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Leading CIS thin-film PV module manufacturer, Solar Frontier reported its first annual profit in 2013, fuelled by the boom in the Japanese market.
Showa Shell Sekiyu, a subsidiary of Dutch Royal Shell reported its Energy Solution Business, which contains Solar Frontier, reported net sales of JPY141.2 billion (US$1.38 billion), up 80.4% from the previous fiscal year, and an operating income of JPY17.5 billion (US$171.7 million), up JPY32.9 billion compared with the previous fiscal year.
Profitability for the first time for Solar Frontier was said to have been due to increased module shipments, operating at full capacity and manufacturing cost reductions of 20%.
Solar Frontier’s main Kunitomi Plant (900MW nameplate capacity) was said to have operated at full capacity from the start of 2013, while its Miyazaki with an annual production capacity of 60MW also resumed production in July 2013.
Module shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013 approached 300MW, up from around 200MW shipped in the previous quarter. In the first nine months of 2013, Solar Frontier had surpassed total shipments achieved in 2012.
Over 90% of total shipments in 2013 were targeted for the Japanese market with a focus on residential, commercial and utility-scale (mega solar) markets.
Solar Frontier plans to increase its focus on the Japanese residential market in 2014, after launching lighter weight modules and a new roof mounting system to reduce installation times and balance of system costs.
The company also plans to focus on the smaller industrial systems market in Japan on the expectation of feed-in tariff reductions as well as continue to strengthen its market share in the utility-scale sector. The company is therefore continuing to focus the majority of its sales on the Japanese market in 2014.
However, the previously announced 150MW next-generation Tohoku plant was said to be key to Solar Frontier’s planned expansion of overseas business when the facility comes online in 2015 and would also serve as the company’s blueprint for future manufacturing facilities outside of Japan.


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Given the fragile state of global financial affairs, timing for the arrival of the BitGold platform could not be better. On Tuesday June 26 2015, BitGold announced its platform launch in the United States.
I think that by now, it is crystal clear and common knowledge that everyone should hold a portion of their wealth and savings in the precious monetary metals. BitGold is a free platform that now makes it super-easy for everyone to get their fair share of gold at rock bottom prices, save it, store it for free, take physical delivery, sell it, and even spend it - if one so chooses.
Though a fictitious April fool's prank, The Daily News headline is likely to become a reality of true necessity at some point in the future.
Setting up your BitGold account is free. BitGold offers the most competitive rates in the industry for buying and selling gold, and if you so choose, they are the only platform that allows you to spend money from your gold account.
BitGold may well be the much awaited platform that provides a rather simple and inexpensive way for the vast majority of people who are unsure as to how to go about saving in gold to start doing so. In addition, as an online merchant, I am rather excited and looking forward to BitGold rolling out features that are on par with those currently available at PayPal.
Go for it - I did, open your FREE BitGold Account and start saving real money today.
Trade Better / Invest Smarter

domain: news


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China-ASEAN trade growing on deeper integration
Trade between China and the ASEAN rose 1.6 percent year on year to reach 224 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of the year, accounting for 12 percent of China's total foreign trade, Vice Commerce Minister Gao Yan said.
Gao made the remarks at a press briefing of the 12th China-ASEAN Expo which will be held in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region between Sept. 18 and 21.
Trade between China and the ASEAN reached 480 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 8.23 percent.
China has been the largest trading partner of the ASEAN since 2009, and the ASEAN has been China's third largest since 2010.
The China-ASEAN Expo played an important role, Gao said.
Progress has been made in negotiations on upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) since August, Gao said, adding that a deal is expected by the end of this year.
Launched in 2010, the CAFTA has become the world's largest free trade area among developing economies, covering a total population of 1.9 billion. In 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed a CAFTA upgrade, with the aim of expanding trade to 1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2020.
Talks on a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have been fruitful. "Remarkable progress" has been made in seven areas including goods and services trading, investment and IPR policies, Gao said.
The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between the ASEAN members and Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.
Those countries account for 48 percent of the world's population and 30 percent of the world's economic output.
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Nasdaq confirms correction as Facebook, Alphabet, Amazon drag
Updated : June 04, 2019 07:07 AM IST
While the sell-off in the internet heavyweights was the biggest drag on the Nasdaq, the index has been falling steadily since its May 3 record closing high as investors worried about slowing global growth amid an escalating US-China trade war.
The S&P 500 had a volatile session and ended the day down 0.3 percent, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the session virtually unchanged.
The communication services sector, which includes Google and Facebook, closed down 2.8 percent, the biggest drop of the S&P's 11 major sectors, while Amazon shares helped pull the consumer discretionary sector down 1.2 percent.
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Customers at a Waitrose are causing a storm in a tea cup after its cafe swapped china for PAPER plates and cups.
Dubbed ‘the most middle class row ever’ regulars are threatening a boycott after the posh supermarket’s restaurant started serving food and drinks on disposable crockery.
Angry regulars in Chichester complained after the store stopped using traditional china for tea and cakes – instead opting for plastic and paper.
To make matters worse irked customers are now forced to sit in wooden chairs instead of sofas in the café’s new layout.
The row began when the cafe moved from inside the Waitrose supermarket in the West Sussex city to a premises previously ran by Costa next door.
During the move the supermarket decided not to provide china, or the beloved sofas, from inside the store.
Regulars are outraged but others say the dispute is ”the most middle class row ever”.
One regular female customer said: “If you go into Waitrose you expect to be able to drink a cup of coffee from a real cup.
“You get that in Sainsbury’s in Chichester.
“You see them using paper plates and cups and you wonder what else they’re cutting back on.”
Local Gary Ashcroft added: “Surely it’s better for the environment to reuse china.
A Chichester couple, who said they were regular Waitrose customers, said: “We enjoy coming here.
“We’re not annoyed about using paper plates, but we are a little disappointed that they don’t provide proper cups.”
A café staff member explained that the decision may be overturned in the future, but it would mean a dishwasher would have to be installed.
The worker said: “There were complaints at first but I think people like it now we’ve changed, we’re really busy.
“It’s more hygienic and customers get a much bigger quantity of coffee.
“I think Waitrose are looking to change to china but we have that more in our bigger stores and it would mean getting a dishwasher in.
“People also said the new chairs are cheap but the whole point is they’re easy to clean, the old settees were horrible.
“The plates were polystyrene but are now made of sugar cane so they’re recyclable, the cups I don’t think can be recycled but the plastic tops can be.”
Local Liz Dyson, 46, said she didn’t mind the paper plates and cups, just as long as they were being recycled.
She said: “People who want coffee from china cups would probably go somewhere else, I come here because it’s nice and is really reasonable.
“But if they do recycle maybe they should advertise it better.”
Upset Kathryn Crosby said: I complained because it’s a total unnecessary waste of materials and resources. Not all of which can be recycled.
“More crap in landfill when china could be washed up and re used which is less environmentally damaging.”
A Waitrose spokesman said: “The feedback of our customers is hugely important to us and the comments we have received will help shape any future plan.”


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What is man and machine marketing? How was the future lived up to this expectation? Hollywood’s depiction of the future is practically the present. The Jetsons’ lifestyle has become Elon Musk’s passion project; the self-driving car from I, Robot is now being tested on roads; and even the hoverboard from Back to the Future can be purchased by consumers. And as the evolution of technology turns fiction into reality, brands are forced to keep pace with their customers.
“You have this symbiotic rise of technology and consumer expectations,” Norman de Greve, SVP and CMO of CVS Health, said at a recent CMO Panel hosted by creative consultancy Lippincott in New York.
So, how can brands meet consumer demand when those demands and expectations are constantly changing? While no marketer can say with certainty what the future will hold for brands, de Greve and executives from Lyft, Lippincott, and IBM Watson made their best predictions. Here’s how they expect the roles of brands to change as technology and data continue to advance.
The evolution of brand
Brands are no longer about logos, trademarks, or colors, John Marshall, chief strategy and client officer for Lippincott, said during the panel; they’re about building perceptions and relationships with consumers.
“The brand has taken on a much broader context,” he explained.
To form these bonds, brands need to create what de Greve refers to as “humanness,” something Marshall said marketers can cultivate by focusing on the needs featured in Maslow’s Hierarchy—physiological, safety, love and belongingness, esteem, and self actualization—rather than their own self-described attributes.
Consumers should be able to identify a brand’s sense of “humanness” within its purpose—which Kira Scherer Wampler, CMO of Lyft quickly noted is different than the brand itself.
“Purpose helps demonstrate the brand,” she said.
For Lyft, the purpose is treating riders and drivers better than a certain ridesharing behemoth and creating more efficient and economical transportation opportunities. Wampler said this purpose can be seen in Lyft’s original tagline—“your friend with a car”—as well as in its data: She said eight out of 10 drivers who operate on both Uber’s and Lyft’s platforms prefer driving for Lyft.
For CVS, the purpose is around helping people live healthier lives. According to de Greve, it was this purpose that helped guide the company into making the $2 billion decision to stop selling cigarettes.
The rise of technology and data
But how do brand humanness and connection evolve in a world of emerging technology?
For starters, more technology equals more data. Marshall said consumers are entering a world where there will be sensors on everything. This will generate a lot of observational data for brands, he said, which will allow them to monitor “every nook and cranny” of people’s lives.
Some consumers have already entered this world—consider the three million Amazon Echo devices the online marketplace has sold in the U.S. since late 2014, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners’ data.
This abundance of data will hold brands more accountable in terms of which of their products and services are working and which ones are not.
“It basically changes a brand from a promise to an outcome, in a way,” Marshall said.
Stephen Gold, CMO and VP of business development for IBM Watson, said it will also help brands solve more problems.
Take Lyft’s Concierge service, for instance. The product allows people and business partners to request rides for others, like patients who need help traveling to their medical appointments. Similarly, CVS offers prescription management tools, like refill reminders, to help ensure that people have and take what they need.
And while the emergence of new technology may be intimidating for some, Wampler said it’s important for brands to consider the bigger picture and how that technology will affect the world overall, not just the brand’s personal bubble.
Autonomous vehicles are a good example of this. Lyft partnered with General Motors to create an on-demand autonomous car network. Wampler recognizes that putting one’s life in the hands of a machine to get from point A to point B can be scary; however, she argues that consumers have been doing it for years with airplanes. Plus, Lyft’s cofounder John Zimmer explained in a post that autonomous cars will provide new economic opportunities, better transportation accessibility, and even urban design impact.
“I think a little less about what tech is scary and a little bit more about what the world will look like as technology evolves,” Wampler said.
The era of man versus machine or man with machine?
So how do humans actually fit into the role of “humanness” and brands’ relationships with consumers? Data shows that machines will take over several jobs performed by humans today. A recent report by Forrester Research, for instance, stated that cognitive technologies—like robots, AI, machine learning, and automation—will replace 7% of U.S. jobs by 2025.
IBM Watson’s Gold believes these technologies will start replacing some human decision-making, too. Through traditional rules and logic, machines will start automating decisions that are less significant to consumers’ lives, he said, such as when the oil in in their cars needs to be changed. Think of it like automatic bill pay on a larger scale. However, humans will still have the power to select which decisions are automated and which ones are not, he said. But because machines will be making a lot more routine, automated decisions, more brands will see higher churn, argued Lippincott’s Marshall.
Even though machines will handle the recommendations, personalization, and decision-making, argued Gold, the human touch will still be needed to provide better customer treatment. Therefore, the future will be an era of “man and machine,” he said, rather than an era of man versus machine.
The years ahead may hold radical transformation for brands. But at the heart of it all is the desire to create better experiences for customers.
As Wampler put it, “The best brands in the world are the ones who deliver brand value all the way through their experiences.”
Related Post: J&P Motors Through Indexes


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📈 30 Second Cryptocurrency Price Summary
Current Bitcoin Price: $58,705
Bitcoin price has continued to trade in a small range over the last 24 hours, as price hovers within the $58,000s.
Top-20 altcoins have performed very well, with XRP soaring 39%, Bitcoin Cash jumping 16% and Ethereum gaining 3%.
Top Stories for April 6, 2021 🔥
👉 Sacramento NBA Team Offers Players Salaries In Bitcoin
The NBA’s Sacramento Kings have offered to pay their players as much of their salary as they like in Bitcoin. Team chairman Vivek Ranadivé broke the news on a Clubhouse meeting on Monday.
It has not yet been confirmed what method would be used to make the Bitcoin salary payments. The Sacramento Kings are no strangers to Bitcoin, however, accepting the cryptocurrency for tickets and more since 2014.
👉 IRS Looks To AI For Crypto Tracking With $10M Project
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has revealed plans to almost completely digitize operations for this fiscal year, with a $10 million plan.
The plans include new tools based on artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve tracking of cryptocurrency transactions and more.
👉 Price Floors Falling Across NFT Markets
NFT price floors are falling across the NFT space, with some community members calling it a “silent crash”.
Popular NFT project CryptoPunks has seen a 40% drop in floor price, with some collectors locking in significant losses on their assets.


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The company is expected to leverage the private equity firm’s strategic and operational expertise
Beauty contract manufacturer Mana Products has been acquired by private equity company Traub Capital.
The strategic move will allow Traub Capital to leverage the beauty accelerator company’s research, development and manufacturing capabilities.
Meanwhile, Mana Products will leverage the New York-based company’s strategic and operational expertise.
“We are proud to partner with Mana, a clear leader in prestige beauty manufacturing,” said Mortimer Singer, Co-Managing Partner of Traub.
“Mana partners with their customers at the height of innovation and quality, with a proud tradition of growth and delivery.
“Mana’s culture and legacy align with Traub Capitals’ organisational and cultural beliefs, and we think we are uniquely positioned to actively support them with their strategic growth plans.”
Mana Products develops products for skin care and colour cosmetics, including foundation, mineral make-up and lipsticks.
The company’s CEO Robert Jaegly added: “Traub Capital is an ideal partner for Mana, as they have been experts in our industry for decades.
“They will support us with needed strategic growth planning and ensure that together our customers are supported to the highest degree.”
Mana Products will keep its trading name and continue to work from its headquarters in Long Island City, New York.


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Amazon first started showing live Premier League football matches in the UK last year and will do so again this summer, but because of restrictions imposed by the ongoing coronavirus crisis, it’s announced that it’ll also be showing additional fixtures for free. Unlike before, viewers won’t need a Prime subscription to watch them.
Broadcasters had their allocation of Premier League matches earmarked months ago, with fixtures spread among Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon Prime. The league was subsequently suspended due to the pandemic. When it resumes on June 17th, fans still won’t be permitted in stadiums but the games that weren’t originally earmarked for television will now be aired, giving supporters the chance to watch their team in lieu of attending the live match.


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(*) Includes coupons Mobile payment systems Currently Plan to add have in next year PayPal 38% 13% ApplePay 31% 13% Google 13% 25% Proprietary system 6% 13% CurrentC 0% 6% SoftCard
0% 19% Half of websites also have e-commerce features.
to Avoid Association with Militant Group, THE VERGE (Sep.
He'll also examine spin-off technologies such as blockchains, and look into the mechanics behind electronic payment systems such as Apple Pay, CurrentC, and Softcard
Invigorated by its purchase of wallet competitor Softcard
and the launch of Android Pay, Google is poised to continue its gradual, upward mobile payments path.
Other Google rumors include negotiations to buy Softcard
, a mobile payments solution developed by telecommunications companies.
Google last month bought Softcard
, a rival to its Google Wallet co-founded by US mobile operators AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon in 2011.
Save Mart stores also started accepting Google Wallet, Softcard
, and several other smartphone digital payment methods.
However, he pointed out that Salt Lake City had been selected by mobile wallet service firm Isis, which is now known as Softcard
, as one of two test markets in the U.S.
Another company, technology startup Isis Wallet, announced in September that it would change its name to Softcard
. The joint venture involving AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless launched late last year with an app that allows people to use their smartphones while checking out at a store to get discounts and use credit or loyalty cards.
Later, it was Allen, not Gates, who created the SoftCard
, allowing a popular operating system to be run on Apple computers.
Aiming at a lower-end market, PSInet of Herndon, Va., offers ECommerce Storefront, a Unix-based turnkey product based on Mercantec's SoftCard
, which is cheaper and requires less database integration than Open Market and similar products.
Hence, to recover the lost glory Google proposed an acquisition and the best choice that seemed was acquiring its rival Softcard


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MWC 2019: What To Expect
MWC 2019 is fast approaching and here at Clove, we can’t wait to see what this year’s event has in store for us. But what exactly is MWC 2019, why should you be so excited for it and what might you expect to see?
What Is MWC?
The Mobile World Congress is an annual event and is undoubtedly the biggest mobile trade show of the year.
It provides some of the biggest players in the technology field with the opportunity to launch their new devices, and ranges from smartphones to smartwatches and tablets to VR headsets. As such, we can be excited to see the grand unveiling of many of the year’s top devices as well as hearing the latest developments in the hottest trends in mobile.
Indeed, MWC also draws many of the industry’s top companies to talk about the future of their devices and long-term ambitions; including 5G and mobile hardware.
What To Expect
Now, we’ve been waiting a while to see what Samsung’s Galaxy S10 might bring us, and we’re sure you have too! Samsung has set a launch date of February 20th for their device – a few days before MWC 2019 kicks off.
But that doesn’t mean that we won’t see anything from Samsung on display!
We’re hoping to hear more details of Samsung’s much-discussed and eagerly awaited folding device that we’ve only managed to get sneak peeks of thus far. We may also discover more about the Galaxy Home smart speaker which was announced at Samsung’s Note 9 launch event in August. We haven’t heard too much about it since, however it was used in marketing images around CES 2019 so you never know.
Now, Huawei often like to use MWC to unveil a host of new products, however this event is rarely used for the launch of flagship products. The release of the latest in line of the lauded P-series is imminent, however Huawei tend to host separate events for flagship launches and so we aren’t hopeful to see the P30 during MWC.
Last year, Huawei may not have brought us any phone updates, however they did announce their Matebook X Pro and a tablet for the first time, so there could be some upgrades in that respect.
What we do know, is that Huawei’s MWC event will be held on Sunday 24th February and we can be pretty sure that it will be live streamed across their various online platforms.
At the end of Huawei’s pre-MWC briefing in Beijing, CEO Richard Yu confirmed that the Chinese giants would be announcing the world’s first foldable 5G device, stating, ‘we look forward to seeing you in Barcelona in February, where we will launch the world’s first 5G smartphone with a foldable screen’. Now that’s something worth getting excited about!
The device will use a Balong 5000 chipset rather than the much-discussed Qualcomm Snapdragon X50, which Yu added is the world’s most powerful 5G modem. This will allow peak download speeds of 4.6Gb/s and is supposedly (according to Huawei), ten times faster than 4G and double the speed of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50, adding ‘we’re still about 6 months ahead of the competition’.
Sony has already sent out invites for their MWC event, scheduled for February 25th; the first day of MWC. Now if you haven’t already seen it, the invitation seems to show a close up of the edge of a smartphone, showing its frame and display – although this is hard to be sure of. Sony’s launch will be live streamed on their official website at 7:30AM GMT or 8:30AM CET.
Sony tend to introduce one flagship device at MWC, followed by another 6 months later at IFA. Indeed, the Xperia XZ2 was announced at MWC 2018, with the XZ3 being unveiled at last year’s IFA. As such, most rumours point towards the announcement of the Xperia XZ4, and this seems to be the most likely scenario. We’d also like to see an Xperia XA and branded accessories, but that’s wishful thinking rather than knowledge!
Don Mesa, Sony’s vice president of marketing, has been keen to emphasise Sony’s reshuffle, stating, ‘we are going to be announcing products at MWC. What we present there will be a first step showing the direction we are going’, and so we’re really excited to see what they have in store for us.
When it comes to 5G capabilities, we’re not expecting too much, as Mesa added, ‘5G is a challenge. Some people may be holding off buying a new device because they’re waiting for it. But we don’t want to rush and put the cart before the horse – the experience has to be good.’
Curating rumours about LG’s expected announcements at MWC 2019 has proven difficult as many different handsets could be announced.
What’s for sure is that LG are also in line to announce a 5G-enabled handset. ‘The new product is equipped with Qualcomm’s latest AP’ Snapdragon 855’’, LG have announced in a blog post, ‘which improves the information processing capacity by more than 45%’.
This is rumoured to be a separate handset from their next mainstream device and, ‘can be enjoyed comfortably without slowing down even when running high-resolution games and large capacity apps at the same time’. The device will feature a 4000mAh battery and a vapor cooling chamber, which has been increased in size by 2.7 times over compared to that of the LG V40 ThinQ, keeping the device cool even during heavy lifting tasks.
Alongside this, LG have sent out a video invite which suggests that it will be announcing a handset that allows users to control their device solely with hand gestures, without the need to touch the screen.
LG have previously announced devices with gesture controls, unveiling televisions in 2013 that allowed consumers to use their fingers to control an on-screen cursor. Now, the video did not specify a model name so we don’t know if this could be the LG G8 or another device.
Rumours surrounding Nokia’s involvement have been far sparser and all we know is that Nokia will be hosting their showcase on Sunday February 24th.
Last year, Nokia used MWC as a platform to launch a number of new devices, including the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco and the redesigned Nokia 8110, so we’re certainly hoping to see the unveiling of a number of new phones!
It’s currently all conjecture, however many are eager to see Nokia launch the rumoured Nokia 9 PureView that is said to be the world’s first smartphone with a five-camera setup on the rear. Nothing has yet been confirmed by Nokia and so we would take this with a pinch of salt.
When it comes to Nokia’s movements within the 5G world, we’re hoping to see some advancements at MWC 19. Indeed, the official Nokia MWC website states, ‘discover how our end-to-end approach to 5G and innovative technologies will transform business, industry and the human experience.’ Watch this space!
As you may be aware, Xiaomi have really pushed their presence in Europe over the last few years and are now officially producing UK handsets, many of which are available from Clove. As such, this is only Xiaomi’s second appearance at MWC, but early rumours look very exciting.
Xiaomi have now begun to send out invites for their big launch, which looks to be scheduled for February 24th; a day before the official first day.
Now, most rumours point towards a 5G variant of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 that was launched in China at the end of 2018 and is now also available from Clove, although it’s important to remember that nothing has been confirmed.
Indeed, at the launch of the device, Xiaomi confirmed that a 5G variant of the Mi Mix 3 was due in the first quarter of 2019 which would put dates close by. At the China Mobile Partner Conference in Beijing, Xiaomi revealed that 5G will be supported by Qualcomm’s X50 modem which can double the internet bandwidth of up to 2Gbps on mobile devices.
Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3 is a really innovative device, coming crafted with a magnetic slider that houses the dual front-facing cameras. This allows for a massive 93.4% screen-to-body ratio that is absolutely striking.
If you were keeping up with CES 2019, then you’ll have seen what a big presence 5G had at the event.
Qualcomm’s X50 modem is at the forefront of everyone’s minds and Qualcomm’s president, Christiano Amon, confirmed that, ‘every Android vendor is working on 5G right now’ and that, ‘by the holidays next year, every flagship handset – at least when it comes to those running Google’s Android software and using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor – will tap into 5G.’ As such, it may well be MWC 2019 where we see some of these first 5G-enabled devices.
Indeed, 5G connectivity is one of the key themes of MWC 2019, with MWC’s main website stating that, ‘5G will create speed and flexibility to allow for far greater services and performance with higher reliability. Connectivity highlights the requirements needed to make 5G a reality, from implementation, business models, spectrum and regulation, to the challenges of working with diverse markets.’
As stated, LG are looking to unveil their 5G device and there are many reports that Xiaomi might make a 5G announcement after being teased at their own event last October. But at the very least, we might expect to hear what advances are being made.


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Beef Rollover Auction Helps Feed Hungry Families
Through the Beef Counts Program, Washington beef producers will put nutritious beef roasts into the hands of hungry families across Washington State.
Teamed up with Second Harvest and Food Lifeline, Washington's farmer and ranchers have been able to provide over 346,000 servings of beef to neighbors in need. Without the beef, only 4% of the food distributed to families and seniors in need is high-quality protein. That works out to less than one ounce of protein per day for the average family of four, which falls way short of the USDA recommended six ounces of protein per day to maintain a healthy diet.
Washington's Beef Community will hold a rollover auction to raise funds for Beef Counts on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at the Toppenish Livestock Auction. Last year, Washington's Beef Community raised over $37,000 through the auction of a donated steer.
On Wednesday, Dec. 12, Local farmers and ranchers will personally hand out beef roasts to their neighbors in need. The distributions include additional fresh and frozen food items that make it possible for food bank clients to create nutritious, balanced meals at home. The distribution will be held at the Toppenish Community Chest from noon to 2 p.m.
You can get more information and make a donation here.


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Returns will be a sore spot for North American retailers this year according to a new report from Dynamic Action, with the value of returns up 6% year-over-year vs. 2016 and up 26% over the holiday season.
Carriers are bracing for the impact, as UPS announced its projected holiday returns volumes. The company said it expects to handle more than 1.3 million returned packages on Jan. 5, its largest returns day in 2017, and more than 5.8 million packages during the first week of January. Both figures are significantly higher than last year, the company said.
UPS, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal Service are all experiencing double-digit holiday volume spikes. To date the two major commercial carriers have handled the load, with FedEx Ground at 99.2% on time and UPS Ground at 98.5% on time performance last week, according to data from shipment visibility firm ShipMatrix.
But FedEx is “intentionally trying to keep the seasonal shipping spike low after struggling to manage a 20% increase during 2015’s holiday season,” according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The report states FedEx has even cut ties with a few retail customers over pricing disagreements.
The U.S. Parcel Service hired more than 35,000 seasonal workers to help with the holiday shipping rush, up from 29,000 in 2015. UPS added 95,000 seasonal workers this year, and FedEx added 50,000 additional positions.
All three major carriers have announced post-holiday rate hikes. UPS’s general rate increase (GRI) will be 4.9% on Dec. 26, while FedEx will raise its GRI by 3.9% to 4.9% on Jan. 2. The USPS will increase Priority Mail by 3.9% and Priority Mail Retail by an average of 3.3% in early January.


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SECCOND DEATH AS UNBS CLOSE DOWN ON WANAINCHI BUSINESS.
The standard Uganda National Bureau body has closed down on the poor people’s lives and business by total suspension of the of old footwear, and all old clothes importation with immediate effect until further notice. This has been considered as a result of Corona Virus fear and therefore no more such clearing of such goods to access Uganda Market. The closure on this importation is intended to provide a window of closing any chance to give a corona virus an opportunity to affect any Ugandan. Corona Pandemic was recently declared a world a pandemic by World Health Organization and has since terrorized every race of Human being on the globe including Uganda where we have experienced a total locked and every business has been put to a standstill. Indeed, this temporary suspension by the standard body may probably enable Ugandan to begin to promote the local industry where the majority of the population will begin to Buy Uganda products to build Uganda a development that will enable the growth of industries here in Ugandan for Ugandans.
It should however be remembered that such efforts of closing on importation of the old clothes and footwear had threatened the European market US AGOA window thus the standard body may have to find a close reason to hide their activities in the surge of COVID 19. Across all the 135 Districts in Uganda we see the common man in Ugandan market selling and buying the second hand foot wear and clothes but today tuesday the news of the suspension will come dangerously in the ears of a common man. God save one trader who declined not to mention his name to our reporter said


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Helloworld Travel (ASX: HLO) has booked three deals within as many months after announcing the $70 million acquisition of Express Travel Group (ETG) in Australia and New Zealand from current owners Tom Manwaring and investment management company Sintack.
This comes after Helloworld purchase a 40 per cent stake in Adelaide-based travel agency Phil Hoffmann Travel (PHT) last month, and the acquisition three months ago of Australiareiser, a specialist travel wholesaler from Scandinavia to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Unlike those transactions, the value of today's purchase was disclosed and represents a large chunk of the $100 million in cash proceeds from last year's sale of Helloworld's corporate business to Corporate Travel Management (ASX: CTD).
That sale, involving corporate and entertainment brands including QBT, TravelEdge, APX, Atlas Travel, AOT Hotels and Show Group, also gave Helloworld $70 million worth of CTD shares, which have since dipped in value slightly to $66 million.
At the time, the group said the cash component of the sale would be used to "repay debt, provide additional liquidity, capital management and to support growth opportunities in HLO’s retail and leisure travel businesses as activity rebounds following the COVID-19 disruption".
The acquisition of ETG is expected to be earnings accretive in FY24 and beyond, with the consideration representing an EBITDA multiple of approximately seven times forecast normalised earnings in FY23 of $10-11 million.
Tom Manwaring, who joined ETG in 2000 after 29 years with Cathay Pacific and took full ownership of the business in 2003, will remain as CEO and a director of ETG.
"We are delighted to announce our forthcoming acquisition of ETG," says Helloworld CEO and managing director Andrew Burnes AO.
"They have been one of the most successful travel operations in Australia and New Zealand in the ticketing, retail network and distribution sectors and we look forward to the continued growth of the business under Tom’s leadership and vision."
The ETG acquisition will be funded from a mixture of shares and cash, with the cash component to be fully funded from Helloworld’s existing reserves.
As Sintack owns 50 per cent of ETG and has a 13 per cent share in Helloworld, shareholder approval is required, and notice of a general meeting which will be held on Friday July 21 July. The deal is expected to settle early August 2023, subject to shareholder approval.
In a LinkedIn post, ETG CEO Tom Manwaring said the deal would include the sale of Creative Cruising and First Travel Group New Zealand.
"This is an exciting phase in the evolution of Express Travel Group that will help us increase scale and capacity and deliver greater opportunity for our members," he posted.
"I look forward to continuing on as CEO and Director of Express Travel Group in this next stage of growth and seeing our members benefit and optimise success.
"Our leadership team will remain in place and it is business as usual at an operational level. Our members will continue to be serviced by ETG with improved commercial and continued high service levels, by all existing staff."
In April Helloworld lifted its earnings guidance by $10 million as travel demand continued to pick up speed following the halt during the pandemic.
After reporting a 150 per cent rise in total transaction volume (TTV) for the March quarter, the Melbourne-headquartered group announced underlying EBITDA guidance of $38-42 million for the full financial year, up 36 per cent and 31 per cent at the lower and upper ends of the range respectively.
The company reported leisure travel demand continues to hold up strongly despite challenging economic conditions, improving both domestically and internationally with a trend towards longer trips and longer lead times to overcome global supply constraints.
Senior travel executives in Australia estimate that pre-COVID conditions for the industry will likely return by 2025 with supply constraints as the main impediment.
Flight Centre (ASX: FLT) co-founder and CEO Graham Turner predicted corporate business travel would soon return to pre-COVID levels at a Queensland Business Breakfast in April this year alongside other heads in the travel industry.
Employing more than 100 staff, ETG operates an air ticket consolidation business, retail travel networks and cruise and package wholesaling in Australia and New Zealand with a national support network and offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland.
Founded as Orient Express Travel Group in 1983, the word ‘Orient’ was dropped from the name in 2014. The company employs over 100 staff and encompasses a suite of brands, including Express Tickets, Independent Travel Group, Select Travel Group, Alatus, italk travel & cruise, Creative Cruising AU/NZ, and First Travel Group, YOU Travel, and Lifestyle Holidays in New Zealand.
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Associations must work collectively for betterment of economy: MSME Minister Rane
New Delhi, 25 Nov (KNN) Narayan Rane, Union Minister for MSME had a brief meeting with Sandip Das, Dy Director General, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) on Wednesday.
They mainly discussed ways to improve global competiveness of Indian Industries, tweeted Union Minister Rane.
Das spoke about the strategies in which the presence of Indian products in international markets can be improved, said the release.
Further into the discussion, the MSME Minister has called upon the Trade and Industry bodies to work together for improving the economic scenario in the country.


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ECOsmart Platinum Accreditation 2023
The Create Centre has achieved new recognition of its environmental credentials: the ECOsmart Platinum Accreditation.
The award recognises an “outstanding approach with the highest possible standard of environmental sustainability applied. Platinum ECOsmart venues are leaders in hospitality and have considered sustainability in all aspects of their business.”
Blue Glass winners at Fairtrade Business Awards
The Create Centre has won another Gold award for Best Fairtrade Accommodation or Conference Centre at the Fairtrade Business Awards 2018. We were also the overall winner in the same category with the team picking up a beautiful Bristol Blue Glass trophy.
The sixth annual South West Fairtrade Business Awards ceremony took place on Friday 9th March in the Bristol Brewery School – a hidden gem and a working brewery in the heart of Bristol.
‘The Create Centre’s commitment to Fairtrade is commendable and I’m very pleased that it continues to be recognised for its efforts to promote this ethos to visitors. Being part of the Fairtrade movement brings more equality to producers abroad, providing them with a steady income and is a simple way to make a difference to their lives. Bristol City Council is proud to promote these ideals and I hope many more residents will join us in supporting Fairtrade.’
– Cllr Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor for Communities, Equalities and Public Health
‘The team at the Create Centre are dedicated to supporting Fairtrade, working hard to raise awareness to all our visitors and organisations based at Create. We would like to say a massive thank you to Danni Rochman from Fairtrade South West for arranging an amazing ceremony and bringing together other like-minded organisations for a great networking event.’
– Michelle Scoplin, Senior Create Officer
Create Centre wins Gold Fairtrade Business Award
The Create Centre has won a gold award in the Best Fairtrade Accommodation or Conference centre
category at the 2017 South West Fairtrade Business Awards. Held, this year, at Bristol Cathedral, the event celebrates the region’s most active and dedicated Fairtrade organisations, and their achievements.
We are very proud of our continued success at these awards. Fairtrade is very important to Create, we’ll always be looking at more ways in which we can spread awareness and educate.
Create Centre wins two Gold Fairtrade Business Awards
The Create Centre has won two Gold awards at the 2016 Fairtrade Business Awards ceremony.
The centre was awarded Gold for Best Fairtrade Office and Best Fairtrade Accommodation or Conference Centre.
Create, which is also a Green Tourism Goldstar Award winner, is Bristol City Council’s flagship green venue. It offers flexible spaces for conferences, training, events and exhibitions and provides workspace to a cluster of 27 green and ethical businesses.
One of the tenants, Café Create, which serves hot and cold food made from fresh locally sourced ingredients, was also awarded a Gold Fairtrade Business Award.
The results were announced at a ceremony at the At-Bristol Science Centre hosted by ethical beauty and wellbeing expert Liz Earle MBE and was attended by 142 business leaders.
The ceremony was the culmination of Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations in the region. It forms part of the Sit Down for Breakfast, Stand Up for Farmers campaign highlighting the fact that many farmers in developing countries provide food for us, but don’t get paid enough to feed their own families – an injustice Fairtrade seeks to redress.
Businesses that use and sell Fairtrade products make a significant contribution to reducing poverty in developing countries and helping achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Fairtrade also enables businesses to achieve transparency in supply chains, which is demanded by the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The 68 shortlisted businesses have between them spent nearly £500,000 on Fairtrade products, making a massive difference to the lives of producers in developing countries.
Senior Create Officer Michelle Scoplin said: “This is now our third year winning the Gold award and we are over the moon. Massive thanks go out to Jenny Foster from Fairtrade South West for yet again arranging a great event and enabling all these like-minded people and businesses to meet.”
Councillor Daniella Radice, Assistant Mayor for Neighbourhoods added: “Winning a Gold Fairtrade award three years in a row is a huge achievement for the Create Centre and reflects the hard work and passion of the team who are always striving to do better. It is a real testament to Bristol’s commitment to fair trade and a great way to continue the legacy of being European Green Capital.”
For more information about the Fairtrade Business Awards: Jenny Foster, Bristol and South West Fairtrade Co-ordinator firstname.lastname@example.org
- Bristol became a Fairtrade City in 2005
- The Fairtrade Business Awards are run by Business West, South West Fairtrade, Destination Bristol and Bristol City Council.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Jack in the Box Inc. JBX, -9.06% said that its fourth-quarter net income fell to $27.0 million, or 43 cents a share, from $33.2 million, or 46 cents a share, a year ago. Last year's earnings included a 12 cents benefit from refranchising the company's restaurants in Hawaii and a 2 cents reduction from an accounting change. Analysts had been expecting the firm to produce earnings of 39 cents a share, according to data compiled by Thomson Financial. The San Diego-based restaurant chain said quarterly sales rose 5% to $678.4 million. The firm expects fiscal 2008 earnings in a range of $1.98 to $2.06 a share.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PetDag) aims to have its non-fuel businesses contributing 30% of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (ebitda) by 2025.
The group’s chairman Datuk Md Arif Mahmood said the group was looking at ways to leverage on its more than 1,000 petrol stations nationwide and new offerings for customers.
“This is work in progress - some of it (offerings) will probably launch this or next year. In the next three to four years, we should see them contribute to the level of ebitda (targetted), ” he said at a online media briefing after the group’s virtual 39th annual general meeting.
Regarding the drop in the group’s commercial business, PetDag managing director and CEO Azrul Osman Rani explained that a sizable portion of 2019’s revenue for the commercial business was in the aviation industry.
“In 2020, we saw a 65% drop in demand. The aviation industry is still recovering. I think there’s still a long way to go for them. For aviation in particular, we have the lion’s share of the market historically, so when the industry is affected, our volumes go down as well. Hopefully, as Covid-19 vaccinations are being rolled out, we should be able to regain back the volumes in no time, ” said Azrul.
In a statement, Azrul also pointed out that as part of future-proofing PetDag, the group has exciting plans in the pipeline that will help it identify new revenue streams as well as deliver on its brand promise.
A key area is the development of local entrepreneurs, especially the small and medium enterprises (SME) vendors registered with PetDag.
Plans are also underway to facilitate the adoption of sustainable energy at its retail stations and more environmental-friendly packaging materials.
“The need to future-proof our business is even more necessary now amidst the evolving energy industry and the rise in the e-commerce sector, ” said Azrul.
The group noted that in 2020, its retail business also capitalised on food-to-go solutions by introducing Makan@Mesra, gradually expanding its menu based on customer demand.
In addition, it digitalised the Mesra Redemption Portal and integrated it with the Setel app, making redemption more convenient for customers.
Meanwhile, the group also diversified its product portfolio to include the marketing of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cleaner fuel option.
PetDag, through Petronas Group’s virtual pipeline system (VPS), is now the first in Malaysia to supply LNG via road tankers to off-grid customers.
Additionally, it is marketing LNG to the marine industry via Petronas’ first LNG bunkering vessel (LBV) MV Avenir Advantage, which allows for ship-to-ship transfer – the first in South-East Asia to offer such a solution.
PetDag is also leveraging its digital ventures including Setel, Malaysia’s first e-payment solution that enables fuel purchases directly from mobile devices, as well as ROVR, Malaysia’s first mobile refueling service for commercial customers, and PRYSM, its newly launched merchandise brand.
PRYSM was launched in 2020 in response to the demand for Petronas-branded merchandise.
Available online and at Petronas stations, PRYSM which features over 60 products, registered sales of RM8mil in 2020.


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Kylie Jenner is giving her laceup Balmain sandals plenty of wear. Last week, she paired them with a Balmain dress for GQ’s Men of the Year party. And over the weekend, Jenner brought along some friends to live it up in Miami during the city’s annual art fair, Art Basel.
Jenner was spotted wearing a printed jumpsuit and the sandals while out shopping with her friend, Hailey Baldwin. It looks like Jenner also chose the sandals for a night out. She posted an Instagram wearing a black dress with the sandals, while one of her friends wore the same outfit in white.
At the American Music Awards, Kendall Jenner wore strappy Balmain sandals, and another pair when she touched down in Los Angeles after she and Kylie promoted their clothing line in Australia.


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Network Services (LNS), the branded distribution arm of non-bank lender Liberty, has partnered with online lender Moula to better service small business clients.
Through the partnership with Moula, in which Liberty acquired a part stake in last year, LNS brokers will be able to refer any small business customer directly to the fintech lender through an online portal.
LNS managing director, Brendan O’Donnell, said the partnership was formed to meet the growing needs of small businesses that struggle to secure short term finance with the major banks – while also helping brokers to diversify their business.
Liberty supplied Moula with $30 million in funding last year to finance its cashflow loans to small business, however O’Donnell told Australian Broker
that the timing of announcing this referral partnership now is significant.
“Business confidence is increasing on the back of Malcolm Turnbull’s push to support more entrepreneurs and small businesses – so we’re seeing business lending growing more each week as well.
“The opportunities for our advisers to sell more business loans has been on Liberty Network Services radar for some time.”
Co-founder of Moula, Aris Allegos, said this partnership marks Moula’s first step into harnessing a broker model.
“We’ve had a lot of success in going direct to customers, and also via referrals through our finance partners, but this is part of a new strategy to harness the broker model and get Moula in front of customers in different ways. It’s going to bring Moula its next level of growth,” he said.
O’Donnell said partnering with a fintech lender will also help keep its brokers’ offering “more attractive and relevant” and is something the group will be open to exploring further.
“As we know there are many fintechs emerging and providing an alternative way of doing business across the finance spectrum. We will continue to explore opportunities with fintechs that are able to enhance our adviser’s proposition and offering in the market – and that can meet our customer’s ever changing needs,” he told Australian Broker


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Opportunities abound for mutual fund companies to offer 401(k) retirement plans to small businesses, according to a report from Corporate Insight, "The Big Business of Small Business Retirement Plants." Small businesses make up about 99.7% of all employers and employ about half of the U.S. private sector workers, excluding those who work on farms.
"Thirteen of the 17 firms that we track offer some type of retirement plans for small businesses," said Michael Ellison, executive vice president, Corporate Insight. "Most have very similar offerings with the exception of two that have clearly taken the time to develop innovative products to go after this rapidly growing market segment. We believe there is significant opportunity for savvy marketers to capitalize on these demographics by creating a unique selling proposition and rolling it out across the marketplace."
(c) 2006 Money Management Executive and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Volkswagen and HP recently demonstrated that metal 3-D printing can match industrial vehicle production demands. HP printed 10,000 scale models of VW's first mass-market electric vehicle, and VW plans to use the method for making parts for future vehicles, with the goal being the printing of up to 100,000 parts per year.
Hyundai has launched MoceanLab, a mobility service venture company, in Los Angeles. The company will initially offer car-sharing in the city, but options will expand to autonomous ride-sharing and multimodal transportation.
Hyundai has developed a first-of-its-kind system that analyzes various types of road noise and generates inverted sound waves to lessen them before they reach the passenger. The technology could help reduce vehicle weight, as it would decrease the need for sound-insulating parts.
US hospitals and health organizations overspent by $25.7 billion on supply chain operations in 2018, an almost 12% increase from the year prior, according to Navigant research. Hospitals that focused on standardization and efficiency and included clinicians in the purchasing process showed less waste in their supply chain operations, the study showed.
Kroger is investing in state-of-the-art automated grocery fulfillment centers with help from Ocado, though the grocer doesn't expect to see changes until the first one comes online sometime in 2021. "With shopper receptiveness to digital innovation limited mainly by retailers' imagination, Kroger's new facilities will be coming online about the time that expectations for speed, accuracy, assortment and freshness are hitting new highs," Mike Troy writes.
General Motors has patented a smarter, less obtrusive stop/start system. Existing systems save gas but annoy drivers when they're triggered frequently, so GM developed one that uses cameras, GPS and machine learning to determine whether the vehicle's engine should be shut off, based on the surroundings and traffic conditions.
Most drivers now get calls via vehicle interfaces, and half use built-in navigation systems. These are two examples of how the automotive industry is changing as it embraces "computers on wheels," writes
Sophie Zoria, adding that soon, "The most crucial factor when looking for a new vehicle will be its communications with other vehicles and infrastructure, as well as personal assistants."
To cut down on holiday stress, more shoppers are planning to order their groceries online, according to a report from ServiceChannel. Half of online grocery shoppers say they will purchase online more than usual during the holidays, and 63% said they would be somewhat likely to order a fully prepared meal online.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will open express lanes in Northern Virginia's Interstate 395 on Sunday. The tolled lanes will require an E-ZPass or E-ZPass Flex, the latter of which will make them free for vehicles carrying at least three passengers.
A groundbreaking ceremony has officially launched a project that will complete the Interstate 540 outer loop in the Raleigh, N.C., area. Toll revenue and a federal loan will fund the project, which has two phases scheduled for completion by 2023 and 2029, respectively.


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The four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup. The manufacturer of these products is Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, Haryana, India, and "to date, the stated manufacturer has not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products", WHO said.
The WHO chief said while the contaminated products have so far only been detected in The Gambia, they may have been distributed to other countries. WHO has recommended all countries detect and remove these products from circulation to prevent further harm to patients.
The WHO Medical Product Alert refers to four substandard products, identified in The Gambia and reported to WHO in September 2022.
WHO said substandard medical products are the products that fail to meet either their quality standards or specifications. Therefore, they are "out of specification", the health body said.
Laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.
Outlining the risks associated with the products, WHO said diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.
"Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death," it said.
All batches of these products should be considered unsafe until they can be analysed by the relevant National Regulatory Authorities. The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death, it added.
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- Pure Politics
- Brands & Companies
- Indices End 8-Day Rally Ahead of US Jobs Data
Indian equities reversed their eight-day winning streak Friday, taking a pause on their record-breaking path as traders trimmed bullish bets ahead of key US jobs data and carried lighter positions to next week amid a negative undertone in global markets.Luxe EV Sales on Full Charge, Push up Waiting Period
Luxury carmakers are seeing unprecedented demand for high-end electric vehicles (EVs), with the well-heeled snapping up models such as the Mercedes Benz EQS, BMW iX and Audi e-tron.OpenAI’s Chatbot Thinks Out of the Box, Comes up with Detailed Answers
A new chatbot created by artificial intelligence non-profit OpenAI Inc has taken the internet by storm, as users speculated on its ability to replace everything from playwrights to college essays.
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The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on Wednesday about the privacy implications of online advertising.
On June 30th, Amanda participated in an Internet Safety Town Hall for educators
As more of us integrate social networking into our daily lives online, the layered privacy choices we make through our in-network interactions are becoming increasingly complex.
At the request of the Internet Safety Task Force, Amanda Lenhart presented the Pew Internet Project's most recent data on online stranger contact, cyberbullying, the steps that teens take to ensure (or not) their online privacy and the ways in whi...
In the era of Web 2.0, individuals and organizations have gone beyond simply being findable to being intimately knowable. These digital footprints are blazing trails and stirring up issues about how we manage our own online identities and those of...
Many Americans are jumping into the participatory Web without considering all the implications. If nothing really bad has happened to someone, they tend neither to worry about their personal information nor to take steps to limit the amount of infor...
Internet users are becoming more aware of their digital footprint; 47% have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22% five years ago.
A short overview of recent data from the Pew Internet Project and others on teens and online safety.
Say what you will about the internet--it's certainly helped narrow the line between "doing something stupid" and "doing something stupid in front of millions of witnesses who will now proceed to publicly mock you."
On Monday, an interview I did with Lexi Ramage of Youth Voices on social networks and perceptions of safety aired


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MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Samuel Joseph, co-founder and CEO of Hakimo, a technology company developing artificial intelligence software for the physical security industry, has been accepted into Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives.
Mr. Joseph was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.
"We are honored to welcome Mr. Joseph into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Technology Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world."
As an accepted member of the Council, Mr. Joseph has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Mr. Joseph will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.
Finally, Mr. Joseph will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.
"Hakimo has modernized the physical security industry by bringing cybersecurity-like tools powered by artificial intelligence," said Mr. Joseph. "Forbes Technology Council will allow us to cement that leadership position in the industry by providing a platform to express our thought leadership to other industry superstars. Forbes is widely revered as the leader in business and strategy, and it is an honor to be accepted into this esteemed group of technology leaders and executives. It is really a proud moment to join the ranks of stalwarts like the CTO at IBM (Anshul Sheopuri), Vice President at Google (Shalini Govil-Pai), CEO at SentinelOne (Tomer Weingarten), the Chief Security Officer at Boston Scientific (John L. Sullivan), and the Vice President of Products at HubSpot (Poorvi Shrivastav), who represent public companies that are worth $104 billion, $1.89 trillion, $15 billion, $58 billion, and $38 billion respectively."
ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS
Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive. For more information about Forbes Technology Council, visit forbestechcouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.
Hakimo is a technology company that builds a smart monitoring platform powered by artificial intelligence for enterprise physical security teams. Hakimo was founded by AI researchers from Stanford University and is funded by top Silicon Valley venture capital firms. For more details, visit www.hakimo.ai or contact [email protected].


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North Market Bridge Park project adds tenants, loses others
The North Market has announced two new tenants for its second location in Dublin’s Bridge Park development, as other tenants pull out, in part due to coronavirus.
Joining tenants already announced are:
• Reuse Revolution, which sells biodegradable and reusable products to help people create less trash.
• Lan Viet, a northern Vietnamese restaurant which now operates in Downtown’s original North Market.
"At our Bridge Park location we want to expand our menu and pay homage to Hanoi and northern-style Vietnamese food,” said Khanh Le, who owns Lan Viet with his mother, Lan Pham.
Bridge Park and North Market representatives say additional tenants will be announced in the next few weeks, as the market prepares to open. No date has been set but market officials say the market is on track to open in late summer.
Eleven tenants have been announced for the project, but three have backed out because of coronavirus struggles: Dough Mama bakery, Flower & Bread floral shop and cafe, and Momo Ghar restaurant.
“Due to the financial blow of being closed for multiple months, our stall in the @northmarket at Bridge Park is no longer feasible,” Dough Mama posted on its Facebook page.
“We were over the moon to be a part of the North Market community. We were willing to do whatever it took to make it work, but in the end, it would have taken everything we had left, and that was something we just couldn’t risk.”
Flower & Bread co-owner Sarah Lagrotteria and Momo Ghar owner Phuntso Lama also confirmed they will not not be moving forward with the North Market project.
“My husband and I are now earnestly focusing on finding a space for a stand alone where we can increase our menu items,” Lama said.
Even though it will not have its full roster of 20 tenants (including pop-ups), the market plans to open this summer.
“A phased approach to opening makes the most sense for our merchants and we expect to be fully occupied by the end of the year,” said Rick Harrison Wolfe, North Market’s executive director.
Wolfe said the market is working to replace lost tenants.
"We are currently working through the proposal process with new and exciting local, small businesses to fill the 'floral' and 'bakery' categories," he said.
Despite the pandemic, construction has proceeded this summer on the market, which occupies the ground floor of a six-story building on the north end of the Bridge Park development. When opened, the market will include 22,000 square feet of retail space, along with 10,000 square feet of storage and loading space.
The market will offer a modern take on Downtown’s original North Market, which opened in 1876.
Reuse Revolution and Lan Viet will join a mix of home-grown ethnic restaurants and small food-centered retailers similar to that found in the original North Market.
Restaurants scheduled to set up shop in North Market Bridge Park are: Coastal Local Seafood, a fishmonger and raw bar; Dos Hermanos Mexican restaurant; Copia Farm Market & Eatery cafe and market; and Falafel Kitchen vegetarian restaurant.
In addition, the market will include Black Radish Creamery, a Granville cheesemaker, and a bar called the Market Bar.


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$1 million Powerball ticket sold at Hackensack 7-Eleven
North Jerseyans talk about what they would do if they won the lottery. The New Jersey Lottery Commission announced that ticket prices for Mega Millions will double on Oct. 28, 2017. Joshua Jongsma/NorthJersey.com
Saturday was one Hackensack shopper's lucky day as a $1 million lottery ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in the city, officials announced on Monday.
The ticket was sold at the Passaic Street 7-Eleven and was one of two $1 million Powerball prizes from a New Jersey store. A deli in Brick also sold a winning ticket.
An employee at the Hackensack 7-Eleven said he believed the winner has come forward but deferred further comment to the store's manager, who would not be in until Tuesday morning.
Two other Bergen County stores — a 7-Eleven in Hillsdale and a Speedway in Paramus — sold Powerball tickets worth $50,000 each.
A New Hampshire ticketholder won the $559.7 million jackpot in Saturday's drawing. The winning numbers were 12, 29, 30, 33, and 61, with the red Powerball number of 26.
The next Powerball drawing will be Wednesday with a prize of $40 million. According to the Powerball website, the chances to win the grand prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Oksana Zaharov, a 46-year-old mother of two from Edgewater, recently won a $5 million prize on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought on a whim while shopping in Manhattan.


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Barriers To Augmented Reality Are Holding Us Back From The Holodeck
There is more money and talent invested in virtual and augmented reality than ever before. Indeed, more than $3.5 billion has been invested into virtual and augmented reality startups in the past two years. The industry is growing fast; Goldman Sachs suggests the combined hardware and software market for VR and AR will reach, on a base case, $80...
I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its component fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark


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Losses and production cuts
Nio shares fell after the Chinese electric car maker reported larger-than-expected Q4 losses and warned it will be forced to cut production in the second quarter.
Nio (NIO) shares fell 5.6 per cent after the close of trading on Monday as the company reported mixed Q4 results and warned of a slowdown in production of its electric vehicles due to a global chip shortage issue.
The Shanghai-based electric car maker also announced a drop in deliveries in February compared with January.
Nio's Q4 figures
Nio reported a loss per share of $0.14 (0.93 yuan). Management cited unfavourable currency exchange rates as an explanation for the quarterly loss.
Revenues rose 133.16 per cent year-on-year and 46.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter to $1.018 billion. (¥6.64 billion). Analysts had expected a smaller increase to $1.01 billion. This is the third consecutive quarter Nio has reported strong revenue growth despite the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the pace of Nio electric car sales declined in February compared to January, from 7,225 to 5,578 units. Deliveries of ES6 crossovers stood at 2,216 units, EC6 at 2,035 units and ES8 at 1,327 units.
For the full fiscal year 2020, Nio delivered more than 43,700 vehicles, more than double the previous year's total deliveries.
In addition, Nio previously announced that its ET7 electric sedan, a Tesla Model 3 rival that was launched in January, will be delivered to Europe in 2021.
The Nio EC6 crossover, in turn, competes with the slightly cheaper Chinese Tesla Model Y, deliveries of which began in January. Two versions of the much cheaper Volkswagen ID.4 are due to start shipping to China by the end of March.
Nio's cash and cash equivalents balance at the end of 2020 was $6.5bn.
Nio's forward-looking statements
Nio said it plans to deliver between 20,000 and 20,500 vehicles in the first quarter, up 15-18% from the fourth quarter.
But Nio executives said that due to the global chip and battery shortage issue, the company will have to return to a delivery level of 7,500 a month in the second quarter.
Nio expects first-quarter revenues of $1.13 billion to $1.16 billion, up 438% to 451% from a year ago and 11% to 14% from the fourth quarter.


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Securities trades recently reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission by officers, directors, and principal shareholders of corporations based or having sizable employment in the Philadelphia area. Titles are as reported to the SEC.
American Water Works Co.
Walter J. Lynch, chief operating officer, sold 5,000 shares at $89.95 on Nov. 7, and now directly holds 92,667 shares.
Susan N. Story, chief executive officer, bought 60 shares at $88.92 on Nov. 6, and now directly holds 76,846 shares.
John G. Chou, officer, sold 15,937 shares at $74.50 on Nov. 6, and now directly holds 41,987 shares.
Steven H. Collis, chief executive officer, sold 21,350 shares at $76.94 on Nov. 1, and now directly holds 238,876 shares.
Dale Danilewitz, officer, sold 2,012 shares at $74.99 on Nov. 2, and now directly holds 2,013 shares.
Tim G. Guttman, chief financial officer, sold 11,600 shares at $73.55 to $75.00 on Nov. 3, and now directly holds 42,369 shares.
EPAM Systems Inc.
Arkadiy Dobkin, chief executive officer, sold 89,293 shares at $90.81 to $100.00 Oct. 30 to Nov. 6, and now directly holds 2,276,771 shares.
Elaina Shekhter, officer, sold 1,261 shares at $95.00 on Nov. 2, and now directly holds 10,458 shares.
Mayo Adams Shattuck III, board chairman, sold 619,316 shares at $40.50 to $41.13 Nov. 2 to Nov. 8, and now directly holds 279,740 shares.
Healthcare Services Group Inc.
Michael E. McBryan, officer, sold 22,500 shares at $53.00 to $53.03 Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, and now directly holds 13,613 shares.
Hersha Hospitality Trust
Neil H. Shah, president, bought 2,850 shares at $17.54 to $17.55 Nov. 3 to Nov. 6, and now directly holds 392,777 shares.
David W. Gryska, chief financial officer, sold 3,915 shares at $105.63 on Nov. 2, and now directly holds 13,992 shares.
L3 Technologies Inc.
Michael T. Strianese, chief executive officer, sold 22,547 shares at $186.28 to $187.15 on Nov. 1, and now directly holds 119,198 shares.
PNC Financial Services Group Inc.
Orlando C. Esposito, officer, sold 4,505 shares at $138.85 on Nov. 6, and now directly holds 12,632 shares.
Karen L. Larrimer, officer, sold 3,135 shares at $136.98 on Oct. 30, and now directly holds 20,084 shares.
Quaker Chemical Corp.
Dieter Laininger, officer, sold 2,693 shares at $157.57 to $158.00 on Nov. 3, and now directly holds 6,131 shares.
Adrian Steeples, officer, sold 4,911 shares at $154.78 to $157.14 on Nov. 1, and now directly holds 3,984 shares.
Resource Capital Corp.
Jeffrey P. Cohen, director, bought 3,000 shares at $9.90 on Nov. 6, and now directly holds 50,028 shares.
SEI Investments Co.
N. Jeffrey Klauder, officer, sold 10,000 shares at $64.69 to $64.78 Nov. 2 to Nov. 3, and now directly holds 42,194 shares.
Alfred P. West Jr., beneficial owner, sold 117,010 shares at $64.64 Nov. 1 to Nov. 2, and now directly holds 10,569,272 shares.
TE Connectivity Ltd.
Mario Calastri, officer and treasurer, sold 8,539 shares at $93.27 on Nov. 6; the holdings were not reported.
Thomas J. Lynch, officer and director, sold 130,617 shares at $90.98 to $92.85 on Nov. 1, and now directly holds 298,883 shares.
James O'Toole, officer, sold 45,962 shares at $93.13 on Nov. 6; the holdings were not reported.
Stephen K. Klasko, director, sold 200 shares at $237.18 on Nov. 1, and now directly holds 7,880 shares.
Toll Bros. Inc.
Richard T. Hartman, president, sold 8,537 shares at $46.00 to $46.01 on Oct. 31, and now directly holds 25,939 shares.
Vishay Intertechnology Inc.
Gerald Paul, chief executive officer, sold 50,000 shares at $21.37 on Nov. 2, and now directly holds 162,986 shares.


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News - Ford
Brand building the key for Ford
Higher pricing and more spec will lift brand appeal in Aus: Ford
Click to see larger images
11 Aug 2015
FORD Australia is committed to turning around its brand perception Down Under by offering more desirable, highly specified models and says it will resist entering a retail price war with its competitors to increase volume.
While much has been made of Ford's sliding sales in recent years, the company has publicly stated that it will no longer chase volume as it has previously done, and will instead concentrate on shifting its brand perception from the 'Falcon company' to a more attractive global brand.
Ford Australia communications and public affairs director Wes Sherwood told GoAuto at the recent Everest media launch in Thailand, that the shift from manufacturing to importing cars will ultimately benefit the company's change in strategy to appeal to private rather than fleet buyers.
“We are not going to be one of the volume chasers any more,” he said. “We are going to build value in, we are going to invest in the product more than we have before – you mentioned value – that’s what we are focusing on. Building vehicles with features that people want.
“Instead of saying 'well we need to design something that can sell this many vehicles from this plant to keep it running'. We used to have a manufacturing strategy and now we have a consumer strategy.”
Mr Sherwood highlighted the recent repositioning of the facelifted Focus range, which saw the company drop the base Ambiente variant, which starts from $20,290 plus on-road costs, leaving the formally mid-spec Trend as the new entry model, priced from $23,390, a higher starting price than all of its rivals.
“Here in Australia, we dropped the entry Focus. That’s a pretty big volume and that’s the volume part of the market. But it's also where all the price point operators are at who are just trying to get every last sale by having the most attractive cheap price.
“We are not going to do what we did before. We won't say 'we want to be top seller and we will do anything to get there'. It’s refreshing in a way. It looks different from the outside, we understand that.”
Mr Sherwood said Ford Australia executives do not “sit there an obsess” about sales numbers, and while he acknowledged that there was some pressure to improve sales, added that tough decisions were necessary to improve the standing of the brand in the eyes of consumers.
“Obviously there is a lot of pressure to do better in sales. We are not going to deny that, but we have taken some hard decisions…“(Keeping the base Focus Ambiente) could make our sales look better but it just wasn’t good business. It didn’t make sense for our customers, it didn’t make sense for where we are trying to go as a company. If you can do that in Australia, in the most competitive market, with the most brands… it’s hard.
When asked if Ford will hit 70,000 sales in Australia this year – which will mark the company's lowest sales in more than half a century – Mr Sherwood declined to discuss specific targets, but added that a return to the sales glory days was unlikely.
“We certainly have targets, we don’t go out and beat our chest about it. If it means we have to sell a bunch of rental cars in December to get that, we are not going to do that. When you start going out with numbers publicly, it forces you to move away from your strategy.
“But we are not going to go out and say something silly, because at the end of the day we are going to focus on private retail buyers and build the vehicles and offer the vehicles that we think will attract them.
After being the third top-selling brand in Australia behind fellow local car-makers Toyota and Holden for years, it was usurped by Hyundai in 2012, the Blue Oval is now sitting on 40,557 sales so far this year, placing sixth behind Toyota (118,554), Mazda (65,947), Holden (59,632), Hyundai (58,610), and Mitsubishi (41,055).
If Ford hits 70,000 sales by year's end, which it is on track to do, it will be about half the volume it achieved just over a decade ago in 2004 when it shifted 135,172 units and held a 14.2 per cent market share.
Mr Sherwood said adding value into the various models with generous specification levels and offering a greater customer experience were keys to the brand's rejuvenation in Australia.
“Obviously we have targets, we have to run the business that way… but we are not going to change the way we go to market. We used to drive a lot of our sales by manufacturing. We are now trying to reverse that.
“We are going to create the right sales mix and that ultimately creates value for customers. You have a brand that has more value, it creates higher residuals because people are paying their hard earned money for the vehicles as opposed to the most discounted.
“If you look at things like the free loan car program, that’s the kind of value we are adding in. Obviously it costs more, but if you are trying to add value for your customers, there are the things you need to look at.
“If you are looking for us to go to 10 per cent next year, people will be disappointed. But that’s not our ultimate goal.”
The American-owned car-maker will close its Victorian manufacturing operations in October 2016 after 90 years of building cars in Australia, and will become a full-line importer offering a more diverse model line-up than in the recent past.
Mr Sherwood highlighted a number of new or upcoming models that will provide incremental volume for the brand, such as the Australian developed Everest SUV and the Mustang sportscar, but suggested the Mondeo mid-sizer could attract more private buyers in its latest iteration than it had previously.
“Mondeo is a real interesting case,” he said “People say there is an opportunity to grow sales. If you look at what the Mondeo business was, it was all fleet, we were not attracting retail customers. So it's not a volume opportunity in our mind, it's let's shift the model to be a retail customer-driven business. In that case that’s not really an incremental opportunity, as it is let's make the business right, whereas Everest and Mustang are incremental.”
Mr Sherwood said Ford's brand perception will have improved by the end of this decade, with a focus on new product and highlighting areas such as the company's Australian engineering and design connection.
“After we move through this transitional period, it's going to become very clear and we are going to force the message a bit more about how we are just unique in the market and we have the biggest presence and we are still the home team. We are the biggest auto-maker in terms of employment once the manufacturing ends.”
The Road to Recovery podcast series
3rd of August 2015
Ford pumps up Aussie connection
Everest to benefit from marketing campaign highlighting Aussie development
3rd of August 2015
Driven: Ford takes on peak Toyota SUV with Everest
Ford launches Aussie-developed Everest large SUV ahead of October release
10th of July 2015
Ford slashes Focus line-up for 2015
Ambiente, diesels dropped from Focus line-up as Ford reacts to slowing sales
4th of May 2015
New Ford boss aims to change perception
Whickman looks to fill Ford’s ‘perception gap’ in Australia, recommits to 2016 exit
14th of April 2015
Sales slump as Ford builds for the future
Ford shifts its focus to private sales and is not fazed by sales drop: Katic
9th of April 2015
Driven: Mondeo kicks off Ford’s ‘product avalanche’
With supply issues resolved, Ford hopes to make gains with all-new Mondeo
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Motor industry news


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As part of The Sultan Center’s campaign to promote “Healthy Eating” and spreading awareness among the younger generation on the importance of being active and making healthy food choices, The Sultan Center supported the Gulf English School in their annual sports day event.
Held at Salmiya Park, the GES annual sporting event was attended by over 500 parents and students. During the event, TSC team provided students with gift bags filled with nutritious snacks and drinks an essential in maintaining a high level of energy throughout the day.
In order to further promote healthy eating habits among the younger generation, TSC continues to promote and encourage children to try a healthy snack alternative by offering them a chance to sample fruit whenever they visit any TSC store, each store has set up a table along with signage that attracts and welcomes children to try a piece of fruit as their parents’ shop.
Lisa Al-Ghareeb, Marketing Manager at TSC said: “TSC plays active role in supporting today’s youth and encouraging children to make healthy food choices that will bring lifelong benefits. We have received very positive feedback from parents and customer on this initiative and plan to launch similar activities that encourage and promote healthy eating habits at an early stage in their life”.
GES sport’s day was a true demonstration on staying fit and eating healthy.


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State AG Looks At Practices Of Mobile Home Dealer
Posted January 13, 2003 4:41 a.m. EST
RALEIGH, N.C. — The state attorney general wants to shut down a mobile home seller accused of ripping off people.
In a complaint filed Monday, Attorney General Roy Cooper is accusing Donald Gupton and Creative Real Estate of Henderson of using unfair and deceptive trade practices. The company also operates as Dynasty Homes and Superior Housing Center.
The NAACP claims the company targets poor minorities with questionable financing packages that many people cannot dig out of.


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GMC will give its Sierra 1500 pickup truck a new entry-level trim for the 2021 model year, according to a new GM Authority report. The publication says that the GM brand will call the new trim the Elevation, which is strange considering the automaker already offers a trim of the same name. However, it’s not an unprecedented move. GMC has done the same on the Canyon, offering both the regular Elevation and the entry-level Elevation Standard trims.
It would appear GMC is doing it again with the Sierra 1500, and we’ve reached out to GMC for more information. According to the publication, GM’s vehicle codes reveal the entry-level Elevation trim with a 3VL code and the standard Elevation trim with 3SB. The outlet further reveals that the new trim is only available with the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder that produces 310 horsepower (231 kilowatts) and 348 pound-feet (473 Newton-meters) of torque. Thee engine pairs with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The entry-level Elevation is only available on the Sierra’s Double Cab and Crew Cab/Short Bed body configurations with four-wheel drive. Standard equipment includes a bed-mounted 120-volt power outlet and a 40/20/40 split front seat. GM Authority also discovered the entry-level trim’s lack of available options compared to the regular Elevation trim. Photos of the truck aren’t available, nor is the pricing for the trim, though we’ll update the story if we hear back from the automaker.
Catch The Latest GMC News Here:
The addition of the new entry-level Elevation trim would be but one change GMC has so far made to the 2021 Sierra. Earlier this year, GMC added its trick MultiPro tailgate as standard equipment across all Sierra 1500 trims except for the base Sierra. It’s not clear if the new entry-level Elevation trim will offer the tailgate. We’ll keep an eye out for more information about the model to see how what it has to offer.


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With the Apple iPhone 14 soon on the way, a new leak suggests the device could have a Plus model.
Originally tweeted by DuanRui, an image shows a spread of four different-sized cases which were posted by a Weibo user. The most notable one, on the middle right side, appears to be larger, meaning it could have some correlation to an iPhone 14 Plus.
— DuanRui (@duanrui1205) July 8, 2022
Another feature to highlight is the camera bump, with similarities to the iPhone 13’s model. Though, this time it’s larger as pointed out on Weibo, indicating a Plus model.
However, a potential iPhone 14 Plus would indicate that the iPhone Mini would no longer be produced according to leaked schematics from Weibo in April 2022.
If so, the iPhone 12 and 13 would be the last iPhones to include a Mini model.
Image Credit: @DuanRui


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Apple CEO Tim Cook said it is more important for young people to learn computer coding than English as a second language.
Cook made his comments during a conversation with Konbini, a multi-format media company based Paris, France. The chief executive of the tech giant visited the country and met Frencg President Emmanuel Macron this week.
According to Cook, “If I were a French student and I were ten years old, I think it would be more important for me to learn coding than English.”
The tech giant’s CEO clarified that he is not suggesting that people should not learn English. He
said, “I think you understand what I am saying, this is a language that you can express yourself to 7 billion people in the world.”
During the conversation , Cook mentioned that Apple is trying hard to help everyone learn coding . The company made its Swift programming language macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS accessible to anyone.
Cook said Swift is easy to learn just like Apple products, which are easy to use. He said, “It is the language the everyone needs. It is not just for computer scientists, it’s for all of us.”
The Swift Playgrounds app for iPad is fun and interactive. Therefore, it is easier for beginner coders (ages 12 and above) to learning coding easier. Take note that Apple stores offer monthly activities including teaching kids how to code.
Furthermore, the Apple CEO explained the main goal of learning how to code is creativity. He emphasized the coding helps bring out the creativity in a person.
“Creativity is in the front seat; technology is in the backseat. It is sort of the blend with both of these that you can do such powerful things now,” said Cook.
Moreover, Cook suggested that every public school around the world should require coding. In other words, include coding in their curriculum.
In my opinion, that is a great idea. It is highly-beneficial for students around the world to learn coding. At present, the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs in many countries such as the United States require knowledge in computer programming.
That is one of the reasons, the White committed a $200 million annual funding for computer science education in schools across America. Other countries like Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are doing doing similar actions—adding computer science in school curriculum.
For those interested in learning how to code, visit code.org. The website offers free coding courses for elementary, middle, and and high school students. In 2013, the organization launched the Hour of Code campaign to teach coding to students worldwide. Today, 10% of the world’ students or more than 448 million already tried it.


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"Fuel-sipping SUV" is not an oxymoron; just take a look at the 10 environmentally friendly crossover SUVs we've collected below.
Read This Article
Like it or hate it, MyFord Touch has changed the way the auto industry does infotainment systems.
Contract negotiations between the Big Three U.S.
Ford's 2012 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator are being recalled for their headrests, which weren't correctly welded from the factory and could break in an accident.


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Recent studies report that the craft beer industry in Ontario is booming! There are about 50 licensed craft brewers from the Ottawa Valley to South West Ontario developing premium, high-quality beer based on their unique brewing styles. According to the Ontario Craft Brewers, the craft brewing market share has more than doubled since 2002 and continues to be the fastest growing LCBO beer segment with annual sales increases of 30-50 percent.
A marketing team from Ontario East brought more than brochures to a recent international food exposition to demonstrate that the region is a hotbed of high-quality food production and food processing companies.
Accompanying the Ontario East Food Sector Team to the International Food Expo in Montreal was renowned Kingston-based chef Clark Day and his staff who provided a steady supply of delicious foods for passers-by, all made from ingredients produced in Eastern Ontario.
In November 2011, Belleville will open a new, state-of-the-art facility, producing fresh, retail-ready meats. The Belleville service centre will be home to the most advanced, food processing technology.
Kellogg hires more than 40 people in Belleville for new cereal production line
Cereal maker Kellogg plans to create at least 40 new jobs when it opens a new production line at its Belleville plant by the end of the year.


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The business has provided training sessions to the trade for several years. Now, conscious that many customers don’t have time to attend, it has developed e-learning to be on hand whenever customers have time to use it. Topics range from product history to correct fitting.
Brian Childs, deputy managing director, said: “The e-learning module is targeted in particular at workshop technicians and distributor staff, as well as technical colleges. No registration is necessary and anyone interested in spark plugs, glow plugs or lambda sensors can improve their knowledge.”


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European Network Operator Admits To Slowing 3G SpeedsEuropean Network Operator Admits To Slowing 3G Speeds
Wired recently reported that the 3G iPhone's poor speeds are the fault of the network operators, not the device itself. In France, at least, this is very true. French wireless network operator Orange has admitted that it is slowing down the surfing speeds of mobile phones on its 3G network.
August 27, 2008
Wired recently reported that the 3G iPhone's poor speeds are the fault of the network operators, not the device itself. In France, at least, this is very true. French wireless network operator Orange has admitted that it is slowing down the surfing speeds of mobile phones on its 3G network.Wired surveyed readers all over the globe. In contrast with other tests performed on the 3G iPhone itself (which suggest the device has a bad radio air interface), it seems as though the wireless networks themselves are to blame for slow 3G speeds. At least according to Wired's survey.
In France, Orange is the network operator that offers the 3G iPhone. After taking a look at Wired's data, many noticed that Orange customers were experiencing the slowest speeds. You can imagine the consternation of Orange customers. Ars Technica reports, "Orange has revealed that all 3G devices on its network are capped at download speeds of 384 Kbps, roughly one-fifth the download speeds that T-Mobile users have been getting and a little over 5 percent of HSDPA's theoretical maximum speed. Never fear, though: Orange will be upping the cap to a whopping 1 Mbps by Sept. 15, but the boost may not be enough to clam consumers now that the trickery has been revealed." I would not want to be a customer service representative at Orange right now. How do speeds compare in the United States? Well, according to Apple, the 3G iPhone is capable of hitting the theoretical speed of 3.6 Mbps. I spoke to AT&T about this issue when the iPhone was first released in the United States. While the device may be capable of hitting 3.6 Mbps, it won't go any faster than 1.4 Mbps on AT&T's network. AT&T was not clear with me if the speed restraint was a real-world usage scenario (which is likely) or an actual cap on data speeds. Any way you look at it, AT&T's U.S. customers are seeing faster 3G speeds than those using the Orange network in France. But that's not saying much. Apple has acknowledged the issue, and says a fix will be made available for poor reception issues in September.
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