text:
For families whose loved ones suffer an accident on ships sailing the high seas, it isn’t an option to sue cruise lines for physical or emotional losses, even when the companies are at fault.
The “Hammers’ Law,” sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), aims to challenge the status quo. Named after two victims who lost their lives to a fire on a Peruvian river cruise in 2016, the bill would expand the compensation families can pursue from cruise lines in cases of on-board accidents.
The bill gained support from the American Association for Justice, a group representing trial attorneys across the country. Lobbyists backed by powerful cruise lines, however, have blocked similar efforts for years.
The bill would amend the near-century-old Death on the High Seas Act, which was designed to give the relatives of deceased seamen the right to remedy. Under the current law, families may only claim compensation for losses that are of precise monetary value except in cases of an aviation accident.
Fischer’s bill comes from a section in the Cruise Passenger Protection Act sponsored by other lawmakers over the years in response to on-board incidents such as thefts, rapes and deaths. The bill aimed to enhance safety protection and expand passenger rights, but the efforts never came to fruition.
Former Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) co-sponsored the bill in 2013, arguing that the cruise line industry sometimes treats travelers “with shocking callousness and disregard.” A statement from the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group representing more than 50 member cruise lines worldwide, later dismissed his safety concerns as presenting a “distorted picture” of the industry.
The trade group says the cruise industry is highly regulated and “cruise travel is decidedly safer than most forms of transportation.” The number of “operational incidents,” it says, dropped by 37 percent from 2009 to 2018.
Government statistics tell a different story. From 2016 to 2018, reported on-board criminal activities rose from 92 to 120.
Rockefeller’s bill died in 2014 in the Senate Commerce Committee he chaired. Both Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Cruises spent hundreds of thousands on lobbying as they focused on passenger safety issues that year, quarterly reports show.
Similar efforts to champion the legislation in the following years stalled in both chambers, as cruise line companies poured in millions to lobby the Hill.
The cruise industry trade group, whose PAC attracted large donations from major cruise line employees, has been active in arranging fly-ins to connect company executives and politicians at its annual Congressional Cruise Caucus.
The group spent $1 million in the first half of this year to sway the Congress on Fischer’s bill and tax issues, quarterly reports show. The organization didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise company, has spent $400,000 on lobbying this year. Royal Caribbean Cruises ranks second at $357,000.
American Association for Justice, the only organization lobbying in favor of the “Hammers’ Law,” poured in $1.35 million in the second quarter to lobby on multiple issues including Fischer’s bill.
The Death on the High Seas Act was designed to compensate families losing a wage earner and needs to be updated to “reflect the modern travel,” said Sue Steinman, a spokeswoman on behalf of the organization. AAJ has backed similar efforts expanding the right to remedy in the past, she said, and Hammers’ Law is “supportable” for that purpose.
The trial attorney association’s PAC contributed a total of $13,000 to several members on the Senate Commerce Committee during the 2020 cycle thus far.
In the meantime, major cruise lines have also given money to key lawmakers sitting on the committee.
One of the co-sponsors of Rockefeller’s 2013 bill, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D-Conn.) received $14,300 from American Cruise Lines since the 2015 election cycle. Carnival Cruise Lines gave $10,700 to the committee’s ranking member, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), during the same period of time, and the cruise line trade group gave $13,500 to committee member Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).
For the current cycle, the trade group’s political action committee contributed $2,000 to committee chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and $2,500 to committee member Sen. Dan Sullivan’s (R-Alaska) leadership PAC, True North PAC. Fischer, who’s sponsoring Hammers’ Law, received $1,500 from Micky Arison, chairman of the Carnival Corp board.
Executives of Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines and their family members have given a combined $42,400 this year to Fischer, Wicker, Sullivan and his PAC, as well as Cantwell.
Sullivan, who cited possible damages to Alaska’s tourism economy and helped kill a proposed tax increase on cruise companies in 2017, has received the most money among his peers from the cruise ships and lines industry during the 2020 election cycle.
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month.
To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We’re dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
To ensure we stay out of the red by the end of the year, we have a long way to go. Our future is threatened.
We’ve stayed online over two decades thanks to the support of our readers. Because you believe in the power of our work, share our transformative stories, and give to keep us going strong, we know we can make it through this tough moment.
At this moment, we have 48 hours left in our important fundraising campaign, and we still must raise $28,000. Please consider making a donation today.


text:
When Apple introduced its pay-by-smartphone feature last year , the company touted the simplicity of the setup. All shoppers needed to do was wave their iPhones in front of a special scanner at the cash register – no need to fumble through pockets and purses for plastic cards or identification.
But a sharp rise in reports of fraudulent Apple Pay transactions is now raising questions about the security of the first mobile payment system to find a measure of popular success. One payments analyst, Cherian Abraham, estimated that as many as 6 per cent of Apple Pay purchases are completed with stolen credit cards, or 60 times the rate of the old-fashioned plastic swipe.
The problem is Apple Pay may be too simple to set up, security analysts said. Fraudsters have been loading stolen cards onto iPhones to buy things in shops. As it turns out, it may have been better if Apple Pay required users to do more to prove their identities when they sign up for the service, these experts said.
(Source: The Sydney Morning Herald Online )

domain: news


text:
The Food Standards Agency has published the first set of industry results from beef products that have been tested for the presence of horse DNA.
Out of 2,501 results, 2,472 (almost 99 per cent) were negative for the presence of horse DNA at or above the level of one per cent.
Twenty nine samples, relating to seven products, were positive for the presence of undeclared horse meat at or above a level of one per cent.
At least 950 tests are still in progress
The 29 positive results all relate to seven products that have already been reported and where the food business and the FSA have already taken appropriate action to remove the products from sale and notify consumers.
The FSA said it had been working with trade bodies in the food industry to collate these results as quickly as possible, to get an accurate picture of the testing being carried out across the UK food chain.
Announcing the results, FSA Chief Executive Catherine Brown said: ‘Since this incident began on January 16, businesses have been carrying out a large number of tests.
“We said that industry should share those results with us, and the public, and we asked for the first results to be with us today.
“The results so far date from when businesses began their testing four weeks ago.“
“For consumers, it shows that in the vast majority of cases the results so far are showing that no horse DNA is present in the foods tested. But this is still far from the full picture and we expect industry to continue to supply us with regular updates on their testing regime.
“We’ve asked industry to test for horse DNA down to a level of 1 per cent. There are two reasons for this. First, that’s a pragmatic level above which we think any contamination would be due to either gross incompetence or deliberate fraud; it’s not going to be accidental. Second, some laboratories can only test accurately down to a level of 1 per cent.”
‘Further results are expected over the coming weeks and the FSA will publish another update this time next week.”


text:
Trade ties with South Australia to increase
By Xie Chuanjiao in Qingdao, Shandong ( China Daily )
More premium products and services are expected to flow into the Chinese market, following the signing of several trade agreements between South Australia and Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province.
The agreements will spur exports of Australian wine and food products to China, said industry experts. Earlier this week a large trade mission from South Australia, led by Jay Weatherill, the premier of South Australia, and 250 businessmen and government officials visited Qingdao, and some other cities in Shandong.
China is already South Australia's largest export market, accounting for 28 percent of the state's two-way trade. On Wednesday, a number of agreements on cooperation in fields including science and technology, economy and trade, and culture, were inked between South Australia and Qingdao
"The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement - signed last year by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and President Xi Jinping - will stimulate new opportunities," said Weatherill, while speaking at the South Australia-Qingdao Investment and Trade Promotion Seminar on Wednesday. He said South Australian businesses must take advantage of the massive opportunities in China or risk being left behind.
"We hope to expand cooperation with Qingdao in many sectors like premium food and wine, services, mining, agribusiness and infrastructure," said Weatherill.
In mining and energy, the state has nearly 70 percent of Australia's known copper resources, 80 percent of its uranium and almost 30 percent of its gold. "There are several investment opportunities in South Australia, especially to invest to develop graphite, kaolin, manganese, nickel, tin, silver, lead and zinc," said Weatherill.
Qingdao Cheers Wines Co recently acquired a stake in a large winery near Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and acquired one of its brands. The company now imports wine from Australia to China.
In yet another sign of growing cooperation, the two sides also set up an Australia-China cross-border merchandise display (logistics) center in the Qingdao bonded zone.
Craig Katz, founder of Purus Group, an international trading business from South Australia, said his company is supplying products like Coopers beer, Bickfords soft drinks, Nippys juices, Beerenberg jams, Lucky Kangaroo wine and Kangaroo Paw olive oil, to the center.
"The channel will make it easier for us to launch high-end products for the middle-class Chinese customers. For the customers, safety is of paramount importance, but they are also driven by the desire to explore and experience new things," Katz said.
"More importantly, the channel will help introduce our products to Chinese customers in the lead up to the free trade agreement taking effect, following which they will see further product price reductions," Katz said.
AQUAessence, a renowned producer of premium quality bottled water from South Australia, is looking to partner with a Chinese firm that has access to overseas distribution. "We are offering up to 49 percent ownership of the business," said Tony Gasparini, the company's managing director.


text:
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University has finalized the logistics surrounding the Thursday, Oct. 31, home football game, including discounted tickets for faculty and staff who want to stay and attend the game.
Photos and Soundslides by Robert Hubner, WSU Photo Services
PULLMAN – Catch a quick photo tour of summer construction at the WSU Pullman and Vancouver campuses.
Below is a photo gallery of the WSU Vancouver applied technology building that is currently under construction. The first photo captured at 8:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2, from a live cam at the site.
Construction on the Applied Technology Building began Dec. 14, 2009, and is scheduled for completion on Sept. 15, 2011. The building will feature 56,000 square feet of space, and will provide research and teaching space in computer sciences and electrical engineering. To … » More …
PULLMAN – The CUB is offering a free parking validation service to its evening patrons.
Customers visiting the CUB after 5 p.m. who make a retail purchase of $8 or more may present their receipt to the information desk, where they will receive a parking validation coupon.
The parking validation coupons are valid in the Smith Center (CUE) parking garage only and cover the $2 cost of parking. The coupons are valid for the date of purchase only and customers need to enter the parking garage after 5 p.m. to receive free parking.
The purpose of the “After 5” parking campaign is … » More …
WSU pedestrian mall areas have been expanded, and drivers are reminded that unauthorized vehicles can be fined for driving in the areas, even to drop off passengers.
Library Road pedestrian mall has been extended north to the old Bookie building. Wilson Road from Stadium Way to the CUB has been converted to a pedestrian mall.
Access is restricted to vehicles displaying disability permits, departmental permits, mall service permits, commercial permits or exempt license plates. Vehicles without proper authorization will be subject to traffic infraction or parking fines ($124 and $100 respectively).
People needing vehicle access to pedestrian malls may contact Parking … » More …
PULLMAN – WSU Parking and Transportation Services will be offering annual campus parking permit renewals for 2008/2009 on the Web.
Eligible annual permit holders will be contacted via a MyWSU portal notice and a post card mailing that will direct them to the WSU Parking and Transportation Web site for the renewal, which is expected to start on March 25. The permit by Web renewal process is easy and takes as few as six clicks to complete.
Due to some changes in the parking zones, permit holders are encouraged to review the Zone Choices Map before renewing … » More …
Parking zone comments solicited
The parking and transportation task force is inviting public comment on proposed parking zone changes that, if implemented, would take effect prior to the start of the fall 2008 semester.
The university community can review the proposed changes and submit comments ONLINE @ www.wsu.edu/parking.
or more information, contact Chris Boyan, 335-2950.
Mom’s Weekend luau (Photo by WSU Photo Services)
Mom’s weekend calendar deadline Feb. 26
Mom’s Weekend is April … » More …
If the weather permits, 12 new outdoor tennis courts across Fairway Drive to the south of the Student Recreation Center will be opening during the second or third week in May, according to Louise Sweeney, a project manager for capital planning and development. “All that’s left to do is apply the acrylic” top coating, she said. “Right now it’s still asphalt and too rough to play on.” The courts need about five coats of acrylic for a smooth finish. Before the acrylic can be applied, workers need about 10 days of nice weather above 50 degrees, she said. When the courts do open, the public … » More …
Parking permits are available for purchase or renewal online through May 31. For people who participated in Phase two, it is now time to go back online and purchase the 2007/2008 parking permit you requested, according to Chris Boyan, administrative and outreach manager for Parking Services. The deadline to purchase a requested permit or renew an existing permit is May 31. Based on availability, a permit choice may not be available to purchase, but people can still renew their current permit during this phase. To do this, visit www.wsu.edu/parking/.To renew a current permit, log on with your WSU Network ID.If you do not remember your WSU … » More …


text:
Business analytics need to become easier to use in the future as Australia is faced with an analytics skills shortage that will not go away, according to a Gartner Business Intelligence (BI) and Information Management Summit panel discussion.
Chaired by Gartner analyst, Ian Bertram, the panel included representatives from Oracle, Qlikview and SAP.
Bertram asked the panel if most organisations would struggle to recruit the necessary talent to meet their business analytic objectives.
Oracle product management BI vice-president, Paul Rodwick, said that enterprises were stealing talent from each other, especially in Australia where there had been less of a financial downturn.
“What’s going to happen is that over time more people will be educated in analytics, so there is a larger population that can take care of this but right now it is supply and demand. Demand is much higher than supply,” Rodwick said.
Qlikview global field marketing vice-president, Henry Seddon, agreed but said the industry should make it easier for people who aren’t analytics “rocket scientists” to use the products. “We should put the tools in the business user’s hands in the same way that we do with Google. If you can Google search about Big Data, why can’t you do that within the business?” he said.
SAP BI global vice-president, Adam Binnie, added that if an organisation has to spend hours finding data, then they would always be short of resources.
The panel was then asked if a data warehouse was still essential.
Seddon told delegates that building a data warehouse took too long and the business had moved on by the time it was complete. “Business changes every second and you can’t spend that time building a data warehouse because the business needs data volume now,” he said.
Rodwick disagreed, however, and said that a data warehouse was essential for analytics purposes. “Every single enterprise organisation should have a data warehouse strategy so you can get the right data quality,” he said. “An organisation that has no data warehouse and everything is Excel spread marks is not a good thing.”
The panel then discussed if support for BI use on mobile devices would become a standard feature.
Binnie said that mobility technology needed to be made available to workers for this to happen. “This is where you are going to have to deliver analytics in order to make a difference to a company,” he said.
Seddon agreed and said that people who use iPads expect BI applications to be delivered to them immediately. “Business users are already creating their own app and distributing it on a service so other users can download it,” he said.
Bertram then put forward the prediction that by 2014, 30 per cent of organisations will include social networking analytics in decision making processes.
Rodwick agreed to some extent, but pointed out that some organisations were nowhere near implementing social networking analytics. “There are a lot of natural resources in Australia. Is that [social networking analytics] going to be a top priority for the mining industry? I doubt it,” he said.
Seddon said that while the prediction was true for enterprises, small to medium businesses (SMBs) would not be near the 30 per cent target.
“For many businesses, it’s ‘Should we buy this truck or do analytics?’ It’s about priorities and doing more with less,” he said.
Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU


text:
Hi there this is Mudassir, and today Xiaomi launch the most awaited Mi notebook laptop series in India. Priced at around 42000 for the base variant of Mi notebook 14 and 60000 for the maxed out variant of Mi notebook 14 Horizon edition, they are all set to capture Indian laptop market.
Both the laptops come with 14″ edge to edge display which Xiaomi calls the horizon display. The screen is covered with an antiglare coating for better viewing experience. Both the series have stereo speakers and metallic body. Xiaomi claims it to be airplane grade alloy of aluminium and magnesium.
Powered by Intel 10th generation chipset, mi notebook 14 edition is limited to i5 processor only while horizon edition shoots upto i7.
Both the series comes with 8gb of DDR4 RAM and SSD support from 256GB – 512GB.
The maxed out edition of horizon series comes with graphics card for gamers. Though the laptop isn’t designed for heavy gaming, but can handle casual gaming, video editing and photo editing very well.
With a 46 Wh battery, it can easily last around 10 hours, and whenever low on juice, it can be charged with the 45 watt massive fast charger which can charge it upto 50% in about 35 minutes.
It will go on sale from 17th June and users can buy it from mi.com, Amazon.in, mi home, etc. Having a HDFC credit card can avail you extra discount of ₹2000/-
For the full in depth review, watch the video on YouTube.


text:
With consumers reining in their spending on all but essential purchases, the BRC said total sales in March were down 1.9 per cent on a year ago in the biggest decline since the start of the trade body’s monthly survey in 1995.
The earlier timing of Easter last year had a major bearing on the figures but the BRC said it was clear consumers did not want to spend ‘unless they really had to’, despite a growing number of special offers.
It also warned that weaker retailers may not be able to carry on if such low levels of spending continue, sparking fears of a bloodbath on the high street.
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at survey partner KPMG, said: "We have seen an emergence of new, lower spending patterns since the middle of January, which are currently continuing to trend downwards.
"Many retailers will not be able to sustain this ongoing weakness in demand beyond the short-term and are hoping for some good news around the extended bank holiday period and a feel-good factor driven by the royal wedding."
Retailers have issued a string of gloomy updates in recent weeks, with Mothercare, HMV and Currys and PC World parent Dixons Retail all warning on profits.


text:
TV fans on the lookout to upgrade their entertainment setup can get the swanky new device for nothing
It’s all go at Samsung, in just a few days the brand has launched an epic seven-day secret code and huge trade-in deals that’ll get you hundreds off a new S24 phone and Galaxy Tab S9 if you hand over your old devices. And that’s not it, the latest deal will give all eager TV upgraders a free soundbar… and it’s worth more than £600.
It’s a freebie deal almost too good to miss, anyone who needs a major TV overhaul and buys one of its 8K devices will get an S800B Ultra Slim Lifestyle Soundbar with a Subwoofer (this will make your movie or series feel a lot more immersive) thrown into the basket for free, that a £649 device for nothing
The catch? Well, with any TV deal like this you have to expect to part with some pennies, the downside for some eager fans is it is only available on three of Samsung’s snazziest (and heavy on the wallet) models. That’s the 8K Neo QLED HDR smart TV models: The QN900C, QN700C, and the QN800C.
READ MORE: Ninja air fryer that ‘cuts 75% off bills’ drops to cheapest price if you use this trick at checkout
READ MORE: ‘Luck of the draw’ £20 deal could be the cheapest way to get Samsung’s newest Galaxy S9 tablet
It’s the first time this year we’ve seen Samsung launch a free soundbar, usually a popular freebie during the pre-Christmas sales. However, eager users should be prepared to pay anything from £2,000 to get the device. Nonetheless, it’s a no-brainer deal if you already had one of the 8K TV models on your wishlist to buy.
With 8K screens, Neo QLED, HDR, the sets comes with one of the best picture qualities out there (and we’re not just saying that), the contrast is down to a tee, with peak brightness levels that’ll let you windown in a cinema-like room without feeling like you need to switch a light on to see.
Anyone who doesn’t quite believe the quality you get for the price (be it still a hefty amount to pay) only needs to take a quick look at LG’s new 8K model, the Z2. With its high quality OLED display this will cost shoppers around £10,000 – and no, there’s no free soundbar thrown into the mix.
Samsung hasn’t just cut its prices on TV, in fact it is currently running a seven-day sale thanks to its sneak discount code. Pasting the code ‘7DAYS’ into the checkout will get you an extra 10% off the price on select products, with the S24 and S23 phones included in the offer.
If you’re on more of a budget this 43 inch smart LG TV is currently £219.99 at Currys.


text:
Left: Rita wears a jacket by Gucci. Right: Rita wears a jacket and swimsuit by Prada and sunglasses by Cutler and Gross.
21-year-old Roc nation artist Rita Ora recently featured in i-D magazine’s ‘The Whatever The Weather Issue‘. The model and singer posed for the issue in a range of designers including: Gucci, Prada and Chanel accompanied by a red bold lip. Scott Trindle photographed the shoot while i-D Fashion Editor Caroline Newell took it to the stars with the artistic direction. See more pics and the behind the scenes footage below!
Rita wears a top and knickers by Chanel and sunglasses by Cutler and Gross.
Photos courtesy of i-D online


text:
The Brewers of Sweden should be very happy.
Their beer exports are up 44 per cent for the first eight months of 2008. But this is an example of needing to look beneath the surface.
In the same press release giving the positive figures, their CEO points out that this is not the result of Swedish beer conquering foreign markets. No, most of the beers end up in the border shops in Germany.
What kind of shops are we talking about ? For decades there have been warehouse-like no frills shops in Northern Germany, usually within spitting distance of the Danish border or a ferry terminal. You can buy a few discount food items here, but the main focus is on cheap booze. Wine and hard liquor, sure, but the main thing has been beer. Hard discount German brands are available, but their most prominent lines have been Danish beers. Domestic policies in Denmark used to ban canned beer, though there was en exception when it came to beers for export.
In Denmark you consume beer in large quantities, so within a few years, a significant part of the beer was sent to Germany just to be picked up by Danish shoppers on day trips. Large parts of Denmark are within a few hours drive from the border, the quotas age generous, and while the savings were not enormous, the satisfaction of saving a few kroner in taxes seemed to eclipse the price of petrol or ferry tickets.
It has taken some time, but now the market has reacted to the price gap between Germany and Sweden. The consumers are not content with the Danish prices, they drive a few hours extra to get their booze even cheaper. The Swedish Brewers are no longer content with watching their market disappear, and they have done a sensible move to get back some of their share.
There are reasons for Sweden (and Norway) having strict alcohol laws and high taxes, and the temperance movement still has a grip on both political parties and the government apparatus.
At the same time, it is time to face that we live in an age where people move around in large numbers. Thousands of people commute across the borders in Scandinavia. The Øresund bridge between Malmö and Copenhagen means that the two cities have, for may purposes, merged. It is blue eyed to believe that you can continue your domestic policies as if nothing has happened. It is even more blue eyed to think you can increase the difference – the Swedish beer taxes will be increasing next year. A 50 cl can costs less then 4 Swedish kroner in Germany, more than 10 in Sweden. No wonder they buy in bulk quantities and that the black market is growing.
The politicians can dream about the good old days when domestic policies were decided at home. Well, it is time to wake up. And one thing is for sure – there are no politicians who dare to propose a tenfold increase in customs and police staff at the borders. We need to have open borders for people to go on with their legitimate daily lives. That means, in the long run, we have to adjust. Or, obviously, we can breed a mafia specializing in smuggling consumer goods which are legal in other contexts. You can be sure that they will use the network for more dubious goods as well.
I don’t usually spend much time whining about the prices of the cheapest canned lager. But this has implications for the high end of the beer market, too. And at a time when all politicians left, right and center are competing to be the greenest, having policies where breweries truck their beers over several borders just for the consumers to drive the same way to bring them back again makes very little sense. But maybe it’s just me not getting the point.


text:
Failing 7 subjects in high-school doesn’t stop you from being a successful entrepreneur
Another high-school dropout story that you shouldn’t miss.
Ten years ago, Han Han was regarded as the symbol of rebellious teenagers in China. He failed seven out of nine subjects in his tenth grade and had to drop out of school to be a professional writer. But he soon rose up as a celebrity blogger because of his opinionate posts against Chinese education system and constant argument with established authors who’re decades older than he was.
However, ten years later, now we see him becoming a successful entrepreneur with his content recommendation application ONE App.
On Thursday, ONE App announced that it had received RMB 60 million (USD 9.1 million) from China Growth Capital as part of its Series A financing.
ONE App is a digital magazine launched three years ago by Han Han. He has already been labeled as influential Chinese author, director, and race car driver who was named one of the top 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine. Strongly driven by Han Han’s personal brand, the app currently has 30 million users and over one million daily readers.
The app was developed based on the idea that “one is enough”. It provides users with only one article, one photo collection, one Q&A and one product every day, which differentiates itself from many compound apps that push tons of contents every day.
The funding announcement ‘coincided’ with the release of the app’s new version, ONE 3.0, which added features for music and film. Every day, it will release three original songs, along with a bio for artists. The film feature will have rating and review functions as well as a ticket-buying function from Gewara, a ticket platform that merged with Tencent’s Weiying Technology last December. The company also plans to hold offline events like concerts and music festivals.
This signals a shift in the company’s direction, one that coincides with China Growth Capital’s stated interest in “new modes of consumption”, as explained on its website. Previously, the app relied on ads for revenue, but it has now shifted to multiple sources of revenue, including allowing users to buy products through the app. Apart from the app, ONE also runs a Taobao shop and offline shops under its brand.
Last year, the company started to focus on intellectual property, signing with writers, and film and TV companies. It seems to be building an intellectual property chain, incubating promising writers and musicians and retaining their content to distribute through the app. It has also started adapting movies and TV shows from the literary content it already owns.
ONE’s expansion into the film and music realm makes sense, given that music apps are the fourth most used app category on mobile devices, and given that box office proceeds grew by 48.7% in 2015. Earlier this week, book and movie review platform Duyao also received millions of dollars in financing.
Originally published on AllChinaTech.com.
Catherine Lai | @catherinehslai | January 29, 2016 02:20 pm
Catherine is a copy editor at AllChinaTech. Originally a writer and photographer from Canada, she came to Beijing looking for a challenge. She is interested in how we use technology and the way it changes who we are. Follow her on twitter @catherinehslai.


text:
An example of this partial thinking arose this week when former chancellor George Osborne declared that the sugary drinks levy he introduced was “more effective than hoped”. His evidence was Office for Budget Responsibility analysis that producers are substituting sweeteners for sugar in their drinks’ recipes more quickly than expected to avoid the tax’s introduction in April. “That means less sugar and better health,” Osborne concluded confidently on Twitter.
Not so fast, George. The tax was designed to reduce obesity, and doing so should be the metric of its success. When he introduced the charge, Osborne believed it would work by encouraging companies to reformulate products to avoid it, increasing prices for remaining sugary drinks to deter consumption, and using the revenue — then expected to be £520m per annum — to fund school sports and other anti‐obesity efforts.
That one of these mechanisms has proven stronger than predicted clearly tells us nothing about the overall impact of the policy.
Combined with the company changes to avoid the levy, these revenue shortfalls mean other taxes need to be raised to fund anti‐obesity programmes or else they will not happen. Who knows whether the reformulated drinks or fewer funds for other programmes will have a bigger effect?
In fact, there are good reasons to think it unlikely that the tax will do anything meaningful to reduce obesity.
Taxing sugary drinks alone was always too narrow to have any significant impact. Campaigners justified the charge on the basis that the biggest source of sugar in children’s diets is soft drinks. But more of this comes from fruit juice (which is exempted) than sugar‐sweetened drinks for small children. For adults, sugary drinks make up less than 2.5pc of our overall calorie consumption — a drop in the dietary ocean.
As the Institute of Economic Affairs’ lifestyle economist Christopher Snowdon never tires of saying, there is no evidence linking sugary drink consumption and overall obesity rates. The latter increased at a time when sugar sweetened drink consumption was falling. There is likewise no cross‐country international correlation to suggest a link between the two. And this is not surprising, given there are so many other factors that determine how fat we are.
Even if we accept the role of sugary drinks on obesity, in order for the tax to reduce it, consumption of sugary drinks would have to fall, without people substituting exempted products also bad for their health. Yet evidence from around the world suggests that customers are relatively unresponsive to price increases for popular brands, such as Coca‐Cola, and do substitute away to high‐calorie alternatives (such as milkshakes) when the price is prohibitive. Again, the impact of the tax on obesity is smaller still.
This makes the business decision to reformulate by UK brands such as Ribena, Irn‐Bru and Lucozade all the more interesting. They have wagered their bottom line will be less impacted by consumers potentially disliking their new taste than by having to face the tax itself. Yet if the reactions on Twitter to their new formulations are anything to go by, this is a gamble indeed. It is still perfectly possible they have misjudged their response and will have to readjust their recipes, or else face losing customers to rivals such as Coca‐Cola, or other substitutes, who either stick to their guns or are unaffected.
In short then, it is far too early to judge Osborne’s sugar tax a “success”. Reformulation is one mechanism through which the tax could reduce sugar intake, with a marginal impact on obesity. But without considering sales of other products, or the impact of lost revenues on the anti‐obesity program funding, we cannot draw any firm conclusions at all.
Sadly, the tendency to declare victory early with sin taxes is common. News that thin plastic bag use fell by between 75 and 90pc at major UK supermarkets following the plastic bag tax introduction is widely heralded as a slam‐dunk policy success.
Yet economists never doubted use would fall significantly. The trade‐off was always about the overall environmental and economic impact, given that substitute bags tend to be more energy‐intensive to produce, likely to have a greater landfill impact and worsen food‐associated hygiene. Without long‐term data on these issues, and some way of weighing them against each other, it would be premature again to claim success.
Remember that too as calls for single‐use plastic taxes amplify. Even the Green Alliance has warned that major action could have unintended consequences, such as increasing global carbon emissions if it causes more agricultural waste, or leading to more deforestation if it encourages paper‐based packaging instead.
It’s not surprising that politicians reach for statistics to claim their policies are working, of course. But good economic analysis goes beyond direct effects, considering both the welfare on customers and other consequences in related markets.
Before we rush headlong into more nannying interventions, emboldened by recent forays, we would do well to remember that.


text:
Silicon Welly – the sequel
Remember that article in Idealog that Noizy wrote about last month? It looks like the name was too good to pass up, because some of the high-tech companies featured in the article have got together and formed a Silicon Welly website to help keep you up-to-date with techy developments.
One of the more prominent of those companies, ProjectX, is about to launch a new version of their ZoomIn interactive mapping and community site. Rumour has it that there’s a now lot of exciting functionality and local data on the way, but if I told you I’d have to kill you.


text:
Bargain hunters are wise to pay careful attention to insider buying, because although there are many various reasons for an insider to sell a stock, presumably the only reason they would use their hard-earned dollars to make a purchase, is that they expect to make money. Today we look at two noteworthy recent insider buys.
On Monday, DocuSign's CEO, Daniel D. Springer, made a $2.41M buy of DOCU, purchasing 18,700 shares at a cost of $128.89 each. So far Springer is in the green, up about 11.1% on their purchase based on today's trading high of $143.22. DocuSign is trading up about 4.3% on the day Tuesday. Before this latest buy, Springer bought DOCU on 2 other occasions during the past year, for a total cost of $5M at an average of $143.86 per share.
And at Petco Health & Wellness, there was insider buying on Monday, by CEO & Chairman Ron Coughlin who bought 23,290 shares at a cost of $17.21 each, for a trade totaling $400,821. Before this latest buy, Coughlin purchased WOOF at 2 other times during the past year, for a total investment of $1.03M at an average of $21.63 per share. Petco Health & Wellness is trading up about 3.7% on the day Tuesday. So far Coughlin is in the green, up about 8.9% on their buy based on today's trading high of $18.75.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


text:
The Cruise Lines International Association, the leading trade organization for the global cruise industry, announced a voluntary no sail extension until September 15, leaving many who have already purchased tickets without a way to get refunds.
In March, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a no sail order for all cruise ships due to COVID-19 health concerns, citing incidents with crew members and passengers becoming ill on cruise ships and the logistical hurdles to respond to related health incidents.
The CDC announced an extension in April with the updated order expiring on July 24.
With the voluntary extension to September 15, customers may now be unable to immediately secure refunds for tickets purchased pre-pandemic, similar to the situation facing customers over airline cancellations.
Before the pandemic, if ticket purchasers for most air and cruise lines chose to cancel their trip, they did not have the option for a refund but were often issued a credit for future travel.
As of May 31, Carnival reported that “approximately half of [the] guests affected have requested cash refunds.”
Cruise lines tried to stop the ship from sinking by holding onto cash until the new September 15 open date, leaving consumers without immediate cash that could be used for other needs during the public health and economic crises.
“During the pause in guest operations, the monthly average cash burn rate for the second half of 2020 is estimated to be approximately $650 million,” Carnival said in a press release.
However, consumers who spent thousands on planned cruise trips may be unable to cash in on their credit in the future, as it remains uncertain in the face of COVID.
USA Today reported several accounts from consumers who have been pushing for refunds from canceled cruises.
Akshay Ahoosha and his family canceled their Celebrity Cruises trip scheduled to leave March 15 after Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued a stay at home order on March 5. Ahooka called Celebrity to get a refund.
“They inform(ed) us that the cruise is still on, and the only option at the moment is to cancel and get credit,” he told USA Today. “If we don’t do this, we were at the risk of losing all our money when it sets sail.”
After spending $20,000 on the rooms, Ahooja ultimately took the credit. Almost a week later the cruise line voluntarily announced a no-sail order and offered refunds.
Although consumers continue to ask for refunds, the likelihood that they will see them is low, considering the lack of legal avenues.
“From a customer relations perspective, offering a refund would be the appropriate response,” said Jeff Ment, a travel attorney based in Connecticut. “Legally, however, there is no requirement to offer someone a refund if none was owed at the time of cancellation.”
Other customers are taking different routes, with mixed results.
Karen Miceli, who had tried for a month without response to get a $9,000 refund from Carnival, told Central Florida-based Action 9 News that she disputed the charge with her credit card company and is now getting the return.
“Give [cruise lines] an opportunity to respond. If they are not responsive or can’t give you answers, it may be time to contact your credit card to file a dispute,” said Better Business Bureau President Holly Salmons.


text:
The latest Quarterly National Accounts for Q3 2016, which includes data for the whole period after the EU Referendum, revealed that since the result, GDP growth has exceeded expectations. Given consumer spending accounts for two thirds of the economy and shoppers have remained resolute, GDP growth has shown continued strength, up 0.6 per cent on the previous quarter, and has now increased for 15 consecutive months.The outlook for business investment looks more uncertain with the ONS more than halving its estimate for business investment growth in the third quarter to 0.4 per cent. Looking forward, we expect underlying conditions to weaken for households as inflation begins to accelerate and gathers pace throughout 2017.
UK Consumer Report
Our UK Consumer Report analyses a range of UK consumer spending indicators on a quarterly basis. Subscribers have access to all data (analytical reports and interactive data) which includes consumer spending, housing market data, consumer confidence, consumer credit, household inflation, labour market statistics, wage growth, retail sales and more.
UK Consumer - Q3 2016
Download this report with a free trial account.
The UK Consumer report includes:
|Summary and economic overview|
|Consumer spending overview|
|Consumer spending by category|
|Consumer spending growth (year-on-year)|
|Consumer spending growth (quarter-on-quarter)|
|Average spend by household|
|Consumer spending by region|
|Consumer spending by income decile|
|Consumer spending forecasts by category|


text:
The latest anime fighter from Bandai Namco and Arc System works has been available for a little while now, which means people are ready for the first batch of Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC characters to hit. While the FighterZ Pass has been available since before launch, Bandai Namco has yet to officially announce FighterZ Pass characters so people know all of the season pass characters that will be coming over the next few months. This article will be continually updated with each new Dragon Ball FighterZ Pass character announcement. At the moment we expect the new DLC characters to be announced around the middle of every month via V-Jump magazine! We’ll update when new Dragon Ball FighterZ season pass characters are confirmed.
FighterZ Pass Characters
- SSB Vegito
- Merged Zamasu
- Base Goku
- Base Vegeta
- Next batch announcement coming around September 16-20!
After the initial reveal at E3 2017, each new character in Dragon Ball FighterZ was announced in the monthly V-Jump magazine based in Japan. That trend has continued with the FighterZ Pass DLC characters, with the first two characters being confirmed as Bardock and Broly. These two characters were followed by Super Saiyan Blue Vegito and Merged Zamasu, then Base Goku and Base Vegeta (Saiyan Armor). At Evo 2018 it was announced that Cooler would be joining the cast, with the final season one DLC character expected to be announced at Gamescom or around the middle of September. As always, we’ll continue to update this article as new characters are revealed.
In addition to the official list that will come from V-Jump, there have been a number of rumors circulating about the DLC characters. So far the rumors have been correct, and while we won’t discuss these rumors in detail, you can find a list of the rumored characters here.


text:
The You The Designer team is constantly on the move to find the best news and features to bring you the freshest and most up to date information on topics about design and inspiration. In this week’s edition of You! Be Informed! we’ll be talking about a graphic design company’s corporate social responsibility efforts, a firmware update on a popular line of DSLR cameras and an international design contest.
14th Street Redevelopment
Denver-based graphic design studio ArtHouse Design has collaborated with the Denver local government as well as other private companies to redevelop Downtown Denver’s 14th street. The street’s proximity to several hotels, the Colorado Convention Center, and the Denver Performing Arts Complex has made it the target of the said renovation which included the expansion of sidewalks, provision of a dedicated bike lane, street corner bulb-outs, improved pedestrian lighting, benches and landscaping.
The ArtHouse Team (Source)
The design firms share in this endeavor was its logo design for the 14th Street, directional and informational banners and signage, and a series of 22-foot-high kiosks that include signage, lighting and directions to downtown Denver Landmarks.
You can visits ArtHouse’s website to see more images of their design and the work they have put in the 14th Street Redevelopment project in Denver, Colorado.
For our photographer readers, Canon USA has just announced several firmware updates for their EF 300mm, 400mm, 500mm and 600mm L IS II Lenses.
Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS II USM (Source)
Users of the EF300mm f/2.8L IS II USM, EF400mm F2.8L IS II USM, EF500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF600mm f/4L IS II USM lenses will be treated to a firmware version 1.1.1 update which can be performed by Canon Service Centers.
For more information, visit the nearest Canon Service center near you, or visit their site using this link.
International Bike Design Contest
The organizers of the International Bike Design Competition are now accepting entries for 2013. The IBDC has been running for over 15 years now, and this year, the organizers have decided to level the playing field by separating entries submitted by students from those submitted by designers.
2011 IBDC Gold Winner (Source)
Moreover, the entries will be divided into four categories: bicycles, components, clothing/accessories and service/facility. For those who want to participate in this event, registration deadline is on September 15, 2012. Interested parties may compete as an individual or in a team of up to four.
And that’s it for this week’s edition of You! Be Informed! If you think we missed anything news worthy for designers, please leave a comment below. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and be a fan on Facebook for design news, features and inspirations.


text:
SALEM, Mass. — A man who owns convenience stores in Lynn and Salem faces two years behind bars for allowing some customers to misuse their electronic food stamp cards.
Peter Jhonny Limat was found guilty this week of allowing some customers to charge $100 on their electronic benefits cards, purportedly for food, then giving the customer $50 in cash and keeping $50 for himself.
Prosecutors say the 38-year-old Limat conducted some $800,000 in food stamp transactions over a one-year period, and more than half of them were alleged to be fraudulent.
|The article you requested is no longer available on BostonHerald.com.|


text:
Kenya-based Gjenge Makers founder Nzambi Matee talks about recycling plastic waste and the alternative construction products sector.
The harmful effects of excessive carbon emissions on our planet’s well-being are no secret. Everything from climate change, depleting resources and species extinction are all direct or indirect consequences of carbon emissions. Just take one look at your lifestyle or your surroundings, you will see countless contributors to carbon emission. Whether it is meat, pet food, electricity or transportation, almost everything around us is responsible.
One major carbon contributor is construction. The building sector is responsible for a staggering 39% of all carbon emissions globally. In addition, there is a rise in urban migration, which implies a rise in global construction. So, how do we ensure progression while saving our planet?
Multiple initiatives are being taken in the form of eco-conscious construction. One such project is Gjenge Makers, founded by Kenyan entrepreneur Nzambi Matee. She is a mechanical engineer and self-taught hardware designer, as well as the recipient of the Young Champion of Earth 2020, award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Gjenge Makers came into being in 2018. The startup builds construction products from recycled plastics and sand. Matee worked as a data analyst, where she was exposed to data surrounding plastic waste, which then inspired her to look into the sustainable building sector.
Matee says she learned hardware designing and tapped into the building products market out of a “combination of curiosity and necessity”. Matee founded Gjenge makers to disrupt the rigid building construction space. The company’s vision is to “build alternatively, affordably and sustainably”.
Today, Gjenge Makers is forging ahead with alternative and eco-conscious construction materials in Kenya. Matee and her team started research and development for recycled pavers in 2017 and quickly found success in the form of a prototype in 2018. The company then built a customised machine to manufacture their product on a large scale. Gjenge Makers currently has three primary products: heavy, moderate and light-duty pavers, which are used in roads, household, and other commercial premise construction.
Matee founded the company with sustainability in mind. She says sustainability should be a way of living, and if we do not adopt sustainable ways, “we won’t be doing justice to ourselves and our planet”. She adds that the startup’s recycled and alternative bricks are “stronger, lighter and cheaper” than traditional bricks. Gjenge Makers sells its heavy-duty recycled pavers for $8.50 per sq m, unlike the traditional pavers that are sold for around $10. The company produces around 500 to 1,000 construction bricks every day, recycling around 500kg of plastic waste. Gjenge Makers has partnered with several single-use plastic manufacturers across Kenya and collect a combination of plastic waste such as beverage bottle tops and seals.
View this post on Instagram
Matee built Gjenge Makers’ primary customer base through referrals, and also received the first order via a referral. She says the future of alternative building products in Kenya and worldwide is bright, calling it the “next space to look out for”. She adds that whether it is the “financial, automobile, or the building sector, alternative products are the future”.
Furthermore, the impact of Matee and Gjenge Makers isn’t just limited to sustainability and climate change; it also contributes to positive social change. The startup creates job opportunities for skilled and unskilled youth, and the majority of its employees are women. Matee says: “Being a woman, I understand the lack of decent employment opportunities.” So she provides employment to women as they often “are the most marginalised groups in the workforce”.
Along with a team of 10 members, all below the age of 30, she envisions Gjenge Makers to be the “leader in the alternative building product manufacturing space in Kenya, Africa and the rest of the world”. Today, it is a sustainable force in Kenya that is working to solve the plastic crisis by encouraging a “recycling and upcycling culture”.


text:
OTTAWA, March 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Manitoba will be one of the top-performing provinces in the country in 2016, with real gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to rise 2.3 per cent this year, according to The Conference Board of Canada's Provincial Outlook: Winter 2016.
"Healthy growth across key sectors of Manitoba's economy, such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and the service sector in general, is creating a strong base for Manitoba to become one of the top-performing provinces over the next two years," said Marie-Christine Bernard, Associate Director, Provincial Forecast.
- Growth in Manitoba's economy is forecast to accelerate from 1.5 per cent last year to 2.3 per cent in 2016.
- Driving growth will be the agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and the services sectors.
- B.C.'s economy will outpace all other provinces this year, posting real GDP growth of 2.7 per cent.
- The slump in oil prices will continue to weigh on the economies of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Barring any unfavourable weather events to disrupt seeding or harvesting, Manitoba's agricultural sector is on track to post growth of 5.7 per cent this year. Rising global wealth should help sustain strong demand for Manitoba's agricultural products over the next two years.
Also fuelling economic growth will be the construction sector as the provincial government continues to roll out its large infrastructure plan. In addition, major Manitoba Hydro projects and a rebound in housing starts will boost growth in the construction sector by 4.4 per cent this year and nearly 10 per cent in 2017.
Growth prospects are also bright for several segments of the manufacturing sector over the next two years, as strong demand from the United States and a depreciated Canadian dollar are expected to lift exports.
Solid gains in these key industries will support job creation and consumer spending in the province. After posting the strongest job growth in Canada in 2015, Manitoba's job market is forecast to continue to create jobs this year, albeit at a more moderate pace. Household spending is forecast to increase in line with employment and income gains. That should benefit the retail and wholesale trade sectors, which are expected to grow at an average annual pace of 2.1 per cent over the next two years.
SOURCE Conference Board of Canada
Image with caption: "Real GDP by province in 2016 (CNW Group/Conference Board of Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160308_C3767_PHOTO_EN_637517.jpg
For further information: Yvonne Squires, Media Relations, The Conference Board of Canada, Tel.: 613- 526-3090 ext. 221, E-mail: [email protected]; Juline Ranger, Director of Communications, The Conference Board of Canada, Tel.: 613- 526-3090 ext. 431, E-mail: [email protected]; For those interested in broadcast-quality interviews for your station, network, or online site, The Conference Board of Canada now has a studio capable of double-ender interviews (line fees apply), or we can send you pre-taped clips upon request. If you would like to be removed from our distribution list, please e-mail [email protected]


text:
Tuesday, 13 September 2016
LOCAL participants of the 13th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning are banking on the trade show to promote their services and ultimately boost tourism in Brunei.
CAEXPO was launched yesterday, with some 2,600 foreign companies taking part.
Eleven companies from Brunei are currently at the Nanning International Convention & Exhibition Centre in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi to showcase their products and services to CAEXPO visitors until November 14.
Some of the Brunei participants include Jerudong International School (JIS), Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) and Brunei Halal promoter Ghanim International Corporation Sdn Bhd.
One of the smaller enterprises participating at the CAEXPO is Eman Enterprise which specialises in homemade cookies and is seeking Chinese distributors for its products.
Source by: Internet


text:
A new leak has emerged showing aluminum models of the upcoming iPhone 14 range offering a first look at what the models could look like. The leak, in line with previous reports, reveals that Apple is finally going to drop the ‘mini’ this year in place of an ‘iPhone 14 Max’ variant.
Physical models of the iPhone 14 lineup leaked – no ‘mini’
As rumors about Apple’s upcoming flagship iPhone are starting to increase, physical models of the lineup have started to surface. The models are largely in line with the leaked schematics we have seen.
Posted to Weibo by Quick Review Lab, the most recent leak shows four models labeled with their model and screen size. The standard and Pro versions each consist of versions with a 6.7-inch screen and a 6.1-inch screen, reconfirming the loss of the ‘mini’ model.
Another thing to note from these models is the increased size of the camera bump. The Pro models, with three camera lenses, have a bigger bump than the standard models with two cameras on the back.
Despite how definitive physical models may seem, they usually follow the same specifications that are mentioned in rumors and schematic leaks, making them just as speculative as CAD renders.
However, physical models do offer an advantage for accessory makers, allowing them to test new products like cases ahead of time so they are ready to sell their products by the time a new lineup is launched.
According to industry reports and other rumors, the iPhone 14 Pro is widely expected to feature a hole punch + pill cutout in place of a notch. Apple is expected to unveil its latest flagship iPhone lineup this year with a new A16 Bionic chip exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max only. It has also been reported that the lineup will feature 8GB RAM, a heavier titanium casing, and a 2TB storage variant.


text:
For the fourth year in a row, retail workers are preparing for new Black Friday protests, at dozens of stores across the United States, as stated by Attn.
One of the retailers that will have to deal with protests from its employees is Walmart. Even though a wage increase, from $9 to $10 per hour, was announced, workers are still not satisfied and won’t quit until they obtain a minimum wage of $15 per hour, alongside full-time word for those who want it, according to the same source.
The protests will be ‘hosted’ by the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart), alongside other groups, like The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW).
The latter has already protested together with Walmart employees, but administrative changes lead to a divergence. Also, they wanted to offer holiday discounts before Thanksgiving, so UFCW organized the food drive.
“Our campaign to change Walmart can’t just be about one day,” said David Young, UFCW organizer. He also mentioned that his organization’s “Black Friday Week of Action”, which includes food drives for employees, alongside a TV campaign, is required for this.
As for Walmart’s point of view, the retailer doesn’t seem to care that much about the protests, noting that they do not know about OUR Walmart and the UFCW being separated.
“We understand from public sources that a group calling itself Organization United for Respect at Walmart… or other labor organizations or community groups intend to stage one or more demonstrations on Walmart private property in the coming months with assistance and/or participation by your organization,” wrote Steven D. Wheeless, the store’s Counsel, in a letter to UFCW recently.
Also, spokesperson Brian Nick added that they “know it takes quality [employees] to give customers a great shopping experience and we’re proud of the wages and benefits package we offer.”


text:
Facebook Acquires Computer Vision Startup Focused On Adding Digital Objects Into Videos
It’s been confirmed by Facebook that the social media giant has acquired a computer vision company called Fayteq that focuses on adding digital images to videos. The German startup company builds add-ons for video editing suites such as Adobe After Effects that can add and remove whole objects from captured videos using their computer vision technology.
Facebook didn’t provide us with a specific date or price of the acquisition deal but it shows how the social media company is honing in on improving their video platform. At this year’s F8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg mentioned that they’ll start encouraging developers to build AR experiences for Facebook and Instagram on smartphones. We currently see that message in action with their digital filters for their “story” boards, which is putting up a big battle against Snapchat.
In the video you can see Fayteq’s technology in action where ordinary videos can be layered over with beautiful digital images. While virtual reality is of importance to Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, he also believes in the value of augmented reality technology. Zuckerberg even mentioned that Facebook will be “The first augmented reality platform that becomes mainstream.”
In the near future, Facebook’s AR technology will certainly pit them against Apple who’s on the move developing their own AR platform for mobile devices through the recently announced ARKit.


text:
Amazon has stopped selling pre-orders of some of the year’s biggest movies from Walt Disney in its latest contract dispute. The titles affected include Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Maleficent, and Muppets Most Wanted. When Quartz searched for the Captain America sequel on the US site, the Amazon Instant Video stream was available but no physical copies on Blu-ray or DVD were offered.
Amazon has not commented on this dispute, but this isn’t the first time the world’s largest online retailer has used the tactic. Earlier this year, it held up the mega-hit Lego Movie in a dispute with Warner Bros. over the terms of its contract. Usually, these disputes blow over fairly quickly. But one contract negotiation continues to haunt Amazon—and expose its business tactics. In its original business of selling books, Amazon has stopped offering titles sold by Hachette in a dispute over how the publisher wants to price the e-book versions. “Amazon indicates that it considers books to be like any other consumer good,” Hachette has said. “They are not.”
The retailer (again) has stopped taking pre-orders of certain Hachette books, and slowed down the delivery of others. But it has also explained itself for the first time on Readers United, a site that it owns. “Many e-books are being released at $14.99 and even $19.99. That is unjustifiably high for an e-book,” it said. Amazon’s books team asked readers to email the Hachette CEO, cc-ing them, saying canned lines like:
We have noted your illegal collusion. Please stop working so hard to overcharge for ebooks. They can and should be less expensive.
The collusion refers to the fact its great rival, Apple, and five publishers were convicted of colluding to set prices on e-books. The publishers—including Hachette—all settled in that case with the US government, and Hachette is the first since then to negotiate new terms with Amazon. The last time a book publisher lengthily opposed Amazon’s terms, it removed the Buy button from its pages and sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission accusing it of illegal behavior.
Don’t bet on the same thing happening to Disney. But for now, Captain America—who has beaten the Red Skull and seen off an alien invasion with the Avengers—is struggling to defeat his greatest foe yet, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.


text:
CINCINNATI - Procter & Gamble Co. is looking to sell under-performing business units, CEO A.G. Lafley told analysts Wednesday morning.
“Already been through the portfolio in detail, already discussed with the management team, already discussed more than once with the directors and board. We’re on it,” Lafley said at the Barclay's Back-to-School Conference in Boston. “We know what doesn’t fit strategically and what does. We know what’s under performing and what's performing."
Also during the call, Lafley announced that P&G's Tide brand will launch a new lower-priced version of its liquid detergent.
Tide Simply Clean and Fresh will be launched in February and will be priced in the mid tier of laundry products, where Lafley said P&G is "underdeveloped with a 30 percent share."
Tide is the nation's largest laundry brand, with annual sales of $4.5 billion. Critics have complained that Tide lost share to cheaper laundry products during the recession because its products carried premium prices. Lafley said the new lower-priced Tide will cost about 25 percent less than its premium products. It's a strategy that P&G used successfully to gain market share with Bounty Basic and Charmin Basic lines.
"Consumers have different needs and wants," Lafley said. "We aim to meet their needs with brands and products they prefer and can afford."
On the divestiture issue, Lafley declined to name any business units that could be sold, but said they will involve products that on a combined basis represent less than 10 percent of P&G sales.
“Most of our businesses that we developed in the last 10 or 20 years are now core and probably represent 90 plus percent of what we have and we’re looking at the rest,” he said. “There will be a few moves that will be obvious and we’ll announce them when it’s the appropriate time and there are always a few businesses that are on what I would call a watch list.”
Analysts have long speculated on possible divestitures at P&G, including Duracell batteries and its Iams and Natura brands of pet care products. The pet care division is the last business unit that produces food at P&G. As WCPO has reported, the pet care division has endured a string of product quality issues, including several recalls of dry pet food because of possible salmonella contamination.
Other products, including Jif peanut butter, Pringles potato chips and Folgers coffee, were long ago pruned from the portfolio.
Bernstein Research analyst Ali Dibadj thinks pet care is the mostly likely divestiture, but he considers Duracell batteries, Braun shaving products and consumer tissue brands to be candidates for sale.
"Pet has done badly," said Dibadj, who predicts it will be sold "as soon as they can get a good price."


text:
Today a press release from Nautiluscoin announces the launch of a full economic ecosystem, built on the Nxt blockchain. The launch event of the Drachmae Ecosystem will take place on September 26, 2015. Furthermore, Brian Kelly Capital (BKCM LLC) will be making a seed investment in a new entity that will deploy this ecosystem globally, first targeting developing micro-economies in Latin America and Africa.
“We are pleased to announce that we have formally joined forces with the Drachmae Project and have developed a full economic ecosystem for the island of Agistri”, Nautiluscoin writes. “This ecosystem includes a fully functional mobile banking system, a B2B ecommerce platform, and a travel-booking site, all fueled by Nautiluscoin. This ecosystem will be rolled out on the Greek island of Agistri on September 26, 2015.
We are providing the tools for the municipality and businesses of Agistri to investigate ways of generating new revenue via our blockchain-based ecosystem. Businesses will be able to save money via the B2B platform by connecting directly with suppliers, while at the same time offering discounts to travellers via the travel platform. Powered by Nautiluscoin, the ecosystem will offer efficiency and simplicity, providing tourists with a simple one-stop shop for all aspects of booking a holiday.
We are focused on the end users of the currency – the businesses, citizens and visitors – this is our community. This proof of concept will illustrate how digital currencies and blockchain technology can benefit a community. To that end, the communtity in Agistri will be actively involved in the project and will share ownership and revenue from the Drachmae Project.
The mission of the Nautiluscoin project is to use digital currency and blockchain technology to bring money into an economy. While digital currencies have been successful at providing a means to remove capital from an economy, few have successfully shown that adoption and use can drive economic growth – the Nautiluscoin project is about to change this.
The Drachmae Ecosystem has been built using the NXT Platform and Nautiluscoin will soon be swapped onto the NXT monetary system. We have chosen NXT because of its superior technical capabilities, security and community support. The business orientation of the NXT community will be the foundation on which we build our ecosystem.
The NXT Foundation will be assisting with the coin swap that will commence on September 18, 2015. We will post the coin swap instructions on Bitcoin Talk on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 and the offical commencement will be announced via Nautilsucoin’s Twitter account.
The NXT Foundation will also be assisting with the structure and the operation of the Nautiluscoin community, which includes the businesses and citizens of Agistri who wish to join the project. This project would not have been possible without the expertise and support of the NXT Foundation. The NXT team and Foundation have been integral to realizing this opportunity to utilise the power of blockchain technology.
The Launch Event
The September 26, 2015 launch of the Drachmae Ecosystem will include a community barbecue where the Nautiluscoin airdrop will formally take place. Each citizen that attends will be given €100worth of Nautiluscoin to spend at the barbecue and local businesses. As well, members of the press will be given €100 worth of Nautiluscoin.
We will also be hosting a Hackathon event for developers to explore our blockchain ecosystem and create apps. We encourage anyone with an interest in blockchain technology to develop apps that can solve real world problems for the community. We will be hosting up to 40 developers to join in this first of its kind Hackathon in Greece. We are also extending an open invitation to companies and government organisations to visit and observe the event.
The launch event will be capped off with a televised fashion show featuring professional models wearing GetNauti gear. We have hired a camera crew to be on island for the launch event to capture this historic moment. This fashion show is a pre-shooting for the Athena Model TV Show that will be hosted on Agistri in 2016.
We are excited to bring this revolutionary technology to Agistri and are grateful for the foresight of the Mayor, local businesses and citizens. This will be the first time an entire economic ecosystem has been experimented and deployed and we are looking forward to this historic event.
Brian Kelly Capital Investment
The ecosystem that will be deployed is both scalable and efficient, making it suitable for multiple use cases. In parallel with the Drachmae launch on Agistri, Brian Kelly Capital (BKCM LLC) will be making a seed investment in a new entity that will deploy this ecosystem globally. The new entity will license and implement new blockchain based economic ecosystems similar to the Drachmae Project. Currently, the entity anticipates targeting developing micro-economies in Latin America and Africa.
Commenting on the investment, Brian Kelly said, “With this technology we can deploy a fully functioning economic ecosystem which includes a banking system, a commerce platform and a currency. We are excited to be a part of this revolution.”
The new entity will be focused on deploying this technology to other countries, municipalities or organizations that need a fully functioning micro-economy.”
Also read: Nxt – the economy platform for everybody


text:
2014 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Facelift) Testing at Nurburgring [Video]
The Continental Flying Spur is getting a facelift next year, together with the new twin-turbo V8 engine that the coupe uses (together with Audi as well). This engine will reduce the overall weight, the price, increase the fuel economy and reduce emissions.
We should expect about 500 horsepower, nought to 100 km/h in five seconds and a top speed of about 180 mph. It’s amazing to see this big car being pushed hard, right next to the mental Mercedes SLS Black Series.
The styling hiding under that fake BMW camo is that of the EXP 9F SUV concept.
All that’s left now is to wait for next year’s reveal and hope it’s a looker. Enjoy the video filmed by fastsportscardriver at the ‘Ring and tell us what you think.


text:
Costco’s new broiler farming operation in the heart of the United States will enable it to challenge the sector’s major companies, such as Tyson Foods, Perdue, Sanderson Farms and Pilgrim’s Pride.
The company will open a new plant in Fremont, eastern Nebraska next year which will provide it with 100m chickens or 40% of its annual needs.
Its new company Lincoln Premium Poultry will process 2 million birds a week in a 360,000 square foot facility that will employ around 1,000 staff and be one of the most technologically advanced in the world.
Walt Shafer, who is leading the construction and operation of the new plant, said earlier this year that birds brought in will be handled in the best and most humane way possible. “You set a module in a chicken house and – whereas the industry uses what we call cages where you open a door and put the chickens in – we slide the floors away and put the chickens in. And we think that is going to be a lot better for the handling and the welfare of the bird,” he told Meatingplace magazine.
The company is working with Marel Poultry over the use of robotic IRIS visual grading technology: “We’re using vision technology to essentially take 360 degree pictures of these birds as they go buy, where we can then distribute them by weight and by grade.
“This facility also has automatic thigh deboning in it. It actually has robots that pick up the boneless breast meat, thigh meat, drumsticks – all the Costco products – and puts them in the package, eliminating labour.”
With automatic transfers and maturation air chilling, the plant will supply a huge amount of data enabling the company to see how every machine is performing.
Costco has also announced that it plans to tighten standards for antibiotics use by its meat producers. Its new policy limits use of antibiotics to “therapeutic use” and there is a requirement for use to be under supervision of a vet.
The new standards will become “mandatory and monitored” no later than December 2020, and according to analysts will put the company near the top of the league in terms of strict antibiotic policies.


text:
Honor has previously announced that the Honor Smart Screen will be officially released on August 10. Apart from this statement, the Honor president, Zhao Ming has repeatedly made waves on Weibo. One of them referred to the ads. He said that this product won’t have boot ads. Thus, he once again suggested on Weibo that the TV’s boot speed is very fast.
Also Read: Honor TV May Combine Functions of TV, Smartphone, and Camera
Particularly, Zhao Ming said on Weibo: ‘No start-up ads! No boot ads! Look at how long the boot time is. If the boot is very fast, there is no need to show any ads to consumers.’
According to previous reports, the forthcoming Honor Smart Screen will be available in two versions – 55-inch and 55-inch Pro. They should cost more than 5,000 yuan ($720). Both versions are equipped with HONGHU 818 smart chip. The latter comes with a built-in Huawei AI image quality engine, a 7-quality image optimization algorithm, and supports dynamic image quality compensation, high dynamic range imaging, super-division algorithm, noise reduction algorithm, dynamic contrast enhancement, smart precision coloring, and zone control. The Pro version is slightly higher in some configurations.
Zhao Ming had also said on Weibo that the core of the Honor Smart Screen will be the self-developed HONGHU818 chip. Its computing power and decoding capability ensure the performance of the smart screen in terms of picture quality and sound quality. It also uses a lifting AI camera with a HiSilicon NPU chip. Thus, the latter brings not only powerful video communication capabilities but also more features that are worth looking forward to.
In addition, according to some previous official statements, the Honor Smart Screen is likely to be equipped with Huawei’s self-developed Hongmeng operating system. The Honor Smart Screen will be the world’s first product running on Hongmeng system.


text:
The Thorntons store in the Foyleside Shopping Centre is being considered for closure, the Derry News has learned.
The news comes just days after it was revealed that the Eason store in the Foyleside centre has also been earmarked for closure.
Thorntons chocolate shop is situated on the top floor of Foyleside.
In a statement to the Derry News today, a Thorntons spokesperson said: “We are committed to transforming and growing the iconic Thorntons brand and continue to implement our strategic plan.
“As a business that has been part of the UK retail footprint for over a century, we continuously review our store estate, store locations and our infrastructure to ensure it is fit for current and future customers."
When questioned on the future of their Derry store, the Thorntons spokesperson said: “We can confirm that this store is under consideration for closure, but cannot provide further details as we are in a live consultation.”
The news in relation to the Thorntons store is a further blow for the Foyleside complex and Derry's city centre.
Retail outlets were recently allowed to reopen following the coronavirus lockdown.
However, the impact of the lockdown has been massive on the retail sector.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.


text:
LAST UPDATED : Nov 27, 2020, 11:39 AM IST
- Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G, Redmi Note 9 5G smartphones launched
Xiaomi has launched its much teased Redmi Note 9 5G and Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G smartphones in China. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G comes with a 120Hz refresh rate display and is powered by a mid-range Qualcomm processor. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 9 5G is powered by a MediaTek processor and is backed by a 5000mAh battery.
- Celebrating note ban akin to cutting cake on victims' graves: Sena
In a caustic attack on the BJP, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday said "celebrating" the fourth anniversary of demonetisation because of which many people "committed suicide" and businesses destroyed, is akin to cutting birthday cakes on their graves. In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena termed the 2016 decision as a "black chapter" in India's history.
- Micromax IN Note 1 to go on sale today at 12pm: Price, specs and more
Domestic smartphone brand Micromax made a comeback in India with the launch of two new smartphones — Micromax In Note 1 and Micromax In 1b earlier this month. Now, out of the two handsets, the one which is more powerful — Micromax IN Note 1 — is set to become available via flash sale on Flipkart and the company’s official website at 12 noon.
- Government bans AliPay, WeTV, Lalamove India and 40 other ‘Chinese apps’
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued an order under section 69A of the Information Technology Act to block access to another 43 smartphone apps of Chinese origin. The new list includes apps like Alipay Cashier, AliExpress, WeWorkChina and 40 other apps. This comes after the government blocked access to 59 mobile apps on June 29 and 118 more apps on September 2.
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S start receiving MIUI 12 update in India
Xiaomi has started rolling out MIUI 12 update for its Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S smartphones in India. The company launched these smartphones last year with Android 9.0 Pie operating system and MIUI 10.2. After the launch the smartphone received two major software updates one for Android 10 and other for MIUI 11. Now, the smartphones are getting another big update with MIUI 12.
- Xiaomi shares official renders of Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G ahead of launch
Xiaomi is all set to launch its Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G smartphone soon in China. Now, the company has released official renders of the upcoming smartwatch ahead of launch. The render images shared by the company show the back panel of the smartphone.
- Nissan to sell redesigned Note compact car in Japan as it looks to restore profitability
Nissan Motor Co Ltd on Tuesday said it will sell a redesigned version of its best-selling Note compact car in Japan from December featuring new hybrid drive technology, to win market share from Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd.
- UK to ban diesel, petrol cars from 2030 for new green industrial revolution
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday unveiled plans for a new Green Industrial Revolution for the country, including a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and new measures to become a world leader in carbon capture.
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 5G launch set for November 26, claims report
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 5G is soon going to be launched in the company’s home country, according to a report by GizmoChina. As per the report, the company has confirmed that the Redmi Note 9 lineup will be launched at 8 pm on November 26 as the company has shared a poster on Chinese microblogging website to confirm this.
- Delhi: Why knee-jerk bans won’t solve problem
With people failing to adhere to the ban on firecrackers on Diwali, experts on Sunday said that long-term preparedness was needed for the prohibition to be successful. It was necessary to make the public understand the problem along with strict vigilance for compliance with the ban, they added.


text:
Landmark has been named Britain’s very best rural enterprise at the 2016 Rural Business Awards - the UK’s only dedicated national business awards for the rural community, run in partnership with the CLA and actively supported by the countryside sector as well as MPs across the UK. We not only won Best Rural Professional Services Business at the awards, but went on to be crowned overall Champion of Champions at the glittering ceremony, held at The Belfry Hotel & Resort in the West Midlands on October 13th.
Managing director Nigel Parsons said: "The reason we entered the Rural Business Awards was because we are a company operating nationally, specifically in the rural sector. This award means a huge amount to us. Our business is a people business and a business in a remote rural industry.”
Judge Helen Woolley, CLA Director General, said: “I am delighted to have been a part of the judging panel and to see first-hand the passion for rural business demonstrated by all the finalists. There were some outstanding entries and my congratulations go to all the winners, every award is truly deserved.”


text:
Burnham-On-Sea Police have arrested a woman after a Poppy Appeal collection box was stolen in Brean this week.
Police were called to Brean’s McColls store in South Road on Thursday (November 10th) when staff reported the charity box had been stolen.
Police spokeswoman Niamh Byrne told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We were called to a shop in South Road, Brean, at around 4.20pm to reports of the theft of a charity tin.”
“A 37-year-old woman was later arrested and reported for summons for the offence.”
It’s understood that the woman was arrested at a holiday park in the village.


text:
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Portland's Harvest on the Harbor kicked off Thursday.
It's a three-day-long event celebrating local and sustainable foods.
The weekend began with a sustainable seafood soiree.
A handful of local chefs took part, making dishes from fish like mackerel.
Even if you're not a foodie, the folks preparing it say you still might find some of the different dishes enjoyable.
“I think you just have to come in with an open mind and trust the chefs,” said Avery Richter, executive chef for the Black Tie Company.
“Really, people may not like everything but at least give it a try because you may go home and find you may like a dish and visit that restaurant and it will come full circle.”
The Harvest on the Harbor continues through Sunday afternoon.


text:
US-based Oodle crawls the web for adverts placed on a variety of publishers' sites and offers them to users through a single gateway.
A British version of the site launched last week, taking adverts from the likes of Times Online, Loot, Fish4Jobs and eBay.
Newspaper proprietors on both sides of the Atlantic have attempted to diversify their classified advertising base from print alone in recent years as free or niche online advertising services gain popularity.
But, while Oodle removes the necessity for readers to find adverts by going through newspaper homepages, CEO Craig Donato denied the site would kick at the kneecaps of publishers' virgin online ad offerings.
"The online classifieds market in the UK is very progressive and in many ways much more evolved than in the US," he told journalism.co.uk. "As such, it's the first market we decided to expand into.
"Our goal is to partner with folks who represent sellers. So we only display summaries that link directly to the full listings on the publishers' sites.
"We feel we are helping the overall classifieds market by making the experience less painful and more attractive for buyers, which clearly benefits those in the business of selling classifieds advertising."
Oodle crawls advertising sections for local titles in 30 UK cities as well as national publications. Users can set alerts to be emailed about new deals posted by any of the partner sites.
Mr Donato said online classifieds present a "huge opportunity" to newspapers that have good local brands and accounts with local advertisers.
Free daily newsletter
- Here's what new Guardian research tells us about commercial opportunities for podcasts
- Preparing for the "cookiepocalypse" with first-party data strategies
- Direct publishing: what you need to know about this new technology
- 'Platforms should pay for news' a peer committee says
- Solving the revenue maximisation problem for publishers


text:
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Fintech lender Tic:Toc has officially announced its rebranding to Tiimely Home.
For existing Tic:Toc Home Loan customers, the product is now named Tiimely Own.
The loans will continue to be backed by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.
As part of its rebranding, the fintech has launched a new broker offering in partnership with mortgage aggregator Australian Finance Group (AFG).
The strategic partnership with AFG, initiated in 2022, marked Tiimely’s expansion into mortgage broking services.
Tiimely Home integrates its digital home loan technology with the expertise of Tiimely Homes’ in-house broker team.
This latest move is viewed as an opportunity by Tiimely to expand its proposition by undertaking a professional broking offering alongside its direct white label pipeline.
Tiimely Home now offers an online application process that provides exclusive access to Tiimely’s Own home loan – an option not available through any other broker or lender.
Alternatively, customers can use the same application to explore loan options from more than 30 lenders through a Tiimely Home broker, streamlining the process of finding the most favourable deal.
Tiimely Home’s chief operating officer Richard O’Callaghan said the rebranding positions Tiimely as a technology platform business, with Tiimely Home as the retail proposition offering home loans.
He emphasised that the platform aims to provide customers with a more transparent and seamless experience, regardless of the chosen loan provider.
“Since day one, we’ve been on a mission to change the way Australians fulfil their home loan,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“We firmly believe the interest of consumers and competition is the same; to provide greater choice, convenience and control.”
AFG’s chief executive officer, David Bailey, congratulated Tiimely Home on its expanded service to support customers.
“We’re very pleased to be part of the next step in the evolution of the Tiimely customer promise. With access to a broad panel of lenders, market-leading technology and their own product suite, Tiimely brokers will ensure their customers are at the forefront of everything they do.”
Why the name change?
Despite facing trademark challenges from the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, which argued that Tic:Toc’s branding resembled its own, the case was ultimately dismissed.
This legal victory has paved the way for Tiimely Home to focus on enhancing customer experiences and choices in the home loan market, ultimately leading to its rebranding.
Tiimely has now helped more than 15,000 Australians save money on their home loan.
Tic:Toc partners with NRMA
The digital home loan platform recently forged a collaboration with general insurance provider NRMA Insurance to extend its presence in the home lending sector, offering NRMA Home Loans in October.
According to NRMA, the digital home loan product offers a “competitive rate and easy application process”, with Tic:Toc managing the home loan application process through to settlement.


text:
People Watch: Profile: Alex Harper
At just 24, Sydney’s Alex Harper is already well on the way to success in China with his catering company White Lotus. He spoke to Sophie Loras.
The inspiration behind Alex Harper’s decision to make a go of things in China came after a family holiday to Shanghai when he was just 19.
In the five years since that initial visit to the world’s fastest growing economy, Alex, with the backing of his investment savvy father, Harper Bernays’ Chairman Peter Harper, has established his successful White Lotus catering company in Shanghai.
Alex has a strong history in the hospitality sector, beginning his career in some of Sydney’s most respected restaurants, including Café Morso in Pyrmont where he got his first taste for the F&B industry and running music tours and club nights for local and international bands in Australia.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts from UNSW, majoring in International Business and Development studies, Alex returned to the glitz and glamour of Shanghai in 2007.
While studying Chinese at Shanghai’s prestigious Fudan University, Alex picked up work as the sales manager for the Bund Brewery.
“This was my first taste of business in China,” says Alex.
“It was a good experience because I got to see what not to do in China.”
The Bund Brewery’s business model had expanded too quickly and was experiencing problems with the local partner. Not long after, the business collapsed.
But it was there that Alex first began contemplating a catering business in Shanghai and began looking into opportunities.
Raising capital for his idea was made easy when his father stepped in to become White Lotus’s major and only financial partner.
The company was established in early 2008 and is progressing through the final stages of its WOFE status application in China.
The company’s mission to become the pre-eminent caterer in Shanghai, “with a view to building further kitchen spaces and food factories across China” might seem ambitious in these early days of the business, but in less than 12 months, White Lotus has made significant progress, employing 12 full-time staff and notching up some significant events for Australian and New Zealand government departments – including in July, a lunch for the New Zealand Prime Minister.
And, as is the way in China, Alex has built up much of his clientele through good networks and sturdy relationship building. He met many of his Australian clients through AustCham Shanghai’s weekly Friday night drinks while other clients have been introduced through events Alex and his team have catered for.
A recent private party for an executive at Citibank saw Alex introduced to guests including Pernod Ricard’s managing director and other potential high-profile clients.
Alex attributes the success of the business to quality as well as a lack of maturity in the Shanghai catering sector.
“In Shanghai it can be very variable and your caterer could be good one time and then not the next,” says Alex.
“We aim to get it right – every time. Our food is exceptional and we pride ourselves on our delivery.”
Alex has also received strong support from his mentor Mark Mitchell, formerly General Manager of Stix Catering in Sydney, and now a nation-wide operations manager with KPMG.
The turning point for the business came in November last year when the 600-square metre kitchen in Shanghai’s Hongkou district was completed just before Thanksgiving.
It was a nerve-wracking time for Alex and his small team – they had sold 47 Thanksgiving packages and he was beginning to worry they wouldn’t be able to make all the deliveries given ongoing problems with the kitchen equipment and the suppliers.
“We’d sold all these things – people had signed contracts, paid money and I was thinking I was going to ruin Thanksgiving for them,” says Alex.
But it was a resounding success and he is still seeing roll off from that event.
“It got us in contact with people and into their houses in a way we couldn’t have otherwise achieved” he says.
Setting up the business has not been without its challenges.
“The biggest problems have come from the licensing,” says Alex.
“In Australia it wouldn’t take this long – there is one rule book. Whereas here in China, you open one door and then there is another door. That has been the most trying part of the business – getting our heads around that.”
Alex’s recommendations to other Australians looking at setting up shop in China is to get good advice before starting anything.
“We did get good advice but as for the execution, I would have done it differently if I had that time again,” he says.
“Looking back I would have got more good lawyers earlier on and I think it would have sped things up. Pursuing this avenue in China looks expensive at the start but saves in the long-term.”
Running a catering business in Shanghai is not quite what Alex had envisioned but it is a role he can see himself doing for some time to come with hopes to eventually take the business elsewhere to Beijing and Hong Kong and perhaps eventually back to Sydney.
“I love China and I think there will be even more opportunities once we have a year under our belt.” ■


text:
By Heather Haddon
Starbucks Corp. said it expects profit to increase this year as customers come back to its cafes now operating more efficiently than before the coronavirus struck.
The coffee giant's sales plummeted last year as it closed stores first in China then around the world as the pandemic took hold. Starbucks has steadily reopened stores since last summer, when health restrictions on business and public gatherings began to ease in parts of the U.S. It has also pushed mobile ordering of beverages while increasing its to-go options.
Starbucks said Tuesday that global same-store sales in its March-ended quarter increased 15% from the same period last year. International markets accounted for much of the growth; same-store sales in the U.S. rose 9%. Analysts had expected global growth of 17%. Shares in Starbucks fell 1.5% in after-market trading to $114.
Starbucks said it expects profit for the year to rise more than it previously projected. It now sees annual earnings of $2.65 to $2.75 a share, up from $2.42 to $2.62 previously. The chain also bumped up its projections for store margins and sales.
The coffee giant is among restaurant chains working to draw consumers back from home-brewing habits they have adopted during the pandemic. Nestlé SA, the Swiss packaged-food company that makes Starbucks-branded products in addition to its own, said last week that at-home coffee sales drove its best quarterly sales growth in almost a decade.
Starbucks has also drawn more people into its online loyalty program as it has sought to boost in-person sales. The chain said it had 23 million U.S. members in the latest quarter, an 18% increase from last year. Members receive deals through repeat purchases.
The chain is also developing more to-go oriented stores as it phases out some sit-down locations. Starbucks said it closed 300 stores in the U.S. and Canada during the latest quarter as part of this shift.
Starbucks said it spent more in the quarter on wages and benefits related to working during the health crisis. The chain said pandemic-related government subsidies helped offset some of the payroll costs. Restaurants have said recently that they are offering more in pay and benefits as they struggle to staff their stores.
For its fiscal second quarter, Starbucks reported earnings adjusted for one-time items of 62 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting earnings of 53 cents a share by that metric. Sales of $6.7 billion were short of an expected $6.8 billion.
Write to Heather Haddon at firstname.lastname@example.org
(END) Dow Jones Newswires