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We expect to have more than one variety of apple to choose from. Even at the most modestly stocked produce stand, you’re likely to see mounds of Galas, McIntoshes and Honeycrisps. When it comes to the banana, though — no matter where you shop — there’s only ever one: The Cavendish.
As far removed as we are from tropical growing regions, you’d be forgiven for assuming the fruit we recognize as a cheap and reliable staple is the one true banana. In reality, however, there are over a thousand types, each exhibiting a different flavour profile, texture, shape, colour, ripening pattern and durability. And for the second time in recent history, the very existence of the sole breed we rely on — which represents the single most exported fresh fruit on the planet — is under threat.
Researchers, seeking a solution, are looking towards a new form of genetic modification. Could specific alterations of the genetic makeup of the Cavendish help stave off the disappearance of such a critical commodity?
In August, Colombia declared a state of emergency when scientists confirmed a banana-killing fungus had reached the Americas for the first time. Known by its common name, Panama disease, the strain of fungus Fusarium oxysporum cubense — Tropical Race 4 (TR4) — has been a known issue since the early 1990s, but until this year, it was largely contained to Asia. Immune to pesticides, the lethal soil-borne organism, for which there is no known cure, obliterates yields by choking banana trees of essential water and nutrients.
The Cavendish’s predecessor as world’s presiding banana was the Gros Michel, a variety that dominated fruit stands in temperate regions until it was decimated by fungal strain Tropical Race 1 in the 1950s. That the extreme monoculture approach replicated with the Cavendish would result in a similar fate should have seemed inevitable.
Cavendish bananas are sterile and breeding them requires a cloning process that creates genetically identical plants. Because of their inherent lack of biodiversity, monocultures such as this banana are especially vulnerable to diseases and pests; when there’s a weakness, such as little or no resistance against TR4, it can have sweeping and ruinous effects.
Given the banana’s immense importance to producers and consumers, researchers have been attempting a variety of methods to create a resistance to the deadly fungus. According to Nature , James Dale, a biotechnologist at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, is currently field testing genetically modified bananas in Northern Australia with some success. Dale has added a gene from a wild banana into the Cavendish variety that makes it more resistant to the TR4.
However, even if scientists are able to breed a TR4-immune Cavendish, they wouldn’t be permitted to grow or sell them in a significant portion of the world. In Europe, for example, GM crops are restricted. And in Canada, although GMOs have been on the market since the late 1990s, nearly 90 per cent of Canadians believe they should be subject to mandatory labelling.
As a result, researchers like Dale and Leena Tripathi, from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Kenya, have begun experimenting with CRISPR technology. Where GMOs have a foreign gene inserted into the organism, CRISPR allows for the organism’s genes to be edited. In the case of Dale, he’s discovered a dormant gene in the Cavendish he hopes to activate.
The technique is perhaps best described by Jennifer Kuzma, co-director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University. In an interview with Gastropod , she likened DNA to a book and CRISPR to a pen: “You can go in and you can edit the letters in a word, or you can change different phrases, or you can edit whole paragraphs at very specific locations.”
CRISPR and GMO are further differentiated in terms of consumer perception. As a December 2018 study published in Global Food Security found, 47 per cent of Canadian respondents were willing to eat both GM and CRISPR foods, but participants across the board (in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France and the U.S.) were more apt to eat CRISPR than GM food.
Nevertheless, editing the genes of the banana is still in the early stages. Dale told Nature that “it’ll be a couple of years before these get into the field for trials.” Can the Cavendish banana wait that long?
In a recent interview with KCRW, Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World , said “I think the time has come to stop looking at bananas as just one kind of fruit when there are thousands.” Just as the range of apples at our fingertips is rich and getting richer, perhaps all the different varieties of bananas will prove ripe for discovery.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019


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Future Market Networks Ltd (formerly Agre Developers Ltd), promoted by Kishore Biyani-led Future Group, is acquiring a 2.75-acre piece of land and an associated shopping mall in Madhya Pradesh for Rs 37.51 crore ($6.23 million), according to a stock market disclosure.
"The company has entered into a memorandum of understanding to acquire land admeasuring 11,156.93 sq metres along with a 4,00,000 sq ft shopping mall situated at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh for Rs 37.51 crore," it said in the filing to BSE.
The firm did not reveal the name of the property being acquired but said it will rebuild the mall and change its name.
Founded in 2008, Future Group's real estate arm Future Market Networks is engaged in setting up shopping malls and consumption centres. The company provides retail infrastructure and infra logistics services. Its wholly owned subsidiaries include Agre Properties & Services Ltd and Precision Realty Developers Pvt Ltd.
In 2010, Future Market Networks was demerged from Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd; it currently focuses on retail real estate, infra-logistics parks and development of wholesale markets. Kishore Biyani’s Future Group holds 68.7 per cent stake in the firm through various entities.
Early this year, it had decided to sell its stake in Calcutta Riverside project for Rs 33 crore.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)

domain: news


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For the overall TV market, DisplaySearch Senior Vice President Paul Semenza said display revenues are recovering, but will take time to return to the peak, particularly given that LCD sets have already come to dominate the market. He said the display market was at the start of a period of maturity, with slow growth in revenues. He said the company predicted unit growth of 10 percent (including 16 percent growth in portable PCs), and 9 percent area growth, but also continuous price erosion, noting that LCD panel prices fell by a factor of 10 in the past 10 years. He said that TV unit growth in 2009 was good, driven by price cuts.
Semenza talked how sets using LED backlighting currently costs more (although that is changing), but sell for an even bigger price premium. He said the industry was counting on LED, 3D, and higher efficiency to drive growth, but there was a big question about what the growth drivers were moving forward.
Gary Feather, vice president of consumer systems for Sharp Laboratory of America, talked about how LEDs were not a new technology but instead go back to the 1960s, but have improved in color and brightness in recent years. He said they are needed to meet new energy requirements, and all of Sharp’s 2010 models will have LED backlights. Going forward, he said he expects LED backlights will be on about 70 percent of TVs by 2013 and that LED backlighting will drop in price rapidly over the next 3 years, spurred on in part by the push to use LEDs for general lighting.
Bruce Tripido, associate vice president of marketing for Sharp Electronics, pushed Sharp’s four primary color technology, which it calls Quattron. He said it does a better idea reproducing golds, yellows, and Caribbean blues; and by adding more dots of resolution (as there are 4 subpixels per element). Tripido said over time, other color additions are possibility.
A lot of people have been skeptical of the quad-pixel technology, noting that virtually all content is currently shot and distributed in RGB format. (Indeed, you can count me as a skeptic here.) Tripido said that Sharp uses video algorithms to improve pictures, such as the initial HTVs used upscaling to improve standard definition signals; and likened this to the way that printers have added more colors over time.
Richard Bullwinkle, chief evangelist of Rovi, pushed the company’s TV directories, but mostly focused on the problems challenging “connected TVs” this year. He noted that TVs can connect to multiple services, but said there is no uniting interface, and that much content isn’t scaled to the device.
He said lots of people want to “cut the cord” but they want TV content. Older TV content is easy to get; and newer content is sometimes easy to get, but not on the TV. Consumers don’t understand release windows, and aren’t ready to pay a la carte. The industry will have to solve these issues to make connected TV work.


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Inventories are being kept tight in hope of increasing full-price selling and reducing markdowns.
The music star had launched the collection last February during New York Fashion Week.
Teen retailer Aéropostale is awaiting a decision from a bankruptcy judge that is likely to impact whether it can find a buyer.
The natural beauty mecca in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn has added a host of new facials and holistic options to its treatment menu.
The Aspen Colo.-based luxury beauty retailer has ambitious plans to open 35 more stores in key markets.
Customer feedback shows that customers want more doctor-created skin-care lines, and HSN is giving it to them.


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The U.S. is currently home to roughly 73 million millennials, according to the Pew Research Center. That means that millennials—those born between 1981 and 1997—will make up the largest consumer segment for years to come.
Yet, in insurance, the perception persists that the millennial market is a tough one to crack. Various notions cast a cloud over this segment of the market, such as the idea that millennials don’t have the buying power, don’t value insurance and are unlikely to utilize the independent agent channel—especially for self-described “old fashioned agencies.”
However, recent research from Liberty Mutual and Safeco® tells a different story. When it comes to millennials, “the outlook for independent agents is really strong and our research shows that there is a significant opportunity,” says Tyler Asher, president of Independent Agent Distribution at Liberty Mutual Business Lines and Safeco Insurance.
“This is a demographic that will continue to dominate the market segment for the next few decades and is just now entering their peak earning years,” Asher continues. “We believe independent agents will win in this market because they have a competitive advantage that speaks really well to the millennial consumer segment—ease of doing business, choice in terms of breadth of offerings, and custom-tailored advice.”
Here are three reasons why independent agents should be optimistic about the millennial market:
1) Millennials are not more price-focused than other generations. Only 31% of millennials want the lowest-priced coverage, compared to 29% of Gen-X and 18% of baby boomers, according to Liberty Mutual and Safeco’s Understanding Millennial Insurance Consumers study.
“Price is a purchasing factor for consumers of all age groups. Millennials don’t really stand out as more price-sensitive than older generations,” Asher says. “In fact, we saw over half are looking for the most comprehensive coverage at a good price.”
One reason millennials are not as price-conscious as you’d think is because members of this generation are more worried about future risks than boomers. As many as 38% say they constantly worry about what-if scenarios, versus just 12% of boomers, according to the research.
These fears represent “a really big opportunity for agents in the sales process to listen to these concerns and walk them through policy options,” Asher says. “Using what-if scenarios and claims examples from past clients will really demonstrate expertise and the value of coverage.”
2) Millennials want a seasoned insurance professional. Millennials are looking for someone older and wiser to guide them through insurance decisions, according to the research. Almost half of millennials say they want to work with a seasoned insurance professional, while just 9% want to work with someone close to their age. Additionally, millennials also want someone who inspires trust (50%) and makes a point to get to know them (29%).
“Millennials are saying more than any other generation that they’re willing to entrust the decision-making to someone who is more informed than them, which places even more of an emphasis on the trusted adviser,” Asher says. “We think there’s a great opportunity for agents in the sales process to really connect on their concerns and wants by demonstrating the expertise they bring to the table.”
Moreover, of those who worked with agents, as many as 80% of millennials want their insurance agent to help them understand their insurance. While 52% of baby boomers describe themselves as insurance-savvy, only 34% of millennials feel that way—but more than half said they need to know all the details about their policy, Asher points out.
“Basically, they want to know what’s included in the policy, with a very high percentage saying they want to know every detail,” Asher says. “They really place value on someone who’s able to thoroughly talk them through their coverage, explain what to expect if they have a claim and explain the unique features of their policy.”
3) Tech-savvy millennials need to be able to find you online. Unsurprisingly, millennials are almost three times as likely as baby boomers to describe themselves as tech-savvy and twice as likely as boomers to buy insurance online. However, online channels are simply an avenue for millennials to connect with an insurance agent, according to the research.
When it comes to finding and choosing an agent, millennials do ask family and friends for recommendations, according to the survey, but are far more likely than previous generations to turn to the internet. More than 27% of millennials say they learned about an agent through a digital engagement, such as online search, reviews and social media, compared to 18% of Gen Xers and 12% of boomers.
Asher’s recommendation to agents, therefore, is to “make sure that they’ve got a great digital presence.” Although he notes that “millennials are still overwhelmingly purchasing locally,” they need to be able to find you online—and that means agents will need to consider investing in digital offerings like online reviews, a modern website, chat functions, an engaging social media strategy and, most importantly, ways for consumers to transition online interactions offline.
“We see a significant need for agents to really make sure they’ve got a strong digital footprint to continue to reach millennial consumers for many years,” Asher says.
Will Jones is IA assistant editor.


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Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, NV — PacketVideo Corporation today announced that their multimedia software powers handsets that deliver music content for Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music service, the world's first full-function mobile music service that lets consumers download music over-the-air to their phones and transfer music from their PCs within a single integrated application.
Verizon Wireless selected PacketVideo to create the pivotal multimedia software in the handset that enables Verizon Wireless V CAST Music customers to scan, preview, download or sideload and play digital music on their phones. PacketVideo's mobile media player integrates Microsoft Windows Media Audio and Windows Media DRM technology to assure consumers the highest-quality most secure mobile music experience available.
Available to customers starting January 16, 2006, the mobile music service will be initially available on three V CAST Music handsets with the music application developed by PacketVideo: the LG VX8100, Samsung a950 and Verizon Wireless CDM-8945 that will be available in weeks to come through 1,900 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and Circuit City locations nationwide. The V CAST Music Store will offer songs from major labels and indie music provider, The Orchard, and is expected to offer more than one million songs by spring.
"V CAST Music is a major breakthrough in the enjoyment of music, and we are excited to once again be an important part of this new consumer mobile music service from Verizon Wireless," said Dr. James Brailean, CEO of PacketVideo. "Building on our success last year with V CAST multimedia service, we've again worked with Verizon Wireless, Microsoft, and top handset OEMs to create a high-quality experience for busy music lovers everywhere."
Jim Straight, vice president of wireless Internet and multimedia services for Verizon Wireless, said "V CAST Music is a major advance in music and in wireless, and PacketVideo's media software brings high quality Windows Media music directly to our customers' handsets. With V CAST Music, Verizon Wireless offers the world's most comprehensive mobile music service."
"The launch of V CAST Music is another milestone in Microsoft and PacketVideo's efforts to deliver new mobile media services for Verizon Wireless," said Amir Majidimehr corporate vice president, Windows Digital Media at Microsoft Corp. "V CAST Music is an innovative service that brings together the flexibility of wireless with the proven quality and experience, offered by Windows Media."
V CAST Music songs purchased on the handset permit a dual-download of the song, giving customers copies for both their phones and their Windows PCs. Customers can also purchase songs online at the Verizon Wireless V CAST Online Music Store, or take their own digital music from their Windows PCs and sync it to their handsets, using the most widely-respected and comprehensive DRM standard, from Microsoft, available in the United States today.
Unveiled yesterday at CES, V CAST Music is an expansion and enrichment of Verizon Wireless' V CAST service that launched one year ago, offering wireless broadband multimedia access including high-quality video, 3D games and music. Verizon Wireless' broadband network is the most robust wireless broadband network in the United States. V CAST coverage is currently available to 150 million Americans in 180 major metropolitan markets.
About PacketVideo PacketVideo is the number one supplier of embedded multimedia communications software for mobile phones with more than 100 design wins for PV-powered handsets. The company's software enables mobile phones to watch breaking news, take digital pictures, record home movies, play back digital music and videos, and make two-way videophone calls. PacketVideo's global leadership is proven by strong relationships with mobile operators, dominance in design wins, and the millions of PacketVideo-powered multimedia phones shipped in markets around the world. PacketVideo was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, visit www.pv.com.
About Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 49.3 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.####


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Just hours before Apple is set to unveil the new iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 lineup, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that Apple is now unlikely to launch new iPads until 2024.
Last week, Kuo said that no new MacBooks are due until next year either. Save possibly an iMac refresh, it doesn’t seem like Apple will have much — if any — new hardware products to announce for the rest of the year, so today’s Wonderlust event might be it.
Go to Source
Author: Benjamin Mayo


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Atlanta’s AmericasMart showcased apparel from three Montreal-based fashion designers and 20 Quebec manufacturers during an April 15 fashion show entitled “Montreal Collections.”
In its ninth year, “Montreal Collections” featured apparel from manufacturers who are permanent exhibitors at the AmericasMart as well as three designers who are interested in garnering more recognition in the Southeast, according to Louise Fortin, director of the trade division of Quebec’s government office in Atlanta, who organizes the show here.
The show was a part of a three-day exhibition of women and children’s apparel that is held every year at the AmericasMart. The exhibition attracts between 8,000 and 10,000 buyers from throughout the Southeast, according to Ms. Fortin, who had about 250 buyers attend the “Montreal Collections” show.
Also attending this year’s exhibition was Montreal Fashion Industry Commissioner Diane Duhamel, who was eager to create stronger ties between the fashion industries in Atlanta and Montreal after her first visit here.
Ms. Duhamel, who worked for the city’s economic development agency, Montreal International, before becoming fashion commissioner two years ago, said that she would like to see educational partnerships develop between the Savannah College of Art and Design and fashion-oriented universities in Montreal such as the UniversitÃ© de Quebec Ã Montreal.
The Montreal university works in partnership with technical school LaSalle College to offer business-oriented degrees for the fashion industry. SCAD’s programs focus heavily on garment design and construction and have garnered a reputation amongst fashion academics in Montreal, said Ms. Duhamel.
“I spoke with professors at UQAM before coming here and told them that I was going to visit SCAD. They wanted to know all about it,” she said relaying their enthusiasm for SCAD.
But Montreal, which was named a “City of Design” last year by the United Nations for its culturally diverse art and design industries and events, has a lot to offer Georgia students, tourists and fashion enthusiasts, said Ms. Duhamel.
Employing more than 25,000, Montreal’s fashion industry is the second greatest producer of garments in North America, behind Los Angeles and before New York, Ms. Duhamel told GlobalAtlanta in an interview during her visit.
More than 100 fashion designers live in downtown Montreal and twice per year their work is showcased during a “fashion week” that attracts buyers and boutique owners from around the world.
Ms. Fortin’s trade division in Atlanta, in fact, scouts for high-end buyers from the Southeast to attend the show, which will be held again in October, she said.
Montreal fashion is influenced by both European and North American styles, which fosters creativity among designers, Ms. Duhamel said.
And the city’s fashion industry includes manufacturing, as well as design, she said, noting that the apparel manufacturing sector had started to pick up after an initial rush to China for lower labor costs in recent years.
“Everyone got excited about the lower cost of labor but didn’t factor in the unit cost of sourcing from China,” she said explaining that traveling to see manufacturers and finding translators in China were expenses North American buyers often made when sourcing products from China.
And often buyers want to source smaller quantities of apparel than what must be received in bulk freight from China, she said, adding that Montreal manufacturers were getting more business because they could supply smaller quantities of products.
The speed of the fashion industry is also not conducive to sourcing products from China, she added. If imported apparel gets slowed down at ports of entry, then apparel buyers suffer, she said.
“Fashion is fast and extremely competitive,” Ms. Duhamel said.
About 60 Montreal apparel manufacturers or designers have permanent showrooms at the AmericasMart.
Visiting designers represented at this year’s “Montreal Collections” show were Andy ThÃ©-Anh, Yves Jean Lacasse and Marie Saint-Pierre.
Story Contacts, Links and Related Stories
Quebec’s Atlanta Office – Louise Fortin, director, (404) 584-2995, ext. 59912


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Apple made a few announcements at their “Hi, Speed” event with the main focus on the new iPhones.
It’s been about four years since Apple first introduced their iPhone SE and it was a slight departure for the company. There’s no surprise that the iPhone can seem expensive but the iPhone SE is a new way to get the latest iPhone specs without paying a high price tag.
Apple made a couple of announcements during the first online-only WWDC keynote.
It’s been four years since Apple launched the iPhone SE before it got discontinued in 2018. Now the company is bringing it back for 2020.
As 2019 has come to a close, it’s time to look back at some of my favourite things, gadgets and so forth from the 2010s.
North, the company behind Focals smart glasses has announced a new way for customers to try on the wearable.
Apple made a couple of announcements at their September 10th event including the new iPhone 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11, Apple Watch Series 5 and details about Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade.
Spansive, the company formerly known as Pi has unveiled their first wireless charger called Source.
Apple made a couple of announcements at their Showtime event including Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple News+.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly working on a powerful 3D camera system for upcoming iPhones.


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Suzuki Motorcycle India has announced substantial price cuts on its big bikes owing to recent policy changes initiated by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Price reduction benefits are owing to custom duty reduction on completely knocked down (CKD) and completely build units (CBU) units in India. 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa (CKD) is now priced at INR 13,59,000 (ex–showroom, New Delhi). The bike was initially priced at Rs 13,87,623 at the time launch resulting in a price reduction of 28,623 rupees.
Commenting on the revised prices Mr. Sajeev Rajashekharan, EVP, SMIPL said, “Considering our focus on offering a premium range of products to our Indian customers, both the CKDs and CBUs form akey component of our existing and upcoming motorcycle line-up.Suzuki Motorcycles India plans to pass on the benefits of government’s decision to reduce the customs duty on CBU and CKD units, to its customers. Conducive policies will encourage manufacturers like us to bring more products and support the emerging big-bike culture in India.”
The new Suzuki GSX 1000 now enjoys a price cut of Rs 2.2 lakhs in India. Hayabusa is a highly desired superbike in Indian motorcycle community, whose claim to fame from featuring in a highly successful Bollywood flick hasn’t been forgotten yet. Not that the 197 PS machine which can throw the pointer till 299 kmph until electronics intervene, needed any other reason to turn towards.
In spite of being a generation old than what it competes with in the market, sales of Hayabusa are impressive. Launched last month, 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa sales are expected to get off to a good start in the new year. The first owner of the new 2018 Hayabusa, Mr Arjun was been given delivery of his new bike by Dream Suzuki Delhi dealer.
Suzuki Motorcycles India delighted Hayabusa fans and enthusiasts when they announced a huge price cut (in upwards of INR 2 lakhs) last year. This was made possible after the company decided to start local assembly of Hayabusa (as compared to being sold as CBU earlier).
This move would not be limited to the 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa. Suzuki Motorcycle India also has plans to locally assemble more superbikes, given the aggressive penetration of international brands and models in the sub-continent in very short time.
This will bring Suzuki to the same table as its close rivals such as Triumph, Kawasaki and Benelli, who have already started assembling their motorcycles locally and reaping benefits.
Also See – Hayabusa road trip to Leh, Khardung La and back (Photos and Video)
With more major motorcycle makers turning towards India and showing interest in attempting CKD operations, the market is increasingly responding by giving them better business. It is only a matter of time before all big names in the industry start catering to and operating in India.


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Vacationers may quickly be barred from Amsterdam’s well-known cannabis-dealing espresso retailers as Mayor Femke Halsema, continues her battle to rid town of its picture as a drug and prostitution haven.
The patronage of espresso retailers can be restricted to Dutch residents solely, in response to the plan submitted by Halsema to Amsterdam’s metropolis council on Friday.
“The residence situation is far-reaching, however I see no various,” the mayor advised Bloomberg in an electronic mail. The transfer is geared toward tackling organized crime and arduous medication attracted by the marijuana commerce, she identified.
“The hashish market is simply too massive and overheated. I need to shrink the hashish market and make it manageable,” Halsema stated.
The ban on foreigners goes to be a heavy blow for the trade, with town head acknowledging that “espresso retailers, particularly within the middle, largely run on vacationers.”
There are presently some 166 espresso retailers in Amsterdam, with a authorities survey discovering that simply 68 would suffice for satisfying the native demand in marijuana.
Halsema’s plan will now be debated within the council, with a transition take care of store house owners additionally on the agenda.
“We may be an open, hospitable and tolerant metropolis, but in addition a metropolis that makes life troublesome for criminals and slows down mass tourism,” the mayor stated, including that she expects the restrictions to take impact subsequent 12 months on the earliest.
Earlier than the pandemic put a severe damper on worldwide journey, Amsterdam was usually overwhelmed by vacationers, with town accepting round one million friends each month – a few fifth greater than its everlasting inhabitants. Guests have been drawn not only for the canals and museums, but in addition for accessible medication and intercourse companies within the Pink-Mild District.
Earlier this 12 months, the mayor introduced she would ban the show of prostitutes in brothel home windows, saying that the observe was “humiliating” to girls. In 2018, authorities additionally launched on-the-spot fines for public urination, littering and different offences dedicated by vacationers within the Pink-Mild District.
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Hormel Foods Corporation has announced a recall of over 220,000 pounds of canned products, including the ever popular Spam, due to metal pieces reportedly found inside. Four consumers have complained about the metals found in the canned meats.
The US Department of Agriculture stated that there were reports of “minor oral injuries” but so far no one fell ill or was seriously injured from eating spam and other canned products from the Minnesota-based company. The first report was made to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on May 25.
The canned products involved in the recall was produced at the company's Nebraska plant.
The recall involves 12-ounce metal cans of "SPAM Classic" best by February 2021.
In a statement, the USDA has listed the products affected by the recall. The following are numbers that you should check on your canned products to see if you have purchased a contaminated product.
12-oz. metal cans containing “SPAM Classic” with a “Best By” February 2021 date and production codes: F020881, F020882, F020883, F020884, F020885, F020886, F020887, F020888 and F020889. These products were shipped throughout the United States.
12-oz. metal cans containing “Hormel Foods Black-Label Luncheon Loaf” with a “Best By” February 2021 date and production codes F02098 and F02108. These products were shipped to Guam only.
The FSIS are concerned that the recalled products may still be in household shelves.
Consumers are now being warned that they may have purchased contaminated SPAM products. They are urged to check their pantries if their purchased cans are included in the recall. Contaminated products should be thrown away or returned to the place where it was purchased.
While the USDA may have only received reports of minor injuries, anyone who’s concerned about getting sick or injured from eating the canned meats should go see a doctor.
UK Mosque Teacher Urged ISIS Supporters To Target Prince George At His School
The online terrorist posted a photo of the little prince along with the address of his school.
An ISIS-supporter has urged his online followers to launch an attack by injecting poisons into ice creams in the supermarke, as heard by jurors at a court hearing. Thirty-one-year-old terror suspect Husnain Rashid also allegedly urged ISIS supporters to attack Prince George at his school.
Woolwich crown court heard on Wednesday that Rashid of Nelson, Lancashire has shared with his followers on his online channel a sort of "e-toolkit for terrorism." He had provided advice to lone wolf terrorists on how they can launch attacks using bombs, chemicals, knives, and poison.
Rashid works as a teacher at the Muhammadi mosque.
Vatican Urges Nuns To Spend Less Time On Social Media
Nuns are warned to avoid the distraction of “noises, news and words.”
It looks like excessive social media usage is officially becoming a problem among Catholic nuns. In a recent statement, Vatican has recently ordered nuns to reduce time spent on social media and instead to focus more on contemplation.
A document entitled ‘Cor Orans’ (which is Latin for ‘Praying Heart’), the Vatican reminded 38,000 cloistered nuns in the Catholic Church that too much tweeting and reading the news can interfere with staying prayerful.
Excessive social media use can be a major distraction for nuns, Vatican warned.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Booster Chair Noticed By The Internet, Gave Birth To Hundred Of Memes
Mark Zuckerberg may have faced Facebook’s latest issue, but the Internet isn’t the one to easily forgive and forget.
In the past few days, Mark Zuckerberg has been the talk of the town due to Facebook's involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social media giant and the political consulting firm are facing major backlash for obtaining data from over 87 million users for the purpose of supplying the said information to politicians who hired them.
Last April 10, Zuckerberg was invited to give his testimony before the United States Congressional Committee. The proceedings were aired on national TV and was likewise posted online. He was called to answer the issues but one of the things that later captured the internet's attention was his booster chair.
In case you didn't know, booster chairs are used to give some form of elevation to the user when they are seated. They are usually hidden from the crowd's view, as it is being covered by a table....


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What’s the difference between the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime and RAV4 Hybrid?
If you have been keeping up with the latest Toyota news, chances are good that you’ve heard about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. It’s an all-new plug-in hybrid variation of the RAV4 that also happens to be the quickest and most powerful RAV4 to date. But the RAV4 Prime joins the existing RAV4 Hybrid as part of the stellar RAV4 lineup, so what’s the difference between the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime and RAV4 Hybrid? Read ahead for a comparison of the two vehicles.
2021 RAV4 Prime vs 2021 RAV4 Hybrid
|2021 RAV4 Prime||vs||2021 RAV4 Hybrid|
|Two (SE, XSE)||Trims||Five (LE, XLE, XLE Premium, XSE, Limited)|
|Hybrid Mode: 40 City MPG / 36 Hwy MPG / 38 Combined MPG |
Electric: 94 Combined MPGe
|Maximum Fuel Economy||41 City MPG / 38 Hwy MPG / 40 Combined MPG|
|302 Net Combined Horsepower||Maximum Horsepower||219 Net Combined Horsepower|
|Standard||Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™||Standard|
No matter which 2021 Toyota RAV4 you get, you’ll be climbing aboard a real star. The main differences between the 2021 RAV4 Prime and RAV4 Hybrid are the powertrains, which lead to differences in horsepower and fuel economy.
The RAV4 Prime is equipped with a 2.5-liter gasoline engine, a potent electric motor, and a 355.2V battery, which, when working together, can hammer out 302 horsepower. That makes it the most powerful RAV4 yet. The RAV4 Prime can also be driven on pure electric power after a charge. It can be driven using just its electric powertrain for up to 42 miles, and when doing so, it gets the equivalent of 94 combined miles per gallon (MPGe). The RAV4 Hybrid gets a touch higher fuel economy with its hybrid combustion engine and electric motor powertrain, which has a 259V battery to power it up. Either way, these fuel economy and horsepower numbers are impressive in their own right!


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How to take down negative Information from the Web
News publications present are a strong challenge when it comes to online information removal. Most of the news websites , will never remove an article published . The chances that you will get a court order that will force the website to remove the bad news about you , are almost zero .
Not only do most news organizations tend to be extremely protective of their writers and reporters , but they also does not hesitate to invoke the First Amendment whenever legal action threatens to remove something they’ve published.
Who cares about a negative article ?
Well the problem is that Google loves to rank on page one all the negative information related to you or your business , this is how they work .
The real danger is the spread of bad news through other various online channels such as social media , makes news content removal and suppression seem nearly impossible, particularly if you go the legal way .
Taking the right steps to remove negative news articles from Google and the Internet , many times requires finding legal and editorial loopholes; a process that can cause you a significant amount of time, money and huge efforts .
Fortunately, the Webcide.com Cyber Security team , designed bad news removal processes , that help you restore your name and your brand online quickly and effectively by technically removing bad press from the Internet .


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Don't-Miss Input device Stories
If you rushed out to buy a new iMac or Magic Trackpad, it's time to fire up Software Update and start downloading.
We just got a Magic Trackpad, and here are some initial photos and thoughts.
Apple on Tuesday unveiled its long-rumored Magic Trackpad input device, a standalone version of the trackpad built into recent MacBook Pros.
Moshi has released the MouseGuard, a wear-resistant, form-fitting thin film that protects the Magic Mouse from everyday wear and tear, while actually improving the tactile response of its touch-enabled surface.
On Thursday, Ten One Design posted a proof of concept video showcasing pressure sensitive drawing and handwriting on the iPad. Though the frameworks used are currently private, Ten One hopes Apple will incorporate them publicly into a future version of iOS's UIKit framework.
Kensington has announced TrackballWorks, a modern-day replacement for the company's erstwhile MouseWorks driver software for Kensington trackballs.
The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate Apple's multitouch products based on a complaint filed by Taiwanese company Elan.
Intel sees its Light Peak technology for linking devices by optical cable as potentially succeeding USB 3.0.
The iPad lets you use either Apple's Keyboard Dock or a Bluetooth keyboard for extended typing sessions. Which should you choose?
iPad owners and potential purchasers are surely wondering if their current iPhone and iPod accessories are compatible with Apple's latest gadget, and what new accessories they'll need. We've spent the past few days testing the iPad with every cord, cable, and plug we could get our hands on; here's what you need to know about the iPad and accessories.
Macworld Lab takes a look at the iPad's battery life and application performance.
If the iPad is going to succeed as a business tool, it needs an office suite. The first suite out the gate: Apple's own iWork for iPad.
New version of Wacom's Cintiq 21UX LCD interactive pen display is targeted to professional photographers, designers, and artists.


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Belgium: Economy accelerates in Q4
January 29, 2018
According to a flash estimate released by the Bank of Belgium (NBB) on 29 January, GDP grew 0.5% in quarterly terms in Q4, which was an acceleration from Q3’s revised 0.2% expansion (previously reported: +0.3% quarter-on-quarter). In annual terms, GDP grew 1.9% in Q4, accelerating from Q3’s 1.6% expansion.
For the year 2017, economic growth reached 1.7%, an acceleration from 2016’s 1.5% expansion.
More detailed information on Q4’s economic performance will be released on 28 February.
Belgium GDP Forecast
The National Bank of Belgium expects the economy to grow 1.6% in 2018 and 1.5% in 2019. FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists also expect the economy to expand 1.6% in 2018, unchanged from last month’s forecast. In 2019 the panel also foresees growth of 1.5%.


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SCJohnson is launching its largest-ever corporate-branding campaign (spending an estimated $20-30 million), created in collaboration with Energy BBDO, PHD, TracyLocke, Geometry Global and Edelman. The effort emphases SCJohnson’s status as “a family company” (currently in its fifth generation of family ownership) with efforts including its first corporate-brand broadcast ad in four years and a Thanksgiving giveaway that sees the company offering 3,000 free plane tickets to reunite families for the holiday.
The 60-second launch spot “Great Expectations” celebrates family and parenthood, opening with the line (attributed to S.C. Johnson), “What matters most is that we live up to the expectations of our children.” A voiceover drives home that message, over footage of happy families, for the remainder of the ad, with lines like “what we expect of you is less important than what you expect of us.” It ends with the tagline “Making life better for the next generation in ways only a family company can.” “Great Expectations” makes its broadcast debut today, with a Spanish-language version following on October 25. A Thanksgiving spot entitled “Through The Years,” likely promoting the aforementioned giveaway, makes its debut in cinemas on November 1 and on broadcast a week later.
“We know that when people know we’re a family company that their trust and purchase interest in our products always goes up,” SCJohnson CEO Fisk Johnson told AdAge. “We work hard at nurturing a culture of caring and doing the right thing for the long term. One of the reasons we’re able to do that is, as a private company, we don’t need to worry about next quarter’s earnings or what Wall Street analysts say or whether an activist is going to come after us.”


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By Lacie Blankenship
Do you remember Pepsi’s 2017 ”Live for Now” advertisement campaign? The campaign attempted to address racial issues in America by implying that sharing a Pepsi could resolve them. Following the release of the advertisement, Pepsi’s online mentions increased significantly and were overwhelmingly negative. Nearly 5 years have passed since the commercial aired, and people are still cringing over it.
Brianna Escoe, Senior Lecturer of Marketing, and Anthony (Tony) Salerno, Associate Professor of Marketing, study the emotion of cringe; their paper That’s So Cringeworthy! Understanding What Cringe Is and Why We Want to Share It is currently undergoing the peer review process at a top marketing journal.
So, what do marketing professionals need to know about the emotion of cringe? Escoe helps answer this question below.
What is cringe?
Consumers cringe when brands miscalculate the appropriate way to persuade or form a positive impression in the minds of the consumer. In that miscalculation, brands end up violating a social norm.
“If you can think of a brand that thinks that they’re making a strong cultural statement, but instead ends up saying something that’s pretty offensive, that’s one-time cringe can occur,” says Escoe.
Cringeworthy content is most often presented in the form of advertisements but can include all forms of content, even information revealed about employees, like personal scandals of CEOs.
When it comes to cringe, not all press is good press
“One of the main findings of our paper is actually that cringeworthy content drives word of mouth,” says Escoe. “When content is released from a brand and is deemed cringeworthy by consumers, they talk about it with each other, and it leads to a huge viral response.”
A viral response is tempting to many marketers, but in the case of cringe, Escoe and Salerno find that consumers are quick to judge and blame brands for the uncomfortable feeling that cringe arouses. For example, Subway released a cringeworthy commercial that went viral with Russell Wilson. The commercial was the punchline of many jokes on social media, and Subway ended up pulling the advertisement off the air and the sandwich off of menus.
“So yes, while cringeworthy content does drive virality and gets your name out there, we find that the majority of the sentiment around this is actually negative,” says Escoe. “For many brands, it results in them pulling whatever cringeworthy advertisement and wastes money.”
How can you prevent cringe?
Engage in social listening
“Making sure that brands know the appropriate way to discuss and participate in the conversation on whatever social platforms they use is extremely important,” says Escoe.
“Brands should test consumer reactions before fully releasing an advertisement,” says Escoe. “Once you have released the ad, you should immediately engage in social listening. Remaining aware of any negative discussion around the content and responding quickly when necessary.”
Diversity of thought
“Diversity of thought is really important here,” says Escoe. “Making sure your team has people with different perspectives and experiences can stop a cringeworthy tweet or ad before it ever happens.”
A loyal consumer base can help
The saving grace of a brand that releases cringeworthy content is a loyal consumer base, which is less likely to talk about the brand in a negative light or reshare anything that is cringeworthy.
“Loyal consumers will not share content that negatively paints the brand because in doing so, it would almost be hurting those consumers themselves, because they see your brand as part or extension of themselves,” says Escoe.


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Techlan, a family-owned company based in South Wales, has developed innovative technology that recovers waste silicone release liners. The company's patented process transforms waste liner into Re-Liner; a high-quality 100% recycled silicone release liner that achieves a remarkable 67% reduction in carbon footprint in comparison to “new” release papers and films.
Founded in 2009, Techlan is a highly innovative company that has developed technology to recycle waste silicone release liners. The family-owned company based in South Wales, uses its patented process to recycle liners from a wide range of industries including the aerospace and medical sectors; it has now developed a solution for waste release liners generated from the label industry. It is actively looking to assist label manufacturers recycle this type of waste.
Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced that the UK-based global information service company, Clarivate Plc, has named Konica Minolta among the Top 100 Global Innovators for a third consecutive year.
While recent years have posed their challenges, the outlook for 2024 is rather exciting. The EU policy agenda is full, and Intergraf's EU affairs team is gearing up for the organization's 94th year of actively promoting and defending our crucial sector
The AWAVirtual™ Insights Forum 2024 is the forth edition of the event dedicated to addressing and creating a dialog on the critical issues leaders and decision-makers are facing today, regardless of the company or part of the value chain represented. The AWAVirtual™ Insight Forum provides insights and thought leadership from today’s industry captains and change agents, bringing together CEOs, Executives, and Experts to address key issues, challenges, and opportunities for the industry, across the value chain and across the globe.
• A recent comprehensive European study shows how sensitive consumers still react to the issue concerning the migration of substances into food.
• This risk with labels can be minimised easily and cost-effectively with the HERMA standard adhesive 62Dps due to its extremely low migration tendency.
• This adhesive demonstrates its strengths particularly on packaging films, even in cool/moist conditions and in high-speed labelling, such as blow-on processes.


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A new report claims that Samsung’s first foldable smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, will become available to customers starting July.
The South Korean tech giant initially slated the launch of the Galaxy Fold earlier this year, but the release of the handset was delayed after the display of the devices shipped to several reviewers failed within the first few days of use. The company decided to postpone the launch to give it ample time to resolve any issues regarding the design and construction of the Galaxy Fold. In an email that the North American division of the handset maker sent to its customers, the company claimed that it would announce the new launch date of the device early last month, although the tech firm has not provided an official statement confirming the release date of its first foldable smartphone.
However, a new report from South Korea claims that according to an executive from Samsung Electronics, the company will finally launch the Galaxy Fold in July. This statement corroborates the previous report by the South Korean publication Yonhap News, which stated that the handset maker will announce a new launch date of the Galaxy Fold this month and that the tech firm will ship its foldable handset offering starting next month.
Several weeks of launch delays allowed the company to redesign its device to resolve some of the critical issues experienced by the reviewers. For example, to fix the easy removal of the polyimide film that serves as the protective cover of the flexible display, the company inserted the ends of the protective film into the edges of the smartphone’s chassis, making it harder for users to remove the screen protector. Previous reports also claimed that Samsung would include warnings with the device, reminding the user not to remove the protective film
Another issue that affected the Galaxy Fold is the presence of substances inside the device that negatively impact the performance of the display. The size of the exposed gap of the foldable smartphone’s hinge has been reduced in size to prevent materials from entering the handset.
Aside from the changes made to the device, the new report also claims that Samsung may launch an exclusive game for the Galaxy Fold in collaboration with the game developer Nexon. This game, entitled Traha, is an MMORPG, and users in South Korea may now install the application to their devices.
Recent developments highlight the difficulties experienced by smartphone makers in releasing handsets with flexible displays. Last April, rumors emerged that Huawei has postponed the launch of its foldable handset, the Huawei Mate X, although insiders from the company vehemently denied these reports.
However, the design differences between the Mate X and the Galaxy Fold expose the handsets to different factors that could damage the handset. The display of the Mate X folds outward, and this design reduces the amount of lint and dust that enters the device. A problem with this screen design, however, is that it puts the display to a higher risk of damages from drops and scratches from dust particles.


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Of all the reasons car buyers give to avoid buying an electric car, two words stand out above all: range anxiety. Drivers wary of making the switch from petrol or diesel to electric overwhelmingly cite a concern that batteries will not last the journey. Our EV mythbusters series is taking a closer look at some of the most common criticisms of electric cars, highlighting the myths, the realities and the grey areas.
We have asked whether we should be more concerned about fires in electric cars and whether cars have a mining problem. This article asks whether fears about battery range mean the transition away from internal combustion engines never reaches its destination.
Range anxiety has two components: that batteries don’t have enough capacity for journeys and that there is a lack of chargers.
The Sun newspaper warned of “EV misery” in a report citing Auto Trader polling that found less than half of drivers said they were willing to switch, with range anxiety the top factor. The Conservative MP John Redwood, who has campaigned against the ban on petrol and diesel cars, said recently: “Many people are put off buying EVs by the absence of reliable charging points, the short range and the time it takes to charge a car.”
Donald Trump, who is hoping to regain the US presidency, has repeatedly criticised the Democratic White House’s push for electric cars, which he has claimed need to charge every 15 minutes.
There is no doubt that range anxiety is real. Polling by Bloomberg Intelligence in September found that range anxiety and the closely related concern over finding a charger were the two biggest fears cited by people across Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Whether that anxiety is justified is a very different question. Figures on average driving ranges can help. The US Environmental Protection Agency (in its own handy mythbusting page) notes that the average American household covers 50 miles a day, and only 15% of households do more than 100 miles in a typical day. In Europe average driving distances are generally lower. UK government data shows 99% of car journeys are less than 100 miles.
The energy company Octopus says the average EV range in the UK is 211 miles, and more expensive models can reach 300 miles. If you can charge overnight (when energy prices are cheapest) then there is simply no need to worry about typical usage.
For longer trips, drivers are dependent on the charger network. The International Energy Agency says the number of public charge points grew by 55% worldwide in 2022 to 2.7m. That is rapid growth, and means that in places like the UK or western Europe longer trips are gradually turning into a non-issue, with a quick toilet break doubling as top-up time. Edmund King, president of the AA, said 2.5% of its EV customers’ breakdown callouts are for flat batteries, and he expects that to fall to 1%, in line with the proportion of people who run out of petrol or diesel.
Maurice Neligan, the co-founder of Jolt, a public charger company in Germany that is expanding to the UK, said: “My view is there’s no reason why we won’t have enough chargers. There may be a bit of a bottleneck in the next three to four years but there’s no reason that it can’t be solved.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, the chief operating officer of ZapMap,the UK’s authority on charger numbers, said the network “has taken great strides forward in the past year”, with 43% more rapid chargers and double the number of hubs. She acknowledged that “there are still concerns around finding a reliable charging point, particularly on longer journeys”, but she expected the quick pace of new installations to continue.
The main problem for the EV transition is for people who do not have access to off-street parking, such as this reporter. The relatively widespread public charger network in south London meant there were no problems with charging a Kia EV6 and a much shorter-range Citroën Ami in public, but it was more effort when charge points nearer home were occupied (and prices and parking tariffs can be tricky). In many other cities around the world it is a still bigger challenge.
For rapid chargers on longer journeys there could still be issues when the public charger network has to deal with absolute peak periods, such as public holidays, when millions of people are doing the 1% of journeys that are more than 100 miles.
The number of ultra-rapid chargers is rising quickly in countries such as the UK to address this. Nevertheless, issues with the electricity grid are holding back progress on chargers across Europe, says Quentin Willson, former Top Gear presenter turned campaigner at FairCharge. He said the number of chargers needs to be “much, much more or else you’ll get people starting to queue”.
Banishing range anxiety is tricky because it relies on electric vehicles’ use patterns as well as the charging network. It is not yet possible to say that every journey is well served.
And governments cannot afford to get complacent about charging, or else those anxieties will turn into reality for more people as increasing numbers make the switch to EVs.
Most authorities are clear, however, that range anxiety should not be a problem for most people. If you only carry out the occasional journey of more than 200 miles, you are very unlikely to be caught short in areas such as the UK, western Europe and parts of the US where the number of chargers is already large, and rapidly growing.
Source: The Guardian


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With a sharp, stabilized, distortion-free 4K video camera, the $999 DJI Mavic Pro is much more capable than you'd expect given its size. It's an excellent choice for pilots looking for a more portable drone.
Pilots in want of an easily portable drone that doesn't skimp on functionality should take a close look at the Mavic Pro.
Build it, crash it, then build it again.
The drone offers a slew of innovative features, like separate cameras for video and navigation, and obstacle avoidance.
The Osmo Mobile will "automatically keep your smartphone facing you as you move," so it's basically a really smart selfie stick.
The handheld camera stabilization system now features a 7x zoom.
The aptly-named PowerEgg is a drone that supports 4K video capture and GPS-assisted flight.
The manufacturer pushed out a software update with temporary no-fly zones in Brazil.
The best way to keep data safe is to keep it away from the Internet. Drones are making that increasingly difficult.
Zip, a small robot airplane, brings vaccines, medicine, and blood to areas that are often unreachable by vehicles.
Aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts, the drone relies on artificial intelligence to sense your next 360.
The DJI Phantom 3 Standard delivers the safety, reliability, and video quality you expect from a Phantom at a price that appeals to entry-level pilots.
It's designed for professional aerial photography.
The rules cover non-hobbyist drones and are set to go into effect in August.
The Phantom 3 4K captures stable ultra high-definition video from the air and includes all of the safety features you expect from a DJI drone.
China-based EHang is heading to the U.S. to further develop, test, and validate its passenger drone system
The FAA recently tested an FBI drone-detection system at New York's JFK International Airport.
MicroAd sent 25 drones up into the night sky in front of Mount Fuji for a dazzling light display.
The Hover Camera uses facial and body recognition to follow subjects around a room.


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S3E3 - A watershed moment for podcasting listenership; and get ready for audio SEO
More than half of Americans have now listened to a podcast, pushing the medium firmly into the mainstream according to latest results of The Infinite Dial 2019 from Edison Research and Triton Digital. While podcasting listenership is steadily increasing, Facebook continues to decline with an estimated 15 million fewer users than two years ago.
Sharon Taylor, CEO of Omny Studio, joins Nick Schildberger to discuss what these podcasting statistics mean for brands, as well as a wrap of Sharon's visit to RAIN Podcast Business Summit in New York where Google Podcasts Zack Reneau-Wedeen presented a keynote on Google's latest plans for podcasting and how audio SEO will be hugely significant to all businesses.
The Infinite Dial 2019
Google's Zack Reneau-Wedeen keynote at RAIN Business Summit
Article: Tech firm Intercom's podcasting plans


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RIM pilots NFC payments in Spain
MOBILEBy BiztechAfrica - Nov. 25, 2011, 10:16 a.m.
Telefónica Digital and Research In Motion (RIM) have launched a near field communication (NFC) pilot program of the Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry smartphones.
In collaboration with local banks and retailers, Telefónica will roll out the Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry to 350 employees at its headquarters in Distrito Telefónica, Spain. Those taking part in the trial will be able to make payments in a simple, easy, safe and convenient way by simply tapping their NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone against a reader.
Employees that are part of the NFC pilot project will also be able use their BlackBerry smartphone (in lieu of a security card) to gain physical access to the Telefónica headquarters office.
According to Julio Linares, COO from Telefónica, S.A., "We have chosen the BlackBerry solution for this pilot because of the security that the platform brings," He continued: "RIM's participation has been key for this pilot project, and we are now planning to extend the project to more and more Telefónica employees around the world."
"We are getting ever closer to the point where our customers will be able to take the contents of their wallets and put them on their mobiles," said Matthew Key, Chairman & CEO Telefónica Digital. "Trials such as this are important to ensuring a great customer experience and we look forward to seeing the launch of commercial wallet services in several markets next year."
"RIM is committed to supporting the advancement of NFC and its many applications in the market," explained Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at RIM.
The Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry makes use of SIM-based NFC capabilities, offering a simple interface for managing cards. The application replicates a physical wallet, showing the different cards available to the user. Once the user has selected a card, they are offered a range of options including making transactions, getting account balances, receiving confirmations from the bank.
Additional partners participating in the pilot include banking and financial institutions, retail and food stores, gas stations and others.
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Beware updatesWhether it’s a firmware or an operating system upgrade, updates tend to be extremely data hungry, says MIP Holdings. Read More
Econet in wind power projectEconet Wireless has joined an initiative led by Danish wind energy group Vestas to build small wind power generators across Africa. Read More
BYOD: 1bn consumer-owned mobile devices at work by 2018The BYOD trend will drive the number of consumer-owned devices up to 1 billion by 2018, says Juniper Research. Read More
Ghana’s First Lady commends MTN Ghana FoundationGhana’s first lady, Lordina Mahama, has commended Ghana’s mobile telecom giant MTN Ghana and the MTN Foundation for taking the initiative to assist the Akropong School for the Blind. Read More
Africa well positioned for leap to 4G LTEAfrica’s mobile network sector is well positioned to drive the explosion in service offerings on the back of 4G LTE implementations, says Gemalto. Read More
MTN Foundation, UNFPA unite for maternal healthThe MTN Foundation and UNFPA will work together to reduce maternal mortality in Cameroon. Read More
Motorola Solutions launches new enterprise device in SAMotorola Solutions has officially launched its new enterprise-grade touchscreen device, the TC55, in South Africa. Read More
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IN DEPTHText messaging makes mama mbogas’ lives easier
Innovative students have initiated a programme using text messaging, to aggregate demand and save money for Nairobi’s ‘mama mboga’ vegetable sellers.


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IDEX POLISHED INDEX SHOWS SEPTEMBER DECLINE, BUT REMAINS OPTIMISTIC
After slight increases in July and August, the IDEX polished diamond price index shows a decline in September. According to IDEX Online, the Index began the month at 120.74 and ended at 119.49.
The decline in polished diamond prices has been ongoing since the middle of last year, and “the index is at its lowest point for more than three years […]”. Since January 2014, the Index shows a 9.1% decline in prices. On a month-to-month basis, polished diamond prices in September saw an increase of 0.3% over August. On a year-on-year basis, the average price in September 2017 showed a 2.9% decrease.
Diamond Prices by Size
When looking at categories on a month-to-month basis, comparing September 2017 to August 2017, there were “four rising categories, one decliners and two at standstill”.
On a year-on-year basis, there were four decliners and two risers. The 2.0-carat and 4.0-carat categories rose, while all the other categories declined.
When examining polished diamond prices since mid-2015, “the general trend is that 4-carat stones have shown the most price volatility, although 3-carat diamonds have displayed the steepest year-over-year decline”. From December 2015 on, “there has been relative price stability in 1-carat, 1.5-carat and 2-carat stones”.
Although the overall trend and month-to-month numbers may seem discouraging, the IDEX Online outlook is positive, showing that “the market has started to come back to life over the past month following the traditionally quiet summer vacation”. Additionally, the major diamond trading centers have displayed “relatively stable” activity.
The Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Show (September 13 to 17) was “solid if unspectacular”, and showed “a fairly substantial demand for lower-quality diamonds”.
As for October, IDEX Online predicts “relatively quiet” trading due to the Sukkot holiday in Israel the first half of the month, and the Diwali festival in India the second part of the month.


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South African producer signs major Chinese deal
Leopard’s Leap Wines is set to single-handedly almost double South Africa’s wine exports to China after agreeing a major joint venture with Chinese distributor Yangzhou Perfect.
The partnership will see the producer ship almost 2.9 million bottles to China by June 2012, a significant boost to the nearly 3.9m bottles shipped by South Africa to China last year.
Leopard’s Leap holds a 49% stake in the venture, called Perfect Wines of South Africa, with the rest held by Yangzhou Perfect, a subsidiary of Perfect (China) Co.
Together the partnership has created L’Huguenot wine brand, named after the 17th century French Protestants who sought refuge from persecution in Franschhoek, home of Leopard’s Leap.
The brand’s range consists of a Shiraz, Shiraz/Pinotage blend and Chenin Blanc. These will be distributed across the 5,000 outlets operated by Perfect (China), a consumer product and health food company which expanded its interests with the launch of a Chinese wine back in 2010.
Describing himself as “satisfied with the market response” to this first foray into the wine trade, Woo Swee Lian, president of Perfect (China), said: “I am I believe through our network of Perfect (China), we can offer more top quality wine. This will now be a wine from South Africa.”
Explaining the choice of a South African brand as a supplier, Mr Woo remarked: “I think the ability to provide consistent supply at reputable quality, is to the advantage of South Africa.”
In addition, he emphasised the relationship with Leopard’s Leap as one “that is based on respect and trust,” highlighting in particular the companies’ shared commitment to social responsibility.
Hein Koegelenberg, CEO of Leopard’s Leap pointed to the growth in annual exports of South African wine to China from 1.2m to 4.5m litres within three years as a major factor in the company’s decision to seek out opportunities in this market.
“Three years ago we identified Asia as an export destination for our wines,” he remarked, estimating that his two companies, Leopard’s Leap and La Motte currently represent around 10% of South Africa’s total wine exports to Asia.


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(WSVN) – For many American’s celebrating the Fourth of July, their cookout could be eating up their wallet.
A new report from the the American Farm Bureau said Americans are paying around $70 for popular cookout foods like burgers, chicken, potato salad and much more.
That is a $10 increase from last year.
Last years report found that the price of cookout foods was down 16 cents from 2020.
However, the cost was still 8% higher than in 2019
Copyright 2022 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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See’s Candies to open new stores in The Golden State
A specialty retailer continues to expand its breadth.
See’s Candies plans to open nearly a dozen new or relocated stores by the end of 2017. All new locations will set up shop in California.
The new stores will be located in San Jose, Castro Valley, Manhattan Beach, Paso Robles, Laguna Hills, Glendale and Calabasas. The new locations come on the heels of new shops that have previously opened or moved this year into new or larger locations in Escondido, Windsor and Pleasant Hill, California.
“When deciding where to focus our new retail shop locations, it was important for us to see where customer demand was,” said Ann Ostrander, senior VP of sales at See’s Candies.
“Many of our new and relocated stores are in convenient locations in outdoor malls and strip centers where our consumers are shopping these days,” said Ostrander. “In this time of uncertainty for many brick-and-mortar retailers, we’re very excited to be growing and expanding our retail presence throughout California, as we also look to add retail locations in the other states.”
See’s currently operates more than 240 locations, as well as an e-commerce site.
Big new center takes shape in Tucson
Bourn Companies has broken ground at a retail center on Tucson’s south side that could eventually add 600,000-sq.-ft. of retail space to the city.
About 220,000-sq.-ft. of that space is taking shape and expected to be completed by the end of the year at Fashion Park Shopping Center, located on Irvington Road at the intersection of Interstate 19. Complete build-out is expected by 2020.
Plans call for anchor tenants to be situated on the west side of the center, facing I-19, while restaurants and shops will sit east and south facing the Interstate and Irvington road. Arizona’s Department of Transportation is adding a third right-turn lane off I-19 to accommodate increased traffic flow to the center.
Chipotle and Southern Arizona Urgent Care are to be among the first tenants at Fashion Park.
Many of Bourn’s key executives came up in leasing and building management, and materials provided by the Tucson-based company state that it prides itself on having a tenant orientation.
Houston power center changes hands
Dunhill Partners has acquired The Center at Pearland Parkway in Houston, which houses T.J. Maxx and Ross Dress for Less and is shadow-anchored by an HEB grocery store. Seller Stream Realty Partners did not disclose the sale price.
"Due to the ideal spacing between the two closest major retail nodes, the Center at Pearland Parkway offers tenants the ability to capture this under-served community with limited competition," said Stream managing director Mark Sondock.
The Center at Pearland Parkway is a multi-phase project that kicked off in the early part of recovery after the recession ended and was completed in 2014. Situated at a prime intersection of FM 518 and Pearland Parkway, its second phase was just completed. Additional anchor and in-line spaces are up for lease.


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Calorie counts required on menus in the US
Australian food industry professionals will be monitoring with interest the outcome of new US laws which have outraged food retailers.
The New York City Health Department has begun enforcing new legislation which requires chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menu boards. The laws only apply to chains in New York City with more than 15 restaurants nationwide, meaning that 10% of all restaurants in New York will be affected.
According to the New York City Health Commissioner Dr Thomas Friedman, the laws are designed to help address the obesity epidemic which now impacts on millions of New York City residents. “Obesity and diabetes are the only major health problems that are getting worse in New York City,” he said. “(The) regulation will help New Yorkers make healthier choices about what to eat; living longer, healthier lives as a result.”
When people have access to calorie information they use it, according to the New York Health Department. Nearly three quarters of consumers say they look at calorie information on packaged foods in supermarkets, and about half say that nutrition information affects their food selections. The Health Department estimates that this regulation could reduce the number of people who suffer from obesity by 150,000 over the next five years, preventing more than 30,000 cases of diabetes.
The National Restaurant Association in the US is appealing the law with chain restaurants understandably upset with the legislation, which will result in restaurants being fined for a failure to comply. Their appeal is due to be heard on June 9.
Australia, like the US, is also considered to have an obesity epidemic and the success of such laws overseas might lead to similar legislation here in Australia.
How effective the legislation will be has been, and will continue to be, the source of much debate. The impact on chain restaurant sales figures over the coming months will be followed with interest by health experts around the world. In particular, the amount of healthier options sold as a percentage of total sales compared to past months at chain restaurants will be important to track.


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Consumer prices were 24.5% higher on average in December 2022 than a year earlier which is a new record, compared to the last decade. The highest price rises were measured for electricity, gas and other fuels as well as food over the last twelve months. Prices increased by 14.5% on average in 2022 compared to the previous year, Hungarian Central Statistical Office reports.
According to Savills, the food sector is becoming the new core in retail property investment. Last year, for the first time, investments in supermarkets, hypermarkets and food discount stores accounted for a record 21% of total European retail activity, up from a five year average of 7%.
ECE and Allianz have opened the new, comprehensively modernised food court of the shopping centre located in the Polish city of Katowice. During an extensive refurbishment period, the modernized food court of the centre received a new design with modern furniture and a better quality of stay. The refurbishment and modernization was conducted during ongoing operations in the centre in a construction time of approximately five months. All in all the owners invested €2 million into the modernization.
Warsaw's Renova shopping mall, located in Targówek and owned by Napollo, has just opened the first outlet of the Mother Earth brand in Warsaw. The outlet will be located on the ground floor of the mall.
Gdańsk's Galeria Zaspa has gained a new tenant. Clothing brand Sinsay has taken nearly 600 sqm of space in the facility.
MediaExpert has joined the ranks of tenants in the shopping centre in Bełchatów - Galeria Bawełnianka. The electro market will occupy an area of over 600 sqm.
Oscar Kazanelson - the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ROBYG - has been appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vantage Development. This is related to the decision to build synergies within the TAG Immobilien Group.
Piotr Chemperek has joined the experts of the Office Space Department at Colliers Poland, taking the position of Associate Director. He will be responsible for advising companies in the medical sector.
Magda Twarowska joins Logicenters Poland, the logistics arm of NREP, as Head of Commercial. She will be responsible for managing tenant relations and leasing activities, covering the standing assets and projects held by NREP NSF IV portfolio company, BIK S.A.
Property Forum is a leading event hub in the CEE real estate industry with nearly 10 years of experience. We organise conferences, business breakfasts and workshops focused on real estate, in London, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava and Prague, amongst other locations.


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Time & Attendance
Prevent Call Outs
Implementation & Launch
By Heather O'Neill
Oct. 24, 2011
Being successful in a sales career is about much more than being persuasive. It is about strategy and skill and having a clear vision of the company’s future. But how does a company build a successful sales team?
Experts say look at a candidate’s appearance when hiring and pay attention to your initial reaction. Once they’re on the team, train, train, and train some more.
It is a mistake to rely solely on personality when hiring sales professionals, says Dirk Gorman, a founding partner of consulting group Become Capable Today, which helps organizations build sales cultures. It is about the whole package, beginning with the candidate’s appearance during a face-to-face interview.
Gorman, who also is a founding partner of the Belle Harbor, New York-based medical device distributor Empire Surgical Products, does all of his own hiring, eschewing the use of executive search companies in favor of doing the interviewing internally.
Gorman says he looks for candidates who embody the culture of his company. The candidate must dress professionally, he said, which in his business means wearing a suit.
Looking the part inspires confidence in customers and projects an air of professionalism, he says, but adds that in other industries, different styles of dress would be more appropriate. Apple Inc. is an example of a company whose employees’ attire perfectly projects the company’s culture and the spirit of its products, he says.
“If you look at Apple’s retail stores, the sales team has the look and feel of Apple,” Gorman said. “They are average people who are incredibly excited about the products. They aren’t dressed especially nicely but their uniforms are clean and simple, just like the products.”
Job hopefuls also must be able to make engaging eye contact and tell a captivating story, he said. Gorman believes it is crucial that a candidate be able not just to lay out their past accomplishments but show that they had a rational decision-making process for important moments in their life—for example, why they selected the college they attended or made a job change.
“It is important that you—the hiring manager—enjoy listening to the candidate,” he said.
Woody Staub has 25 years of experience in medical device sales and is now president of his own company, CMJ Medical, which has offices in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. He also is a believer in the power of the first impression.
“My first impression during a job interview is going to be the customer’s first impression,” Staub said. “Candidates need to be someone that you would want to do business with. While we have great products, more and more in this economic environment people do business with people they really trust and like. That is the first hurdle.”
Staub also looks for consistency on a résumé—no large gaps in employment—and for examples of obstacles the candidate had to overcome in the past. Gorman also looks for candidates who have shown resolve in past commitments, considering all notable accomplishments, not just past work experience.
“When I look for experience, I look for experience in achievement and not just in the workplace,” he said. “There is a reason that a lot of salespeople are former athletes, both male and female. They demonstrated that not only could they achieve on a high level athletically, but they could achieve at a high level in the classroom.
“You hit some obstacles that could possibly have derailed you and you obviously figured out how to overcome those.”
Achievement could also come from work with a church or charity, or from leadership shown in clubs and organizations.
“Work experience isn’t the be-all, end-all,” Gorman said. “I do not believe that just because a person has three- to five years’ sales experience that makes them a good salesperson. Being a ‘people person’ is not enough. Sales is a strategy, sales requires an unbelievable amount of determination and preparation.”
For the right candidate, both Gorman and Staub say they are willing to take a chance on hiring a recent graduate with little work experience.
“I will consider someone right out of school. I like training folks from the beginning—my way,” Staub said. “If you find people with the right attitude, the right cognitive ability and a track record of success in high school and college, with the right kind of training you can really do well with some young reps. Put it this way: They don’t have any good habits yet but they don’t have any bad ones either.”
For Carla Anderson, founder of the executive sales search firm C. Anderson Associates based in St. Paul, Minnesota, past work experience is necessary, as are what she calls the “soft skills” of sales, like being assertive, confident and a strong problem-solver.
“At the level we are making placements, experience is crucial,” she said. “I need to know that a candidate has the skills necessary to seek out new business and that they will be able to pull a prospect through the sales process.”
According to research done by the Aberdeen Group, despite the recent economic downturn, sales training has emerged as an imperative expense for companies seeking to be competitive. Since 2009, Aberdeen’s studies have found an increased focus on regular sales training. In a survey of 970 organizations published this year, Aberdeen discovered that 707 utilize sales training. Of those, 91 percent rely on instructor-led training as their primary modality and 85 percent have defined competencies for each sales role.
Gorman agrees that training is a crucial part of building an elite sales team. His company takes it a step further than instructor-led training classes, employing instead a continuous training model. Gorman’s company has developed a smartphone training app called PEPPER, which stands for professional excellence, peak performance, elite results.
The app generates problems or obstacles that might be encountered in the field. Every morning employees receive a new problem and they are required to solve it on the spot. Their responses are shared with the entire company via an internal site, which serves double duty as both a collaborative sales communication tool and a ranking review system. The software, according to Gorman, both allows individuals to improve their sales skills and creates a collaborative environment in which salespeople can learn from one another’s successes and failures.
“We are of the firm belief that practice makes perfect,” Gorman said. “We believe that the deliberate practice of sales—just like in golf or any other skill—is the key to a strong sales team. We treat sales like a serious skill that needs to be honed,” Gorman said. “The biggest mistake I see in sales teams is not training on a regular basis. They are too confident in their ability to communicate and charm and therefore shoot from the hip”
Aberdeen’s research supports this idea. Its recent report shows a clear connection between the use of sales training and a company’s quota attainment, both for sales teams and for individual salespeople. Those companies that incorporate training into their sales strategy consistently outperformed those that didn’t.
“While we have seen companies continue to express doubt in the economic recovery, they continue to enhance their spend on sales training regardless of budget cuts or travel restrictions,” Peter Ostrow, research director of sales effectiveness for Aberdeen, writes in his report Sales Training 2011.
A major difference between high-performing companies and other firms has to do with training investments, according to the report. While the “best-in-class” firms employ 25 percent fewer sales reps than other firms, they spend a lot more on sales training: $408,000 per year compared with $302,000 and $294,000, respectively, for “average” and “laggard” companies.
In addition, according to Ostrow’s research, the top performers allocate 38 percent of their entire corporate training budget to the sales team vs. 30 percent at average performers and 22 percent at laggards.
“The ‘Best-in-Class’ learned to put their money where their talent is,” Ostrow wrote, “and are clearly showcasing peak performance results as a reward for their sales training.”
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Collaborate with NIHOTOUR to grow hospitality industry, FG urges operators
The Federal Government has called on operators in the hospitality industry to collaborate with the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in manpower and capacity development so as to reposition the sector for better service delivery, enhanced performance and sustainable operations in the sector.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who made the call at the commissioning of Marriot Hotel in Lagos, said the sustainability of growth in the hospitality industry is heavily dependent on the capacity of human resources and talent, which NIHOTOUR was established to provide for the nation’s Travel Tourism and Hospitality industry.
Osibanjo, who was represented by the minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, further called on all stakeholders in the industry to place greater focus and priority on building capacity and harnessing talents of the indigenous people and vast tourism potentials of the communities where they operate in the country.
Prof. Osinbajo extolled the resilience of the hospitality industry in bouncing back to operations after it was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing delight that the industry is taking advantage of technological innovations to adapt to the new norms of providing contact-less services as well as strictly observing the non-pharmaceutical Covid-19 protocols in its impeachable business operations within the sector.
While reiterating the commitment of the Federal Government to continuously formulate effective policies that will provide the enabling environment for the hospitality industry in Nigeria to operate in line with global best practices and compete favourably with other world-class hotels, Prof. Osinbajo thanked the proprietor of Marriot Hotel for choosing to invest in Nigeria and for erecting the magnificent edifice that is today the pride of the Nigerian hospitality industry.


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Even in Beverly Hills, a Rolls-Royce stands out. That's especially true when it's a Phantom Drophead Coupe, and bright yellow to boot.
The luxury ride belonged to Bijan Pakzad, who had it painted the custom color he named after himself. "I want comfort and luxury together. That is Rolls-Royce," Pakzad told USA Today in 2008. He passed away in April 2011 after suffering a stroke.
Pakzad was known for parking his luxury cars in front of his boutique, which he billed as the most expensive store in the world.
The 2008 Drophead hit the market for $412,000. This ride was spotted on Rodeo Drive last year by Chris S.


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- FashionUnited |
On the heels of its success, Oneofakind Baton Rouge Fashion Week will return to downtown Baton Rouge for another year of local fashion and entertainment. The fashion week will take place during Feb. 23-28, and will feature new and returning designers, including Louisiana State University Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising students.
“The response received in 2014 was phenomenal,” said OBRFW founder Brandon Campbell, who also executive produces the Little Rock Fashion Week, in Little Rock, Ark. The events expose art and entertainment to the state, plus promotes talented individuals and businesses.
Arkansans and LRFW fashion designer alumni Lacie Cupani (Cupani Fashion – LRFW 2014 Clothing Line of the Year), Treva “DivaStyl” Burns (MEROCKI), Jennifer Smith (Ms Smitty), Chris Young (Christopher Youngstar) and Campbell (iME Clothing) will present their designs.
OBRFW 2015 will also feature additional events as well as the returning kids fashion show, For Kids By Kids (FKBK). Fashion events will be ongoing throughout the week leading up to the “Big Night” on Feb. 28 at the Capitol Park Museum, 660 N. 4th Street.
“The audience can expect another great atmosphere,” he said. “We will continue to build off of what we started last year.”
OBRFW is partnering with Capitol Park Museum to raise funds for an exhibit that features the work of carnival costume designers, Helen Clark Warren and John C. Scheffler. The “From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: Two Carnival Artists in New York” will feature approximately 75 framed examples from the artists' costume illustrations. The exhibit is scheduled to open March 21, 2015 at the Louisiana State Museum’s Presbytere, Bill Stark, Capitol Park Museum director, said.
“We are excited to be a part of developing piece of Baton Rouge’s arts and social calendar as we partner with [Oneofakind] Baton Rouge Fashion Week for the second year in a row,” said Stark. “The dramatic backdrop featuring the State Capitol is the perfect place to highlight Baton Rouge designers’ contemporary fashion.” OBRFW 2014 donated $1,500 to the Louisiana Museum Foundation to restore a rare military uniform worn during the War of 1812. The Louisiana State Museum’s exhibit, featuring the uniform, marking the bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans is scheduled to be unveiled in early 2015.
In addition, OBRFW has also joined together with the LSU Museum of Art, who is set to host fashion week’s FKBK at its Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. A portion of the proceeds from FKBK will benefit the center. Other OBRFW 2015 partners and sponsors include Oneofakind Talent, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Kendra Scott jewelry and Visit Baton Rouge. Local businesses are encouraged to contact OBRFW for sponsor opportunities.
For aspiring and established models, OBRFW will have a model search Jan. 30 and is set for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Capitol Park Museum. The model search will continue at the museum on Jan 31, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Models are asked to wear heels, jeans and a plain white, fitted top and no make-up. Models will be chosen by fashion, media and entertainment professionals in the Baton Rouge community.
OBRFW is looking for fashion enthusiasts who would like to get involved. Volunteers have the opportunity to work in an area of interest, including public relations, fashion department, social media, hair and make-up and more. Interested sponsors, vendors, volunteers and fashion designers may contact OBRFW via [email protected] for more information.


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Apple says App Store has created 133,000 Texas jobs
Amanda Li, a Westlake High School junior, used augmented reality and machine learning as part of her scholarship application to attend Apple Inc.’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
The 16-year-old’s application submission detects objects and then tells the user what the object is in English, Spanish and Chinese.
“It demonstrates my cultural diversity a little bit,” Li said.
Now, Li is at Apple’s developer conference in California, a five-day event for app developers and a chance for the company to unveil its latest iOS features. She is among 350 scholarship winners from around the world who were selected to attend the conference which began on Monday.
So far, Apple has showed off improved performance for app downloading, dark mode, a new operating system for the iPad and more. The updates will be available to the public in July, the company said.
The tech giant also released its latest numbers on jobs created through the company’s app store.
In Texas, there are 133,300 jobs that have been created from Apple’s App Store, according to the company. The number, which is a 27% increase since 2016, includes app developers and indirect jobs such as sales and finance roles that support software development.
Apple makes money on the App Store by taking a 30% cut of apps sold through it — a percentage that app makers have long complained about being too high.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed an antitrust class action lawsuit against Apple to move forward. The lawsuit focuses on the fees that Apple enforces for sales in its App store. Some iOS developers filed another class-action lawsuit Tuesday, claiming the tech giant has created a monopoly.
Apple’s second-largest corporate presence in the world is in Austin, with roughly 6,200 employees in Central Texas. Counting contractors, its current Austin workforce numbers about 7,000.
In December, the company announced that it is to spend $1 billion to build a 133-acre corporate campus in North Austin that will initially employ up to 5,000 people. The facility will be less than a mile from Apple’s existing main Austin campus on Parmer Lane and could eventually expand to accommodate up to 15,000 workers, the company said.
The company has leased additional space in Austin ahead of the move, confirming last month that it has a short-term lease for the entire Riata Corporate Park 8 building — less than a mile from Apple’s existing campus. The company also confirmed that it has leased a building at North Austin’s Parmer Innovation Center.
Meanwhile, Li hopes to eventually have apps in the App Store and work at the company. She became interested in coding through a course at her school, and uses her involvement in band and swimming to come up with new apps.
“This scholarship was my first big thing,” she said, adding that she enjoys coding because she likes “the feeling of finally being able to solve a bug.”
At the conference, Li hopes to meet real-world app developers, who can offer advice and feedback.
“I’m really looking forward to the people that I meet there,” she said. “Basically, having a launching point in this industry that I’m really interested in.”


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Amazon Is Now More Valuable Than Microsoft and Only 2 Other Companies Are Worth More
Amazon stock rose 2.6% on Wednesday, lifting the online retailer’s market capitalization to $702.46 billion, a few billion ahead of Microsoft’s $699.22 billion market value.
All of the world’s six richest companies are in the technology sector.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, whose aerospace company Blue Origins last year announced its ambitions to take customers into space by April 19, also rose alongside Amazon on Wednesday to become the richest person in the world, ahead of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Bezos holds 78.9 million shares of Amazon stock.
Bezos is now the richest man of all time, according to CNBC, with an estimated net worth of $105 billion. Bill Gates previously held the title, with an estimated fortune of $100 billion in 1999.


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Stuff the Truck to be held Oct. 25
Rockford Register Star
ROCKFORD — Rock River Valley Pantry will host its fourth annual Stuff the Truck event from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at two Rockford Schnucks grocery store locations, 6410 E. State St. and 2642 Charles St.
The pantry hopes to receive 5,000 pounds of food for community members and pets.
For information: 815-965-2466.


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According to scholars, the prevailing opinion is that the private sector deals with its internal problems itself and that there is no need for additional interference. Nonetheless, this is not always the case because frequently the public or consumers fall victim to corruption, while their interests must be actively protected by the state.
On Tuesday, a research by the Institute of Law was presented and discussed at the Presidential Palace during the round-table discussion Possibilities of the Responsible Business to Reduce Corruption in the Private Sector. Scholars analysed a number of laws and sociological studies.
The researchers examined various abuse, dishonest competition and fraud cases in different business areas. For example, the media, sport, private education and science, legal and health services. The objective was to determine whether aforementioned phenomena may be regarded as corruption and who suffers most harm: business, consumers or society.


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Starbucks said global sales increased 18% to $4.9bn in the quarter to 28 June – its highest ever quarterly revenue.
“Among the strongest and most remarkable quarters in our over 23 years as a public company,” is how boss Howard Schultz has described its third quarter performance.
The rise was mostly thanks to it buying out its previous Japanese partner Starbucks Japan and new store openings.
The world’s largest coffee chain opened 431 new stores in the period.
Like-for-like sales – which strip out the effect of new store openings – increased by 7%.
And total net profit rose 22% to $626.7m.
Mr Schultz said the sales increase meant it had served 23 million more customers in the quarter compared to the same period last year. Of those 18 million were from the US.
It said its loyalty programme had helped to drive its strong performance. The chain has worked with other firms such as ride-sharing service Lyft and music streaming firm Spotify.
Both firms give their customers a chance to earn Starbucks “starts” which can be used in the coffee chain’s shops.
Shares rose more than 3% in after hours trading.