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Businesses in today's global economy rely on some sort of technology to earn profits, keep customers happy and save money on staffing costs. Business owners and managers need to recognize several strategic technology trends that will drive profits for the next decade. Without planning for new business technology now, owners may see profits dwindle in coming years.
Gordon Ching, Chief Digital Officer for AIESEC, spoke of a presentation he viewed at the 2014 Gartner Symposium ITXPO in Barcelona. Ching summarized Gartner Fellow and company vice president Daryl Plummer's top 10 strategic technology trends that company officers must anticipate in the next three years. Expect advances in robotics and computer software to dominate coming business technology. Business must adopt some, if not all, of these concepts or face declining profits and fewer customers.
Due to smart machines that run various industrial processes, the cost of business ownership will drop 30 percent by 2018. Chief technology officers must experiment with this strategic technology trend to take advantage of more automation at the office. More automation reduces staff time, lowers overhead and saves money. Leading the way is digitization; verbal commands and hand gestures will input computerized information instead of keyboards. Three-dimensional printer prices will become less expensive and businesses can offer more personalized choices for a wider range of customers.
Three major strategic technology trends business owners should look into now include mobile digital assistants, mobile engagement behavior and customer experience innovations. Mobile digital assistants include home appliances such as refrigerators that recognize your milk is about to expire, so the refrigerator orders milk for you to replenish your stock. Mobile engagement behavior involves technology that creates customer interactions on mobile devices. By 2017, up to 50 percent of e-commerce revenue will come from customers who use mobile devices to shop. Customer experience innovations combine social media, crowdsourced solutions and ethnographic research to better assess the needs of customers.
All of these emerging patterns will allow companies to shift resources towards targeted messaging, which is perhaps the most important strategic technology trend owners should pay attention to in 2014. By 2018, companies that personalize someone's content with real-time offers will see a 20 percent increase in customer visits. This includes disruptive technologies such as advertising placed by previous online searches, previous digital communications with the company and previous purchasing trends.
These technologies also point to shifting employment trends. IT jobs, application developers and web designers all have inroads to future positions. Hiring these employees will become an increasingly online endeavor with video chat interviews, infographic résumés and video cover letters. Tech job candidates should show prospective employers they can use new technology before setting foot in a future manager's office.
Business owners, no matter how many employees they have or how much they make in quarterly profits, must pay attention to these strategic technology trends, or their business models will no longer work. As with life forms adapting to changes on Earth, businesses must adapt or perish.
Photo courtesy of osphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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Lava A93, an entry-level 3G smartphone, has been launched in India at Rs 7,999. The dual SIM smartphone is listed on company’s website in gold and grey colour options. Lava A93 gets a 5.5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Lava has made its entry into the notebook segment with the launch of the Helium 14. The domestic handset maker has collaborated with Microsoft and Intel to launch its fist laptop, which it plans to sell for Rs 14,999. The budget laptop has already been made available exclusively on Flipkart.
Lava Z25 features a 5.5-inch HD IPS display, while the Z10 has a 5-inch screen. Both the smartphones run Android 6.0 Marshmallow with company’s Star OS 3.3.
Lava has launched the first 4G-enabled smart feature phone in India called Lava 4G Connect M1.
Lava has launched a new feature phone, dubbed Metal 24 in India. It is aimed at first-time phone buyers.
Lava X81 is priced at Rs 11,500 and comes with 3GB RAM. But is this phone good enough to take on the competition?
Lava has launched X81 smartphone with a metallic finish and Android 6.0 OS priced at Rs 11,500.
Lava KKT Ultra+ Union is a feature phone with support for 22 Indian languages priced at Rs 1,500
Lava Twinpad wants to be a twin computer – a device that can easily juggle between being a laptop and a tablet, but doesn’t impress.
Lava has announced the launch of Twinpad, a tablet that runs the latest Windows 10 at Rs 15,999.
Our Lava X10 review unit came in black. But does it really deliver on overall aspects? We put it to test
Lava Mobiles today announced the launch of its new flagship V5 smartphone in India for Rs 11,499.
Lava has announced the launch of its flagship Ivory M4 tablet priced at Rs 9,299. The tablet is 7.9mm thick and features an 8-inch display.
Lava has introduced two new devices- Iris Atom and Iris Atom 3- in its Atom series for Rs 4249 and Rs 4899 respectively
Lava International has launched a new smartphone called X10 with 3GB RAM and 4G LTE support for Rs 11,500.

domain: news


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Coca-Cola becomes seventh and final commercial partner of the Premier League
While the financial details of the agreement have not been...
Coca-Cola has agreed to become the official soft drink partner of the English Premier League
While the financial details of the agreement have not been released, the partnership is understood to be Coca-Cola’s biggest UK sponsorship deal.
In addition to the Premier League, Coca-Cola sponsors the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
The Premier League’s six other partnerships include Barclays, Nike, Carling, EA Sports, Cadbury, and Tag Heuer.
Coca-Cola’s partnership with the Premier League begins January 2019, and will run for three years.
“We have a long and rich history supporting football at all levels, from the grass roots to the world stage”, said Jon Woods, general manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland.
The Premier League website states that “both the Premier League and Coca-Cola Great Britain are working to promote sustainability and recycling and so we will use the partnership to work together to continue this, with more details to come in early 2019”.
As part of the partnership, Coca-Cola will run a nationwide Premier League Trophy Tour to gives fans “an opportunity to get even closer to the Premier League and connect with the game they love”.
Starbucks to open 10,000 sustainable stores in bid to save US$50mn
The plans come under an initiative called the “Starbucks G...
Starbucks has announced plans to open 10,000 “greener stores” around the world by 2025
The plans come under an initiative called the “Starbucks Greener Stores Framework”, which the coffee company will develop with experts in the field such as SCS Global Services, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Kevin Johnson, Starbucks’ CEO, said in a company statement that Starbucks has a responsibility to promote environmental sustainability.
“We are a company in [sic] that believes, in the fabric of mission and values, that the pursuit of profit is not in conflict with the pursuit of doing good”.
The announcement aligns with Starbucks’ efforts over the past decade to create sustainable buildings, working in partnership with the US Green Building Council.
The company has said it will go beyond the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) sustainable building criteria, which it developed alongside the US Green Building Council, to focus on powering its stores in the US and Canada with 100% renewable energy.
- Coca-Cola becomes seventh and final commercial partner of the Premier League
- Jim Donald appointed the CEO of Albertsons
- Can technology help the hospitality sector avert a staffing crisis?
Starbucks plans to introduce technology to both new buildings and in renovations of existing stores that will save 25-30% on energy and water use.
Marketing Magazine said this could save Starbucks around US$50mn incrementally over the next decade.
This year, Starbucks committed to eliminate its reliance on single-use straws in 28,000 stores by 2020, and also said that it is developing compostable paper cups.


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Back at the end of 2020, ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) released a Music Streaming Platform called Resso. Its deeply social nature, similar to SoundCloud and its comment section. Now going a step further they have created SoundOn, a Music Distribution Platform. Described by TikTok as, “an all-in-one platform for music marketing and distribution,” it seems that SoundOn is attempting to become a valuable resource for up-and-coming artists trying to promote their music.
This attempt to encourage growth for new and undiscovered artists seems to be taking a huge leap from what TikTok has already previously developed. Their music streaming platform, Resso, has seen moderate success in the two years its been released. Now, SoundOn will allow artists to upload and license their music for use on TikTok and Resso. Artists begin to receive payouts as soon as their music is used.
Integrating the deal made with independent artist distribution platform UnitedMasters in 2020, the SoundOn platform has allowed artists to push their music beyond TikTok. This deal allows users to distribute their music directly to other streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Instagram.
In a colossal leap from other platforms, artists receive 100 % of royalties for their first year and 90% afterward. This is excluding ByteDance platforms which stay at 100%. These numbers seem almost unreal all things considered. Not only this but the resources beyond simple licensing are available for those signing up for SoundOn. Joining gives you access to things like audience insight and development, “expert” advice from the SoundOn Artist Team. Participating artists will also get access to TikTok’s song tab where music is linked on profile pages, and marketing support on the TikTok platform itself, through creator promotion.
SoundOn is live in the US, UK, Indonesia, and Brazil, allowing artists to upload their music to multiple streaming services immediately. TikTok is claiming that they are already seeing a turnaround for artists using this platform. Noting that artists on SoundOn have already gone on to sign record and publishing deals, and to work with co-writers and “established names.”
Too Good To Be True?
The frustrating treatment of artists in the modern music industry has found little relief in the past few years. So forgive our wariness over a deal that sounds just a little too good to be true. TikTok’s viral nature has the capability to get an artist’s music out to tons of new people quickly. But the marketing is so deeply unsustainable is begs the question if the notoriety is even worth much. The royalties alone make SoundOn stand out drastically compared to other platforms, piquing our interest greatly. As music lovers, we look forward to seeing the development with this platform. We can only pray that it really does help reorganize an industry in ways that we have never had but desperately need. Holding onto the hope that this is the first step into a music future where artists are compensated properly and supported thoroughly by the industry they built.
Connect with Electric Hawk to keep up on the latest music news coverage!
Looking for new music? Keep up with our weekly Spotify Playlist, Fresh Hunts. Updated every Friday with all the latest releases. Whether it’s the newest drops from your favorite artists, all your favorite artists, some old-school, or underground…we just want you to hear it.


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A village shopkeeper fears having to shut her store with job losses after council chiefs ordered her to remove a roadside advertising sign.
The Londis store and garage are the hub of the village of Clynnog Fawr, which has 1,000 inhabitants, and which had a new £20.2m bypass for the A499 in 2013.
It is located between Caernarfon and Pwllheli.
St Beuno’s Church was a resting point for Saints on their way to Ynys Enlli (Bardsey) Gwynedd The store is run as a community enterprise and has an advertising sign pointing motorists towards the shop.
Christine Beavis, who runs the store said: “I have had a Londis sign there since I have been here for seven years with no bother at all.
“An officer from Gwynedd Council came over this week and said they had a complaint about the sign.
“He said that I had seven days from Tuesday to remove the sign or else they would remove it. But it has been there since 2010.”
Christine said: “We are a local community shop. My staff are all volunteers and giving their time as first responders for the Welsh Ambulance Service. We do it for the benefit of the community.”
She said the sign was placed at the side of the road with the permission of Gwynedd Council and she warned that removing it could seriously harm her trade.
Christine said: “If I do not get the trade that I need for the summer, my shop may suffer and if I suffer then my shop will have to close.”
Local Clynnog and Gwynedd Cllr Owain Williams has fought hard to try and keep the shop in the village.
Cllr Williams said: “The shop almost closed because of the bypass. The tenant was in tears after being told by the council officer to remove the sign. Small businesses are already struggling while the council claims that it is supporting them. We are looking at up to seven people losing their jobs.”
A Gwynedd Council spokesman said: “A complaint was made to the council’s transportation service regarding a sign on the public highway at Clynnog Fawr.
“An officer from the council visited the site and saw that the sign had been positioned contrary to current legislation. Consequently, the officer asked the owners to remove it.”


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Selling telecommunications technology can be volatile, as two local companies found out last week.
TELECOM WINNER, LOSER TELLABS' STOCK ZOOMS WHILE TELULAR'S SLIDES
The stock of one soared while the other stumbled, even though both are basing their fortunes on selling sophisticated products in the international market.
Tellabs Inc. of Lisle was the winner, thanks in part to record earnings in the second quarter. Telular Corp., newly moved to Buffalo Grove and pinning its hopes on sales of wireless products in developing nations, watched its stock plunge.
Tellabs reported last week that second-quarter revenues jumped 72% to $123.0 million and net income more than tripled to $17.0 million, or 38 cents a share.
The company has gotten a big boost from international sales, in part from its recently acquired Finnish subsidiary, Martis Oy.
Tellabs is aiming for 50% of sales overseas, said Peter Guglielmi, chief financial officer and president of the international division. And the steadily increasing percentages-first quarter 31%, second quarter 36%-indicates progress.
"We've begun to see success; we won major (bids) outside of Scandinavia, in Ireland and Germany," Mr. Guglielmi said. Involved in bidding in the Far East and South America, Mr. Guglielmi is confident "we'll win our fair share. Our global strategy to expand into international markets is starting to bear fruit."
Said Ted J. Morea, telecommunications analyst for Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee: "It's a question of having the right product in the right place."
Mr. Morea said Tellabs' success came from its improvement of a fiber optic product that can be used by telephone, long-distance and cellular companies; the profitable overseas acquisition that positioned the company for European sales, and an older product line that remains in demand.
"It is still looking strong," Mr. Morea said. Baird is maintaining its highest buy rating on the stock.
On the other end of the spectrum was Telular.
The small company, which designs, manufacturers and markets wireless communication network products, went public in January and its stock hit a high of $24.50. But investors subsequently cooled: The stock has traded from about $13 to less than $16, said Jim Vodak, executive vice-president for marketing and sales.
Chief Financial Officer Dan Wagster added that Telular's stock is "event-driven," although there have been no announcements for the last few days that would account for the drop.
If you held UAL Corp. stock when shareholders approved the employee buyout last week, you may be wondering how to value your investment in the wake of the restructuring.
Old UAL stock closed at $128 on July 12, before the buyout, but settled at $92 when the new UAL stock resumed trading on the New York Stock Exchange the next day.
How can you tell if the stock's up or down since the buyout?
Get out a pencil and follow along: Old UAL holders received $84.81 in cash and half a share of the new UAL for one old UAL share. Subtract the cash payout from the $128 per share at which UAL closed before the buyout. That leaves $43.19 for the value of the half-share of new UAL stock that shareholders received. Double that half-share value, and the new UAL stock was worth $86.38 per share.
Investors, cheered that the deal was finally done, ran bidding to as high as $105 on Wednesday. UAL closed Friday at $95, up 8% for the week, after adjusting for the financial restructuring.


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Groceries and pharmacy classify as essential commodities, which means most supermarkets and department stores remained operational during the MCO. However, few of the problems faced by these retail stores were - long queues, shortage of stocks, and travel restrictions that posed a challenge as consumers raced to buy daily necessities and avoid slim pickings. However, with time, footfalls to department stores and supermarkets decreased. The impact of COVID-19 finally reared its head and businesses had to work out strategies to connect with the audience and maintain sales.
BitQuest has been keeping track of various industry trends during these times. And in this article, we bring for you key points that will prove vital in the reshaping of the Retail Industry post this MCO.
Here are some of the trends and insights from the Retail Industry in Malaysia:
The result after the decrease in footfalls at the retail stores was a huge surge of businesses digitising their operations. We saw a whooping 36% bump in online e-commerce for the retail industry. The tally went from 38% before the MCO to 52% during the MCO. During the MCO, online shopping was seen as a way to minimise risk of infections by staying home. Hence, key players in this industry have experienced a big jump in their online shopping platform’s traffic during the first week of MCO, notably Jaya Grocer experienced an outstanding 600% increase and Tesco observed a 450% increase when compared to stats prior to the implementation of MCO.
The digitization of physical stores will be a recurrent trend, which businesses willing to maintain an online presence as well.
During 1 - 7 Apr 2020, there was an increase in social media interactions across Facebook and Instagram for the retail industry. In terms of content, there has been a spike in video views during the third week of the MCO. The top 3 most interactive posts for the department store and supermarket industry on Facebook and Instagram during 1 - 7 Apr 2020 are coincidentally all in video format, which explains the spike in video views.
Malaysians were interacting on video posts such as Watsons’ health tips sharing and IKEA’s stay at home PSA. The post with the second highest interaction is from Tesco, which is a contest that gives participants a chance to win a staycation.
Content related to MCO were most viewed, again consolidating our theory of humanizing the brand. Situation related content receives the highest interactions from the audience base.
Among the top 10 posts with the highest interactions on Facebook, supermarket, convenience shops, and pharmacies that were operating during the MCO took the lead by holding 7 spots. In addition to promoting their products and services, brands are also sparking conversations online with informative posts on COVID-19 and relatable content encouraging people to stay at home.
When we talk about keywords, the top performing keywords on Facebook were, ‘online’ and ‘delivery’ in general while pharmacy-related keywords such as ‘guardian’, ‘watsons’, and ‘health’ were also frequently mentioned. For the top performing keywords on Instagram, ‘available’, ‘order’, ‘online’, and ‘shop’ took the lead.
On both platforms, the semblance shows the importance of digitization of businesses during the MCO.
With digitalization a change in online sales channels was inevitable. When it comes to e-commerce platform distribution for the department stores and supermarkets, there is a significant increase in call-to-action to WhatsApp on both Facebook and Instagram.
On Facebook, the call-to-actions to WhatsApp increased by 28% (45% to 58%) while Instagram saw an increase of an amzing 156% (23% to 59%) for call-to-actions to WhatsApp. The spike is in alignment with the initiative from more businesses such as Tesco and CARiNG Pharmacy offering home delivery services through orders placed via WhatsApp.
As supermarkets and department stores are the main players in supplying daily necessities to the consumers, their roles online and offline will continue to remain essential post the MCO as well. Therefore, we shall continue to see an increase in the e-commerce presence and social media strategy of these businesses. The move will not only be to push sales but also produce content that continues to make lives a little easier for the consumers as they face many unprecedented challenges ahead.
Source: Figures and facts adapted from Adqlo's Life-After-COVID19-Malaysia-Retail-Industry-Digital-Report.


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Apple won the sales ban in a patent dispute with the South Korean electronics maker just before it “won” a trial against Samsung.
At the time we at the all-seeing TechEye said that the victory was going to be unravelled in the appeal process, partly because it requires people to believe that Apple invented the rounded rectangle and partly because the badshit crazy jury foreman admitted ignoring the law completely.
But even with that stacked against it, Samsung was found not to have violated the patent that was the basis for the tablet injunction and Samsung argued the sales ban should be lifted.
US District Judge Lucy Koh said she could not act because Samsung had already appealed.
According to Reuters, the Federal US Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington said Koh could now consider the issue with its blessing.
The Galaxy 10.1 is an older model, Samsung still wants it in the shops in the run-up to Christmas shopping.


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Apple generously coughed up a reported $100 million to deliver the latest U2 album free to more than 500 million iTunes customers, but over the last week an increasing number of music fans have whined on social media about getting a raw deal.
There were plenty of other things rumored alongside the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c for Tuesday, but at least one of them -- a software update for the Apple TV -- is said to still be in the cards for next week.
It seems like poor Apple just can't get a break -- despite record revenues almost every quarter and the iPhone/iPad powerhouse dominating most of the markets where they're sold, Cupertino keeps taking it on the chin. In today's recap, we'll look at Leap's lower than expected iPhone sales and HTC's efforts to get users to switch to its Android devices… of course, at Apple's expense...
As the entertainment world mourns the loss of director Tony Scott and comedian Phyllis Diller on this sleepy Monday, it seems Warner Bros. has a bit of a bright spot for fans of Digital Copy and iTunes in the Cloud. The studio is extending Digital Copy expiration dates on most of its DVD and Blu-ray titles, so be sure to hit your library and see if you can claim any codes that might have lapsed in recent years. And on that note, let's jump into the recap for Monday, August 20, 2012.
Apple beefed up its international audience for iTunes in the Cloud this week, adding 37 more countries capable of downloading their movie purchases again. But Cupertino didn't stop there, quietly pulling the trigger on the same feature for 20th Century Fox titles as well.
Companies are releasing their Q2 2012 financials left and right this week, but of course the one we're really waiting for is Apple's, which will swoop in next Tuesday, presumably ahead of the release of OS X Mountain Lion. Meanwhile, Cupertino is blasting out iTunes in the Cloud in a ton of new countries and Microsoft sets a date for Windows 8 -- all in today's recap for Thursday, July 19, 2012.
It may seem hard to believe for those of us who take it for granted, but there are still many parts of the world where the iTunes Store is not available. Thankfully, there are now 12 less places without it across Asia today.
iTunes in the Cloud got way cooler with the launch of the new iPad last month, when Apple announced that movies could now be re-downloaded from any device using your iCloud account. Unfortunately, HBO restrictions held Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox back from joining the party -- but progress is finally being made.


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Mattel Earnings Rise 35 Pct. 4th Quarter
Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, February 2, 2003
Profits jumped 35 percent at Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy company, in the fourth quarter, fueled by strong sales of its Barbie brand.
The results beat Wall Street expectations and Mattel shares rose.
Mattel reported on Monday that it earned $186 million, or 42 cents per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with $138 million, or 31 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.
Revenue for the quarter rose 7 percent to $1.67 billion, compared to $1.56 billion in the same period last year.
In the most recent quarter, the company recorded a $25.4 million pre-tax charge for the settlement of shareholder lawsuits related to its ill-fated 1999 acquisition of The Learning Co. Mattel also took a pre-tax charge of $7.2 million in the quarter as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures, including the closing of North American distribution and manufacturing facilities.
Without one-time charges, Mattel said its net income for the quarter rose 23 percent to $190 million, or 43 cents per share.
The results easily beat estimates of 38 cents per share made by analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call.
The better than expected results were led by increases in Barbie sales worldwide, which rose 17 percent in the quarter. Sales in Mattel's girl's division, which also includes its American Girl and Polly Pocket brands, grew 10 percent.
Sales in the boy's division fell 3 percent in the quarter because of declines in its Tyco remote control vehicle line and Harry Potter merchandise.
Sales in Mattel's infant and preschool division rose 14 percent in the quarter, led by its Fisher-Price brand.
For the full year, Mattel said net income dropped 23 percent to $230 million, or 52 cents per share, compared to $299 million, or 68 cents per share in 2001.
Revenue for the year increased 4 percent to $4.89 billion, compared to $4.69 billion in 2001.
Shares of Mattel rose $1.03, or 5.2 percent, to close Monday at $21.03 on the New York Stock Exchange.
On the Net:


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Google rolled out a machine learning-powered display product called Smart display campaigns on Thursday. The product is now generally available to all advertisers buying native, image or text ads across the Google Display Network (GDN).
Smart display campaigns are accessible via AdWords and reach more than 3 million GDN sites and apps on GDN now.
Beta testers like hotel search platform trivago have seen conversions increase an average of 20% across the board compared to standard display campaigns priced at the same CPA.
In its Smart display campaigns, which increased conversions 36%, trivago uploaded creative targeting different demos, set its price, budget and bid goals, and then Smart Display automatically generated 25,000 custom ads catering to the needs of different consumer targets.
Google claims Smart display uses machine learning to improve ad decisioning. While that capability isn’t new, Google argues it differentiates with pure scale.
“The opportunity here is to personalize ads based on what a user has previously done and deliver them in real time,” said Brad Bender, VP of product management for Google. “We update AdWords audiences in real time so when a consumer hits mute on an ad, for instance, we learn what they don’t like automatically and feed that into our machine learning.”
Within GDN, millions of signals make up each targeting and bid decision, so machine learning is vital for Google to wrangle it all.
Although Google leveraged large-scale machine learning for certain products like Automated Insights, that was largely limited to analytics.
“We heard from advertisers that they wanted it to be easier to sort through multiple targeting options, create multiple versions of their ad or do complex calculations to figure out what right bid to set,” Bender said. “Over time, we’d developed a number of tools to make this easier, like auto-adapting a creative to fit every screen size or applied machine learning to automate bidding.”
But Google’s goal is to bring these media and creative capabilities together in a single workflow while ramping up its use of machine learning in ads.
“Machine learning and artificial intelligence are really at the heart of what we’re doing at Google, which you’re seeing play out in analytics, Google Assistant, Maps, and it’s certainly relevant for ads, too,” Bender said.
Google said that AI concepts like machine learning are part of its entire organization’s ethos.
Google AI initiatives include projects like DeepMind, Alpha Go and A.I. Experiments, its open-source library for machine-learning applications.
“If there’s a model that gets built in another part of the business, we’re able to bring it in and see how it does in our organization since we have a back end that allows us to test different models,” Bender said.
Easier said than done, but from an advertiser’s perspective, Google’s goal is to strike a balance between simplicity and performance.
“They just log in, upload their assets and set their campaign parameters,” Bender said, “and we make the determinations to help them get to the outcomes they want.”


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- Fast-food CEOs have been slammed for making exponentially more than workers at their companies.
- Public companies are now required to report the ratio between the salaries of the company’s CEO and its "median" worker.
- At McDonald’s, the CEO makes 3,101 times as much as the median worker, while Starbucks‘ CEO makes 1,049 times the average employee.
- Here is how some of the biggest names in fast food stack up.
As fast-food workers fight to make $15 an hour, many CEOs have been slammed for their multimillion-dollar salaries.
Last year, the Securities and Exchange Committee made it mandatory for public companies to disclose the ratio of pay between their chief executive and "median" worker.
Companies often include a number of caveats in these filings. At most fast-food companies, the "median" worker — as determined by pay — is not a full-time worker, meaning that they likely work roughly 20 to 25 hours a week. It is difficult to directly compare fast-food rivals, as many mega-chains are franchised, meaning most in-store workers do not actually work directly for the company and therefore would not be included in calculations.
Further, CEOs typically are compensated in bonuses and stock on top of their base salary. For example, 90% of McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook’s compensation is directly tied to the company’s performance.
All caveats aside, the gap between CEO and the average worker is stark. For every $1 the average Starbucks worker made in 2018, CEO Kevin Johnson made $1,049 — and the gap was even greater at other fast-food industry giants.
Here is how 12 of the biggest names in fast food stack up when it comes to CEO-to-median worker pay.
12. Dunkin’ Brands (Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin Robbins)
Business Insider/Jessica Tyler
Ratio: 48.4 to 1
CEO pay: $5,349,292
Median worker pay: $110,471
Dunkin’ analyzed the pay of full-time, part-time, and temporary employees as of December 30, 2017 at its corporate offices as well as Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins chains.
11. Dine Brands (IHOP, Applebee’s)
Ratio: 64 to 1
CEO pay: $7,754,880
Median worker pay: $121,200
As a primarily franchised company, Dine Brands determined the median employee in 2017 based on the salaries of 487 workers in the US.
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
Ratio: 132 to 1
CEO pay: $2,761,084
Median worker pay: $20,976
In 2017, CEO Charlie Morrison made 132 times the median pay of Wingstop employees.
- McDonald’s is debuting another new breakfast item, and it reveals a massive shift in the fast-food chain’s strategy
- Nutella’s parent company is rolling out a ‘Better Butterfinger’ ad campaign to highlight the candy brand’s massive changes
- Bud Light’s and Coors Light’s corn-syrup battle reveals a dark reality for the beer industry
Source: Business Insider


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China’s ‘lingerie capital’: quiet farming region grows a US$300 million garment industry
SCMP, 28 Apr 2021
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A traditional farming region in Jiangsu province has become China's “lingerie capital”. Each year, more than 500 factories and tens of thousands of workers churn out women’s undergarments and sleepwear for the booming global lingerie industry. The transformation has given rise to a US$300 million business for the quiet coastal county of Guanyun.
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Food & Wine
The $20 ALDI Easter item that's causing a frenzy
Shoppers are taking to social media to brag about getting their hands on a limited-edition ALDI item.
A Hot Cross Bun Gin Liqueur has recently hit the German supermarket's shelves to help celebrate Easter, but people have quickly realised there aren't many bottles around.
Which is why, those lucky enough to nab the coveted item are happy to show it off.
One woman posted a photo on the Aldi Mums Facebook page, writing: “Yes got one! Engadine, NSW.”
Her post quickly attracted hundreds of comments many of which read “jealous” and “jello”.
However, others took a more savage approach, instead sharing photos of their hauls after snapping up more than one bottle when finding it in-store.
“Asked mum to buy me a bottle … but she has a shopping problem,” one woman wrote in the Australian Gin Appreciation Society Facebook group alongside a photo of four bottles on her bench top.
Another shopper in Wagga shared a photo of their two bottles gloriously lined up at home.
“For $20 a bottle it’s worth a try,” she said.
The posts have attracted many jealous shoppers who are livid they haven't gotten their hands on the gin just yet.
“If only we could find one,” one person commented.
“I’ve been looking but haven’t got my hands on one yet,” another sighed.
“This is so unfair, I’ve looked everywhere,” someone else chipped in.
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Google and others may be in the midst of developing self-driving cars but Japanese automobile giant Nissan is also making headway with work on its own such vehicle, this week taking it out on public roads in full automatic mode for the very first time.
The specially adapted Nissan Leaf, complete with its combination of lasers, radar, GPS, and cameras, was put through its paces on a highway in Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.
With prefecture governor Yuji Kuroiwa and Nissan vice chairman Toshiyuki Shiga on board, the company really couldn’t afford for anything to go wrong, and fortunately for the car’s high-profile passengers, as well as the entire project itself, there were no knocks, prangs, or horrific twisted-metal entanglements during its first real-world test.
Featuring Nissan’s dryly named Advanced Driver Assist System, the company’s self-driving car sped along in full automatic mode during the 2-mile (3.2km) drive, merging comfortably into traffic and changing lanes smoothly, all while maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles. The car reached speeds of 50mph (80kmh) during its outing.
“Nissan seeks a safer, more comfortable and environmentally-friendly mobile future,” Shiga said in a release, adding, “Through these tests on an expressway, we hope to further advance our technological development, with the goal of soon implementing Autonomous Drive vehicles. When starting a new project, serious effort is required to gain an understanding of all the variables involved.”
The Leaf has also been adapted with self-driving technology by a team in the UK, though the Oxford-based team’s RobotCar project has so far only managed to develop an autonomous driving experience along specific routes which the team’s technology has memorized.
This week’s successful test presumably means Nissan’s plan to have its self-driving vehicle in the nation’s car showrooms by 2020 is still on course. Results of a survey conducted last month, however, show that the Japanese car maker may need to spend as much on marketing its driverless car as it is on its development, with respondents favoring self-driving vehicles from the likes of Google and Mercedes-Benz over Nissan-made ones. Still, with seven years before it plans to start selling them, it has plenty of time to win hearts and minds.
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- Volkswagen ID. Buzz prototype first drive: Here comes your van


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TGI Fridays has this afternoon confirmed its plans to reopen 25 of its UK restaurants during the coronavirus crisis.
Among the restaurants, the chain has listed its Cheshire Oaks branch where a new service will be offered.
TGI is following in the footsteps of Burger King, KFC and Subway who have all re-opened stores, as well as Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger and DIY retailers like Wickes and B&Q, as well as Homebase, reports BirminghamLive.
Robert B. Cook, CEO at TGI Friday's said: “We can’t wait to re-fire the grills in preparation for the launch of our new Click & Collect service in 24 selected locations.
“These initial sites have been chosen as we either own and can control the car park or the landlord has given us dedicated access.
“We will also be restoring delivery services at the same locations via Just Eat and Deliveroo, as applicable.
“We will continue to monitor UK Government advice but after an initial trial we aim to extend the rollout as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Restaurants that have been selected for re-opening are also running Just Eat and Deliveroo services again.
The full list of restaurants reopening is listed below:
- Birmingham Hagley Road
- Birstall Shopping Park
- Leeds (J27)
- Cardiff (Newport Road)
- Cheshire Oaks
- Edinburgh Fort Kinnaird
- Glasgow Fort
- High Wycombe
- Lakeside (West Thurrock Street)
- Leeds (Wellington Street)
- Reading (Caversham Road)
- Southampton (Harbour Parade)
- Watford North


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The market had largely priced in Tuesday’s 0.25 percentage point cut despite lingering doubts over whether the move will deliver the desired economic stimulus.
The RBA had reduced the rate in both June and July in an attempt to shake the country out of economic stagnation, holding at 1.0 percent during August and September as it observed whether the cuts—as well as the federal government’s tax offsets—had flowed through to the economy.
Apart from the housing market, where prices have shown signs of ballooning again in the major Sydney and Melbourne markets after a two-year downturn, there have been few signs so far this has had an impact anywhere.
Figures released just hours before the RBA’s decision showed property prices continue to accelerate at their fastest pace since March 2017.
However, approvals to build new homes continue to slide, adding to a litany of disappointing indicators that include weak retail trade, stagnant wage growth, below-target inflation, and climbing underemployment.
In his statement on Oct. 1, RBA Governor Dr. Philip Lowe said the board decided to cut again in an attempt to eat into persistent labour market slack, amid signs employment growth is likely to slow from its recent fast rate.
Lowe also said the board took account of the forces pushing interest rates down in other countries and the effects this trend is having on the Australian economy and inflation outcomes.
“Interest rates are very low around the world and further monetary easing is widely expected, as central banks respond to the persistent downside risks to the global economy and subdued inflation,” he said.
Crucially, Lowe said the RBA would consider cutting rates to 0.5 percent in order to support sustainable growth, full employment, and the achievement of the inflation target over time.
He said the main domestic uncertainty was low household consumption, with the sustained period of only modest increases in household disposable income continuing to weigh on spending.
Nonetheless, Lowe maintains the economy has reached a “gentle turning point” for after annual growth hit a decade low of 1.4 percent in the June quarter.
A cut to 0.5 percent is expected by economists in February.
Callam Pickering, APAC economist at jobs site Indeed, said the possibility of “unconventional measures” enhanced the closer rates get to zero.
“In the absence of meaningful fiscal stimulus, quantitative easing may soon be inevitable,” Pickering said.
Finance expert Steve Mickenbecker said an increase in the unemployment rate to 5.3 percent last month, on top of sluggish growth, and concerns over world trade the case for a cut was overwhelming.
However, he said borrowers should not expect the full 0.25 percent to passed on by their bank: “With their profit margins under pressure from low rates the cut is likely to be between 0.15 percent and 0.20 percent.”
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the banks to pass on the interest rate cut to customers “in order to boost consumer spending, encourage businesses to invest, and create jobs and reinforce the economy’s capacity to withstand global turbulence,” according to a press release.
A 0.25 percent cut, if passed on in full, would equate to additional savings of about A$70 per month on a 25-year standard variable loan of A$500,000.
The Australian dollar spiked from 67.47 to 67.61 U.S. cents immediately after the decision before plummeting to 67.25 by 3:00 p.m. local time.
By Alex Druce


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Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship to be launched today in India
Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone for 2016 -- the Mi 5 will be launched today in India.
Xiaomi is all set to launch its latest flagship the Mi 5 today in India, nearly a month after it went on sale in China.
The smartphone was originally unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, and is primarily designed to impress with its top-of-the-line specs and gorgeous looking design at a relatively economical price point.
Which begs the question as to what will be the price of the smartphone?
We expect the device to get a starting price tag of ₹20,000, as the 32 GB variant of the smartphone with 3 GB of RAM has been priced at Chinese Yuan 1999, which roughly translates to ₹20,000 for the Indian market. The smartphone comes in three variants, though we are not sure if Xiaomi will launch all the three in India.
The most expensive of the lot -- the Mi 5 Pro is priced at Chinese Yuan 2699 (around ₹28,000) comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage. The other two variants get the same 3 GB of RAM though one comes with 32 GB of built-in storage while the other gets 64 GB of storage and are priced Yuan 1999 (around ₹20,000) and Yuan 2299 (₹24,000) respectively.
Other key specifications on the phone include a 5.15-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, a 16-megapixel primary camera and a 4 Ultrapixel selfie cam. Juicing up the device is a 3,000 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick charge 3.0. Connectivity options on the phone include USB Type C, VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.
We'll be live at the Mi 5 launch event in New Delhi so watch this space for more details and updates from the event.
Follow HT Tech for the latest tech news and reviews , also keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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Long-distance passenger services could be complemented by ‘last mile’ delivery using e-cargo bikes for transport of parcels, the Rail Innovation Group suggests.
A new report from the non-profit organisation explores the potential for expanding rail’s use to facilitate faster and more sustainable delivery of packages.
Parcels as Passengers says: “Achieving and expanding this bike-rail-bike-home concept would help to decarbonise the wider logistics sector, and it would reduce congestion and air pollution in towns and cities across the country.”
The RIG says the approach is already being taken in some areas.
Read more in RAIL 933


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A year ago, Alipore resident SangeetaChamaria found a handout tucked into the newspaper. It was an advertisement of a vendor selling organic food. Sangeeta casually picked up her phone to order. She never thought it would change her life within months.
"The difference is very much visible. It tastes a lot better and it's healthier," Sangeeta said. Her enthusiasm about organic food was visible as she spoke on how she introduced her son, living in London now, to organic food and how he loved it. "I have introduced organic food to all of my neighbours in the apartment and now they don't buy anything else," she beamed.
"Making a commitment to healthy eating is a great start towards a healthier life. But one has to know that how food is grown and how it can impact both your health and the environment," said Bijoya Bhattacharjee, official dietician of Pantaloons Femina Miss India East, 2009.
There are studies that suggest organically grown food contains higher levels of Vitamin C, trace minerals and antioxidant and phytonutrients than conventionally grown food. Organic tea claims to contain antioxidants.
"Most important of all, it does not have pesticides and other harmful chemicals," said Arpita Ghosh Deb, clinical dietician of Belle Vue Clinic. "We are getting a lot of cases where patients' kidney has been affected. There are no definite study that can relate such disorders to chemicals like urea found in food. But it can definitely be said that pesticides don't go off unless vegetables are washed very carefully. The chemicals can certainly affect one's life adversely," she said.
Anita kanoi, founder of Living Free, a shop near Gariahat, felt awareness about organic food is much more in cities like Pune. "There are a lot of retail outlets that have dedicated sections for organic food. We have entered the organic food market in Kolkata recently. So far, we are focused on items like organic cheese and organic honey. But we are witnessing a good demand for these items," she said.
According to Anupam Paul, assistant director of agriculture (agriculture training center, Phulia, Nadia) going by the basic principle for organic farming, region-specific variety has to be used. Such regional varieties are pest and disease resistant to a large extent. "That reduces chances of consuming chemicals to a large extent," he said.
But how do you know that the food you are having is really organic? "There are certification agencies like SGS of Switzerland, Ecocert of France and Indocert. They monitor every stage of farming, sometimes scheduled, sometimes random," Paul said.
During organic farming, cultivators have to rotate crops and use a good mix of them. "For example, they can grow beans after brinjal is harvested. It helps soil to regain micronutrients and trace elements," he added.
According to experts, most of us have an accumulated build-up of pesticide exposure in our bodies as we have been consuming food from conventional farming. Accumulation of chemicals could lead to headaches, birth defects and weak immune systems.
While Kolkata market is divided between certified and non-certified organically grown food, industry insiders feel that it is even better if people start consuming un-certified organically grown food if they have confidence on the grower.


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Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have created a battery using portabella mushrooms that is more durable than traditional batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, but manufacturing the anodes in lithium-ion batteries is costly. This is because the anodes are made with synthetic graphite, which has a tedious and environmentally harmful preparation process. The anodes also weaken significantly with time.
Using portabella mushrooms to create battery anodes is cheaper, more sustainable and more durable than traditional options, the researchers found
To see the portabella mushroom's potential as an anode, the researchers scraped the skin from the cap of the mushroom and heated it to 500 degrees celcius (932 fahrenheit), making it resemble a carbon nanoribbon. Further heating the scrape to 1,100 degrees celcius (2,012 fahrenheit) turned it into a porous carbon nanoribbon. The porous nature of the nanoribbon is beneficial because the pores provide space for the storage and transfer of energy — the more space for storage and energy, the more durable the battery.
"With battery materials like this, future cell phones may see an increase in run time after many uses, rather than a decrease, due to apparent activation of blind pores within the carbon architectures as the cell charges and discharges over time," UCR graduate student Brennan Campbell, one of the authors of the study, told UCR Today.


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The second generation of the hatchback was designed at Hyundai Motor's Design Centre Europe in Rüsselsheim, Germany.
Bose says Tata cars need to look good enough for customers to want them. So far, Mistry seems to be happy with the way things are shaping up.
A brawny, cavernous and imposing SUV is on everybody’s wish-list, even that of ministers. Here are some new options to suit different pockets
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), the country's largest exporter and the second-largest car manufacturer, achieved a new milestone with the launch of the all-new Elite i20.


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Londonderry, NH – Moonlight Meadery has set a date for the release of Utopian (batch #9) for February 18th, 2016. This traditional mead has been fermented and aged for the past 5 years in American oak barrels that Boston Beer Company so generously provided to Moonlight Meadery, a fledgling meadery back in January 2011.
Mead is a fermented beverage made from honey. Like a fine cognac, mead tends to mature at a slower pace. The natural preservative qualities of honey extend the benefits of aging and allow for intricate and complicated nuances from the barrel. As the seasons change the mead expands into the oak picking up flavors of what was previously stored in these barrels. It’s going to be a while for the next release, as Moonlight is planning a release of batch #10 in 2021.
“It takes a lot of patience to let a mead that you made 5 years ago sit and mature to perfection,” says Michael Fairbrother, founder and head mead maker at Moonlight Meadery and President of the American Mead Makers Association.
Fairbrother is internationally known as one of the world’s best mead makers. He has presented twice over the past two years at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at UC Davis, and has been a featured guest speaker for the past five years.
Earlier batches of Utopian have earned medals two years in a row at the Mazer Cup International, the largest mead competition in the world, often considered the GABF (Great American Beer Festival) equivalent for mead held annually in Colorado.
Utopian #9 is a limited release with as little as three cases being allocated per state.
About Moonlight Meadery:
Moonlight Meadery’s award winning meads and ciders are crafted in Londonderry, New Hampshire, USA. Open for tours and tastings Monday to Saturday. Distribution is to 34 states across America; internationally to Australia with Japan, China, and Hong Kong in the works.


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Channelling the Olympic spirit
The Olympics are big business for many in the apparel industry, from sportswear brands through to licensed manufacturers. With the Olympics starting in under a fortnight, just-style looks at the event's impact on the apparel industry.
As the London 2012 Olympics approaches, sportswear firms are battling to take centre stage, launching new innovations that are set to boost athletes' performance and drive maximum commercial value out of the event.
A colleague expressed horror earlier this week on realising that the only entry to the Olympic stadiums in London will be through a purpose-built Westfield Mall. She was surprised at the rampant commercialism of the games.
UK retailers are hoping the London 2012 Olympics will contribute to a multi-million pound boost in sales. But will sportswear retailers be the only beneficiaries, or could value retailers expect to see some uplift too? Katie Smith reports.
As the 2012 London Olympics approaches, sportswear firms are looking to align their brands with athletes' success by launching new technical innovations. Here are five of the best unveiled in the lead-up to the Games.
Ralph Lauren Corp has pledged that uniforms worn by American athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be made in the US, following a row over this year's outfits being manufactured in China.
US lawmakers have hit back at reports that Olympic uniforms for American athletes were allegedly manufactured in China.
Workers making sportswear for the forthcoming London Olympics are being poorly paid and treated, according to a new report from the Playfair 2012 campaign.
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics are introducing new measures designed to protect workers producing merchandise for this year's games after evidence of exploitation was uncovered.
With exactly one year to go before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, activists are stepping up calls for merchandise used at the event to be sourced from ethical suppliers.
- Steps to piloting living wage in garment factories
- Trump blows the case for Brexit out of the water
- How to ensure sustainability is more than a slogan
- Duty-free trade key to build Africa supply chains
- US apparel retailers' November 2016 sales roundup
- Taiwan textile maker investing in first US plant
- US Q3 in brief – Destination Maternity, Cherokee
- Outdoor apparel sector set for double-digit growth
- Myanmar garment industry "lacking labour rights"
- World cotton price prospects lifted again


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LOS ANGELES — From a model “Star Wars” X-Wing spaceship to a “Thor Hammer,” a treasure trove of much-loved movie entertainment memorabilia will go up for auction in Hollywood next month.
More than 1,800 items are on offer at the June 21-24 auction, which film and television memorabilia firm Propstore estimates will fetch more than $9 million (470 million pesos).
“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity out there. There are over 600 different film and TV titles represented,” Brandon Alinger, COO of Propstore, told Reuters.
“Beyond the basic props and costumes…(we have) collectible toys, comic books, comic book artwork, film production equipment i.e. items such as artwork concept art, storyboards, crew jackets, a massive amount of collectibles,” he added.
Leading the lots is the “Red Leader” X-Wing model from “Star Wars: A New Hope,” which is estimated to be priced between $500,000 and $1 million.
“We believe this is the only authentic, undamaged and original X-Wing from the very first ‘Star Wars’ that has ever been offered at public auction, so it’s quite special,” said Alinger.
Other items for sale include an Animatronic Gizmo from “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” with a price tag of $80,000 to $120,000; Thor’s hammer from the original “Thor” movie, with an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000; and a six-foot model of a jet used in the original “Top Gun” that could fetch between $30,000 and $50,000.
There are also plenty of Will Smith movies, including shorts he wore to portray Muhammad Ali in the biopic “Ali,” with an estimate of $1,500-$2,500; and an insert hand prop worn by Johnny Depp in “Edward Scissorhands,” seen fetching $30,000 to $50,000.
“Right now we’re hearing a lot of people talking about Will Smith, we’re hearing a lot of people talking about Johnny Depp,” Alinger said, referring to Smith’s slap in the face of comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars and the case of defamation Depp. filed against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
“I think it’s going to get a lot of attention, partly just because it gets people to review their work and review their titles,” he explained.
Other items in the auction include Elvis Presley’s suit from ‘It Happened at the World Fair’ ($20,000 to $30,000), Samuel L. Jackson’s wallet from ‘Pulp Fiction’ ($30,000 to $30,000). $000 to $50,000) and Uma Thurman’s sword in “Kill Bill vol.1” ($20,000 to $30,000). J.B.
WATCH: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ teaser reveals Natalie Portman wields Mjolnir
‘Elvis’ premieres at the Cannes Film Festival
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July 16, 2015
Corn export sales hit a marketing-year low of 13 million bushels this past week, but remain on pace to meet USDA projections with seven weeks left in the crop year.
Soybean sales at 1.7 million bushels in Thursday's USDA weekly export sales report matched forecasts and were up 10% from the week before. Currently, sales have exceeded USDA's crop-year forecast.
Wheat export sales slipped 16% to 10.7 million bushels and are below the weekly pace needed to meet USDA's forecast. The crop year is about six weeks old and sales and shipments currently are down about 24% from a year ago.
Soybean sales improve, new-crop tops forecast in latest USDA export sales report (Doranjclark/Thinkstock)
The corn sales of 13 million bushels for the 2014/2015 year were at the low end of trade forecasts in a Reuters poll. Top buyers were Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan. New-crop business of 12.8 million bushels topped forecasts and was more than double the previous week's. Mexico, Japan and unknown destinations were the top markets.
Old-crop soybean sales of nearly 1.7 million bushels were up 10% from the previous week and matched forecasts with Japan, Panama and Taiwan the leading buyers. New-crop soybean sales of 18.6 million topped forecasts with unknown destinations, Japan and Mexico the top markets.
The wheat sales of nearly 10.7 million bushels missed trade forecasts with the Philippines, Japan and Jamaica the leading buyers.
After the export report, Chicago corn rose about 1 cent a bushel and soybeans added 1 to 2 cents going into the close of the overnight session. September and December corn were up 6-3/4 cents. August soybeans finished the overnight up 7-1/4 cents and September up 8-1/2. In wheat, Chicago's September SRW wheat dropped about a penny after the report to finish the overnight up 4 cents and December was up 3-1/2.
USDA reported soymeal export sales of 33,000 metric tons for the 2014/2015 crop year, down 68% from the previous week with the Libya, Colombia and Honduras the leading buyers. New-crop sales of 39,200 tons were led by Ecuador and Guatemala.
Old-crop sorghum sales of nearly 4,000 bushels went to China.
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Cuba took a long-awaited and likely irreversible step towards massively expanding the island’s private sector over the weekend.
On Saturday, Cuba’s communist-run government announced that Cubans will soon be able to seek employment or start businesses in most fields of work.
Previously, Cubans were restricted to working in just 127 officially approved private sector job descriptions. Some of those legalized activities over the years included working as a barber, tire repairer, palm tree trimmer or “dandy,” as the government referred to Cubans who dressed up to pose with tourists for photos.
But many Cubans chafed that the government’s list did not include opportunities created by recently increased access to the internet and Cubans’ own seemingly limitless ability to innovate and invent.
Now they will have the ability to work in over 2,000 different fields.


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Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter
Tesla has informed Storey County that the company will be reducing on-site staff at the Gigafactory at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center by roughly 75 percent in the coming days.
“Our companies at TRIC are taking the COVID-19 matter seriously, and regularly report to us the measures they are taking to adhere to the established guidelines while maintaining essential operations, county manager Austin Osborne said. “Checking employee temperatures, creating central access, allowing remote work, maintaining workstation distance, and others are occurring.
“Our grocery stores and doorsteps receive much of our food, sundries, and supplies from our TRIC companies, and we are glad they a part of our community and the vital supply chain for many others outside Nevada,” Osborne continued. “We are also grateful for the measures they are taking to keep our local communities safe.”


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Sam Scarbro is currently running the only business (Pop Inn Cafe) able to benefit from the closure of a cobbled section of road in the Market Place.
She’s serving customers ‘al fresco style’ and says it has made a big difference to her takings.
However, fellow hospitality businesses are not as fortunate because the pedestrianised scheme does not include St Lawrence Street – despite the efforts of the town council.
As a result, the likes of Tanya’s, Costa Coffee, a kebab house and a fish and chip shop are potentially missing out.
Mrs Scarbro explained: “I originally applied for the outdoor pavement licence.
“We are actually serving people at outside tables but only on a Thursday (market day).
”Since Covid-19 started, we’ve had tables outside every day and it’s proved to be very popular.
“People really like the idea and it has made a big difference to us.”
Mrs Scarbro says she initially considered applying for the entire Market Place to be included (including St Lawrence Street) but decided against it because it would have meant the loss of a busy car park.
She added: “In the end, I went for the road outside Pop Inn Cafe and St Lawrence Street.
“I was surprised when they (Lincolnshire County Council) didn’t include St Lawrence Street.
“Some people might think I’d be happy that other businesses can’t have outdoor tables but I don’t see it like that. We are in this together.
“We want to be party of a community and if more businesses could benefit from outdoor seating area it’s got to be good for town.
“Horncastle has some great independent shops but it’s tough for everyone at the moment and the restrictions might get worse.
“We’ve got to do something.”
In theory, neighbouring businesses could apply to use the section of road now closed to traffic.
However, that would mean staff having to carry food and drinks across St Lawrence Street.
Mrs Scarbro also believes the pedestrianised scheme should have been brought in much earlier, so traders could have taken advantage of the better weather.
Meanwhile, town councillors were due to discuss the issue at their monthly meeting last night (Tuesday).
Not everyone is in favour of closing St Lawrence Street, with some residents claiming it would add to traffic issues.


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An Illinois man who worked as a spokesman for a leading "darknet" marketplace that users accessed anonymously to buy and sell illicit goods pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal conspiracy charge in Atlanta.
Ronald L. Wheeler III of Streamwood, Illinois, worked for about two years as a public relations specialist for AlphaBay, which authorities have said was the world's leading darknet marketplace until it was taken down through an international law enforcement effort in July. People used it to trade in illegal drugs, guns, counterfeit goods and hacking tools, among other things.
Wheeler worked with others to steal personal information - including passwords, email addresses and bank account numbers - to obtain money, goods and services, prosecutors said in a court filing.
Wheeler, known online as Trappy and Trappy—Pandora, began working as AlphaBay's public relations specialist in May 2015. His duties included moderating the AlphaBay forum on Reddit and posting information about AlphaBay in other Reddit forums, mediating sales disputes among the marketplace's users, providing nontechnical assistance to users and promoting AlphaBay online, Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal told the judge.
"Wheeler spent hours on the Dark Web and general Internet providing AlphaBay users tips for attempting to avoid detection by law enforcement," U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak said in a news release.
One of Wheeler's duties was to let AlphaBay users know when the site would be down for maintenance. That was important, Kaushal said, because it was necessary to reassure users that the site hadn't been taken down by law enforcement or otherwise compromised....


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Single player mode unveiled for Heartstone: Heroes Of Warcraft at PAX East
Blizzard has unveiled the brand new single player mode for Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft at this weekend's PAS East.
The new Adventure Mode offers players the chance to play through a new story-based campaign called Curse Of Naxxramas, A Heartstone Adventure.
Curse Of Naxxramas doesn't have a release date as yet but Blizzard is hoping to release it on PC, Mac and iPad all at the same time. More information on the new addition to Hearthstone is available on Blizzard's Hearthstone blog.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 after all
- Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third gets a release date
- Adr1ft is coming to PC and consoles at the end of the summer
- EA gives the new Mirror's Edge a name – Mirror's Edge Catalyst
- ZombiU PS4 and Xbox One port reportedly in the works
- Mike Bithell's Volume to be released this August
- Gearbox's new shooter Battleborn gets a pre-E3 trailer
- Steam Controller launches in October, Steam Machines arrive in November
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When Hideo Kojima was asked about the possibility of Sony acquiring his company, he denied the claims and suggested that Sony was merely looking for something bigger than Kojima Productions. Although Kojima is an industry heavyweight, the studio has only released one major release since going independent, so it’s likely that Sony is hoping to acquire a more substantial studio to compete with its rivals.
Sony and Square Enix have a long history. A Square Enix acquisition makes sense for both companies, and Sony has long been a strong partner for Square Enix games. Sony continues to dominate the Japanese market, and the acquisition of Square Enix could maintain Sony’s lead over Microsoft. However, there are some concerns about the acquisition.
Square Enix has recently sold three of its companies to Embracer Group for $300 million. This has fueled various rumors of an acquisition. One of the latest is that Square Enix will be acquired by Sony PlayStation. This is not a certainty, but the deal could still happen. According to VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb, the Square Enix acquisition may be happening.
As a result of Square Enix’s decision to sell off its Western operations, the company may be preparing itself for a possible acquisition. While the move makes financial sense, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Sony is planning to sell off their western studios to Square Enix. Instead, the two companies could decide to work together to improve their capital efficiency.
Square Enix’s stock is up more than 2 percent on Monday. Its market cap is $4.864 billion. This is a much more manageable amount compared to Sony’s $10 billion cash reserve. Sony once owned an 18.6% stake in Square Enix, but sold all of its shares by April 2014.
Sony and Square Enix are both based in Japan and may make a good match. A Square Enix acquisition would allow Sony to compete with Microsoft in the games market. The acquisition could even be announced this week. If it does, it could be an extremely lucrative deal for both companies. If it does, Sony would have a strong home-field advantage.
It has been reported that Sony has acquired FromSoftware, the developer behind popular video games like The Last of Us and Hitman. The rumors of the acquisition have been circulating for weeks. While some claimed that it was an April Fool’s joke, many were more likely to believe it was real. The source of the information was also much more credible than before. Sony and From Software have been working together for a long time.
Sony has long been interested in acquiring FromSoftware, but it isn’t a certainty that the deal is actually close. The studio is currently under consideration for several other companies, and just being a “candidate” doesn’t mean that a deal is imminent. Sony and FromSoftware could be negotiating with a variety of studios, so an acquisition is not necessarily imminent.
Whether Sony will acquire FromSoftware is far from certain, but it would be one of the most significant gaming acquisitions in recent memory. It would be a huge coup for Sony to acquire FromSoftware, which enjoyed a successful run with the Elden Ring game. It is not clear exactly what Sony will do with the company, but they have already indicated that they have several other acquisitions in mind.
At the time of the announcement, FromSoftware was already worth $22 million. Its latest game, Elden Ring, was one of the most popular games of 2014, selling over 12 million copies in less than a month. The company has also released several critically acclaimed games, including several Game of the Year awards. In addition to that, it has pushed its games to the mainstream with the success of the Elden Ring.
In addition to FromSoftware, Sony has acquired the video game studio Bungie. The studio created Destiny and Halo. Sony has offered Bungie $3 billion, but the game developer could not turn down this offer. The deal could lead to future game series and expansions. Fans would be thrilled by the news of this acquisition.
Although the deal was initially thought to be a merger between Sony and FromSoftware, Sony has since clarified that it was not a joke. Sony is looking to buy more studios around the world, and acquiring FromSoftware would make sense for the company. However, there is no guarantee that Sony will actually acquire the developer of the critically acclaimed games Dark Souls and Elden Ring.
Sony is reportedly interested in acquiring Kojima Productions, a video game company founded by Kojima. However, Hideo Kojima has denied the reports. Kojima is a major player in the video game industry, but his company is relatively small. Sony needs to acquire a larger studio to make a bigger splash.
Sony has been rumored to be interested in large game development companies in recent years, including Bungie and Activision Blizzard. While Kojima Productions is not directly tied to Sony, it is owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The studio is behind the critically acclaimed game Death Stranding, which first came out on the PlayStation 4 in March. The company later licensed out the PC version to 505 Games.
Despite not being a part of the PlayStation Studios, Kojima Productions has maintained a close relationship with Sony since the start of the company. As of now, Kojima Productions has only one title on the PlayStation console, Death Stranding, which is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and the PlayStation 5 Director’s Cut. The game is expected to be included in Sony’s first-party game lineup. Kojima Productions also owns publishing rights to the game’s core engine (decima engine), which was developed by Guerilla Games.
It is possible that Sony will acquire Kojima Productions and Konami together. While the two companies are not related, Konami’s IPs such as Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Castlevania are synonymous with the PlayStation brand. These IPs would be perfect for the PlayStation 5.
The announcement follows rumors of a possible acquisition of Kojima Productions by the Japanese company, which also owns the IP rights to Death Stranding. In fact, the company is relocating its offices from Tokyo to Los Angeles. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
After being acquired by Sony last year, PlayStation Studios’ website changed to feature a picture of Sam Bridges from Death Stranding. Many assumed that this meant the studio was part of the PlayStation, but Kojima apologized for the misunderstanding and assured fans that Kojima Productions would remain an independent studio.
Zynga is a mobile game developer known for games like Words With Friends, FarmVille, and the wildly popular Texas Hold’em poker game. The company was recently acquired by Take-Two Interactive, which is best known for its Grand Theft Auto games. With this purchase, Take-Two plans to expand its business into mobile gaming.
Take-Two is known for its PC and console games, so the acquisition of Zynga could help bring these popular franchises to mobile devices. Take-Two has several franchises that already have mobile games titles, and it’s likely the company will continue to expand them into mobile. In addition, Zynga will have access to Take-Two’s IP, which may find new traction in new screens and formats.
Take-Two is a game publisher, and its acquisition of Zynga puts it in the same league as giants like Sony and Microsoft. Its acquisitions have given Take-Two a strong foothold in the gaming world, and the deal is the second largest in games history after Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard.
The company will continue to bolster its mobile game portfolio with the help of Zynga’s app developers. This will allow Take-Two to roll out more smartphone versions of its popular games, which will lead to more money coming in from recurrent consumer spending. These are the types of games that players pay for in-game content, such as upgrades and new content.
Zynga’s acquisition is part of a wave of consolidation in the gaming industry. Earlier this year, Sony bought Destiny 2 developer Bungie for $3.6 billion, and Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68 billion. Both deals are subject to regulatory approval, and Activision Blizzard shareholders approved the deal last month.


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Business Class packages to Silverstone are available at OMR1,695, while Economy Class
packages cost OMR636.
Members of the KrisFlyer frequent-flyer programme will also receive 10 per cent more miles when they fly in Premium Economy Class
The new aircraft offer brand new Business Class and Economy Class
Allin return economy class
fares between Manila and Phuket, Krabi, Yangon and Phnom Penh start from USD 200.
From as early as December 1 -- nine days earlier than scheduled -- Lufthansa customers will be able to enjoy Premium Economy Class
on all flights on the Boeing 747-8 fleet.
The fares of Economy Class
, AC Sleeper and AC standard of Subak Raftar, Subak Kharam, Islamabad Express, Rawal Express, Khyber Mail, Tez Gam and Jaafar Express too have been reduced by 10 percent.
As a result, there is now room for its new Premium Economy Class
, which offers considerably more space and comfort as well as many additional product features, but is closer to Economy Class
than Business Class in terms of its average prices.
With a baggage allowance of two items weighing up to 23 kilogrammes each, passengers can take twice as much free luggage with them compared with Economy Class
Other exciting deals up for grabs include INR 19,745 for all-inclusive return on Economy Class
to Bangkok from Delhi,
Hainan Airlines said it distinguished itself from strong rivals including Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Japan Airlines, when it grabbed the Asia's Leading Airline Economy Class
In an explanation here on Sunday, the PR spokesman said the department had reduced the fares of A/C Sleeper, A/C Business and A/C Standard of specific trains but the fare for economy class
had been reduced for all trains on branch lines and the minimum fare had been fixed at Rs 20 instead of Rs 35.
MANAMA: Oman Air has been named the winner of the Middle East's Leading Airline Economy Class
category at the World Travel Awards 2013.


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March 25, 2010: A group of retailer association representatives headed by Beverly Jenkin, CEO of the Australian Toy Association, visited Canberra this week to discuss GST-free private imports.
The group consisted of representatives of sporting goods, toy, bicycle and fishing products associations. This loose coalition is campaigning for a fair deal for Australian retailers competing against overseas competitors who aren’t required to charge GST on items priced at under $1000.
The original threshold for GST-free sales was set at $250, which was subsequently increased to $1000 in 2005. It’s believed the increase was imposed following lobbying from international courier businesses.
In other similar markets, the tax-free threshold for privately imported goods is under $100.
The photographic industry, which is normally part of this lobbying group via PICA and PMA, did not send a representative to Canberra.
The group briefed staff of the Assistant Treasurer, Nick Sherry, and Customs staff, seeking a two-staged change in the current regulations:
1. An immediate reduction of the GST free threshold from $1000 to $400 in the 2010-2011 Budget to align with New Zealand
2. Post-Budget a detailed review of the GST threshold issue covering issues such as consumer protection and safety standards.
Beverly Jenkin said the toy industry has been actively campaigning to have the threshold lowered since 2004. ‘Suddenly everyone is interested’, she said.
She told Photo Counter the group had a good hearing in Canberra.
‘At least we know the issue is being looked at seriously in Treasury,’ she said.
The group has also sent letters outlining its case to state premiers. The states stand to gain most by an increase in GST revenues via a reduction in the threshold.
COSBOA, the Australian small business association coalition, is also supporting the lowering of the threshold, and passed a motion to that effect at the end of 2009:
‘That the Federal Government reduces the import entry threshold for courier and postal imports to $60, a level that is on par with the thresholds used by Australia’s trading partners.
COSBOA CEO Jaye Radisich noted that the the motion was not passed unanimously ‘as there were some members not in support of the position.’
‘Whilst this issue is not one of the “top 5” priorities for the organisation this year, we will be supporting the PMAI and the ATA in whatever way we can,’ she wrote.
She noted that the policy group within COSBOA was expanding its areas of interest in 2010.
Photo industry market leader Canon says it supports the industry push to reduce the GST-free threshold
‘We think its one of the measures which are needed [to reduce parallel import sales], said Darren Ryan, Canon’s general manager, Consumer Product Marketing. ‘We don’t know if it’s the “silver bullet”, but it [GST-free sales] is one of the contributors.’
The full submission from the national associations can be found here.
NOTE: In any story on GST-free sales it needs to be acknowledged that Australian company CR Kennedy has been passionately championing the cause for many years, and has the most effective measures in place of all leading distributors to reduce parallel imports of its portfolio of products.


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To catch up with Amazon, its main competitor in online commerce, the retailer is relaxing terms for sellers.
Expanding its presence in the online shopping marketplace, U.S. retailer Walmart has significantly relaxed the terms for sellers who can display goods on its online shopping site. Specifically, sellers' requirement in the United States has been removed from merchants' rules.
In addition to various goods, vendors worldwide will display additional services, such as advertising services or fulfillment, on the retailer's site. Also, such services will provide sellers and the marketplace itself, helping to promote and deliver their goods.
For Walmart, this move could be a step beyond just the U.S. and an attempt to close the e-commerce gap with Amazon, representing sellers from around the world on its site. China, with its extensive network of manufacturers, looks particularly promising for Walmart in this regard.
While sellers no longer need a U.S. address or tax registration, Walmart will continue to do its due diligence. The retailer will ensure shoppers have no questionable merchandise on the site, which will be done through a multi-level check both locally and by a dedicated Walmart team.
According to a Walmart statement cited by Bloomberg, "We are opening our U.S. marketplace to a limited number of international businesses that share our commitment to customer trust and safety.
Photo credit: depositphotos.com.


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Beverage brand Horlicks is returning to TV advertising after 20 years away via Sky’s AdSmart.
The campaign launches on 19 February and will last for one month. Through AdSmart’s addressable targeting technology, it will target specific audiences in Sky and Virgin households across the north-west Barb region.
Horlicks worked directly with Sky and there was no media agency involved.
The 30-second spots, which aim to challenge the perception of Horlicks as a bedtime drink, were created by Doodledo.
David Sanderson, director of AdSmart, local and development, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Horlicks back to TV after a long hiatus and we’re excited to help such an iconic, well-known brand reach new audiences with AdSmart’s targeting capabilities.
“AdSmart is the ideal platform to deliver Horlicks’ key objectives and campaign messaging, so we look forward to growing a new consumer base in the next chapter for their business.”
Rebekha White, brand manager at Horlicks parent Aimia Foods, added: “The message behind our memorable creative, which tackles brand perception head-on and in a humorous way, is also designed to drive frequency of purchase by demonstrating the ways Horlicks can add comfort to consumers’ everyday lives — and not just at bedtime.
“The initial regional-focused TV campaign will be supported by a comms plan including PR, influencer marketing and digital advertising, with plans to extend the campaign nationally in Q4.”


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Mattel Announces New Barbie With Vitiligo, A Common Skin Condition
Because representation matters.
The world of Barbie just got more inclusive with maker Mattel announcing the arrival of a new model that has vitiligo, an autoimmune condition that causes some areas of the skin to lose color.
On Tuesday, Barbie announced their "most diverse doll line" called Barbie Fashionistas via Twitter account. "More skin tones! More body types! More diverse looks," the brand said in the Twitter post, which linked back to an online page explaining the new dolls a bit more.
According to the Mattel website, the Barbie Fashionistas line includes 176 dolls with 9 body types, 34 skin tones, and 94 hairstyles. "For 2020, Barbie is continuing the journey to represent global diversity and inclusivity in the fashion doll aisle by showcasing a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion," a Mattel spokesperson told CBS News.
For Barbie's vitiligo doll in particular, Mattel worked with a dermatologist to ensure the condition was accurately represented, according to CBS News. "As we continue to redefine what it means to be a 'Barbie' or look like Barbie, offering a doll with vitiligo in our main doll line allows kids to play out even more stories they see in the world around them," the spokesperson said.
According to the Genetics Home Reference (GHR), a division of the National Institutes of Health, vitiligo is a common autoimmune disorder that affects up to one percent of people, worldwide. In those with vitiligo, the cells that produce melanocytes, or brown pigment, stop functioning or die—possibly in an autoimmune response, in which the body's immune system begins attacking healthy cells. While anyone can be diagnosed with vitiligo, it can be more noticeable in people with darker skin.
RELATED: 5 Things That Might Cause Vitiligo
People who have vitiligo have no way of knowing how much of their body will be affected and how much color their skin will lose. There's no known cause for vitiligo, and condition isn’t life-threatening, but there isn’t yet a drug that can stop vitiligo from progressing
If vitiligo sets in during childhood, it can make the process of learning about your body and identity even more confusing, and, often, people with the condition are bullied because of their looks, which is why societal representation, (for example, the new Barbie), is welcome to the vitiligo community.
The new doll is the latest in a string of models intended to promote diversity within the Barbie community—in their newest Fashionistas line, Mattel also introduced a doll with no hair, meant to inspire girls experiencing hair loss due to medical reasons, as well as new fashion trends. In recent years, Mattel also announced a Barbie model that uses a wheelchair, as well as one that wears a hijab.
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More than 100 banks in China have signed up for a new fintech-driven plan to provide greater lending assistance to micro-enterprises around the country weathering the economic impacts of the novel coronavirus.
Ant Financial-backed MYbank and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce launched the “Non-contact Loan Micro-assistance Plan” (无接触贷款助微计划) on 5 March.
The Plan hopes to provide financial support to around 10 million micro-and-small enterprises (MSE’s) around China in the resumption of work and production in the wake of the coronavirus, as well as efforts to expand production.
The “non-contact loans” in the title of the Plan refer to digitised loans which involve online application and do not entail any direct human contact.
The Plan will focus in particular on ten key measures including:
- The provision of loans to MSE’s to pay off their loans in advance,
- The provision of specialist funds for businesses in the catering sector,
- The provision of interest-free loans to small and medium-sized operators in the fast-moving consumer goods sector,
- The provision of specialist loans to the logistics sector,
- The provision of discounted working capital to truck drivers,
- The provision of specialist loans to farmers,
- The provision of funding support to enterprises experiencing sales difficulties,
- Expanding the scope for the provision of preferential bills discounts,
- Helping MSE’s that enjoy a strong market reputation to resume work rapidly.
- Helping offline businesses to expand their online operations channels.
105 Chinese banks have signed up for the plan, which also enjoys the participation of China’s county-level authorities.
China’s big six state-owned lenders are amongst the participating banks, including ICBC, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications and the Postal Savings Bank of China.


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You’ve seen it all over the news and social media; the keto diet is the new, trending diet of this year. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Photo by Marcel Heil on Unsplash Written by Amanda Williams, MPH The Standard American Diet (SAD) is known to be high in carbohydrates. But the rate at which our bodies convert those carbs into sugar is very high. That’s where Benfotiamine comes in! Think about […]


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700 cars at launch
Following the Xbox One X reveal that kicked off Microsoft’s E3 2017 press event, Turn 10 Studios was next on the docket with another obligatory reveal:Forza Motorsport 7.
Internally, we all tried to guess what the game was from the showing’s vague desert landscape shots, before it got to the cars, and we kept coming up short. “Red Dead! Crackdown! Wait, no, it’s just Forza.”
The game is due out on October 3, 2017 forXbox One and Windows 10 with 700 cars at launch. Turn 10 is also promising support for native 4K and 60 frames per second (Xbox One X), and “shocking levels of detail.” Shocking, I tell ya!
Forza Motorsport 7 will be available for Xbox One X when the console launches on November 7.


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Volkswagen Group will make its VW, Skoda and Seat brands more distinct to reduce overlaps and reduce tensions between them.
The group chief executive Matthias Mueller said its executive board had set out a new focus for the three mass-market brands in its European market based on 14 customer groups, Reuters reports.
"The key challenge is (to achieve) a perfect market coverage with clear territories for the brands," Mueller told a strategy meeting of about 400 managers in Wolfsburg on Thursday (October 12).
"We must now be able to better use the synergies that our unique alliance of brands offer than we have done to date."
The move may help to smooth relations between the brands.
VW brand sources told Reuters last week that managers and unions were seeking to curb competition from Skoda, move some of its production to Germany and make the Czech brand pay more for shared technology.
VW Group will also create greater differences between its premium brands Mueller said.