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March 22 (UPI) -- Existing home sales surged 11.8 percent in February from January, the strongest boost the industry has since December 2015, the National Association of Realtors said Friday.
Existing homes transactions included single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops. February sales rose at an adjusted rate of 5.51 million in February. The association added, though, that the February sales were down 1.8 percent compared with a year ago.
"A powerful combination of lower mortgage rates, more inventory, rising income and higher consumer confidence is driving the sales rebound," Lawrence Yun, the association's chief economist, said in a statement.
"It is very welcoming to see more inventory showing up in the market. Consumer foot traffic consequently is rising as measured by the opening rate of SentriLock key boxes," he added.
The slow growth of home price appeared to have helped as well. The association said that prices were up 3.6 percent in February, the smallest gain in several years.
"You can see we're still trending to moderation, as years of high price gains has offset the benefit of lower rates," Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group, said. "The much more timely weekly mortgage applications is seeing flat growth year over year, but let's hope that the spring selling season will see a pick-up in transactions."
The West saw the largest percent increase in existing home sales, improving 16 percent from February to January, followed by the South with a 14.9 percent increase. While home sales in the Northeast were identical over between January and February, the Midwest increased 9.5 percent.
"For sustained growth, significant construction of moderately priced-homes is still needed," Yun said. "More construction will help boost local economies and more home sales will help lessen wealth inequality as more households can enjoy in housing wealth gains."


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Even before it was introduced, Clarion’s new XMD1 AM/FM CD Marine Stereo with CD Changer Controller had already earned the respect of electronics experts by winning an award at a consumer electronics show. The innovation? Its unique watertight design, good enough to withstand a 65-gallon-per-minute stream of water for five minutes.
The XMD1 is one in a series of four new watertight units in Clarion’s XM series. It’s the first time a manufacturer has built a marine audio system from the ground up (most manfacturers offer modified car audio units). Clarion consulted boatbuilders and spent three years in research and development of the XMD1. Clarion Marine Audio, Ellisville, MO; (800) 754-9876; www.marineaudio.com.

domain: news


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December 15, 2018
Happy Birthday, Tim Reynolds!
Please join us in wishing Tim Reynolds a very happy birthday!
December 13, 2018
Jeff Coffin’s 2019 Holiday Music
SANTA DIGS ME is a brand new holiday single Jeff recorded with fellow Nashvillians pianist/vocalist, Chris Walters, bassist Jon Estes,...
December 6, 2018
Riviera Maya 2019 Support Announced
We are excited to announce that special guests Warren Haynes, Tyler Childers, and Valerie June will join Dave Matthews and...
December 5, 2018
DMB Supports Charlottesville’s Public Housing Redevelopment with $5 Million Contribution
We’re pleased to share that with its upcoming hometown concerts, the band is seeking to rally support for the reinvestment in...
December 4, 2018
Happy Anniversary To The Warehouse
The Warehouse, the official Dave Matthews Band fan association, opened 20 years ago today! Happy Birthday to the Warehouse, and happy anniversary to...
November 21, 2018
Record Store Day Release This Friday – DMBLive Vinyl
We are excited to celebrate Record Store Day on November 23, 2018 with two 4LP, 180 gram white vinyl releases...


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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Environmental Breakthrough in the Printing Industry
Japanese invention, the missing link to eliminating the use of petroleum in the printing industry.
In spite of the Tsunami, four days later, Mr Takei, the inventor of the LB-801, arrived to celebrate the first installation in The Americas at AC Graphics in Miami, Florida.
The printing industry is a major consumer of petroleum in the world. Consumers must demand no petroleum in their printing!


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The COVID-19 outbreak means the eCommerce sector is heading into the unknown. The outbreak has caused a massive change in how the UK population is spending their money. User Conversion, a conversion rate optimisation agency, has released its latest survey conducted with OnePoll UK.
The report outlines the findings from a nationally representative survey conducted with OnePoll UK. It was based on a survey of 2,000 users, of whom 92% said that they’d consider buying online. It aims to help online retailers understand the new world of consumer behaviour means for the state of eCommerce.
Ecommerce Europe interviewed eCommerce associations, company members and business partners. It found that 65% of respondents expect the pandemic will lead to a decline in sales, a partial or complete closure of business during quarantine measures, and the release of staff. In contrast, 66% of the UK population say they will be shopping online more than usual over the next few months. A somewhat unsurprising result, given the current lockdown and store closures imposed by the government.
Increasing user confidence
This push towards eCommerce has placed a higher level of importance on online shopping. Seventy-two percent of the UK now agreeing that online shopping is more important than ever. This shift in behaviour appears to impact those aged 35-44 most, placing the highest importance on ecommerce. Perhaps as they no longer have the ability to visit stores whilst their children are at school.
According to the report, user confidence in online shopping appears to be increasing. Less than 5% of the UK saying they were not confident about shopping online. A by-product of this however, is that traffic levels are generally down. Consumers shift behaviour from ‘browsing’ to only ‘essential’ purchases starts to cut through.
The nationally representative survey investigates expected behaviours of the online UK population during and after COVID-19.
- While traffic is declining, the report generally sees increased progression rates / lower abandonment rates across all sectors. Users are expected to shift from a browsing to buying mentality.
- Online confidence is high because store confidence is low. Users are more likely to persist with these.
- The online food industry is driving user expectations for online services. However, many users reporting concerns with delivery (particularly free delivery) and stock across-industry.
- Compared to contactless delivery; speed of delivery appears to be a bigger driver for users during this time.
- COVID-19 appears to have created a long-term desire amongst those aged 35-44 for eC.ommerce. Particularly among those who previously may not have used online retailers as much.
- While 75% of the UK are unlikely to make a luxury purchase during these challenging times, there is certainly an appetite for luxury. The report suggests it’s all about using content to create attachment.
- After the virus infection rates have slowed, 30% of users believe they are more likely to move towards online in favour of retail. This trend is driven by those aged 18-44.
The future of eCommerce
The report states that while now is probably not the right time for businesses to be using experimentation to make decisions, it’s an opportunity for businesses to challenge their proposition in the current climate. If done correctly, businesses can expect to capitalise on these long-term, online shopping behavioural changes, with users more reliant on ecommerce, post-COVID-19.
Mark Leach, Managing Director at User Conversion says, “The future of eCommerce has accelerated years in a matter of weeks. Once this crisis is over things will not go back to how they were. This will inevitably create gaps that will need to be filled. Businesses who have a compelling proposition should be designing an optimal ecommerce journey for their customers now. It will be important for businesses both large and small to stand out from the crowd, for the right reasons.”
Enterprise Times: What this means for business?
Needless to say, there’s been a few reports attempting to get an early understanding of COVID-19 pandemic on consumer attitudes. However, the User Conversion report appears to be the most comprehensive yet. The report outlines the attitudes and expected behaviours of the UK online population during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we enter an unprecedented situation that’s likely to evolve over the coming weeks, businesses needing to understand consumers’ needs. Enterprises also need to understand their expected behaviours during this challenging time.
The report discusses how attitudes towards online shopping have changed. It explores how reliance currently placed on eCommerce has altered user behaviours and opportunities online retailers can harness to succeed.


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Apple plans to reinstate a safety precaution at its brick-and-mortar retail stores that will require both customers and staff to wear masks, even those who are fully vaccinated.
The reimplementation of mask mandates, which will take effect Thursday across the U.S., comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the more infectious Delta variant, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
According to an internal memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg, Apple will begin requiring masks at more than half of about 270 U.S. Apple Store locations.
"After carefully reviewing the latest CDC recommendations, and analyzing the health and safety data for your local area, we are updating our guidance on face masks for your store," Apple wrote in the memo, stating that it is making the change "out of an abundance of caution."
Additionally, Apple urged retail staff members to get vaccinated, though it is not currently requiring vaccinations among its employees.
The move comes a little over a month after Apple dropped customer mask requirements across its U.S. brick-and-mortar locations in June. That decision was short-lived, as the company in July began to encouraged retail staffers to wear masks and required face coverings in areas where local regulations mandated them.
Earlier in July, a report indicated that Apple was planning on testing a hybrid work model for retail employees that would see staffers work some weeks in-store and others at home handling customer service requests and online sales.


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A new media center for KDE 5 / Plasma 2 has been in the works for a while and today Sinny Kumari posted some tangible details. With the release of a new beta, users can try it out too. Of course, it has that "smartphone" look, but it still works as a desktop application. Plasma Media Center 1.1 Beta introduces several cool new features besides a ton of bug fixes.
In her blog post today, Kumari said, "The first release of the software received a lot of appreciation and feedback, some of which have been implemented in this release. If you find yourself using your computer (a laptop, a tablet, or a computer connected to a big display) for listening to music or watching your favorite videos and photos, you should definitely try PMC."
rest here


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Reuters states that Google has suspended any business with
Huawei requiring the transfer of US-designed or made hardware, software or
technical services – apart from any available via open source.
This is a direct result of US President Donald Trump’s executive order that may stop many Chinese companies, including Huawei, from selling to, or buying from US companies.
The Reuters report is here, and GadgetGuy has no further inside information apart from what it has read in recent days. The report uses terms like ‘could’ and ‘may’ but the implications are ‘will’.
Google states that it is “complying with the order and
reviewing the implications” without giving many specifics.
Analysts say that means Huawei’s loss of access to Google Android
OS, regular OS updates, security patches, and all Google Services, including
the Play Store and its g-suite apps.
This is no different from inside China, where Google Android is OK, but the Google Play store and services are not available. Hence Huawei has its own EMUI User Interface, productivity apps and access to several local Android app stores.
Update 6 PM 21 May
For the next 90-days, Huawei can purchase ‘approved’ American-made goods and services “to maintain existing networks and provide software updates to existing Huawei handsets”. However, “The company is still prohibited from buying American parts and components to manufacture new products without license approvals that likely will be denied”. Reuters.
What could this mean to Huawei?
If Google Android is out, then it will need replacing with
Huawei’s Android fork using the Android Open Source Project and for Huawei to
take on patches and security updates. For the rest of the world, an Android
fork – No Pie for you – with no access to the Play Store or Google’s expertise is
a deal breaker.
Huawei is also a customer of Sony (camera sensors), Samsung (some screens, and memory), Japan Display (screens), TSMC (SoC), SK Hynix (memory), Nanya (memory), Leica (optics), Qualcomm, Intel, Micron, Skyworks, Qorvo and 40+ more global suppliers with US roots or technology.
Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s consumer business group chief, told
media in Shenzhen (about recent component shortages).
“We are laying out plans for all our key smartphone parts. Huawei might not manufacture these components directly, but it doesn’t mean we do not own the technology to manufacture them ourselves,” said Yu.
Huawei has a huge $20b R&D budget and is better able to weather the storm – at least in China. It also has smartphone manufacturing in India although the US Executive Order is for the whole company, not its divisions or manufacturing locations.
Are other Chinese phone makers so screwed?
It would be trite to say that Trump has specifically targeted
Huawei and ZTE. The Executive order uses ambiguous terms of banning, “US Telecoms
from using equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied, by persons
owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a
foreign adversary.” That is a very broad church!
It is likely that companies that make smartphones but not telecoms infrastructure equipment will not be affected, but we also need to take China’s Made in China 2025 policy into account which effectively mandates 100% Chinese components, technology and IP for any product made or assembled in China by 2025.
And we are going to see increasing use of Chinese designed
and made components in Chinese assembled smartphones – Kirin versus Qualcomm,
Chinese screens versus Samsung and LG screens etc. No doubt these will have
similar functionality and made under quality assurance regimens, but there will
be a perceived gap between east and west tech.
Whatever the outcome, the Executive order has 150 days to
sort it out. Analysts suggest Trump will insist on adherence to the letter of
GadgetGuy’s comment. This is a mess
The primary issue relates to, but is not solely about, protecting
and securing the burgeoning US 5G telecoms infrastructure. It means that the US
is entitled to reject Chinese technology suppliers (like Huawei and ZTE), or
any goods assembled in China by any international company, from its critical
infrastructure because these companies may be subject to the laws of China.
Theoretically, the Chinese Government could order secret backdoors and vital
There are sub-issues about stealing technology and these relate to the inability to buy US tech or components which Google is caught up in.
But for the most part, it is about protecting critical infrastructure, and this could go further to cover sea and airports, transport corridors, agriculture, mining and anything the US relies on.
The US and its five-eye neighbours (including Australia and many more) are wholly within their rights to protect national security in any way they see fit. Why? Because you and I have no clue about the security issues of critical infrastructure. We should demand such vigilance and be very grateful for that.
But Huawei is a huge conglomerate of interests. Its consumer
smartphone business growth has been spectacular rising to the #2 global supplier
by market share, knocking Apple off its #2 place and tapping on #1 Samsung’s
It has done that by continually lifting the bar, over
specifying and keenly pricing its gear. No one can argue that last year’s Mate
20/Pro and P30/Pro this year have the best camera technology at the time and
the phones are ‘Galaxy’ class.
Whether the Google incident is an unintended casualty of the
US Executive Order or a carefully planned grand scheme to put good old US-based
Apple back on top is immaterial.
Why? Any government has the right to make any decision for its
sovereign territory and its citizens, and we vote for them to do so.
If the action is unintended, then Huawei et al. will solve this rationally and quickly and get back to business as usual.
GadgetGuy has asked Huawei for considered comment but in all fairness this is a huge issue and Huawei needs time to sort it out – one way or the other.
Update: 10.15 AM, 21 May
Huawei has provided a quick response.
Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and
growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we
have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem
that has benefitted both users and the industry.
Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after sales
services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products
covering those have been sold or still in stock globally. We will continue to
build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best
experience for all users globally.
Update: 11.14 AM, 21 May
Mitchell, Director of Corporate Affairs, Huawei Australia:
want to assure Huawei customers in Australia that the US actions involving
Google will not impact consumers with a Huawei smartphone or tablet or those
that are planning to buy a Huawei device in the near future from an Australian
Consumers with Huawei devices will still receive security updates and be able to use Google apps. Huawei will continue to provide after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.
Australian consumers will be able to continue using Google services like Google Play and Gmail on their Huawei phones as they normally would.
Android updates will continue to be provided for Huawei EMUI and Google apps
will not be affected.
We thank Huawei for its prompt response. In essence, nothing changes for existing Huawei owners or those who buy from existing stocks. You can use Google services.
While Huawei says it will continue to provide Google Android Updates via EMUI that really only relates to the existing version of Android you have. The ban affects all Huawei phones manufactured from this point forward and we look forward to seeing how Huawei handles that.


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Issa Rae isn’t feeling the least bit insecure about her appearance in quarantine.
“I’m trying to stay makeup-free as much as I can,” the 35-year-old star of “The Lovebirds” told Page Six Style. “I just take care of my skin. This is the first time that I’m consistently using sunscreen when I go outside. I am cleaning, exfoliating and masking a lot, so I’m just trying to keep my skin stress-free.”
Rae added that lockdown has provided her with a beauty “restart” of sorts. “My hair feels more healthy. I just feel like I can experiment with different products I have always wanted to use. I can look ugly in my house, ’cause no one see me — it’s great! But I do need a mani and pedi.”
But there’s one beauty product you won’t ever catch in the star’s medicine cabinet.
“Natural deodorant is trash,” Rae told us. “My stupid ass tried it for the first time in the summer in New Orleans. I was literally walking with my homies and I was like, ‘What’s that smell?’ Then I smelled one of my armpits. I lifted up my arm and it was me! I was so embarrassed.”
“The Lovebirds” is now streaming on Netflix.
This story has been shared 48,223 times. 48,223
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This story has been shared 13,274 times. 13,274


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A furious mum has blasted Next as a fresh gender row was sparked by a controversial new childrenswear item.
The parent has started a campaign 'stop stereotyping our kids' against the high street retailer, which boasts multiple Birmingham stores.
Hundreds of people have subsequently signed the petition since it was created.
It currently has over 400 signatures.
The petition began when Reena Pau visited her local store.
But, according to the Liverpool Echo , the parent was told that a Toy Story t-shirt her two-year-old daughter wanted was 'in the boys section'.
Reena said: "Are only boys allowed to like diggers or planes?
"Can only girls like Unicorns?
"Of course not.
"We are appealing to Next to change the way it sells children's clothes so children can dress freely.
"My little girl wanted to buy a Toy Story top so we asked the shop assistant, who told us the Toy Story clothes were in the boys section.
"Why did there have to be a boys section?
"Why not a t-shirt section where a wide range of options were available?
"It's fine for boys to wear blue clothing and for girls to wear pink but if these are the only options available to them then it limits them in their aspirations and conforms to the stereotype.
"If Next can take up the challenge it will be instrumental in breaking barriers and tackling inequality."
One supporter, Sylvia T, said: "I hate gender stereotypes with a passion.
"I am fed up with the messages from adverts, retailers and toy makers, that pink, shiny, flowery, glittery things are for girls and blue, dinosaurs, trucks, robots etc are for boys.
"All children should be able to wear, play with or like whatever they want to and not be influenced by out of date, narrow minded stereotypes.
"Let children be who they want to be and stop limiting them!"
A spokesperson for Next said: "Though we don’t label individual garments as ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ we are looking at addressing this both online and in store."


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Senators to probe dairy farmers' woes
Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Senate Democrats on Tuesday said they will investigate whether a few companies are monopolizing the dairy industry and keeping retail milk prices high, even as struggling farmers cope with falling revenue.
Dairy prices have fallen to their lowest level in four decades, prompting Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to comment that "dairy farmers are in the worst shape I've ever seen." He added that "the farms will go under" without immediate financial help.
Dairy prices have fallen to less than $12 per 100 pounds, down from $21.70 in 2007. At the same time, production costs are relatively stable - with a financial services firm estimating it costs about $17.58 to produce that amount of milk.
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In response, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, plans a public hearing Saturday in St. Albans, Vt., to examine the "state of competition ... in the northeast dairy industry," with witnesses from the Justice Department and the Agriculture Department.
Leahy said he wants to probe the disparity between the price of milk on supermarket store shelves and what farmers receive. The retail price of milk is hovering around $3.00 per gallon.
"If you go in a grocery store, the price you pay for a gallon of milk does not reflect in any way what the farmers are getting," Leahy said.
"There may be anti-competitive forces that have contributed to this crisis," Leahy said. "The kind of salaries (made by dairy company executives) and the fact that the market is controlled by a couple of monopolies has to be a concern for us," Leahy said.
Several senators on Tuesday took aim at Dallas' Dean Foods Co., the nation's leading dairy distributor. "There's too much concentration in the industry," Schumer said. "In New York, Dean controls 85 percent of the market."
Dean Foods did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.
The dairy crisis has drawn widespread attention on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said he worries that if dairy farms collapse, it could harm the nation's "food security" and jeopardize the country's ability to survive by consuming only "food raised in the United States."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sounded the same theme, declaring: "We don't want to start depending on foreign food like we depend on foreign oil."


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Interview with Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara
Last month, we met with Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara, to talk about current statistics, the country’s marketing plan, and the role of social media in Mexico’s promotion of itself as a tourism destination. We also asked Guevara what to expect from the incoming administration, as the controversial Enrique Peña Nieto of the PRI party was elected president on July 2 and will take office in December.
Secretary Guevara opened by speaking about Mexico’s marked progress in terms of the total number of visits in the first quarter of 2012. From January to May of this year, said Guevara, there was a five percent increase in the number of visitors compared to the same time period for 2011. 2008 was the best year ever for tourism in Mexico, but 2012 is exceeding expectations and by year’s end may well surpass 2008 statistics.
Part of the reason for the increase in visitors, said Guevara, is thanks to the uptick in regional travel due to promotion related to Maya 2012 and “end of the world” events. The primary reasons, though, are SECTUR’s and Mexico Tourism Board’s aggressive promotion of the country through traditional marketing and advertising, as well as increased investment in digital and social media.
One of the initiatives that has been central to the digital and social promotion of the country has been Mexico Today. Comprised of eight community managers and 16 contributing bloggers, Mexico Today is an online platform where six specific topics–economy, security, infrastructure, health, the environment, and culture/travel–are covered by people with direct ties to Mexico; most are expats living in the country or those who have lived in Mexico recently.
Guevara explained that the launch of Mexico Today was part of the country’s strategy for using the Internet to spread honest word-of-mouth stories about writers’ and bloggers’ direct, personal experiences in Mexico. The program, she said, complements traditional ad and marketing initiatives, which primarily aim to provide information and disseminate facts. Online and new media, she explained, provide what’s conventionally missing from advertising and marketing: the influence that first-hand experience exerts over people’s decisions to travel. “99% of travelers say they’d recommend Mexico to family and friends,” Guevara added, “and 98% say they will return. Few countries in the world have that kind of statistic.”
Programs like Mexico Today and another new media initiative, The Mexico Taxi Project, serve as sources of additional information and insight for prospective travelers who, said Guevara, are obviously influenced by mainstream media. And while the coverage of Mexico in the States’ mainstream media has largely been negative of late, that trend is beginning to change. Guevara said that from January of May to 2011, negative mentions of Mexico in mainstream US media exceeded positive and neutral mentions. Now, however, 77% of media mentions in the US are positive or neutral.


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In October, Qualcomm’s chief marketing officer Anand Chandrasekher made headlines when he commented in an interview that Apple’s new 64-bit A7 chip was just a ‘marketing gimmick’ that added ‘zero benefit’ for the customer.
Qualcomm was quick to backtrack on the executive’s remarks, and according to a new report, that’s not what it was thinking at all. Speaking with a source inside the company, Dan Lyons says Apple’s 64-bit chip rocked the industry…
Here’s Lyons reporting over at HubSpot (via MacRumors):
“The 64-bit Apple chip hit us in the gut,” says the Qualcomm employee. “Not just us, but everyone, really. We were slack-jawed, and stunned, and unprepared. It’s not that big a performance difference right now, since most current software won’t benefit. But in Spinal Tap terms it’s like, 32 more, and now everyone wants it.” […]
“The roadmap for 64-bit was nowhere close to Apple’s, since no one thought it was that essential,” the Qualcomm insider says. “The evolution was going to be steady. Sure, it’s neat, it’s the future, but it’s not really essential for conditions now.”
But once Apple introduced a 64-bit processor, all the other phone-makers wanted one too. “Apple kicked everybody in the balls with this. It’s being downplayed, but it set off panic in the industry.”
In addition to the iPhone 5s, Apple also utilizes its A7 processor in its new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display. And although several apps and games have been updated to support it, few of them are taking full advantage of it yet.
As for Qualcomm, it announced its first 64-bit processor last week: the Snapdragon 410. It’s scheduled to hit smartphones in the second half of 2014.


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With 70 semi-trailers full of goods stranded by roadblocks and its 37 stores running out of inventory, Walmart México is contemplating an exit from the state of Oaxaca, where business leaders say losses are now more than 1 billion pesos.
Fifteen stores operating in remote communities under the Mi Bodega brand are the most likely to close first, said the firm’s corporate communications director, Antonio Ocaranza.
At present, all stores are operating with the exception of the Mi Bodega Aurrerá in Putla de Guerrero, which has been behind a blockade since June 16, and the Bodega Aurrerá in Juchitán, which has been closed for lack of security.
The inventory situation is no better in Chiapas, said Ocaranza, where the company has 51 stores.
Adding to the company’s supply problems is the fact that many of the truck caught in blockades have now run out of fuel, presumably because the engines had to be kept running to operate cooling systems.
Interior Secretary Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong met with Oaxaca business leaders earlier this week. They say sales are down 80% as a result of more than two weeks of highway blockades by members of the CNTE teachers’ union and their sympathizers, and thousands of jobs are on the line.
The economy “is collapsing,” warned Benjamín Hernández Gutiérrez, president of the employers’ group, Coparmex.
The hotel occupancy rate in the city of Oaxaca was just 5% per cent this week and the tourism sector alone is losing an estimated 1.7 million pesos, or US $92,000, a day, prompting businesses to call on teachers to consider the rights of the majority of Oaxaca residents.
Business Coordination Council president Juan Pablo Castañón recognized that the rights of the demonstrators must be respected, but they in turn must respect the rights of others, “those who go to work every day, those who take their children to school, or go to the markets to buy food for their families.”
Castañón said the economic cost of the blockades now exceeds 1.7 billion pesos.
The National Human Rights Commission has issued a similar plea regarding the rights of citizens, calling on the protesters at the blockades to allow the free movement of vehicles and supplies to avoid shortages that negatively affect people’s lives.
The commission also pointed out that the less fortunate in society are among those who are particularly at risk due to the blockades. The rights of freedom of expression and peaceful protest should not negatively affect the rights of third parties, it said in a statement.
In other news of the conflict:
• The CNTE stepped up their mobilization in the city of Oaxaca this morning, blocking access to the shopping centers Plaza del Valle and Plaza Oaxaca.
• A roadblock went up again yesterday at Hacienda Blanca on federal highway 190, the principal entry to the city of Oaxaca for traffic from Mexico City.
• Grupo Modelo, the brewer of Corona beer and other popular brands, told clients yesterday it was suspending activities indefinitely in Oaxaca city due to a shortage of raw materials needed for beer production and the company’s inability to distribute products due to blockades.
• The situation in Oaxaca today is worse than it was 10 years ago when the city was rocked by social upheaval that cost at least 17 lives, said Onésimo Bravo, president of the restaurants association, Canirac.


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These changes will go into effect beginning on May 4.
“Amtrak continuously works to be responsive to customer feedback and looks for opportunities to expand our highly popular Acela Express service between Boston, New York, and Washington,” said Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson.
The increase in Acela Express service on Saturdays is in response to customer requests.
Beginning on May 4, Train 2252 will depart Washington, D.C. mid-morning and Train 2255 will depart Boston in the early afternoon, filling gaps in the current schedule. Regular, scheduled service on the weekends will continue.
“These additional departures aim to serve our customers’ needs as we prepare for the roll-out of our next generation Acela Express service beginning in 2021,” added Anderson.
The new Acela Express fleet, scheduled to begin entering service in 2021. Additionally, the new trainsets will accommodate 386 passengers, an increase of nearly 30 percent, while preserving the comfort of the current Acela Express service, an Amtrak release stated.
The prototype of the new trainsets, in production at Alstom’s manufacturing plant in Hornell, N.Y.,are scheduled to be ready this year, with the first train entering service in 2021. All the trainsets are expected to be in service by the end of 2022.


text:
IAEE Presents Essential Visa Reform Objectives
Hacker Voices Industry Goals at CSIS Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program
DALLAS, 19 June 2012 – Speaking at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program conference today, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) President Steven Hacker, CAE, FASAE, presented key industry research during a panel discussion, The Economics of Travel, in support of the possibilities for economic growth associated with the Visa Waiver Program and the opportunities it represents for business.
The CSIS event, Promoting Travel while Protecting National Security: Stimulating Travel, Streamlining Visa Processing, and Expanding the Visa Waiver Program, is a result of President Obama’s Executive Order calling on U.S. consular services to expand and expedite visa processing services, especially for travelers from fast-growing nations such as China and Brazil, as well as expanding the Visa Waiver Program and reciprocal travel programs as a result of the U.S. losing market share of spending by international travelers by 30 percent during the past 10 years. Finding the delicate balance of increasing tourism and business travel with potential security concerns necessitated coordination across multiple departments, agencies and sectors. As a result, the program focused on the opportunities and challenges associated with these critical initiatives.
Hacker noted that more effective ways to ensure that buyers and sellers from abroad are provided with more convenient opportunities to participate in U.S.-based exhibitions must be developed. The goals of making the U.S. more competitive in the global marketplace and enhancing national security can work in tandem. “Trade shows and exhibitions have become such a powerful engine of the U.S. economy that for the last seven quarters our growth has substantially exceeded that of the U.S. GDP,” he said. “This is a reflection of the vital role that these international trade events based in the U.S. play --- despite being thwarted by visa and entry obstacles.”
Hacker provided a clear picture of the current situation and the potential benefits of bringing international visitors to the U.S. “Buyers and sellers’ participation in the U.S. economy is essential if the U.S. is to fully recover from the Great Recession and restore significant forward momentum to the U.S. economy,” he said. Citing specific data from a 2011 Oxford Economics research study to measure the economic losses of the exhibitions and events industry, and the nation, as the result of the inability of international visitors to secure visas to attend U.S. events, removal of the visa obstacles would increase sales at events by $2.6 billion. The average spending by each international buyer and attendee is more than $13,600, and the spending by international exhibitors averages more than $36,100. By expanding the Visa Waiver Program, new sales to U.S. companies would jump $2.4 billion from the incremental attendance of overseas visitors, and the revenue generated would sustain 17,500 new jobs directly; 43,000 jobs overall. Additional benefits would be realized by the U.S. economy with three quarters of a billion dollars in state and federal taxes that would be created.
With added flexibility to the Visa Waiver Program, the vast numbers of Chinese, Indian and Brazilian citizens who continue to rise into the economic middle class will result in these new consumers demanding substantially more U.S.-produced products and services; therefore, it is likely that more Chinese, Indian and Brazilian citizens will have the desire to participate in U.S.-based trade events. The Visa Waiver Program must be expanded to include all of the nations around the world with whom the U.S. wishes to engage in international trade, and consideration to business travelers who routinely conduct business in the U.S. can secure a 10-year visa if their nation joins with in a reciprocity agreement should be pursued. Many international travelers from these nations may extend their stay for leisure purposes therefore increasing spending on U.S. goods and services.
In order to meet the need for increased demand for visas, the American infrastructure in these nations must be considered. Systematic options such as video interviews, mobile processing vans, and other technological advances will aid the influx and process automation. With sufficient infrastructure and processes the U.S. should be able to reduce the wait time for visa issuance to two weeks or 10 business days. The speed with which business transactions are conducted today must be reflected in this process.
Hacker concludes, “Two years remain before the President’s goal of doubling U.S. exports expires. Only by pursuing aggressive and creative solutions to the many visa hurdles that have kept so many legitimate business travelers out of the U.S. can we hope to achieve that very challenging goal.”
Since 1928, IAEE continues to provide quality and value to its members through leadership, service, education and strong relationships. IAEE is the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in the world, with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. Organizers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller events around the world are members of IAEE. Through the 2006 consolidation with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), IAEE delivers valuable industry research reports. IAEE also supports the IAEE Public Events Council, The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing, and the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission, which are IAEE councils that provide products, programs and information to members. IAEE recognizes its strategic partners: American Airlines, ASP, Inc., Bearcom, Mexico Tourism Board, New Orleans Morial Convention Center, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, Orange County Convention Center and Visit Orlando, Vertical Nerve, Inc. and VoiceLogic. Visit www.iaee.com for more information.
Susan Brower, CMM, CCP
VP, Marketing and Communications
+1 (972) 687-9207


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It is no longer news that Nigerians excel at almost every competition we enter. Our intelligence, collective character and other details often stand us out from other nations.
This is evident in the exploits of one Sadeeq Alabi from Kwara state. According to Al-Hafiz Nafiu Usman who wrote on Twitter, Sadeeq beat out contestants from other countries in a just concluded International Qur'anic Recitation Competition that took place in Jordan.
“Congratulations to Sadeeq Alabi From Kwara State who Became 1st Position in just concluded International Qur'anic Recitation Competition held at Jordan. Congratulations Nigeria.”
That competition required the contestants to recite several chapters of the holy book from memory. The Holy Qu'ran contains 114 chapters with over 6,000 verses. According to research, it will take and average speed reader 15 hours to read the entire holy book.
Market Survey: How Ramadan is affecting prices of fruits in the market on Legit.ng TV.


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Cadence Cash is a Raleigh-based fintech platform founded in January of this year that helps small businesses—especially those owned by minorities and women—access capital quickly. Business owners can get access to cash faster by submitting invoices through the Cadence Cash app. [We first profiled Cadence Cash in March.]
Juneteenth is an especially fitting time to highlight the huge wealth gap that still exists between white and minority-owned businesses across the nation, including right here in the Triangle. The Cadence Cash team has been helping to tackle the issue of the wealth gap and lack of access to capital for minority-owned businesses, specifically those owned by Black people.
“We built this platform to support Black-owned businesses in ways that will allow them to avoid predatory lenders,” said Charles Inokon, the CEO of Cadence Cash.
As an entrepreneur himself, Charles had a difficult time raising capital due to bias, which is part of the motivation for founding Cadence Cash with his sisters, Angel and Cheryl. Charles said his parents were immigrants and business owners who also struggled with this problem.
Now Charles’ wife, Andrea Inokon, is joining the startup as its COO after more than 20 years in finance, tech and the law, including a decade-plus as a Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel at fixed income investment giant PIMCO.
The Cadence Cash team is also rolling out a new financial product: micro loans. Announcing the new product and team additions on Juneteenth just felt right for the Inokons.
“To us, Juneteenth is a great way to highlight the struggles that Black businesses still face in accessing capital,” said Andrea.
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States by a landslide, yet experience many barriers to starting their companies. Cadence Cash is a fast and easy-to-use platform that provides financing to these businesses, Andrea said. The team is hoping to provide this type of financial support nationally.
Minority-owned companies with gross receipts of less than $500,000 are denied loans at a rate of 3x more than white-owned businesses of similar size, Charles Inokon said.
After listening to customer feedback, Cadence Cash has decided to offer micro loans with interest to its customers ranging in size from $1,000 to $100,000.
“Closing the (wealth) gap is really essential to funding growth, which is kind of part of the way forward for African Americans as we think about Juneteenth,” Andrea said.
The spirit of Juneteenth is about the liberation of the entire country and financial access is part of that, said Angel Inokon, who serves as Chief Product Officer.
Cadence Cash helps businesses with less than $1 million in ARR (annual recurring revenue) and under 50 employees, and does not check a business’ credit score. Charles believes that Cadence Cash will help create a more inclusive business environment in the Triangle.
“Closing this funding gap is really the key to unlocking growth for African American businesses and also I think growth for the economy as well,” Andrea said. When Black and other minority-owned businesses are held back, she added, the whole economy suffers.
The company started with a handful of staff members at the beginning of this year, but are hoping to triple that by the end of 2023. Tony Thomas, who has more than 25 years of investment management experience, is joining the Cadence Cash team this month as an adviser.
“We want to empower small businesses to thrive on their own terms,” Charles said.


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Nashville, tennessee (wkrn) —amazon will host an event called “the biggest training and recruitment event ever” on wednesday with the goal of filling thousands of jobs with an average starting wage of $ 18 or more per hour. Nationwide, amazon is now hiring for 40,000 open office jobs and tens of thousands more hourly positions in the delivery network.
Amazon's career day event in nashville will be held from 11:30 a.m.
Amazon career day nashville. Amazon is holding a career day in six cities across the country; Grow your career with amazon! Apply for a amazon grow your career with amazon!
On sept 17th where candidates can learn more about the career opportunities with the company. Amzn) announced monday it is hiring 100,000 new operations workers in the u.s and canada, according to a news release, including 2,500 people in nashville. Retail giants aim to play a role in transportation and fulfillment during career day events, with.
Amazon will hold six amazon career day events across the u.s. Will hold its 2020 career day sept. Amazon career day is a free event on september 15, 2021 or september 16, 2021, depending on your location.
Amazon announces virtual career day with more than 1,000 positions in tennessee. This year's career day will take place online on september 15. See where your amazon journey can take you.
See where your amazon journey can take you. Our range of benefits can include health care starting on day one, employee discounts, 401(k) savings plans, paid time off and more! Thanks for your interest in amazon career day.
16, with 33,000 available corporate and tech jobs available to fill nationwide, more than 500 of which are in nashville. This event is now at full capacity and registration is closed. Amazon will hold six amazon career day events across the u.s.
Seattle, dallas, chicago, boston, arlington and nashville. More than 500 jobs in nashville will be up for grabs at amazon's annual career day on september 16. Amzn) is scheduled to host a second nationwide hiring fair wednesday with some 33,000 technology and corporate jobs up for grabs — more than 500 slated for nashville.
On sept 17th where candidates can learn more about the career opportunities with the company. Those interested can register for the career day events on amazon.com's job site. 16 as it seeks to hire more than 1,000 employees in tennessee and more than 500 in nashville.
At cannery ballroom, 1 cannery row. Amazon offers comprehensive benefits that support employees and eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. All employees, whether they are fulfillment center associates or senior executives, get the same benefits starting on day one of employment.
The events are meant to fill 30,000 positions across the country.


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Woolbright sells Publix-anchored Boynton Beach center for $52M
Woolbright Development sold this Publix-anchored shopping center near Boynton Beach for $52.4 million.
An affiliate of Boca Raton-based Woolbright Development sold a Publix-anchored shopping center near Boynton Beach for $52.4 million – slightly less than its mortgage.
Woolbright Jog LLC last modified its $53.3 million mortgage with Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) in 2010. It is not clear whether the transaction was a short sale or whether Woolbright repaid some principal on the loan.
Woolbright Jog sold the 154,968-square-foot shopping center, at 10935 S. Jog Road, to Valencia Square Retail, an affiliate of Des Moines, Iowa-based Principal Real Estate Investors. The buyer is part of Principal Financial Group (NYSE: PFG).
In recent years, Woolbright has been hit with a handful of foreclosure lawsuits, including one over a large retail center in North Miami Beach. It recently agreed to allow the Intracoastal Mall to go to foreclosure auction, although the judgment and date have yet to be filed.
Brian Bandell covers banking, finance, health care and education. Get the latest banking industry news here.
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2012 Acura TL
Overall image in the marketplace and status on the street have likewise proven difficult to develop.
That's why Acura is making a hard push specifically to boost its image, but in its own unique way.
While many automakers use big powerful models as attention grabbers, Acura sees fuel economy as a way to differentiate itself in what is becoming a very competitive market.
Though this may come as just more frustration for dealers, who have to deal with a limited, lackluster and aging lineup, Acura is adamant that it won’t offer big rear-drive V-8 vehicles and will instead start selling more hybrid models.
Speaking previously on the matter, Acura vice president Jeff Conrad said the brand was considering adding a smaller car positioned below the TSX to take on the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and Lexus CT 200h.
According to the latest reports, this new model will revive the RSX badge and will come in both sedan and coupe bodystyles. This new-generation RSX will be based on the 2012 Honda Civic’s front-wheel drive platform and will arrive on the market in the spring of 2013.
It will feature a 210 horsepower version of the Civic Si’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and may eventually be offered as a convertible.
Meanwhile, the TL mid-size sedan and MDX crossover are expected to get new hybrid options for their next-generation. Acura’s hybrid will be based on a Honda design and pair a V-6 with an electric motor for improved fuel economy.
Interestingly, the TSX may be phased out after the current model reaches the end of its product cycle, with the next-generation TL due in late 2013 expected to be downsized to fill the gap and better complement the only slightly bigger RL. The redesigned MDX is due in the fall of 2012.
[Automotive News -- sub. req.]


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Recent figures compiled by Socialbakers has found that of all the content shared on Facebook, images encourage the most engagement from users.
The report looked at the social interactivity of 5,000 brands with a page on Facebook and suggested that a whopping 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook are images, while just 2% are videos.
The popularity of engaging pictures has risen significantly since last year; in April 2012, Socialbakers discovered that 85% of engaging posts were images.
The findings also revealed that posts comprising a status update accounted for around 3% of engagement on the site, while links to external sites made up just 2%.
This new information could considerably affect the decisions made by marketers when trying to engage Facebook users via their news feeds. Businesses not already doing so might now consider posting industry relevant infographics and diagrams to bolster any written content.
As of yet, no link has been drawn between the rise in image engagement and the recent news that more people are now accessing Facebook via mobile platforms.
Reuters reported recently that across Britain and America, the number of people accessing the site using their smartphones or tablets has increased by 22% and 18% respectively.
As a result, more advertisers are reaching people through the social network. In the first three months of this year the company managed to increase its ad revenue, and a number of big brands – including Pimm’s, Pepsi and Unilever – have revealed details of their successful mobile campaigns.


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A cryptocurrency company founder from East Hampton was convicted of conning investors out of more than $6 million and using the money to buy jewelry, antiques and artwork for four years.
A jury found My Big Coin founder Randall Crater guilty at Boston federal court on July 21 of wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
“Mr. Crater saw the burgeoning popularity of crypto as a chance to get rich quick through an unscrupulous fraud scheme cloaked by flashy marketing tactics and outright lies,” said Rachael Rollins, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.
Prosecutors said the 51-year-old man misrepresented in advertisements the nature and value of the Las Vegas-based company’s coins, falsely claiming that the company provided fully functioning cryptocurrency backed by $300 million in gold, oil and other valuable assets between 2014 and 2017.
He falsely told investors that My Big Coin funds could readily be exchanged for government-backed paper currency or other virtual currencies, authorities said. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission also filed civil charges against My Big Coin CEO John Roche and two of Crater’s associates, Mark Gillespie and Michael Kruger.
Crater faces up to 20 years in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27.


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Mediatek is powering more number of smartphone models launched with 42.2 percent share followed by Qualcomm with 38.6 percent.
Qualcom leads the Indian chipset market in terms of volume of smartphones shipped in India during 2018, a report from techARC said.
Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst at techARC, said: “The 3rd party chipset usage is going to increase with 5G as well as increasing expectations from OEMs of a chipset. This requires huge R&D investments and expertise.”
The report is based on analysis of over 300 major smartphone launches in India capturing over 97 percent of the total market in 2018.


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Tokyo – Toshiba and NEC have joined forces in support of a new high density DVD format that could rival the pending Blue-ray Disc format supported by a group of nine companies led by Sony, according to published reports here.
The new standard, which is based on the current DVD disc structure, is said to be capable of storing over four times the data of the current DVDs, or up to 25 hours of standard definition television broadcasts. The companies plan to officially propose their format to the DVD Forum, an international organization comprising more than 200 companies, according to reports.
Last February, a group of nine companies announced support of the Blue-ray Disc format. The consortium, including Sony, Matsushita, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp and Thomson, hope their next generation optical disc format, with its up to 50GB of capacity, will be capable of recording high definition format video programming, among other things.
Although at 40GB, the Toshiba-NEC disc offers less capacity, the companies say discs will be less expensive to produce than Blue-ray Discs, and will use a structure similar to DVDs, enabling their use with current DVD production equipment. Toshiba and NEC are said to be planning to launch the first disc for computer data storage next year, with unspecified A/V applications coming some time after that.
Both formats call for use of 5-inch optical discs that are capable of recording, rewriting and reading data. Both formats will also use blue laser technology, which offers a shorter wavelength than red lasers to read more densely packed pit alignments on discs than are used with conventional DVDs, according to reports.
As this was published, Toshiba executives in the United States were still unaware of the specifications for the proposed format.


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Here’s another great example of build quality of Tata cars and this time with a Nano. Two Honda Cities takes a lot more damage while the Nano walks away with only a dented number plate. Hilarious!
We have brought you several stories about the build quality of Tata cars and how well they survive accidents and keep its passengers safe, out of harm’s way. But these are mostly about modern day Tata cars, the likes of the Nexon, Tiago, Altroz and so on. These cars have have been tested by Global NCAP and are star-rated cars for their safety. Here again, we have another Tata car that stood out for its build quality in an accident but this time its the rather humble Tata Nano.
Serious accidents on Indian roads are not a rare sight and accidents like the one in the video above are even more common. This clearly seems like a case of distracted driving where a certain Honda City failed to slow down at a speed bump and bumped into the car ahead of it which happens to be a Tata Nano. It’s not the incident that really raises eyebrows but the resulting damage on the vehicles involved that is really shocking.
This incident was recorded in Kerala by a CCVT camera that was positioned facing the road. As you can see in the video, there’s a speed bump in the middle of the road for which all cars are slowing down. A Hyundai Santro arrives at the speed bump first, followed by a white Honda City, followed by the Tata Nano, and then yet another white Honda City. While all the cars slow down at the speed bump, the second Honda City at the rear slams on the rear end of the Tata Nano. This sets a chain reaction and then the Nano hits the other Honda City in the front.
Also Read : Thieves In Delhi Are Stealing Tyres Of Kia Seltos And New Hyundai Creta
That’s about the accident but when you look at the damages on the car, that is when the real picture hits you. The face of the Honda City – which is a premium car selling at about Rs 10-14 lakh – is completely demolished on hitting the rear end of the Nano. The speeds weren’t that high either. The bumper is broken and fallen off, the grille is broken and the bonnet too is crumpled. Looking at the damage, it does not even seem like the accident was so small. The other Honda City, the one which was hit at the rear by the Nano has picked up sufficient damage too with a dented boot lid and a damaged bumper.
However, when you look at the Nano, you can barely tell that it was involved in an accident. The Tata Nano was sandwiched between both the Honda Cities and yet, all the damage it has picked up is a deformed number plate. And this is supposed to be a sub-Rs 3 lakh car. If Tata can put so uch quality on a Rs 3 lakh car, we wonder what’s holding Honda back from doing a same for a car that costs above Rs 10 lakh. And this is not even a modern car from Tata. Such incidents really go a long way in speaking about the good build quality of Tata cars and their safety.


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Around forty years after the beginning of reforming and opening, only a handful of Chinese companies – Lenovo, Huawei, Haier, Tsingtao – have made the leap to global leadership in their sectors. This invites a comparison with Japan, that around the same forty years after it was flattened by the U.S. Army had already produced dozens of leading consumer brands, like Sony, Panasonic, Toyota, Honda, Canon, Nikon, that were disrupting industries around the world. Today, many observers think we are on the cusp of a major change, one that will see a rash of Chinese companies go global, and in the process disrupt global markets much the same way the Japanese did in the 1980s.As Chinese workers’ wages rise, Chinese manufacturers are no longer content with their traditional role of making phones for foreign firms, possibly also in fear of a new outsourcing rush toward East Europe or South-east Asia. Instead, they are gearing up to take on the market leaders under their own name. The battle being carried on by Chinese smartphone producers to penetrate Western high-end markets for mobile devices is proving to be the state of the art in a much broader war. A war that so far has seen Chinese brands struggling to make their way into the West. But the past year saw people in the West buying their smartphones outside of contracts more than they used to, and this is the best opportunity for Chinese manufactures to get their foot in the door. Right now, Chinese companies like Huawei or Lenovo are sleeping giants, with no real marketing and poor local distribution outside of China. When they do start marketing their devices and improve their distribution worldwide though, by offering something different in the Western market, Chinese manufacturers could very well give the likes of Samsung some serious headaches.
Four of the ten largest global makers are now Chinese. Their names – Lenovo, Yulong, Huawei and ZTE – are not well known outside China, and they are still considerably smaller than Samsung and Apple. Nonetheless, these four companies already outsell Nokia and BlackBerry. In 2012, China overtook the United States to become the world’s largest global smartphone market in terms of shipment. In that year, smartphone shipments in China were estimated to have reached 208 million units, accounting for almost 21 percent of the entire global smartphone market share. By the end of 2012, the number of smartphone users in China had reached 380 million, smartphone sales to end users were also reaching new levels, with sales around 169 million units sold in total that year. During the fourth quarter of 2012, smartphones made up 74.5 percent of the total cell phone sales volume, 90 percent of which were 3G smartphones. Now, if market for smartphones is growing so fast at home, why these tech giants bother to enter much more brand conscious markets in the West? Because there’s only really one thing to do when you get big at home: expand. In order to strengthen their position in North America, Latin America, and Western Europe, Chinese companies are having a tough time at increasing their brand credibility, so Lenovo chose the path of spending some of their cash. While the company’s laptops can be found in most western department stores, 95% of its smartphones were still in China, where it was number two behind South Korea’s Samsung. However, as the PC market fades, Lenovo has made no secret of its desire to expand overseas. So on January 29, 2014 Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility smartphone business from Google, for approximately $2.91 billion. The move was a win-win deal: Google kept the vast majority of the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio [licensing it to Lenovo], and Lenovo got Motorola’s 85-year history brand, together with its strong relationships with U.S. carriers.
Huawei, the sixth largest smartphone seller worldwide, has made no secret of its international expansion plans. Better known as a maker of telecoms equipment, where contracts with mobile network EE and BT have helped it become the second largest vendor after Sweden’s Ericsson, phones comprise a small but growing part of its $35 billions a year in revenues. October 8, 2012 the U.S. government has rise suspects about the alleged security threat that the company’s telecoms equipment and business connections pose limiting its business opportunities. Huawei reacted in two ways: setting its sights on emerging markets, especially in Africa – Angola, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa; and adjusting by focusing on its mobile phone and tablet businesses. The company has demonstrated its innovative skills, having released the world’s thinnest (6.68 mm) smartphone in 2012 – the Ascend P1s, and the first smartphone with a 6.1-inch display, the Ascend Mate, in 2013. At the same time, Huawei has brought its own software innovations, including Magic Touch, Guiding Wizard, Smart Reading, and Floating Windows.
Yulong’s Coolpad is the Chinese equivalent of BlackBerry. Founded in 1993, some models of Coolpad phones also have settings for heightened privacy protection. As a result, Coolpad phones are favored by and are purchased as gifts for businessmen and government officials in China. Starting from 2009, however, Yulong has become more aggressive in expanding its market to include lower-to-middle end customers. Reflecting the general shift of the Chinese smart phone market to the cheaper end: market share of smartphones at the $60-$110 price range soared from 0% to 27% in 2012. Steps outside China have been tentative. Its first deal with a US network was secured in 2012, with a budget 4G smartphone running on Google’s Android software. Its sales topped out at 900,000 but sales revenue grew proportionally with selling and distribution expense due to Yulong’s increased efforts in product promotion. To achieve more sustainable growth in the future, Yulong will have to cut down costs by streamlining their operations.
In seventh position globally is ZTE that, like its larger rival Huawei, also majors on telecoms equipment and Internet devices such as household modems. Founded in 1985, it is part owned by the Chinese state. Its low-cost handsets are increasingly popular in the US, where it is now the fifth largest and fastest growing smartphone vendor. The brand, which has traditionally gained market share through low-priced handsets, is seeking to reposition itself as a high-end provider as 4G mobile technology spreads. I already wrote about how Chinese First Lady helped to improve ZTE brand value. ZTE also employed British rap star Professor Green to act as an ambassador for the brand in 2011 and 2012.
The most talked Chinese smartphone company is certainly Xiaomi, which only began R&D in 2010. Xiaomi has operated with a simple value proposition: sell phones better than domestic competitors at prices far below foreign competitors. And to achieve this result, they rely only on social networks for marketing and on e-commerce to deliver their product to consumers. Moreover, Xiaomi’s strategy in mobile phones market resembles that of Amazon selling Kindles, selling their phones below cost. Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun wants to turn Xiaomi into a software company. Its internet platform, which includes games, an online marketplace and a social messaging app, bring in just over $3 millions a month and he thinks that number could be much higher. When Hugo Barra left Google and said goodbye to a high-ranking position on the Android team, to join Xiaomi he did so in order to drive their internationalization effort. He’s not been with the company long, but already Xiaomi has moved into Singapore and it’s said that India is next. If Xiaomi wins its bet and manage to get a share in the U.S and Western Europe markets for high-end mobile devices, Xiaomi could represent the key to a global empire, for a broader range or Chinese products.
Below there’s an interesting Hugo Barra’s speech on Chinese social apps and Internet companies.


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SAN MATEO, Calif. - The Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo opened for curbside business Tuesday.
One woman watched as a Nordstrom employee brought out a pair of sandals and put them in the trunk of her car.
"I have nothing to do today. Might as well go get shoes," said Audrey Oliver of Burlingame.
About 30 of Hillsdale's 120 stores opened for curbside delivery. Under a new modification by the San Mateo County Health Department, stores inside indoor shopping centers are now allowed to provide curbside service.
That allowed Nordstrom, Macy's, Old Navy, the Lego Store and others to get back to business.
While customers didn't flock to Hillsdale in large numbers while KTVU was there, there were some who came out.
'Word gets out, people talk to each other. We've done a nice social media push letting everyone know this is happening," said Christine Kupczak, marketing director at Hillsdale.
Customers may not enter the stores. They place orders online or by phone, with same-day pickup.
Hillsdale has about 1,000 employees. Most have been unemployed. The shopping center expects 25 more stores to reopen for curbside later this week. That will mean more workers back on the job.
"It just takes time to prepare. You have to get all the employees back in, trained, making sure they follow all the guidelines," says Kupczak.


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AEW Fight Forever Release Date Update: What’s The Latest?
Over the weekend, wrestling fans were surprised when it was found that Best Buy posted a new AEW Fight Forever release date. According to the store’s page for the game, it was now scheduled to release on Friday, March 31.
After talking to multiple sources, Insider Gaming has learned that the date is “most likely” just a placeholder. No firm release date has been set. One source even said that the PR teams for all involved parties haven’t been made aware of a release date. If it were set to be released in just over a month, parties would have been told by now.
It should also be noted that as of publishing, Best Buy is the only store selling the game that has March 31 listed as a release.
PAX East is the next big show on the docket that THQ Nordic is set to be a part of. However, it’s currently believed that AEW Fight Forever won’t be at the expo that runs from March 23-26. That’s not to say that some information won’t be announced, but the game itself isn’t likely to be available to see or play in any way on the show floor.
One person close to the game did say that the release plans could always change, but they would “be more than surprised” if a game was going to launch at that time but not be brought to a show happening a week prior. There is always the possibility of a shadow drop, but, again, marketing and PR teams are normally informed of those plans well in advance.
AEW Fight Forever is still scheduled to launch this year with all signs pointing to the first half of 2023. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
It was reported by Fightful’s Will Washington that AEW talent had recently filmed promotional content for the game. When that happens, it’s usually a signal that a launch is closing in.
Are you excited or anxious about the release date for AEW Fight Forever?


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We have announced the date for Braintree’s Christmas Light switch-on event including the popular street market, live entertainment and children’s activities for Saturday 20th November.
Braintree’s Christmas Lights switch-on event is back next month on Saturday 20th November, kicking off the start of the exciting Christmas celebrations in the district. Radio Essex will be hosting the festive entertainment for the day, with live music from local singers and school choirs, all leading up to the big switch on at 5.30pm which will take place in Market Place outside Tesco’s.
George Yard Shopping Centre will light up with their switch on at 5pm and live music and entertainment will take place down the Fountain end of the High Street from 1pm-6pm organised by The Boars Head *.
The popular street market will be making a return with over 50+ stalls across the town centre where visitors will be able to pick up lots of goodies from handmade jewellery to Christmas decorations and more. And for when you have worked up an appetite and a thirst after all the excitement and shopping, there will be plenty of stalls selling gourmet street food and festive drinks. Two more Christmas street market dates have also been confirmed for Saturday 4th December and Saturday 18th December.
Children’s rides and street performers will also be there providing extra fun for those who want to make the most of their day. There will also be several events over the course of the day across the town, including free entry to Braintree Museum with their space exhibition, Christmas children activities, a drinks bar, family photo shoots and face painting at Braintree Town Hall, as well as festive entertainment and a chance to meet Christmas characters in George Yard Shopping Centre.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, last year’s events were marked virtually with online content. Previous light switch on events have seen thousands of families and friends attend every year to get into the festive spirit, with local businesses seeing a boost in their trade on the day.
Cllr Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth at Braintree District Council, said: “We’re really pleased we are able to welcome back our annual Braintree Christmas light switch which will be a day full of fun entertainment and activities for the family and a chance to shop and support local with our fantastic businesses, to help them bounce back from the impacts of COVID. We hope to see lots of people in the town centre to join in with the festive celebrations.”
Cllr Frankie Ricci, Cabinet Member for Communities at Braintree District Council, said: “After missing out last year due to Covid-19, this year people can feel the extra special Christmas atmosphere and hopefully come together to celebrate as a community and enjoy everything that is on offer.”
People can keep up to date on the latest news for the event and festive activities in Braintree via the Visit Braintree District website and Facebook and Instagram pages.
Visitors are encouraged to follow the latest government COVID-19 guidance when visiting the event. This currently includes wearing a face covering in crowded spaces where people may come into contact with others they don’t normally meet, getting tested before attending and self-isolating if required or are symptomatic. Event staff and COVID ambassadors will be on hand at the event to help, assist and support visitors and market traders will have relevant COVID-19 measures in place.
All details can be found online at the Visit Braintree District website.


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Since the first Intel powered IBM PC shipped in 1981 during Ronald Reagan’s Presidency the desktop form factor of computers have been the number one seller. But in May 2004 laptop computers outsold desktop computers for the first time ever, taking 56% of PC sales at retailers in the U.S.
This bump in sales of laptops that puts them ahead of desktop computer sales was likely due to heavy promotions of low-priced notebooks leading into the Memorial Day weekend, said research firm Current Analysis, which did not release specific sales figures. Best Buy and Circuit City, the nation’s largest electronics retailers, promoted Compaq notebooks for as little as $649 and $699, respectively, giving the market the boost it needed to overtake desktops, Current Analysis analyst Sam Bhavnani said.
Normally desktop computers outsell notebook computers and hold a 60% market share, while notebooks account for the other 40%. Tablet PCs don’t generate enough sales to even capture 1%. As the sales promotions end on these cheap laptops, it is expected that desktop sales will once again take the lead. However, the tide is changing and retail sales analysts are now predicting that during the Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping season for 2004 in the U.S. the sales of notebooks will again overtake desktops.
But then in 2005, notebooks are projected to account for 55 percent of the retail market, according to Current Analysis. “Next year is the turning point,” Bhavnani said. “We’re seeing signs of it now.” The portability of notebooks has long been an attraction for consumers, and the increasing popularity and lower cost of wireless networking has made them even more popular.
But because portables couldn’t match the price and performance of desktops, many buyers stayed away. Today, however, notebook prices are falling, and their large screens, beefy hard drives, and faster processing speeds has convinced many people looking for a replacement PC or a second computer to turn to portables.
While notebooks capable of replacing desktops tend to be too heavy for frequent business travelers, they’re fine for people who wants to carry projects from the home office to in front of the TV. “That market doesn’t care about weight,” Bhavnani said. “People are fine with the big notebook, as long as it has the large screen.”


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A Shorten Labor Government will secure the sustainability of the Father Bob Maguire Foundation over the next four years with a $200,000 funding boost.
Senate Estimates has revealed more cosy relationships between the Liberal party and their mates.
Media Release: Senate Inquiry Calls Out Government Inaction on Payday Loans, Consumer Leases and Debt Vultures
The Senate Committee’s report into Credit and financial services targeted at Australians at risk of financial urges the government to end years of inaction and legislate to protect consumers from being exploited by financial service providers.
“So now, as an infallible way of making little ease great ease, I began to contract a quantity of debt."
At one time or another we have all felt as Pip did in Dickens’ Great Expectations. Being a consumer in 2019 we are faced with fast fashion, digital innovation and an ease of consumption like never before.
Labor will give bank victims a fairer chance to fight for their rights with a $640 million Banking Fairness Fund.
Commissioner Hayne has finished his work. He has prepared his report, he has released it, and the Royal Commission has made 76 recommendations to protect consumers, to stop the rorts and rip-offs in the financial sector that hurt people so much. Unfortunately the Government is dragging its feet on implementing these recommendations.
Minister Fletcher’s announcement of a review into financial counselling will be little comfort for consumers facing financial stress. Labor agrees that the financial counselling sector deserves predictability and stability in its funding, this announcement is too little too late. Over the last 5 year the Liberals have shown little or no interest in the challenges facing consumers or the financial counsellors who support them.
Well, this is a damning report on the industry and an indictment on a culture of greed and I think it aligns with the community's perception about the problems in the sector. But the Commissioner has done his work now and it is up to the politicians and to the Parliament to respond.


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FDA Suggests Alternative NDMA Test for Ranitidine
The FDA is recommending a second low-temperature test for determining if ranitidine products contain the probable carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
The agency said it is now using a second liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) testing method that uses a more widely available technology than the agency’s first LC-MS method and it is offering it as an alternative testing option.
The test, which uses a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QQQ platform), may be used either as an alternative or as a confirmatory test for the liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) test published in September, the agency said.
The new testing method defines the NDMA limit of detection as 0.3 nanograms per milliliter, or 0.01 parts per million and the limit of quantification as 1.0 ng/mL, or 0.033 ppm.


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New Delhi: Cricketer Virat Kohli, model, actor, and runner Milind Soman, and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar will be among the fitness influencers who will interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the virtual dialogue on Fit India Movement today. The event is being held to mark the first anniversary of the movement.
The PM will talk about his idea of a healthy lifestyle and discuss the virtues of a healthy routine as part of the virtual dialogue, Hindustan Times reported quoting an official statement.
The Fit India Dialogue is an effort to make citizens of the country draw out a plan to make India a fit nation. “The basic tenet on which the Fit India Movement was envisaged, that of involving citizens to imbibe fun, easy and non-expensive ways in which to remain fit and therefore bring about a behavioural change which makes fitness an imperative part of every Indian’s life, is being strengthened by this dialogue,” the statement said.
Join the dialogue on the website https://pmindiawebcast.nic.in/ at 12 pm on September 24.


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The world of business payments is awash in deadlines, mandates and other milestones that will make this arguably one of the more impactful years in banking since the financial crisis of 2008. And most of that impact will be in the world of real-time payments and associated messaging protocols. It’s a tough calendar to track and prepare for as new instant payments regulations are considered in the EU, real-time payments get a boost in the US with the July launch of the FedNow service and ISO 20022 takes hold in the UK. Real-time is not the only significant event, and you’ll see that reflected in this collection here. We’re tried to gather all the available information for significant events and then we’ve enlisted Bottomline’s subject matter experts to check in with advice on how banks can best prepare for them. We’ll start in the UK, where the long-awaited and oft-postponed ISO 20022 has truly landed.
ISO 20022 has almost as many deadlines as there are payments platforms and countries that use them. For the uninitiated it is a data-rich, machine learning-driven messaging format that is most useful when riding alongside real-time, or instant, payments and settlements. It is essential (read mandated) when real-time payments are combined with cross-border payments. In the UK, March 20 was a significant milestone with the beginning of the SWIFT Co-existence Period for CBPR+ and the hard cutover to ISO 20022 for the Target 2 payments platform.
As Edward Ireland, Bottomline’s head of product for messaging and connectivity says, “we are now into a world in which ISO 20022 is globally ‘normal’ for payments. It’s certainly not the final chapter for implementing ISO 20022 but it is the beginning of it. We now know what it means to use the defacto standard for payments messaging. For financial institutions this means careful consideration of what they need to do to manage and leverage this new standard. How do you get ready for the new structure and granularity of information shared? What new data do you need to and want to process and use? How will you use ISO 20022 to make the bridge between different payment rails and protocols? Now is the time to engage and start answering these questions.”
UK: Confirmation of Payee
As we said earlier, it’s not all about payments in the UK. Protecting them is on the docket as well. Confirmation of Payee has its own set of deadlines that will be relevant to banks as well as corporates. We like Barclays definition of the service: “CoP is a service that checks account and reference details when a new CHAPS, Faster Payment or standing order is set up. This helps to make sure payments aren’t sent to the wrong account by mistake.” It was designed as a hedge against authorized push payment fraud. According to UK Finance, losses for APP fraud stood at £583 million in 2021; up 22 per cent from 2020. In a sign CoP could be working, the first half of 2022 saw £249 million in APP losses. In May of last year, the Payment System Regulator issued specific directions to about 400 payment service providers (PSPs) to implement a system to offer CoP to their customers. The upcoming October 31, 2023 deadline mandates CoP usage by a group of 32 institutions mixed among large banks (Citi), building societies (Yorkshire) and fintechs (Revolut). Group 2, which is mostly the balance of banks and PSPs, will come online October 31, 2024.
Although October might look like plenty of time to hit a deadline, Bottomline’s senior product manager Mark Bish says banks will delay onboarding at their own peril. “My understanding is that there is a fair amount of Group 1 banks that haven’t started the onboarding process as yet. This means they’re giving themselves a real challenge in complying with the Payments Systems Regulator’s directive. I would say they need to decide to move forward, pick their provider and get a project plan in place or they're not going to hit the October deadline. They’re under a lot of pressure, which I understand. But October will come up very quickly.”
EU Instant Payments Proposals
On the continent all eyes are on the proposed instant payments regulations handed down late last year. By now the four pillars of this proposal have been in the market for about six months, giving various entities time to support or express opposition. Those pillars are: 1) Making Euro payments universally available 2) Make them affordable for consumers; 3) Mandate verification between the source identification and the payee; and, 4) Cross-check the customers with sanctions screening lists.
Those pillars have been almost unanimously supported. The timing has been an issue for financial institutions struggling with a slow economy. Frederic Viard, Bottomline’s Director of Global Marketing, Financial Messaging, told us that if the proposals are approved by the EU Finance Commission in September, it means that April 2024 is the date by which banks need to be able to receive instant payments in euros and September 2024 is the date by which they need to be able to send them. The European Banking Federation, which represents banks and PSPs in the EU, has proposed scaling back the implementation suggesting in a February 6 position paper that “the legal requirements should be limited to mandating reachability and to mandating the sending of single payment transactions through one online channel in the euro area.”
According to Viard, banks with legacy infrastructure face the most urgency to prepare for the inevitability of instant payments. They could decide to build new digital infrastructure in house or collaborate with partners to move to the necessary SaaS-based environment.
“Even then you will need to undertake a substantial integration project because you need to make your system’s back end able to connect so that you can optimally manage liquidity management,” he says. “It’s a big project and goes beyond taking a payment and making it faster. You must change the architecture because you need to be on 24/7 and then manage the orchestration necessary to make it efficient. Another option would be to rely on a third-party sponsor bank, acting on your behalf. This might be easier in terms of integration, but costs might be significant.”
FedNow’s July launch
In the US the action has been and will continue to be centered around the Federal Reserve’s FedNow platform. The Fed had previously set a window of May – June to launch. That has now been firmed up to launch in July. The most recent communication from the Fed happened just last week (March 30), when Allison Baller, vice president of FedNow industry readiness, told attendees at the Northeast Acquirers Association conference in Boston that the launch will have a “default limit” (as expected) of $100,000. According to the Fed this limit can be adjusted by banks using the service. In addition, the Federal Reserve “will evaluate the credit transfer limit on an ongoing basis and adjust as appropriate.” That limit currently sits at $500,000 compared to the $1 million transaction limit set by The Clearing House.
According to Digital Transactions, “Baller expects a subset of the approximately 120 financial institutions in the FedNow pilot to go live in July with another group she characterized as fast followers later. The pilot, which began in 2021 after more than 110 organizations expressed interest in it, included financial institutions of all sizes, but the initial group for the commercial service may not include smaller ones, Baller said. While they may need more time, “They helped shape the product,” she said.
Bottomline’s Vice President and Head of Product Management for Digital Banking Solutions Jessica Cheney has been involved with the Fed launch through its partnership program. She told us recently that the time for waiting for the Fed to launch is over.
“We're beyond that wait-and-see period of time,” she said. “We know what the message sets are. We know what the production or live dates are going to be. We know pricing. We know who their technology partners are. We know that demand for real-time or instant payments is here and growing, so, putting all those things together, I really don't see what we should wait for. The longer you wait, the less you will be seen as a progressive payments’ innovator, and the more you'll be seen as a technology laggard and beaten to the punch by your more aggressive competitors.”
COVID finally fading
Although it isn’t tied specifically to business payments there is evidence that the COVID-19 crisis is less affecting consumer and business behavior. Two milestones point to the crisis’ being downgraded and even ending. On March 28 the County of Los Angeles officially ended its COVID restrictions and on the 30th the World Health Organization revised its vaccine advice to exempt teens and young children.
According to Bottomline’s Paymode-X VP of solutions marketing Paul McMeekin, it’s time to adjust. "For accounts payable teams and finance functions post-pandemic, it's all about making the new normal work for you,” he says. “Remote work is here to stay, automation is growing in sophistication, and the way we processed invoices and payments before the world turned upside down is no longer tenable. That means accepting that the old ways don't work and truly embracing process improvements, improved awareness and prevention of fraud risks and figuring out how your team works best."


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UPDATE: Beauty shots on deck thanks to Packer Shoes. Add them to your list of stockists for when they drop on October 24.
Mastermind is continuing their partnership with Reebok with yet another silhouette from the Reebok running archives, murdered out in their signature style. Following the Running Pack double release and the sought after Pump Fury model comes the Furylite version, dressed in black with the Mastermind Japan branding sitting on the tongue. The Furylite revival has been slept on by everyone this year, maybe this is the colab that's needed to bring the silhouette some much needed love? Out soon at select Reebok accounts including Extra Butter.
- Originally published on October 9, 2015.


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Zurich Insurance Malaysia Bhd has targeted its general insurance portfolio to grow to RM570 million this year as compared to RM480 million recorded last year, its CEO Trevor Bull said in Kuala Lumpur today.
As for its life insurance business, the company is targeting an annual premium equivalent to RM150 million.
Bull said Zurich will work to deliver innovative insurance products tailored to the local market and venture into new areas of business, broadening its product offerings and exploring alternative distribution channels to support its growth plans.
"Our life insurance business will be focusing on offering more investment-linked protection products as they provide the flexibility to meet the needs of a broad range of customer segments, including Malaysia's Gen X and Y population,” he said at a media briefing.
"We also plan to expand our general insurance portfolio, growing its proposition for segments such as marine cargo and property. We will increase our focus on servicing small-to-medium enterprises, as well as middle and large corporate customers.”
Next year, he said, Zurich will be focusing on opportunities for growth in certain segments in Malaysia as well as delivering its promise of “guidance” and “surety” while enhancing the overall customer experience.
"The well regulated insurance industry and stable economic environment in Malaysia offers significant opportunities to grow. Our successful nationwide branding campaign which started last year has allowed us to establish our brand here.” - Bernama, July 30, 2013.


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Borderlands 2 Confirmed, See it at PAX
Following a report yesterday that Borderlands 2 was in development at Gearbox, the game has been confirmed just a day later.
The Borderlands sequel is coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC during Take-Twos fiscal 2013; in other words, itll be out sometime between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. The press release boasts it will contain new characters, skills, environments, enemies, weapons, and equipment.
While it may still be as much as a year-and-a-half away from release, fans will get a chance to see it for themselves quite soon -- Gearbox is bringing the game to both GamesCom and PAX Prime later this month.
According to a tease on the GI website, the mission system is getting an overhaul so that it can better tell the games story.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford was apparently none too pleased that word got out on the game ahead of time. Without specifically naming Eurogamer, which broke the news, he didnt have kind things to say about yesterdays report on Borderlands 2 -- which, mind you, was completely accurate except it said it would be coming in 2012, and the date we got today suggests it could be out during early 2013. He wrote on Twitter yesterday, prior to todays reveal, "I have long maintained that we will do more with Borderlands. Shoddy journalism is not an announcement."


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SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) announced that it has appointed Cindy Hoots, Chief Digital Officer and CIO of AstraZeneca, as an independent director on Zoom’s Board of Directors effective immediately.
“Zoom has changed the way companies around the world do business and is ushering in entirely new ways to transact business internationally,” said Hoots. “Global leaders have the responsibility to ensure our ecosystem of employees, partners, customers, and our community can connect and collaborate seamlessly in a sustainably responsible way. I am thrilled to join Zoom’s Board and CEO Eric Yuan, an inspirational leader with a strong vision. I believe this company has an important role in making a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”
“On behalf of Zoom’s Board of Directors, I am excited to welcome Cindy to the team,” said Zoom Founder and CEO Eric S. Yuan. “Cindy’s experience leading large global companies in highly regulated and complex industries will bring tremendous value to our company. As Zoom continues to grow and innovate within the healthcare sector, we look forward to Cindy’s perspectives and contributions.”
About Cindy Hoots
Ms. Hoots has served as the Chief Digital Officer and Chief Information Officer at AstraZeneca PLC, a pharmaceutical company, since January 2020. From January 2018 to December 2019, she served as Global Vice President of Technology of Unilever PLC, a multinational consumer goods company. Prior to joining Unilever, Ms. Hoots served as Vice President of Next Generation Products, Commercial, and Digital Transformation at British American Tobacco plc from 2016 to 2018. She also spent 16 years at Mars, Incorporated. Ms. Hoots received a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology.
Zoom is for you. Zoom is a space where you can connect to others, share ideas, make plans, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ: ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.
Head of Global PR
GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8724219


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Caribbean Airlines this morning (Friday 14 December) extended a warm Caribbean Christmas welcome to arriving visitors at its Duty Free store at the Piarco International Airport. The airline treated passengers to traditional hops and ham, black cake and sorrel, officially kick-starting its Christmas celebrations.
From as early as 3:00am the airline’s staff, with some help from MC ‘Rome’, greeted visitors, and serenaded them with the Caribbean Airlines jingle and other local Christmas carols.
The airline partnered with the Kiss Baking Company and SM. Jaleel and Company Limited for this event, which was well received by the arriving passengers, many of them visiting Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate Christmas with friends and family.
The Caribbean Airlines Duty Free Store also has special promotions to arriving and departing customers. For more information please visit www.caribbean-airlines.com