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When the executive orders for the first travel ban came, many technology companies took a stand against it in court. Now, it seems that Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc are among the 60 other technology companies that have backed away from the legal fight against U.S president Donald Trump’s travel ban. The companies have decided not to put their weight or efforts behind a lawsuit that sought to block the second version of his executive travel ban orders.
Travel ban can impact people travelling from Pakistan and other Asian regions
On Tuesday, a legal brief was filed in the federal court in Hawaii on behalf of the Silicon Valley companies that listed the support of 58 countries against implementation of the ban. This is less than half the 127 signatories that filed an appeal in the court last month after the first travel ban. The travel band banned people from travelling from certain countries which the administration deemed as a security risk. The companies that did sign the brief are Airbnb Inc, Dropbox and Kickstarter. Major companies in the Silicon valley that were part of the signatories of the first brief but not this one include, Microsoft Corp, Ebay Inc, Intel Corp, Netflix and Twitter.
Even without the support of the major tech companies it seems that the lawsuit might succeed. The judge in Honolulu gave out an emergency halt to the executive travel band that aimed to temporarily bar the entry of most refugees and Muslims from major countries. The halt is temporary. The judge claimed that the ban was an unprecedented judicial overreach while Trump termed as a ban necessary for U.S national security.
It is to be noted that a lot of tech companies rely on skilled workers from overseas in many service areas. The companies played a large role in putting a halt to the first version of the executive ban, which a Seattle judge put a hold to in February.
Image via Kare11
I’m a communication enthusiast and junior editor-reporter at Research Snipers, I have completed a degree in Mass Communication but am very enthusiastic about new technology, games, and mobile devices. I have the main interest in Technology and games.


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RegaloCard, a global mobile payments company that has developed a free and instant alternative to money transfer services, announced today that they have entered into a distribution partnership with Dinero Ahora, a leading money transfer marketing company serving 1,200 locations in the US. RegaloCard, through its proprietary mobile payments platform and unique business model, has created a new product category - the “micro money transfer.” RegaloCard allows consumers to send instantly and for free as little as $5, directed to specific uses. The RegaloCard service works with any mobile phone and carrier worldwide and is as easy to use as a prepaid calling card.
This new distribution agreement will begin to place RegaloCard’s products in Dinero Ahora’s 1,200 money transfer market services footprint and is the first partnership RegaloCard has announced with a money transfer marketing services company. Gregory Keough, Chairman and CEO of RegaloCard, stated, “RegaloCard is a great compliment to money transfer companies and those who market them as consumers really like the idea that while they send part of their money transfers in cash they can send another part instantly with RegaloCard and control how the money they are sending is spent. This coupled with the fact that consumers can send more frequent smaller dollar amounts, as little as $5, and their family receives the RegaloCard instantly are something consumers find very attractive.”
When surveyed as to how the current money transfer services could be improved, money transfer clients consistently cited several factors: 1. A way to control how the money sent is spent; 2. The ability to economically send more frequent lower dollar amounts; 3. The ability to have the money received instantly; and lastly; 4. a way recipients can avoid the security risk of visiting the bank and receiving large amounts of cash. The RegaloCard service addresses all these key customer concerns and provides a unique new service that money transfer companies can offer their clients while at the same time increasing their profits.
Mr. E. Ramos, President of Dinero Ahora added, “The RegaloCard service is really quite innovative and unique and makes for a nice add on to marketing traditional money transfer service offering. The fact that the consumer can choose a RegaloCard gift card from the best known consumer brands in their home countries and the recipient instantly receives the RegaloCard is a great fit with our current product offering.”
RegaloCard will be announcing additional money transfer distribution partners in the coming weeks.
RegaloCard (RegaloCard.com), is a global mobile payments company that has developed a free and instant replacement to costly money transfer services. RegaloCard, through its proprietary mobile payments platform and unique business model, has created the “micro money transfer” allowing consumers to send instantly and for free as little as $5, directed to specific uses, while earning a greater margin then traditional money transfer companies. RegaloCard is a prepaid gift card that immigrants can buy in the United States, but is delivered instantly to the person chosen in the immigrant’s home country, to make purchases at leading local retailers. The RegaloCard service works with any mobile phone and carrier worldwide and is as simple to use as a prepaid calling card.
About Dinero Ahora
Is a marketing services organization targeted to the money services business and other consumer services.

domain: news


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Huawei P-series has iPhone X-like display notch, 3 rear cameras, leaks show
Huawei P-series has iPhone X-like display notch, 3 rear cameras, leaks show on Business Standard. Huawei gear up announcement of next-generation P-series smartphones. Smartphones expected to come with systemwide. Huawei P-series get three variants Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Lite.
Technology News Chinese electronics company Huawe is gearing up for the announcement of the next-generation P-series smartphones. The smartphones are expected to come up with system-wide enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities, along with new camera modules -- cocreated in partnership with imaging experts at Leica. According to the latest leak by Evan Blass, a technology enthusiast known for revealing inside information about upcoming devices on Twitter, the next-generation Huawei P-series would get three variants – the Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Lite. According to the leaked image renders, the Huawei P20 Pro shows a tri-camera setup on the back. The Huawei P20 and P20 Lite, on the other hand, have dual-camera setups. The trio of smartphones is expected to feature iPhone X-inspired screen with a ‘notch’ on top to accommodate the selfie camera, sensors and earpiece. The Huawei P20 Pro and P20 show home button placed at the lower bezel area. The Huawei P20 Lite, on the other hand, has the fingerprint scanner on the back. ALSO READ: S9 vs Mi Mix 2S: Summer to see fight of phones from Samsung, Xiaomi Interestingly, it is not just Huawei that is playing around AI and iPhone X-inspired screen cards.
Recently, at the Mobile World Congress, Taiwanbased electronics manufacturer Asus showcased the Zenfone 5z and Zenfone 5. Both the smartphones feature large displays with notches on top. The rear design of Asus is also somewhat similar to the upcoming Huawei P-series smartphones, and there is a system-wide AI support, too. The P-series smartphones are expected to launch on March 27 in China.
Published on Mar 8, 2018


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- Protection Gear
- Women Special occasion Dresses
- Women Dresses
- Men Printed T-Shirts and Tees
- Women clutch bags
- Winter Wear
- Winter wear Jackets
- Bath Mat
- Bath Towels
- Beach Towels
- Duvet Covers
- Pillow Shams
- Shower Curtains
- Home Decor (Tapestries – Curtains – Pillows)
- Disney's Mulan
- Marvel Captain America
- Rainbow Brite
- Mickey Mouse and Friends
- Harry Potter
- Jungle Book
- Lion King
- Justice league
- Minnie and Friends
- Pirates of Carribean
- Richie Rich
- Tom and Jerry
- Toy Story 4
- Wonder Women
- Aswebman Designs
- Sports – Ali
- Teespring askwebman store
Woocommerce Category Post Widget
John Lewis has warned it could ditch the annual bonus to its 81,000 employees as it revealed another big fall in profits and the departure of its department store boss.
Paula Nickolds, who has been at the partnership for 25 years, is stepping down by mutual agreement next month before a previously announced management restructure. She has led the department store chain for three years, during which profits have dived.
She said she was leaving after “some reflection on the responsibilities of her proposed new role” under the new chairman, Dame Sharon White, who starts in February. Nickolds’ departure comes as Rob Collins, the boss of Waitrose, exits this month.
The retail group, which owns Waitrose supermarkets as well as its namesake department store chain, said it would consider next month whether to axe the partnership bonus payment to staff for the first time in 67 years after sales fell by 1.8% over the key Christmas period.
While Waitrose’s performance held up, rising 0.4% at established stores, sales at established John Lewis department stores slid by 2%.
The John Lewis chairman, Sir Charlie Mayfield, said he expected Waitrose profits to be broadly in line with last year but warned that department store profits would be “substantially down”.
The company said sales during the Black Friday discount period were up 10% on the equivalent period a year before but it then recorded “subdued demand” in the following weeks.
On Thursday, Marks & Spencer’s shares fell almost 5% to 208p, as it reported a fall in group sales over the Christmas period. Sales slid by 0.7% including a 0.6% drop in total UK sales and 2.3% overseas.
The retailer said it would meet annual profit expectations as it recorded its first rise in sales at established stores in three years. The turnaround was led by M&S’s food business where sales rose 1.4% at established stores in the 13 weeks to December 28. Underlying sales of clothing and homewares fell by 1.7%.
Steve Rowe, the chief executive, said M&S had faced a “challenging trading environment” but also admitted sales had been affected by “disappointing one-off issues” including problems with its menswear and gifting ranges. He said online clothing and homeware sales rose just 1.5%, a lower pace than expected.
Rowe said sales were also hit by “unprecedented discounting by competitors” in December.
Richard Lim, the chief executive of the analysis firm Retail Economics, said: “In a tough market, these figures signal a much-improved performance from the retailer and could signal the green shoots of recovery.”
He added: “While clothing and home lagged overall growth, it still improved on previous performances. The major disappointment came in the online business that barely showed any meaningful signs of growth. Integrating a seamless digital proposition remains the key challenge for the retailer.”
The stronger trading in food at M&S was announced as Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, revealed a surprise rise in sales at its UK stores over Christmas. Sales at established stores rose 0.1% in the six weeks to 4 January. However, sales fell 0.4% at established stores in the three months to 23 November – which compares to a 0.7% fall at Sainsbury’s and 1.7% decline by Morrisons for similar periods.
The lacklustre figures were released as the British Retail Consortium trade body said last year was the worst on record for British retail, with sales falling for the first time in 24 years as a dire performance on the high street dragged down the industry.
Total sales slipped by 0.1% in 2019, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and advisory firm KPMG, the lowest since they began monitoring the sector in 1995.


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Blackstone, along with South-based developer Salarpuria Sattva will acquire the 90-acre, IT-focussed Global Village Tech Park held by subsidiary, Tanglin Retail Realty.
A formal announcement of the deal is expected as early as Tuesday.
When contacted Blackstone declined to comment. Coffee Day was not immediately available for comments.
ET first reported about the potential deal on August 2. Coffee Day Enterprises said in an exchange notification on August 14 that a non-binding letter of intent between CDEL and Blackstone was signed after the former’s board approved the divestment.
The deal will help India’s largest coffee chain, stricken by the death of founder VG Siddhartha in July, repay some of its debt.
CDEL is estimated to have debt of Rs 5,200 crore.
Mape Advisory Group advised Coffee Day on the transaction.
Talks between Blackstone and Siddhartha had reached an advanced stage last December with both sides close to signing a term sheet for a deal pegged at about Rs 2,575 crore.
Blackstone is said to have revised the deal size upward by about Rs 150 crore as a goodwill gesture, one of the sources said.
Coffee Day Enterprises has total debt of Rs 4,970 crore, according to its regulatory filing on August 17.
Jayanti Chauhan, 42, is vice chairperson at the company promoted and built by her father. She will work with the professional management team headed by chief executive Angelo George, said people with knowledge of the matter.
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI) American toy and clothing retailer Toys 'R' Us is said to have shut within 24 hours a store it opened in Hyderabad to mark its second entry into India over some legal complexities with the mall owner, sources said.


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By Michael Keating, Contributing Writer for Expansion Solutions
~ Sites for electric vehicle assembly, food and pharma are in high demand ~
Economists at the Federal Reserve expect the U.S. economy to grow in 2021 by four percent and unemployment to decline to 5.5 percent. Investment banker Morgan Stanley predicts real GDP growth in the U.S. could reach 5.9 percent this year. Those super-charged forecasts mean shovel-ready sites will be in high demand among facility managers.
COVID-19, however, has added a wrinkle to handicapping new project development. “The pandemic has brought to the fore a new set of critical factors that need to be addressed in order for a site to be truly shovel-ready,” says John H. “Jack” Boyd, founder and principal at The Boyd Co. One key factor, Boyd explains, is the need for CDC health and safety protocols fully in place to protect construction workers and employees from COVID-19. “Another is the need for a risk assessment of possible supply chain disruptions and their impact on the timing and cost of the proposed project. Also, contingency plans need to be clearly spelled out in project contracts that address potential COVID-related delays along with the issues of liability and of force majeure and their possible impact on the project.” Boyd’s Princeton, NJ-based firm offers location consulting services.
Site location experts tell Expansion Solutions that numerous high-profile industries are potential builders on shovel-ready sites in 2021. In the Volunteer State, business expansions are running on all cylinders, says Kirby Lewis, Site Development Director-Community and Rural Development at the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (TNECD). “The TNECD business development team is seeing project activity from all industry sectors. Due to the COVID-19 economy, I would say reshoring and distribution projects are a huge portion of the projects we see right now. We are also seeing a lot of movement, and a lot of success, in the electric vehicle space.” Lewis adds that these industries all require just-in-time delivery of their raw materials and products. “I would assume these facilities needed to be constructed yesterday, so site-readiness is paramount to winning these projects,” he explains.
The TNECD assists communities prepare industrial sites for private investment and job creation via its Select Tennessee Certified Sites (STCS) program, launched in 2012. Go here to learn more about Tennessee’s Certified Sites: https://tnecd.com/sites/certified-sites/.
Motor vehicles are driving plant expansions in the Peach State, says Georgia’s Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce Scott McMurray. “Absolutely the Number 1 fastest-moving sector for us is the automotive industry. This includes all of the new investments in the electrification of the auto industry, with all of these new electric vehicles and batteries that are coming online. Industry players have to move extremely quickly in order to meet the new demands of the big OEMs to meet their ambitious EV production schedules.” McMurray’s position is within the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
He explains that the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Program has been a resource for auto/truck industry officials looking for shovel-ready sites. The GRAD Program site offers 60+ industrial certified sites that are ready for fast-track construction projects through advance due diligence. Go here: https://www.georgia.org/grad-certified-sites.
McMurray says auto-truck executives want to review GRAD-certified sites first. The reason: “Auto-truck industry personnel know those sites will be the quickest to develop, because the due diligence has been done and the sites have been certified to a certain level of preparation.”
A second industry that is moving quickly right now for McMurray’s team is logistics, particularly on the eCommerce side. Yet a third, high-activity sector is food processing. “We are seeing a far above average number of food processing projects right now coming through the state of Georgia,” McMurray says.
A couple of sectors are leading the way in project development in San Marcos, Texas, says Jason Giulietti, President of the Greater San Marcos (Texas) Partnership. “Looking ahead, food manufacturing companies and food/cold storage facilities appear to be most in need of shovel-ready sites. With COVID-19 still very much front of mind for many, these facilities no longer have the luxury of time to get operational as they try to keep up with demand of the new normal.” The Greater San Marcos region represents the southern portion of the Austin, Texas MSA.
In the Show Me State, developers have an appetite for building foodstuffs facilities, says Kylee Garretson, Director, Business Recruitment and Capacity Building at the Kansas City, MO-based Missouri Partnership. “Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, Missouri has seen a surge of food-related projects. These companies have extremely fast-paced timelines, and they want to be fully operational very quickly. Having sites with strong water, wastewater, and electric capacity previously identified has allowed us to respond to these requests fast and efficiently.”
Garretson says her organization is also seeing an increased interest in sites that allow for manufacturing and distribution. “Missouri is a top contender for these projects due to the combination of our access to raw materials, talent availability, cost of doing business, regulatory environment, and globally connected logistics and transportation infrastructure.” The Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development partnership.
Jack Boyd at The Boyd Co. says a couple of industry sectors in the U.S. are most in need of shovel-ready project locations in the first quarter of 2021. “Cold storage and pharma-related distribution centers are making up a big part of our current workload at this point in 2021,” Boyd tells Expansion Solutions.
Boyd offers predictions on a few other fast-expanding areas: “In advanced manufacturing, we see aerospace, the auto industry (especially EV production) and eCommerce-related food and beverage facilities as high-growth sectors in 2021.” Boyd says there is also a strong need for available shovel-ready space in the following: tech operations like AI and cybersecurity labs, data centers, and videogame/multimedia entertainment centers.
Boyd sees many more options for developers down the road: “Aside from the many brownfield industrial sites around the country ready for new construction in 2021, those many millions of square feet of vacant or soon to be vacant retail space victims of eCommerce are primed for re-use and can also be viewed as ‘shovel-ready’ opportunities for a variety of Boyd site selection projects. These adaptive uses include last-mile fulfillment centers, corporate back offices, call centers, data centers and other mixed-used concepts.” Boyd adds that many of these prospective sites have developer-friendly features. “Most of this vacant retail space is located near major highways and transit hubs, has utility and broadband infrastructure, has plentiful parking, is near population clusters, and has open architecture which reduces construction costs and lead times for our clients.”
A multitude of industries are in great need of readily available project locations this year, says Philip Schneider, President, Schneider Strategy Consulting. “In 2020, we witnessed an incredible ramp-up in logistics projects – fulfillment centers large and small – so sites with full documentation suitable for distribution were very valuable,” Schneider explains. He says the same holds true for projects able to meet the needs of biopharma and medical device projects, which need to develop sites rapidly in the face of the pandemic. Likewise, data centers are another category which has been growing at an incredible pace due to the explosion of eCommerce and the virtual workplace. “Food production facilities have also greatly benefitted from document-ready sites given their often very specific and robust utility, transportation, and site cleanliness requirements,” Schneider says.
Yes, data centers are a rapidly expanding category, says Tracey Hyatt Bosman, CEcD, Managing Director at Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co. The firm offers site selection consulting services. “We expect to see strong activity in the data center industry, as the tremendous growth in virtual work and educational platforms adds to an already-strong growth trajectory.” Hyatt Bosman says data centers require very strict development standards and robust utility infrastructure. “So sites that have already gone through a detailed evaluation against these requirements, and in some cases are ‘certified’ as such, certainly hold a competitive advantage in a site selection search for these types of operations.”
Facility developers and other executives need to do their ecological homework, says Wyatt Kendall, Partner at Morris, Manning, & Martin, LLP. “Proper environmental due diligence is essential to confirm that projects marketed as ‘shovel-ready’ are in fact immediately ready for development.” He adds that projects underway still may have ecosystem issues and problems. “And even if a project is truly shovel-ready, there may still be environmental issues that must be addressed during the construction stage and such issues can impact development timing and cost and require regulatory interaction and approval.”
A shovel-ready site, for the State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), means a site that has no surprises, says Kirby Lewis at the TNECD. “The site needs to show that all of the applicable due diligence is completed with positive results; that the site is under control, whether that be through an option on private property or direct ownership by a public entity; that the necessary infrastructure is in place with adequate capacity; and that the site is relatively flat.” Lewis explains that site selection is a game of elimination. “For shovel-ready sites, we want to make sure that we have done everything we can to ensure we are showing sites that don’t have an easy reason to be eliminated.”
Developers dislike unexpected news on their sites and projects, says Tracey Hyatt Bosman at Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co. “‘No surprises’ is foundational to the concept of ‘shovel ready,’” Hyatt Bosman tells Expansion Solutions. “Any unexpected contamination, historic, wetlands/floodplain, or environmental/wildlife issues that pop up can cause significant delays and pose a material risk to the timely and successful completion of a project.”
There are countless critical factors that need to be evaluated in locating the right site; and some of those factors may or may not be on the shovel-ready checklist. Bill Schalliol, Esq., who is Executive Director of Economic Development in St. Joseph County, Indiana’s Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Growth, offers this advice for expanding companies looking for the best shovel-ready location for a new facility: “I would encourage executives looking for shovel-ready sites to make sure the information that has been collected for site certification is current and up-to-date. Executives need to be willing to consider sites that provide the most competitive logistics and broadband-powered opportunities. If the site is difficult to get to or has bad broadband, the situation will likely be difficult to improve.”
Bio:Michael Keating is an award-winning journalist-editor-web content producer and business communicator. He produces content on the government market, HVAC certification, site location, procurement, infrastructure & technology at Expansion Solutions & other prestige publications. For three decades he compiled an annual forecast on government budgets and procurement for national publications. He’s also constructed metro-area and state rankings on health care costs, quality of life, knowledge workforces, logistics and other topics. Keating has a master’s degree in library science and volunteers at the annual Decatur, GA Book Festival. Go to his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekeat/ or visit http://mikekeat.net/ for more details. You can reach him at email@example.com.


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A new trailer on the PlayStation Productions website has revealed a hint that a MediEvil movie or TV show might be coming in the future. For those who do not know, the PlayStation Productions is a studio that was formed way back in 2019 by Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt its popular titles for film and TV shows in partnership with Sony Pictures.
The video showed a blue light scanning over various statues that were based on familiar characters from popular titles. These statues featured in the video have either already been released or confirmed for upcoming adaptations. One of them was the pair of legs of Sir Daniel Fortesque, the protagonist of the MediEvil games. Other statues were based on Aloy from Horizon, Kratos from God of War, Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us, and Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series.
PlayStation Productions has not confirmed or denied these new allegations, but it could make a statement soon after this news blew up.


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Using Google's free Gmail service is certainly convenient, which is why it dominates the market. However, Google also places ads that look at first glance like email messages in a user's inbox. Before this week, those ads normally appeared on top of the inbox. Now, some people are seeing ads in the middle of their messages.
These new middle Gmail ads were first reported by 9to5Google. We can also independently confirm that these new middle ads are popping up in our Promotions Gmail filter. The online reactions for this new ad setup in Gmail is mostly negative so far, according to many messages from users on Twitter. They understandably don't like the fact that they now might click on an ad more often now that they are being placed in the middle of their inbox, instead of their normal position on top.
As a person who works very hard to keep my email in check, I am absolutely INCENSED that Gmail is just putting random ads in my inbox now??? pic.twitter.com/5LompTLLPL— rosemary h (@rohallma) May 3, 2023
So far, Google has not commented on this new position for ads on Gmail. The company finished rolling out a new user interface for all Gmail users in November 2022. However, it seems that it is still making stealth changes to the UI, and this time it's not for the best.
Update: May 6: A Google spokesperson has sent over the following statement:
We are always experimenting with formats and working on ways to help people discover and connect with new businesses. The Promotions tab shows promotional emails from businesses that people subscribe to, as well as offers and deals from companies people might like. We rolled out instream ads in the Promotions tab last year across mobile and in the past month expanded to desktop as well.
The statement does not directly address the many negative comments from Gmail users about putting in ads in the middle of the inbox.


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Bridgestone Settles Firestone Tire Case
Bridgestone Corp. has settled a lawsuit filed by a brain-injured former nurse, avoiding what would have been the largest Japanese tire maker’s first U.S. trial involving injuries blamed on recalled Firestone tires.
Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone’s U.S. unit, Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding Inc., also agreed to settle the suit, which was scheduled for trial Monday in a Wheeling, W.Va., state court. The amount of the settlement with former nurse Gloria Gregory was not disclosed.
“This settlement cost us much less than taking this case to trial,” said Firestone spokeswoman Jill Bratina. “This case was based on speculation and very little fact. There were no tires to examine and no evidence the tires were the cause of the accident.”
The case would have brought Tokyo-based Bridgestone to trial in the U.S. for the first time. Bridgestone has sought to sidestep liability in the Firestone tire litigation, claiming its U.S. subsidiary was operated independently.
Hours before the settlement, the West Virginia Supreme Court denied Bridgestone’s appeal to be dismissed from the case on those grounds, said Gregory’s lawyer Cale Conley. Bratina said Firestone, not its Japanese parent, will pay the tire maker’s share of the settlement.
Gregory claimed Firestone tires mounted on her Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle failed, causing the vehicle to flip. Gregory was thrown from the vehicle.
Ford officials called the claims “frivolous,” saying Gregory wasn’t wearing a seat belt. Firestone said there was no proof of defects because the tire that failed wasn’t preserved.
Ford and Nashville-based Firestone have settled hundreds of tire tread failure and rollover claims since Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires made for the Explorer in August 2000 at the urging of federal safety officials. Firestone recalled 3.5 million more tires in October.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration links 271 deaths and more than 700 injuries to the tires, which were designed and made for the Explorer.
Since the recall, sales of the Firestone tires and Explorer SUVs have declined. The companies have traded blame for problems that have caused the accidents.


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TAKING A BITE OUT OF A BRUTAL TRADE
The Magazine/ Features
As one of the world’s largest dog-meat markets ends the sale of canine meat, Marie Carter asks if this could finally bring an end to the cruel practice that still thrives in Asia
The NoToDogMeat campaign has thousands of active supporters around the globe, demanding an end to consumption of dog meat
Camille is a little Pekingese-mix dog with beautiful brown eyes. Gentle and kind, he was obviously someone’s pet for the first few years of his life. Pekingese dogs are a firmly established part of Chinese heritage dating back to the time of the emperors – beloved companions of their masters and revered in the palaces. How, in August 2015, he came to be in a cage on the back of a truck bound for slaughter, with more than 300 other dogs, remains a mystery to this day. Was he stolen? Or was he sold into the dog meat trade – a cruel industry where more than 10 million dogs and cats each year are brutally tortured for food and fur?
Camille is one of the lucky ones. Despite still suffering from a skin condition, he has now recovered from a life-threatening bout of distemper – a viral disease that affects a wide variety of animals – thanks to swift medical treatment and, most of all, the love that had been missing in his life for such a long time.
It may seem incredible to many that in the 21st century, millions of dogs and cats are still brutally slaughtered, sometimes even skinned alive, for food and fur. Camille’s rescue, and that of many other examples of man’s best friend, is down to the indefatigable efforts of campaigners such as Julia de Cadenet. Just over four years ago, Julia raised an e-petition to the British Government urging the foreign office to intervene and push for animal welfare laws in South Korea and the closure of the horrific Moran Market. They declined to assist, stating they could “not influence the culture of other nations.”
Part of the problem with the dog meat trade is many people are even oblivious to the fact they are eating dog
The Government’s response, coupled with Julia’s first-hand accounts of the dog meat trade, led to the NoToDogMeat campaign being launched across social media and the creation of the charity World Protection for Dogs and Cats in the Meat Trade (www.notodogmeat.com), which is based in Westminster. Julia and her team are working to change attitudes, and change is happening. Just a few weeks ago, it was announced by Seongnam City Government in South Korea that the slaughter of dogs will be abolished and butchery facilities removed from the country’s largest dog meat market, ‘Moran Market’. South Koreans, especially younger people, had been exerting pressure on the Mayor of Seoul to clamp down on the trade. That pressure, together with the work of organisations like Julia’s, has led to the start of a real backlash against the industry. Practically, Julia’s charity is also part of the committee that is pushing to offer alternative employment to the traders.
Camille, here with his carers, has for the most part regained his health
There are still an estimated 17,000 dog meat farms in South Korea alone, animal rights activists say. Although considered totally unacceptable by Western standards, a large number of people in South Korea as well as in China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, consume dog meat. The industry dates back centuries, and in Korean culture, soups and other dishes made with dog meat are considered delicacies. Younger South Koreans however tend to shy away from eating dogs, and the percentage of South Koreans who eat dog meat on a regular basis is believed to be relatively small. Nevertheless, 2 million dogs are to be killed for food every year in South Korea alone, and over 100,000 metric tonnes of dog meat are consumed annually, according to statistics from the not-for-profit organisation International Aid for Korean Animals. Consumption increases in summer, as there is a belief that eating dog will keep one cool. This is particularly evident during Bok days, the three hottest days of the summer according to the lunar calendar.
Some Koreans, especially men and rich Chinese businessmen, see serving dog as a sign of respect. They still prescribe to the belief that if the texture of the meat is altered by beating the dogs it tastes better and helps with impotency.
Part of the problem with the dog meat trade is many people are even oblivious to the fact they are eating dog. Bali a is a good example where working under cover with BARC (Bali Dogs) Julia and her team discovered many restaurants near holiday spots frequented by thousands of British tourists each year where dog is labelled as chicken.
There are still an estimated 17,000 dog meat farms in South Korea, activists claim
In Vietnam, gangs steal dogs to sell on to the dog meat trade, and many would have their pet dog cruelly butchered to feed an elderly sick relative, says Julia. In China, the trade is big business and reaches its pinnacle with the annual Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, commonly referred to as Yulin Dog Meat Festival. This is an annual event held in Yulin, Guangxi, China, during the summer solstice in which festival goers eat dog meat and lychees. Spanning about ten days, an estimated 10,000–15,000 dogs are consumed. Yulin’s local government has denied any official involvement or endorsement of the festival itself, and describes the event as a local custom observed by “a small percentage” of Yulin’s residents.
Two million dogs are to be killed for food every year in South Korea alone
And yet the end of the sale of dog meat trade at Moran Market has led to hope that one day the dog meat trade will end. Korea is one of the only countries in Asia that operates small and large dog farms as well as trading in former pets. In 2012, the farmers actually took to the streets to demand the trade was legalised (it wasn’t) and unless they are financially compensated they will protest against attempts to clamp down on the trade.
Claudette is one of many dogs rescued and waiting for a home
World Protection for Dogs and Cats in the Meat Trade has set up a partner shelter just South of Beijing where over 400 dogs and 36 cats have been rescued from Yulin, its slaughterhouses and trucks. The charity aims to build a small medical facility that can be used by neighbouring yards and to promote microchipping, spaying and neutering and rabies vaccinations. In China, steps are being taken to educate the growing population of middle class Chinese who are increasingly becoming pet owners. Sadly, there is a height restriction for dogs in the cities (35cm) which makes placing large dogs a problem.
Julia de Cadenet is clearly passionate about bringing this barbaric trade to end, and her many first-hand accounts have helped shape her determination. She wants to rescue as many animals as she can from the hell of this trade, and also change mindsets through her charity.
“I met in the diplomatic area a lovely young couple who had two German Shepherd in Beijing. They told me they had bought them from a farmer in the north. When I pointed out if the dog grew over 35cm it could be confiscated by the police, they said they knew but were sure it would go safely back to the farm,” she says.
“Last summer, I went to a slaughterhouse with our Chinese Partner Mr Zhao where German Shepherds from puppy farms had ended up as meat. We rescued a truck load we bought for $2 each. Their condition was pitiful.”
The process of adopting and bringing a dog to Europe can last three months and involves multiple vaccinations and rigorous blood testing
“The change in animal welfare attitudes has definitely come from ordinary people who are not traditional activists taking to the streets to protest against the dog and cat meat trade and massive tweeting and social media campaigns. There is a growing middle class in China who pamper their pets but many would still keep a small dog in a cage all its life like a hamster. What shocked me not just at Yulin but at meat markets in general is how small some of the dogs are.”
Julia adds that there is no distinction in China and in Vietnam between breeds that are kept as pets and then slaughtered or used for fur. Samoyeds, for instance, were once prized pets but are increasingly ending up on trucks bound for slaughter. She says: “What shocked me not just at Yulin but at meat markets in general is how small some of the dogs are. Many end up as pot noodle in fact so people do not even really know or care they are eating dogs.”
Cats are mostly strays. The charity works with a couple of cat rescues in Shanghai. Pretty much every week traders round up cats and ship them down to the south where they are eaten as “little tiger”.
Camille still suffers from a mild skin condition but has recovered fully from distemper, a viral disease affecting canines and other animals
The horrific cruelty issue aside, eating dog and cat poses very real health risks as many suffer from diseases such as rabies, distemper, parvovirus and various airborne diseases. The charity is currently lobbying the World Organisation for Animal Health (www.oie.int) and the UN to declare dogs unfit for human consumption. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture also declared last May that reducing all meat consumption is beneficial to both health and the environment.
So, is it possible to adopt a dog rescued from the meat trade? Unlike adoptions to America where, after just 10 days, a dog can often fly to his new home with only basic vaccinations, the process of bringing dogs into Europe can last over three months and involves multiple vaccinations and rigorous blood testing. Only one dog can travel with one passenger at any given time and last year, as Julia and her team were preparing their own trip back to China, they received wonderful news that at last a kind Chinese journalist had agreed to bring Camille to Paris. Camille arrived in the early hours to be greeted by his rescuers and one of the charity’s mascot Samoyeds. Like many other dogs rescued from the meat trade, Camille has been saved by medicine and by love.
Case study: Oliver
Oliver was one of many dogs caught by criminal gangs
Oliver is one of the dogs – many strays or former pets – who are rounded up each year by criminal gangs paid to transport dogs and cats in packed tightly in cages on trucks to festivals like Yulin Dog Meat Festival.
The UK registered charity World Protection for Dogs and Cats in the Meat Trade works directly with rescuers in Asia to help end this cruel trade. Typically, once a truck is stopped by rescuers there is a stand-off while activists and rescuers plead with the police to release the dogs. This can take days and many die from stress and dehydration, too weak to continue. Disease is rife and in Oliver’s case although he tested negative for distemper he had a very serious chest infection and his own coughs broke his ribs.
In the holding yard, the charity’s rescuers immediately bonded with Oliver. He was so gentle and sweet and despite all his matted fur he weighed just a few kilos. It has taken months of care and treatment for Oliver to regain his strength but now he is a different dog, confident and full of life.


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The Motorola Atrix was announced today at CES and made a splash as it sports a dual core processor. Good news for those up in the Great White North as Bell plans to introduce it in Canada in the coming months.
For those who didn't see the announcement today, the Atrix boasts an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor, Android 2.2, 1 GB RAM, 1930 mAh, 5 MP camera with LED flash and 720p video recording and a laptop docking station with a full size keyboard.
No news on official dates or pricing, but expect to see the device in the next few months. [Mobile Syrup]


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Jack’s Pets to invest $500K in new Dayton-area store
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Jack’s Pets is ready to demolish an old Pizza Hut to make way for a new retail store in Beavercreek.
The Beavercreek Township-based pet supply retailer ground leased the land that houses a 2,200-square-foot building and plans to build a 5,000-square-foot building in its place at 3201 Dayton Xenia Road.
The company applied for a building permit, estimating the cost would be $500,000 to rebuild the new space in the Kroger Marketplace shopping center, according to the permit.
Scott Brenner, president of Jack’s Pets, said the new store should open in the spring.
Jack’s Pets, which operates online as Petsolutions.com, also is in the process of adding 30,000 square feet to its headquarters.
The current headquarters, located at 802 N. Orchard Lane, occupies 65,000 square feet. The office and warehouse expansion would make room for an additional 20 to 25 employees, growing the team to about 100 employees, Brenner said.
Jack’s Pets has 28 stores in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
This year the company opened two stores in Cincinnati, one in northern Kentucky and two in Columbus.
Brenner said the company has experienced double digit revenue growth over the past few years from its retail and e-commerce operations.
“The whole reason for needing to expand is we’re looking for additional growth with more stores and growth in our e-commerce business,” he said recently.
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The Chinese Government is not fond of foreign mobile operating systems and therefore are trying to break the monopoly of Microsoft, Apple and Google in the country.
This week at an event in Beijing, China has unveiled its own Linux-based mobile platform, dubbed China Operating System (COS) developed as a joint effort between a company ‘Shanghai Liantong’, ISCAS (Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the Chinese Government.
It is designed for PCs, Smartphones, tablets, TVs, set-top boxes and other smart appliances. It runs Java applications, supports HTML5 and can run over 100,000 apps.
The head of the ISCAS criticized Apple’s iOS for being a closed ecosystem, Android for its fragmentation issues, and Windows Phone for its poor security.
The China Operating System (COS) interface and functions are much like Android, specifically very similar to HTC’s Sense 5.
Source: Hacker News


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Augmented reality – how can it change the way we bank?
While games like Pokémon GO! have millions of people all over the world gripped, and in some instances risking life and limb to catch rare critters in remote locations in the real world; it appears it isn’t just the gaming world that is sold on augmented reality. A number of other industries are now seeking new and innovative ways of interacting and engaging with consumers to not only improve the user experience, but also bring them closer to their customer’s real world.
Interestingly, one of these sectors is the banking industry, which is using the latest financial software and app technology to bring virtual banking services into the physical world. There are numerous ways in which financial companies are looking to do this; aiming to enhance the consumers experience and add value.
The latest innovations
For instance, the latest trial launch from Visa Europe and their innovations hub, Visa Europe Collab, back in June 2016 has seen them collaborate with app developers Blippar to create an augmented reality payment system. The e-commerce app uses digital banking technology and app development software to recognise items of interest in different scenarios by simply holding the phone up to the item and tapping the screen. The app will then identify where the item is from, whether users are admiring a friend’s outfit or a stranger on a train, giving them the option to complete a transaction there and then to be delivered to their door using a pre-registered, pre-paid debit or credit card. This augmented reality payment system could revolutionise how consumers interact with retailers and their banking services in so many ways.
Another example of banks incorporating augmented reality is the National Bank of Oman’s latest app launch, which uses certain digital banking technology to help shoppers entering a shopping mall or retail outlet to locate the nearest NBO branch or ATM in Oman, as well as view and purchase the bank’s latest offers and deals.
A whole new world
It’s these kinds of innovations that are transforming the way people bank, as well as how banks operate. In the United States alone, it’s reported that a number of banks including Wells Fargo are following in the footsteps of the likes of Google, Facebook and Sony incorporating virtual-reality systems into their portfolio.
Having said that the banking industry’s experiments with augmented reality technology are still very much in the early stages. It’s reported that one possibility that could be explored is creating virtual-reality branches. This would allow users to visit a “branch” and carry out everyday banking, purchase services and more without even having to leave their homes, via an augmented reality system such as Google Glass.
Beyond this there are many other plausible uses for augmented reality in banking, which are likely to be part of the future evolution of how we all bank every day.
Does augmented reality mean more real risk?
But while this all sounds very impressive and advanced; one element that may concern users is how secure these types of augmented reality banking apps and services really are. With the capability to instantly buy purchases just by holding up your phone or do virtual reality banking from your living room or anywhere for that matter, are we potentially putting ourselves at higher risk of a security breach?
Well naturally as new technology advances are made, the cyber criminals in the world will find new ways to manipulate and corrupt systems. But to counteract this it’s likely that all digital banking technology will be designed to be robust to ensure very high standards of security are maintained at all times. Naturally, just like any other form of virtual banking, these types of virtual reality applications will require a level of personal verification that is only known by the user. The personal data will also be heavily encrypted to protect it from cyber criminals and ensure that personal banking information isn’t compromised.
Providing secure and safe digital banking technology is implemented to create a virtual world of banking, there is a great potential to create even more innovative possibilities for a wide range of augmented reality banking services worldwide.


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Elmer's Glue Crew classrooms nationwide are celebrating Earth Day by recycling glue bottles and glue sticks. Elmer's(R) Products, Inc., an industry leader in adhesives, arts and crafts, office and educational products, is encouraging teachers enrolled in the Elmer's Glue Crew Recycling program to bring empty glue bottles and glue sticks to the nearest Wal-Mart(R) store, beginning Earth Day, April 22, 2008.
Throughout the school year, participating teachers and students, currently representing more than 23,000 classrooms in all 50 states, collect empty glue bottles and glue sticks to be recycled. Once the classroom recycling box is full, teachers simply seal the box, print the official Elmer's Glue Crew Recycling Program mailing label, available at http://www.elmersgluecrew.com , and affix it to the outside of the box. Teachers then drop off the box at their nearest Wal-Mart store. The collection period runs through the end of the school year.
After received, the empties will be recycled at specialty recycling locations throughout the United States. Teachers are encouraged to submit award entries detailing the most creative and innovative ways they integrated recycling into classroom lessons and activities for a chance to win prizes. The grand prize classroom wins trees planted in a national forest in their honor, a tree planting at their school and an Elmer's arts and crafts prize pack for each student in the class. Teachers also have an opportunity to win hundreds of other classroom prizes.
"By recycling Elmer's, the #1 brand of school glue, teachers and students can take pride in knowing they positively impact the environment for future generations to enjoy," said Bruce MacDougall, president and CEO of Elmer's. "This program builds on our commitment to further protect the environment and educate elementary school-aged children about sustainable practices, which make our communities a better place to live, learn and create," MacDougall continued.
The Elmer's Glue Crew Recycling Program combines Elmer's expertise in education and creativity with its commitment to sustainable practices.
"Prior to this program, there was no structure in place to recycle glue bottles and glue sticks," said Steve Grossman, president of The Grossman Group Inc., a nationally recognized leader in paper and plastic recycling. "Now, the recycled Elmer's glue bottles and sticks from this program are a valuable resource and can be made in to new items such as watering cans and picnic benches."
Teachers in the United States are eligible to join the program at no cost. Participating teachers can use http://www.elmersgluecrew.com to find resources and instructional materials to help implement the program and reinforce the importance of being environmentally conscious in their classrooms. Downloadable classroom projects promote education and creativity and support efforts that reduce, reuse and recycle.
The January 2008 launch of the classroom-based glue bottle and glue stick recycling program marked the first national recycling program of its kind.
Elmer's(R) Products, Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has been a trusted brand and industry leader for more than 60 years. Elmer's produces a variety of well-known adhesives, arts and crafts, educational and office products for use at home, school or business. Elmer's branded products are developed to provide project solutions and to fulfill the consumer's inherent needs to create, build and learn. Elmer's also markets the number one instant adhesive in the U.S., Instant Krazy Glue(R), X-ACTO(R), a leader in innovative cutting blades, knives and office supply products, and Bienfang(R) graphic arts products. With recent acquisitions, James Galt & Co. Ltd., an international children's arts and crafts and activity products company, Scientific Explorer(TM), creator and distributor of science-based educational products for children, GiddyUp(TM), producer of licensed arts and crafts products for children, and ColorLoco(TM), maker of Blendy Pens, are each a division of Elmer's Products, Inc.
Arts And Crafts


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Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Rackspace Rolls iPad App
San Antonio-based hosting provider Rackspace announced yesterday that it has released a new, Apple iPad application which allows users to manage their Rackspace Cloud Servers. According to Rackspace, the new applications, Rackspace Cloud Pro, allows users to turn on backups, create new servers from backups, reboot and resize servers, and more. The application is available for free.


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Dark Web Drug Marketplace
A popular dark net marketplace for buying and selling drugs has been offline for three days, fueling speculation about its fate and despair among some users. Product Categories: Drugs, digital goods, counterfeit goods, databases, Empire Market is the biggest marketplace on the dark web in the. According to court documents, Hydra allowed users to anonymously buy and sell illegal goods such as drugs, stolen financial information, and. By V Vlassov 2022 For safety, the illegal substances' markets had moved to the Internet, to the less transparent darknet part. The objective of this study was to. OpenBazaar is an online trading network that can be confused for a Dark Web market. Drugs, counterfeit and stolen goods often end up for. Major darknet markets come and go in eras, Bitcoin Magazine wrote back in April 2022, as several of the biggest online drug bazaars were.
Monopoly market is an XMR darknet market where people can buy drugs using Dark Market is a small darkweb marketplace it prides itself with running. A young Canadian man was allegedly the mastermind of AlphaBay, an internet marketplace that traded in illegal drugs, firearms and. If this can be proven in court, bringing down this dark web drug marketplace is a significant notch in the belt of Kripos. Shop low prices on groceries to build your shopping list or order online. Fill prescriptions, save with 100s of digital coupons, get fuel points. The dark web marketplace, Wall Street Market, was one of the largest operating hosts for vendors peddling illegal wares, said DEA San. Bitcoin miner malware. government revealed this week that it seized billion in Bitcoin from the Silk Road, a dark web drug marketplace that was shut down by.
As of April, the darknet marketplace had around 17 million users. including the dark web drug marketplace. Department of Justice, FBI, Drug Enforcement. The darknet has been a key online marketplace for the sale of deadly drugs worldwide, said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug. Price Of Black Market Drugs R Darknet Market Reddit Darknet Market List a big international dark web drug largest silkkitie darknet market market place for illicit drug trade. Silk Road is an underground highway for drug trade and expansion. 6 Silk Road was an online black market and the first modern darknet market. Online drug marketplaces on the "dark web" have begun to resemble In February 2022, Evolution, the largest marketplace on the dark web at that time. The seizure of the Hydra dark web marketplace is a positive development in the fight and money laundering and drug trafficking offences.
So once he said the dark web had totally changed his business There is also, Christin says, a non-trivial risk a marketplace will. Shop low prices on groceries to build your shopping list or order online. Fill prescriptions, save with 100s of digital coupons, get fuel points. Silk Road 2022 darknet market is an underground highway for drug trade and expansion. 6 Silk Road was an online black market and the first modern darknet market. Origins and evolution of the dark web, where an underground marketplace underground marketplace that sophisticated criminals use to traffic drugs. In 2022 alongside AlphaBay and Hansa, Dream Market was the third-largest marketplace in the field. It had an incredibly large product range, including drugs. The popular marketplace's closing leaves a big hole Darknet Drugs Darknet Gun Market Darknet Market Arrests Darknet markets onion address Dec.
Drugs still rule the darknet, but aren't the only inventory on offer For instance, Hydra Marketplace, by far the most popular market on. By MC Van Hout 2022 Cited by 214 An online drug marketplace called 'Silk Road' has been operating on the 'Deep Web' since February 2022 and was designed to revolutionise contemporary drug. A key reliable darknet markets feature of online drugs platforms is that they are located on the so-called 'dark web', which is accessible via the sophisticated. Shop dark web drug marketplace today for Every Day Low Prices. Join Walmart for unlimited free delivery from your store & free shipping with no order minimum. Founded in 2022, Hydra sold illegal drugs but also stolen credit card data, counterfeit currency and fake identity documents, masking the. Police ran 2nd dark web marketplace as sting to spot drug deals. Beginning with Silk Road, the first large-scale dark web drug market, in 2022.
After initiating your purchase, you will be redirected to your order summary. Dream Market administrator and prolific vendor Gal Vallerius was arrested in August 2017, after a border search of his laptop confirmed his identity as online drug dealer OxyMonster. Lime Market and Invictus Market, which are believed to be operated by the former admins of DarkBay and Imperiya. Blocks are added dark web drug marketplace sequentially to a network's chain of data, which in turn make up the public ledger known as blockchain. Presently, a new approach called the tokenization value chain is advancing to enable a more viable approach for future investment paradigms and financial products and services across the globe. End relays, as the name implies, are the final hop in a chain of connections.
“People use various dark links to mask their true identity and to share illegal content that they want to keep hidden.”
It could even be dark web drug marketplace because the admin implemented an exit scam, which is what happened with Empire Market, where the admin team is estimated to have made off with some $30 million worth of Bitcoin in August 2020. It’s harder to get out earlier for drug charges, like with terrorists and child molesters. This means that those who obtain them will often have done so through phishing or malware attacks. Clock investigation leading up to his arrest in Uganda, at least 3 Americans were indicted on 2015-04-01: Zackary L. Whoever is bidding should have purchased them from us in the first place and saved themselves a whole lot of money and trouble. Wiki Tor Wiki Erotic Hard Candy httpvkq6wz4ozmldsciionion Topic Links A Topic links CP, Topic Links 2. Now, if you've done everything that you can and you're still having trouble hearing the audio through your computer speakers, I'm glad to tell you that closed captioning is available once the presentation begins.
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Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and the owner of Tesla is reported to have a strange habit of changing his phone every 10-12 months. And sources say that he does it due to Data Security fears that someone might get hold of that device and somehow dig out data which might play havoc in his life later.
According to a sensitive document highlighted by Business Insider, the owner of the American Electric Carmaker destroys his phone after buying a new one after a specific period. He then wipes out data on the old device, and then stores it or destroys it later.
Cybersecurity Insiders has learned that the document from which the revelation was made was submitted to an ongoing court hearing where Musk was sued by a diver named Vernon Unsworth for calling him a ‘Pedo Guy’ on Twitter last year.
With regards to a case and an incident, the court learned that Musk changes his Cell Phone on an occasional note due to reasons that have to do with data security and leak of sensitive information.
“Switching to a new phone can help get rid of malware on a specific device, but it doesn’t solve “Account Takeover” security issues as hackers can gain access to your credentials and login info within 24 hours of use of a new device”, says Maya Levine, a security engineer from Checkpoint.
Levine recommends to those concerned about security to maintain mobile usage hygiene when it comes to protecting a device from cyber threats. Like never connecting to public devices, always keeping your Wi-Fi switched off, never opening links obtained through texts and emails and always downloading apps from safe and secure sources like Google Play Store.


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Given that one in every ten retail purchases is now made online, it seems the UK has become a nation of e-shoppers. Worldwide, more and more people are spending time waiting for the post or a delivery van, with e-commerce sales up 20 per cent in 2014 to almost $840 billion, according to the Global Retail E-Commerce Index – and that’s a lot of big brown boxes.
For in-the-box packaging, this booming trend carries special implications, says Iwan Schmitz, director of marketing at Ranpak, the world leader in paper packaging solutions for e-commerce. “Product protection and cost in-the-box are obviously important, but there is a different driver for e-commerce packaging that is usually priority number one – the need for speed,” he says.
In a bid to meet customer expectations for rapid turnaround on product combinations and next-day delivery, leading parties are all looking to ship out as many packages as rapidly as possible. At the same time there is pressure to reduce the element of labour in the packaging operation to be more cost competitive.
Fast and flexible, the ability of Ranpak’s paper packaging systems to dispense solutions on the spot can help shippers work up to 30 per cent quicker, compared with competitive alternatives. The versatility of paper is also helpful, with a typical e-commerce requirement being to box up together a random mix of products, which just happened to be added into the online shopping cart at the same time.
Product protection and cost in-the-box are obviously important, but there is a different driver for e-commerce packaging that is usually priority number one – the need for speed
Since the individual products often already come pre-packaged, the priority of secondary packaging is as much to protect the brand packaging as the goods themselves.
Ultimately, if the quality of protection generates even a fraction of a percentage saving on returns due to breakages and damage, benefits can equate to significant payback. Plus, happy customers mean enhanced prospects for repeat purchases.
In contrast to the complexity of business-customer operations, at first glance the end-user perspective on packaging appears pretty uncomplicated, says Jeroen van Oosterhout, Ranpak marketing manager for e-commerce. “In essence, consumers are looking for a pleasant unpack experience, followed by straightforward disposal, or easy returns, with paper a winner on all counts,” he says.
As paper is easy to handle and keeps its shape well in transit, it is readily reused for sending products back. In addition, with domestic and kerbside collection common, paper is the most recycled product in Europe, at a rate of 72 per cent.
However, according to Mr van Oosterhout, a more sophisticated appreciation of the importance of the unpacking experience is now on the rise at e-commerce companies, not least as a result of the “unboxing” video phenomenon on YouTube. “Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of what they buy, where it is coming from and how it arrives, plus they are more critical publicly, online and on social media. Therefore, we are seeing e-commerce clients keen to differentiate their offering by providing a superior unpacking experience.
“For Ranpak, this is where our award-winning Geami WrapPak product is proving so popular,” says Mr van Oosterhout.
Geami WrapPak is a cost-effective, attractive, efficient and eco-friendly alternative to bubble wrap, plastic and foam sheets. In terms of the technical specification, it combines a die-cut kraft paper with a tissue interleaf paper. The patented converter expands the die-cut paper to a 3D honeycomb structure providing a unique wrapping product. By locking angled cells together, items are firmly wrapped and no tape is needed.
It is, therefore, the expertise at the design and manufacturing stage that makes the user experience with Geami so quick and easy. From Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources, Geami is green both in origin and disposal, so climate neutral, recyclable and renewable.
As marketing director Mr Schmitz concludes, it is this in-built sustainability of paper packaging that makes Ranpak so ready for the e-commerce revolution and the circular economy alike. “For 40 years, Ranpak has been protecting products for over 25,000 companies across more than 300 industries, from aerospace to cosmetics, from a 260lb window to a box of cookies. Paper can be used for cushioning, void-filling and wrapping. It is fast, flexible and affordable. It is also people and planet-friendly – perfect for the unboxing generation,” he says.
GOLD AWARD WIN FOR GEAMI
The packaging category gold award at the inaugural UK IntraLogistics Awards 2015 was won by Ranpak for Geami WrapPak, championed as one-of-a-kind packaging that combines both protection and in-the-box presentation.
What one of the judges, Jonathan Hardie, global head of manufacturing at Premier Farnell, had to say:
“Success for Ranpak was driven by a number of key features:
- Geami WrapPak offers a green environmentally friendly alternative to traditional bubble wrap and there have been few innovations in this area for many years
- It requires less packaging, leading to smaller packages, reduced storage and transport costs, plus consequently a shrinking of the carbon footprint
- It provides better presentation and makes it easier for consumers to dispose of packaging through traditional recycling routes
- Ranpak have taken an ‘unglamorous’, but important, area and come up with an innovative, cost-effective, green solution.”


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Gotta love these Starbucks lovers
Johannesburg - No, you're not insane. Starbucks is really coming to South Africa.
The brand announced today that it will be opening its first sub-Saharan Africa store in the city, through a partnership with Taste Holdings.
No specific details were given, but Starbucks said it expects to make it's first cuppa during the first half of 2016. Better latte than never.
According to the agreement with Taste Holdings, they are allowed to open several stores on the continent and have a licensing agreement that lasts for 25 yeas.
South Africans can expect locally-brewed items like Rooibos and a specialised menu to meet the local demand.
According to Fortune, "Starbucks has only a few locations in northern Africa, located in Casablanca and Cairo." The publication also reported that "the chain’s expansion into southern Africa will be something of a homecoming for the coffee beans it sells, a large portion of which hail from sub-Saharan Africa."
If you didn't catch it earlier, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee ;) Tthe headline is a tease on Taylor's Swifts hit single "Blankspace". The song's lyrics actually read: Got a long list of ex lovers' but it's been widely misquoted as "gotta love these Starbucks lovers" Someone call the lyric police!
Haven't tried Starbucks before? Watch the video of people who try Starbucks for the first time.


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Leading audio industry player Bose has announced it’s closing most of it’s retail stores worldwide. The announcement has Bose joining a growing number of retailers closing their doors in the beginning of 2020, as retail stores continue to experience dwindling sales.
You might be surprised to hear that Bose has physical retail stores. There certainly aren’t a huge number of them in Australia, but they do exist. I was quite surprised myself when I discovered a Bose store by accident one day on Level 6 at 188 Pitt St Sydney mall.
Other Sydney based locations you’ve probably not heard of include Bose stores at Westfield Bondi Junction and Westfield Miranda.
The company’s products are popular, especially the noise cancelling headphones but clearly selling them in dedicated brand shops no longer works. With products that are, generally speaking, at the more expensive end of consumer accessories, it’s little surprise that the sales in retail stores haven’t been enough to remain profitable.
This wouldn’t have been helped by Australia’s very high costs for leasing retail space in major shopping malls, which pushes retailers – like Bose – into lower cost spaces which generally don’t have the same frontage and patronage, which would mean fewer visitors (and less revenue) anyway.
The news is obviously horrible for Bose Australia retail employees who will lose their jobs and comes shortly after EB Games announced it will close 19 stores, and retailer JeansWest announced its closure as well.
With the continuing trend to online retail, we’re going to see more of this rather than less. The good news, at least for potential Bose customers, is that you can continue to buy their products online and through other retailers – it just won’t be sold in their own stores agoing forward.


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Prasanna Sankaranarayanan was about to get kicked out of Stanford’s Green Library.
A laid-back engineer in his late 20s with a mop of unruly hair, he is hardly the kind of person you’d associate with causing a disturbance. His crime? He and his co-founders had been shouting out the name of their latest startup – a flirting site called LikeALittle. It was was just a few days old; the product of a marathon caffeine-fueled coding session a few nights prior. This was their latest attempt to get the site noticed by Stanford students.
The technology had been easy. Getting students to use it was proving much harder. Library announcements and distributing branded post cards were the latest in a series of attempts to jump start growth.


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Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (PGR) arrested José Ricardo Gallardo Cardona, mayor of Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, a municipality in the State of San Luis Potosí, for organized crime and operations with illegal proceeds.
According to the investigation, the member of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), who intended to run for governor of San Luis Potosí, embezzled over 200 million pesos (US$13.5 million) from October 2012 to August 2014.
At a press conference, Tomás Zerón de Lucio, director of the Investigation Agency, said that Gallardo is shareholder in several companies, some of which are based in the United States, where the mayor with license is also being investigated.
As an example of Gallardo’s life style, he reported owning a violin valued at more than 5 million pesos (US$337,178). In 2012, Gallardo reported earning 30,000 pesos a month (US$2,026) as a mayor and 150,000 pesos more (US$10,130) with private businesses.
He owns six properties valued at 32.9 million pesos (US$2.2 million), watches and jewelry worth 1.3 million pesos (US$87,793), classic cars valued at 2 million pesos (US$135,065) and five more cars worth 997,000 pesos (US$67,326).
Zerón explained that medical services were paid from accounts of the municipality, and that the firm Wong SA de CV transferred the resources to other accounts of companies in which Gallardo or his relatives and friends own a stake, such as Inversión Creativa and Tangamanga Continental, among others.
Gallardo was sent to a Federal Prison in Hermosillo, Sonora, in the North of Mexico.
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K’u’uk: contemporary cuisine or pure alchemy?
Acknowledged at the Food and Travel.
Mérida, one of the best cities to live in Mexico (and the world)
Dan Prescher wrote an article for.
Hacienda Kancabchén: a call from a distant era just 15 miles away from Mérida
Hacienda Kancabchén maintains great part of.
Amazon launches new debit card in México
MEXICO CITY.- Banorte and Mastercard, together.
Over two thousand dogs and cats have been vaccinated in Valladolid
With the installation of seven locations.
Yucatecan pelicans and flamingos on the brink of becoming endangered species
“Pelicans and flamingos are some of.
Teacher Leaders Present an Innovative Blueprint for Relevant Learning in the Age of AI
What does the fourth industrial revolution.
New technology used in Yucatán to find people lost at sea
As part of a third aspect.
“Pet uh” Civil Association aims to promote Peto, Yucatán
PETO.- In the coming weeks the.
Mexico overtakes Brazil as the largest automobile producer in Latin America
Mexico registered a new record in.


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In-house marketers surveyed by Econsultancy, in association with Responsys, report spending on average 35% of their total marketing budgets on digital, per a new report [download page]. The survey – of respondents primarily from the UK (46%) and other European countries (19%) – finds that 56% are spending less than 30% of their budgets on digital channels, while 32% are devoting more than half of their budgets to these channels. Notably, though, despite multiple signs that the budget mix increasingly favors digital (see here and here), the overall average of 35% of budgets allocated to digital actually represents a slight drop from 36% last year.
Still, according to the study, 71% of companies plan to increase their digital marketing budgets by an average of 28%, compared to only 20% who expect to raise their traditional marketing budgets, by an average of 26%.
The “Marketing Budgets 2013” report also looks at proportion of revenues derived from digital marketing spending, with in-house marketers reporting an average of 34% (down from 36% last year).
Supply-siders, while roughly in the same ballpark, see things slightly differently. On average, agencies say that 32% of their clients’ overall marketing budgets are spent on digital, with those funds generating on average 37% of total revenues.
About the Data: The Econsultancy / Responsys Marketing Budgets 2013 report is based on a survey of more than 800 client-side marketers and agency respondents. Information about the online survey was emailed to Econsultancy’s user base of internet professionals and marketers, and promoted online via Twitter and other channels during December 2012 and January 2013.
A total of 834 respondents took part in the survey, including 457 client-side marketing professionals and 377 supply-side respondents (including agency marketers and those working for technology vendors or other service providers).


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New Zealand's third-largest mobile operator, 2degrees, is boosting its ability to service business customers by buying Christchurch-based internet service provider Snap.
Snap has been a partner of 2degrees for the past two years, offering complementary fixed-broadband services.
The combination will also be more able to vie for fibre market share as New Zealand's Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network rollout reconfigures the industry.
"One thing we've learned in the last couple of years, apart from the fact that we work well with 2degrees, is that there is a limited window of opportunity to win business as the UFB networks are rolled out," Snap chief executive Mark Petrie said.
"A fixed-mobile offer allows us to put our best foot forward, and 2degrees is the best company to drive that growth."
Petrie will join 2degrees' leadership team.
The price paid for Snap has not been disclosed; however, one media report put it at NZ$26 million, including NZ$10 million in cash.
"Snap provides the perfect complement to our mobile offering, and will allow us to deliver the total package that our customers -- and theirs -- have been asking for," 2degrees' chief executive Stewart Sherriff said.
The combined businesses will have around 900 staff members.


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Watch and Learn From This Startup’s Pitch to VC Tim Draper
It takes more than a fantastic idea, traction and a killer management team to grab the attention of high-powered VCs. They’re inundated with proposals that come at them through everything from email to phone calls to in-person pitches at live events. To break through the clutter, you need a riveting story.
Recently, we watched as tagMap, which produces a social-networking app that brings people together based on common interests, presented its idea to Tim Draper, the noted Silicon Valley VC and co-founder of venture firm DFJ. You can watch, too, on the video below.
Here’s their pitch:
And Draper’s feedback:


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PERSONAL TRAGEDY was the making of Tracy Mort. On the brink of redundancy she learnt that her brother had cancer. Two days later, he was dead.
“Losing him made me stop and think about life and my future,” said Mort. “I had to do something with that grief.”
One month later, in January 2007, the beauty company where Mort worked as a buyer went into administration. Elizabeth French had been bought by the Disperse Group three years earlier.
“The whole thing was poorly managed,” she said. “Every brand Disperse bought went under. I was left to watch this catastrophe.”
Mort wasted no time in co-founding a new company, called Grace Cole, where she was determined that things would be done differently. “I didn’t know how to run a business but I knew that if I had the right product at the right price, it would work,” she said. “I was sick of being told things that made no sense to me.”
Grace Cole’s body, bath and cosmetic products and gifts are sold in stores such as Boots, Debenhams and Harrods. Seven years on, the company has annual sales of £10.3m and hopes to reach £12.5m in 2014-15. It is based in Cheadle, south of Manchester, and has 24 employees.
Mort’s co-founder was David Gerrard, previously her boss at Elizabeth French, who took an 80% share. The plan was for her to be the creative director and buyer, with Gerrard as managing director, but three weeks in he had to stand down for personal reasons.
“I couldn’t quite believe this was happening — I was almost back to square one,” said Mort. She had no choice but to take charge. “I’d never been a managing director before, and I was petrified.”
Gerrard recovered but did not return to a hands-on role with Grace Cole, although he kept his stake. Mort bought 35% of the business from him last April, taking her stake to 55%. She said: “David has been a great sounding board but in the end I have run it the way I want to.”
This included steering Grace Cole through the recession. “Companies were going under around me.” The crisis also forced her to consider her business strategy. “I had to question why I was purchasing from China when the UK economy was in turmoil and needed help.”
In 2008 she moved 5% of manufacturing to this country. Today, half of Grace Cole products are made here. The range is exported to 70 countries. “Those first few years were the most traumatic of my life but channelling my grief and facing all those difficulties has brought this company forward,” said Mort, 39.
She grew up on a council estate in Bolton, Greater Manchester, with her older brother and mother, who held several jobs cooking and running slimming classes to make ends meet. “Mum always said, ‘Never end up like me. Not knowing where the next penny is coming from is a horrific way to live.’ It gave me the drive and determination never to rely on anybody else financially.”
Mort left Sharples High School in Bolton at 16 to join a taster scheme with Greater Manchester police. “All I wanted to be was a policewoman; I had my whole life mapped out.” After 18 months, she was disappointed. “It was an administration role, not an insight into the police force. I felt lost.”
She decided to go elsewhere until her 21st birthday, when she could join as an officer. To fill the time she took a job with a building contractor, where she met her husband, Steven. She then took a job at an estate agent, but found it “tremendously boring waiting for the phone to ring”.
The dream of becoming a policewoman ended with the birth of her daughter in 2000. “Steven thought it was too dangerous a career and I gave in,” she said. “If there was something I wanted so badly now, I wouldn’t, but it was the right decision in the end.”
That decision led her to try her hand as a buyer for USI, a trading company. “As soon as I started buying I knew this was what I wanted to do. It was so varied and exciting, I didn’t have time to get bored.”
She found her niche in health and beauty and in 2004 successfully applied for the job of head buyer at Elizabeth French. When it came to developing a brand for her own business, she took inspiration from that company.
“With a name, buyers feel they’re dealing with a person rather than a company,” Mort said. “I wanted a nice English lady’s name to appeal to our export market, so I made one up.”
She has added an online store and plans to expand into make-up. “I don’t want to diversify too much, only products that complement what we do already.”
Mort lives in Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester, with her husband and daughter, Georgia. She was appointed an MBE in January last year for services to the economy and won the 2013 NatWest Everywoman award.
Her advice to entrepreneurs is to keep focused: “No matter how many times people knock you back, if you’re confident you have the right product, price and market, never give up.”


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If you asked your Amazon customers to name their favourite things about the eCommerce site, what do you think they would be? In addition to the vast product range and cheap prices, many people would also mention Amazon’s famous Super Saver Delivery option, which provides free second-class delivery on all orders over £10. However, as of last week, that all changed.
In a press release on their UK website, the eCommerce giant announced that it would be doubling the minimum spend requirement for its Super Saver Delivery option, requiring all customers to spend over £20 to qualify for free delivery on everything except books, for which the threshold remains at £10. This move has caused quite a stir amongst not only Amazon’s large UK customer base, but also many UK based Amazon sellers, and eCommerce fulfilment companies across the country. So what impact could this decision have on the eCommerce industry?
Let’s start with Amazon customers. For many, it means either paying for delivery or spending more on the site in one go, both of which are favourable options for Amazon. Additionally, the move may drive more customers to Amazon Prime, which offers free one-day delivery on all items, plus other benefits, for a fee of £79 per year.
Again, this outcome would also be good news for Amazon, as Prime customers spend on average double that of regular customers on the site. For UK based Amazon sellers, it could mean one of two things: if they are signed up to Amazon fulfilment, it could mean either that they lose customers and thus outsource their eCommerce fulfilment somewhere else, or that they experience more sales as customers attempt to meet the £20 minimum spend should they want free delivery. Additionally, many people working in the eCommerce fulfilment or shipping industries have suggested that this announcement could spell the beginning of the end for free delivery.
As it has only just been announced, we will need to wait and see how much of an effect this has on Amazon’s business model, and if it causes any other eCommerce sites to adopt a similar policy. You can read the full statement from Amazon on the changes to Super Saver Delivery here.


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TOKYO -- Diamonds squirreled away in Japanese homes for decades are finding new life from overseas buyers.
Foreigners are flocking to the country's largest jewelry district in search of jewels snapped up around the world during Japan's bubble economy of the 1980s.
This "bubble heritage" is now finding its way back to the market as the owners age and reorganize their assets, allowing the diamonds that had long been stored away in dresser drawers to flow to emerging economies such as China and India.
"From 600,000 yen," says the auctioneer opening the bidding on a brilliant 2.5-carat diamond ring. Seats were filled with buyers chatting among themselves in Chinese and Hindi.
Competition was intense right at the hammer. "700,000 yen!" "750,000 yen!" The price jumped every few seconds. Finally, a foreign buyer shouted "860,000 yen!" An audible sigh leaked from would-be buyers who had lost out in the bidding.
Close to 1,000 dealers tussled in the building in Okachimachi, Tokyo -- the city's famed jewelry district. The October auction was co-sponsored by two local companies, Apre and Daiya, and was marked by intense competition.
Foreign traders now dominate the Japanese diamond market. According to Apre, of the 80 vendors who participate regularly in the auctions, about 40% are foreign -- nearly double the figure a year earlier.
Indian and Chinese traders are prominent. "An existing diamond that has been auctioned off is brought to India for polishing and reprocessing," said a buyer who represents an Indian-owned wholesaler.
This is the way diamonds that once came to Japan are now finding their way across the world. In addition to China and Dubai in the Middle East, "demand is also increasing in Southeast Asia and Israel, where the affluent population has increased with economic growth," says a diamond trading company official.
According to trade statistics, Japan's diamond exports reached a record high of about 8.5 billion yen ($78 million at today's rates) in 2015. Although the figure dropped to 7.2 billion yen in 2018, that was still three times higher than 10 years ago. There is scant production of new diamonds in Japan, so this is almost all existing stones.
The top export destination in terms of value is Hong Kong, which is a relay point for global sales. China is second, followed by Israel. Imports continued to decline after peaking at about 370 billion yen in 1990 during the bubble period. Although they have increased slightly since 2009 after the Lehman shock, imports came to about 94 billion yen in 2018, a level far from the heyday.
Why are Japanese existing diamonds attracting so much attention? "This is because many luxury products imported during the bubble period are asleep in the home," explains Apre President Atsuyuki Kikuchi. A Chinese buyer says that "diamonds bought in the bubble period have better quality and cost less than in any other country."
The classic diamond wedding ring was long a coveted item in Japan. During the bubble economy of the 1980s, demand for the rings took off. Jewelry worth hundreds of billions of dollars was sold to the country during this time, industry observers say, and diamonds made up much of this.
After the bubble economy collapsed so did the amount of diamond transactions. Many diamonds were forgotten and languished in drawers, but recently they have been finding their way to market as their owners age and pass away.
"The number of people who have come in to sell diamonds that they have inherited or were gifted has increased in the last four or five years," according to a consultant on deals involving such assets.
"There are more young people who would rather do things like travel than own precious jewelry," says an appraiser at a jewelry sales and purchase store. "This change in mindset means more diamonds are hitting the market."
This transfer of diamonds from Japan to emerging countries lines up with the forces driving the global economy. And more of these precious stones will likely find new luster overseas.


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NEW YORK CITY - An e-cigarette exploded in the pocket of an employee at a New York City wine store Wednesday, badly burning the man, his attorney said.
Otis Gooding, 31, was standing behind the store counter and talking with co-workers when the e-cigarette exploded, burning his leg, thigh and hand, said attorney Sanford Rubenstein.
Security camera video obtained from the store shows Gooding jumping as sparks begin shooting from his pants pocket. Smoke billows from his pants as he attempts to remove the device.
Gooding suffered third-degree burns and was admitted to the Weill Cornell Medical Center burn unit, where he is expected to have surgery, Rubenstein said.
Witnesses 'shaken up'
No one else was injured during the incident, though co-workers who witnessed the explosion said they were still "shaken up" by what happened.
John Lee, another employee of Central Cellars Wine and Spirits, in Grand Central Terminal, said he ran behind a pillar in the store once the sparks started flying.
"Unfortunately there was nothing we could do but call the police," Lee told CNN. "Otis ran water on himself till the paramedics came. I was traumatized to see someone hurt that way," Lee said.
Lee, a former e-cigarette smoker himself, said the device had been customized. "I've never seen one that has so much power, it's aftermarket customized so you can change the voltage for high performances," he said.
Similar incidents reported
There have been a number of reports of similar incidents involving e-cigarettes. In May, a vaporizer blew up in a young man's face in New York, knocking out teeth, ripping a hole in his tongue and leaving his hands covered in burns.
Earlier that month, an Alabama teen was burned after a classmate's e-cigarette exploded and sent a hot battery flying into his face. In February, dramatic gas station security footage showed a man's leg being engulfed by flames as a result of another apparent e-cigarette explosion.
According to his attorney, Gooding is currently in a lot of pain, and disappointed that he will not be able to spend Thanksgiving with his family. His next step will be taking appropriate legal action against the device's manufacturer, once identified, Rubenstein said.
Calls for comment from the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association and the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association were not immediately returned.


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The number of people asking about pawning their classic cars rose more than a third between October last year and March this year as their values soared almost 500 per cent.
HNW Lending, a high-end pawnbroking service, said the number of people enquiring about securing loans against their classic cars rose 35 per cent between October and March compared with the previous six months, and 27 per cent compared with the same period a year before.
Since its launch earlier this year, the company has lent £1m against classic cars, with one customer securing a £150,000 loan against a 1969 Lincoln Zephyr, a Porsche 911 and a 1957 VW Samba Bus, while another borrowed £120,000 against a 1962 Bentley S2 Convertible.
The company said the jump in enquiries was partly thanks to soaring values of classic cars, which rose by an average of 467 per cent in the decade to March last year, and 161 per cent over five years.
|Type of classic car||Value of vehicles||Value of loan provided against these vehicles|
|1966 VW Panel Bus||£50,000||30,000|
|1939 Lincoln Zephyr, Porsche 911 and a VW Samba Bus||£260,000||£150,000|
|Porsche 911 – 1980S Air aspirated turbo||£100,000||£50,000|
|Red and Black 1957 Volkswagen 23 Window Samba Bus||£90,000||£40,000|
|1962 Ford GT 40 Recreation||£115,000||£40,000|
|1962 Bentley S2 Convertible||£215,000||£120,000|
|1972 Jaguar XKE||£70,000||£35,000|
|Customised Mercedes Maybach||£100,000||£50,000|
|Bentley Continental Flying Spur Saloon||£35,000||£20,000|
|Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Targa||£40,000||£30,000|
“There are three main factors driving a rise in the valuation of classic cars, and these are rarity, the story behind a particular make of car and its overall wow factor," said Ashley Maddox, co-founder of AG Classic Automobiles.
"Racing cars are particularly attractive and a 1967 Ferrari 275 Spider identical to one driven by Steve McQueen in the film ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ recently sold for $27.5 million (£21.2m).
"Similarly, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO recently went for $38.1 million. Earlier this year, Bonhams the auctioneer sold an original 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition for $7.37 million, making it the most valuable E-type to sell at auction.”
If you're looking for an investment, though, it might be worth aiming for something more modern: a list published by Footman James last year showed the Peugeot 205, the Land Rover Defender and even the VW Golf were among the cars with the fastest-rising values.


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Apparently, Google have decided it's a good idea for businesses to outsource email to them. APC Magazine isn't sure this is necessarily a good idea.|
Unlike the individually accessible Google Apps services, which are primarily supported through advertising, ISPs will have to pay for the service. Google is being rather coy about the pricing, merely inviting ISPs and other interested parties to apply and learn more, but does suggest in its product information page that the service will be offered "affordably".I'm waiting for the news of the first company to take Google up on this one.
Secondly, while Google talks up the potential for ISPs to customise the service, that might not always be good for end users.


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Liberty Shoes has announced the merger of Liberty Retail Revolutions Ltd (LRRL) with itself to achieve synergy of manufacturing and retailing. The... ...http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/liberty-shoes-liberty-retail-merger/article5871939.ece
No flats for Muslims in Bandra , reported the Times of India last month. Housing discrimination against Muslims has become a distressingly... ...http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?289983
: After having received a phenomenal response in Southern India, Liberty launched its 50 th store in Bangalore yesterday, which is its 70 th store... ...http://www.thisweekbangalore.com/continuing-its-winning-spell-in-the-southern-market-liberty-launches-its-50th-store-in-bangalore/
AAJ KA STYLE WAVE.


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Articles & News Tagged “News”
Japan to resume commercial whaling
The BBC reports that Japan has announced that it plans to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) from July 2019 and to resume commercial whaling thereafter. Japan has argued that the IWC was not committed to one of its stated goals; that of supporting sustainable commercial whaling. Japan argues that the eating of whale meat is a cultural tradition, despite the fact that the bulk of the nation only started eating it after World War Two and currently only 0.1% of the population consumes it. (Image credit: wdeon / Shutterstock.com)
Sea&Sea announces housings for Canon EOS R
Sea&Sea has announced their MDX housing for the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless camera. It is compatible with the company’s MDX ports and gears and has dual focus/zoom gears for EF and RF mount lenses. Sea&Sea has also announced that there will be an Optical YS Converter available for the housing and camera.
Inon announces Front Cover 150
Season 3 of Tales by Light on Netflix
Season 3 of the Tales by Light series will come to streaming service Netflix on Friday 21 December. Episode 2 is entitled “Paradise in Peril” and features filmmaker and conservationist Shawn Heinrichs talking about the mission to protect the amazing biodiverse environment in Misool, Indonesia.
UW Technics releases TTL firmware for Subtronic strobes
UW Technics has announced new firmware that offers support for TTL profiles with Subtronic strobes. The TTL converters equipped with this firmware are available for many housings and is compatible with both current and legacy Subtronic strobes, along with other strobe brands. The TTL circuits offer flash exposure compensation via the cameras’ controls as well as rear curtain sync with Canon cameras.
Tony Wu interview on Lifehacker.com
Paper documents manta mating behavior
A paper has been published in the journal Fish Biology detailing a 14-year study into the mating and courtship behavior of oceanic (Manta birostris) and reef (Mobula alfredi) manta rays. The study used behavioral observations, video and photographic records to catalog 229 courtship events in the Maldives.
Sea Save Auction open for bids
Underwater Tribe Podcast number 11: Dr Mark Erdmann
Wetpixel Moderator, Mike Veitch has released episode 11 of the Underwater Tribe Diving and Adventure Podcast. It features a conservation icon, Mark Erdman, talking about his history, the creation and challenges of marine parks in Indonesia and why he has a positive outlook on the future of our oceans.