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|EMcision's RF Duo 13 has gone to market in Europe and China.--Courtesy of EMcision|
Canadian devicemaker EMcision International has sold the first units of its pancreatic tumor ablation catheter, the Habib RF Duo 13, in Europe and China, notching a foothold to gain further insight into the device's efficacy.
Named after the Montreal company's founder, surgeon and inventor Nagy Habib, the CE-marked RF Duo 13 is designed to cauterize and coagulate tissue deep in the pancreas using radiofrequency to destroy malignant tumor cells, according to EMcision. The shipment of over 40 units in Europe and China will give the company the necessary clinical data to boost sales of the device in the future.
"The RF Duo 13 is groundbreaking and has real potential to improve the lives of those suffering from pancreatic cancer," EMcision CEO Cherif Habib said in a statement. "We are honored that top international surgeons have decided to begin a trial period with our minimally invasive product."
EMcision began developing its line of radiofrequency devices more than a decade ago; its Habib 4X catheter for liver cancer is one of the top hepatic resection devices in the U.S., according to the company.
- here's the release


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By NICK GRABBE Staff Writer
(Published in print: Tuesday, December 4, 2012)
AMHERST — Tom Devine came to the new Survival Center building for lunch on its first day Monday.
“In every detail, it’s better than the old schoolhouse” where the center operated out of a basement for 34 years, he said. “I think people will get attached to this building. It will be a lot of fun getting used to a new way of doing things.”
Eighty people came through the doors at the new building at 138 Sunderland Road in the first 10 minutes Monday, and that’s how many used to come in the first hour, said program director Tracey Levy. Some came for lunch, while others came for free bread and produce. Many received bouquets of flowers donated by Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s.
They found that the new Survival Center has twice the space, with a sunny dining room with space for 80 people to sit down comfortably. The building has space for the free medical clinic, more parking, more efficient storage and distribution of food, and easier drop-off of clothing donations. The “free store,” which gives out clothes and household goods, will open Dec. 17.

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JetBlue will soon stop flying to Cuba, citing weak demand that it attributes to U.S. restrictions on travel to the island nation.
United, meanwhile, will end service between Newark and Cuba in late October. The carrier didn’t say why.
But tour operators say Cuba business this year has been strong, and they don’t anticipate the flight reductions to be impactful.
“The second half of 2022 was the biggest in our 15-year history, and it is showing no signs of slowing down,” said David Lee, founder of Cultural Cuba. “The demand for Cuba is growing.”
JetBlue is currently among five airlines servicing the U.S.-Cuba market. Until the spring, the carrier flew between Fort Lauderdale and Havana nearly three times daily before scaling back to twice daily over the summer.
JetBlue also flies weekly from New York JFK to Havana. Both routes will be suspended in September, with JetBlue’s final Havana flight scheduled for Sept. 17 from Fort Lauderdale.
The cessations will cede the Fort Lauderdale-Havana market to Southwest, which flies the route three times daily. And the combined suspensions from United and JetBlue will leave no nonstop service between the New York area and Cuba.
JetBlue said restrictions on travel between the U.S. and Cuba have continued to depress demand in that market.
“We look forward to resuming our service to Havana and continuing to pursue opportunities within Cuba should travel become more accessible in the future,” the carrier said.
The Biden administration has removed some of the Cuba travel restrictions that were re-imposed during the Trump administration. They include allowing flights to Cuban cities other than Havana and bringing back group educational travel under the travel authorization category known as people-to-people, which is commonly used by tour operators.
Trump-era bans on cruises to Cuba remain in place.
Tour operators say that commercial flight options to Cuba will remain robust enough to serve their clients, even after the coming cutbacks.
American Airlines is the leader in the U.S.-Cuba market, offering service to six Cuban destinations from Miami, including as many as eight daily frequencies to Havana. Delta also flies Miami-Havana, Southwest serves Havana from Tampa in addition to Fort Lauderdale and United will continue flying Houston-Havana.
“We really haven’t had much trouble getting the lift that we need for our passengers,” said Peggy Goldman, president of Friendly Planet Travel and co-owner of Insight Cuba. “I don’t expect it to be anything catastrophic.”
Joe Sandillo, co-founder of Almaz Journeys, also said the impact will be minimal.
He added that most New York-based Almaz clients already connect to Cuba through South Florida.
The company’s four Cuba group itineraries have made a comeback this year after a prolonged Covid downturn, though they remain approximately 25% below the pre-Covid level.
“Demand has come back for us this year very well, with a number of guests traveling through the first six months of the year and a number of Thanksgiving and winter bookings coming up,” Almaz said.
Goldman said that shortages of consumer goods continue to pose logistical challenges for Cuba tour operators.
Nevertheless, sales of group Cuba itineraries at Friendly Planet and Insight Cuba this year still have a chance to reach the record level of 2018.
To wit, Friendly Planet recently began selling a fourth Cuba itinerary, extending farther afield from Havana and reaching as far as the town of Trinidad, where Goldman is confident about sourcing quality accommodations. The itinerary launches in January.
“It’s selling nicely,” she said. “We see Cuba doing well.”
Source: Read Full Article


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ZTE’s enterprise business to be showcased at CeBIT 2015
13 March 2015, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, will showcase its Enabler@M-ICT concept on Monday 16 March at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany. ZTE’s Enabler@M-ICT concept focuses on creating value from information – spanning information collection, distribution, processing, storage, transmission, and consumption.
ZTE offers a complete portfolio of M-ICT solutions and products to fulfil its commitment to greener, more beautiful cities as well as more efficient enterprises. At CeBIT, ZTE will demonstrate real-life industry solutions and products to more than 200,000 visitors from around the world. ZTE’s solutions include:
· Wireless charging
Wireless charging is ZTE’s latest power solution for new-energy vehicles. This solution has been put into commercial use and to date, ZTE has deployed this solution for China’s first wirelessly-charged bus route pilot programme in Xiangyang (Hubei) and the world’s first wirelessly-charged community bus in Chengdu (Sichuan).
· ATG broadband
ZTE’s 4G air-to-ground (ATG) solution delivers internet access speeds of up to 30 Mbit/s on planes flying at an altitude of 10,000 metres. ZTE launched the Air China Wi-Fi Alliance with Air China and other stakeholders to promote the development of the civil aviation internet industry and cultivate a new industry ecosystem. This solution can be also applied to high-speed railways and subways.
· Smart city
ZTE now serves as the Deputy Directorate-General of the China Smart City Industry Alliance, which was co-founded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT); a key member of the MOHURD’s Joint Lab for Urban Security; and the Deputy Secretary-General of the MOHURD’s Smart City Standardisation Commission. To date, ZTE has constructed smart city platforms for more than 110 cities in China, with a series of innovative applications tailored to local conditions.
· uSmartPOD + Cloud Desktop
In the post-PC era, ZTE has proposed its uSmartPOD and Cloud Desktop solution for managing enterprise data. The integration between uSmartPOD, the smart manager for enterprise business and cloud desktop provides a superior user experience and blurs the lines between PC and cloud desktop access and services.
Tomorrow Never Waits
These solutions are only a small portion of the overall M-ICT solution portfolio developed by ZTE. With a deep understanding of industry and customer needs, and bolstered by 18 research and development centres and 107 branches around the world, ZTE is able to provide 50 integrated multi-scenario solutions and more than 100 sub-solutions specifically for sectors such as energy, transportation, government administration, public utilities (including health care and education), finance, and online.
Pang Shengqing, Senior Vice President of ZTE, said, “This year, ZTE will continue to construct secure and open IT service platforms, and provide first-class ICT services for government and enterprise customers as well as partners in the M-ICT ecosystem. In the M-ICT era, ZTE is dedicated to addressing customer challenges in order to make cities more beautiful and enterprises more efficient.”
ZTE will also have a strong channel presence at the show and will be holding a press conference to discuss its portfolio of smart enterprise solutions coupled with an overview of its channel strategy and latest distribution deals. The conference will take place at 3.15pm on Monday, 16 March in room 15/16 in the CeBIT Convention Center. On Tuesday, 17 March ZTE will be holding a press briefing on Enterprise Information Integrated Solutions and Star Products at 9.30am at the ZTE stand, Hall 13, C12. Press and analysts are invited to attend both of these events.
ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices, and enterprise technology solutions to consumers, carriers, companies and public sector customers. As part of ZTE’s M-ICT strategy, the company is committed to provide customers with integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), ZTE’s products and services are sold to over 500 operators in more than 160 countries. ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has leadership roles in international standard-setting organizations. ZTE is committed to corporate social responsibility and is a member of the UN Global Compact. For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn.


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What would Sprint's "industry first" be?
Sprint was relatively quiet at CES thisyear, but was it the kind of silence just before a storm? The 4G-capableThunderBolts, Tegras and even Verizon iPhones of our time havesounded off and left us wondering what could Sprint bring to stir upour geeky imagination. That is when the carrier promised to put an“industry first” up its sleeve on February 7thand it won't be alone, but accompanied by illusionist David Blaine.
So while everyone waits for Sprint'sown Dan Hesse to pull a magic trick, let us analyze and weigh all thepossibilities behind the invitation-only event. First, let's see howSprint's lineup looks now. The company had no earth-shatteringdevices since the HTC EVO 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G, which took ourhearts by delivering amazing speeds for their time. The affordableHTC EVO Shift 4G unveiled just before CES can hardly compare with thedual-core 4G-capable Motorola Atrix 4G (AT&T) and Motorola DROID Bionic (Verizon).
So could it be that Sprint willannounce its first dual-core handset? Many are looking forwardto an EVO2 or a second generation of the Epic 4G, while some even hope(don't look at us!) that a dual-core Nokia handset will come to theNow network, which we find very unlikely. While dual-core handsets will imminently land on Sprint,they certainly would not be an “industry first”.
And combining Android with thepresence of illusionist David Blaine, we can think of oneproduct that stands out and that would match all the novelty – an HTC 3D Android phone.Will it be a stereoscopic 3D phone that Hesse has hidden up his sleeve? While itis still too early for this, we have seen rumors circulate for awhile and the technology is certainly out there. The stereoscopic Android phone could have 3 camera sensors installed and 2 cameras shooting side by side. Mostmajor Android blogs are invited as well, which makes this our pick.
Other options include a CDMA WindowsPhone 7 with WiMAX support, which is certainly on its way andactually the HTC 7 Pro would match this profile perfectly. While itis nothing that revolutionary, the HTC 7 Pro will in fact bethe industry's first CDMA phone with the latest mobile Windows. Let's not forget that Sprint could alsoconfirm RIM's PlayBook tablet running on a 4G network, but we seenothing magical or new about this either. There are many speculationsout there, but what do you expect to see and why?


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Published on : Friday, January 27, 2017
The regional tour operators of Malaysia are recently witnessing a rush in the number of tourists from China. A large number of tourists have been visiting this nation thus weekend for the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Albert Tan Sam Soon who is the president of the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association said that several tourists from China have been leveraging the event of the long holiday thanks to the Chinese New Year. This is one of the major reasons that they are making a beeline for Malaysia.
The sudden surge in the number of tourists from China has compelled many tour agencies of Malaysia to arrange for temporary tour guide passes to deal with the visitors in a healthy way, said Sam Soon.
The president also added that the top favorite destinations for the Chinese tourists who have been arriving of late include Sarawak, Sabah, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Malacca and Penang.
Tan said that the sudden increase in tourist arrivals can be attributed to the introduction of more flight routes between Malaysia and the major towns in China.
The implementation of electronic travel resignation and e-visa that has been launched by the government since March last year has also been a crucial factor that has gone a long way in drawing more tourists from the country of China, he feels.
He went on to add that the tourism and culture industry of the country was also a factor in attracting tourists.
According to Tan, the association has 800 members in Sabah, Johor Bahru, Perak and Penang.
He expected that about four million tourists had come from China to Malaysia this year. A media report has said that as much as 2.2 million Chinese nationals had visited Malaysia between March and December last year, from just 1.2 million during the corresponding period in 2015.
In the year 2015, tourists from China had spent about RMT 5.7 billion during their stay in this country.


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Mr. Softy Wants to Make IDs Available to Everyone; Eyes Blockchain as a Solution
Microsoft sees plenty of opportunity in using Blockchain to give people all over the world one of the most important things they need in life– an ID.
Microsoft has not been shy about its optimism regarding how Blockchain can be transformative in many areas.
On Monday, it revealed some details about how it sees Blockchain fulfilling a need that many take for granted, and just as many go without. For whatever reason, many people lack any form of legitimate identification, which can cause all kinds of problems for them.
Recognizing how going without something as simple as an ID card can be devastating, Microsoft is working on a solution.
Let’s go over what Mr. Softy has up its sleeves.
No ID? Blockchain can help
In Davos, Switzerland last month, at the World Economic Forum, Microsoft alerted attendees to findings that nearly one in six people worldwide don’t have IDs. Microsoft also noted that no matter where you live in the world, fundamental rights and services like being able to vote, and/or having access to healthcare, housing and education are tethered to having legal proof of identification.
Alex Simons, the Director of Program Management for Microsoft’s Identity Division, wrote about what the tech giant has been working on in a blog post posted Monday.
Microsoft’s solution is the creation of what it calls “universal access to identity.” To bring this solution to fruition, Microsoft is looking to Blockchain. Simons said the company is “incubating a set of ideas for using Blockchain.”
Microsoft’s efforts began last summer. It was then that it began collaborating with Accenture and Avanade on a Blockchain-based identity prototype on Microsoft Azure.Accenture is a global management consulting and professional services firm that provides strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations services. Avanade was founded in 2000 as a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft.
In a blog post about this collaboration, the company stated:
Together, we pursued this work in support of the ID2020 Alliance – a global public-private partnership dedicated to aiding the 1.1 billion people around the world who lack any legal form of identity. To say that we were encouraged by its mission would be an understatement. We were inspired by it.
In Simon’s post, it was noted that Microsoft saw the creation of new types of digital identities, identities designed from the ground up, as ways to enhance personal privacy, security and control.
Simon’s added that those on the project are “pretty excited by what we’ve learned and by the new partnerships we’ve formed in the process.”
To achieve this vision, we believe it is essential for individuals to own and control all elements of their digital identity. Rather than grant broad consent to countless apps and services, and have their identity data spread across numerous providers, individuals need a secure encrypted digital hub where they can store their identity data and easily control access to it. - Microsoft
So what better way to accomplish this task than by using Blockchain.
Multi-pronged solution in the works
From that incubation effort mentioned above, Microsoft has honed in on several areas that can help people if they had digital IDs.
They include people being able to:
- control their identities based on Blockchain technology and protocols that are well suited for enabling Decentralized IDs
- rely on being able to trust that their IDs are secure based on encrypted digital hubs
- use apps and services that are built with them at the center because of they are personalized just for them
If all goes as Microsoft plans, this could be a very impactful development for the world. As noted by Forbes:
“A decentralized identity system is not controlled by any single, centralized institution such as a government or large tech company. The idea is that a decentralized identity system removes the possibility of censorship and gives an individual full control over their identity and reputation.”


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You are doing a final editing of a presentation on your Smartphone which is to be delivered in next 5 minutes. Meanwhile, the device simply slips from your hands. Now either the presentation will happen or there is another burn on your pocket. Okay, this is something similar to watching a horror movie and you don’t want to start your Monday like this.
Don’t worry, soon we may see no phones with broken screens, thanks to a German student named Philip Frenzel of the University of Aalen. He has designed an “airbag for Smartphone” as a part of his bachelor thesis. It’s named Active Damping case or ADcase which can make any mobile phone unbreakable irrespective of the height it falls from.
In fact, this innovative gadget is awarded the nationwide Mechatronics Prize 2018 by the German Society for Mechatronics.
The seed of designing an airbag for Smartphone was sown when Frenzel casually threw his jacket over a banister with a brand new iPhone in its pocket, reports German publication Preview Online. The new phone, of course, had a great free fall and its display shattered into pieces. After spending a good amount of money on replacing the display, the phone worked only for two weeks and then everything went blank. Because of that crash, all the electronics in iPhone got damaged. He looked for better protection cases in the market for the next phone and he did not feel content with his research.
“Packing the iPhone with its aesthetic design in a chunky outdoor shell is not fun,” says Frenzel. Post this incident, he closed down on his next invention research subject revolving around creating a Spider-App for protecting mobiles.
Experimenting Different Concepts on Airbag for Smartphone
To begin with, Frenzel thought of developing an airbag similar to one integrated into the cars. But that did not seem to be practicable on such mini device. At a later stage, he thought of leveraging his mechatronics study to his concept of a mobile airbag.
His supervisor, Prof. Dr. Arif Kazi acknowledging Frenzel’s efforts, said: “It’s great when students bring their own ideas and projects, for which they burn, to the university. Since they learn much more intensively than in the courses – we like to support that!”
And eventually, the student figured out a Eureka moment for the “Spider-App”. Frenzel created a thin protective case comprising in-built sensors that detect the free fall of the mobile phone and a metal spring that opens up like fangs cushioning it during the fall. It keeps the phone at least 30 mm away from the floor. The mobile case legs then could be folded in manually, so that the phone is protected from the next fall.
The invention is now patented. Presently ADcase can protect iPhone 6 and above models including iPhone X.
Frenzel, with Peter Mayer, a graduate in economics at Aalen University of Applied Sciences has founded a start-up, frenzel + mayer solutions to commercialize ADcase. The project will land on crowdfunding site, Kickstarter within a short period.
“We want to be able to finance our livelihood with it,” said Frenzel and added, “In short, we hope for a hype.”


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A report has found that Electronic Monitoring has increased substantially in the US in all sectors, with some even tripling.
The report, produced by the Vera Institute of Justice’s national American census has found that more than half a million adults are under surveillance nationwide by either the criminal legal system or the immigration system. It also highlighted that more than 150,000 people were under electronic monitoring surveillance ‘at any given time.’
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) accounted for two thirds of the total electronic monitoring. ISAP’s electronic monitoring conditions are particularly dehumanizing and taxing, both physically and mentally, for asylum-seekers. The methods of monitoring vary, including voice reporting and GPS ankle monitoring.
Electronic monitoring is a method of digital surveillance, tracking people’s ‘physical locations or other markers of behaviour,’ to limit an individual’s freedom of movement. It is commonly used as a condition for bail or post-trial supervision e.g. probation, parole, or home detention.
On methods, the report points out that the use of GPS devices has increased thirtyfold between 2005, and the use of mobile phone apps to track and monitor people has raised new areas of concern over the potential compromise of highly personal data.
More than $1.2B was spent on electronic monitoring in 2023, highlighting the huge increase in business for the 11 companies that take up majority of the electronic monitoring market, shifting the burden onto lower income families. The programs, in many jurisdictions, are ‘primarily sustained by user fees.’
Overall, while electronic monitoring is advertised as an alternative to incarceration and hailed for its effectiveness in reducing recidivism and prison overcrowding, the report underscores that it may expand mass incarceration and create ‘harm for directly impacted people and their loved ones.’ These concerns are worsened by the knowledge that electronic monitoring is ‘deeply entrenched’ in the criminal legal systems.


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All our articles on Apple in one place. Find everything here from the latest news, reviews and rumours.
Apple sends out invites for special San Francisco event.
US class action lawsuit comes after glitch hit headlines last week.
Just how afraid should you be?
New and upgrading subscribers to get streaming for free.
New video sharing app set for release next year.
Next year’s device set for radical new look.
Got the grey-screen blues? Here's what you need to know.
Woz he said this time?
Wireless tech isn't good enough, says the Woz.
Two other devices will feature standard flat screens.


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E3 2013 looks set to be the most exciting shows in years, with new consoles and new IP taking centre stage. But could this be just one last hooray for ...
Ubisoft stole the show at E3 last year, with new IP and major blockbusters – and the firm is promising more surprises in Los Angeles next week. MCV caught up ...
As everyone gathers together for what promises to be the biggest E3 for years, the industry seems to remain in its constant state of disruption. Of course that’s what makes ...
In MCV's weekly roundup of the latest personnel news and hottest job opportunities, there's more reshuffling at HMV UK and we look at the best vacancies.
Ten and a half to twelve hours. Stuck in a metal tube with smelly journalists. Yep, you’re going to need something to take your mind off it all.
Most consumers know that when buying a new game they’ll get a good chunk of the cost back if they trade it in within two weeks.
The days of the licensed console game may be numbered, but the age of the licensed smartphone game is well and truly upon us.
This time next week, E3 will be all over. Blink and you'll miss it. So are you sure you're ready for the busiest week in the gaming calendar?
We've asked. They've not answered.
Microsoft’s statement about pre-owned licences on Xbox One last night has sent a shiver up the back of indie retailers.
The US video games market has ceased its decline, according to the latest numbers from NPD.
The launch of PS4 and Xbox One is a “good time to reinvent classic games.”
What if you could attend one conference and get the total view of the games industry?
Another big children’s IP has chosen to pursue the premium in-app-purchase route.
My brother Ben loves Bungie.
The annual GamesAid Develop Conference Poker Tournament is returning.
IGN's international director Ian Chambers is leaving the media giant to join GAME.
The world of mobile has opened up a variety of new routes to market.
When Strauss Zelnick and his team walked into Take-Two’s offices in 2007, the publisher was in disarray.
The Lost Boys and 24 star Kiefer Sutherland is to be the new voice of Metal Gear Solid star Snake.
The team behind NCsoft’s new MMO Wildstar says it will win back gamers who have abandoned World of Warcraft.
The industry could be on the verge of an unprecedented standoff between retailers and platform holders.
Make no mistake about it – what you saw last night was a retreat from Microsoft.
Champions Online developer Cryptic Studios and publisher Perfect World Entertainment have created Cryptic North to assist with the companies' library of MMOs.


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With the holiday season just around the corner, people all over the world are eagerly waiting to understand how COVID will be affecting their celebrations .Under normal circumstances, traveling abroad, big family dinners, bustling markets, and packed parties would all be on the cards. However, this coronavirus has changed all that, and with many countries under lockdown, what will be possible remains a mystery. Fortunately, many governments understand the importance of the holidays and are actively trying to make them possible to celebrate--at least to some extent.
The holidays play a major role in many government’s recent decisions on lockdowns and COVID restrictions for two main reasons: Country morale and economic impact.
For many people, the holiday season is a joyous time to unite with family and friends. Understandably, this time is incredibly dear to many and holds a significant social importance for them. The holidays strongly impact the morale of the population, and in a time where many lockdowns and restrictions are making people increasingly frustrated with their governments, most decision makers want to placate them as much as possible.
Moreover, the holiday season also means a financial boost for many businesses as celebrators buy presents and decorations en masse. Just last year, retail sales surpassed 1 trillion USD over Christmas. During the uncertain and difficult climate of COVID for many retailers, holiday sales could be a lifeline that many of them need to survive.
As we’ve seen over the past few weeks, many countries have entered a second lockdown. This can be attributed partially to the rising number of COVID infections, but also to the desire of achieving some sort of normalisation before the holiday season.
Across Europe, for instance, countries have gone into lockdown for the month of November, while planning to ease the lockdown throughout the beginning of December.
France and Germany, for example, have instituted lockdowns with the hopes that come December, daily infections will drop and allow the government to let families congregate during Christmas.
The United Kingdom, has recently announced that for a period of 5 days over Christmas, three households will be allowed to mix (which is currently prohibited all together) in order to celebrate with family. Furthermore, in a bid to get everyone home in time, they have opened up a 6-day window for all University students to travel home so that they may quarantine in time to spend Christmas eve with their families. In further support of this program, the government is providing free COVID tests to all students before they leave their student accommodation to ensure that the travel home is done safely, without risking further infections during travel.
Canada has already seen how loosening restrictions during holidays can negatively impact infection trends across the country. During Thanksgiving in October, COVID restrictions were minimal across the country. Due to holiday gatherings, Canada saw a spike in cases, which subsequently saw them impose more harsh restrictions, bringing later holidays into question. Still, many across the country are optimistic that new restrictions will be enough to bring numbers down in time to allow people across the country to celebrate Christmas with their families.
Mounting COVID numbers had caused Israel to enter a second lockdown in late September. While numbers have significantly dropped since, there are still significant restrictions in place. In the past, Israel has favored holiday-time lockdowns as opposed to easing restrictions for the holidays--and this Hanukkah might not be any different. While the lower numbers hint that further loosening of restrictions might take place before December 10th, it’s still unclear what the government’s plan is.
While it’s clear that the holidays will be very different to previous years, due to both social and economic pressure it’s in the government’s best interest to try to make the holidays as close to normal as possible. Countries are taking measures like lockdowns and mass testing in order to prepare the population for a window of time where people can meet with loved ones and escape the harsh realities of COVID for a limited amount of time.
Happy & safe holidays!


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Featured in the Haringey Community Press
Lucky 13 – opening a new café during the pandemic
As London entered Tier 3 in December, Andrew Johnston met with Federico Viciani, who has set up a café, wine and deli shop as part of The Engine Room Community Centre.
With pubs alone set to lose £50million because of Tier 3 Covid-19 restrictions, I wondered how Tottenham Hale resident Federico Viciani has managed to make such a success of a café business, in these times, when others are struggling so much?
Federico is an inspiring Italian entrepreneur who made Tottenham his home five years ago and who has made the most of an opportunity to create a successful new business in the heart of Hale Village.


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Research by Quartz has found that Android devices continue to send location data to Google regardless of whether a user has disabled the location services for apps and has not even inserted a SIM card.
In addition, Quartz noted that location data was being sent even if devices had been reset to their factory settings.
Once the Android device was connected to mobile cellular or WiFI, it was sending location data to Google when in cell tower range. As a result, Google now has access to mobile users’ locations and can track their movements.
Quartz did enquire about the findings and Google confirmed the practices. However, the company added that information wasn’t being stored. Following Quartz’s investigation, Google said it would stop the practice with effect from the end of November.
“In January of this year, we began looking into using Cell ID codes as an additional signal to further improve the speed and performance of message delivery,” a Google spokesperson said. “However, we never incorporated Cell ID into our network sync system, so that data was immediately discarded, and we updated it to no longer request Cell ID.”
Regardless of Google’s reasoning, the news are troubling for mobile phone users who specifically opted out of all location tracking on Android devices. Despite encryption of the collected data, Google could potentially send it on to a third party.
The privacy issue with location data is that it is highly sensitive and can reveal a lot about a phone owner’s lifestyle.
Bill Budington, a software engineer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explained:
“It has pretty concerning implications. You can kind of envision any number of circumstances where that could be extremely sensitive information that puts a person at risk.”
The decision by Google to collect user location data without their consent has baffled many in the industry. Even if the company decides to use the data to improve device performance, it should ask users to opt in.
After all, Google does provide location data collection to advertisers, which means that such data has commercial value. Location tracking is popular among mobile marketers wishing to retarget products based on a user entering a store or location.


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CMA announces executive leadership changes
The Board of Directors of the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) announced today that John Wiltshire has decided to retire from his role as President and CEO effective May 2, 2022.
“John has made an outstanding contribution to the CMA over the past five years,” says Steve Mast, Chair of the CMA Board, and President and Chief Innovation Officer at Delvinia. “He leaves the CMA in a strong financial position with a clear strategic plan and an impressive team of talented individuals across the organization.”
Products launched under Wiltshire’s leadership include CMA NXT, CMA Café, CMA Connect and Chartered Marketer – Canada’s professional marketing designation. He transformed the role and impact of CMA Councils and has been an impressive advocate on behalf of the marketing community, particularly on the issue of privacy law reform. During the last two years, he successfully navigated the CMA through the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“The Board of Directors extends thanks to John for his dedication, leadership and many accomplishments, leaving a solid foundation for the future success of the CMA,” said Kerri Dawson, Vice-Chair of the CMA Board, and Head of Digital Commercialization, Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC. “We wish him all the best in his next chapter.”
Sartaj Sarkaria, the CMA's Chief Diversity Officer and Chief of Staff, has been selected to act as Chief Operating Officer on an interim basis. Sarkaria has a strong background in governance, legal and human resources, and leads the CMA’s professional development programs. Along with other senior leadership team members, Sarkaria will ensure the continued delivery of outstanding products and services during the transition to new leadership.
The Board of Directors has formed a search committee and is working with Boyden to seek a replacement for CMA leadership.
About the Canadian Marketing Association
The CMA’s purpose is to embolden Canadian marketers to make a powerful impact on business in Canada. We provide opportunities for our members from coast to coast to develop professionally, to contribute to marketing thought leadership, to build strong networks, and to strengthen the regulatory climate for business success. Our Chartered Marketer (CM) designation signifies that recipients are highly qualified and up to date with best practices, as reflected in the Canadian Marketing Code of Ethics and Standards. We represent virtually all of Canada's major business sectors, and all marketing disciplines, channels and technologies. Our Consumer Centre helps Canadians better understand their rights and obligations.
For further information:
Emily Abrahams, Canadian Marketing Association
email@example.com | 416.949.1650


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Apple has announced its Q1 2018 earning results and has posted a revenue of $88.3 billion (Rs 5.66 lakh crores approx). This is an increase of 13 percent from the year-ago quarter of $20 billion (Rs 1.28 lakh crores approx) and as per the company, an all-time record. The Cupertino based tech company credits the iPhone X by saying its sales topped their expectations.
“We’re thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple’s history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup. iPhone X surpassed our expectations and has been our top-selling iPhone every week since it shipped in November,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also achieved a significant milestone with our active installed base of devices reaching 1.3 billion in January. That’s an increase of 30 percent in just two years, which is a testament to the popularity of our products and the loyalty and satisfaction of our customers.”
These earning results indicate good growth for the company, however, a recent report by Nikkei Asian Review states that Apple has notified its suppliers of slowing down on iPhone’s manufacturing by 50 percent owing to slower-than-expected sales in Europe, the US and China. "With components deliveries delayed, Apple had struggled to keep up with demand for the iPhone X immediately after its launch. Rising inventories appear to have pushed the company to sharply slow production," the report added. "Looking forward, the lacklustre sales could result in a delay to the company's plans to introduce OLED screens in other iPhone models," the report noted.
It is also speculated that the company is cutting back on the current iPhone’s production in order to ramp up the manufacturing of its upcoming 2018 lineup of smartphones. Apple is expected to launch three new iPhones this year. One rumoured to be a second-generation iPhone X featuring redesigned internals and the other two are said to be larger variants with a 6.5-inch screen, dubbed as the iPhone X Plus, and a lower-priced 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD screen. You can read more about it here.


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On this day in 1946, Colonel Juan Peron, founder of the political movement known as Peronism, was elected to his first term as President of Argentina. He and his wife, Eva Duarte, would later become the subject of the Broadway musical Evita.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Maryland, where craft brewers are concerned about Guinness’ plans to open a taproom at its new brewery. At the same time, retailers worry that raising the cap on how much breweries can sell on-premises will hurt their business.
This year’s beer trends include the “haze craze”: unfiltered and unpasteurized IPAs aka “New England IPAs”. These beers have a shorter shelf life, but are richer in both flavor and aroma.
Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewing Company is paying off a Super Bowl bet by releasing 100 cans of SB51 beer. It’s described as “a soul crushing pale ale that will leave you deflated”.
Tomorrow, Cleveland’s Slovenian community celebrates Kurentovanje, its version of Mardi Gras. Festival-goers will dress up as giant fuzzy animals to scare winter away, and drink beer at the newly-opened Goldhorn Brewery.
Three machinists and designers are about to launch the Kramstein beer stein. This metal stein, which comes in two sizes, is designed to keep the drink cool and the drinker’s hands dry.
Martin Roper, who’s been CEO of the Boston Beer Company for 16 years, plans to step down next year. TheMotleyFool.com speculates on whether Roper’s successor can arrest the company’s recent sales slump.
Finally, the BrewDog brewery offers an unusual perk: a week’s “paw-ternity” leave to employees who adopt a new dog. It also allows employees to bring their dogs to work. The company’s founders worked under the watchful eye of their “brew dog”, Bracken.


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Halloween is supposed to be a night full of screams and scares. But itcan be even scarier for parents especially with all the candy kids take infrom strangers .
"I've heard so many stories that I'd hate to say, 'Oh God, if I'd just checked it,'" says parent Tom Godfrey. "I definitely don't want to put mykids in that situation."
It's why each year many area malls open the doors for kids to trick ortreat from store to store instead of house to house. But if you're kidsstill want to opt for the traditional route there are ways to keepHalloween safe.
Sergeant Hayworth says the last couple of Halloweens have been incidentfree, but a lot of that can be attributed to careful parents. Hayworthsuggests parents look at every piece of candy before their kids eat it.
"We ask that they bring it, dump it all out like this on the table, haveparents go through each item one by one, and they can have at it,"Hayworth explains.
A lot of the problems around Halloween come when it gets dark. Many ofthe kids costumes aren't bright enough to see, so police suggest kidsbring a flashlight or a glow stick so they can be easily seen.
It's also important, if your kids do wear masks, to make sure they can seethrough the eye holes.
Costume company manager Frank McNeil suggests costumes that arecomfortable and fun, but also something your kids can be safe in.
That's the key. Halloween can be fun no matter what your age. And byplanning ahead you'll see you can have a ghoulish time.
Fayetteville police will increase patrols in neighborhoods. At FortBragg, soldiers and their spouses will stand out on the streets withflashlights between 6:00-8:00 Friday night to see that Halloween stayssafe.
Copyright 2022 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Comedian Ricky Gervais called out multinational corporation Apple for operating “sweatshops in China” while lecturing the American public about “the importance of dignity” during the 77th Golden Globes.
As part of his opening monologue for the awards show on Sunday evening, Gervais slammed Apple — whose CEO Tim Cook was sitting in the audience — for making their iPhones, iPads, and Macintosh products in “sweatshops in China.”
"…You say you're woke but the companies you work for…Apple, Amazon, Disney…if ISIS started a streaming service you'd call your agent, wouldn't you. If you do win an award tonight, don't use it as a platform to make a political speech…" pic.twitter.com/rVRIng2JAH
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 6, 2020
“Apple roared into the TV game with The Morning Show, a superb show,” Gervais said. “A superb drama about the importance of dignity and doing the right thing, made by a company that runs sweatshops in China.”
“You say you’re ‘Woke,’ but the companies you work for Apple, Amazon, Disney if ISIS started a streaming service you’d call your agent, wouldn’t you,” Gervais said. “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech right. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world.”
“Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg,” Gervais continued. “So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and f*ck off.”
Indeed, it has been well-documented how Apple makes about half of all the world’s iPhones at its factory in Zhengzhou, China. Since 2007, Apple has been accused of awful working conditions and labor abuses for its workforce.
Likewise, Amazon has been accused of selling products made in foreign factories that have so widely been accused of labor abuses that they have been blacklisted by other corporations. Disney, similarly, has been accused of laying off American workers and forcing them to train their foreign replacements in the United States.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.


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Frockwatch: Look good, fight better
Guests from beauty and fashion industry raise $500,000 for Look Good Feel Better, a national program to help women fighting cancer.
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One of the debilitating effects of cancer for women is the toll treatments take on their appearance. That’s where Look Good Feel Better programs come in.
Underpinning the program from the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Foundation is the belief that a woman will fight cancer with more confidence if she looks her best during the appearance-altering treatment. So, the Look Good Feel Better Program offers a series of workshops and services across Canada to help women tackle the issue.
The program is popular and much-needed. It is estimated that 100,000 women have benefited from these workshops since they began in 1992.
And, on Saturday, Nov. 20, guests from the beauty, fashion and retail industries gathered at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto for the annual Mirror Ball, a black-tie dinner and live auction that this year raised $500,000 for the worthy cause.
- Tory leads, Chow support declines in latest poll
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- Queen’s Park could add 15 MPPs after 2018 election
- Sportsnet unveils $4.5M Hockey Night in Canada set
- How Ontario got ahead of Quebec on the fiscal curve: Cohn
- CRTC walks away from Netflix confrontation
- Which patients should be prescribed medical pot?
- Ontario trees put on stunning fall display


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Posted by admin July 11th, 2012
SalesPortal has recruited Joe McFadden as Vice President of Marketing. McFadden is a senior executive who participated in several successful venture-funded companies in the customer service space.
Joe McFadden will be responsible for developing the company’s go-to-market strategies, launching new products and building the company’s brand.
“With his depth of experience working with cloud-based technologies, customer sales and service solutions, and the contact center industry, Joe will be a tremendous asset to SalesPortal,” said Saurabh Khetrapal, co-founder and CEO of SalesPortal. “His experience will drive our brand and growth strategies by delivering solutions that focus on our clients’ revenue generation and customer acquisition goals.”
Joe McFadden has more than 25 years of solutions marketing experience and has worked with a number of emerging companies in the customer service space. Prior to joining SalesPortal, he was a marketing executive with Enkata, a cloud-based workforce analytics and optimization company, where he repositioned the product line and more than tripled the sales pipeline. He was previously Vice President of Marketing for InsideTrack, a student coaching and retention solution for the higher education market. He was also co-founder of a web conferencing company that was purchased by Cisco.
“I’ve been fortunate to have participated in six venture-backed companies. This one has me most excited,” says McFadden. “SalesPortal has all the right elements for success: an experienced executive team; premier, engaged investors; and a proven product with more than 600 brand-name subscribers. It doesn’t get any better for a marketing guy.”


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On E-consultancy.com I examined the potential for TV programme makers to use social media as an tool to monitor viewer opinion. See the article here. By Leon Bailey-Green.
Unable to get away from headlines of an economic crisis, who better to make sense of how to manage fiscal change than the woman at the helm of a company who survived the stock market crash of 2001? Promoting entrepreneurialism for Enterprise Week Lastminute.com’s Martha Lane Fox told the BBC that online is key to the solution for businesses to survive the global downturn. “A pound invested online is far Continue reading


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No more unlocking
In 2006 and 2010, the Librarian of Congress had permitted users to unlock their phones to take them to a new carrier. Now that’s coming to an end. While the new rules do contain a provision allowing phone unlocking, it comes with a crippling caveat: the phone must have been “originally acquired from the operator of a wireless telecommunications network or retailer no later than ninety days after the effective date of this exemption.”
In other words, phones you already have, as well as those purchased between now and next January, can be unlocked. But phones purchased after January 2013 can only be unlocked with the carrier’s permission.
The reasons for the distinction include that none can be made about what is a tablet.


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The Department of Tourism, J&K in collaboration with the Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK) organised a grand promotional evening and road show in Chennai in which more than 160 prominent travel agents including heads of main travel bodies participated.
The highlight of the event was a detailed presentation of J&K tourism by Addl. Secretary Tourism JK, Waseem Raja about the known and lesser-known tourist destinations, art and craft, pilgrim and adventure tourism besides the upcoming festivals.
The Addl. Secretary Tourism appraised the jam-packed gathering about the rigorous promotional campaign launched by the department to attract tourists from across the country and the positive outcome of the events in terms of increasing tourist footfall during the winter season in the UT.
While highlighting the potential of Chennai as an emerging market for J&K tourism, the Addl. Secretary Tourism sought support from the local travel trade fraternity and the head of the associations for promoting J&K’s tourism potential.
The presentation was followed by an interactive session with the local travel trade, who put forth their suggestions to further improve the tourism services in the UT.
The Addl. Secretary tourism assured the travel trade of all necessary support from J&K tourism in making the traveler’s stay in JK memorable.
Besides, the Addl. Secretary Tourism, the team of J&K tourism was represented by DGM Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Development Corporation Ashwani Gupta, Tourist officer Chennai T.P Singh, President TASK Mir Anwar, General Secretary TASK Athar Yamen Narwari and other office bearers and members of TASK.
The roadshow was attended by various prominent personalities of Chennai including Director Information and PR Tamil Nadu Bhaskaran,
Joint Director Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation P. Pushparaj, travel trade representatives of Chennai including President Tamil Nadu Tour, Travel and Hospitality Association VK T Balan, Chairman TAAI Southern Region K Shah ul Hamid, President Tamil Nadu Tourist Vehicle Operators Association A. Afzal, Secretary ADTOI Tamil Nadu Chapter Ashok Kumar, Director Tollywood John Vijay and other tour operators.
The dignitaries who addressed the audience praised J&K tourism for the grand road show and reiterated their unflinching support for tourism in J&K.
The audience was mesmerised by colourful musical performances during the event.
J&K Tourism led by Addl. Secretary Tourism also addressed the regional press in the afternoon.
During the interaction, Addl. Secretary Tourism appraised the media about the current tourism scenario in J&K and the promotional activities launched by the department within the UT and outside markets.
During the sidelines of the events, the Addl Secretary tourism also interacted with local FM channels and other local media for the promotion of J&K tourism.
In order to promote tourism outside the UT, the Department has sanctioned 21 road shows in different parts of the country.
Besides, the department has also been participating in various travel marts and has launched the promotional campaign at airports, railway stations, metros and through print, electronic and digital media.
The Addl. Secretary Tourism assured the travel trade of Chennai that all necessary covid related protocols are being followed religiously at various tourist destinations, hotels and also during events and festivals.
At the beginning of the event, President TASK Mir Anwar gave a welcome address and highlighted the vast tourism potential of the JK. He urged the travel agents to promote JK as the top tourist destination which has every product to offer for all tastes of travelers.
A small marathon was also organised on Marina Beach today morning to create a buzz on JK Tourism.
Various other office bearers were also part of the roadshow who put in untiring efforts to make the event a grand success.


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It’s been over a year since COVID-19 so dramatically altered life as we knew it, and the changes haven’t stopped. Coronavirus cases rise and fall, hot spots emerge and wane, and we all struggle to keep up with the safest, smartest ways to conduct our daily lives.
At the start of the pandemic, the Kelton team committed itself to conducting ongoing COVID-19 consumer research and producing the best resources to help brands navigate what was happening. This page serves as an archive of the materials we produced in the early stages of the outbreak, and will continue to serve as a home for new, relevant content.
The latest COVID-19 research, blogs, and strategic guides from Kelton Global.
Download the results from our first COVID-19 tracking survey to better understand consumer sentiment and brand expectations during this global pandemic. Our hope is this POV sheds new light on ways your brand can empower smart organizational decision making, and authentically connect with your consumers.
Our friends at Killer Visual Strategies are launching a new webinar series featuring leaders & innovators in marketing strategy & design to discuss how organizations can develop compelling, relevant content in 2020.
COVID-19 no longer has our undivided attention. Collette Eccleston, lead behavioral scientist LRW, shares psychological concepts and suggested readings to help us identify and address racial inequality.
With COVID-19 impacting different consumers in different ways, LRW explains why it’s critical to personalize your messaging in a way that resonates with your target audience.
Salt Branding’s 4th installment of their New Behaviors series focuses on Reimagining the New World: how to evolve your brand positioning and move toward a new vision.
LRW discusses how to use the power of personalization to deliver the right message to the right slice of the populace.
Karma’s Executive Creative Director Tracy Thompson shares how facing your worst fears, such as living through this pandemic, has the power to catalyze innovation and creativity.
History has shown that times of crisis can be an opportunity for innovation — in this article LRW shares a few notable brand innovations during COVID-19.
In their 2nd installment of their New Behaviors series, Salt Branding discusses the new habits and behaviors that are unlikely to go away in the next few years.
LRW's latest article, featuring data from our COVID-19 Consumer Pulse survey, explains why custom research is the key to the insights you need.
The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the ways we access healthcare. LRW discusses how the healthcare industry can develop a long-term digital strategy for the future.
Check out Salt Branding’s New Behaviors blog series, a 4-part look into how #COVID19 has changed the game and what your brand can do about it. First up: it's time to Adapt.
As brands re-introduce themselves to customers who will be leaving the safety of their homes and into old-new routines, brands have a chance to get it right or get in wrong. T3 explains how to get it right.
COVID-19 is shining a light on how closely the world is interconnected. LRW shares why it’s so important for businesses to lean into connecting with the outside world through social impact initiatives.
Our friends at Karma Agency discuss the predictions, expectations, and estimations of what our New Normal will be like after the coronavirus, and how your brand should be changing now to prepare.
Our friends at T3 break down why both planning for potential scenarios and taking timely action are moves you should make now to re-engage relationships with your customers.
LRW shares why it’s important to learn real-time insights during COVID-19 so you can adapt on the fly and set yourself up for success when pent-up consumer demand explodes.
Has your team has been struggling with remote work during COVID-19? Killer Visual Strategies shares why better visual communication skills can make all the difference.
LRW discusses how the healthcare industry has been disrupted during COVID-19, and how it will impact patient trust and engagement moving forward.
During COVID-19, webinars have become one of the few effective options for real-time information sharing. Our friends at Killer Visual Strategies put together some tips to make your next webinar great.
LRW explains why adapting your CX tracking program during the coronavirus disruption to tap into your consumers’ emotions in real time is crucial for reengagement.
Our friends at T3 illustrate how the steps your brand takes now can be a taxiway for deeper connections and loyalty on the other side of the crisis.
Keeping a pulse on your customers’ feelings about your brand and category has never been more important. Our friends at LRW share why now is the time to double down on tracking.
As long as consumers remain socially isolated, they will adopt new habits, try new brands, and evaluate their priorities. Our friends at LRW share how to assess your segmentation’s relevance.
LRW has been keeping a pulse on consumer reactions to COVID-19 by adding behavioral impact questions into all of their brand trackers. Read on for their key findings.
Our friends at Killer Visual Strategies compiled a list of global and national organizations that are working in coronavirus relief, and created free social assets for you to use & share. Download them here.
Global events this seismic are going to result in long-term behavior change, so it is unreasonable to assume that everything will simply go back to the way it was. Here are some research tips our friends at LRW put together for the COVID-19 era and beyond.
In T3's latest report, you’ll find insights, considerations and frameworks to help guide your marketing and communications strategy in the world of social distancing and quarantine.


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Report: Apple Retail Stores Now Focused on Revenue, Receive Budget Cuts
August 28, 2012 8:57 AM
comment(s) - last by
Apple's new retail chief looks to trim the fat
Odd things have been happening at Apple retail stores over the last few weeks. Earlier this month, reports started surfacing that a number of retail workers at Apple store locations had been laid off. Apple
to those reports by saying that it had "messed up" in its retail hiring formula but hadn't laid anyone off.
"Making these changes was a mistake and the changes are being reversed," said Kristin Huguet, Apple spokeswoman, at the time. "Our employees are our most important asset and the ones who provide the world-class service our customers deserve."
However, reports are coming in that Apple stores are seeing their budgets cut, and a bigger emphasis is being placed on revenue. With a
market cap of well over $600B
and record profits quarter after quarter, it seems a bit odd to be placing such a heavy focus on revenue and cutting the budget of its retail outlets which have historically been very customer friendly.
reports that employees still haven't received an official explanation of changes made in staffing levels, and that signs continue that Apple is focusing on revenues and profit instead of customer satisfaction.
According to sources cited by
, employee performance standards have been modified to place an emphasis on sales functions. Reports also indicate that more small products will be stocked at Apple retail stores and several budget categories for the retail outlets have been cut, including the budget for store maintenance.
Sources say that workers are allegedly being evaluated based on the number of contracts sales for iPhones they're able to generate and a number of "essentials per hero product" sold with each product such as cases, and accessories. The sources also indicate that the number of training areas in stores is being reduced to accommodate the extra small products and accessories.
IFO Apple Store
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Stalling the economy
8/28/2012 4:54:32 PM
At the rate they're affecting the US economy, they'd be better off spending for the sake of spending. To have this much money sitting around doing nothing is causing so much slowdown that people aren't buying their goods. If they spend on more projects, employ more people in general, as Google is doing, they'd get that money back out there to be reused. That money would make the rounds in the system, increase the economy in general, and everyone would make more money in the process. This would in turn allow more people to buy their goods, and most likely make them more profit than what they'd spent.
Granted, Google is spending on worthwhile projects, exploring different prospects and markets. They're even spending massive amounts of money on creating their own broadband ISP. (I hope they come here, being stuck with Comcast really sucks.) Google would easily have as much money as Apple if they had saved it up, yet Google is probably the only reason we're still under 10% unemployment.
"This week I got an iPhone. This weekend I got four chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a land line so I can actually make phone calls." -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
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Cigna-Walgreens Joint Venture Means New Risk-Based Contracting Test
Cigna Corp. on Nov. 7 took a $2.5 billion position in VillageMD, a primary care provider owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., contributing to VillageMD’s move to acquire a fellow provider. The Cigna investment is just the latest of a flurry of cash-funded insurer deals involving providers, tech startups and brick-and-mortar retail firms. Health care insiders say the spending spree is far from over, and that the deal is a chance for Cigna’s Evernorth division to field-test its value-based contracting services at its largest scale yet.
© 2023 MMIT


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News JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 1-Shot Runs in Women's Fashion Mag
posted on 2012-11-17 12:15 EST
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga creator Hirohiko Araki will draw a new full-color one-shot manga starring Jolyne Kūjō in the February 2013 issue of Shueisha's women's fashion magazine Spur next month. "Jolyne, Gucci de Tobu" will star the protagonist of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 6 Stone Ocean and the daughter of Jōtarō Kūjō.
Spur published another one-shot spinoff starring Rohan Kishibe in collaboration with the fashion brand Gucci last year, as a continuation of Rohan's adventures at the Louvre in Paris. Spur then published the JOJOmenon mook (magazine-style illustrated volume) last month with a photo feature on Araki's meetng with Clint Eastwood, the American actor and director who inspired Jōtarō.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history
Available Now: Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor - Love Tyrant - Attack on Titan Season 2 - My Hero Academia season 2 ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2017 Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write up their impressions instantly and they get posted as they go along. Each critic will cover as many sho...


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Picture: Inside a Japanese customers freezer
"cow tongues are popular in Japan, Cevin Jones, vice chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils...said."A tongue here in the United States is worth 15 cents a pound," he said. "It's worth $15 a pound over there. Right there is a big boost in the value of that animal.""
Northwest beef industry targets Japanese consumers
By Matthew Weaver
Friday August 23rd 2013


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The global veterinary hospitals market size is expected to reach USD 125.07 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Boom in pet population is driving the market growth. As per the American Veterinary Medical Association, over the next 10 years, the number of dogs and cats in the U.S. is anticipated to increase substantially. The dog populace is likely to rise from 85 million in 2020 to over 100 million by 2030. While cat populace is likely to surge even more intensely, from 65 million to more than 82 million. This upsurge in the pet population will drive the market. Despite the difficulties and new ways of working formed by the COVID-19 pandemic, for numerous hospitals, client numbers are growing.
In addition, veterinary practice activity in the U.S. has fluctuated, but in general, the demand remains high. According to the Veterinary Industry Tracker, revenue per practice was up 13.3% year-over-year (November 2020 to November 2021). Client visits were up 5.1% during the same period. In numerous households across the globe, pets are seen as a core member of the family. There is a growing trend of pet humanization, resulting in an increased average spend on pet healthcare. Thus, pet humanization is set to drive the sales of veterinary services. This trend will be led by the growing population of small animals along with economic growth in developing markets. Improvements in technology have advanced veterinary care.
Technology is becoming more affordable and more practices around the world can adopt MRI and CT scanners. Digital dental X-rays and innovative oral surgery instruments are allowing veterinarians to advance in oral care in companion animals. Constant developments further address health issues in pets not just within hospitals, but on an all-around basis for better care and prevention. Access to veterinary healthcare is relatively underprivileged in most developing countries and some developed nations. For instance, according to a survey conducted in 2020 by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, rural and remote areas of Ireland have a shortage of veterinarians. Similarly, England is also experiencing a shortage of veterinarians in rural areas. This may restrict the market growth to some extent.
Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Veterinary Hospitals Market Report
In terms of revenue, the medicine segment dominated the market in 2021. The high demand for animal products, such as chicken and milk, is encouraging farmers to adopt vaccinations for their animals to gain higher profitability
The surgery type segment is estimated to register lucrative CAGR over the forecast period due to the growing pet insurance & healthcare expenditure and rising cases of chronic diseases in pets
Companion animals dominated the animal type segment in 2021 due to the growing trend of pet humanization
The private sector segment led the market in 2021 due to the growing disposable income and willingness to pay premium prices for veterinary services among owners
Asia Pacific is expected to witness a lucrative CAGR over the forecast period owing to the increased vigilance about animal health and rapid urbanization
In February 2020, DCC (Dogs Cats & Companions) Animal Hospital announced the launch of a series of multi-specialty animal hospitals across India. These hospitals will be advanced and equipped with innovative infrastructure and medical expertise
Industry players are involved in strategic initiatives, such as business expansion, M&As, and geographic expansion to gain higher market shares
For instance, in June 2021, CVS Group announced the establishment of a new state-of-the-art specialist veterinary hospital in Bristol, which will open in 2022, with modern technology and treatments in all disciplines
Grand View Research has segmented the global veterinary hospitals market on the basis of type, animal type, sector, and region:
Veterinary Hospitals Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)
Veterinary Hospitals Animal Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)
Veterinary Hospitals Sector Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)
Veterinary Hospitals Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)
Middle East and Africa (MEA)
List of Key Players of Veterinary Hospitals Market
CVS Group PLC
Ethos Veterinary Health
Pets At Home Group PLCMars, Inc.
Animal Hospital, Inc.
All Pets Animal Hospital
Cahaba Valley Animal Clinic
Blaine Central Veterinary Clinic
Belltowne Veterinary Center
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Distribution SaaS Service Titan Cloud raises RMB 160 million in B round
B2B travel distribution provider Titan Cloud announced it has raised RMB 160 million in its B round funding, led by ChunXiao Capital and joined by various well-known investors such as WuTong Fund, Realize Investment and BoJiang Capital
Titan Cloud, a B2B online distribution platform for travel agencies, announced on April 18 that it has closed its series B round of funding and raised RMB 160 million. The round was led by ChunXiao Capital and joined by various well-known investors such as WuTong Fund, Realize Investment, Haode Capital and BoJiang Capital. ZuoYu Capital acted as financial advisor for this round of financing.
Titan Cloud is a technology brand of Shenzhen Tianxia Fangcang Technology (“天下房仓”), which was founded in 2013. The company serves trade users such as travel wholesalers, tour operators and hoteliers, with its one-stop technological service platform – the cloud-based “SaaS+PaaS+Switch”.
In less than three years, Shenzhen-based Titan Cloud has opened branch offices in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and has also made great progress on technological cooperation with international counterparts in the industry.
The company vowed to step up development and updates of products and to offer domestic and overseas travel companies better information solutions with broader capabilities.
Titan Cloud received an angel round of investment in 2013. The company received RMB 10 million in its Pre-A round from Qingsong Fund in July 2014 and raised RMB 60 million in its series A round from Ivy Capital in May 2015. (Translated by Jerry)


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It’s been almost 8 years since Dell endured Dell hell, a very public attack by Jeff Jarvis who was having issues with his brand new Dell laptop. This one incident caused Dell to take note of this new medium called social media. Until today, Dell was one of the poster children of companies that ‘got’ social media; heck, they even built one of the first social media command centers. It is no more, however. According to the words of Michael Dell on a front-page interview on the Wall Street Journal today:
“We have been investing in social media for almost eight years. It is now time for us to disband all our social media teams and fully integrate them within our business units”.
OK, Mr. Dell actually made no such statement today. In honor of April Fools’ Day, I wrote this post hoping that the many executives that believe in social business take note. In my opinion, and as I have already mentioned many times before, there is no such thing as a social business, it’s just business.
Social media has long been the shiny new toy and it’s about time we all took a hard look at how we organize ourselves. Social media is just another channel just like email, your corporate website, and your call center. While consumers’ expectations about how they expect to be treated when they interact with you on social media are different, it is just another channel (oh, and by-the-way, social media is also changing our expectations about all our interactions with the companies we do business with).
We have seen this movie before
Is this really the first time we have seen such a major disruption in the recent past? No, we are not talking about marketplaces in medieval villages. How many of us remember disruptive concepts such as Business Process Re-engineering (1990), the emergence of CRM (1993), or even web 1.0 (1994)? Each of these movements shared this one core characteristic: break down the silos in our companies so we can provide superior customer service and experience. While we can all argue whether this promise is fulfilled, can anyone argue whether the underlying promise of social media is that new?
It still is about the customer experience
Today’s empowered customer has very different expectations of their brands. Not only do they expect a very different interaction in social media, but they also expect the same experience in all their touch-points with us. What is the value of having a very strong presence in social media, when your marketing, sales, and customer service teams are disconnected? Is it really acceptable for your call center agent to not be able to solve a customer problem because they are in ‘presales’ and not ‘customer service’? I think not.
There is no social business
My view is that social media is a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Success in social business is when our companies no longer talk about social media as this is weaved in our corporate DNA. Today’s leaders are born social. Just look at Zappos, the leading online shoes and clothing retailer. Most social media gurus will tell you that Zappos is the ‘poster child’ of social today, but their tag line simply states ‘Customer Service Isn’t Just A Department!’ Most importantly, this is not just a tag line, but rather what Zappos stands truly stands for. I challenge you to find one unhappy Zappos customer! Now, for most of us this will be a multi-year journey, but my belief is the sooner we begin to think about social media this way, the shorter our journey will be.
What do you think? Is it not about time we really started to think about social business in a different light? As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome.


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Global spending on prescription drugs to top $1 trillion by 2017, report saysBMJ 2013; 347 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f6997 (Published 21 November 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f6997
- Michael McCarthy
Driven by the world’s expanding middle class and economic growth in developing nations, global spending on prescription medicines will likely reach $1.2 trillion (£0.7 trillion; €0.9 trillion) by 2017, an increase of $205bn-$235bn from 2012, says a new report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, a healthcare industry consulting group.1
However, growth rates will differ substantially between the developed markets of North America, Europe, and Japan, where austerity measures and the growing use of generics will keep the compounded annual growth rates (CAGR) in the single digits, in the 1-4% …
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27 Oct WIN A DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN A MASTERDRIVE MUSTANG
If you have ever dreamed of getting behind the wheel of America’s iconic muscle-car, the legendary Ford Mustang – this could be your chance!
MasterDrive is offering one lucky visitor at the Killarney Motor Show on Sunday 30 October the chance to win a driving experience in a 450 horsepower Roush-tuned Mustang valued at R5990 – for just R250.
Find MasterDrive on Hoal’s Hook at the north end of the Porsche Straight and buy your ticket in the draw lucky for the chance to win the drive of a lifetime.
MasterDrive are also offering passenger rides in the MasterDrive Mustangs at the 2022 Killarney Motor Show – but you’ll have to be there early! The Show opens to the public at 10:00am and the MasterDrive Mustang experience is on from 10:10 to 10:40, so there are limited slots available.
For more information about the lucky draw to win a MasterDrive Hi-Performance Mustang Experience or about passenger rides in the MasterDrive Mustang, contact email@example.com or call 0861 100 618 during office hours.For more information about the Killarney Motor Show powered by the City of Cape Town and supported by MasterDrive, Alert Engine Parts, Wingfield Motors and Motul, on Sunday 30 October, see the event announcement at https://www.facebook.com/events/588376012773374


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The chain of clothing stores H&M has announced its withdrawal from Russia. This is stated in the message on the company's website.
“After careful consideration, we consider it impossible, given the current situation, to continue our business in Russia. We are deeply saddened by the impact this will have on our colleagues and are very grateful for all their hard work and dedication. In addition, we want to thank our customers for their support over the years,” said Helena Helmersson, CEO of H&M Group.
As part of the liquidation process, the chain plans to temporarily open Russian stores to sell off remaining merchandise. The cost of H&M to leave Russia will be about 2 billion Swedish kronor ($190 million).
H&M Group suspended sales in Russia on March 2. The H&M online store was closed as well as 155 physical stores. In total, since February 24, after the start of the war unleashed by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine, more than 1,000 companies have left Russia. Among them are Microsoft, Netflix, McDonald's, Johnson & Johnson and others.


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A look at the world and travel that inspires us at El Interior. Includes our past, present, and future tours with owner Marcia Lucas.
“What a joyful time to be in Oaxaca!” — Marcia Lucas Celebrations of traditional Zapotec [...]
El Interior owner Marcia Lucas shares a big hug with her longtime friend, one of [...]
Travel to Mexico with Marcia Lucas, Folk Art Specialist and Owner of El Interior [...]
Austin Friends of Folk Art published the following article, “The Joy of the Hunt” by Lee Price [...]
At the start of each year, store owner Marcia Lucas hosts a one-of-a-kind trip to [...]
Marcia Lucas, owner of El Interior, has officially departed for her annual buying trip down [...]
Marcia Lucas, owner of El Interior, has once again headed down to the beautiful locale [...]
During our store owner’s last trip to Oaxaca, Mexico she made a visit, once again, [...]
In 2014, famous potter Josefina Aguilar of Ocotlan, Oaxaca Mexico became blind. I remember visiting her [...]
Dearest Friends, I am filled with deep gratitude for the abundant generosity that you displayed [...]
After Marcia Lucas’ buying trip for our store, she invited guests to go on a [...]
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Yahoo! to buy Overture for $US1.63bn
Yahoo! is scooping up paid search service provider Overture Services in a $US1.63 billion deal expected to ramp up competition in the search market. Overture is one of the leading commercial search providers, counting more than 88,000 advertisers in the first quarter of the year. Yahoo! said that with the acquisition, it hoped to fill out its search offerings — including pay-for-performance search — and tap into Overture’s client base to sell advertising and online marketplace services. In February, Overture agreed to acquire search technology company, AltaVista, for $140 million, and those assets are now expected to fall into Yahoo’s hands as well. By bolstering its search services and technologies, Yahoo! is hoping to become a leading player in the market, taking on search titan Google. The Overture buy is subject to custom closing conditions, including regulatory approval.
Offshore BPO slow to grow
The global offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) market will be worth $1.8 billion in 2003, according to research outfit Gartner. This represents continued growth of 38 per cent compared to last year’s total of $1.3 billion but is below the excessive hype that had built up around the concept. India is expected to be home for 66 per cent of offshore BPO activity this year. In a separate Gartner survey, conducted in May among 1143 organisations across 11 Asia-Pacific countries, 54 per cent of Australian companies were found to outsource at least one of the six business processes.


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Michael Barrett, CEO of Gay Lea Foods, will retire early next year and he predicts bright futures both for the producer co-operative and the Canadian dairy sector.
Barrett’s successor beginning to ease into her role as the CEO of the 1,400 member dairy producer co-operative on Oct. 31.
“I’m not only confident there’s a future for Gay Lea, I am very excited about dairy as well,” Barrett told Farmtario in a recent interview. “In dairy, I believe we’re only held back by our lack of imagination about what we can deliver.”
Why it matters: With roughly a quarter of Ontario dairy producers among the member-owners of Gay Lea, the cooperative plays a crucial role in the province’s dairy sector.
In his nine years since taking over from Andy MacGillivray as CEO, Barrett delivered. A recently completed deal to buy Manitoba-based Bothwell Cheese marks 10 acquisitions since he stepped into the top role. In August of this year the company achieved $1 billion in annual sales for the first time ever – a goal, Barrett said, that he strove to achieve prior to retirement.
“Since I became president and CEO, we’ve doubled our top line,” he noted.
Barrett first joined the co-op in 1999 as director of human resources and, after progressing through other leadership roles, took over from MacGillivray on April 1, 2014. A news release from the time quoted then chair of the board Paul Vickers saying Barrett “has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, has been instrumental in our success and we are excited about continuing to build with his vision and guidance.”
Barrett, though, gives MacGillivray much of the credit for transforming the co-op, founded in 1958, from a mid-sized processor focused on protecting its own turf into a growing, innovating, future-thinking company dedicated to sustaining rural economies and securing markets for its members’ products.
“I always felt Gay Lea was not reaching its full potential, that it didn’t quite have the vision of greatness, and didn’t really celebrate its cooperative heritage,” Barrett recalled. MacGillivray came on board in 2002. “When we hired Andy, life started to change in terms of developing that vision.”
He sees the milestones achieved by Gay Lea during his tenure – including not only the 10 acquisitions and revenue increases but also the welcoming of member-owners from a new commodity (goat milk) and another province (Manitoba) – as extensions of what MacGillivray started.
“We worked very closely together . . . He’s a different leader than I am. I’m a different person than Andy is. But we very much shared a common vision, common values, common ethics.”
Gay Lea’s current board of directors’ chair says Barrett sells himself short by passing the credit on to his predecessor. Rob Goodwill, who farms near Owen Sound, has known Barrett since 1999 and his progression from delegate-to-director-to-board chair through the co-op’s governance structure mirrored Barrett’s progression through staff leadership roles.
He agrees MacGillivary introduced an environment of openness and good communication to Gay Lea but it was Barrett who truly changed the “culture” by making member-owners care about taking part in decision-making and supporting the co-op’s rural economic vision.
Goodwill describes Barrett as having a “larger than life” personality when meeting with farmers and staff, expressing a high level of support and compassion that inspires others to respond in kind. “Mike is a true co-operative person. He really believes in the co-operative model.”
And his biggest legacy, Goodwill believes, will a belief within the co-op “that we can do anything; that we can lead the industry.”
Asked for a select few things he’s proud about, Barrett cites Gay Lea’s industry-leading positions in employee and governance training, and its commitment to charitable causes both in Canada and abroad. But he agrees growth is definitely another feather in his cap.
“We’re not seen as an organization that’s staid and conservative. I’m proud of that.” He’s quick to add, though, that it has never been just about growth. “I’m also proud that we’ve been able to maintain our cooperative values while that growth happened.”
“We haven’t forgotten where we came from.”
Dividends have increased
Co-op members, meanwhile, have benefitted by the fact that, since Barrett has been with the company, the annual patronage dividend went from about $500,000 distributed between approximately 1,200 members to this year’s projected dividend of $20 million distributed amongst approximately 1,400 members.
“I believe a co-operative is a socio-economic model that has more relevance now that it ever has,” he said. “That (patronage) money goes back to the farm, it gets spent on improvements or it gets spent in the community and in building the local economy.”
It hasn’t, of course, always been smooth sailing. Barrett was at the helm during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic. Before that came intense lobbying as the federal government progressively opened the door on threats to supply management through international and North American trade deals.
Although Gay Lea joined others in the sector expressing its dismay with trade deal concessions, Barrett is confident dairy in Canada can survive such threats. But key to this is bringing together a united voice from the sector including both producers and processors, and both privately owned and cooperatively owned players. He said this is something he tried to promote throughout his time at the co-op’s helm.
Another key will be a willingness in the industry – both among processors and on the farm – to accept changes if they’re needed. “We’ve got to relook at our systems in a completely different way” to adapt to future consumer demands and other possible uses for dairy products. That’s something he believes Gay Lea did when it invested $140 million in 2018 in a nutraceutical-grade dairy ingredients facility.
Support from government would, of course, also be nice. “As an industry, we still need to be able to invest in processing in Canada,” he stressed. “The industry, along with Gay Lea Foods, needs to be able to innovate.”
Getting away from the corporate boardrooms and Ottawa conference halls and moving out to Ontario’s farms, he recalls the difficult discussions that eventually led to Gay Lea purchasing Hagersville’s Hewitt’s Dairy – with both its cow and goat milk products.
“If you think about consumers wanting products out of a basket of goods, it absolutely made sense for us to get in goats,” Barrett said. “But if you think about it in terms of who our farmers might want to partner with, it was a very unconventional strategy.”
There’s only one other dairy co-op in the world that has both bovine and goat members – in Norway. It wasn’t lost on Gay Lea’s member-owners that they were being asked to consider an extremely out-of-the-box idea. “Were the goat guys suspicious of us? Absolutely. Were our guys suspicious of the goat guys? Absolutely.”
But he recalls offering his take on why he thought the co-op should take the leap. “It’s all about that rural sustainability, about maintaining economic viability in our communities and on our family-owned farms,” Barrett explained. “It doesn’t make sense for one farm to be reaping the benefits of our co-operative when the next farm is struggling.
“It’s about inviting our neighbour to share in the good fortune.”
He says he fell just shy of a goal to turn Gay Lea into “a successful, independent, national co-operative.” It does sell its products all across Canada but its membership is limited to two provinces and it has production employees now in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. He jokes that, given that the newly-acquired Bothwell Cheese has a processing facility in British Columbia, the co-op is now coast-to-coast – “it’s just that our east coast is the coast of Lake Ontario.”
“I didn’t quite get (to expanding into Atlantic Canada) but I still think we did pretty well.”
Taking over from Barrett is Suzanna Dalrymple, who most recently led the Canadian unit for Mars Pet Nutrition after spending almost two decades at Procter & Gamble Canada.


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Norfolk discount fashion stores future unclear
Anthony CarrollThe future of two Norfolk high street fashion chain stores hung in the balance this afternoon after discount retailer Ethel Austin went in administration.Anthony Carroll
The future of two Norfolk high street fashion chain stores hung in the balance this afternoon after discount retailer Ethel Austin went in administration.
Staff at the chain's Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn branches are among thousands of Ethel Austin and sister homesware chain Au Naturale employees anxiously waiting to see if a buyer can be found for the company.
The company called in administrators because of the economic down turn, competition from rival budget chains, such as Primark and Matalan, and a slump in business due to the adverse weather during the January sales hitting profits.
Administrators MCR have said they cannot rule out store closures and redundancies as it goes through the embattled retailer's books. Stores will remain open while a buyer is sought.
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It is the second time in two years that Ethel Austin, which has 276 stores, 3,714 staff and a headquarters in Liverpool, has gone into administration.
The King's Lynn store in New Conduit Street managed to escape a 2008 cull of 33 stores when Ethel Austin was bought out of administration by Elaine McPherson, the previous chief executive and joint owner of MK One.
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Yarmouth's Ethel Austin and Au Naturale opened in November on the Market Place with more than 150 people queuing up to take advantage of free gift vouchers. Its opening created about 20 jobs.
The 20,000sq ft store had previously been a Woolworths which closed in January 2009 when the high street favourite went under.
Yarmouth staff and management would not make any comment about Ethel Austin going into administration.
Union officials from Usdaw were in negotiations with the administrators last night in a bid to make sure every member of staff kept their jobs.


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Complaints relating to faulty goods and services rose by 15% in the first half of this year, with a huge increase in queries about UK purchases. Complaints relating to audio-visual and electronic goods increased by a whopping 63% but queries concerning travel, transport and holidays were down by 71%.
The statistics were revealed by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in its consumer contacts report for January to June. The report details key statistics and insights from over 19,800 consumers who contacted its consumer helpline during the first half of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020.
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Unsurprisingly, given the difficulties experienced as a result of Brexit, almost 1 in 10 people who contacted the helpline related to UK purchase while there was a 16% rise in consumers wanting to know their online shopping rights.
The CCPC’s report shows issues relating to faulty goods and services topped the list of queries in the first half of 2021, representing a 15% increase compared with the same period last year. Examples of the types of queries included; whether consumers were entitled to seek a refund, or if they had to accept a repair or replacement.
Others were unsure as to whether the manufacturer or the retailer was responsible for resolving the problem of their faulty item. Additionally, some consumers were unhappy with the solution being offered to them and wanted to know their rights and entitlements.
Over 70% (2,241) of consumers who contacted the CCPC about faulty goods were referred to the Small Claims Court procedure as a possible next step to address their issue. The Small Claims Court deals with claims valued at up to €2,000 and there are no legal costs, apart from the €20 to lodge the claim.
A marked change in consumer issues by sector is also noted, with a 63% rise in queries relating to Audio-Visual (AV) & Electronic goods, compared with a 71% fall in queries relating to Travel, Transport and Holidays for the same period.
There was a significant rise in consumers wanting to know their rights when buying online.
The report shows a 16% increase in the number of consumers wanting to know their rights when buying online 36,500 who visited the helpline sought information specifically about Brexit and consumer rights.
Examples of the types of consumer queries the CCPC helpline received included; whether a consumer is entitled to a refund following significant delivery delays, and those who had signed up for a service online, changed their mind and are now being charged a cancellation fee.
Other common queries related to consumers who had bought online only to find out after they paid that additional costs such as VAT were not included.
The report also highlighted how the majority (86%) of consumers who contacted the CCPC had shopped from Irish-based businesses, with a further 4% shopping from businesses based elsewhere within the EU. Amongst those that bought from an Irish-based businesses, more than half (51%) bought in-store, followed by a further 2 in 5 (39%) who shopped online.
Speaking about the report, Grainne Griffin, Director of Communications with the CCPC said: “Insights detailed in this report and, indeed, from our consumer helpline over the past 12 months suggest that consumers have shifted a lot of their buying online.
The reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how and where many of us shop. Even as restrictions have eased, our insights suggest that a mixed approach between in-store and online shopping is set to continue.’
As we move into the second half of the year and toward a traditionally busy shopping period, the CCPC is reminding consumers of the importance of knowing their rights, particularly when shopping online from Irish, EU or other international websites.
If you have a consumer query contact firstname.lastname@example.org
This column provides general guidance on consumer legislation and is not intended to replace individual professional advice on consumer disputes.