting.
Here are some glimpses from #WhatTheYell Party celebrating the launch of @hasbro #Yellies India. Had some great fun interacting with the fellow YouTubers and mom bloggers. video coming soon on https://t.co/z6RFOiECHi @PRPundit_India pic.twitter.com/xwjS12pTag— Kyrascope™ ToyReviews (@KyrascopeTV) December 11, 2018
A spokesperson from Hasbro told Buzzfeed News that the company appreciates the stories about the reactions kids and families have had to Yellies, "whether they love the fuzzy little pets that move faster the louder you yell, or are reaching for their ear plugs."
"We are sure we have left many parents wondering, what the yell were they thinking?" the spokesperson told the publication.
About the Author


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- In the first half of 2020,Yemen witnessed the interaction of rising conflict in IRG areas, unfolding of a currency crisis, inflation in food prices, economic slowdown, weather shocks, spread of disease, fall in foreign aid, all compounded by the impact of COVID-19. As a result,Yemen is accelerating its path towards a very bleak second half of 2020.
-With a vast decline in foreign reserves,Yemen is starting to face an alarming currency crisis. Given its high import dependency, Yemen risks reduced food supply as well as soaring prices, resulting in an escalation of food insecurity.
-Food consumption and dietary diversity of households deteriorated in June following a brief seasonal improvement during May 2020 linked to increased charity and food consumption during Ramadhan. The prevalence of inadequate food consumption increased from 30 percent in May to 36 percent in June. The governorates of Al Bayda, Al Dahle, Shabwa and Amran have seen the largest increase and displaced households remain the most vulnerable to food insecurity(40 percent of IDPs had inadequate food consumption during June 2020).
-Food-based coping strategies are widely adopted across the country with peaks in Al Jawf (rCSI 23), Al Mahwit and Raymah (rCSI22), and among displaced households (rCSI21).
-In June, approximately 30 percent of all households who were receiving some sort of assistance before the crisis started reported difficulty in receiving humanitarian assistance; around 24 percent of the surveyed households are relying on food assistance as their primary source of food.
Inadequate food consumption of non-assisted households reached the peak in June at 38 percent.
-As COVID-19 spreads in Yemen, concern grew for the 20.1 million people in need of humanitarian food assistance in Yemen, where over five years of conflict and displacement have decimated almost half of the country’s health facilities. The share of household faced challenges to access health facilities further increased to 46 and 45 percent in May and June respectively, which is higher than at any point since the survey began tracking access to medical care in March 2019 -Reaching the workplace is becoming increasingly challenging and in June only 30 percent of the households reported being able to reach their place of work. In June, the share of households reporting not having a single member of the household working increased standing at 56 percent of respondents, around 26 percent of the households reported having lost their entire income and 35 percent are facing challenges accessing markets and grocery shops.


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License Plates Used for Public Messaging
Next time you’re stuck in traffic, take a look at the license plates on the cars around you. To a user of bump.com–which launches today–each one is like an email address that can be used to contact the owner, whether to tell them a rear light is out or that you like their bumper sticker.
“To send a message you just need to specify state and plate,” Bump’s VP of technology John Albers-Mead told me at the DEMO conference in Santa Clara, California, where the La Jolla, California, firm will launch this afternoon.
Anyone that has registered their license plate can pick up those messages while an upcoming smartphone app–initially for iPhone but later Android too–will use image recognition to make sending messages easier. When using it you simply snap a photo of a license plate after which it is processed in the cloud to direct your message appropriately. Initially you have to specify a plate to contact manually, or using an automated call-in service.
Developing the image recognition software wasn’t easy, says Albers-Mead, because different states use different styles and fonts on their plates. He and the rest of the bump team have been using the retired police cruiser below to test the software’s abilities. When hooked up to a collection of cameras and infrared lights on the cruiser’s light rack the software proved capable of identifying up to five plates a second even at freeway speeds.
Using license plates for a novel communications network may sound like fun, even if Bump will surely have to deal with problems like spam. But the firm also says that being able to recognize license plates and message a car’s owner could has the potential to be of serious interest to businesses.
“It allows us to track users, it’s like putting a cookie on a car,” says Albers-Mead, likening his technology to the small files used to track web users and offer functionality like autologins online. Once connected up to Bump’s tech, a camera at a store or drive-in burger joint could, for example, showing menu choices similar to those you’ve selected before. That extra data could be valuable to store owners, Bump say, who could also make use of the messaging functions. “You could register as a fan of the Dodgers and then receive a message welcoming you to the stadium and offering discount vouchers when you visit,” says Albers-Mead.
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The other day Vodafone launched a new 4G LTE tablet which retail for £125 in the UK, and now UK mobile carrier EE has launched an even cheaper 4G LTE Tablet that will retail for just £99, it comes with 100MB of free 4G LTE data each month.
EE will be offering the Alcatel One Touch Pop 7S tablet for £99, the device comes with a 7 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.
Christopher Traggio, Director of Pay As You Go, EE said: “The Christmas sales have come early this year for those shopping for a new Pay As You Go smartphone or tablet. With the most affordable 4G tablet in the UK, plus free data each and every month on the UK’s biggest and fastest network, we’re helping customers purchase a gift that will keep on giving, long after the festive season is over.”
Other specifications on this new 4G LTE tablet from EE include a quad core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, there is also a microSD card slot for expansion.
The Alcatel One Touch Pop 7S also comes with a 0.3 megapixel front camera and a 3 megapixel rear camera, the device comes with Android 4,3, although an Android 4.4 KitKat update is available for the device as an OTA update.
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International demand for gold jewellery grew six percent year-on-year to reach 442.5 tonnes in the second quarter of this year, according to the World Gold Council’s latest Gold Demand Trends report.
However, this positive result was heavily impacted by growth in China, India and Turkey which recorded year-on-year demand increases of 17, 16 and 7 percent respectively in the second quarter, and together accounted for 59 percent of global jewellery demand at 260.1 tonnes.
Growth results in the US and Europe were mainly negative in the same period.
Demand for gold jewellery in the US declined by eight percent to total 21.7 tonnes in the second quarter of this year compared with the same quarter in 2010.
“The quarter was characterised by continued thrifting among retailers in order to meet affordable price points and 10 carat items were seen encroaching on the 14 carat market share,” said the report.
“Gold jewellery was also subject to stiff competition from sterling silver, with brands such as Pandora appealing to the mass market, while the rising price of diamonds also proved detrimental to demand for gemset gold jewellery.”
In Europe, Russia was the only country to experience growth, “albeit limited”, in jewellery demand in the second quarter.
“The second quarter was weak for both Italy and the UK, with demand falling by 15 percent and 16 percent respectively.
“Demand suffered as a result of high and rising gold prices, combined with continued economic weakness.
“Hallmarking figures in the UK were lower year-on-ear, although the decline was concentrated in the lower carat segments while hallmarking of 22 carat items remained steady.
“In Italy, gold jewellery has been losing out to high-end, high-design silver products, which are being promoted as more affordable alternatives.”
The quarterly average gold price was US$1,506.13 (as per the London PM fix) during the second quarter of this year.


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12/10/2018 – News / Dairy / Milk Processing / Agriculture / Investment / Russia / Vietnam
TH Milk breaks ground on US$633m milk processing plant in Russia
Vietnamese dairy company TH Milk has broken ground on a new integrated milk-processing factory in Russia’s Kaluga region, which will produce more than 300,000 tons of milk per year. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by representatives of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the sovereign wealth fund of the Russian Federation, as well as Thai Huong, the founder of TH Group, the largest Vietnamese agricultural conglomerate.
TH Milk’s investment totals US$633 million and is the largest single investment by a Vietnamese company in Russian agriculture. The project will utilise end-to-end milk processing technology, involving a complete production chain from growing fodder and milking herd to the production of raw milk and its processing into a wide range of final dairy products. The project provides innovative solutions for increasing the productivity of milking herd, as well as modern technological solutions, including automatic feeding and milking systems.
From cow to cup
RDIF and TH Group also plan to announce the completion of a deal to build integrated dairy complex in both Moscow and Kaluga regions by the end of 2018. The launch of the first farm for the production of raw milk in the Volokolamsky district of Moscow took place in the first quarter of 2018, while the launch of the remaining four dairy farms in the Moscow and Kaluga regions is scheduled for 2019 and 2020. The facilities for the production of dairy products and a proprietary distribution network are expected to be launched in 2020. By 2025, the company plans to reach full production capacity and take a leading position in Russia in terms of the volume of raw milk production.
RDIF and TH Group are also considering construction of dairy plants in other regions of Russia as part of the partnership, including regions in the far east of the country.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), noted: “RDIF’s partnership with leading Asian manufacturer TH Group will promote innovation in dairy production and have a positive impact on the development of the Russian dairy industry. Our joint investments have important social significance – the creation of new high-tech dairy plants will help to reduce the deficit of dairy products in the Russian market and provide consumers with high-quality domestic products.”
Thai Huong, Founder of TH Group, said: “TH produces agricultural products of international quality standards. The cooperation of RDIF and TH Group will make a significant contribution to the restructuring of Russian agriculture, giving Russian consumers the most benefit, which are good and healthy products purely from nature from their own land, and to give the Russians the right to be proud of their land.”
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Three groups of well-heeled buyout firms are pursuing arts-and-crafts retailer Michaels Stores despite the company’s admission last week of possible problems with its stock-options program, The Post has learned.
The firms involved in bidding for Michaels, which operates 1,000 stores around the country and employs more than 28,000 people, include some of the most well-funded operations on Wall Street.
In the lead is a group made up of Bain Capital, the Blackstone Group, the Carlyle Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners.
They are bidding against the team of Apollo Management, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific Group, and a smaller group that includes California investment shops Hellman & Friedman and Leonard Green & Partners, according to people close to the auction.
An eventual takeover of Michaels, which could be announced soon, is likely to fetch more than $5 billion, or more than $40 a share, according to people familiar with the auction.
Sources said J.P. Morgan Chase, which is running the auction for Michaels, has offered an aggressive financing package to the buyers that would put the company’s debt at about 7.5 times its annual cash flow.
Michaels’ stock has dropped about 8 percent since last Thursday when the company announced it had to delay filing its latest quarterly results because of an investigation into stock options granted to executives and others from 1990 to 2001.
In New York Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday, shares fell $1.29 to $36.18.
If significant problems are found, Michaels could be fined or owe additional tax and interest payments.
Yesterday afternoon, Michaels made its quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, after receiving a five-day extension, which eased investors’ fears that the sale process had stalled.
The activity surrounding Michaels is a sign that private-equity firms still have an enormous appetite for well-known retailers.
DOWN ON PROBE
Michaels Stores Inc. stock chart


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Retailers Unite – Sort Of – to Combat Fraud
Security Director News reports in this month’s edition that the National Retail Federation and the Retail Leaders Industry Association have worked in collaboration with the FBI to form a web-based information sharing network to combat organized retail crime. The new initiative, with the unfortunate name of LERPnet, will require retailers to pay $1200 per year to participate.
When I’ve interviewed retailers and manufacturers about retail crime, the number one inhibitor is cost – who is going to pay for it. The retailers complain to their distributors. Distributors gripe at manufacturers. And manufacturers are annoyed with the entire supply chain. Fraud happens at every level, which means there is always someone nearby to whom you may pass the buck. Don’t you think this program needs to enlist support from manufacturers and distributors more than just the retailers? And where will the funding for anti-counterfeiting and anti-diversion technologies come from?
Let’s hope LERPnet, which stands for Law Enforcement Retail Partnership network doesn’t become another in a long line of Bumbling Unorganized Retail Programs network…


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Johannesburg - Paper maker Sappi [JSE:SAP] fell to a fourth-quarter loss on Thursday hurt by continued weak demand from the slowdown in the global economy, and said market conditions remained uncertain.
As the paper industry struggles to recover from a slump caused by anaemic demand and overcapacity, Sappi is closing mills and targeting higher-margin businesses.
Sappi, the world’s largest maker of fine paper used in glossy magazines, reported a loss per share of 24 US cents for the quarter to end-September, compared with earnings of 16 US cents a year earlier.
It said operating profit, excluding special items, fell to $80m for the quarter, against $129m last year.
Rivals Mondi [JSE:MND], UPM-Kymmene's and Stora Enso have also warned of continued weak demand.
Sappi is closing mills in Switzerland and South Africa to focus on more lucrative products such as as pulp-derived chemical cellulose, which is used to make viscose fibre, cellophane and other products.
Sappi, which has operations in Europe and North America, said it would invest about $170m to convert its Kraft pulp mill in North America to produce 330 000 tonnes of quality chemical cellulose annually. The conversion is planned to come on line in 2013.
The company also said it would spend $13m to upgrade coated paper capability at Somerset Mill.
Sappi’s shares were down 1.23% at R21.46 as of 07:25 GMT, compared with a 0.54% fall in the Johannesburg's All Share [JSE:J203] Index.


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Surgere, a leading company in IoT supply chain visibility, announced today that their motorsports division has signed a new sponsorship contract with Parker Thompson, a driver on the JDX racing team in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America series. Surgere has been involved with motorsports and a sponsor of Thompson for over a year. Under the new agreement, Thompson will participate in Surgere-sponsored events, social media, and track events. Additionally, Surgere will expand its technology incubation program with Thompson’s crew testing RFID Pit Technology.
Motorsports has been an integral part of Surgere since its inception. Speed and accuracy are synonymous with racing. The ability to monitor and capture real-time performance and convert that data into a winning strategy is every race team’s wish. Surgere works across many of the largest automotive OEMS, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers and shares a passion for automotive innovation, excellence, and the thrill of driving.
“We love Parker and are happy to continue our successful relationship,” said Michael Wappler, Surgere’s Vice President Business Development, Motorsports. “Parker is a great supporter of everything we do in and around the track. The ability to understand the miles and wear and tear of parts in real-time saves dollars and drives performance. Using our patented software and certified hardware, we have helped Parker and his team gain visibility into monitoring authenticity, mileage, usage, or consumption per part for race regulations. We recognize that supply chain is everywhere, even on the track. Our involvement with Parker and his team will help improve efficiency and reduce costs for racing teams.”
“I am so proud and happy to continue my relationship with Surgere, they are an integral part of my racing team,” Parker states. “Just like how my engineer uses data to make my racecar faster and more reliable during the race season, the data Surgere has provided to my team, as well as my other sponsors, has helped us solve complex supply chain issues, which has already saved us all time and money. I look forward to working with Surgere on more applications to improve supply chain issues throughout the industry.”


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In the coming weeks, Toshiba will unveil a final decision concerning selling a majority stake in its lucrative memory business. Bloomberg reported this morning that iPhone manufacturer Foxconn’s preliminary bid for Toshiba’s semiconductor unit is valued at a whopping $26.93 billion. According to Bloomberg’s sources, that amount is in part to force negotiations, using a bid that’s too high to ignore.
I was recently asked about the difference between active, inactive, and wired memory on computers. Many memory measure tools use these terms to describe your memory usage and doesn’t really go into much depth about what they mean.
In this piece, I hope to shed some light on this confusion and explain the differences between these memory states the best I can.
Good news for those worried about the RAM situation of the new iPhone 6s—it has been confirmed that both the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus will both sport 2GB of RAM. Well-known developer Hamza Sood confirmed the details by means of a tweet earlier today.
Apple rarely advertises the RAM contained in its products, but regardless of how Apple wants to downplay its importance, RAM is a big deal.


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(MENAFN- NewsBytes) Chinese tech giant OPPO is gearing up to launch an all-new foldable smartphone in its home country soon. In the latest development, a Chinese tipster has claimed that the device, which is codenamed "Peacock," will be announced next month, i.e. December. The leak also claims that another OPPO handset, probably a Find X4 model, will debut early next year with a Snapdragon 898 chipset.
Takeaways Why does this story matter?
OPPO's upcoming device will be the company's first-ever foldable smartphone. It will feature top-tier specifications, including Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800-series processor, Sony IMX766 camera sensor, and an LTPO AMOLED display. The handset will be competing against the likes of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, Xiaomi Mi MIX FOLD, as well as Huawei Mate X2 in the foldable category.
Design and display The phone will have a 120Hz 2K display
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China’s economy has been taking it from all sides: power outages, the property debt fiasco, snarled shipping lanes and, a bit further back, a brief but damaging Delta variant outbreak. Sharply weaker growth last quarter at 4.9% from a year earlier was expected. And given how modest countercyclical support has been so far, next quarter will almost certainly be worse.
What happens in 2022 remains uncertain but appears to depend primarily on three things: how fast Beijing dials back its squeeze on the property sector, whether consumers finally perk up again, and whether exporters can hang on to recent market-share gains. Power outages remain a drag, but efforts to restart shuttered coal mines and raise power prices will help significantly.
On property, there have been inklings recently of a more permissive stance—some large banks have been ordered to accelerate mortgage approvals, according to Bloomberg. But credit growth was still tepid in September, and the sharp downtrends in property investment, sales and starts remain intact. Since developers’ other financing channels have constricted so sharply, the key to turning things around is sales—but coaxing skittish buyers back into the market may be tough without a more decisive resolution to Evergrande’s woes. Sales of residential floor space were down 16% from a year earlier in September.
The news on consumers and trade looks better. Chinese exports remain robust, and retail sales bounced back in September to 4.4% growth year-over-year, up from 2.5% in August. The real risk for 2022 may therefore be that Beijing concludes that its strategy of doubling down on exports and high-tech industry, while mercilessly squeezing property and high-value service sectors like internet technology, is working well enough—and then finds itself overtaken by events.
One possible threat is an export reversal. Chinese exporters, despite rising costs, remain very competitive. But they have also benefited from the Delta wave that closed many other Asian factories and prolonged the shift in wealthy economies away from spending on services and toward goods. In 2020, net employment gains in Chinese industry outpaced those in services for the first time since 2012, a pattern that may very well have been repeated this year. Some of that shift is destined to be transient, however, as wealthy economies finally reach vaccination thresholds high enough for service spending to really recover, and overseas competitors ramp back up manufacturing.
In theory consumers still have significant scope to increase spending: on a per capita basis, Chinese residents saved about 34% of their disposable income in the first nine months of 2021, up from an average of about 32% from 2017 to 2019. But if the property market remains in the doldrums or other sources of jobs growth like exports fade, consumers may remain cautious, too.
So far Beijing has managed to avoid major turbulence from the property downturn, but it is early days yet. If more significant policy easing doesn’t arrive soon, there is a serious risk that most of the major drivers of Chinese growth—property investment, consumption and exports—all find themselves pointing downward together by mid-2022.
Write to Nathaniel Taplin at firstname.lastname@example.org
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If your kids aren't keen on a particular dish, you might want to try changing the look of the crockery it's served in. A new study has revealed how the color of a bowl can impact the taste of the food it holds.
The experiment involved 47 volunteers split into two groups based on their responses to a food-pickiness questionnaire.
Although there is no set way to define a picky eater, the category could arguably include people who have a restricted diet, who have strong dislikes for certain foods, who require food to be prepared in a specific way, who have difficulty accepting new foods, or who show signs of a combination of all these traits.
After ruling out a predisposition towards 'super-tasting' bitter compounds as a reason for differences in eating behavior, food was then served up to the two groups in red, blue, or white bowls.
While the color made no difference in perceived taste for non-picky eaters, the picky eaters did report changes in their taste sensations based on the color of the bowl being used.
"This knowledge could be useful for those trying to expand the repertoire of foods," says psychologist Lorenzo Stafford, from the University of Portsmouth in the UK.
"For example, if you wanted to encourage a picky eater to try more vegetables well known to be viewed as bitter, you could attempt to serve them on a plate or bowl that is known to increase sweetness."
Samples of salt and vinegar-flavored potato chips were given to all of the participants to eat from the differently colored bowls, with the volunteers then asked to rank them based on their desirability, saltiness, and flavor intensity.
While the bowl color didn't seem to have any influence on flavor intensity, there were differences in the other two categories – but only for the picky eaters. Snacks in red and blue bowls were perceived as saltier compared to white bowls, while snacks in red bowls were perceived as less desirable compared with the other bowls.
In line with earlier studies, the researchers suggest that the packaging that the participants are more generally familiar with may have influenced their taste buds; salty snacks are often sold in blue packaging in the UK.
According to Stafford, learning more about how to nudge the behavior of people who struggle to eat a wide range of foods could significantly improve the quality of life for both the individuals themselves, and others around them.
"Having restricted diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies as well as health problems like heart disease, poor bone health and dental issues," says Stafford.
"There is also a social cost because normally enjoyable moments between family members can easily turn into stressful, anxious, and conflict-causing situations when picky eaters feel ashamed or pressured to eat food."
Picky eaters of any age can restrict themselves to as little as 20 food items, past research has shown. With a wide-ranging diet so important to overall health, that can have negative consequences.
At first it may seem strange that a bowl color could influence the taste of food, but previous research has shown how lighting and music can affect eating behaviors. All of our senses are connected after all, including taste.
This new research could help in treating food neophobia, the reluctance to try new foods, the team behind the study says – but further studies will be required looking into a broader range of colors and a broader range of more nutritious foods.
"Through further research we could determine ways to help positively affect a person's diet, and as a result their mental and physical health," says Stafford.
The research has been published in Food Quality and Preference.


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Tourism numbers have been raising for Southwest China's Tibet self-governing Region, with above 1,000 tourists visiting the area every day, the Tibet Tourism Bureau said Monday.
The agency said 1,588 overseas tourists from 40 countries, together with the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, Australia, Japan and Nepal visited Tibet.
Tourists from the United States on that day attained above 330, the major group along with those from the above-mentioned countries.
Group of people from different Countries visited the Jokhang Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the spirit of Lhasa, as well as Barkhor Street, one of the city's oldest streets.
A travel guide named Yang said his company is getting busier every day. Sunday saw Yang directed a group of Japanese tourists all over the city.
The department supposed that Tibet established 1.45 million tourists in the initial five months of the year, viewing a boost of 25.7 percent year lying on year.
Among the total number of tourists, 1.42 million were domestic tourists, the provincial tourism department said in a statement.
The highland region earns around 1.36 billion yuan ($215.87 million) in domestic tourism incomes all through the five-month period, the bureau said.
The tourism agency said Tibet anticipates 10 million tourist influx and 12 billion yuan in tourism profits this year.
According to the tourism agency, almost 8.427 million household tourists and 270,800 foreign tourists visited Tibet in 2011.


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The American company Apple has prohibited its employees from using neural networks such as ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot (the latter created in collaboration with OpenAI and Microsoft). This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing its own sources familiar with the company’s document.
The main reason for the new restriction is the risk of confidential information leaking, since when using ChatGPT, the data is transferred to the developer’s server.
Apple is not the only company that has banned employees from using neural networks for programming or generating text. These include JPMorgan Chase and Verizon, as well as Amazon, whose programmers are encouraged to use internal AI programs.
Apple is also working on its own big language models, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. Development is being led by John Giannandrea, who was stolen by Apple from Google in 2018. Under his leadership, the company acquired a number of AI startups.
Previously, streaming service Spotify removed tens of thousands of songs generated by artificial intelligence startup Boomy. In total, 7% of all uploaded songs were removed.


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Anthropologie, Britain's Topshop top list of retailers headed for Hawaii
The U.S. brand Anthropologie, Japan's Uniqlo, Span's Zara and Britain's Topshop are some of the multinational retailers not currently in Hawaii that may show up in the Islands sometime this year or in the next couple of years, according to a broker with CBRE Inc.
Andrew Starn, vice president of CBRE Hawaii's retail division, also told PBN to look out for bigger Tommy Bahama stores as the state’s retail real estate market continues to stay strong.
The list was put together by Kim Lord, CBRE Hawaii’s senior managing director, for a 2013 market forecast event.
Meantime, CBRE’s Fourth Quarter 2013 Hawaii Retail MarketView highlighted some interesting finds, including demand remaining strong but overall sales are down from 2012, the decrease in Japanese tourism driving the focus to capture emerging Asian markets and six large redevelopment projects receiving approval for 2014 construction.
Duane Shimogawa covers energy, real estate and economic development for Pacific Business News.
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