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Despite the high-tech world that swirls around us, simplicity is comforting. This is a fundamental truth in the hotel industry. “People want simple things,” says Joseph Clohessy, general manager of the Calgary Marriott Downtown. “They want their room to be clean because this is where they recharge.”
Ernest Hemingway called it a “clean, well-lighted place” to spend time in. From an aesthetic point of view, the trend is toward uncluttered hotel rooms with clear, smooth surfaces. With this aesthetic, it is more important than ever that rooms be tidy and spotlessly clean.
When it comes to hotel housekeeping, the first aspect to consider is who will do the cleaning. According to Jani-King Canada’s national general manager, Robert McNamara, outsourcing of housekeeping services has not been as popular here as it is in the United States and Europe.
“It’s been harder to penetrate the market here,” McNamara says. “Most hoteliers feel they have to protect that side of the business. They’re cautious about giving up responsibility and working with a partner. They don’t mind outsourcing the restaurant and grounds work but are more protective of housekeeping.”
But Paul Gingras, executive housekeeper at Toronto Park Hyatt, disagrees, estimating 90 per cent of hotels in urban areas have outsourced their laundry needs. With the logistics involved and maintenance costs, he says it just makes sense. Philippa Akyeampong, director of Rooms at Westin Harbour Castle — a Toronto-based hotel that outsources its laundry — agrees with this assessment, adding she sees an increasing number of hotels taking this route.
“It’s more cost-effective because you don’t have the big labour expense. It’s also more efficient and there’s more accountability,” says Akyeampong.
McNamara says higher minimum wage and overall labour costs, along with the cost of finding, training and retaining staff can make in-house services a significant cost. Out-sourcing, he says, shifts that expense from a variable to a fixed cost. Regardless, sometimes the numbers still work — as does the history, according to Clohessy at Calgary Marriott Downtown, which was renovated two years ago. Its laundry has been done in-house for 42 years; he says it’s invested in the process to make it as efficient as possible, including equipment modifications and environmental steps which have resulted in increased sustainability.
“We’ve run the scenarios and it is still, at this time, more efficient to have that operation within the hotel,” Clohessy explains.
GREEN AND BRIGHT
The new trends are the old trends — and it doesn’t matter to the customer if there’s in-house or outsourced operations. Issues that were once primary — meeting and exceeding customer expectations in cleanliness and using green products — are still demanded today, according to McNamara. “If we get to [decide] what products to use to clean rooms, we will select green,” he says. If not, they fall into line with what the hotel wants. In Calgary, Clohessy says a new program was started in January that gave guests reward points for declining a housekeeping visit. “We’ve seen great success and it creates an environmental awareness. It comes down to training guest services to make sure they explain the program correctly to customers.” There are, of course, “degrees” of green, and sometimes this is driven by the customer expectations of the geographic location. Such is the case for Castle Mountain Chalets, an Alberta-based AHLA’s 2016 Housekeeping Awards winner that has been operating since 1939.
“We do our laundry in-house as we are only 25 rental units,” says general manager Laurie L. Wallace. “We conserve water because we are located in Banff National Park and use eco-friendly products where and when we can.”
“We’re green, too,” Gingras points out but agrees that geography can play a role. While a card indicates to his Hyatt guests the option of not having towels washed daily, he says they are not always popular. “You’d be surprised how many guests don’t make the request. Maybe they are saying that they are paying good money and want their linen changed. I was in Vancouver for 18 years and maybe they think differently. It’s much greener [out] west.” Regardless, efficiencies can come into play in the quest for green. According to Akyeampong, the staff at Westin Harbour Castle does more with less; where there were once four or five different cleaning solutions, there may now be only two. “We have fewer solutions that can do more jobs,” she explains. “It’s good for the environment and for the safety of the room attendants.”
One green aspect that carries across virtually all sectors, but especially food and hospitality, is allergy sensitivities, which have become first-tier concerns. According to Gingras, guests routinely request fragrance-free linen that has also been cleaned without bleach, due to environmental awareness. “It’s not like the old days. It’s often no scent and no powder. People are very sensitive to that,” he says, adding that adapting to what the market demands is at the heart of the industry. As Akyeampong points out, the ubiquity of the issue has actually made it easier to accommodate guests because there are more product choices available.
Closely allied to shining cleanliness, Akyeampong sees design trends moving away from darker colours and towards brighter palettes. With more white decor in rooms and better lighting, she says that makes cleanliness an even more difficult standard to meet. “We’re moving into a design that highlights everything in the room, which also highlights the cleanliness.”
Clohessy agrees, noting bathrooms are becoming brighter, with mirrors featuring built-in lights. “We’ve learned lessons from our customers about good lighting in the bathroom area.”
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
To get things looking spotless under the bright lights, water is a key commodity. Most people pay twice for water — once to have it piped to homes or businesses and a second time when it is taken away as waste. A single dripping tap and leaky toilet can amount to eight litres of water wasted each day — and with it considerable cost. Multiply that by several hundred hotel rooms — not factoring in other water use — and the numbers climb quickly. Commonly, hotel guests are incentivized to not take room servicing as a green choice, Akyeampong says. “That reduces water consumption,” adding if 200 rooms a day were to make the choice in a week, that’s 1,000 rooms and again the numbers start to add up. Training can make a difference too, she adds, and room attendants are the frontline staff who can control water use. A lot of water is wasted when room attendants enter a room and turn on the sink and bathtub faucets and then go and collect the garbage and perform other duties. “We’ve changed the process,” Akyeampong says. “Attendants apply the cleaning solutions and don’t turn on the water until they come back into the bathroom and turn one faucet on a time and use medium as compared to scorching hot water.”
Seven years ago, the Calgary Marriott Downtown installed a 64-sq.-ft. water-recycling system by Georgia-based AquaRecycle. Clohessy says it has proven to be very efficient for laundry-water recycling. Closed loop wash-water recycling means reduced incoming water usage of approximately 80 per cent, a reduction of heating of up to 50 per cent and reduced sewer discharge of 95 per cent. Figures provided by AquaRecycle’s website suggest a two-year ROI.
At New Brunswick’s Algonquin Resort, washing machines have a special rinse cycle to conserve water. “We don’t use any product in our washing that has a fragrance and everything is balanced to a neutral pH,” says Heather King, executive housekeeper at Algonquin Resort.
The latest and greatest in technology, water reduction, in-house efficiencies and design trends are well and good, but the basics of laundry and housekeeping operations in hotels small or large have never really changed. Guest expectations — perhaps especially where cleaning is concerned — continue to go up, McNamara says. “They want more,” he says. “Everyone judges the experience based on how clean it was. If it’s not clean, it’s not going to get a high score.”
With two decades in the industry, Akyeampong has also seen more being demanded by customers than ever. “If you don’t take care of the bathrooms and the beds properly, it ruins your loyalty,” she says. However, she notes she has seen a slight change in this regard. “If anything, it’s become more important now. In the past, people were less critical.”
That said, the core aspects of housekeeping operations haven’t changed over the years — you have to get the basics right, agrees Clohessy. “There needs to be a great arrival experience for guests and followed up by top-notch cleanliness in the room. Once they walk into that room and turn on those bright bath-room lights, it has to be spotless. That’s fundamental.”
Volume 29, Number 4
Written by Andrew Coppolino


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Chinese search giant Baidu has fired one of its researchers, after the company found he had deliberately broken the rules of an artificial intelligence contest.
Baidu's efforts to bring its own customized Android ROM to Chinese smartphones appears to be fizzling out as the company shifts resources away from the project.
Chinese demand for smartphones is leading to a surge in app downloads from the country -- so much so that five of the leading app stores in the world are now from China.
Porn, rumors, and anti-government content are all being targeted in China's latest push to filter online public expression.
In a sign that more Chinese are relying on their smartphones to go online, local search giant Baidu said its mobile Internet traffic had surpassed traffic from PCs during the third quarter.
Chinese search giant Baidu is getting on the smart bike bandwagon with an operating system that lets cyclists track their workouts and routes.
Chinese search giant Baidu has entered into a partnership with BMW to jointly research driverless car technologies, with the goal of developing a semi-autonomous vehicle in three years.
Chinese search engine Baidu is offering its own answer to Google Glass, but the headmounted device, which can visually scan and identify objects, comes without an optical display to extend battery life.
Baidu and Tencent are teaming up with a Chinese shopping mall operator in a joint venture that could steal business away from local e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.
Chinese search engine Baidu and the United Nations Development Program are hoping to streamline the recycling of e-waste in China with a new app that can help users easily sell their old electronics for cash.
Chinese search giant, Baidu, reported a 34 per,cent jump in profit for the second quarter, with mobile ad sales accounting for almost a third of revenue for the first time.
China's Baidu is stepping into another major market with a search engine geared for Brazil, and is preparing to set up a research and development center in the country.
Baidu has scored a win over Google by hiring Andrew Ng, founder of the "Google Brain," to run the Chinese Internet giant's artificial intelligence labs.
Despite rising costs in research and promotional spending, Chinese search giant Baidu reported net profit was up by over 24 percent in the first quarter on growing ad revenue made through its mobile services.
Printers, air quality monitors, and weighing scales aren't exactly in the realm of Baidu, China's largest search engine. But that's starting to change under a new company initiative that seeks to bring Baidu technology to smart devices, including hou...
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The Huddle Board’s built in program; Sharp Touch Viewing software allows us to easily manipulate and edit our documents (jpegs and PDFs) all at the same time on the dashboard.
The biggest perks for me would be that it comes with easy to use and comprehensive programs that make the collaboration process a whole lot more intuitive and organic
I rate the printer as a 5 out of 5 stars as it has been able to fit seamlessly into my busy and mobile lifestyle.
It’s perfect for mobile workers. Just take it out — it’s small enough to sit anywhere — turn it on, load a sheet of paper, and start printing.
The HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile Printer is a great device that fits perfectly into my fast paced and mobile lifestyle. My first impression of the printer itself was how incredibly compact and sleek the device was.
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domain: news


text:
Banksy’s former agent, Steve Lazarides, of Laz Inc has put together an unauthorised retrospective of more than 70 works by the elusive artist loved by millions across the world. Steve has putting the selling exhibition on at Sotheby’s in London with works up until 2008, when he stopped acting as Mr B’s agent. The sculptures, […]
Read the full article here.
Never ones to stand still for too long, Laz have now moved their print shop from the upstairs of the Charing Cross Road branch to their Greek Street outpost. The new print shop is open from noon today. More info about the planned content of the shop after the jump and for even more info […]
Featuring – Bast, Borf, Kelsey Brookes, 3D Del-Naja, Invader, Miranda Donovan, Stanley Donwood, Faile, Ian Francis, Conor Harrington, Paul Insect, Mark Jenkins, JR, Dave Kinsey, Lucy Mclauchlan, Antony Micallef Mode2, Polly Morgan, Reas, Candice Tripp, Ben Turnbull, Sage Vaughn, Jonathan Yeo, Zevs Exhibition Dates: Fri 23rd of May – Sat 23rd of August Lazarides Gallery […]
Like his most famous client, Banksy, art dealer Steve Lazarides is a little wary of the press. Since the late 80s, when he used to put on club nights and “look after the affairs” of his artist mates, he’s quickly become one of the figureheads of London’s booming street art movement, with a high-profile gallery […]


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Reuters has released a major update to its Reuters TV app for iOS and tvOS. Version 2.0 introduces new featured programs – thematic programs curated and hosted by Reuters journalists – alongside live feeds of global events and personalized video newscasts.
apple tv apps
The official NASA app turned out to be a very popular piece of software that has been downloaded more than 17 million times across all platforms (iOS, Android, Fire OS). Today the agency released its app for a new platform, the 4th gen. Apple TV.
Nuvyyo’s new Tablo app is the first real live TV app on the Apple TV 4. The app is free but it requires you purchase additional hardware (Tablo DVR), antenna and TV guide service, because, obviously, Apple TV doesn’t have a coaxial connection in the back that you can hook up an antenna.
Tablo has finally released a native Apple TV app that was unveiled and previewed at this year’s CES. The free app lets Tablo customers record and stream both live and recorded broadcast TV programs on their big screen TVs via the 4th gen. Apple TV.
In cooperation with The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), IBM has developed an Apple TV app for Wimbledon. Users will be able to browse real-time scores, watch the Live Wimbledon studio show, listen to three live radio channels, and delve through all of Wimbledon’s video and photo content.
Yahoo today launched Yahoo Sports for Apple TV 4, a new app that all allows users to watch their personalized sports news, highlights and live games completely free.


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Chinese retail oil prices are rising amid a pickup in the global crude market, increasing costs for the logistics and transportation sectors.
The retail price of gasoline will be raised by 290 yuan ($46.58) a metric ton, or 0.21 yuan a liter, and the price of diesel by 280 yuan a ton, or 0.24 yuan a liter, starting Tuesday.
The increases were announced on Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation’s top economic planner.
They are the first rises after 13 consecutive cuts since July, when global crude prices started to fall.
Li Yan, a crude oil analyst at domestic consultancy Shan-dong Longzhong Information Technology Co, said although global crude prices fluctuated recently, it is too early to say if they will continue to rise.
A reduction in the number of United States drilling wells, and political tension in Libya are two key reasons for the rise in the price of crude since last week.
International commodities information provider Platts said Libyan production fell by 130,000 barrels a day to 330,000 barrels a day in January as the closure of two major ports in mid-December had a continuing effect.
Fighting continues around one terminal, and most of Libya’s main producing fields are closed.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Saudi Arabia pumped 29.94 million barrels of crude a day in January, down by 90,000 barrels a day from December, resulting in investor expectations of increases in the price of crude.
Under the current retail oil pricing system, China will announce the next price adjustment on Feb 27. Li predicted that prices will either rise again or remain unchanged.
However, Xu Ying, an oil product analyst at the consultancy, said there is still a big possibility that global crude prices will fall in the long term.
“Added to the fact that there is still a domestic oversupply in China, it is risky for traders to increase stocks at present,” she said.
Xue Qun, an analyst at the consultancy, said the price rises will increase costs for drivers fueling their vehicles for Spring Festival travel.
According to the consultancy, fuel costs for the logistics sector will increase by 90 yuan for each 1,000 km for large delivery trucks.
The price of US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery rose by 65 cents to $52.34, while Brent crude for delivery the same month rose by 35 cents to $58.15 in midmorning trade on Monday.
Last week, the price of West Texas Intermediate surged by 13.6 percent and Brent added 9.4 percent.
(China Daily 02/10/2015 page1)


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Blocking a neo-Nazi site and its content has left some tech giants open to charges of censorship.
Apple's earnings multiples are still well below those of many consumer brands with similar growth profiles and pricing power.
While hardware peers are seeing heavy sales pressure, many enterprise software giants are doing just fine as businesses learn to love the cloud.
New features and changes in the sales force are driving Azure's progress.
Trump took to Twitter Wednesday morning to attack Amazon, whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post, a newspaper the president routinely accuses of "fake news."


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It's a mobile Marvel
By Kate Bulkley
Monday December 13, 2004
How can you get Wesley Snipes on your mobile phone? With the Blade: Trinity download game, available now, explains Kate Bulkley
Thank goodness for superheroes. Just when mobile gaming was looking for a boost, in swoops the comic book giant Marvel - home to Spider-Man, the Hulk, Blade, the X-Men and Elektra - in a deal with one of the mobile publishing industry's rising stars, Mforma.
Mforma has signed a multimillion dollar, multiterritory contract with Marvel that will mean its 5,000 comic-book characters will be available for the creation of new mobile games, a majority of which will be developed in the UK. Some of the first Mforma/Marvel offerings will not only involve some of Marvel's best-known characters, but they will launch on the back of mega movies.
Blade: Trinity - the third film in this superhero series, which stars Wesley Snipes - is in the cinemas from this week and the Mforma role-playing game will launch on all the major UK mobile phones at the same time.
This is followed in January 2005 by the movie/mobile game launch of Elektra and in July by a Fantastic Four film and related game. Most of the mobile Marvel games will be co-developed by Mforma with Activision, a large software publisher that has developed games based on Marvel characters for the PC and console games markets.
"This is an industry-breaking deal because it is multititle, multiterritory and multiyear," says John Brimacombe, president and chief operating officer of Mforma. "And it's also important because it is not just games. Under this deal we can develop screensavers, images, animations, mobile comics and really anything to bring the Marvel franchise to mobile audiences."
Mobile gaming is just a small part of the $18bn (£7.9bn) PC and console games business, but it is already worth nearly $2bn worldwide and is set for big growth in 2005, according to the Ovum consultancy.
Strategy Analytics, in Cambridge, estimates that the business will grow to $8bn in revenues by 2009 on the back of increasingly sophisticated mobile phones and better-designed content. In the UK mobile gaming revenues will nearly double to $63m this year compared with 2003; UK revenues are estimated to reach $190m by 2009.
The UK is also becoming one of the prime development hubs for mobile games because of a strong base of console and PC games developers. The UK is the biggest market for console games in Europe and mobile content already commands higher prices than any other European market, says Nitesh Patel, a games analyst at Strategy Analytics. "The UK is quite a sophisticated consumer mobile market. Ring tones have been very big here and games are likely to be similar but with higher prices, especially for branded games," says Patel.
Mforma is based in Seattle but has recently added to its UK production base with the purchase of Manchester games developer Blue Beck, while rival UK-based mobile games publisher/developer Digital Bridges raised $18m in additional funding last month from investors, including Apax Partners, to help fund its expansion into the US and Asia. Digital Bridges also recently hired the ex-MD of Nintendo Europe David Gossen as its chief operating officer as well as another ex-senior executive of Nintendo Europe, Shigeru Ota, to lead its efforts in the Japanese market.
"What you are seeing emerging is consolidation within the mobile games industry," says Paul Maglione, senior vice president of publishing and marketing at Digital Bridges. "We are going from dozens and dozens of developers a few years ago to maybe four or five super publishers who are becoming the privileged content part ners for the mobile operators."
Mforma's deal with Marvel has helped push the company into this developing super league. It is hoping that the success of Marvel PC and console games, which have sold 14.5m units in the past two years globally, will translate to a similar success in the mobile world.
Other emerging mobile gaming powerhouses include Jamdat and THQ of the US, Game Loft of France, which is owned by console game developer Ubisoft, and US-based Sorrent Inc, which earlier this month bought London-based games publisher Macrospace. Macrospace's Who Wants to be a Millionaire? mobile game, developed for owner Celador, will be available on UK mobiles this month.
The sheer number of titles launching in the next 12 months is immense, driven in large part by a rapidly growing base of mobile phones that are Java-software enabled, which means they can run more sophisticated mobile games such as the Tiger Woods golfing games from PC and console games publisher Electronic Arts (EA). Zelos, a consultancy in the US, estimates that there will be 24m Java-enabled handsets in the UK by the end of 2004, double the number at the end of 2003. Similar growth trajectories are happening in markets around the world.
The latest version of the EA golfing game Tiger Woods 2005 is being released this week in the UK and was developed by Digital Bridges in a deal with EA. "The premise of the mobile games market was always to be for the mass market. But new games developed for the new handsets, like Tiger Woods, have a lot of functionality and cool stuff like 3D graphics and dual-screen modes and connectivity, so you can download extra stuff," says Digital Bridges' Paul Maglione.
Mobile gaming is seen by mobile phone companies such as Vodafone and MMO2 as a key driver to help grow new revenues. Gaming is already the second most-important non-voice service behind music - specifically ringtones - for mobile operators, but more and better games are needed. "I don't think we are complaining that there aren't enough Java games out there but there is work to be done on the quality of the games and also from our side on the marketing," said Graeme Ferguson, Vodafone's director of global content development. "We want to work with publishers that have scale so they can spend the right kind of money on development."
According to mobile operators in the UK there have been some "shocking abuses" of premium-content brands by mobile games developers. Three games singled out by several operator sources include the Harry Potter game developed off the back of the Warner Bros movie, as well as the games developed for Shrek 2 and Finding Nemo, from Disney. The problem, according to mobile operators who did not want to be named, is that not enough money or attention was put into the development of these games so they were impossible or uninteresting to play.
It was in order to avoid such a bad result that Marvel decided to work nearly exclusively with Mforma and Activision on developing its stable of 5,000 characters for mobile devices. "We felt that the best way for Marvel to work in this emerging wireless world would be through one provider who would put together the resources to create a holistic programme for our properties," says Bruno Maglione, president of Marvel International based in London (no relation to Paul Maglione of Digital Bridges).
The cost to develop a mobile game is significantly less than the $10-15m it costs to develop and market a PC or console game. A mobile game can cost as little as $300,000 to develop, but the trick is having the skills to make it work across the hundreds of different phone platforms. "The mobile games business is cheaper in terms of development but it is more about getting it distributed to all the different carriers," says Maglione of Marvel. "This is the year when wireless goes from theory and potential to reality because there are now a number of games producing serious download figures and significant revenues."
One market that Marvel has held back from Mforma is Japan, because it is the "most evolved mobile market" and Maglione says he is looking for a local publisher to champion Marvel there.
The Japanese market may be excluded from Mforma's plans for comic book/mobile gaming world domination - but they are certainly well set for battle to become a key mobile publisher with the the likes of the Hulk and Spider-Man on their side.
Top 10 games ELSPA Chart for October 2004
Top 10 mobile game downloads (developer)
Source: 3, MMO2, T-Mobile, Orange and Vodafone


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After spending the first seven years of his career donning the Nike swoosh, Draymond Green has a new shoe deal. The former Defensive Player of the Year signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Converse. Green, along with Phoenix Suns guard Kelly Oubre Jr. will take over as the leaders Converse’s basketball brand.
Green has yet to debut his new Converse shoes on the court as he’s been absent from the past five games due to lingering knee soreness. Once Green returns to the Golden State Warriors, he’s expected to lace up the Converse G4 shoe.
While there’s still a wait for Green’s in-game shoe debut, Converse released a “welcome to the family” commercial for the Michigan State product.
If healthy, Green’s next chance to suit up in his new Converse will be Tuesday when Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers come to Chase Center in San Francisco.


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The French Minister of Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Franck Riester, had arrived in Nigeria to open the 'Choose Africa' conference, a €3.5 billion initiative by the France President, Emmanuel Macron, which is dedicated to supporting the development of start-ups and SMEs in Africa.
Riester said the initiative would enable the continent to benefit fully from the opportunities of the digital revolution.
A statement issued by the Press Officer of the French Embassy Nigeria, Onyinye Madu, said the visit was a follow up on the priorities set by Macron during his official visit to Nigeria in July 2018 as well as his desire to build a new partnership between Africa and France.
According to the statement, "As the largest economy in Africa and the economic engine of West Africa, Nigeria is indeed a major partner for France-the first in sub-Saharan Africa with bilateral trade amounting to a total of $4.5 billion in 2019 and $2.3 billion in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The minister will have several official meetings in Abuja and Lagos to underline the importance of the bilateral economic relationship and to prepare the summit on the financing of African economies in Paris on May 18, 2021."
The objective of the minister's mission, who will be in Nigeria between April 12 and 14, the statement said, was also to further strengthen the links between the French and Nigerian private sectors.
"In this regard, the minister will have in-depth discussions with the main Nigerian economic actors to strengthen bilateral cooperation and investments, both in Nigeria and in France, particularly in the logistics sector," it added.
He is expected to also meet with young Nigerian entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sector to discuss the major role of their country in African creativity and the development of the African entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the support of France.


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SINGAPORE: Singapore's core inflation in July eased to its slowest pace in more than three years, falling below economists' forecasts.
Core inflation, which excludes private transport and accommodation costs, rose 0.8 per cent in July from a year earlier, data released on Friday (Aug 23) showed. This is the slowest rate since April 2016 and down from the 1.2 per cent increase in June 2019.
The headline consumer price index or overall inflation in July rose 0.4 per cent year-on-year, compared with the 0.6 per cent increase in June.
This was largely due to a fall in the prices of retail and other goods, a larger decline in the cost of electricity and gas, as well as lower services inflation, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in a joint media release.
The cost of retail and other goods fell 1 per cent year-on-year in July, reversing the increase of 0.4 per cent in the previous month.
This mainly reflected a dissipation of the effect of previous increases in water prices, as well as a larger drop in the prices of clothing and footwear, said MAS and MTI.
Electricity and gas costs declined at a steeper 7 per cent compared to the 4.8 per cent drop in June. This was due to a smaller increase in electricity tariffs compared to a year ago, as well as the effect of the open electricity market on electricity prices.
Services inflation dipped to 1.6 per cent year-on-year in July, compared to the 1.7 per cent in June. This was largely on account of a slower pace of increase in holiday expenses and a larger fall in telecommunication services fees, which outweighed a stronger pickup in airfares, said MAS and MTI.
Food costs remained unchanged from the previous month at 1.4 per cent.
The cost of private road transport rose by 0.3 per cent year-on-year in July, slightly higher than the 0.2 per cent from the previous month.
Accommodation costs fell at a slower pace of 0.9 per cent year-on-year in July compared to the 1.1 per cent decline in June, due to a more gradual decline in housing rentals.
The full-year forecast for core inflation is expected to come in within the lower half of the 1 per cent to 2 per cent range, noted MAS and MTI, having previously said it would come in the middle.
"This is further evidence of the weakened condition of the economy," said Steve Cochrane, chief APAC economist at Moody's Analytics.
"This will likely raise expectations of monetary policy easing ... Particularly as many central banks in the region have already begun to ease monetary policy."
MAS said last week, after Singapore slashed its full-year growth forecast, that it was not considering an out-of-cycle policy move.


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Hotel Chocolat has revealed double digit growth in both sales and profits as it remains “confident of further growth” in the UK.
Brushing off the adverse conditions on the high street, the luxury confectionery retailer saw revenues jump 11 per cent year-on-year in the 52 weeks to July 1 to £116 million, while pre-tax profits also jumped 13 per cent to £12.7 million.
The news sent Hotel Chocolat’s share prices jumping three per cent in morning trading, while its earnings per share shot up from 7.8p to 8.8p.
Despite the decline in the sterling reportedly creating pressure on raw material costs, the brand opened 15 new stores across the UK alongside three new international franchises in the US, Japan and Scandinavia.
“The encouraging performance of our UK channels means we remain confident of further growth, with an exciting range of new product innovations for this autumn,” chief executive Angus Thirwell said.
“We are increasingly confident that international expansion presents a growth opportunity, and will be adopting a cautious ‘test, learn, grow’ approach to our new partnership in Scandinavia and our new ventures in the US and Japan, where we intend to open our first stores this winter.”
“Despite challenges and uncertainties in the wider economy the strength of the brand drives great customer loyalty and we are well positioned for the future.”
Edison Investment’s analyst Paul Hickman added: “Hotel Chocolat is becoming something of a role model for controlled brand growth.
“Its main channels are its 113 classic stores including 30 café formats, digital sales running at 14% of total revenue, a growing business through wholesale partners like Amazon, and international. Here, Chocolat has taken its first steps, preparing to open in New York this winter and otherwise cautiously expanding through franchises for Scandinavia and Japan.”


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From DailyTech: Intel has announced a series of price cuts on its lineup of SLC (Single Level Cell) and MLC (Multi Level Cell) Solid State Drives. Their NAND flash is produced by IM Flash Technologies, an Intel joint venture with Micron Technologies.
Lower sales due to the global economic slump are a key reason for the price cuts. However, declining NAND flash prices are lowering production costs for Intel's competitors, many of which are entering the market with a new generation of products. Intel launched their 160GB X-25M for $945 just under two months ago.
OCZ's Apex series of SSDs use an integrated RAID 0 controller to boost performance for a modest price premium over regular MLC SSDs. G.Skill's Titan series uses a similar design, as both use JMicron RAID and SSD controllers. However, OCZ has heavily optimized their firmware to provide extra performance. They are both available at retail.
The Vertex series, also from OCZ, has up to 64MB of DRAM cache to boost performance. This is especially critical for random write performance, an issue that has plagued previous generations of SSDs due to the use of a first generation JMicron SSD controller.
OCZ is still tweaking the firmware of their Vertex line in order to maximize reliability and performance. While many customers are anxious to purchase these SSD, it is commendable that OCZ is trying to avoid Seagate's firmware mistakes.
View: Article @ Source Site


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Batteries Plus Franchise News
Browse the latest corporate news from Batteries Plus.
Batteries Plus and Swell Energy Increase Access to Home Batteries and Virtual Power Plant Technology in Sacramento, California
Batteries Plus today announced a new pilot initiative with Swell Energy (Swell) to launch an in-store home battery backup offer in Sacramento, California.
Batteries Plus announced this year’s company award winners at its annual Sales Achievement Event last month.
During its annual Sales Achievement Event, Batteries Plus recognized dozens of franchisees in the system.
Batteries Plus recently welcomed its latest signed agreement to secure an 80-mile radius around the Atlanta market.
Following another school year across the country, Batteries Plus today announced the return of its “School of the Year” contest.
Batteries Plus announced today it is renewing its partnerships with multi-Platinum country artist Justin Moore (The Valory Music Co.) and Billboard No. 1-charting country artist Lucas Hoge.
Batteries Plus announced today a successful first quarter of 2023 with growth and expansion.
This spring, Batteries Plus is poised to help consumer not only replace their dead batteries .
Batteries Plus was named to Entrepreneur’s first-ever Franchise 500 Hall of Fame list.
Batteries Plus was recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®.
Batteries Plus has been recognized with the 2022 Leadership Award in Shareholder Value by one of their highly valued national account customers, Johnson Controls.
Batteries Plus Partners with Duracell & Toys For Tots to Leave ‘Positive’ Impression this Holiday Season
Batteries Plus has teamed up with Duracell and the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots Campaign for the third consecutive year to power tens of thousands of children’s toys this holiday season.
Batteries Plus rollout of a digital transformation in an effort to reinvent the online shopping experience for its customers.
Batteries Plus is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this month.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States sweltered through its third hottest summer on record in 2022
This November Batteries Plus is celebrating National Repair Done Right Month.
Batteries Plus, the nation’s leading franchise retailer for batteries, light bulbs, key fobs and phone repair services, recently welcomed their newest signed agreement for the development of 3 new units in Long Island, New York.
On the heels of record-breaking franchise sales, organic system-wide growth and multiple successful resales, Batteries Plus announced today the promotion of its entire franchise development team.
n anticipation of rolling blackouts across California, Batteries Plus is pleased to announce a partnership with solar generator company Goal Zero .
In an increasingly battery-powered world, the product lines and services made available by the 700+ locations in the Batteries Plus system have become all the more integral to the communities they call home.
Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone repair franchise, entered into the year utilizing the expertise and forward-thinking strategy that lead to system-wide success in 2021.
Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone repair franchise, announced today the hiring of Hugh Robertson as Director of Exit Strategy Support.
Batteries Plus, the nation’s leading franchise brand for batteries, lights bulbs, key fobs and repair, announced today exciting plans to expand the brand into Southern Florida communities.
Batteries Plus Re-Energizes Online & In-Store Experience, Rolls Out Rebrand to Spotlight Brand Evolution
Batteries Plus is evolving its customer experience across multiple touchpoints, further reflecting its forward-thinking, resilience and outstanding store support even amidst a challenging retail climate.
This weekend marks the beginning of the Federation of Tax Administrator’s (FTA) 2022 State Sales Tax Holidays, and Batteries Plus - the nation’s largest and fastest growing battery, light bulb, key fob, and repair franchise - will be participating.
Batteries Plus and Folds of Honor have teamed up to provide much-needed educational scholarships to three local military families.
After a record breaking 2021, Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone repair franchise, is seeing exponential growth rates yet again.
Sign-up and we will contact you when Batteries Plus franchise opportunities become available on Franchising.com.


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A startup has come along promising to make Web video easier to watch.
Apr 1, 2014
The music download war had become the music streaming war, with Pandora, Spotify, Apple and others vying to become personalized Internet radio stations for everybody. Among various age groups, younger people — including teens and young adults — are the biggest streamers, according to a survey by Edison Research and compiled by Statista.
While Apple has made inroads with iTunes Radio, which comes installed along with later versions of its mobile operating systems, Pandora is still on tops among all age groups, no doubt in part because it is available on Android, too. Read More »
In a move that brings Spotify’s music recommendation technology completely in-house and allows it to more aggressively compete against Pandora, Beats Music, iHeartRadio, Rdio and other services, the Stockholm-based music streaming giant has acquired Echo Nest.
The deal is the culmination of a more than three-year relationship between Somerville, Massachusetts-based Echo Nest and Spotify, which is considered an IPO candidate.
Echo Nest technology blends machine learning and natural language processing–the respective expertise of co-founders and MIT doctorates Tristan Jehanand Brian Whitman–to build a database of songs and artists. The recommendation engine recognizes pitches, tempos and other similarities between songs and blends that data with a cultural understanding of songs and artists gleaned from blogs, music reviews and other online sources. Read More »
The European Parliament Tuesday voted in favor of new laws that aim to make it easier to make music available online, via streaming or downloading, in more than one EU country.
Europe’s confusing copyright regime has caused huge headaches for getting music online. Some European countries only got Apple’s iTunes in 2011, a decade after it launched. One reason is that each of the European Union’s 28 countries has its own copyright rules.
“The directive will effectively protect the interests of European creators and make it possible for end users to have access to copyright-protected content throughout Europe,” said Marielle Gallo, the French parliamentarian in charge of the legislation, which was put forward in 2012. “This directive is a clear signal that copyright can be easily adapted to the Internet. Copyright has an essential role to play in the digital economy.” Read More »
The music industry’s revenues in Sweden are back to the highest level since 2004, fueled by the growing popularity of streaming services like Spotify. Read More »
San Diego entrepreneur Michael Robertson, founder of a slew of controversial online music sites such as MP3.com, is launching a new service this week that offers a novel approach to free, on-demand music.
The company, RadioSearchEngine.com, allows users to search what’s playing at any given moment on 40,000 radio stations around the world. They can search by song, artist, genre or show, and listen to any song through the stations’ own Web simulcasts. The service displays what songs are most popular overall, as well as what’s trending on talk programs. Read More »
Just as online music service Beats Music is nearing its launch in the U.S., older rival Spotify is busy adding extras to its own offering–including merchandise. Read More »
In a move to lure more people to try out its service, music streaming provider Spotify has removed listening restrictions for those using the company’s advertising-backed free service on desktop computers and laptops.
The Anglo-Swedish company previously offered users of its free, ad-backed service on PCs just 10 hours of content a month and placed restrictions on how many times users could play individual songs.
However, in a post on its official blog, the company said those restrictions are now gone, giving nonpaying PC users the option to stream the same song on repeat for an unlimited amount of time. Read More »
Want to launch your own Internet radio service?
It’s becoming easier than ever. Digital music company Gracenote is rolling out a “white-label” custom-radio platform that will allow listeners to create specialized stations based on genre, mood, era, tempo, and geographical origin and artist type. Read More »
Spotify AB on Wednesday said it will offer its streaming music service in another 20 countries starting this week and confirmed it will offer a free version of its service for mobile phones and tablets.
The Swedish company recently raised $250 million to aid expansion efforts. Last week, The Wall Street Journal first reported Spotify would offer a free, ad-supported streaming-music service for mobile users. Previously, customers could access the service free from desktop computers but had to pay a fee of about $10 per month to use on mobile devices. Read More »
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SĂŁo Paulo â Nearly half of Africaâs population follows the Islamic religion. Brazilian exports of halal products to the continent are increasing significantly, and even African countries that are not predominantly Muslim are looking for certified products. Halal products and services are made according to the laws of Islam and suitable for consumption by Muslims.
The importance of the African markets for halal products and services was the topic of the panel âHalal Market: Opportunities and Partnerships in Brazil and Africaâ this Tuesday (31) at the Brazil Africa Forum, moderated by the Marketing & Content director of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber (ABCC), Silvana Gomes. The forum is held by the Brazil-Africa Institute.
According to Gomes, Brazil exported USD 8 billion in halal products to African countries in 2022, an increase of 35% over the previous year. âStill, there are countless untapped opportunities in this market,â said the director to the forum audience. According to her, 30 countries in Africa have Islamic-majority populations.
According to the vice-chair of certifier FAMBRAS Halal, Ali Zoghbi, who was one of the panelists, currently, all of Africa consumes halal. âWe have noticed that countries with an Islamic minority want halal-certified goods,â he said. The ABCCâs New Business director, EstevĂŁo Margotti de Carvalho, supported the affirmation. âDemand for halal products is growing not only in Muslim-majority countries but also in Christian-majority countries,â he said.
Meanwhile, Zoghbi recalled that Brazil is currently the leading producer and exporter of halal protein and an essential player in the global supply of halal foods. The Market Intelligence manager of the Brazilian meat lobby ABPA, Laiz Foltran, said Brazil recently opened a new African market for poultry, Algeria, a Muslim country.
The experts spoke about some initiatives and projects in halal. One was the Halal do Brasil Project, a partnership between the ABCC and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) toÂ fosterÂ BrazilianÂ exportsÂ of value-added foods to Muslim markets. âLook for the Halal do Brazil Project to support your internationalization,â said Carvalho to the businesspeople interested in halal exports.
Zoghbi spoke about the launch of a pilot plan for a traceability system for Brazilian halal products. The idea is that by tracking production and logistics, consumers will have access to all the processes each product went through. The ABCC signed the agreement for the pilot plan last week with the Ecohalal project and Drops Holding Group. According to Zoghbi, this will add considerable value to Brazilian halal produce.
On the panel, Carvalho also presented the ABCCâs Easy Trade system, which digitalizes customs clearance for Brazilian exports to some Arab countries. Jordan already uses the solution. Egypt is expected to start using it soon. Still on halal, the panelists discussed possibilities in sectors other than food, such as tourism, fashion, and finance, and how halal is in line with ESG, the principles of environmental, social, and corporate governance.
Translated by ElĂșsio Brasileiro


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MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Mang Inasal, the popular food chain that serves Filipino cuisine, including grilled chicken, pork and milkfish usually served with unlimited (UNLI) number of rice servings free of charge, is going bankrupt!
The restaurant chain which was acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation for Three Billion pesos in 2010, is shutting down all its stores and franchises nationwide, thanks to Senator Cynthia Villar.
Villar recently proposed to ban the serving of UNLI rice at restaurants in the country as a way to attain rice self-sufficiency. She also proposed that Filipinos shift to brown, instead of white rice.
Being the socially-conscious and politically-correct company that it is, Mang Inasal started to serve unlimited kangkong (local spinach) in place of UNLI rice.
Alas, its customers dwindled and its sales dropped significantly, forcing the company to file for bankruptcy and to shut its doors for good.
Sometimes, our lawmakers think of the most stupid ideas to the detriment of our citizens and businesses.
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Rice and pork, two items in the Filipino diet that are never, ever enough. Not on the plate. Not in the nation’s supply.
Despite being an agricultural country, the Philippines still imports rice and pork because local production can’t keep up with demand.
One senator just has the perfect solution towards rice self-sufficiency: ban white rice. She unveiled her proposal as she chowed down a plateful of macaroni and breaded fried fish (see photo).
Cynthia Villar believes that Filipinos should eat less, and shift to brown rice. So she wants to ban white rice altogether.
In the interim, she wants Filipino restaurants to stop offering “extra” or “unlimited” rice on their menu.
“Hindi na uso ang mestiza,” villar says, referring to the Filipino aversion to fair skin, as opposed to brown complexion, known in the local dialect as “kayumanggi.”
The reality is, brown rice is more nutritious so Villar might have a point there, but it is also more expensive.
When asked by The Adobo Chronicles what she plans to do about the country’s short supply of pork, she said that senators and representatives should be able to continue receiving DAP funds (Disbursement Acceleration Program) so that they can help their respective constitutents cope with the high cost of pork, and of brown rice for that matter.
DAP is more popularly known as pork barrel, previously ruled by the country’s Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – Gay men living in San Francisco have been hit hard by the economic downturn and are striving hard to cope.
It’s not only housing rent that’s skyrocketed in this City by the Bay. The cost of everything — from groceries to gas ⛽ have become very prohibitive. Even fabric, to the dismay of the highly-fashionable community.
But as always, gay men find ways to weather the storm, boldly but surely.
Walking the streets of Castro, the gay district, one will notice a growing number of gay men wearing “crop top” t-shirts, a new fashion trend that uses minimal fabric (see photo).
It’s time to scan your closets and rip up (or down) your favorite t-shirts.


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Open banking is creeping closer, with the Coalition government planning to introduce its Consumer Data Right legislation into Parliament today.
The new law will establish a data right for consumers, giving individuals and small businesses to access their own data, and the right to authorise for it to be passed on to third parties.
The Consumer Data Right will first apply in the banking sector, where it is referred to as Open Banking, from 1 July next year.
The ACCC will be the lead regulator overlooking the reform, along with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, with a new Data Standards Body developing transfer and security standards.
Consultation on the ACCC’s Rules Framework for the legislation ended on Sunday, with the consumer watchdog expected to return a draft outline for open banking later this month.
The consultation received submissions from a number of organisations including ASIC, the ABA and big four banks.
ANZ noted in its submission it remains to be seen how the terms and conditions for products will be implemented by July, if at all. NAB said likewise of the timeframe, with the concern that not taking enough time could endanger customers’ data and privacy.
The government has said the legislation will allow for people’s circumstances to be more accurately accounted for when engaging with products and service providers.
Open banking is also said to allow for consumers to more easily compare prices and switch between products and providers, in favour of something more suited to their needs.
The Coalition has added that the reform implements commitment made by the government in response to its review into open banking, along with the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into data availability and use.
“Better access to data will also support more efficient processes for businesses, with savings flowing through to consumers,” the Treasury said.
“Improved competition and data-driven innovation will support economic growth and create new high-value jobs in Australia.”
The law will also be applied to the energy and telecommunications sectors.
Sarah Simpkins is a journalist at Momentum Media, reporting primarily on banking, financial services and wealth.
Prior to joining the team in 2018, Sarah spent her career working in business-to-business media, including print and online, as well as cutting her teeth on current affairs programs for community radio.
Sarah has a dual bachelor's degree in science and journalism from the University of Queensland.
You can contact her on [email protected].
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Philadelphia continues its slow but steady job recovery as employment increased by 1,800 in September, led by growth in educational services, leisure, hospitality and government and supplemented by the gradual return of office workers. The unemployment rate declined from just under 20% in July 2020 to 8.1%.
Rising transit ridership, parking occupancy and pedestrian volumes in Center City reflect the full return of colleges and universities, the reopening of performing arts venues, the steady return of tourists, convention attendees, regional shoppers and the partial return of office workers. With the holiday shopping season just beginning and, assuming no recurring health crises, the recovery can accelerate.
The Center City District’s (CCD) November survey of 1,900 downtown storefronts found 80% of retailers and restaurants open for business, with nearly all premises that had temporarily closed during the shutdown now welcoming customers. An analysis of local sales tax revenue shows retail in Center City recovering strongly with collections in Q2 2021 8% higher than pre-pandemic levels. By contrast, tax collections from Center City restaurants and bars, which face more constraints, have been slower to bounce back: Q2 tax receipts were only 67% of 2019 quarterly revenues. Outdoor seating on sidewalks and at streeteries helped compensate for indoor restrictions, with 6,694 outdoor seats deployed in the District in September.
Philadelphia still faces major challenges. The highest paying jobs – including professional, financial and business services, sectors whose space needs and purchasing power create opportunities in building services, transportation and in retail and restaurants – are the very jobs most easily performed remotely. Job loss combined with remote work has caused wage tax collections to remain consistently below 2019 and 2020 levels with Q3 2021 revenues 11% lower than Q3 2019. The problem is compounded because 47% of Center City workers and 35% of citywide workers commute from the suburbs and are exempt from the wage tax if they have been directed to work from home. This ought to be a spur for the City’s tax reform committee since the pandemic has starkly revealed the City’s fiscal vulnerability due to its unusual dependence on wage and business taxes.
At the same time, the pandemic creates opportunities for Philadelphia to attract remote workers and firms from other cities given our affordability, amenities and ease of access. To support this goal, CCD has launched a multimedia advertising campaign, linked to the website www.Phillyworks.com.
For a narrative of trends, along with explanatory charts tracking the recovery, download the 10-page report at- Monitoring Philadelphia's Economic Recovery, November 2021.


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The electric car maker’s Fremont, Calif., factory is only allowed to produce 25 vehicles an hour in 2017 under a California permit that regulates the facility’s paint shop, according to Daily Kanban, an automotive news site.
That amounts to 219,000 vehicles next year, assuming the factory is cranking out cars 24/7, the site noted.
That figure is well short of production targets outlined last month by Chief Executive Elon Musk in a conference call on second-quarter earnings.
“We’ll probably exit next year at unit volume that’s 200 percent or 300 percent what our current volume is, maybe 400 percent,” Musk told analysts on the call.
Currently, Tesla is on track to produce between 80,000 and 90,000 vehicles this year, execs said at the time, implying aspirations to produce as many as 360,000 vehicles next year.
On Friday, a Tesla spokeswoman responded that “our paint shop remains on track to accommodate 500,000 cars in 2018.”
A source close to Tesla said the company’s paint shop capacity is “progressively being increased in a phased approach” through “multiple equipment and facility expansion projects.”
The projects will comply with all applicable laws including environmental laws, the source said.
Tesla shares, down 15 percent this year, were up 0.9 percent Friday morning at $202.50.


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By: Arvind PanagariyaDear Mr Rahul Gandhi,
According to newspaper reports, you have recently asked Indian industrialists why we should have to import rakhis
While many in social media have made light of your remark, I could not be happier that a leading figure from the ruling party has posed this question to India’s top industrialists.
In my understanding, rakhis and Ganeshas in your question are metaphors for labour-intensive manufactures that began to flow into India from China soon after the import licensing on consumer goods was terminated in 2001.
But with a workforce of almost half billion and significantly lower per-capita income, we should not be outcompeted in labour-intensive manufactures by China in either the domestic or world market.
About two years ago, I had asked the same question you have asked slightly differently to a group of leading industrialists from India. The way I put the question was why, despite the vast ocean of low-skilled workers in the country, none of them had considered investing in labour intensive manufactures such as apparel
. I reminded them that India exported less apparel than much smaller Bangladesh and less than one-tenth that by China.
I do not know what answer the industrialists gave to your question. But when I put the question to them, the look on their faces uniformly betrayed that they had not even thought about it. Haltingly, one CEO tried to argue that such investment would rapidly raise wages, thus pricing them out of the market. That answer made no sense in the context of an economy
in which a vast reserve of workers exists. So after a few awkward moments on both sides, we changed the subject.
To be sure, our top industry leaders are very comfortable doing what they do: invest in highly capital-intensive sectors such as automobiles, auto parts, two wheelers, engineering goods and chemicals or in skilled-labour-intensive goods such as software, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and finance. The vast labour force of the nation stares them in the face but they look the other way.
If they had asked themselves the question you asked them, consistent with your reported exhortation, some of them might have dared to “rebel against the system”.
And that may have led them to aggressively lobby the government for the removal of obstacles to growth in labour-intensive manufacturing.
But in fairness, sir, your government too has taken a little too long to confront industry leaders with this question. You, Sonia Gandhi
or Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
should have asked this same question more than nine years ago, when your party first came to power.
If you had, you would have found out from the writings of some of us that the removal of obstacles to large-scale manufacturing of labour-intensive products was the best thing you could have done to promote “inclusive growth”.


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Benderz Burgers opens in Edwards with a 3-day, $3 burger special
Burger joint takes over former Larkburger location
Avon-based Benderz Burgers is pleased to announce it is officially open in Edwards and welcoming patrons with a 3-day, $3 burger special that started on Tuesday and runs through Thursday as part of its Grand Opening celebration.
The burgers are the same burger from sister locations, Southside Benderz and Northside Coffee & Kitchen in Avon.
“We’re serving our award-winning burger from our other two locations: a fresh six-ounce Angus beef burger on a brioche bun with our special 2,000-Island Dressing,” said owner Jim Pavelich. “Other items on the menu include fresh ahi grade grilled tuna sandwich, a grilled chicken sandwich, three garden salads, fries, truffle fries, hand-scooped shakes, sodas, beer, wine and cocktails.”
Benderz Burgers is in a familiar location, too. It’s the former Larkburger spot in Edwards Village Center. Larkburger closed in July of 2019 after a fire broke out in its location and nothing has occupied that space since.
“That space was a great location for Larkburger and always was one of their top stores. We thought it was a shame when the fire happened, and they never reopened. We kept calling the landlords for almost two years and finally, they got us in,” said Noah Bender, chef and partner in the restaurants and the namesake behind the burgers.
Support Local Journalism
“We are super excited just to be in Edwards and hopefully fill a hole in food options since Larkburger left,” Bender said. “We even added truffle fries as an homage to those guys.”
The public is excited, too. Many people were in the new restaurant on Tuesday afternoon taking advantage of the $3 burger Grand Opening deal and feeling fortunate to have the space occupied once again.
Patti Plagens stopped in to grab lunch on Tuesday to take advantage of the $3 Grand Opening burger special but has already been to this new location.
“We’ve been here for lunch and have picked up the take-and-bake meals, which are very filling. We missed Larkburger, so we’re super excited to have Benderz Burgers open now because we live right up in Homestead,” Plagens said.
Mike Kieler of EagleVail hit the new burger joint after a morning of playing pickleball.
“I thought the burger was really good, it was big — it’s a meal!” Kieler said. Kieler frequents the sister restaurants as well. “We were just at Northside for dinner a few nights ago and we go to Southside Benderz regularly. They have a great happy hour. Two fish tacos and you’re full.”
Full bellies while not emptying the wallet is a goal for the restaurant group, which consists of not only Benderz Burgers, Southside Benders and Northside Coffee & Kitchen, but also Fattoria, an Italian restaurant in Avon and Ed’z, a family-style rotisserie restaurant in Edwards.
“We think value is the most important part of our business models. We believe in making the largest amount of people as happy as possible,” Bender said. “It’s the same at Northside with our donuts, dinners and family meals, or at Fattoria with our rustic Italian and homemade pastas. We try to provide a world-class experience at a real-world price.”
Lori Aker of Edwards summed up her experience with two words:
“I’m full,” said the Edwards resident, who enjoyed one of the $3 burgers during the Grand Opening on Tuesday. “Who could eat a triple?” she asked, referring to the triple patty burger that is on the menu and featured in the mural on the wall at the new location.
Beyond burgers, Benderz Burgers invites you to stop by in the morning when they are serving breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos.
“The breakfast sandwiches and burritos are great, but they are really just an excuse to sell our famous donuts in Edwards,” Bender said. “We want everyone to have equal access to the best donuts in the valley.”
Benderz Burgers is located at 105 Edwards Village Boulevard near the post office in Edwards and is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Learn more at BenderzBurgers.com.


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Haier Electronics Group Co Ltd (1169.HK)
21 Sep 2018
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|50||2017||Executive Chairman of the Board|
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|46||2017||General Manager - Electrothermal Product Division, Executive Director|
|50||2009||General Manager - Washing Machine Product Division|
- CORRECTED-WRAPUP 3-Chinese exports accelerate even as Trump escalates trade war
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- Gorenje first-quarter profit jumps amid takeover talk
- UPDATE 1-Gorenje first-quarter profit jumps amid takeover talk
- Slovenia's Gorenje lifts first-quarter profit by 23.5 percent


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This article originally appeared on NaomiKlein.org
In 2004 we made a documentary called The Take about Argentina’s movement of worker-run businesses. In the wake of the country’s dramatic economic collapse in 2001, thousands of workers walked into their shuttered factories and put them back into production as worker cooperatives. Abandoned by bosses and politicians, they regained unpaid wages and severance while reclaiming their jobs.
As we toured Europe and North America with the film, every Q&A ended up with the question, That’s all very well in Argentina, but could that ever happen here?
Well, with the world economy now looking remarkably like Argentina’s in 2001 (for many of the same reasons), there is a new wave of direct action among workers in rich countries. Co-ops are once again emerging as a practical alternative to more layoffs. Workers in the United States and Europe are beginning to ask the same questions as their Latin American counterparts: Why do we have to get fired? Why can’t we fire the boss? Why is the bank allowed to drive our company under while getting billions of dollars of our money?
On May 15 at Cooper Union in New York City, we’re taking part in a panel that looks at this phenomenon, called Fire the Boss: The Worker Control Solution From Buenos Aires to Chicago. We’ll be joined by people from the movement in Argentina as well as workers from the famous Republic Windows & Doors struggle in Chicago.
It’s a great way to hear directly from those who are trying to rebuild the economy from the ground up, and who need meaningful support from the public, as well as policy-makers at all levels of government. For those who can’t make it out to Cooper Union, here’s a quick roundup of recent developments in the world of worker control.
In Argentina, the direct inspiration for many current worker actions, there have been more takeovers in the past four months than in the previous four years.
Arrufat, a chocolate maker with a fifty-year history, was abruptly closed late last year. Thirty employees occupied the plant and, despite a huge utility debt left by the former owners, have been producing chocolates by the light of day, using generators.
With a loan of less than $5,000 from The Working World, a capital fund/NGO started by a fan of The Take, they were able to produce 17,000 Easter eggs for their biggest weekend of the year. They made a profit of $75,000, taking home $1,000 each and saving the rest for future production.
The United Kingdom
Visteon is an auto-parts manufacturer that was spun off from Ford in 2000. Hundreds of workers were given six minutes’ notice that their workplaces were closing. Two hundred workers in Belfast staged a sit-in on the roof of their factory; another 200 in Enfield followed suit the next day.
In the next few weeks, Visteon increased the severance package to as much as ten times its initial offer. But the company is refusing to put the money in the workers’ bank accounts until they leave the plants; and the workers are refusing to leave until they see the money.
A factory where workers make legendary Waterford Crystal was occupied for seven weeks this year when parent company Waterford Wedgewood went into receivership after being taken over by a US private equity firm.
The US company has now put 10 million euros in a severance fund, and negotiations are ongoing to keep some of the jobs.
As the Big Three automakers collapse, there have been four occupations by Canadian Auto Workers so far this year. In each case, factories were closing and workers were not getting compensation that was owed to them. The workers occupied the factories to stop the machines from being removed, using that as leverage to force the companies back to the table–the same dynamic that worker takeovers in Argentina have followed.
In France there’s been a wave of “boss-nappings” this year, in which angry employees have detained their bosses in factories that are facing closure. Companies targeted so far include Caterpillar, 3M, Sony and Hewlett-Packard.
The 3M executive was brought a meal of moules et frites during his overnight ordeal.
A comedy hit in France this spring was the movie Louise-Michel, in which a group of women workers hire a hitman to kill their boss after he shuts down their factory with no warning.
A French union official said in March, “Those who sow misery reap fury. The violence is done by those who cut jobs, not by those who try to defend them.”
And this week 1,000 steelworkers disrupted the annual shareholders’ meeting of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company. They stormed the company’s headquarters in Luxembourg, smashing gates, breaking windows and fighting with police.
Also this week, in southern Poland, at the largest coal-coking producer in Europe, thousands of workers bricked up the entrance to the company’s headquarters, protesting wage cuts.
The United States
And then there’s the famous Republic Windows & Doors story: 260 workers occupied their plant for six world-shaking days in Chicago this past December. With a savvy campaign against the company’s biggest creditor, Bank of America (“You got bailed out; we got sold out!”) and massive international solidarity, they won the severance they were owed. And more–the plant is reopening under new ownership, making energy-efficient windows with all the workers hired back at their old wages.
And this week, Chicago is making it a trend. Hartmarx is a 122-year-old company that makes business suits, including the navy blue number that Barack Obama wore on election night and his inaugural tuxedo and topcoat.
Hartmarx is in bankruptcy. Its biggest creditor is Wells Fargo, recipient of $25 billion in bailout money from the public. While there are two offers on the table to buy the company and keep it operating, Wells Fargo wants to liquidate it. On Monday 650 workers voted to occupy their Chicago factory if the bank goes ahead with liquidation.
To be continued…


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Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Launched e-NAM Mobile App
Agriculture is the backbone of India. Most of the citizens of India are from rural and village community which is still now relying only upon agriculture. Being one of the country with rich agricultural resources, there are many agriculturalists taking some of the wrong decision and ending up their life. This is one of the biggest problems for the ruling parties in India as they were concerned about the lives of those people who are relying on the agriculture for their survival.
Introduction of NAM:
To safeguard the lives of poor agriculturalists and to make sure that they are having a better life standard and income, government of India has recently introduced one of the most revolutionary scheme, which is National Agriculture Market (NAM). The idea behind forming such groups is to make sure that agriculturalists can now make their own decision on what price they must be selling rather than just listening to the words of money minded commission agents and wholesale stocking agents.
The idea behind this National Agriculture Market (NAM) is to make sure that all people involved in agriculture must know about the price for the product which they are selling in rest of the India and how well it is being trending in both price and quantity. If agriculturalists are very well informed about these details, they can now make their pricing decision in an opt manner and make sure that they are deciding their own selling price rather than going with the decision that is made by a third party.
Introduction of app:
To take NAM to the next level, government of India has now introduced another revolutionary thing in this field, which is nothing but e-NAM. The entire website of NAM is now available in the form a little app which can reside easily in most of the android model mobile phones. With the help of e-NAM, it is now very easy to check for useful information about agricultural products and it’s pricing without any necessity to go to a computer center or any other places.
The advantage of making use of the app against the regular website is as follows:
- As android phones became more prevalent in India, it is now very easy for various farmers and agriculturalists across India to make efficient use of various services offered by NAM
- The app is designed in a smart manner such that there is no need to browse much through the app to get the required information
- App can now synchronize very easily to internet and display all latest information without any problem as it can now work efficiently even in low speed internet connections
- The app is available free for all people in India, all people have to do is that they must download the app either from play store or directly from the website and install it in their phones
- To ensure that even less educated people can also make use of the app, menu in the app and the features are made in dark characters
|Application Launched for||e-NAM Platform|
|Launched Application||e-NAM App|
|Initiated by||Mr. Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare|
|Objective of the scheme||To connect trading markets under e-NAM for farmers benefits|
|Main feature of the scheme||To support all farmers in India to improve their standard of life and get more profit from their products|
At the current point of time, the project has not reached many people in India. There are also attempts made by government to take it across people in agricultural background and make the scheme of e-NAM to be a great success in the field of agriculture and farmer welfare.
Ministry has recently told that there are many attractive changes now made in the aspects of e-NAM which will also now reflect in the app too. If this is the case, then it will be a boon for all farmers and agriculturalists in India as there will be flat pricing across the country and also it will benefit farmers from poor background as they cannot be fooled anymore by the commission agents. Farmers can now get all updated information with the help of e-NAM app which helps them to decide about the pricing with real time data.
At the Launch Event
Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh recently launched the e-NAM App in New Delhi along with the state minister Shri Parshoottam Rupala. On the launch occasion, the respected union minister announced that 250 markets across 10 states of the nation get connected with the e-NAM mobile App. Also he insists that in nearby future the app will be integrated with around 350+ mandis from 14 different states.
On quoting the success of e-NAM platform, the minister conveyed about Rs.421 crore was transacted under the platform and over 160K farmers, around 47k traders along with 25,970 commission agents are registered on the e-NAM platform and those numbers are expected to increase further. On considering the target set in the first phase of e-NAM platform of reaching 585 markets by 2018th March, the platform is about to attain 400 markets within the end of March 2017.
As we live in the digital world, the launch of the e-NAM mobile application would enable farmers to get access with the National Market with wide options to gain more profits.


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The recall affects 2012 through 2014 Nissan Juke crossovers; 2012–2013 Infiniti M56 sedans and QX56 SUVs; and 2014–2015 models of the QX70 and QX80 utility vehicles. Nissan says no fires or injuries have been reported in relation to the defect.
- 2015 Nissan Juke: Still Funky
- The All-New 2015 Nissan Murano Packs Edgy Styling and Familiar Driving
- Nissan Announces Pricing on the All-New Murano
The U.S. recall is part of a global action covering about 470,000 of the automaker’s vehicles. Nissan will begin alerting owners by January 26, 2015, with dealership service departments inspecting and replacing the affected fuel-pressure sensors if needed.


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whey proteins a potential ingredient for food dustry a review -padods magaze
Gelatin capsule edible gelatin granule low dose chicken native type ii collagen,[industrial producer of whey protein]Original title Wal-Mart officially apologize: Commodity signage is listed as “national▷△” department “National” departments business negligence [Global Network] Some foreign brands, including Marriott•■★●, etc. After these brands realized the mistakes and apologized and corrected△◇, there was a company to try again to test the bottom line of the Chinese. On the afternoon of March 16, the netizen @ 公益 star broke the news, saying that in Beijing Wal-Machang Pingdongguan…▽▲☆, there is a product being labeled “National Taiwan Taiwan”. Wal-Mart China official microblogging on the 16th, at 23◇▼■●:30…△=□, the apology statement◇△▽, the event caused “Local shop Individual staff work negligence, listing individual commodity signs as national”, Wal-Mart has immediately defended the store immediately correct the wrong mistake And reiterate o.
Original title: Central Bank Report: 48.2% of residents expects the price “basics” New Beijing News China New Beijing News (Reporter Di Di) Central Bank today released “Investigation Report of the First Quarter Town Savings in 2018-•▽■” (The “Report”) shows that the lower quarter, 31●••=.4% of residents expect ★○=”rising…▪”, 48.2% of residents expect “basically unchanged▲☆”▲▷=, 9▼▲.9% of residents expect ◆☆◆”decline”, 10□△▲★.5% residents ” quasi”. In contrast the survey of the previous quarter, the expected residents have declined slightly from the previous season (32.0%)□●, and the ★•★”basic unchanged” residents have risen slightly from the previous season (48%), and the residents expected ▷-“decline” residents The season (9▲▪.3%) has risen. According to the central banks official website★☆▲•, the Peoples Bank of Chi.
Original title: Restoration of the United States will provide a relief to farmers△◆: Trade war will only damage people “Foreign Ministry Spokesmans Office” public number (XWS4_FMPRC) message, on July 25, the Foreign Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the reporter asked The US government announced yesterday that it will provide US farmers with $ 12 billion relief to compensate for the impact of Sino-US trade war. Whats your opinion? Dellar•▼: For specific responses to this issue■▪◁, you should ask the business sector. I just want to emphasize◁=★: First, we have said many times before, the trade war has no winner○▼, the US insisted that the trade war will only harm others. Second, we hope that the United States listens to the rational sound of the domestic community, listen to the general voice of the international community, recognize the situation, weigh the pros and cons, dont get away from the wrong roa.


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Southwest Airlines flies south of the border, prompting fare cuts
Airline travelers looking to save money have a couple of reasons to cheer and one cause to grouse.
The good news is that airlines in the U.S. are setting aside more seats for travelers wanting to redeem loyalty reward points. Also, airfares to Mexico and Central America have dropped sharply since Southwest Airlines began selling tickets to those destinations, forcing competing carriers to match the lower fares.
The bad news is that federal officials now say airlines that offer super-cheap fares by mistake are not required to honor the deals.
A survey to determine the availability of seats for loyalty rewards members concluded last week that U.S. carriers are increasingly generous with rewards seats. For example, when survey takers made online requests for seats for rewards club members on Alaska Airlines, they found seats available 80% of the time, up from 58.6% of the time last year.
The increased number of seats may show that airlines are trying harder to keep loyal customers happy, said Daniel Farrar, chief executive of Switchfly, a company that develops software for airline and hotel loyalty rewards programs. Switchfly commissioned the survey.
“The key takeaway is that airlines can’t afford to allow a single customer to have a bad experience,” he said.
For travelers planning to vacation south of the border, an analysis by the travel website Farecompare.com found that fares to vacation spots like Cabo and Cancun have dropped by more than 50% since low-fare carrier Southwest recently announced new routes from Houston to Mexico and Central America, starting in October.
Farecompare Chief Executive Rick Seaney attributed the drop to “good ol’ competition.”
But if you find a super low fare that was the result of a mistake by the airlines, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a temporary ruling saying airlines do not have to honor those prices as long as they reimburse the out-of-pocket expenses of travelers who bought the mistaken fares.
Airlines routinely make errors on fares, but they retract only the most egregious mistakes to save on the administrative cost of canceling hundreds of tickets, said George Haskell, chief executive for Flightfishing.com, a travel website that monitors such mistakes.
“Airlines are working hard to put a lid on these things,” he said. “Every time it happens, it’s a public relations disaster.”
To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.
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History: This brand was started in 2000 by London Institute (now University of the Arts London) graduate Yusuke Yanagi, when he was working as a freelance designer. Now 37 years old, he took full control of the brand’s sales and business activities when he established his own company in 2008.
Design philosophy: “Rather than taking inspiration from something and then making things based on that, I make clothes by thinking how I want them to feel when they’re completed. Then, in order to materialize that, I use my own know-how.”
Key items for fall: Ankle-length pin-striped pants and fine wale corduroys, waffle-knit sweaters in subtle two-tone color contrasts, nylon-cotton blend raincoats, collarless shirts and reversible quilted vests.
Price points: In Japan, prices range from 15,000 yen, or about $147, for a checked shirt, to 26,000 yen, or about $254, for a raincoat.
Distribution: Revolver in San Francisco, Blue Button Shop in Toronto and Steven Alan in Tokyo
Key takeaway for the season: “I really think a lot about the use of color in my clothes,” Yanagi said, pointing to a navy blue raincoat that looks almost iridescent in the light due to the contrasting ways the fibers take to the dye.
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews
@prada is introducing a new project at its men’s fall 2018 show this Sunday: “Prada Invites.” The fashion house invited four celebrated creative minds – @ronanaerwanbouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, @herzogdemeuron and @rem.koolhaas – to each create a unique item with its iconic nylon material. The designs will be unveiled on the runway show, which will take place at the company’s warehouse in Viale Ortles 25. #wwdfashion #mfwm (📷: @martinocarrera)
@kering_official is spinning off its stake in puma in an effort to focus on its luxury brands, the brand operator announced yesterday. “We are proud to have supported the turnaround of Puma, which now has unrivaled capabilities to take full advantage of the specific dynamics of its global markets and is poised to achieve substantial growth,” said François-Henri Pinault, Kering’s chief executive officer and chairman. Artémis will become a “long-term strategic shareholder” of Puma with a 29 percent stake. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
The fashion world mourns for celebrated street style photographer, Nabile Quenum, who died at age 32 in Paris.
Quenum, creator of the fashion blog “J’ai Perdu Ma Veste,” was a fashion week fixture, and regularly shot for New York magazine’s The Cut, among other outlets, and brands such as Louis Vuitton, Moncler and Adidas. He was also actively involved in the #NoFreePhotos initiative, which kicked off in the fall. Read more about Quenum in @kbsmoke's story on WWD.com. #wwdnews
@verwanggang and @maisonladuree have teamed up on a dessert collab called Vera Wang Pour Ladurée. The collection, which launched this week, features a specialty macaroon, as well as a wedding cake inspired by one of the designer’s gowns. “I could not imagine a more delicate or sophisticated creation to grace any couple’s celebration,” said Wang. #wwdfashion


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- Indian auto manufacturers import nearly INR 30,000 Cr of electronics and related systems; imports have gone down, severely impacting the supply chain
- For semiconductors, automotive OEMs compete with other industries like IT, consumer electronics, mobile and medical equipment that witnessed unprecedented demand during COVID-19
New Delhi, 16 February 2021: As India recuperates from the impact of COVID-19, automobile OEMs have started to witness a steady increase in vehicle demand due to the revival of car sales. However, the semiconductor industry is finding it difficult to address the increasing demand as it also caters to other industries like IT, consumer electronics, mobile and medical equipment that witnessed unprecedented demand during COVID-19. This challenge in the supply chain can be mitigated with effective technology-based planning, according to EY India report titled ‘Semiconductor supplies hitting vehicle sales: How Supply Chain challenges can be effectively managed through Digital Technology & Solutions for planning’.
Vinay Raghunath, Partner and Automotive Sector Leader, EY India, said, “Today, semiconductors are an essential part of the DNA of new age gadgets spanning smartphones, laptops and cars. The post-covid demand growth across sectors has created a sudden splurge in demand for semiconductors which is another supply chain constraint that automotive manufacturers need to prioritize and address.”
Automobile OEMs were faced with the threat of decreased consumer mobility due to work from home and lockdowns during the onset of the pandemic. Vehicle manufacturers’ projections were initially correct – during April ’20 to June ’20, which witnessed nearly near zero offtake in automobile sales. Ironically, the pandemic also witnessed an increase in demand of high-end TVs, mobile phones, entertainment systems and laptops to serve the “forced to stay at home consumers”.
Yugesh Aglawe, Partner – Supply Chain, Business Consulting, EY India, said, “The current semiconductor shortage will certainly revive with time, however other similar disruptions may occur again. Automobile manufacturers should make use of rapid what-if scenario modelling capabilities that are available in modern day Intelligent digital planning solutions to assess such risks in advance. The ones who do this will mitigate their risks better and win more often in the market.”
Semiconductor manufacturing is a complex global intertwined ecosystem, which has led to a supply chain that is vulnerable to macroeconomics, natural disasters and other factors. Semiconductor companies operate in several different countries and jurisdictions with country specific and international laws relating to health and environment regulations. One such example is the equipment for lithography, a vital step needed for front-end manufacturing, an area where one player commands more than 80% market share.
Notes to editors
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This news release has been issued by EY Services Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.


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Cookies have long been used to identify internet users and direct relevant advertising to their digital apparatuses, but Google apparently believes that method has become as stale as baked goods bearing their namesake.
USA Today (opens in new tab) reported on Sept. 17 that search giant Google may be planning to ditch web browser cookies in favor of its own anonymous identifier for advertising, or AdID.
According to the unnamed, loose-lipped source who tipped off the newspaper, AdID would effectively replace the traditional method companies like Google use to present web advertising to consumers, while at the same time offering them more anonymity.
Although Google hasn't made such plans public, the company certainly has good reason for spearheading the effort - after all, roughly a third of the company's worldwide revenue is generated from advertising.
While most internet users are at least familiar with the term "cookie," few probably realize what it actually is: A tiny bit of text containing an identification tag, which is passed from the browser to websites that communicate with it.
In their purest form, cookies identify consumers to the website they visit - such as e-tailers remembering web logins upon subsequent visits - but they can also be used for more nefarious deeds.
Last year, Google settled a case with the Federal Trade Commission over accusations it had its own hand in the virtual cookie jar of Apple Safari users, which resulted in a $22.5 million (about £15.52m, AU$26.3m) "civil penalty" settlement.
Google declined to comment specifically on any potential plans for AdID beyond recognizing that "we and others have a number of concepts in this area, but they're all at very early stages."
- Apple's iOS 7 is here - and so is the full TechRadar review!


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Ingersoll Rand named to 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indices; Danfoss names Mads-Peter Clausen vice president of oil-free technology development; more HVAC manufacturer news briefs.
Fujitsu General America Inc. names Matt Peterson president and COO; Modine Mfg. Co. announces it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Luvata Heat Transfer Solutions; more HVAC news briefs.
Field Controls LLC names Jeremy Troutman project engineer; Carrier Corp. announces its Côr thermostat is now compatible with Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices, such as Echo and Echo Dot; more HVAC manufacturer news briefs.
Emerson Electric Co. signs agreement to purchase the valves and controls business of Pentair plc.; Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. names national account manager of HVAC systems; more HVAC manufacturer news briefs.


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At least six passengers and one member of the ship’s crew were left injured after a mass brawl broke out aboard the cruise ship Britannia, operated by the British cruise line P&O.
P&O Cruises has celebrated a key milestone in the construction of its new cruise ship Iona with the laying of goodluck coins in her keel and the float out of the middle-block […]
The Middle East cruise market, based primarily out of Dubai, and the Indian sector, based primarily out Mumbai, has seen the largest-ever capacity increase in a single year, with a year-on-year jump […]
P&O Cruises announced back in June last year that it was selling its oldest and smallest ship, the 1995-built Oriana, out of the fleet, but the buyer was never revealed, until now.
P&O Cruises has revealed a brand-new seven-night Dubai and Arabian Gulf itinerary for the 2020/21 cruise season in the UAE, along with more overnight stays in port and a new 65-night Caribbean […]
P&O Cruises’ 19-night cruise from Dubai to Southampton on March 24th, 2020 is a taste of what ocean liner voyages between Australia and Britain must have been like in the 19th and […]
The Port of Southampton and Carnival UK, the Southampton-based owners of P&O Cruises, have announced a US $15.5-million package of investments aimed at upgrading the current Ocean Terminal to accommodate P&O Iona.
Cruise vacations are an increasingly popular way to relax, unwind and recharge. And while at sea, there’s opportunity for guests to embrace some of life’s most enjoyable pleasures – with wine-tasting and […]
As experienced cruisers know and first-timers quickly discover, there is something to laugh out loud about on the high seas. Some of the top stand-up comedians in the world come on board […]
For the first time ever, eight cruise lines will be homeporting nine cruise ships in Dubai for the 2019/2020 winter cruise season that runs from November to March annually.