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Nov. 13, 2016-
Admittedly, the trade imbalance with China wasn’t the sole catalyst determining the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. But the election was a lesson in common sense — a complete repudiation of the country’s direction.
Unlike the erroneous and disingenuous claims by the media that the uneducated and uninformed elected Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton’s post-election assertion that FBI Director James Comey killed her chances, Mr. Trump won the Presidency because of several factors.
For instance, his election had to do with Hillary Clinton’s long pattern of alleged corruption and the insular arrogance of her campaign and most in her party who want to expand their Democrat power base – even if it’s at the expense of America’s future.
The group-think mentality of the liberal news media also played into Mr. Trump’s hands. His supporters have been and still are angry at the overt media bias.
Mr. Trump’s victory stemmed from his marketing slogan, “Make America Great Again,” and from his solutions for critical issues that influenced 60-million voters.
For them, his business background and philosophy created an environment of hope. That includes former supporters of Mr. Obama because they never realized benefits from the hope and change he promised in 2008.
Essentially, Mr. Trump’s core supporters – in the Rust Belt and other economically soft regions lacking in family wage jobs – wanted Mr. Trump to win for three reasons.
Common-sense Americans are sick and tired of the Democrats’ reign of politically correct terror, the movement for income redistribution, and the massive loss of good-paying jobs.
What they want is not to be treated as though they’re invisible. They’re inspired by Mr. Trump’s success.
His supporters also want level-headed strategies for economic growth and jobs instead of the left-wing no-growth mantra for income equality leading Americans to covet their neighbors’ cars, electronic gadgets, money, and prestige.
Yes, Mr. Trump campaigned on eliminating the onerous business regulations, cutting taxes, and increasing energy production.
But none will help the economy more than creating jobs by repairing America’s trade policies.
As a free-enterprise advocate, my sense has always been that it’s best to keep tariffs low and to break down all barriers to global commerce. And, yes, American consumers do benefit from less-expensive foreign products.
Unfortunately, U.S. exports simply do not equal imports.
Ironically, American workers are more productive than their foreign counterparts.
$500-billion trade deficit
But America has a $500-billion trade deficit; $375 billion of it with China.
The nation’s gross domestic product is decreased by $260 billion as a result of the reduced demand for American products and services.
Admittedly, advances in robotic technology are a factor. But essentially the trade deficit translated to a loss of 4-million American jobs.
GDP is additionally decimated by dormant companies and the laid-off workers to the tune of $130 billion.
Oil imports and the other trade deficits with China are the primary culprits.
To make America energy-independent, it would help to expand drilling in energy-producing states. (But decades of drilling in Oklahoma might explain the rash of earthquakes, which might be problematic.)
Solutions for Chinese obstacles
Mr. Trump is correct in opposing the Chinese currency manipulation, theft of intellectual property and their restriction of American investment and goods.
China’s devaluation of the yuan undercuts global competitors in making its exports cheaper. Part of China’s restriction of American goods stems from its high tariffs.
Strangely, Wall Street CEOs and Democrats have ridiculed Mr. Trump’s call for a 45-percent tariff on Chinese products.
Their lack of vision is perplexing. America’s GDP under the Obama Administration is the most anemic in history.
Mr. Trump knows the importance of renegotiating trade policies. His two strategies for China will not cost any taxpayer money.
Short-term, tax revenue will skyrocket and would offset his proposed tax cuts. This will lead to a dramatic improvement in the nation’s GDP and will create millions of jobs by the end of Mr. Trump’s term in office.
Long-term, the prospective economic benefits are eye-opening.
Sustained economic strength
American productivity, global leadership and innovation have all been influenced by businesses that invest in research and development.
R&D will again be a factor in turbo-charging the economy as Mr. Trump erases the trade deficit.
Firstly, he will deal with China’s average 9.6 percent tariff on American products. The U.S. average tariff on imports is 3.5 percent.
Secondly, unlike Presidents Obama and Bush, Mr. Trump will penalize China over its currency manipulation.
Mr. Trump is not advocating economic isolationism. He doesn’t want economic stagnation. Nor does he want to stifle competition and consumer choices.
He’s merely calling for economic common sense for America’s future. Democrats would be better off pursuing the principles of growth, not income redistribution.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are relevant public-policy articles:
‘Dirty Little Secrets’ Trump Hasn’t Told You about Economy — Donald Trump has pushed the envelope to say the least. Many businesspeople get it. So do entrepreneurs, and millions of different demographics of voters who are angry at the economic decline of America.
Like Nobility in the Age of Kings, Ruling Class Gets Trumped — Throughout history, there have been ruling classes in every region of the world. Noteworthy in Europe were the Dark Ages in which the ruling classes dominated ordinary, hardworking folks. That’s true for 21st century America. But like the Age of Enlightenment in the 1700s, America’s ruling class in 2016 is getting trumped by a voter revolt.
Ideas to Accelerate Slowest Economic Recovery in Decades — Most voters are likely to vote their pocketbooks. So for them the positive spin on the economy by Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama doesn’t reflect reality.
Avoiding Taxes, Apple’s Irish Strategy Apparently Backfires — The most nonsensical irony in corporate America involves Apple CEO Tim Cook’s tax strategy which has drawn fire from the European Commission. Why? It’s apparently backfiring, and is unpatriotic and shortsighted.
“A conservative is a liberal who got mugged the night before.”


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The world’s top two producers of cocoa have agreed to harmonize the forward sales of cocoa export contracts, a statement released by Ghana Cocobod and its Ivorian counterpart, the CCC said.
In March, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire also agreed to intensify collaboration in the field of scientific research for the production of cocoa plants and the improvement of plant varieties.
President Akufo-Addo and President Alassane Ouattara have reaffirmed their commitment to process a major part of cocoa, and to invite the private sector, notably African, to invest massively in cocoa processing in Africa.
With the two countries responsible for 60% of the world’s cocoa output, fluctuations of cocoa prices on the international market, marked by a fall of around 20% in 2017, have impacted negatively on the revenues of millions of cocoa farmers, as well as on the budgetary revenues of the two countries.
Last month, Cocobod said China will help the government of Ghana in constructing a new cocoa processing factory with a 40,000 ton-capacity to process some of the country’s production locally.
Due to the volatility of prices in the international cocoa market, Ghana seeks to develop new cocoa consumption markets for the product, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana COCOBOD said.

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Bitcoin Cash is a very interesting addition to the cryptocurrency industry. Although it is an alternative version of Bitcoin, the currency seems to have made its mark on the industry. As such, the currency now has its very own peer-to-peer exchange, known as Remitano. This Vietnamese platform launched some time ago and recently decided to add BCH.
Remitano is a Game Changer for BCH
It is quite clear that there is a lot more to cryptocurrency than just Bitcoin. Even though BTC influences the value of all other cryptocurrencies on the market today, it seems that situation may come to change in the future. With Bitcoin Cash continuing to make its mark on the industry, there are some interesting changes to look forward to, by the look of things.
With Remitano making this change, Vietnamese cryptocurrency enthusiasts will have an easier time buying and selling BCH. This popular peer-to-peer marketplace for Bitcoin Cash will work in a similar way to LocalBitcoinCash. Even so, this is the first major P2P exchange for BCH transactions, according to the team. With all transactions subject to escrow, funds will be kept safe and scammers won’t be successful.
Remitano wants to provide the best prices on the market by keeping their fees down to 0.5%. As of right now, the market average for peer-to-peer trading platforms is closer to 1%, which is pretty steep. The escrow aspect is something everyone can appreciate, as dealing with buyers and sellers directly can be a bit dangerous.
It is not the first time Remitano has made an impact on the cryptocurrency markets. The platform has been around for quite some time now, yet it has only featured Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT until now. The addition of Bitcoin Cash will certainly attract a lot of attention. The Remitano team is convinced that BCH has lower fees and faster confirmations compared to Bitcoin, making it a viable contender.
Given the perceived popularity of Bitcoin Cash, one would have expected other P2P trading solutions to integrate this currency. So far, that has not been the case just yet, which is why Remitano wants to remain ahead of the competition. They see this change as a way to increase the day-to-day use of cryptocurrencies across Vietnam. Whether or not BCH can live up to those expectations remains to be determined.
It will be interesting to see how this business decision plays out for Remitano. Adding a new currency now and then is always a good decision, although there is no guarantee this addition will bring more positive attention to the platform. Whether or not other platforms will integrate Bitcoin Cash moving forward is another question that can’t be easily answered.


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The Egyptian Suez Canal remains blocked for the fifth day, as a giant container ship remained stuck sideways.
The Egyptian authorities have continued their efforts to make new attempts to free the giant vessel and reopen the waterway.
As being reported, a 224,000-ton container ship was grounded early Tuesday in the new passage of the Suez Canal after being blown off course by a dust storm.
The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most vital shipping routes. And its blockage after one of the world’s largest container ships ran aground in the narrow man-made channel early Tuesday, has resulted in disrupted global shipments for days.
An official at the Suez Canal Authority said they planned to make at least two attempts Saturday to free the vessel when the high tide goes down.
He added that the timing depends on the tide.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief journalists.
As being reported, the Egyptian authorities have also prohibited media access to the site.
The canal authority said its head, Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei, would hold a news conference Saturday in the city of Suez, a few kilometers from the site of the vessel.
Yukito Higaki, president of Japanese firm Shoei Kisen Kaisha, owner of the mega-ship, in a press conference on Friday night, said that there were no signs of damage to the engines and other instruments of the 220,000-ton Ever Given, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported.
“Once it refloats, it should be able to operate,” Higaki was quoted as saying.
The president also apologized for blocking the traffic of the waterway and causing tremendous trouble and worry to the people and parties involved.
Meanwhile, the maritime traffic jam grew to around 280 vessels Saturday outside the Suez Canal, according to canal service provider Leth Agencies.
As of Saturday, hundreds of ships have been waiting to pass through the closed canal, with some choosing to take a much longer route around the continent of Africa.
The effect of delays has doubled shipping costs for oil-related products since the ship ran aground on Tuesday, experts said.
The blockage could cost global trade $6 billion to $10 billion a week, a study by German insurer Allianz showed in its analysis on Friday.
“The problem is that the Suez Canal blockage is the straw that breaks global trade’s back,” the study’s authors wrote.
“First, suppliers’ delivery times have lengthened since the start of the year and are no longer in Europe than during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.”


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New York City has dropped its plans to limit the number of Uber cars operating in the city.
Instead of the cap, the taxi hailing app has agreed to take part in a four-month study looking at the impact of its cars on traffic and pollution in the city.
In return, New York said it would not impose a car limit for this period.
The move comes the day before a city council vote, which could have seen the cap imposed.
The deal NYC has struck with Uber appears weaker than the legislation in the vote, which called for a 1% cap on the company’s growth in the city and a year-long study.
In a statement, Uber said it welcomed the agreement.
“We are pleased new drivers will continue to be free to join the for-hire industry and partner with Uber. Together, we can build an even better, more reliable transportation system,” said Josh Mohrer, Uber NYC’s general manager.
Since being founded in San Francisco in 2009, Uber has grown into a huge ridesharing enterprise – with services now offered in more than 200 cities.
However, in many cities, local cab companies and drivers have staged protests against the service.
In New York, complaints have centered around the idea that Uber has become too dominant, overtaking the city’s iconic yellow taxis.
Uber has been fined $7.3 million in California for not giving regulators enough information about its service and operations.
A judge at the California Public Utilities Commission – the regulator that allows the company to operate in the state – said Uber had not filed all the reports required by the body.
The taxi booking app was accused of withholding details on incidents such as accidents.
Uber has been involved in legal battles around the world over its operations.
The San Francisco based company’s services in cities such as Portland, Oregon have been suspended after a disagreement with the city, while its service of offering unlicensed taxi drivers has been banned in countries like Germany and Italy.
Uber’s app allows passengers to request rides from drivers in the area and its fares are generally lower than those of traditional taxis.
The company has also been accused of not giving data on how often it provided access to disabled passengers in California.
Uber has defended its operations in the state by saying it has given enough information to the commission.
After the ruling, Uber said that it would appeal against the decision.
Uber has up to 30 days to appeal before its license to operate in California is suspended.
Uber has temporarily cut the price of its cheapest service, UberX, by 20% to match the rate of New York City’s yellow taxis.
The move follows similar price decreases in San Francisco and Boston.
UberX price has been temporally cut to match the rate of New York City’s yellow cabs (photo Wikimedia)
Most analysts see the move as an effort to undercut competitors like Lyft and Hailo, as well as attracting newcomers.
Uber drivers – who are paid around 80% of the total fare – will be forced to accept lower payments as a result.
In a blog post announcing the fare changes, Uber countered: “What we’ve seen in cities across the country is that lower fares mean greater demand, lower pickup times and more trips per hour – increasing earning potential and creating better economics for drivers.”
In June, Uber raised $1.2 billion in capital, in a move which valued the car-sharing service at more than $18 billion.
However, Uber has faced competition from other companies, questions from regulators and angered traditional taxi drivers in cities across the globe, from Berlin to Paris to Madrid.
Taxi and rail services strikes have disrupted transport in major European cities.
Two-thirds of trains were not running in some areas of France in a strike against reforms and taxis were blocking traffic around some airports.
Cab-drivers are protesting at what they regard as a lack of regulation of rival mobile service Uber.
A protest began in Madrid early on Wednesday and action was to take place in London, Milan and other cities.
The biggest taxi associations in Madrid asked their drivers to observe a 24-hour stoppage until 06:00 on Thursday morning. More than 15,000 licensed vehicles operate in Madrid, Spanish media say.
Taxi drivers in major European cities are protesting at what they regard as a lack of regulation of rival mobile service Uber
The London protest was to start in Trafalgar Square at 14:00 BST, with taxi drivers arguing that the Uber mobile app, which originated in the US, was tantamount to a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in London.
Up to 12,000 drivers are expected to take part in the protest.
The Metropolitan Police said conditions had been imposed on protesters after they failed to meet with officers to discuss their plans.
In Milan, in northern Italy, a protest was taking place throughout Wednesday, although disruption was not expected to be on a similar scale as elsewhere, with boycotts expected of key sites such as railway stations and squares. Cab drivers also staged demonstrations in Rome and Naples.
Protests were taking place in several German cities, including Berlin and Hamburg.
But the worst of the disruption was in Paris, where train services were also badly affected by strike action.
Only one in three trains was running in the Paris region, although Eurostar services were unaffected.
Unions are objecting to plans to merge the rail network operator with the train company SNCF. The company said some 28% of railway staff had walked out.
Workers were also considering whether to extend the strike into Thursday. Several regions had voted to continue the stoppage, French media reported.
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TodoCast Launches iPhone, iPad and Android Live Streaming
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO , Calif., July 13, 2011: TodoCast, the first comprehensive, interactive online video platform and media services company, today announced live broadcasting capabilites to Apple iOS devices and Android mobile platforms.
TodoCast customers can now broadcast live on-the-go to Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android devices. Streaming live to mobile audiences over 3G or Wi-Fi connections happens with minimal setup. This turn-key streaming capability uses H.264 HTTP live streaming functionality included in the native QuickTime player that Apple has pre-installed on the iPhone, RTMP is used for the Android. This means that customers do not need to obtain iPhone App Store approval to launch their own iPhone live streaming channel, nor do their viewers need to install any application. Streams are viewed using the iPhone’s Safari browser.
“By delivering TodoCast’s live streaming solution to mobile devices, our customers will be able to reach an even wider audience and still deliver an exceptional entertainment experience,” said Bryan Hill, CEO TodoCast. “Viewers will have more viewing choices and will have the ability interact with other viewers during the live show.”
To follow @TodoCast on Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/todocast.
TodoCast is an interactive streaming platform and media services company for event producers, content owners and organizations looking to reach their fans with Live Internet Broadcasts. TodoCast offers a turnkey platform including satellite connectivity, audience management, interactive and social networking features and SD / HD distribution. TodoCast will monetize the content however the producer desires by offering sponsored, subscription and pay-per-view billing options, live or on demand. TodoCast distributes to TV’s, computers and smart phone platforms in HD picture quality. To learn more about TodoCast, visit www.todocast.tv.


text: A year ago I wrote about a start-up readying a data center switch that the company said would dramatically speed secure applications. Well, Nauticus Networks finally has its switch ready to roll.The company last week shipped its N2000 and N2000V switches. The switches do traditional Layer2\/3 switching, but they also do intelligent switching at Layers 4-7. In addition, the company claims it can support far more Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connections and encrypted throughput than competitors such as F5 and Radware.The N2000V switches enable virtualization, so a single physical switch can support multiple tiers of a data center.The switches are based on Nauticus' TideRunner chipset. Nauticus President and CEO Josh Weiss says it's this hardware design that enables the switches to do application-level switching and packet inspection without taking a hit when it comes to performance. The company claims its switches can support up to 16,000 connections per second of SSL processing and 4G bit\/sec of encrypted throughput."As a comparison, until recently the highest transactions per second were 1,600," says Neil Osipuk, directing analyst data centers and hosting at Infonetics Research.Osipuk points to a February announcement from Nortel that talked about an SSL acceleration module for the Passport 8600 Intelligent Routing Switch. "Each 8661 SSL Acceleration module can process 3,000 SSL transactions per second... with 260 megabits per second of bulk encryption throughput," the Nortel release says. The switch can accommodate four of these modules, so the switch can scale to 12,000 transactions per second with 1.04G bit\/sec of bulk encryption.Both the N2000 and the N2000V switches come with one of two LAN configurations: either 40 ports of 10\/100M bit\/sec Ethernet plus four Gigabit Ethernet ports, or just 12 Gig Ethernet ports. Pricing starts at $25,000 for the N2000 and $35,000 for the N2000V.


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'We haven't heard anything': Shops in Northampton's Market Walk shocked to learn their home is up for sale again
Business owners in Northampton's Market Walk were shocked today to learn the shopping centre they make a living in had gone up for sale - because no one else had told them.
The troubled shopping arcade formerly known as Peacock Place was listed on Rightmove last week for £2million by estate agents Paul Simon Seaton CEA Ltd.
Currently, more than half of the available 66,000 sq ft on Market Square lie vacant, with only 10 shop units open for business.
But the shops who make their home in the Walk between Market Square and Abington Street were shocked to hear the news first through the Chronicle and Echo, and have had no notice about the sale from the centre's management.
Now, the businesses operating on Market Walk have shared their thoughts on the proposed sale.
"They'd be lucky," said one shop owner, who asked to remain anonymous. "If they wanted to sell it for that price they should have filled some shops first.
"I found out about the sale through the Chron. Surely I should find out through management? But I have heard nothing."
In fact, none of the six businesses approached by the Chron today knew their shopping centre was up for sale.
Additionally, all the shops the Chron spoke with asked to remain anonymous.
"We don't know what's happening," said another shop owner. "Are we coming? Are we going? Do they want us to stay here? Do they want us out? We've had no communication."
The centre's management has been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, the listing on Rightmove says the site has also had "planning submitted for rooftop development to provide hotel/student accommodation and other mixed uses".
The arcade has been rebranded numerous times in recent years.
In 2017, the then owners were given planning permission to let empty shopping centre units to food, drink and leisure operators in a bid to increase footfall.
The aim was to fill half-a-dozen units that had been empty for up to six years with cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as offices for professional and financial services.
Before then it had rebranded as a fashion destination but the loss of Next and Laura Ashley forced a rethink.
Dorothy Perkins also closed in March this year.


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Battlestar Galactica Online Headed To Browsers This Fall
Today NBC Universal and Bigpoint have announced that Battlestar Galactica Online, browser-based MMO based on the popular series, is coming this fall. BGO will launch exclusively on Syfy.com for a 30-day period and can be played directly in your internet browser. It is currently under development by Norwegian dev studio, Artplant. Check out the teaser website here.
"Battlestar Galactica is a supremely gameable intellectual property, with compelling character classes, a fantastic array of ships and weaponry, multiple worlds, and a dramatic storyline," said Bill Kispert, VP & GM, Digital Platforms, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "We are excited to work with Bigpoint – and our partners at Universal Cable Productions and Syfy – to bring an epic, accessible, and ‘always on’ BSG experience to fans of the franchise and online gamers alike."
Players will get to choose between cylons or humans, engage in space combat and play through a mission-based structure. The companies promise an authentic experience. No other details have been released.
"Cooperation between Bigpoint and NBC Universal is a very important strategic step for us," explains Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. "Battlestar Galactica has a huge and passionate fan base. We are proud to be able to publish such an internationally famous title as one of our online games. For the first time ever, we're relying completely on Unity in order to offer our users fantastic game graphics right in their browsers."
In the battle between cylons and humans, what side will you choose?
Be sure to check out the GDC 2010 hub page for quick access to more news and hands-on impressions straight from the event in San Francisco, CA.


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Sky is upgrading its set top box software so that inactive Sky boxes will automatically switch to standby during the day, according to the company.
Sky, which first launched Sky Auto Standby (SAS) for set top boxes in 2007, estimates the move will save customers £20m on their energy bills and 90,000 tonnes of CO2 – 30% more than the previous version of SAS which only switched to standby over night.
Which? has surveyed thousands of Sky customers – find out how they rate Sky’s , broadband and home phone services in our online reviews.
Sky box green upgrade
Sky says downloading the new SAS to boxes in its nine million Sky customer homes will take until July 2009.
Unlike most electrical equipment, Sky set top boxes (including Sky+ and Sky HD boxes) are ‘active’ devices and as such need to be switched on or in the standby mode at all times in order to receive regular software updates and allow Sky+ recordings to take place.
By switching inactive boxes to standby overnight, Sky’s Auto Standby helps customers reduce their carbon footprint and save money on energy bills.
Check out our Greener living section for more tips on saving electricity and buying energy-saving appliances.
Greener Sky satellite dishes
Sky is also cutting the energy consumption of new satellite dishes by around 10%.
It will install hundreds of thousands of next-generation dishes in 2009. Sky promises that by May 2010, every new dish it installs will use less energy, saving customers an annual estimated £3m on their energy bills and 12,500 tonnes of carbon.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s chief executive, says: ‘People expect the brands they trust not just to deliver great quality and value but also to take clear and consistent action on the issues they care about.
‘We know that customers expect us to play our part in creating a healthy environment, even in more challenging economic times, and these new commitments reflect that.’
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Leezaspace LLC, one of the premier executive office rental agency based out of Frisco, Texas, has successfully launched their 11th branch of Executive Office Suites in the location 14111 King Rd, Frisco, at the intersection of FM423 and King Road. Leezaspace LLC has been exhibiting consistent growth in the executive office rental arena with 11 office suites across different locations of Texas. They currently host 125 offices and approx. 80+ tenants from various small businesses domains.
A tale of determination and hardwork, Ravi Polishetty, Founder and CEO of Leezaspace LLC, has spoken about his mission to empower small businesses by offering them affordable and accessible office spaces starting at an all-inclusive price of $750 per month.
The cross-geography teams of Leezaspace are working round-the-clock to offer exceptional customer service to the potential and existing tenants. With a fully-automated process in place, Leezaspace LLC has made the entire office leasing process a cakewalk with a smooth functioning even during the pandemic times. The Frisco branch has already witnessed 3 pre-bookings, following a huge traction in site visits post grand opening ceremony.
In additional to brand new interiors and ambience-filled office spaces, Leezaspace also offers a range of features such as August Locks, Sound-proof ceiling and office partitions, access to well-maintained common areas and conference rooms, consistent internet connectivity through Google Mesh, smart devices for temperature control, individual office keycodes, and a smooth transition from Prospect to Tenant.
"The real estate market is quite hideous with it's own set of flaws, tenants are cautious about hidden charges and extra costs during the time of leasing. We help them overcome this challenge by ensuring price transparency across all our marketing collaterals. We have a one-price policy across all office suites; and now we have also started multi-cabin offices starting at $2000 per month to address changing customer needs".
– says Ravi Polishetty, CEO of Leezaspace LLC
Currently, Leezaspace is hosting offices across the locations Frisco, Little Elm, Aubrey, McKinney, Carrollton and Plano. The current location marks the 11th branch of the Leezaspace office suites, all of which are owned by the founding partners, with a clear set of HOA rules and lease paperwork.


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Dubai Airport, the world’s busiest international airport, has decided to ban single-use plastics from consumer spaces at the airport. This will come into effect from January 1st, 2020.
Around 32 tonnes of single-use plastic bottles and bottle caps are used every year in the airport and with the new move this can be eliminated. This is in addition to other single-use plastic items such as plastic straws, plastic cups and caps, and plastic bags. Dubai airport hosts almost 90 million people per year and an initiative like this will make a tangible difference in the society.
The good news is that its not just Dubai Airport that has come up with this fantastic decision. Numerous hotel chains, restaurants, theatres, groceries, supermarkets along with individuals and households have taken initiative to eliminate single-use plastic and protect our environment.
Dubai Airport recycles more than 43,000 tonnes of paper, glass and other waste per year and they have collected and disposed almost 16 tonnes of single use plastic bottles and bottle caps, in the past 6 months.
The airport recently partnered with more than 106 businesses functioning there to showcase the positive outcomes that can be derived from limiting the usage of products that are harmful to our environment. Some of the measures taken were banning plastic utensils, bags and paper receipts. Straws are one of the most overused single-use plastic products and the collaboration resulted in a pledge to prevent the distribution of 150,000 straws. This is 30,000m worth of plastic!
Single-use plastic is extremely dangerous and according to reports, the increased use of the same will result in the acceleration of climate change. Plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions throughout its lifecycle, right from its production and refining to until it becomes a waste product.
A cleaner and greener environment is the dream of everyone. For this, we will have to unite and take initiatives to curb products that are dangerous for nature and livelihood.


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Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Tiffany – The luxury goods retailer beat estimates by 3 cents with quarterly profit of $1.67 per share. Revenue also beat forecasts, and a same-store sales increase of 3 percent was slightly above the consensus estimate of 2.8 percent.
Hibbett Sports – The athletic apparel retailer beat estimates on both the top and bottom lines, and reported an unexpected increase in same-store sales.
Johnson & Johnson – The company has received a $2.1 billion offer for its LifeScan unit from private equity firm Platinum Equity. LifeScan makes blood glucose monitoring products, and Johnson & Johnson expects the deal to close by the end of the year if it accepts the offer.
Adobe Systems – Adobe beat estimates by 11 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.55 per share, while the software company's revenue also beat estimates. Adobe's bottom line was driven by an increase in subscriptions for its Creative Cloud software suite and a rise in average revenue per user.
Ulta Beauty – Ulta fell 3 cents shy of forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of $2.75 per share, although the cosmetics retailer's revenue did match forecasts. Ulta also posted an 8.8 percent increase in comparable store sales, slightly short of consensus estimates.
Kroger – Kroger announced a $1 billion share buyback program. The move supplements the supermarket operator's prior buyback authorization, which had about $76 million remaining.
Walmart – Walmart responded to accusations from a former executive by calling him a "disgruntled former associate," and said an investigation had found no indication that the company acted improperly. Former business development director Tri Huynh had said Walmart was issuing misleading e-commerce results.
Nike – Nike brand president Trevor Edwards has resigned from that post, and will service as an adviser to CEO Mark Parker until he retires in August. The athletic footwear and apparel maker also said that Parker will remain in his post beyond 2020.
Qualcomm – Ex-chairman Paul Jacobs is seeking funds for a buyout of the chip maker, according to multiple reports. The reported effort comes just days after President Trump blocked Broadcom's $142 billion bid for Qualcomm.
Wynn Resorts – Former CEO Steve Wynn may sell all or part of his stake in the casino operator, according to a regulatory filing. Wynn is the largest shareholder in the company, with an 11.8 percent stake.
Meredith – The company is exploring a sale of magazines Time, Fortune, Money, and Sports Illustrated following its acquisition of Time Inc. earlier this year, according to Reuters.
Broadcom – Broadcom reported adjusted quarterly profit of $5.12 per share, beating estimates by 7 cents, while the chip maker's revenue was slightly above Street forecasts. Broadcom's results were driven by higher demand for smartphone chips.
Jabil Circuit – Jabil reported adjusted profit of 66 cents per share, coming in 4 cents ahead of consensus forecasts. Revenue also topped estimates for the contract electronics manufacturer, which gets about a quarter of its total sales from Apple.
Zumiez – Zumiez fell eight cents short of estimates with quarterly profit of 82 cents per share, although the activewear maker did see sales beat forecasts and said it was poised for accelerated earnings growth for this year.
The Buckle – The accessories retailer earned 87 cents per share for its latest quarter, 15 cents above forecasts, with revenue also beating estimates. Comparable store sales fell 3.2 percent, a slightly smaller drop than the consensus estimate of a 3.4 percent decline.


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Wall surface Road experts commended Tesla’s transfer to divide its highly valued supply right into smaller sized pieces, claiming it had the prospective to prolong a 200% rally in its shares this year by making it simpler for retail capitalists to hold the supply.
Shares in the electrical automobile manufacturer climbed greater than 6% in very early trading. The supply, which traded at around $1,467 prior to the bell on Wednesday, is amongst the greatest valued on Wall surface Road.
The five-for-one split– Tesla’s initial– comes with a time when capitalists as well as experts have actually shared issues over the supply’s high assessment in the marketplace regardless of money melt issues.
” The relocation makes good sense for Tesla, as it will certainly make its shares more affordable as well as extra obtainable to young new retail investors making use of systems like Robinhood,” stated Jesse Cohen, elderly expert at Investing.com.
” While supply divides are commonly non-events for capitalists, the response seen in Tesla’s supply complying with the statement underscores the rising need from the Robinhood-retail investors to participate fast-growing technology names.”
Tesla’s relocation complies with a four-for-one split introduced by Apple Inc in late July, the apple iphone manufacturer’s initial supply split because 2014.
” Our team believe institutional capitalists have actually improved in a favorable instructions as Musk & & Co. have not simply chatted the talk yet strolled the stroll on its Version 3 sales as well as productivity trajectory over the in 2014 regardless of COVID,” Wedbush expert Dan Ives stated.
The globe’s most useful automobile manufacturer published excellent quarterly outcomes last month, establishing it as much as be consisted of in the S&P 500 index.
Twelve of 33 experts covering the supply ranked it at “offer” or reduced, as well as simply 8 ranked it at “acquire” or greater. The mean cost target for the supply is $1,300, up from $615 in May.
Supply divides are a means for business to make shares extra obtainable to retail capitalists, possibly bring in private capitalists that make tiny professions. Brokerage firms progressively allow clients acquire components of shares, making the advantage of share divides much less clear than in the past.
Supply divides have actually ended up being unusual on Wall surface Road in the last few years, with simply 3 S&P 500 parts introducing divides in 2020, compared to approximately 10 a year over the previous years, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Tesla in July published a second-quarter revenue as price cuts as well as solid distribution aided balance out coronavirus-related manufacturing facility closures, getting rid of an obstacle that can result in the automobile manufacturer’s addition in the S&P 500 index.
While numerous institutional capitalists have actually prevented Tesla’s supply in the last few years as a result of an absence of regular productivity, the business has a solid following amongst private capitalists.
Over the past 30 days, Tesla was 2nd just to Apple as one of the most prominent supply on the Robinhood trading application, according to Robintrack, an internet site that tracks Robinhood holdings.
Tesla’s supply split must not impact S&P Dow Jones Indices’ prospective choice to include the business to the S&P 500, which is weighted by business’ general stock market worths.
The share split will certainly not make Tesla any kind of less costly in regards to real incomes it supplies to capitalists. The supply presently trades at 112 times anticipated incomes over the following 12 months, according to Refinitiv. Comparative, GM is valued at 8 times anticipated incomes, as well as Ford at 45 times anticipated incomes.


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Crunchyroll to Stream Monster Strike: The Fading Cosmos Anime Series
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The "first part" of the anime's second season will end next week on September 2, and Monster Strike the Anime: The Fading Cosmos will premiere on October 7.
The anime is inspired by the Monster Strike smartphone game. Social networking service mixi released the game on iOS and Android devices in Japan in 2013. XFLAG released the English version in North America in 2014, but it shut down on August 1. The game also debuted in Taiwan and South Korea in 2014. The game's staff reports over 35 million players worldwide. mixi released a Nintendo 3DS port of the game in Japan in 2015.


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Corn, soybean prices in a bull market
Published 8:49 am Wednesday, June 19, 2019
By Dan Gunderson
MPR News/90.1 FM
Corn and soybean prices are rising as a result of wet conditions that delayed spring planting in much of the Midwest, creating uncertainty about this year’s harvest. The situation may be propitious for Minnesota crop farmers because they’ve been able to plant.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says 99 percent of Minnesota’s anticipated corn crop is in the ground, and nearly 90 percent has emerged — about two weeks later than a normal year. Soybean planting was also running about two weeks late, although oats, spring wheat, barley and other beans were less than a week behind.
Significant rainfall has made for good topsoil moisture throughout Minnesota, as precipitation has topped half an inch for the week over most of the state, though there’s been too much rain in some places.
On the other hand, flooding has impeded planting in many other breadbasket states. The USDA said this week plantings in other states are down significantly, and that wet weather has slowed planting across the country to its latest in more than 40 years.
The prospect of a relatively small national harvest is helping boost corn and soybean prices to levels not seen in several financially challenging years in farm country.
Some farmers who stored grain, waiting and hoping for higher prices, may see an opportunity to sell it and cash in, said Kent Thiesse, a farm management analyst with MinnStar Bank. But maximizing the opportunity is a challenging bet, he said.
“Are we nearing the top of the market or is this market going to keep going? And you don’t want to lose out on maybe the best marketing opportunity we’ve had in a long time to capture some of those profits,” Thiesse said.
Some farmers may want to sell this year’s crop in advance — before harvest — to lock in profits from rising prices, but that too is a gamble, Thiesse said.
“They’d like to take advantage of these prices — the best corn prices we’ve had in over five years,” he said. “But until they have a little more certainty on the production it’s hard to do a lot of forward pricing on the crop.”
Thiesse said crop prices driven by weather conditions tend to rise quickly and then slowly fall over an extended time.
While higher prices are good for crop farmers, Thiesse said they will cut into profits for livestock and dairy farmers who use corn or soybeans as feed. The dairy industry also has weathered years of low prices for milk. Higher corn prices will also squeeze profit margins for ethanol plants that turn corn in to fuel.
Thiesse said how well crops grow over the next few weeks will strongly influence grain prices.


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Breville warns of tax hit in accepting GUD bid
Breville says its shareholders should take no action in relation to the takeover offer from GUD.
Breville chairman John Schmoll said shareholders should wait for the board's recommendation before deciding whether to accept GUD's offer.
"Breville has an attractive and valuable portfolio of brands and is well positioned in both Australia and international markets," he said in a statement.
"There is no cash component to GUDs offer and there is a risk that CGT rollover relief will not be available.
"Breville shareholders who accept GUDs offer could have a tax liability but have no cash from GUD to pay that tax."
"GUD has not declared its offer final and it can increase its offer."
Last week, GUD made a bid that valued Breville at $2.20 per share, or $322 million on an enterprise basis including debt of $33 million.
GUD already holds 19.4 of Breville, which it acquired in May.
It says its offer has the support of key Breville institutional shareholders - including funds manager Perpetual - representing a combined 28 per cent of the stock, barring a superior offer.
GUD also said it was not concerned about a competing bid from Breville's largest shareholder Premier Investments.
In the statement on Tuesday, Breville said shareholders should note the GUD offer was not solicited by Breville.
Breville said it had an established business and platform for growth outside Australia and New Zealand, and GUD did not.
The statement also noted that unless GUD becomes the owner of at least 80 per cent of Breville's shares, shareholders will not be entitled to scrip for scrip CGT (capital gains tax) rollover relief.
"Unless CGT rollover relief is available, Breville shareholders who realise a capital gain as a result of accepting GUD's offer will have a tax liability but will have no cash from GUD to pay that tax,” it said.
While GUD has indicated that a number of Breville shareholders support its offer (in the absence of a superior offer), Breville's largest shareholder has not announced its intentions in relation to GUD's offer, Breville said.
The company said GUD had not adequately explained how it intended to manage and operate Breville if GUD controlled, but did not own all of, Breville.
Breville said the board would review GUD's bidders’ statement and prepare a target's statement, which will contain the formal recommendation of the board on whether shareholders should accept GUD's offer.
Breville has retained UBS as its financial adviser and Arnold Bloch Leibler as its legal adviser in relation to the offer.
By 12.45pm, GUD shares had added nine cents to $8.61, while Breville rose four cents to $2.13.
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Support the SCRAPS Hope Foundation at the Reigning Cats and Dogs Auction and Chocolate Festival at 6 p.m. April 26.
Money raised at the event – which includes a live auction, pet pageant, raffle, appetizers and dessert – will go to the nonprofit foundation’s medical fund, which provides medical assistance to animals hurt by abuse, such as Nanook. The dog, now named Leonidas, had surgery to remove a chain from his neck after it became embedded. His first owner was charged with animal cruelty and Leonidas has been adopted by someone else.
The auction and festival will be at a former Harley-Davidson dealership, 6815 E. Trent Ave., the future home of SCRAPS. There are tickets and more information at The SCRAPS Hope Foundation website or by calling (509) 477-2760.
Spokane restaurants honored
The Washington Restaurant Association honored outstanding members this week. The local organization has about 400 members, including restaurants and suppliers. Members nominate the restaurants and vote on the annual awards.
The 2013 restaurant of the year awards include:
Fine dining: Masselow’s at Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Casual dining: The Onion
Quick service: Jimmy John’s
There is more information and a complete list of awards online at warestaurant.org/membership/get-involved/ spokane
Zaycon deliveries scheduled
Bargain shoppers will want to check out Zaycon Foods and its upcoming deliveries in the area.
The business delivers bulk orders of meat and seasonal produce to customers in a drive-thru market set up in area parking lots. Customers get wholesale prices, but they have to repackage the food for household use. Customers order in advance and pick up at a designated place and time. There is more information at www.zayconfoods.com. Scheduled deliveries include four stops in the Spokane area April 12.


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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only three products to protect skin from UVA rays. Those ingredients are avobenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. Tinosorb and Mexoryl SX have also been found to protect against UVA rays, however, they are only approved outside of the United States.
Avobenzone, more commonly known as Parsol 1789 is the ingredient used in most sunblocks to absorb damaging UVA rays. According to Hawaiian Tropic, Avobenzone can degrade over time but is the most successful UVA screen.
The company’s solution--to make the ingredient photostable using its SunSure proprietary combination of ingredients. This technology has been incorporated into each of its sun care products for this summer, and the company reports that extensive tests have revealed its products to be UVA/UVB photostable. According to the company, its products protect against a broad spectrum and have been shown to be shotostable through sun and solar simulator testing. The products also reportedly have less degradation to reduce free radicals.
Hawaiian Tropic claims that there are few other sun care products that have incorporated its SunSure technology into their lines.
Avobenzone and octinoxate, according to the company is an ingredient combination in sun care products that is particularly susceptible to photodegradation. The sun care company cautions against sun care products containing the two ingredients.
Photodegradation of sun care products can be avoided, added the sun care company, by constant reapplying. The company also reports its new product line to include less chemical sunscreens. A typical 45 SPF product contains nearly 25 percent chemical sunscreen. The Hawaiian Tropic 60 SPF Sport, however, is reportedly only 12.5 percent chemical sunscreens. Hawaiian Tropic achieves a smaller percentage of chemical sunscreens in their products by using special combinations of ingredients and sunscreens.
-Katie Schaefer, C&T Magazine


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Analysis of beer market in China (on Russian)
Beer market of Ukraine: big three losing weightIn 2016, fast increase of excises and resulting price spike stood in the way of the beer market stabilization. Most of competition (as well as mass sorts) moved to the economy segment of the market. The biggest losses were incurred by the leading three, especially Obolon, which again experienced pressure after reallocation of Efes market share. However, one should already speak of TOP-4. Group Oasis CIS (PPB) became a strong player and competitor to transnational companies. Besides the net sales of many regional medium breweries look rather good and 16-fold cost reduction wholesale trade license for craft brewers opens up a possibility of rapid growth in 2017.
Analysis of beer market in China
China’s transition to a “new normal” reality backfired on the brewing industry unexpectedly. Stagnation and subsequent market decline resulted from dynamic social and economic changes. There has emerged a “two speed” market where the medium class significance is growing, yet the share of main beer consumers, “blue collar” is decreasing. Also the inflow of consumers is shrinking, as demographics stopped being a growth driver. Finally, beer is giving way to other alcohol drinks....
Vietnam. Debate rages over Sabeco nepotism accusations
The Vietnam Association of Financial Investors (VAFI) previously sent a letter to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, urging the ministry to inspect the appointment of Hoang’s son, Vu Quang Hai, as deputy CEO of Sabeco in early 2015. Before the promotion Hai was the general director of PetroVietnam Finance Investment JSC. Between 2011 and 2012, under Hai’s management, the company racked-up losses of VND220 billion (USD10 million) compared to registered capital of USD13.5 million.
Nguyen Hoang Hai, deputy head of VAFI said they decided to file complaints with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Government Inspectorate.
Cung said he had seen the written response from MoIT to VAFI on newspaper which said that even though there might have been mistakes during the process, the promotions at Sabeco and PetroVietnam had followed all procedures and there were no legal grounds to hold Hai responsible for causing losses at PetroVietnam.
Cung said the ministry was trying to cover up evident problems in the process. "When I read the response, I can only say that it's shameless. I have nothing to say," he said.
According to Cung, Sabeco have been equitised so the ministry could only nominate people onto the board of directors, the board would then have to vote on other positions such as directors or vice directors. It was a violation if Sabeco 'begged' the ministry to promote someone as deputy CEO.
Secondly, he said that even though the private-sector investors only had a 20% stake, it's was still their money and they should have a voice in the company.
"This is not a government office, the employees don’t have to be state officials," he said. "It's wrong to use the excuse that Sabeco wanted Hai to be their deputy CEO. You must choose the best candidates with clear criteria and do it transparently."
Cung had previously also vocally criticised Sabeco when it claimed the promotion followed all procedures.
"Stop talking about following procedures. Procedures are a tool, not a goal. Procedures are only used to find the best leaders or employees, but if we can't find the best ones then we must re-check the procedures. Hai should resign from Sabeco. It's simply a matter of self-respect," he said.
26 Aug. 2016


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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is heading to China to fulfill with tech executives on the earth’s greatest chip marketplace, regardless of emerging tensions between Washington and Beijing, in keeping with nation usual with the topic.
Huang, who headlined a industry display in Taiwan this future, plans to move to China for the primary pace in years in June, mentioned the nation, who requested to not be recognized as a result of his time table is personal.
Corporations on his itinerary come with gaming chief Tencent Holdings and TikTok-owner ByteDance, probably the most nation mentioned.
Nvidia is rising as a vital participant within the booming garden of man-made judgement, however its place in China has been difficult by way of geopolitics. U.S. sanctions unveiled by way of the Biden management utmost time prohibit the semiconductor corporate from promoting its maximum complex AI chipsets to Chinese language consumers, together with Tencent and ByteDance.
Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia, which will get a couple of 5th of its earnings from China, briefly retooled its lineup nearest the block to build brandnew chips for the Chinese language marketplace that it says are compliant with the constraints.
Nvidia’s chipsets are thought to be the gold same old for coaching AI methods, just like the massive language type in the back of ChatGPT.
Huang, 60, is rarely isolated in dating Chinese language consumers. He joins a rising listing of company bosses making the most of China’s post-COVID reopening to seek advice from the arena’s Disagree. 2 financial system, together with Apple’s Tim Cook dinner and billionaire Elon Musk.
Regardless of a pandemic-era downturn, China extra a key marketplace for most of the international’s greatest firms and lots of economists be expecting expansion to re-accelerate over the process 2023.
Huang has rocketed to famous person condition — a minimum of in tech circles — over the day future. Nvidia forecast booming call for for AI chips that driven its marketplace valuation to $1 trillion on Tuesday, turning it into the primary chipmaker to surpass that mark.
At occasions in Taiwan this future, Huang was once mobbed by way of the media and enthusiasts searching for selfies with the CEO.
Nvidia retreated from the $1 trillion milestone on Wednesday, with its stocks falling up to 4 p.c to $385.01. As of 12:02 p.m. in Unused York on Wednesday, the corporate’s marketplace valuation stood at $954.9 billion.


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One in four employed Brits want to make their lunches more vegan or vegetarian, having consumed less meat since the Covid-19 outbreak, as per a new survey.
A quarter of the UK’s working population would want to eat more vegan or vegetarian food at lunchtime, with 24% eating less meat since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The new survey commissioned by plant-based meat brand Squeaky Bean covered 2,000 employed UK adults. Within London, 40% of respondents wanted to go meatless during their lunch breaks, while 42% have reduced their meat consumption since the pandemic.
More than a tenth (11%) of respondents across the UK said all of their lunches were either vegan or vegetarian already. But on the flip side, 23% said they would rather skip lunch than eat a meal without meat, eggs or dairy. This was in line with the finding that 32% of Brits admitted that they “just really love meat” as the reason for not trying a vegan or vegetarian lunch. Other reasons included taste (21%), cost (19%) and nutritional concerns (15%).
The growing interest in vegan food comes after the UK saw a 112% increase in the number of people having lunch at home since the Covid-19 outbreak. But the number of Brits choosing to eat lunch at a cafe or restaurant has remained stable at 4%.
Lunch hours are becoming a thing of the past, and quick and easy meals are at the forefront now. This is why 65% of survey respondents said they typically eat sandwiches and wraps for lunch. Salads (32%), soups (24%) and pasta (19%) rounded up the other major foods popular for lunch.
Sarah Augustine, Squeaky Bean’s co-creator, said: “Our survey reveals that the nation’s lunchtimes are jam-packed. Whether it’s trying to remain at our desks, dashing out for some exercise or hopping back into bed, there’s no shortage of pressures on our well-earned breaks.
She added: “This is why we’re putting the focus back on tasty food and encouraging the nation to make their lunchtime ‘Plant Hour’. Let’s all take a moment and give our midday meal a plant-based glow up with some delicious meat-free food.”


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If your hardware isn't supported by either of these projects, you can also try installing them in VirtualBox, which should be a little faster than the official Android
the world's leading provider of Enterprise Mobility Management(EMM) and Bring Your Own Device(BYOD) policy management, today announced that it has significantly expanded its Android
OEM partnerships to encompass more than 35 of the leading Android
device manufacturers globally.
The internet giant has teamed up with Nestle, with the title following other sweet-themed names such as Android
Cupcake and Android
devices and technologies continue to evolve, the embedded Android
market is facing a growing need for greater security capabilities.
First, the patents in question are not unique to HTC--they are integral to the Android
Digital multimedia specialist CyberLink Corp (Taiwan:5203) announced on Thursday PowerDVD for Android
, an Android
device app that plays videos, photos and audio files on mobile devices.
We already have more than 3,000 members of the Android
on MIPS community, with upwards of 40 new registrants each day," said Art Swift, vice president of marketing, MIPS Technologies.
Xamarin, a leading provider of development software to simplify the creation and operation of cross-platform mobile apps targeting phones and tablets running iOS, Android
and Windows, today announced availability of the Xamarin Designer for Android
, giving developers a drag-and-drop visual environment to create native user interfaces for Android
apps from within Visual Studio or Xamarin's IDE.
Pay allows customers who register their PNC consumer or small business debit or credit cards to make purchases using any eligible Android
mobile device at participating merchant locations.
If the update does not show up, users can still install the new update by downloading and flashing the device with the appropriate OTA ZIP file, says Android
These multiple monitor configurations now allow backseat passengers to enjoy not only larger screen viewing but also all of the features that Android
has to offer while still supporting DVD.
TEHRAN (FNA)- Android
Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the very many things that have happened around Android
over the last seven days.
com)-- Packt is pleased to announce the release of Android
Native Development Kit Cookbook, a step-by-step tutorial with more than 60 concise recipes designed to enhance your Android
NDK development skills.
This week The Sunday Times' award-winning app edition becomes available for the first time on Android
Google's decision to create a new Internet-centric OS for netbooks shows the limitations of the Android
mobile OS for netbooks and raises questions about its future on those devices, developers and analysts said.


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CAIRO, July 20 (Xinhuanet by Yang Wenjing, Xin Jianqiang) -- Egyptian Tourism Minister Ahmad al- Maghrabi said
Wednesday that tourism cooperation between China and Egypt will have bright
Maghrabi made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the eve
of his five-day visit to China, which is due to start on Thursday.
China and Egypt have sound relations in all fields over the past decades and
the two countries are set to work together to boost their all-round ties, among
which tourism cooperation is oneof the key ways to join the two oldest civilizations
in the world, said the minister.
He expressed the hope that his visit will boost bilateral cooperation on
tourism to a new high.
Since Egypt became a Chinese travel destination country in January 2002, more
and more Chinese people have become interested in Egyptian history, culture and
ancient sites, said Maghrabi, adding that his country expects the number of the
Chinese tourists would reach 100,000 by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the minister acknowledged some difficulties in attracting more
Chinese tourists, especially the offer of tasty food.
"Eating is really a problem for Chinese tourists in Egypt because of
different cooking styles," Maghrabi said, "So I welcomemore Chinese to come and
invest in Chinese restaurants."
Egypt has put great emphasis on tourism as it is the country's most
important export service, he added.
Tourism is also a prime source of the country's hard currency, which alone
earned 6 billion US dollars and attracted 8 million tourists in 2004, followed
by oil, Suez Canal revenues and expatriate remittances.
The Egyptian government has a 10-year plan to promote tourism, which vows
to attract an extra 1 million tourists every year during the next decade, more
than doubling the current total to 18million by 2015, said the minister.
The plan will also require building 15,000 extra hotel rooms a year,
bringing the total to 300,000 by 2015, which in turn will generate 2 million
"This qualitative leap in tourism performance will benefit fromupgrading
the physical and informational infrastructures," he said.
Maghrabi elaborated that Egyptian tourism authorities have tried to design
new traveling programs besides the traditional ones in southern historic sites
and along the Red Sea, in an effort to fulfil the 10-year plan.
"Tourism promotion must be a strategic approach
embraced by allcategories of the society," he concluded. Enditem


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What Would Jobs Do? Not Much!
I only had to drive by both the Apple store in downtown San Francisco and then the Moscone Center nearby yesterday to feel the relentless gravity of the Mac faithful gathered inside at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, waiting for some juicy tidbit from the Oracle.
Or, as I like to call him, Steve Jobs.
As I wrote in this post earlier yesterday, the CEO of Apple launched his speech at 10 a.m. PDT yesterday with a massive force of live bloggers at the ready to take down his every utterance. A shame then that, despite what looked like a very entertaining show as usual, not much news was actually committed.
Most especially, and perhaps one of the reasons the stock was down a few dollars in after-hype profit-taking, there was no Google CEO Eric Schmidt onstage with Jobs announcing a deal to gird Apple’s .Mac business with its fresh-baked Googley know-how. (Amusingly, Gizmodo attributed the stock dip to the fewer number of times Jobs uttered “Boom!” in his speech.)
To be fair, though not much, there was some iPhone software news with Apple letting programmers make some for it (here’s yet another picture of it, since it is so dang pretty), some more details about previously announced features for its upcoming Leopard operating system and a cool widget demo.
Jobs’s most interesting move, one that has worked well for Apple related to iTunes, was showing off a new version of its Safari browser that works on the Microsoft Windows operating system. It’s not a bad idea, given how iTunes has thrived on the platform. In fact, last month at D5, he noted in an interview onstage that the success of iTunes software on Windows machines was because it was “like giving a glass of ice water to someone in hell.”
Presumably, the new Safari on Windows means more quenching of parched souls.
But why listen to me, when the master of stage and screen-juggling can tell you, courtesy of our friends at The Wall Street Journal Online’s video unit? Even when he is not saying much, it is fun to watch Jobs in action:
Please see this disclosure related to me and Google.


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In this edition of The Midweek Download, we’ve got Windows Phone Developer news and how-to’s, new tools and tips for a secure and stable cloud environment, plus how we’re delivering the most up-to-date Windows 8 on day one.
Windows Phone developer registration opens in 13 new markets. In Todd Brix’s last post, he talked about how we’re planning to roll out periodic updates to the Windows Phone Dev Center and Store infrastructure that address issues you report and occasionally include small feature enhancements. Well, it’s that time once again, and in addition to another 100 or so fixes, Microsoft is enabling developer registration in 13 new markets via Dev Center with this release: Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Mongolia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Timor-Leste. For the rest of the story, head over to The Windows Phone Developer Blog.
Updating Windows 8 for general availability. In an Oct. 9 post, Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division, announced the release of a set of improvements to Windows 8 in broad areas of performance, power management and battery efficiency, media playback and compatibility. These improvements are available via Windows Update. Steven talks briefly about our improvements to the engineering system and, in particular, the speed at which we were able to deliver these updates to you. Read more about the new pace of delivering updates over on Building Windows 8.
RSA Europe: Risks and rewards in cloud adoption. Last week at RSA Europe in London, Microsoft’s General Manager of Trustworthy Computing, Adrienne Hall, announced the release of our bi-annual Security Intelligence Report (SIRv13) and a new free Cloud Security Readiness Tool. Get a more detailed summary of the report and new Cloud Security Readiness Tool in Adrienne’s post on the Trustworthy Computing blog.
Tips for using ads in your Windows Phone apps. Windows Phone developers have three basic ways to make money from their apps: paid app sales, mobile advertising and in-app purchases (coming in Windows Phone 8). Last month, Bernardo Zamora wrote about his approach to paid apps, and how to take advantage of the Windows Phone Dev Center’s new country-by-country pricing and analysis features. Last week, he shared lessons he’s learned about increasing mobile ad revenue—ones he picked up from publishing more than 20 games in the Windows Phone Store, half of them ad-based. Pick up Advertising 101 tips in The Windows Phone Developer Blog.
Inside the Kinect for Windows SDK Update with Peter Zatloukal and Bob Heddle. Now that the updated Kinect for Windows SDK is available for download, Engineering Manager Peter Zatloukal and Group Program Manager Bob Heddle sat down to discuss what this significant update means to developers. Find out their top three favorite features in the updated SDK release in this post on the Kinect for Windows Blog.
Best practices for designing large-scale services on Windows Azure. In a Windows Azure blog post on Monday, Jason Roth, principal programming writer in our Customer Advisory Team, provided an overview of a new whitepaper we published: Best Practices for the Design of Large-Scale Services on Windows Azure Cloud Services. This paper is a compilation of design patterns and guidelines that are based on actual customer engagements and pulls together the best strategies and design patterns that have consistently proven successful for real-world Windows Azure applications.
In case you missed it…
Windows Server 2012 Essentials released to manufacturing and generally available on Nov. 1. Last week, Microsoft announced that Windows Server 2012 Essentials was released to manufacturing, and is now available for download and evaluation. The product will be generally available for purchase on Nov. 1 and we expect hardware partners to be shipping systems by the end of the year. The product has already generated strong customer response with over 23,000 downloads of the public beta in just two months. Check out the full story on the STB News Bytes Blog and visit the Microsoft download center to experience the exciting new features and functionalities offered by Windows Server 2012 Essentials.
That’s it for this edition of The Midweek Download! Thanks for reading!
Posted by Jeff Meisner
Editor, The Official Microsoft Blog
Tags: Cloud Computing, developers, Midweek Download, Steven Sinofsky, Windows 8, Windows Azure, Windows Phone


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Super League Gaming Suffered a 23% Drop On Its Nasdaq DebutPosted by Esports Thursday, 28 February 2019, 0:56 in
Super League Gaming, the amateur Esports organizer, decided to become a public traded company. Yesterday, they began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market and were received by a 23% drop hit in their stock value when the stock market closed that same day.
Through an initial public offering (IPO), Super League Gaming raised a total of $24.9M by selling 2.27M shares. The shares were sold at a starting price of $11, reaching a high of $11.55, finally dropping 22.73% in value throughout the day. The shares ended up with a closing price of $8.50.
It was certainly not the best possible start for a company that just went into public trading on Wall Street. According to a report by VentureBeat, Super League Gaming’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed losses of $14.9M in 2018 and $12.3M in 2017. There’s a saying that goes: You have to spend money, to make money, but this situation is far from ideal and the reception of Super League Gaming in the stock market can’t be considered anything close to successful.
All Hands on Deck!
Dark clouds aside, Super League Gaming is doing their job and they have secured a busy start 2019. The company recently announced a League of Legends Tournament alongside two sponsors, Best Buy and Logitech G. Being amateur tournaments their specialty, they also revealed they plan to bring several tournaments to over 50 Topgolf entertainment centers.
Even though the financial panorama has been a bleak one, to say the least, one of their leaders recently expressed their satisfaction with their growth rate and their commitment to making the company thrive. Through an interview with The Esports Observer, Super League Gaming’s Chief Commercial Officer, Matt Edelman, said:
“Super League is in an exciting growth stage, really on every level,” Edelman said. “Our user base is growing and our partnership ecosystem is growing. Brands who are interested in esports, either endemic brands or non-endemic brands, are paying more attention to what we’re doing because they see there is a unique opportunity through Super League to engage with players while they are playing. That’s just a different type of opportunity than exists at the pro level, when they get to engage with fans when they’re viewing gameplay.”
Will the Amateur Approach Work?
Super League Gaming’s approach to Esport focuses solely on the amateur player base. This includes amateur tournaments and leagues and their own 16 clubs across different US cities.
Their attempts to reach out to gamers include Minecraft competitions for children, and the more common Clash Royale, League of Legends and Fortnite tournaments. Time will tell if their growth can overcome the financial difficulties that the company has faced these past years and if the amateur approach will be eventually profitable for the company.
Why Amateur Tournaments Matter?
On our end, we can only hope that initiatives such as this one find a way to coexist alongside Pro Esports. Few gamers get to experience the adrenaline of a live event due to geographical and economic limitations, and just a talented few can ever make it into the professional scene.
These amateur events present Esports to players from an angle that’s relegated almost in its entirety to Pro Players, the thrill of participation. Through these experiences, gamers of many ages can enjoy the format and excitement that Esports has brought to gaming. The bigger Esports’ exposure gets, the better for both gamers and industry alike.


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For y’all who just can’t get enough of playing dangerously unhinged cops and equally unhinged robbers in the Battlefield Hardline beta, prepare to rejoice! As of now, the beta has been extended one week and will now end Thursday, June 26 at 3 p.m. ET, (what’s that where I live?) according to a post on the official Battlefield blog.
For all you folks rocking PlayStation 4’s and Windows PC’s who feel like giving it a crack, you can still register for access to the beta here. If granted access, not only do you get to play the game (duh!) but you also score access to camouflage, skins, a weapon sight, a unique dog tag and (the most alluring of all!) more, when the game launches on Oct. 21.
Whoa! Don’t think Dice forgot you guys with the Xbox One’s, you kids are getting a different closed beta coming up soon, and that’s from the mouth of EA DICE general manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson!
Battlefield Hardline will hit PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows PC on Oct. 21.


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Imagination Technologies/FRS Named to Inc. 5000's Exclusive List of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies
Imagination Technologies, the background screening industry’s technology leader, today announces that it has been named one of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. magazine. Imagination Technologies saw its sales nearly double over the last three years, growing by 95.5% and earning them a ranking of 2928 on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list, the preeminent ranking of privately held, independent companies in the US.
“We are extremely honored by this recognition for our company”, stated Phil Chapman, President of Imagination Technologies. “We are very blessed to have some of the top screening and research firms in the country as our clients. When combined with an excellent group of strategic partners and a top-notch in-house team, we have a large group of people and companies with which to share in this achievement.”
The 2009 Inc. 5000, unveiled today on Inc.com, serves as a unique report card on the U.S. economy. Despite the ongoing recession, aggregate revenue among the companies on the list actually increased to $214 billion, up $29 billion from last year, with a median three-year growth rate of 126 percent. The Inc. 5000 are responsible for creating more than 1 million jobs since their founding, making the list perhaps the best example of the impact that private, fast-growing companies can have on the economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found on Inc.com.
“Savvy trend spotters and those who invest in private companies know that the Inc. 5000 is the best place to find out about young companies that are achieving success through a wide variety of unprecedented business models, as well as older private companies that are still expanding at an impressive rate,” said Inc. 5000 project manager Jim Melloan. “That’s why our list is so eagerly anticipated every year.”
The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage of revenue growth from 2005 through 2008. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2005, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent -- not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies -- as of December 31, 2008. Revenue in 2005 must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in 2008 must have been at least $2 million.
About Inc. Magazine
Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. (www.inc.com) is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that delivers real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,961, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology.


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It’s a well-known business mantra: people like doing business with people they like. And, according to Diane Prow, the co-founder and global co-ordinator of fast-growing cybersecurity company RedShield, people really like New Zealanders.
“The first ten minutes of the meeting are usually spent talking about New Zealand and telling stories about people we knew who were involved with Lord of the Rings,” says Prow, who started the Wellington-based business with her partner Andy Prow in 2009.
RedShield offers businesses protection for web apps and application programming interfaces (APIs) as an Enterprise SaaS model, but due to the expert service component included, goes as far as to call itself SwaS – Software with a Service. It has so far raised over $20 million for its global expansion and it now has offices in the US, UK, New Zealand and Australia, with more than 60 full-time staff and around 70 if you include contractors.
New Zealand has a well-earned reputation for quality in the primary sector and many of our products fetch a premium overseas. The pair had seen the FernMark on New Zealand food products for years and, after discovering tech companies could also apply to use it, they decided to become part of the programme late last year.
“To us, the FernMark is a sure sign for quality,” she says. “It stands for innovation, trust and reliability. These are things we’re already focusing on as a company and they are what the cybersecurity industry is based on.”
When the pair were attending trade shows or conferences, they would often wear New Zealand caps and t-shirts, which proved to be great conversation starters, particularly in the US.
“Americans think of New Zealand as a safe, clean green paradise,” she says.
And she’s confident the FernMark will draw even more attention to its New Zealand roots, which they have decided to actively promote.
“There are lots of perceptions about the way Americans promote their products and services. North American businesses often have scale and budgets we can’t compete with in terms of price. But what we can do is win on our innovation, effectiveness to deliver and quality. So, we said ‘let’s embrace our authenticity and let our products - and New Zealand’s reputation on the global stage - do the talking.”
While the effectiveness of trickle-down economics has been called into question over the years, she firmly believes New Zealand companies have seen the benefit of our successful response to Covid-19.
“Wherever we go, even if the people don't know much about New Zealand, they seem to consider New Zealand as having a trustworthy and competent government. And that gets us into places we might struggle to get into.”
While some of its business comes direct, its preferred approach is to partner with bigger organisations like Deloitte, Vodafone, BT, Datacom and Kordia that then offer RedShield’s products to their customers. That also means RedShield can catch a ride on those big marketing engines and, as a result, its customer base has more than doubled in the past three years.
Getting those initial meetings are crucial and being a New Zealand company has been “a big door opener.”
“It’s up to us to sell our products when we get in there but it’s the quality of our service that keeps our customers with us,” she says.
The New Zealand connection is also a big help when it comes to recruitment. Like many other tech companies, its staff is very diverse and spread around the world, but many of them want to come and live here. And despite a skills shortage in the tech sector, doubly so in the cyber-security sector, she says RedShield hasn’t had any issues finding employees.
“We’ve got a waiting list!”
The positive associations are also proving helpful when it comes to investment. The success of New Zealand tech companies like Xero, Vend and Gallagher have helped cement our reputation as an innovative nation and more money is flowing into our already buoyant tech sector.
RedShield has a goal to create a $1 billion company and protect the safety and online privacy of one billion people and Prow estimates the pair have been around the world four times since 2019 spreading the RedShield message. As its growth attests, they’ve been on successful missions but, like almost everyone else, they have been grounded for the last 12 months. Fortunately, modern technology has allowed them to keep working and the rapid and unexpected shift to remote working around the world has created even more need for online security.
“We keep telling people, ‘we live on an island, but the internet is not an island. It’s one big connected Digital Plant. More human interaction happens in the digital world that in the physical world’.”
The ‘tyranny of distance’ that New Zealand companies faced in the past is increasingly irrelevant on Planet Internet, but Prow says there are still a few tangible benefits to working with a New Zealand company.
“I would often bring some Whittaker’s chocolate and a couple of bottles of nice wine to our meetings,” she laughs.
For now, Prow is navigating RedShield’s expansion from afar, but as the business’s success over the last twelve months reflects – modern technology, coupled with New Zealand’s reputation of quality and ‘trust’, is proving a sharp combination to accelerate this journey.


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Microsoft Bids $1.2 billion for FastBy Baselinemag Print
Microsoft has offered to buy Norwegian Internet-search software firm Fast Search & Transfer for 19 crowns per share, valuing it at about $1.2 billion, the companies said.OSLO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has offered to buy Norwegian Internet-search software firm Fast Search & Transfer for 19 crowns per share, valuing it at about $1.2 billion, the companies said on Tuesday.
Fast shares, which had been suspended all day on Monday, jumped to the bid level and then eased off slightly to 18.90 Norwegian crowns ($3.53) by 5:32 a.m. EST, up 41.6 percent.
"Fast's board of directors has unanimously recommended that its shareholders accept the offer," Fast Search & Transfer said in a statement.
"This offer represents a 42 percent premium to the closing price on January 4 (the last trading day prior to this announcement) and values the fully diluted equity of Fast at 6.6 billion Norwegian crowns or approximately $1.2 billion," Fast said.
Shareholders with 37 percent of Fast's stock, including its two biggest institutional investors -- Norway's Orkla (ORK.OL: Quote, Profile, Research) and Hermes Focus Asset Management Europe -- have agreed to accept the cash offer, the companies said.
Analysts said they believed Microsoft's bid would succeed.
"The bid is fair. There can always be another (rival offer), but I believe Microsoft will get it for 19 crowns a share," said analyst Erik Hjulstroem at Kaupthing Bank.
Standard & Poor's analyst Matthias Eriksson said: "I don't think there will be a competing bid. The premium is too high, so I think people will be glad to get 19 crowns."
The deal is subject to regulatory approval and acceptance from shareholders with more than 90 percent of Fast's shares, Fast Search & Transfer said.
Microsoft Corp said in a statement the transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2008.
Fast provides Internet-search software to companies.
"Enterprise search is becoming an indispensable tool to businesses of all sizes, helping people to find, use and share critical business information quickly," Jeff Raikes, head of the Microsoft Business division, said in Microsoft's statement.
"The combination of Microsoft and Fast gives customers a new choice: a single vendor with solutions that span the full range of customer needs," he said.
The companies have a number of complementary strengths that help businesses deliver productivity and improved results, Microsoft said.
FAST has high-end search solutions, and Microsoft offers worldwide customer reach and an extensive partner network, the Redmond, Washington-based software giant said.
The deal would spread Fast search technologies more widely around the world, Fast Chief Executive John Lervik said.
Goldman Sachs is acting as financial adviser to Microsoft, and Merrill Lynch is advising Fast.
Microsoft and Fast will hold a telephone conference to discuss the offer at 1:15 p.m. EST.
(Additional reporting by Joergen Frich in Oslo)
(Editing by Quentin Bryar)
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Ever been to Ikea? Have you seen the many wonders of tools, equipment, and other items that they have? Have you thought, Oh, this one is a good hiding spot!
If you have, then you must be dying to visit Ikea and play a round of hide-and-seek by now. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do that in Ikea stores anymore.
According to CNN, the Swedish furniture retailer wants shoppers to quit doing hide-and-seek because playing the game at the store is getting a lot of attention on social media. So basically, adults who are having too much fun at Ikea were told to stop.
The spokesperson for the Ikea Group, Martina Smedberg, said, “We are very happy that people are playful, but safety must prevail. Please don’t play hide-and-seek in Ikea stores.”
It all began last year, when a woman wrote playing hide-and-seek in an Ikea store on her pre-thirtieth birthday celebration bucket list in Belgium. The woman showed up with a couple of friends, and everybody had an amazing time, Smedberg shared. In Sweden, they’ve also been able to play the game.
However, they weren’t expecting for things to spiral out of control. It started out from few friends and has evolved to something bigger. Similar events are planned in Canada and Europe, which is being spread on Facebook. There’s said to be an event at an Amsterdam store next month in which 19,000 people have signed up already.
That’s what made the furniture retailer to call a halt on the games. With 315 stores in twenty-seven countries, the furniture just can’t risk it.
After the company contacted the numerous Facebook pages, most of the organizers have agreed and understood to pull the events after “kindly asking them to do the hide-and-seek outside the Ikea stores,” said Smedberg.
Previously, customers would hide in the corners and nooks of the sprawling stores and bury themselves in baskets.
Smedberg said, “We have to guarantee safety in the stores that’s quite difficult if we don’t even know where the people are.”


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(March 26) LADERA RANCH, Calif. — A newly formed joint venture between Syngenta Seeds and Tanimura & Antle Inc. should ship between 3.5 million and 4.5 million cartons of seedless, personal-sized watermelons this year.
Dulcinea Farms LLC, which was formed in January, will market branded items such as the PureHeart miniature seedless watermelon and a new Tuscan-style cantaloupe.
As such, it takes over where Boise, Idaho-based New Produce Network left off. New Produce Network was owned by Syngenta, Tanimura & Antle, The Perishables Group and the Produce Exchange. It marketed about a million cartons of the PureHeart melons last year.
Syngenta and Tanimura & Antle, which were the biggest stakeholders in New Produce Network, decided to create a separate company to market the branded products, said Kevin Migdal, president of Dulcinea.
Financial details of the changes were not released.
Migdal had been general manager of New Produce Network, which he said was governed by a management committee rather than a traditional executive system. Dulcinea brings together the germ plasm experts at Syngenta and the growing expertise of Tanimura & Antle, Migdal said.
“This company is being run as a separate, free-standing company,” Migdal said. “We’ll have people in growing operations, new product development and sales and marketing. But this gives us people to interface with at Syngenta and Tanimura & Antle. They’ll act as advisers.”
Rick Antle, chief executive officer of Tanimura & Antle, said the project that resulted in the TrueHeart watermelon began several years ago and that progress necessitated the evolution from New Produce Network to Dulcinea Farms.
“It became apparent that we needed to streamline the operations to address future needs,” Antle said.
Antle said the creation of Dulcinea was important because it brings awareness of consumer demand all the way back to the seed.
Antle said there has long been a disconnect in agriculture between seed production and crop production, and that companies such as Syngenta and Tanimura & Antle recognize the importance of developing seeds to produce crops that will particularly appeal to consumers.
“One place we’ve done this previously is in celery,” Antle said. “We grow a proprietary variety and use genetics to grow a superior celery.”
However, consumers will see even greater differentiation in fruit such as Dulcinea’s PureHeart watermelon, which offer distinguishing and appealing flavors, textures and aromas upon which Dulcinea can capitalize, he said.
Dulcinea is in temporary quarters now, but by mid-April should be in its permanent home in Ladera Ranch, between San Diego and Los Angeles, Migdal said.
The new company probably will top out at about 25 employees scattered through an operations group, which will oversee growing, harvesting and distribution; a marketing group; and a sales entity, he said.
Robert Bassi, who had worked at Tanimura & Antle, will serve as director of operations. Christopher Grallert, who comes to Dulcinea from Syngenta, is director of sales. Keith Kato, who has worked in real estate as well as for companies such as Taco Bell, is director of finance. And Matt Goldthwaite, who comes to Dulcinea from ConAgra Foods, is marketing manager.
Dulcinea already is shipping its PureHeart melons, and Migdal said he expects the watermelons to be in 3,000 to 5,000 stores by the end of the year. The company’s second product, the sweet, Tuscan-style cantaloupe, will be available by mid-May.
Dulcinea already is looking at producing a third melon as well, he said.
PureHeart melons are a little bigger than a large grapefruit and are being marketed as a single-person melon. They are seedless and have a thin rind that generally is about one-eighth of an inch thick, Migdal said. They are the result of interest in a sweeter, more convenient melon, Migdal said.
The Tuscan-style cantaloupe is smaller, with green stripes that change color when the fruit is ripe.