text:
Rise of the 'experience' shopper: Happiness is what you do, not what you buy
They say money doesn’t buy happiness – but maybe it depends how you spend it.
People who splash out on ‘experiences’ such as days out and concert tickets are happier than those who buy possessions, research shows.
Psychologists asked 9,600 people about their shopping habits, as well as questions to ascertain personality traits, values and life satisfaction.
habitual 'experiential shoppers' reaped long-term benefits from their spending and reported greater life satisfaction
Extroverts and people who are open to new experiences tend to spend more of their disposable income on treats, such as concert tickets or a weekend away, rather than hitting the mall for material items.
These habitual 'experiential shoppers' reaped long-term benefits from their spending as they reported greater life satisfaction, according to the study led by San Francisco State University Assistant Professor of Psychology Ryan Howell.
For his latest study, Howell and colleagues surveyed nearly 10,000 participants, who completed online questionnaires about their shopping habits, personality traits, values and life satisfaction.
'We know that being an "experience shopper" is linked to greater wellbeing,' said Howell, whose 2009 paper on purchasing experiences, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, challenged the adage that money can’t buy happiness.
'But we wanted to find out why some people gravitate toward buying experiences.
Participants’ personality was measured using the “Big Five” personality traits model, a scale psychologists use to describe how extroverted, neurotic, open, conscientious and agreeable a person is.
People who spent most of their disposable income on experiences scored highly on the 'extrovert' and “openness to new experience” scales.
'This personality profile makes sense since life experiences are inherently more social, and they also contain an element of risk,' Howell said.
'If you try a new experience that you don’t like, you can’t return it to the store for a refund.'
The authors suggest that it could be easier to change your spending habits than your personality traits.
'Even for people who naturally find themselves drawn to material purchases, our results suggest that getting more of a balance between traditional purchases and those that provide you with an experience could lead to greater life satisfaction and wellbeing.'
To further investigate how purchasing decisions impact well-being, Howell and colleagues have launched a website where members of the public can take free surveys to find out what kind of shopper they are and how their spending choices affect them.
Data collected through the 'Beyond the Purchase' website will be used by Howell and other social psychologists.
Graduate students in Howell’s Personality and Well-being Lab will use the site to study the link between spending motivations and well-being, and how money management influences our financial and purchasing choices.
Most watched News videos
- 'Don't push her, she's pregnant': Kebab shop worker shoves customer
- Whale hello there! Huge whale surprises group of surfers
- Woman armed with knife furiously slashes tyres of parked car
- Gorgeous three-year-old meets her baby sister for the first time
- Hack to cleanly refill engine oil without a funnel shown in clip
- US nurse caught abusing 20-year-old with Cerebral Palsy on CCTV
- Horrifying footage shows gym-goers batter each other with equipment
- Chef died after being electrocuted by phone while watching football
- Duchess of Cambridge arrives by train to open children's hospice
- Police swarm the Mall after car 'dumped' outside Buckingham Palace
- Disturbing video shows dog boutique employee hurl animal across room
- Hilarious video shows dog riding around the house on vacuum cleaner


text:
That was fast: Samsung is top Android phone maker in U.S.
Market research firm Gartner has named Samsung Mobile both the top mobile phone manufacturer in the United states, and the top seller of Android Smartphones as well. In less than one year, Samsung has gone from having practically no Android phones in the U.S. market to outselling the market's early entrants HTC and Motorola.
Samsung's very first Android smartphone was announced in late April 2009, but the company was concentrating its initial efforts on the European market. Coming into 2010, Samsung's only Android smartphones in the U.S. market were the Moment on Sprint and the Behold 2 on T-Mobile.
It wasn't until March 2010 that Samsung's Android-powered snowball really began to roll down the mountain into North America. At CTIA 2010 in March, the company revealed the Galaxy S smartphone brand, and three months later the first Galaxy S phone went to retail with AT&T. Within the next three months, there were Galaxy S phones on all the major wireless carriers in the United States.
In the span of time between the end of March and the end of November, Samsung went from having a 9.2% share of the Android smartphone market to having 32.1%.
"The Galaxy S portfolio has played a significant role in Samsung's success in 2010," Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile today said, somewhat stating the obvious. Samsung has shipped more than three million Galaxy S smartphones this year, and the related Galaxy Tab tablet is reportedly selling about 600,000 units per month.
Tablets, however, are a convergent market, and Samsung does not necessarily have the same advantages that it has in the mobile phone sector. While it does offer carrier-subsidized versions of the tablet, Wi-Fi only versions of the device are also expected to be available.

domain: news


text:
It's that time again; AMD has released the newest flavor of the Catalyst drivers for AMD video cards. The biggest surprise in store for the last driver release of 2010 is and all new look to the Catalyst Control Center.
The new Catalyst also has DivX Accelerated support for AMD Radeon HD 6800 series GPUs; support for OpenGL 4.1, including new ARB extensions introduced with OpenGL 4.1; and an updated AMD Stream v2.3 API. Grab it here to give the new drivers a try!
Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 11:20 am CDT
- > NEXT STORY: AMD HD 6950 specs leaked
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Crytek shows off some Warface pre-alpha footage


text:
Sybase reports strong '07 revenue topping US$1B
- 25 January, 2008 10:00
Sybase Thursday reported that its 2007 revenue topped US$1 billion for the first time in seven years, as the enterprise software maker tries to fight pressure from a Wall Street hedge fund to split up the company.
Sybase's Q4 2007 revenue was US$295.2 million, up 15% from the same quarter a year ago. That slightly beat analyst expectations and helped the company record US$1.026 billion in sales for the year. It was the first time since 2000, during the dot-com boom, that Sybase has topped the US$1 billion mark.
The sales "are a reflection that we are doing well enough running our business, that moves we engaged in in the past five years are bearing fruit," Raj Nathan, Sybase's chief marketing officer, said in an interview after the earnings were announced.
Though profitable, Sybase has not matched the growth of other enterprise software companies. It is under pressure from its largest investor, Sandell Asset Management, to lift its languishing stock price by doing one of three things: 1) buying back US$1.5 billion in stock, 2) spinning out an IPO for Sybase's fast-growing mobile software divisions -- iAnywhere and Sybase 365 -- similar to the way EMC spun out its virtualization division VMware, and 3) selling Sybase to an IBM or Oracle-type company, which Sandell estimates could bring in as much as US$3.7 billion.
Sandell is threatening to push its own slate of directors at Sybase's annual shareholders' meeting in California, which has yet to be scheduled, Nathan said.
Sybase has reportedly hired Merrill Lynch & Co. to help it explore strategic alternatives. During the conference call, CEO John Chen said the board is "actively engaged in the company's strategy" but otherwise declined to comment.
Nathan declined to say whether the company is in buyout discussions with anyone. And he disputed Sandell's argument that spinning out Sybase's mobile divisions -- the heart of its 'unwired enterprise' strategy -- would produce long-term gains. "Here is why: Many of our customers are buying more than one component of our stack," Nathan said.
He declined to offer specifics to demonstrate that assessment. "It's hard for me to say that togetherness is worse than separateness," he said.


text:
Pandora tries ‘Promoted Stations’ in latest advertising push
Meet the new music taste-makers of the Internet: Kleenex, Taco Bell and Sketchers.
In its latest attempt to increase its advertising revenue, the streaming radio company Pandora Media Inc. is testing so-called Promoted Stations, which are designed to drive listeners to targeted commercials from major advertisers.
The sponsored stations are not rolling out for all users yet.
About 10% of Pandora’s 76 million monthly users will see these new customized stations pop up under their “Stations You Might Like” tab, marking the first time Pandora has placed ad products within listeners’ station lists.
This will encourage listeners “to consider a brand’s content alongside existing and other recommended stations,” the company said Wednesday.
The brands, which also include event ticket-seller StubHub and car maker Toyota, can customize their Promoted Stations with music from particular artists or a mix of songs powered by Pandora’s music recommendation technology to best entice their target audiences.
The “StubHub’s Next Stage” promoted station features exclusive content, such as interviews, and songs from the Canadian indie rock group Tokyo Police Club. Kleenex is betting on country music, by highlighting songs by artists such as Jason Aldean and Kelly Pickler. Taco Bell has a station aptly named “Feed the Beat.”
Ten brands are now participating in the Promoted Stations test, and the roster is expected to grow throughout the year, the company said.
Pandora makes the bulk of its revenue from advertising. For the first quarter of 2014, about 78% of its $180 million in total revenue came from ads.
This is not the only way in which Pandora is increasing advertisers’ presence. In January the company introduced in-car advertising from brands including BP, Ford Motor Co., State Farm and Taco Bell.
From the Emmys to the Oscars.
Get our revamped Envelope newsletter, sent twice a week, for exclusive awards season coverage, behind-the-scenes insights and columnist Glenn Whipp’s commentary.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.


text:
More On: NFTs
Users can use their Visa, Mastercard, and American Express debit cards, as well as Apple Pay, to make purchases on the world's largest NFT marketplace.
Collectors can now buy NFTs without using crypto on OpenSea.
Users can now utilize their Visa, Mastercard, and American Express debit cards to make transactions on the world's largest NFT marketplace.
Transactions can now be done with Apple Pay and Google Pay thanks to an expanded cooperation with MoonPay.
Users had to convert currency into crypto first to top up their wallets until recently, and it's hoped that the shift will lower barriers to entrance.
The feature will be gradually rolled out to OpenSea users, according to MoonPay.
Platforms for NFTs are rushing to Fiat
All of this is happening as NFT markets make a concentrated attempt to entice consumers who are hesitant to deal with cryptocurrency.
Coinbase announced a partnership with Mastercard in January as it prepared to launch its peer-to-peer marketplace.
While OpenSea now reigns supreme in terms of NFT trading volumes, this may change as Instagram prepares to enter the market.
Earlier last week, Deutsche Bank estimated that Instagram's non-fungible token marketplace would easily draw 44 million users, much outnumbering OpenSea's 1.4 million.
As part of a push to remove entrance barriers, it's quite likely that Insta will also accept fiat payments.
However, there will be drawbacks to paying with fiat currency, and individuals who choose for credit or debit cards may face greater fees.
** Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USA GAG nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.


text:
Hyundai Motor says U.S. sales rose 6 percent in December
SEOUL (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) said on Friday that its U.S. sales climbed 6 percent to 63,005 vehicles in December from a year earlier, bringing its 2013 U.S. sales to a record high of 720,783 vehicles driven by the Elantra compact and Santa Fe sport utility vehicles.
But the 2013 sales fell short of its earlier target of 734,000 vehicles, as the South Korean automaker faced tougher competition from resurgent U.S. and Japanese rivals, as well as a lack of manufacturing capacity and newer models.
Hyundai, which recently replaced its U.S. chief, plans to launch revamped versions of the Genesis and Sonata sedans this year to spur sales momentum in the U.S. market.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Michael Urquhart)
- Alabama man gets $1,000 in police settlement, his lawyers get $459,000
- New York police officer critically wounded in hatchet attack |
- Doctor with Ebola in NY hospital, nurse declared virus-free
- Putin accuses United States of damaging world order
- Exclusive: Charred tanks in Ukraine point to Russian involvement


text: AmiMoJo shares a report from the BBC: French prosecutors have launched a probe over allegations of "planned obsolescence" in Apple's iPhone. Under French law it is a crime to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product with the aim of making customers replace it. In December, Apple admitted that older iPhone models were deliberately slowed down through software updates. It follows a legal complaint filed in December by pro-consumer group Stop Planned Obsolescence (Hop). Hop said France was the third country to investigate Apple after Israel and the U.S., but the only one in which the alleged offense was a crime. Penalties could include up to 5% of annual turnover or even a jail term.


text:
Finalists announced for Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards
The inaugural Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards, sponsored by TMRjobs.com, are upon us and the finalists in each category have now been announced.
The Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards will play a major role in showcasing the fantastic range of high quality experiences and venues we offer for visitors here in Nottinghamshire. The awards will have a tremendously positive impact on the tourism industry in Nottinghamshire, providing a benchmark for all businesses to aspire to and delivering significant benefits to shortlisted and winning businesses alike.
There are 13 categories at this year’s awards, with an additional category for ‘Nottinghamshire Tourism Ambassador’, a prize which will be awarded on the evening to an individual who has supported the tourism industry in Nottinghamshire for over 5 years.
Self-Catering Property of the Year, sponsored by CDA:
Holiday Park/Village of the Year, sponsored by RBS:
Boutique / Guest Accommodation of the Year, sponsored by Flame UK:
Family Friendly Attraction of the Year, sponsored by The Marquee Company Limited:
Hotel of the Year, sponsored by Quadrant Events:
Tourism Pub of the Year, in association with NRBA:
Guided Tour of the Year, sponsored by Pear Communications:
Taste of Nottinghamshire, sponsored by Robin Hood Energy:
Retail Venue of the Year, sponsored by Elements Marketing:
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, sponsored by Gigantic Tickets:
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, sponsored by Gloworm Festival:
Visitor Experience of the Year, sponsored by Sherwood Universal:
Business Tourism Award, sponsored by TMRjobs.com:
The award ceremony will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday 26th October and will see ITV’s Dean Edwards hosting the evening.
This year only the winners of the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards will be eligible to apply for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence and compete with other businesses from across the country. Now in their 29th year, the Awards celebrate the very best in English tourism championing excellence in best practice and customer service.
Find out more about the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards by visiting www.nottinghamshiretourismawards.co.uk


text:
Monday, June 23, 2014, 10:54 AM ET|Posted by Will Richmond
In case you missed it, last Thursday Twitter acquired SnappyTV, a cloud-based video platform that allows content providers and brands to quickly create clips from live video and then distribute them through social media. It's a highly strategic deal for Twitter, further positioning the company to "win the moments that matter" for both audience and monetization.
"Win the moments that matter" is a phrase I first heard from YouTube executives a couple of years ago and it has great relevance for the Twitter-SnappyTV deal. The massive trends around mobile devices, social media, content syndication and video have created a sweet spot for TV networks and rights-holders to drive huge traffic spikes by making highly newsworthy moments readily available to fans.
Increasingly, people expect these "moments that matter" to be instantly accessible and shareable on their mobile devices. For example, for many sports fans, it's already old school to wait until later to watch the clip of the game-winning home run on Sports Center. Instead, they expect their social feeds to push the clip to them in near real-time, so they're continuously up-to-date. (The first great example I wrote about for SnappyTV was video of Lindsey Vonn's horrific crash in February, 2013. Here's another great example).
Moments that matter cut across all genres - sports, news, entertainment/culture, politics, etc. On any given day there are a plethora of these moments that are critical and must-see to the super-fans of these genres as well as those whose interest is piqued.
Twitter was already well onto this concept with its Amplify initiative, and now through the SnappyTV acquisition Twitter will obviously be better able to fine-tune SnappyTV's product to further support its goals.
The other big piece of "winning the moments that matter" is advertising. Not only do these moments create a huge surge in video ad inventory, these are ads that are short and less likely to be skipped. Video ads on mobile devices in particular also have less risk of user distraction to other windows, etc.
An element of capturing the advertising potential in these moments is fulfillment via programmatic. As Curt Hecht, The Weather Company's Global Chief Revenue Officer explained earlier this year, monetizing usage spikes via programmatic is one of the key reasons that programmatic has grown to 1/3 of the company's online ad revenue. Curt observed that direct sales approaches can't fully capitalize on these spikes, but selectively exposing this inventory for programmatic buying means very high fill rates.
No doubt Twitter and SnappyTV completely understand all of this. For everyone in the video ecosystem, the key takeaways here are that "winning the moments that matter" are going to become an ever-bigger part of online video success. Real-time, short-form clips are nuggets of gold whose value is just starting to be tapped.


text:
Chris Baker, Creative Director Zen Studios took to the official PlayStation Blog this week to reveal more details about the new Circus Electrique steampunk-Circus RPG that will officially launch in a few months on September 6, 2022. Check in in the trailer announcement below for more info. Details on what to expect from an RPG created by the team behind Darkest Dungeon.
Sometime in late 2019, a small team of creative minds at Zen Studios gave an idea to the rest of us: ‘Let’s make an RPG in a London steampunk version where all of your playable heroes are circus performers. Pretty much everyone who read the presentation – myself included – reacted in a way that I hope you’ll share upon hearing such a premise: “What a crazy idea…love it!” Just a few weeks after Circus Electrique was released in September 6, let me think about how it all turned out – and the other ways the game distinguishes itself from other RPGs, too…”
The idea for the project, which was first referred to as “Circus Scandal”, came about when team members were fresh off RPGs at Zen Studios, such as first-person crawlers: The Stolen Sun, Tactical Dread Nautical Roguelite, and 4X type mishmash CastleStorm II They all expressed our desire to bring another RPG to life.
At Zen, it’s important to make the kinds of games we want to play ourselves…and it just so happens that in recent years, a relatively new subgenre of RPG has particularly impressed many of us, the best example being Darkest Dungeon. And in the midst of this darkness, the lamp went off: “We enjoy this kind of game. Let’s make our own.”
To sum things up simply, the world of Circus Electrique was identical to ours until 1873, when a great innovation revolutionized electricity, sending the timeline in an even more powerful direction. Our story unfolds 26 years later, after a horrific event known as Maddening caused ordinary people to attack the innocent. , seemingly beyond their control. Mysteriously immune to insanity, the performers of Electric Circus have joined our hero Amelia in a quest to find out how all this happened, and how to stop it.”
Source: PS . Blog
Filed under: Gaming News, Top News


text:
Heston's hit Christmas puds on eBay
Filed under: News
A £3.49 clementine pudding is being offered for an incredible £8, while a £13.99 orange pudding is priced at £15.
Supermarket Sweep - Tips & Advice
The inflated prices are a result of the popular puddings, which contain whole candied oranges or clementines beneath the surface, selling out completely for the last two years.
Waitrose has almost trebled the number of puddings on sale from 75,000 to around 225,000 to prevent shortages occurring again this year.
Rupert Thomas at Waitrose said: "Our Heston from Waitrose Hidden Orange Christmas puddings took Britain by storm last Christmas for the second year running, and we have once again upped orders of the show-stopping pud."
However, this has not stopped consumers trying to cash in on the popularity of the puddings, which went on sale in Waitrose stores on Tuesday.
Undoubtedly, they are hoping for a repeat of 2010, when a number of these puddings were attracting bids of as much as £250 on the site.
That may seem crazy, but Christmas puddings are far from the only items to be offered at way above the retail price on eBay.
The new iPhone 5, for example, can be bought online from the Apple store for as little as £529. However, eBay sellers are asking up to £950 for the new 64GB model, which normally retails at £699.
While Apple offers free shipping, those buying iPhones off eBay are also being asked to pay their own postage on top.
If you have a few million burning a hole in your pocket, meanwhile, you may be interested to know that the famous letter in which Albert Einstein openly questions the existence of God is up for sale on eBay - for a starting price of $3.3 million (£2 million).
The current owner bought the letter, in which Einstein writes "the word God for me is nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends", four years ago for $404,000.


text:
Riverside acquires Italian Gelato ingredients business
The Riverside Company has acquired Optima and its related companies (Mec3), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of ingredients for gelato, pastry and other foods.
Based in San Clemente, Italy, Mec3 sells internationally and enjoys a reputation for quality products, continuous innovation and reliable customer service).
With annual revenues of around EUR100 million, Mec3 has become a leader in gelato and pastry ingredients through an innovative and authentic approach to providing ice-cream makers around the world with a full range of products from its exceptional production facilities. Mec3 serves more than 60,000 customers, helping them to deliver an authentic Italian gelato experience to consumers around the world.
“Iced desserts and snacks, particularly high-quality artisanal options like gelato, are becoming increasingly popular globally, and Mec3 is uniquely positioned says Riverside Partner Karsten Langer. “We’re excited about the prospects of working with the Mec3 management team to help the company achieve even greater success.”
Riverside plans to support and strengthen the management team, and boost global growth. The firm will also invest in R&D to develop new products and maintain Mec3’s image of innovation.
“After 30 years of developing Mec3, I am delighted to see the company in the hands of an experienced growth-focused investor like Riverside,” says Mec3 founder and President Giordano Emendatori.
“Riverside will build on a very strong foundation to make Mec3 an even bigger and better company,” said Langer. “We plan to carefully and strategically enhance the company so that it thrives and retains its Italian essence.”
- By Category
- News from other sites
- Special Reports
- Partner events


text:
HSBC Egypt has joined SWIFT global payments innovation service (gpi), enabling greater digital tracking, speed, and certainty of cross-border payments to and from Egypt, the bank announced on Tuesday.
SWIFT gpi technology enables financial institutions to provide greater transparency and end-to-end tracking of a transaction, with all involved parties receiving real-time confirmation when a payment is credited.
“Clients will now be able to issue, manage, and track their transfers until they are credited in the beneficiary account, through one platform and in real-time,” Ahmed Badawi, country head, Global Liquidity and Cash Management at HSBC Egypt, said.
“Enquiries on beneficiary payments used to take up to three days, SWIFT gpi reduces this to only a few minutes with payment status visible to clients on HSBCnet,” he added.
Egypt is the second HSBC site in the Middle East to adopt SWIFT gpi, following the UAE which began using the service in April 2018.
Globally, HSBC has enabled SWIFT gpi across 45 countries with more than 90% of HSBC’s payments using the technology, empowering clients to see end-to-end payment status via HSBCnet Track Payments.
Moreover, Richard Lelong, country head, Commercial Banking HSBC Egypt, said, “The Egyptian government and the Central Bank of Egypt recognise the value in transitioning to a more digitally-based payments ecosystem. HSBC is delighted to be able to support this initiative by setting a new digital standard in cross-border payments.”
More than 160 financial institutions around the world use SWIFT gpi, with more than $100bn in SWIFT gpi messages sent daily across 350 international payment corridors.
According to Noor Adhami, regional head of Global Liquidity & Cash Management at HSBC MENAT, the bank’s introduction of SWIFT gpi to Egypt would make cross-border payments simpler, faster, and safer for the bank’s customers.


text:
Sony has hired a team of investigators after the personal information of over 100m Sony online gamers was compromised in hacker attacks on two online services.
The company's PlayStation Network and Online Entertainment service have been suspended until security around users' information is improved, which Sony hopes will be by the end of May.
Sony has brought in investigators from Guidance Software and Data Forte, according to the BBC.
Sony database provider Oracle and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are also looking into the data breaches, according to US reports.
After Sony admitted the personal details of 77m PlayStation Network had been compromised by hacking attacks, a week later Sony warned almost 25m users of its Online Entertainment service were similarly affected by hacker attacks in April.
Personal information including names, e-mail addresses, home addresses, gender, date of birth, login name, phone numbers and hashed passwords are at risk.
Sony says credit card information of PlayStation Network users may have been accessed by hackers, but the data was encrypted and did not include security codes.
The firm says there is no evidence the main credit card database for its Online Entertainment service was compromised.
However, Sony revealed that a database from 2007 was compromised, exposing more than 12,000 debit and credit card numbers and more than 10,000 debit transaction records from Germany, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands.
Despite the immediate concern about credit card fraud, identity theft is of greater concern in the long term, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
The paper cites security experts who say the value of stolen credit card numbers diminishes each day after a data breach becomes known as users and bank-card issuers step up monitoring, but the personal details stolen could be used for years to commit other fraud.


text:
Mobile Video to Reach Third of Consumers by 201618 Apr, 2012 By: Jackie Jones
ARLINGTON, Va. – Video viewing and social networking via mobile devices is on the rise and a major factor driving U.S. mobile content consumption, according to the latest eMarketer estimates.
By 2016, more than 110 million Americans – or one-third of the total U.S. population – will watch video content on a mobile phone at least once per month. This year, just less than 20 percent of the population, or 25.2 percent of U.S. mobile phone users, are expected to watch mobile video monthly.
“Mobile social networking will reach a greater share of the overall population even sooner, however,” eMarketer said. “One-third of U.S. consumers, or 42.6 percent of mobile phone users, will log in to social networking sites via mobile devices at least monthly by 2014. The vast majority of these mobile social network users – like mobile video viewers and mobile music listeners – will be using a smartphone to access social content on the go.”
Additionally, the number of U.S. mobile phone users will also increase at a compound annual rate of 1.8 percent between 2011 and 2016, moving from nearly 75-percent penetration in 2010 to 79 percent by the end of the forecast period, eMarketer found in a separate recent study.
“The number of total mobile connections in the U.S., including subscriptions to mobile phones as well as non-voice devices such as wireless modem cards, netbooks, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, E-readers, tablets and telematics systems, jumped in 2011 by 11.6 percent,” eMarketer said. “Penetration is already above 100 percent of the population for mobile connections, and that number will continue to grow at a rate above that of mobile phone usage. This growth is largely thanks to the popularity of tablets. Phones, by contrast, are reaching a saturation point at around four-fifths of the population.”


text:
China could become a big problem for U.S. stocks, again MarketWatch
Last Update: 10/7/2015 2:58:00 PM
China may once again become a major source of worry for U.S. corporate earnings and the stock market, after Yum Brands’ and Nu Skin Enterprises’ outlook for sales in the country suddenly soured.
A $69 flight to Europe may be in your future MarketWatch
Last Update: 10/7/2015 3:04:00 PM
It may soon cost you less to fly to Europe than to take your spouse out to dinner and drinks.
Was your car recalled? How to avoid the headache MarketWatch
Last Update: 10/7/2015 12:32:00 PM
After record numbers of vehicle recalls, manufacturers try to ease the repair hassle
Why New York is out and Nashville is in MarketWatch
Last Update: 10/7/2015 11:20:00 AM
A new report pinpoints the markets to watch--and Nashville breaks into the top 10.
Yankees' loss to Astros was MLB's highest-rated wild-card game MarketWatch
Last Update: 10/7/2015 12:46:00 PM
Tuesday night's American League wild-card game, which saw the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 3-0, was the highest-rated wild-card game ever, according to Nielsen. The game, which aired on Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN platforms, had a 5.7 overnight rating, making it the highest-rated MLB game in 12 years for the network, according to a news release. The rating was up 50% compared with last year's AL wild-card game between the Kansas City Royals and Oakland A's, which garnered a 3.8 overnight rating. Last night's game also attracted the largest audience for an MLB game on the network's streaming platform, WatchESPN, with 445,000 unique viewers and an average audience per minute of 127,000 viewers. Time Warner Inc.'s Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) will air Wednesday night's National League wild-card game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates.


text:
GlaxoSmithKline consumer healthcare s Zovirax cold sore cream is back on TV with its Helmet ad, which is currently being aired nationally across both terrestrial and satellite stations.
GlaxoSmithKline consumer healthcare
is running new advertising for Macleans on TV and at cinemas across the UK.
WYETH CONSUMER HEALTHCARE is backing its therapeutic heat wrap brand ThermaCare with a 1.5m advertising campaign.
The specialist sports bar contains 15g of protein
The limited edition bar will be supported with a #ControlTwirlHype campaign
The drinks contain 5% real fruit juice
Site powered by Webvision Cloud


text:
SERVER -- STRATUS TECHNOLOGIES
MAYNARD, MAStratus Technologies, Inc., released the Stratus ftServer 5200 system, which is used with Windows 2000 operating environments and has full component and subsystem redundancy, as well as processors that enable and manage integrated service technology. The server uses industry-standard hardware and advanced software availability techniques to deliver 99.999 percent uptime, the highest level of hardware reliability in the industry, claims Stratus.
INFORMATION ACCESS -- ANTARES
CLEVELANDConnexion is Antares' new inquiry information solution. The solution allows companies to offer Web access and multiple audience connectivity for members, employer groups, providers, brokers, and customer service operations. Connexion is an Internet-based application that supplies claims information through a single source. The solution should help companies reduce costs and increase efficiency and productivity, claims Antares.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS -- RTI
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NCResearch organization RTI has released a new version of its statistical analysis software, SUDAAN, which addresses correlated data issues. Version 8 of the software expands on SUDAAN's analytic procedures. Version 8 also includes a new procedure, LOGLINK, that fits log-linear regression models to cluster correlated count data not in the form of proportions.
DISTRIBUTION -- MARKETSCOUT
DALLASMarketScout, a company specializing in P&C insurance product distribution solutions, has released its XML-compatible distribution software. The software Web-enables insurers' applications and serves as a front-end interface for linking legacy rating systems to MarketScout's distribution platform.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -- FINANCIALCAD CORP.
VANCOUVER, BCFincad.net Internet Services, a suite of financial instrument management applications for financial services, has been launched. Fincad.net has a Microsoft.NET platform and delivers financial applications and market data as hosted software accessible through a Web browser, Microsoft Visual Studio development environment.
LEGACY INTEGRATION -- CLIENTSOFT
HAWTHORNE, NYClientSoft has released ClientBuilder Advanced Server, a legacy integration transaction server that has fault tolerance and remote monitoring modules to support enterprise applications. ClientBuilder Advanced Server connectors also perform data compression to minimize the size of incoming requests to reduce loads on a given network.
B2B TRANSACTIONS -- GEOTRUST
BOSTONGeoTrust, Inc., released True Site, an identity solution for business Web sites. True Site provides information to the consumer to prove a site's legitimacy. Businesses are given an active digital icon for GeoTrust's Web site. Consumers will know from the icon that the Web site is legitimate and will have access to information about the enterprise, according to GeoTrust.
RELATIONSHIP MGT. -- YOUCENTRIC
CHARLOTTE, NCeBusiness relationship software solutions provider, YOUcentric, Inc., released the latest version of YOUrelate. The new release includes out-of-the-box functionality for search capability, Web chat, and support for wireless devices, according to the vendor.
DATA CAPTURE -- DAKOTA IMAGING
COLUMBIA, MDVersion 5.1 of Dakota Imaging's Transform has been released. Transform 5.1 software includes capabilities for document imaging and processing, OCR/ICR-based automated data capture, EDI communications gateway, transaction inventory management, process workflow and transaction routing, systems-based automated rules and decision processing.
EBUSINESS ANALYTICS -- INFORMATICA
PALO ALTO, CA-Informatica Corp. has released Informatica PowerConnect for Mainframe and PowerConnect for AS/400. The products enable access to mainframe and mid-range computer data, claims Informatica. PowerConnect for mainframe and AS/400 can be installed in hours and integrated in days, with no change to existing application code, according to Informatica.


text:
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Malacca’s Islamic Religious Department (Jaim) had seized about 500 floor mats stuffed with papers with Quranic verses on them, following a raid at a warehouse in Krubong, in Central Malacca with the Home Ministry and police yesterday.
Malay daily Sinar Harian reported Jaim enforcement chief Rahimin Bani saying the floor mats, recently imported from Indonesia, were supplied to several premises in the state and neighbouring Johor.
“The warehouse is owned by a company who distributes home appliances including floor mats that were obtained from Semarang, Indonesia and it has been supplied to several premises including supermarkets in this state and Johor,” he was quoted saying in a press conference.
He said the company had given full cooperation to authorities and they even separated the floor mats during the inspection.
Malay daily Kosmo! Reported that the papers were printed with Quranic verses, Prophet Muhammad’s sayings, and prayers ― believed to be from used Indonesian school textbooks.
The mats were sold between RM1.80 to RM2 each, it said.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the Eco Shop Sdn Bhd which runs the chain Eco Shop Malaysia, has apologised for the incident and clarified that the company will not be investigated by authorities.
“Deluxeware Trading clarifies that the floor mat with Quran sheet was originally supplied by their supplier at Indonesia ― CV Putra Abadi. The company has undergone a thorough investigation with Jabatan Agama Islam Melaka and will take all necessary actions on the supplier,” it said.
The chain will also offer product exchange with consumers who wish to return the mats.
Meanwhile in Terengganu, the state’s Islamic Affairs Department also had opened an investigation paper to identify perpetrators of floor mats with Quranic verses after the issue went viral on social media.
This comes after a buyer, who purchased the RM2 floor mat at a supermarket in Dungun, complained to the department, JHEAT commissioner Datuk Wan Mohd Wan Ibrahim said.
“We have conducted an investigation and found printed papers containing Quranic verses have been used by irresponsible quarters to make the floor mats thicker than the others,” he told reporters yesterday.
He said action will be taken under the Section 9 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) (Terengganu) Enactment 2001.
The issue went viral on social media in the past few days, leading to several outraged consumers who tore their doormats bought at the store and posting their experiences online.


text:
NEW YORK, NY (July 22, 2013) -- Forbes announced today the launch of its latest local-language edition, Forbes Hungary, in partnership with Business Consulting & Media and its Hungarian branch Mediarey Kft. The first issue will be published in the beginning of November 2013.
The content of Forbes Hungary will consist of 60% Hungarian business news, commentary and features, and 40% editorial content from Forbes U.S. The Hungary edition will be published monthly.
Erik Conrad, Managing Director of Business Consulting & Media, said: “We are proud to expand Forbes magazine further in the region and bring this prestigious brand with its high-quality and exclusive journalistic content to another market in central Europe.”
Business Consulting & Media, the owner of Mediarey in Hungary, also publishes Forbes Slovakia and Forbes Czech Republic monthly, which launched in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Forbes President of Worldwide Development Miguel Forbes stated, "We are very excited about launching Forbes in Hungary. This continues our rapid expansion into Eastern Europe, which has become a very important strategic footprint for Forbes."
Márton Galambos, an experienced business journalist who previously worked as business editor and managing editor at Origo, the biggest news portal in Hungary, has been appointed Editor in Chief of Forbes Hungary.
Business Consulting & Media:
Business Consulting & Media launched Forbes Slovakia in November 2010 and Forbes Czech Republic in November 2011. Forbes Slovakia May 2013 audited figures reached 14, 517 sold copies, Forbes Czech Republic May 2013 audited figures reached 14,369 sold copies. In the past, Business Consulting & Media published several regional publications, including the in-flight magazine of the low-cost airline SkyEurope Airlines, the in-flight magazine of Poland’s LOT national airline budget subsidiary Central Wings and Hertz rent-a-car central Europe’s in-car magazine.
Forbes Media LLC, publisher of Forbes magazine and forbes.com, is an authoritative source of news and information on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and affluent lifestyles. Forbes.com, a leading business website, currently reaches 48 million monthly unique visitors, according to Omniture. Forbes magazine, Forbes Asia and Forbes Europe attract a global audience of 5 million readers. The Forbes magazine iPad app merges the power of print storytelling with social sharing and the web. The Company also publishes ForbesLife magazine, as well as 29 licensed local editions around the world, including Africa, Afrique, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Middle East Arabic, Middle East English, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam.
FORBES CONTACT: Debbie Weathers, firstname.lastname@example.org, 212-366-8848


text:
LEGO has made a huge splash in the world of video games by producing a series of fun, family-friendly games featuring everyone from Harry Potter to Jack Sparrow. The Star Wars arm of the LEGO video-game empire spawned a pair of CGI specials on Cartoon Network, but Warner Bros. and DC Universe Animation have equally big plans for their characters.
A DCUA panel at New York Comic Con that mainly focused on Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 actually kicked off with the world premiere of the trailer for LEGO Batman: The Movie -- DC Super Heroes Unite that's now found its way online.
As you can see, the direct-to-DVD release revolves around Lex Luthor and The Joker wielding the Deconstructor, a ray that literally takes LEGO objects and people apart brick by brick. To stop him, Batman and Robin must not only team with Superman, but also the Justice League, which includes Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Cyborg, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. It sounds like past voice actors Clancy Brown and Mark Hamill have returned as Luthor and Joker respectively. It also appears as if Kevin Conroy is reprising his role as Batman, but it's difficult to tell, as he only says six words in the trailer. LEGO Batman: The Movie will be released early next year.


text:
Invited to the Mayor’s International Programme launch at London City Hall
Yesterday I was invited to attend the official launch of the Mayor’s International Programme at City Hall, London, where I met some of London`s top entrepreneurs, mentors, and the Mayor (who gave a short speech using 007 as a reference).
One of my companies (Kanteron Systems) has been selected as one of the 35 companies forming the initial cohort.
The programme will support high growth businesses from London’s Technology, Life Sciences and Urban sectors to expand their businesses internationally. It is run by London & Partners (supported by the Mayor), partly funded by the European Development Fund and partly by five private sector delivery partners: BDO, Benoy, KPMG, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry & PA Consulting. As members, we will select mentoring, business opportunities, workshops and overseas missions.


text:
contactless cards RSS
New market research on contactless cards from TietoEVRY shows that UK and European consumers are concerned about infection risk when paying in-store, with worries about theft and fraud growing as... more
The post Report: Time for biometric security on contactless cards appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.
The major schemes have announced over the last few weeks their commitment to enabling the increase in contactless payment limits across Europe. The move comes as 29 countries implement new... more
The post Contactless payment limit now raised across 29 countries appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.
Researchers have discovered flaws that allow hackers to bypass the payment limits on Visa contactless cards, according to a blog by Positive Technologies. Researchers Leigh-Anne Galloway and Tim Yunusov tested... more
The post Contactless card vulnerability can bypass contactless limits appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.
Contactless cards will account for 57% of payment cards worldwide by 2023 as issuers increasingly offer them as standard, and acceptance grows to reflect customer demand. Research from RBR shows that... more
The post Contactless cards are consumers tool of choice for low-value payments appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.
Driven by contactless card payments and by increased card usage, in 2017 the number of card payments continued to grow across the 33 countries covered by our PCM’s Payment Card... more
The post Payment Card Yearbooks: European payments continue to rise rapidly appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.


text:
Serial entrepreneur Richard Theo has been appointed an envoy by the UK Government to support and champion the fast-expanding financial technology (fintech) sector in Wales.
In an appointment made by the Treasury, Mr Theo, the co-founder and chief executive of online investment venture Wealthify, in which financial services giant Aviva acquired a majority stake earlier this year, has been appointed the government's fintech envoy for Wales.
His non remunerated role will be to help drive further growth in Wales' fintech sector where Cardiff has been identified as a leading hotspot outside of London, with a wave of emerging start-ups with hi-growth potential like Amplyfi and established players like Admiral and MotoNovo Finance.
Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, said: “Congratulations to Richard Theo for being appointed the UK Government’s fintech envoy for Wales.
"This is an exciting and emerging technology in which Wales is now an established UK leader, with companies ranging from giants like Admiral and Go Compare to a burgeoning host of start-ups.
“Financial services and fintech are a dynamo that will create many more high-pay high-skills jobs in Wales. I look forward to receiving Richard’s advice on steering this sector to even greater success.”
Mr Theo, whose other business interests include ActiveQuote, said: “It’s a huge honour to be appointed as the government's fintech Envoy for Wales and to have a chance to help support the growth of fintech in our region.
"South Wales is already a hotspot of fintech success and is uniquely placed to become the leading fintech centre outside London.
"It is a fantastic place to do business, benefiting from a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial culture, low operating costs, excellent connectivity and a great lifestyle.
"It’s already home to a wide range of accelerators and incubators, and a phenomenal network of tech, fintech and financial services businesses to help mentor and partner with."
He added: “I fully support the government’s ambition for the UK to become the best place in the world to start and grow a fintech business, as set out in the industrial strategy and supported through the recently-launched fintech sector strategy.
"The commitment to a £2.5bn fund to drive investment in innovation and high potential businesses is a vital and welcome step towards nurturing the future businesses of the UK economy.
“As a tech entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience building technology businesses from the ground up, I have a first-hand appreciation of the challenges and barriers entrepreneurs face when working to turn their ideas into profitable businesses.
"I am looking forward to working closely with HM Treasury and stakeholders in Wales to maximise the potential for fintech and help determine the most effective strategies to allow the UK as a whole to fulfil the promise of fintech, post Brexit.”


text:
Sign This Net Neutrality Petition and Defend Your Rights
Net Neutrality protects the rights of consumers and of small companies that could be squeezed out by the Internet giants. You can fight back against the FCC's recent vote by signing this online petition.
The FCC is embroiled in a fight over a little something called “net neutrality,” and on Thursday it voted to consider a new set of rules that would, in my view — and that of many consumer advocates — severely damage the Internet.
I’m not crying wolf. If the FCC adopts the proposed rules, the Internet won’t die, and your connection won’t slow to dial-up speeds. But the outcome will not be good for consumers and it will not be good for innovative new companies that hope to compete with established giants, such as Facebook and Netflix.
In essence, net neutrality means that all forms of content should be treated equally on the Internet. No content gets priority; no content is slowed. That’s a simplification, but it sums up the heart of the matter.
ISPs including Comcast and Verizon have already started to charge some companies a premium for faster, more direct delivery of content to their customers. Netflix, as I wrote earlier in the year, complained that its streaming video wasn’t streaming fast enough. So it cut deals with Comcast and Verizon to pay more for access. And what do you know? Netflix viewers stopped complaining about slow connections.
What’s wrong with that? Quite a bit, really. First of all, you’ll pay more for the privilege. Netflix just upped its subscription price, and other companies that may have to cut similar deals will most likely do the same.
There’s a more complex issue here as well. Giants like Google, Facebook and Netflix can afford to pay more for fast access, even though they hate the idea. But suppose a rival to one of those behemoths was just getting off the ground with new technology and services you’d love. If its service depends on very fast connections, and it can’t afford to pay the premium, it could die in the crib, and consumers who might have benefited from service will never know about it.
Comcast and Verizon (and other companies like them) already have way too much power. Giving them even more is a huge mistake. (If Comcast succeeds in buying Time Warner Cable, the stakes will be even higher, but that’s a topic for a separate post.)
At Thursday’s meeting, the FCC took the first step in approving new net neutrality rules. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal would prohibit broadband providers from selectively blocking traffic, but his proposal says broadband providers can manage traffic in “commercially reasonable” ways.
I want to be fair to Wheeler. He and President Obama, who campaigned on a pledge to support net neutrality, are limited by a series of federal court decisions knocking down key provisions of early FCC net neutrality rules. But Wheeler, who was a lobbyist for the cable industry, has gone too far. There are options that would restore net neutrality while still staying within the legal boundaries set by the courts.
I urge you to read more about this issue (the folks at InfoWorld have a good explainer) and then sign the petition. It’s your Internet; it’s in your interest to defend it.
San Francisco journalist Bill Snyder writes frequently about business and technology. His work appears regularly in CIO.com and the publications of Stanford's Graduate School of Business and the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. He welcomes your comments and suggestions.


text:
Written on: December 20, 2021 by SprayTM
Packaging products provider Sonoco Products Co. said on Dec. 20 that it will buy sustainable metal packaging manufacturer Ball Metalpack for $1.35 billion in cash to expand its sustainable packing portfolio. Sonoco expects to realize tax benefits of about $180 million with the deal.
Colorado-based Ball Metalpack, a joint venture owned by Platinum Equity and Ball Corp., develops sustainable packaging solutions and has been producing steel tinplate aerosol cans and food cans for more than a century.
Ball Metalpack is projected to generate about $850 million in revenue and $111 million of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in 2021, Sonoco said.
“We believe the addition of Ball Metalpack will further strengthen our stable cash flow generation while driving solid earnings accretion,” Sonoco’s Chief Executive Officer, Howard Coker, said.
Ball Metalpack’s boss Jim Peterson will continue to lead the company after the deal but the business would be under Sonoco’s consumer packaging division.


text:
Some of the 40 million Americans who eat in fast-food restaurants each day will soon find out what's in the beef. In July, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants across the nation plan to provide brochures that list food ingredients. McDonald's and Roy Rogers will also offer ingredient pamphlets but will limit them to New York outlets.
Many fast-food items have some ingredients, such as monosodium glutamate and yellow dye No. 5, that can trigger allergic reactions. Others contain high levels of cholesterol, sodium and fat, which can contribute to heart disease. Industry spokesmen say the food is nutritious, but consumer advocates say it poses health risks. The need for ingredient disclosure in fast-food chains is hotly disputed. Consumer advocates and several legislators say disclosure would allow restaurant patrons to select more healthful meals and enable people with allergies to avoid certain substances.
Disclosure would also prompt chains to use more wholesome ingredients, said Michael Jacobson, director of Center for Science in the Public Interest. McDonald's and Burger King's recent switch from beef tallow to vegetable oil for frying foods is an example of this, he said.
"Americans have the right to eat healthy or unhealthy foods, but they also have the right to know what they're consuming," said Rep. Stephen J. Solarz (D-N.Y.), who recently introduced legislation requiring fast-food chains to provide ingredient information. The bill, identical to one proposed by Sen. John H. Chafee (R-R.I.) last month, would require restaurants with 10 or more outlets to list ingredients on food wrappers or on a wall poster.
But most industry spokesmen oppose such legislation. Some say consumers have no appetite for ingredient information. Others favor voluntary use of brochures and say that printing information on wrappers is not only costly but impractical.
"With the thousands of combinations of condiments and foods, what would we do? Consumers would need a magnifying glass to read the tiny print on a wrapper," said Wendy's spokeswoman Linda Packer. "We would have to re-do all the packaging and that cost would be passed on to the consumer. Would consumers want to pay a nickel more to read that their burger is made of beef?"
Current law requires that packaged foods sold in grocery stores list ingredients. Last summer, CSPI asked all 50 states to apply the existing packaged food labeling laws to fast food as well. So far, only New York Attorney General Robert Abrams has responded.
Abrams asked fast-food chains to voluntarily supply information to New York residents. McDonald's and Roy Rogers officals agreed recently to make information available within the state for one year on a trial basis. Wendy's and Burger King representatives say plans to provide ingredient brochures nationwide were already under way.
"But I don't see how brochures will change anything," said Burger King representative Jo Hutcherson. "People aren't expecting us to be a health food store."
Nora Zamichow is a writer living in New York who frequently contributes to Health.


text:
BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Thursday said the long queues in front of TCB trucks are exposing the real condition of the country’s people. "You’ll feel the real condition of people seeing the TCB trucks. Long queues are seen every day in front of those trucks,” he told a human chain programme. The BNP leader said even journalists are now lining up around TCB trucks, either wearing masks or covering their faces with mufflers or handkerchiefs. “This is the reality.” Nari O Shishu Odhikar Forum, a platform of BNP, arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club, demanding the withdrawal of ‘false’ cases against its member secretary Nipun Roy. Read: BNP’s 11-day programme to protest price hike Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, said people are struggling to survive and going to the markets of poor people to buy goods at relatively cheaper prices as their real income has declined. “One of our ministers has said when he looks at Dhaka from the sky, he feels like he’s going to Los Angeles, and when he goes to a bathroom in the land, he feels like he’s in Singapore. You please go around the TCB trucks and visit a market of the poor to realise how people are struggling in the country to survive. Stop making such a cruel joke,” he said. The BNP leader said more than 11,000 people have become new millionaires in Bangladesh amid the Covid pandemic. “On the other hand, 32.4 million people have become poorer in the country during this period.” Read: People want a change in politics: GM Quader He said the way the prices of essential items are going up but people cannot cope with it with their earnings. “The prices of all essential items, including rice, pulses, oil, salt, pepper and onion are rising. That’s why we’ve decided to take to the streets in protest against it,” Nazrul said. He called upon all the political parties and professional and other organisations to wage a united movement to protect the inserts of the poor and stop the growing price hike of key commodities.
A long queue of city- dwellers was seen at a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) truck sale on Tuesday morning after the price of onions hiked alarmingly, as India banned export of all kinds of onions 24 hours earlier.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Note III and Galaxy Gear will debut on September 4, exec confirms
Samsung is holding an event on September 4 in Berlin, before the IFA fair gets underway. The company has been widely expected to introduce the Galaxy Note III on this occasion, and there have also been rumors pegging the unveiling of the Galaxy Gear smart watch at the same time too.
Now both of these things have been confirmed to The Korea Times by a Samsung executive. Lee Young-hee (pictured below) is Executive Vice President of Samsung’s mobile business, and she basically admitted that we’ll see the company’s first smart watch on September 4 alongside the Galaxy Note III.
The Galaxy Gear watch will not have a flexible screen, and it seems to be meant more like a test run for wearable technology from the Korean company. It may not get a mass-market release, in fact. It will be targeted at “young trend setters”.
As the smartphone market keeps growing, it will inevitably reach saturation in the near future, so companies such as Samsung need to diversify their offerings in order to keep growing themselves. Tablets are one thing they can invest in, but wearable technology is quickly becoming the most talked about.
Regarding the Galaxy Note III, Lee did not say anything about specs, but these have been leaked countless times so far so we’re not complaining. The clock is ticking, and there are only eight days left until the big Unpacked event.


text:
LAS VEGAS—A casual observer might not give the rankings of search-engine results a second glance, but the thousands of Webmasters who gathered here this week watch their every move.
Figuring out how to legitimately influence those rankings by tweaking site content and technology was the major theme during discussions and sessions at the WebmasterWorld.com World Search Conference.
Search engine marketers and representatives from major search engines, including Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Ask Jeeves Inc., gathered during the three-day event. And it was clear that the cat-and-mouse game between the sites and engines was alive and well.
“As the industry grows theres more at stake, and its getting more sophisticated,” Michael Palka, Ask Jeeves director of product management, said about techniques to influence the engines.
The conflicting interests of marketers and search engines appeared most visible in discussions of the strategies sites use to boost links from other sites in order to gain in link popularity, one of the factors considered in the rankings of major engines.
Search marketers led sessions about developing linking campaigns without going too far into practices such as buying and selling links that search engines consider suspect. Meanwhile, in the small exhibit hall, affiliate marketers and link brokers touted programs to buy and exchange links.
One top search-engine marketer steered Webmasters away from centering link campaigns on purchased links or link exchange with any type of site.
“Dont think that throwing money at link campaigns is an aggressive solution,” said Bruce Clay, president of Bruce Clay Inc., an Internet business consultancy in Moorpark, Calif.
Large numbers of links coming from the same IP address raise a red flag to search engines, which could penalize a site because it suspects an orchestrated exchange of links, Clay said. He also warned Webmasters not to judge links solely by their quantity, especially when comparing a site against its competitors.
“If another site has 500 sites linking to it, that doesnt mean you need 500 links,” Clay said. “You need 40 of the right links.”
Still, links often can make or break a site, particularly when it is new. Links to and from a site help search engines determine how to index and rank it.
“The reality is, especially when starting a new project, you are what your links say you are,” said Greg Boser, president of WebGuerrilla LLC, a search marketing company in Valencia, Calif. “And once you get anchor text on the Web established saying youre one thing, its hard to shift that down the road.”
For the search engines, links often are open to the most abuse. Link spam, where sites create hundreds or thousands of links among each other to game link popularity algorithms, is one of the biggest search-spam problems for Ask Jeeves, Palka said.
He likened a site buying links to a company paying for a good review in The New York Times.
“If you think about it, its like buying reviews,” Palka said in an interview with eWEEK.com. “Our end-user doesnt want a site that is best optimized because [someone] knew how to buy links, but the site thats the best.”
When sites go too far in the tactics they use to boost search rankings, search engines can and do ban them from their results. Then sites have to roll back their optimization techniques to fit the engines various guidelines and reappear in results.
While they have differences of opinion, the search marketers and search engines at the conference searched for common ground. Webmasters might be jockeying for higher placements in search results, but they also can give search engines some of their best feedback.
“They are passionate about search,” said Tim Mayer, director of product management for Yahoo Search.
He said the communication between Webmasters and Yahoo has improved in the past year, particularly because Yahoo launched an option where sites can pay to ensure that they are included in its Web index. Its paid inclusion program, though, does not impact the relevancy of results, he said.
Yahoos paid-search approach also has stirred controversy as other search engines have moved away from such options.
During one conference session, Palka even joked with the gathered Webmasters after having described how Emeryville, Calif.-based Ask Jeeves had doubled its search market share from the acquisition of Interactive Search Holdings Inc. earlier this year.
“If you participate in algorithmic manipulation, I dont think were large enough [for you],” he quipped.


text:
After an emergency meeting with Volkswagen executives on Wednesday, CEO Martin Winterkorn announced he was resigning. He said it was “in the interests of the company” for him to leave, “even though I am not aware of any wrongdoing on my part.” At the end of last week, it became clear that many of the German car company’s diesel vehicles had been cheating on emissions tests — and spewing pollutants into the air for years.
“I am shocked by the events of the past few days,” Winterkorn added. “Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group.” A new CEO will probably be appointed on Friday, the day when his contract was up for renewal; it’s not certain that Winterkorn will be the only person to leave the company in the next few weeks.
Winterkorn is also “convinced that the Volkswagen Group and its team will overcome this grave crisis.” However, it might be a very long time before Winterkorn’s predicted happy ending becomes a reality.
A day earlier, the Volkswagen scandal got a whole lot bigger when the company admitted that emissions-test-cheating software might have been installed in as many as 11 million cars worldwide. Regulators — who noticed that the company’s diesel cars looked like they complied with Environmental Protection Agency rules regarding nitrogen oxide, but only when the vehicles were being tested — previously thought only about 500,000 cars were affected.
When the car wasn’t being tested for air pollution, it produced as much as 40 times the nitrogen oxide allowed by the EPA, although the car also got better mileage. Nitrogen oxide is a pollutant that can lead to asthma and emphysema — and these cars were pumping it right into the atmosphere without anyone noticing. According to the Guardian, “The rigging of emissions tests may have added nearly a million tons of air pollution by VW cars annually – roughly the same as the UK’s combined emissions for all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture.”
The EPA first noticed that something was wrong last year, which means that Volkswagen knew they were being investigated for emissions problems for a long time before the scandal went international. And, as the EPA complained in a letter to the company last week, Volkswagen’s initial response was “limited.” That has changed significantly in the past few days.
“We have totally screwed up,” Volkswagen’s top executive in the U.S., Michael Horn, told the audience at a launch event for the 2015 Passat in Brooklyn on Monday, an event that was probably less exciting than usual thanks to context and despite the presence of German beer and Lenny Kravitz.
Winterkorn said he was “endlessly sorry” in a video statement posted on Tuesday, before his resignation. “And, to be clear, manipulation and Volkswagen — this must never happen again.’’ He conceded that “at this point, I don’t have the answers to all the questions.”
Some have been skeptical that such a huge ruse could have happened without the CEO knowing – especially at a top-down organization known for micromanagement. One compliance and ethics consultant told the New York Times, “For something of this magnitude, one would expect that the C.E.O. would know, and if he doesn’t know, then he’s willfully ignorant.”
The Justice Department is also opening a criminal inquiry into Volkswagen — the EPA already has its own investigation — and the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee plans on holding a hearing on this matter. The company is recalling all affected cars with Type EA 189 engines that may be equipped with the “defeat device,” which, according to CNN, include the “VW Jetta, Beetle and Golf from 2009 through 2015, the Passat from 2014-2015 as well as the Audi A3.” These cars — which were often marketed as “clean diesel” vehicles — are no longer available for purchase in the U.S. either. Fixing the cars to comply with EPA regulations may make them use up fuel more quickly or give their engines shorter lifespans, making it less likely that U.S. consumers will be compelled to buy them — although all of the bad press from the past few days may have condemned Volkswagen sales to suffer in the U.S. for the next few months anyway.
This definitely isn’t the first time a car company has gotten in trouble with regulators, as the New York Times points out, “the automobile industry, Volkswagen included, had a well-known record of sidestepping regulation and even duping regulators.”
For decades, car companies found ways to rig mileage and emissions testing data. In Europe, some automakers have taped up test cars’ doors and grilles to bolster their aerodynamics. Others have used “superlubricants” to reduce friction in the car’s engine to a degree that would be impossible in real-world driving conditions. Automakers have even been known to make test vehicles lighter by removing the back seats.
Meanwhile, shares in Volkswagen have continued to tumble. In two days, about a third of the company’s value has disappeared. Earlier this summer, Volkswagen became the top car company in the world by global sales, stealing the crown from Toyota, which has dealt with its own recall scandal this past year.
The whole German auto industry — about 20 percent of the country’s exports – is worried about this fiasco. Before the scandal, one in four of new cars sold in Europe were Volkswagens. On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters, “Given the difficult situation, this is about showing complete transparency, clearing up the entire case. … And I hope that the facts will be put on the table as quickly as possible.” Other countries plan on investigating the “clean diesel” cars as well.
The company will set aside $7.3 billion, half a year of profits, to pay for the affected cars to be fixed, as well as all of the fines, civil-lawsuit settlements — nearly 50 have already been filed — and other expenses they might have to deal with soon.
In the far smaller market of random people selling used cars on Craiglist, selling Volkswagens might have already started to become a fool’s errand. Marketwatch talked to a student trying to sell a 2002 Jetta. He hasn’t received a single interested response yet. “Maybe there really is a smear on the brand,” he told a reporter, before adding that he might be stuck with the poor, unloved car forever.
The post has been updated throughout.


text:
Just when we thought we’ve seen it all, NFT Fart jars came along! 90 Day Fiancé reality star Stephanie Matto is moving her “fart business” to the blockchain after being hospitalized for flatulence. Now 5000 fart jars jpegs are available for 0.05 ETH (about $200), so she can possibly net $1 Million!
The Story Behind NFT Fart Jars
Matto has been at it for quite some time. In fact, in a YouTube video posted last month, she claimed to have made $100,000 from her flatulence business. “I feel like I’m the Einstein of fart jars at this point,” she says.
She’s been documenting her fart jar grind on her social media accounts. “I like to get things rolling with some beans, a protein muffin, sometimes a yogurt… some hard-boiled eggs. While I wait for those farts to develop, I like to read,” she said in a “day in the life” video on Instagram in November. Initially, she sold fart jars with flower petals and a hand-written note for $1,000, on sale for 50 percent off. 97 people purchased her unique product!
However, she developed health issues because of her fart-inducing lifestyle. She even had to be hospitalized because of a heart attack scare which turned out to be a gas problem. Some fart creators go the easy way by using sound effects, pre-recorded farts or air-enemas. In Matto’s case, she did everything organically by pumping her body with gas-inducing meals. Following doctor’s orders, she had to step back from her business.
Then, she found a way to pivot her business thanks to NFTs!
According to the site, aside from the 5000 fart jar digital art, she’s also selling 100 tokens that will be redeemable for an actual fart jar. 70 NFTs will get you panties worn by Matto, 30 will get you used lingerie and 10 NFTs are redeemable for jars with an ACTUAL fart! Additionally, NFT holders can access perks like a private Discord channel or meeting Matto over Zoom.
NFT and Fetish Market
Matto’s NFT offering is anchored on the farting fetish, which has been around for the longest time. Thus, even the website is provocative and angled to appeal to this crowd. “Imagine the smell!” the website says. “These NFTs are just as beautiful, unique, and rare as my actual poots! You can practically smell how delightful they are through the screen. Just use your imagination!”
As of press time, her niche-based Discord channel has over 3000 members proving that the NFT and fetish market works. To be fair to Matto, she’s been very transparent to the NFT community. “The FART JAR project has no roadmap,” the website states. “The tokens have clear and obvious utility; if you have a rare ‘redeemable trait,’ the token can be burned for real-life collectibles.”
So no grad plans like a video game or future partnership with other projects. So ironically, her fart jars are a breath of fresh air!


text:
Bavaria AB InBev announced that it will now brew its entire beer production with solar energy. This is a major change for the company and a significant milestone in the fight against climate change.
To announce this news to the world, Corona, the beer that “owns the sun,” launched a series of photos set at the beach. Each image was shot using only the sunlight, and the beer bottle was intentionally kept out of the frame to showcase the refraction of the sunlight.
The resulting series of photography prints is a stunning visual representation of Corona’s commitment to sustainability. The sun shining through the bottle tells the story of Corona’s solar brewing process in a natural and artistic way. It’s a powerful image that is sure to resonate with consumers around the world.


text:
When you hear the words ‘Juicy Couture’, what springs to mind? Velour tracksuits? Bedazzled track pants? Think again. Juicy Couture is back – bold, glam and hotter than ever thanks to their new Hollywood stylist, Jamie Mizrahi (a fashion pro and Juicy addict – second to Paris Hilton obvs!).
Last season, Juicy Couture took to the rooftop garden of the Rockefeller Centre, showing off their latest looks – including a parade of their infamous tracksuits. Attended and given the nod of approval by Paris herself, Juicy has upped its game and is preparing for its runway debut this month.
Not only hitting catwalks as part of their industry comeback, Juicy are bringing a fresh new line of Juicy by Juicy Couture – a brand new label to JD Women’s roster. Doing what they do best, their latest range captures Juicy’s signature L.A. luxe style and covers all the comfies, including cropped hoodies, wide-leg track pants and essential tees for doing downtime in style.
Shop the collection here.
More Articles Like This
JD Women | November 21, 2023


text:
andranik123 - stock.adobe.com
Pre-2020, business-to-business commerce for many companies comprised shuttling paper, faxes and spreadsheets between sales and finance departments. Since the pandemic, those companies either moved to online ordering or plan to build tech stacks to get there.
B2B companies and experts said this transition was well on its way before 2020. But some companies took their time migrating data and processes from manual means to fully automated CRM and B2B e-commerce systems. Those that made progress before businesses temporarily shuttered in 2020 experienced growth, while those that didn't struggled -- and are playing catch-up now.
Some companies braved the pandemic's remote-work complications and upgraded B2B commerce tech stacks midstream during the lockdown. It paid immediate dividends.
Kent Water Sports, based in New London, Ohio, has 10 U.S. facilities and one in China spanning 10 companies and about 20 different brands. Some of Kent's partners are big-box stores, some of them mom-and-pop shops. The company experienced off-the-charts demand for its wakeboards, water skis, life jackets, snowboards and other gear as consumers turned to outdoor activities conducive to social distancing.
Kent updated its ordering and payments process for its partner distributors by adding Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce to its tech stack, transitioning from an older Microsoft app during the course of 2020. Kent had grown over the years through acquiring companies and brands, so building a unified B2B e-commerce system included the twist that some of the brands it owned still nominally competed with each other. Some of the brands also sell direct to consumers.
"In March and April 2020, it was looking really doom and gloom -- we had some of our big customers postponing and canceling orders," said Rhett Thompson, Kent Water Sports director of IT.
Within weeks, not only did many of the orders get reinstated, but additional orders came in on top of that.
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need to be and can be more resilient and flexible. Here is a compilation of stories that tackle how to seize opportunities for growth and change, responding to new customer expectations, building collaboration in the workplace, and supporting the office of the future.Download now
"People realized they can social distance out on the water. We started to see our sales skyrocket, and from May onward we had record months every single month," Thompson said. "It was pandemonium ... at one stage we had to turn off our e-commerce sites because we couldn't take the volume of shipping."
B2B e-commerce poised for massive growth
Forrester Research projected that many B2B companies either have invested or plan to invest in consumer-like e-commerce sites. B2B e-commerce will represent $1.8 trillion, or 17% of all U.S. B2B sales by 2023. That figure represents self-service e-commerce only, where customers enter their own orders into a website or app.
But that's not the whole story. When sales rep-assisted orders are taken into account, where the rep enters the order into the same e-commerce site on behalf of a customer, e-commerce today equals the sales numbers of traditional offline channels: Each account for 42% of U.S. annual B2B sales, which currently adds up to more than $10 trillion.
Sales reps are doing that more and more at Kent Water Sports because it tends to be more straightforward than dealing with the company's ERP system, Thompson said. Some customers skip the rep altogether and place orders themselves because it's a much better experience than the previous method, which involved sending an email or encrypted spreadsheet to their rep. The design team likes it, because they can build consistent e-commerce user experiences for each brand and consolidate on one back end.
"It's one of those things that, before you had it, people didn't ask about it, but as soon as you got it and there's a problem they complain about it and all of a sudden it's a big issue," Thompson said. "That's a double-edged sword for the IT department, but overall it's been a big timesaver for us."
Farmer Boy B2B e-commerce site seeds new business
The events of 2020 forced B2B e-commerce modernization, partly to benefit customer experience but also to decrease procurement costs, according to data from digital agency Capgemini in a report last month based on surveys of 650 B2B sellers in February and September 2020 -- before and after most coronavirus lockdowns.
Customers now want consumer-like personalized, self-service experiences; subscription choices for repeat orders; loyalty programs; and self-service ordering. Not only that, but their preferences split upon generational lines, making personalization more crucial. For example, millennials want either completely digital ordering processes or have a sales rep visit them in person. Baby Boomers prefer talking to salespeople on the phone. Generation Xers are fairly split on that, but their preferences lean toward the millennials'. Regardless of generation, 42% of respondents indicated they would not return to a supplier if it didn't provide adequate insight into inventory levels or up-to-date product data.
Rhett ThompsonDirector of IT, Kent Water Sports
Farmer Boy, a farm supply and construction materials chain with four locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois that caters to both consumers and farm businesses, attracted new customers nationwide after it set up an e-commerce site from BigCommerce in June 2020.
"We were definitely becoming more of a national company before we launched our website, but since we launched, we are selling in the continental 48 states and into Canada," said Brian Marquette, Farmer Boy digital marketing manager. "Our sales -- and [sales footprint] -- have grown. We're doing a lot of business down South and in the Southwest, all across the country now."
Having an e-commerce site gave Farmer Boy the opportunity to capture business they otherwise wouldn't have, Marquette said. As other outlets selling similar goods to farms closed or lost business because they weren't set up for online ordering and their customers didn't want to shop in-person, Farmer Boy grew by building a digital ordering experience.
While Farmer Boy still is in the process of setting up more granular analytics, the company can confirm that site traffic is up at least 40% as of December 2020, and sales are also up by double digits -- a trend that continues into 2021.
The next step in the company's e-commerce technology rollout, Marquette said, involves updating content on their copious product pages. That includes checks for accurate descriptions. More than that, they plan to add product dimensions where they aren't already there and supplemental content such as videos and user manuals.
"We don't want to lose them when they pick that page," Marquette said. "We want them to know exactly what they're getting."
While many B2B companies knew in theory that they needed to update their ordering processes prior to 2020, the pandemic showed what needed to be done, Constellation Research analyst Nicole France said. That knowledge drives rapid investment in both B2B e-commerce technology and the business processes to support it.
"It shouldn't have been the case that things were hard to buy, or it's hard to get service, or it's hard to have follow-up conversations -- but it's way more obvious now where those gaps are," France said. "After being a low priority, e-commerce is suddenly a really big thing."
Pandemic drives new B2B e-commerce capabilities
Customer experience platform vendors changed their product roadmaps in 2020 to accommodate B2B users' needs to build e-commerce sites and mobile apps. Salesforce users needed "bite-sized innovations" they could quickly stand up, such as Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS), said Lidiane Jones, Salesforce EVP of Commerce Cloud. Salesforce focused on delivering tools that enabled users to quickly open up new channels for ordering and delivery.
Salesforce B2C users were ahead of most B2B users in their e-commerce operations, Jones said. While 2020 was about B2B operations embracing technology to stay in business, the focus in 2021 is on improving usability. While B2C users experienced big growth spurts as the lockdowns took hold around March 2020, B2B users didn't get their bump until the fourth quarter.
Jones anticipates more growth as B2B users set up means for sales reps to place e-commerce orders on behalf of their customers and offer more subscription options.
"[Salesforce users] who have a better understanding of their customers fare well, and will continue to fare well," Jones said. "We believe a good data strategy for customer-centric commerce is the way of the future."
Adobe also invested in commerce tools for B2B users to simplify their adoption. Both Salesforce and Adobe see B2B users deepening the relationship between marketing and e-commerce content, forging connections where there hadn't been.
The accelerator for this might be a headless approach that decouples content from the marketing or e-commerce front-end applications, said Haresh Kumar, Adobe Experience Manager head of strategy and product marketing.
"Commerce has a bit of complexity," he said. "Commerce content -- what's the price? What's the product description? Those were sitting in the commerce engine. Marketing stuff was sitting in the content management system. [Traditionally,] you'd have to merge them together. A headless approach helps a lot in the creation of these experiences."
As the COVID-19 pandemic draws to a close, B2B e-commerce stacks will likely grow in stature and priority for many businesses. They're no longer a nice-to-have, but bedrock IT systems. Traditionally, both B2B and B2C businesses viewed e-commerce as its own profit center, accounting for its own slice of the sales pie. Soon, most sales will begin with e-commerce as offline order-taking processes become obsolete.
"We left a lot of money on the table because we weren't set up for [e-commerce]," said Kent Water Sports' Thompson. "For big customers, like Costco, we were, but we were relying on their e-commerce engines."


text:
Manila Bulletin | 13 November 2017
ASEAN signs FTA, investment deal with HKC
By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat and Ellson Quismorio
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Hong Kong, China (HKC) yesterday signed free trade and investment agreements, the sixth economic deal entered into by the 10-member countries aimed at further strengthening trade and economic relations between the two parties.
The ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) and ASEAN – Hong Kong Investment Agreement (AHKIA) were inked Sunday, Nov. 12, at the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.
The two agreements are part of the region’s continuing efforts in expanding external economic relations to foster greater trade opportunities for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
“This will open more opportunities for ASEAN as we ensure greater market access for our products and sustained flow of foreign direct investments (FDI),” said Secretary Ramon Lopez, this year’s Chairperson of the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM).
Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China where ASEAN also has an existing FTA, is one of the world’s leading trade powerhouses and the sixth largest trading partner of ASEAN, making the trade and investment deals strategic for both economies, particularly for the micro, small and medium enterprises in the region.
“We’re proud to present – Hong Kong as the gateway to mainland China,” Lopez said.
“Through these two agreements, I am confident that ASEAN and Hong Kong can unlock together the tremendous potential of regional economic integration and foster a more open opportune environment for our people and the generations to come.”
For his part, Edward Yau Tang-wah, China secretary for commerce and economic development, said: “In the face of protectionistic sentiments in other parts of the world, these two agreements are in fact a loud and clear vote from all of us here for freer and more open trade.”
Lopez shared that these agreements would provide job opportunities for people and enhance collaboration among businesses, particularly the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
The AHKFTA covers trade in goods, rules of origin, non-tariff measures, customs procedures and trade facilitation, trade remedies, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade in services, intellectual property rights, and economic and technical cooperation.
In the case of the Philippines (PH), which is an advocate of establishing an inclusive and innovative region, the deals provide more opportunities for MSMEs as well as to the country’s export industries given HKC’s role as gateway to the China market and their annual tourist arrivals.
For the first eight months of 2017, HKC was PH’s third top export destination with US$5.55 billion worth of exports equivalent to 13.18 percent of the country’s total exports. Meanwhile, approved investments from HKC for the first semester of 2017 amounted to $10.74 million, making it the 12th source of investments of the country.
AHKFTA is ASEAN’s sixth FTA with external partners, after ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA), ASEAN-Korea FTA (AKFTA), ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP), ASEAN-India FTA (AIFTA), and ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA).
Lopsided ASEAN benefit hit
While ASEAN has been touted as an economic force to reckon with globally, the private sector in the region yesterday hit at the exclusivity of growth in favor of the large corporations and putting the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at their mercy, and stressed that this situation cannot just be tolerated.
This was pointed out by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC) at the opening of the 2017 ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS), the private business sector counterpart of the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit here in Manila.
“It’s a challenge, you can see the world is controlled by a few people, large corporations still dominate that sector. It cannot just be the big guys growing and small guys staying where they are. Prosperity for all will be severely challenged,” said ASEAN-BAC Chair Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III.
He also lamented the lack of inclusivity amid the much-vaunted growth and potential for the 10 ASEAN-member countries which are currently meeting here for the 50th founding anniversary of the region.
“Inclusivity in our growth, this is a problem I see in ASEAN. How can we make our MSMEs go up the value chain,” pointed out Concepcion as the major issue of the region’s MSMEs.
For instance, he said, SMEs account for 99.6 percent of Philippine business and yet the economy is controlled by a few powerful large companies.
The challenge, he stressed, is how to make the rest of the businessmen become part the growing economy.
To ensure the MSMEs become part of this growth, ASEAN-BAC is putting up a program to give everyone a chance to become successful entrepreneurs.
“It cannot just be the big guys growing and small guys staying where they or else prosperity for all will be severely challenged,” he added.
As such, the ASEAN-BAC will launch today the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurship Network (AMEN) which aims to establish a system to certify a mentors’ pool that would eventually lead a mentors’ academy to shepherd MSMEs and ensure their success.
AMEN seeks to have a pool of more than a thousand mentors from all ASEAN countries who will guide MSMEs to success. There are 143 pioneer mentors to be launched today. The Philippines has over 500 mentors already engaged.
‘One Belt, One Road’
Concepcion on Sunday praised China for its “One Belt, One Road” initiative, which he said the Philippines should try to emulate on a local level.
“I think as we are focusing on helping our micro and small entrepreneurs, China’s program on infrastructure development with the One Belt, One Road is creating better connectivity making all the nations able to reach out in terms of transporting people and goods,” he said.
“I think that is where we can follow China’s strategy,” Concepcion said.
China’s One Belt, One Road program aims to improve the country’s connectivity with the rest of the world by tapping both a physical and maritime road for economic cooperation. These traverse land routes through Central Asia to Europe; to the Middle East, and Southeast Asia; and sea routes connecting Chinese ports to Europe and to the South Pacific.


text:
Eat Your Greens
28 Jan 2009
Germany’s federal environment agency has strongly urged the nation’s citizens to revise their meat-eating habits in order to lessen their impact on the health of the planet, recommending a more Mediterranean diet and a return to the pre-war custom of reserving meat-based meals for special occasions only.
While consumption has fallen from an average 64 kg a head in 1991 to 58.7 kg today, Germans remain among Europe’s biggest meat eaters, obtaining around 39 percent of their total calorie intake from meat and meat products. Health concerns are believed to be the main reason for the drop.
Andreas Troge, president of UBA, the government’s advisory body on environmental issues, stated that agriculture is responsible for around 15 percent of Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions and that meat production is their most energy-intensive form of farming.
Troge’s comments have been criticized by some farming experts and politicians. Edmund Geisen, agricultural adviser to the liberal Free Democrats, commented: ‘Andreas Troge should stop trying to damage the nation’s appetite by discrediting agricultural production… our enlightened consumers should decide for themselves what they want to eat.’
However, Germany’s vegetarian association, VeBu, welcomed the move. ‘It’s good to see politicians are finally waking up to the fact that the amount of meat we eat is unsustainable,’ said Hilmar Steppat of VeBu. The number of vegetarians in Germany has increased from 0.4 percent in 1983 to around 10 percent today.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, though other experts believe this figure is too high. The high greenhouse impact of meat production is due to the use of chemicals to grow feed, transport fuels, and the potent greenhouse gas methane from cattle and sheep.
Blog & news
Change the world through food
Learn how you can restore ecosystems, communities and your own health with our RegenerAction Toolkit.