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Shanghai, China, August 7, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The organizers of ITB China, China’s largest B2B exclusive travel trade show, announced the launch of the ITB China Industry MeetUp, at an exclusive networking event for industry senior representatives in Shanghai last Wednesday. The ITB China Industry MeetUp is a series of events set to take place in seven major cities in China between September and November 2020.
“More than ever, we need a platform like the ITB China Industry MeetUp in order to bring together representatives from all fields of the industry, to explore new market demands and to develop effective market solutions,” said Ms. Lucinda Wang, COO of Shanghai Jinjiang Travel Holding Co., Ltd.
The events are designed to help the industry recover from the economic post-Covid-19 fallout, providing unique opportunities for industry professionals to get updated on latest trend insights, relating to the ‘new normal’, as well as help travel suppliers to meet and connect face-to-face with members of the exclusive ITB China buyers circle in key cities and regions across China.
“It is good to see that preparations for the future opening of outbound tourism from China are already under way. These initiatives from ITB China are a very good example on how to bring all travel trade partners on board in the overall recovery process of the industry,” said Mr. Tiago Brito, Tourism Director China of Turismo de Portugal at the Shanghai networking event.
The seven stations of the ITB China Industry MeetUp in 2020 will be
· Shenzhen: 24 September
· Changsha: 15 October
· Beijing: 27 October
· Shenyang: 29 October
· Chengdu: 10 November
· Xi’an: 12 November
· Shanghai: 25 November
The organizer is pleased to announce the partnership with the global leading hotel group Marriott International, as the Partner Hotel of the ITB China Industry MeetUp event series. “Marriott International, as an ITB global partner, is excited to support the ITB China 2020 Industry Meetup Events across seven key markets in China exclusively. We believe that the Industry Meetup offers a great platform for customers from segments including Business Travel, Leisure & MICE to re-connect and explore business opportunities in the new normal. Marriott has always placed an emphasis on health and safety and is committed to providing guests with an environment that aligns with expert protocols. We will actively monitor and evolve our solutions, with continued focus on cleanliness, quality and exemplary service.” said Ms. Becky Cao, Vice President, Global Sales Greater China of Marriott International.
The events will support international travel industry professionals to meet with potential business partners, coming from China’s key cities and regions. Together with Chinese travel experts, they are going to pick up on new traveler demands and the latest trends of the Chinese travel market and have the opportunity to network with top Chinese buyers and promote their company and products.
Each event will bring together 100+ attendees from leading travel agencies and senior representatives from the industry, such as travel companies and tour operators, OTAs, themed & customized agencies, MICE and corporate associations and companies, DMCs, national tourism organizations and DMOs, hotels and accommodation, travel tech companies as well as transportation service companies.
Featured workshops at the events will invite industry insiders and experts to discuss the hot topics like “digitalization of travel marketing”, “safety solutions under the new normal” and “transformation of travel agencies” etc. through keynote speeches, panel discussions and case studies.
About ITB China and the ITB China Conference
ITB China is China’s largest B2B exclusive travel trade show. ITB China 2021 will take place from Wednesday to Friday, 12 to 14 May, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. ITB China is a three-day business to business travel trade fair that focuses exclusively on the Chinese travel industry. The ITB China Conference will take place parallel to the show and is co-organized by the leading conference organizer TravelDaily.


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Supplies of genuine camembert cheese from France are dwindling, with just 1 percent of global production considered the real deal.
Of the 360 million wheels of camembert produced every year, just four million bear the 'AOC' stamp to guarantee its authenticity, according to a Bloomberg report.
But Hawke's Bay-based Juliet Harbutt, who founded the British Cheese Awards, said most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference in taste between authentic Normandy-made camembert and the product in New Zealand supermarkets.
Ms Harbutt said a traditional and genuine camembert cheese had to be made in a certain place and in a certain way.
"Camembert de Normandie, which is its true name, was made on the coast of Normandy and it was this wonderful unique product with its own little environment where it was made and little yeasts and moulds and a lovely white crust.
"All of that was put together in this little cheese that was made with raw milk."
But many of Europe's artisan products were now being made commercially, said Ms Harbutt.
"Slowly, over the years, what's happened is the big companies have taken over the small guys, the small guys have given up because perhaps their young families don't want to get into making cheese any longer.
"The number of producers of raw milk camembert have reduced down to less than a handful, which is very sad."
She said the recent international attention to the shortage was most likely because Bastille Day in France was coming up next month.
"It's quite a good way of publicising the fact that many of these artisan products are slowly disappearing.
"It's a good chance of raising the profile of the good unique products by saying to people 'look there are these wonderful producers out there, but if you don't eat them they'll disappear'."
Calum Hodgson - from specialty food retailer Sabato, which imports cheese into New Zealand from Europe - said the shortage of genuine camembert was driven by the world's changing palate.
"I think it's some testament to the buying public in France, it's like any other western country... they buy pretty rubbish cheese like we do. The biggest selling cheese to my knowledge over there is American Philadelphia from Kraft.
"It's only been there a few years and the French love it, so they are migrating away from their own traditional traditions and buying into junk."
Mr Hodgson said to judge if camembert was ready to eat, you put your left index finger on your eye and your right index finger on the cheese - if they sort of feel the same, then the cheese is ready.

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Facebook wants children as young as 6 to be its customers
- An internal blog post has revealed
- The company wants to develop products for children as young as 6.
- As per the post, the company was
hiring employeesto build products for young children.
New documents accessed by NBC News have revealed that Facebook actively hired employees to build products for children as young as 6 years to expand its user base. The documents were from an internal blog post and the author’s name was redacted.
“Our company is making a major investment in youth and has spun up a cross-company virtual team to make safer, more private, experiences for youth that improve their and their household’s well-being. For many of our products, we historically haven’t designed for under 13,” reads the document.
AdvertisementAs per the post, the company planned on hiring several positions across the company to work on products for children below 13 years.
The company divided the target groups into five – kids ranging from 6 to 9 years, tweens ranging from 10 to 12 years, early teens ranging from 13 to 15 years, late teens ranging from 16 to 18 years and adults.
“These age groups can be used to define education, transparency, controls and defaults that will meet the needs of young users,” adds the post.
The post includes a diagram titled “Where we’ve been and where we’re going”, highlighting how the company intends to expand its user base from the current threshold of 13 years. It mentions the regulations around online services directed to children under 13 years old by the Federal Trade Commission called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule or COPPA.
As per the post, the company treats children above 13 years like regular users and ask younger people not to use the company’s products. However, the company wants to change this and start targeting children as young as 6.
Former Google CEO says Facebook's metaverse is 'not necessarily the best thing for human society' and expresses concerns about safety of artificial intelligence technology
India starts probe into Facebook’s algorithm, seeks info on moderation process
Facebook's problem isn't its brand - it's Mark Zuckerberg
Popular on BI
- Future Retail's independent directors haved turned down Amazon's financial support offer
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- Maruti Suzuki up nearly 7% as the automaker expects good demand at a time when industry is feeling the heat
- Bhavish Aggarwal does an Elon Musk, hints at an electric car launch on Twitter while struggling with electric scooter deliveries
- Xiaomi continues to dominate Indian smartphone market despite losing market share


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Environmental claims in the fashion retail sector are to be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Concern has been expressed over claims that both individual items and entire ranges of clothing are sustainable or better for the environment, with campaigners warning that companies are guilty of “greenwashing”.
With an increasing number of shoppers trying to choose environmentally sustainable options when buying clothes, more and more fashion businesses are making environmental claims.
The CMA’s review will examine environmental claims across the UK fashion retail sector to determine whether businesses are complying with consumer protection law.
More information, including how to submit evidence to the review, can be found on the CMA website.


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Publisher Tru Blu and developer Big Ant have announced Rugby League Live 4. The latest entry in the rugby-simulation series is set to launch in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
From the press release:
With a greater attention to the finer details and intricacies of the sport, along with precise refinements to the controls, and even more depth to the career mode, it will surely be the best Rugby League video game to date.
Rugby League Live 4 is set to release in New Zealand in 2017.


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Jedd Cokayne (The MediaShop) and Gustav Goosen (The SpaceStation)
Gustav Goosen, CEO of The SpaceStation was at the awards and accepted on behalf of the team. "Winning our category and taking third place overall (out of 110 media owner teams) is no small feat. I am incredibly proud of the hard work our team puts into consistently offering the best service and I want to thank each team member for their contribution. The acknowledgement from our clients that we're the best digital sales outfit they deal with and the fact that we've been voted top three in the market says a lot for an industry that is constantly adapting and growing. Dependability and reliability are key, as well as an astute understanding of digital and how our brands work," says Goosen.
Said Media24 CEO, Esmaré Weideman: "The SpaceStation is at the forefront of digital sales in South Africa and it is gratifying that their professionalism and expertise is recognised by the industry. They give Media24 a unique advantage in a competitive landscape."
The MOST Awards have six criteria that the entrants are rated on. This year's voting showed that 'knowledge of client brands and the market landscape', and 'knowledge of the media landscape' were the two most important factors followed consecutively by 'communication', 'professionalism', 'involvement', and 'empowerment'. Interestingly 'knowledge of client brands and the market landscape' has been rated at the most important criterion every year since its inclusion in the survey.
The SpaceStation Joburg Team
The SpaceStation received 25 Best in Category votes (compared to the second and third place winners who received seven each), which gave them a MOST score of 78.8. But what was even more impressive was that they once again came out tops across all media owners in all categories for the criteria 'knowledge of own brands' and 'innovation'. The Media Online reported
that Brad Aigner, managing director of Freshly Ground Insights (who conducted the survey on behalf of Wag the Dog publishers), said that a recurring theme over the years has been the critical importance of having knowledgeable employees who are committed to delivering 'good old fashioned' service. "From discussions with category and overall winners in previous years, it is evident that these companies have not simply paid lip-service to the need for formalised and committed training programmes for their staff," he added.
"We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our partners at The SpaceStation, said Geoff Cohen, CEO of 24.com. "They have consistently proved through their knowledge and execution that they are the best in their field and have delivered massive return on investment for our media and publishing businesses."
Says Chris Hitchings, CEO of DStv Media Sales, "Congratulations to all at The SpaceStation for another excellent performance at this year's MOST Awards.DStv Media Sales are very proud to be a partner in this professional operation."
The MOST Awards are an annual research-based award that encourages excellence in service delivery and innovation from media owners and agencies.
For more information on The SpaceStation, visit www.thespacestation.co.za
, follow us on Twitter @SpaceStationZA


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Do you know what data each section of Google Analytics offers?
A few important details and settings can improve your Google Analytics reporting.
In this article I’ll share the basics of navigating Google Analytics and what you need to set up now to make the most of its data.
Note: This post assumes that Google Analytics is already set up for at least one of your websites. If you have not set up Google Analytics, you can find a thorough walk-through of the setup process in the Google Analytics Help Center.
Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up-to-date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention.
What’s New This Week?
Social media channels this week were among the first to reveal the passing of one of the world’s greatest innovators—Steve Jobs.
Social Media Examiner’s founder Michael Stelzner was on a webinar with Guy Kawasaki, former Apple chief evangelist, just as the news broke. Here are Mike’s words:
Ten minutes before Guy Kawasaki was to keynote Facebook Success Summit 2011, Guy said to me, “Mike, we have a problem…” I said, “Guy, what??” My heart started pumping hard. He said, “Steve Jobs died…” I was shocked, and didn’t believe him at first! He said, “Go to CNN.com” Knowing that Guy was the former evangelist for Apple and that Guy had a very strong connection to Steve, many things started going through my head “What do I do…” Guy said, “Do you think it is appropriate that I talk about Facebook marketing or my life experience with Steve Jobs.” After some discussion, I decided it was best to let Guy share what was on his mind and heart.
What follows is Guy talking about how Steve Jobs was his hero and how Steve has forever changed business:
Listen to Guy Kawasaki pay a tribute to Steve Jobs and answer questions from callers.


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Skoda has launched the Rapid Anniversary Edition for Rs 6.99 lakh (all India ex-showroom). It gets cosmetic updates over the features of the standard car but remains the same mechanically. This edition will be available across the range and we are currently awaiting details of what extra features each variant will get apart from the new TrackPro system.
The cosmetic external additions to the Anniversary Edition include door foils, roof foils while the cabin gets an additional wood trim. A new feature, which we suspect will become a standard in this variant very soon, is the TrackPro system. It allows owners to stay connected to their cars and track them 24x7.
It will also let owners record vehicle trip history, assign speed limits and boundary alerts and update tracking configurations like the owner’s number and vehicle registration IDs. The owner will also be able to setup mobile alerts to be notified on his or her car getting towed, over speeding, entering and exiting boundaries and whenever the tracking device is disconnected or re-connected with the vehicle.
Commenting on the launch of the Anniversary Edition, Ashutosh Dixit, director – sales, service and marketing, said, “The Skoda Rapid has been wowing buyers with its style, practicality and refinement since its launch in India, and now, thanks to Skoda’s commitment to enhance ownership experience and maximizing value, customers ordering the new Rapid Anniversary Edition will get even more value for their money. It’s a testament to Skoda’s enduring legacy of offering clever and practical solutions for its patrons. With an amalgamation of technical features, added safety measures, the Anniversary Edition will be a novel offering in the competitive C-segment.”
The Rapid Anniversary Edition will be on sale across all Skoda showrooms till the end of this month.


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The first teardown of Apple's iPhone SE was posted to the Web on Wednesday, and as expected the handset's logic board is an amalgamation of parts mostly borrowed from iPhone 5s and iPhone 6/6s, with a few new chips thrown in to keep the platform fresh.
In its report, silicon experts Chipworks said the new 4-inch iPhone might appear identical to the iPhone 5s it replaces, but a bevy of new chips, not the least of which being an iPhone 6s-class A9 processor, makes it a unique addition Apple's lineup. Indeed, the PCB looks like a parts bin dive
As for the A9 SoC, the firm notes its Verizon unit came with a chip bearing part number APL1022, meaning it came from Apple partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Additionally, a 1604 date code suggests the chip was produced only nine weeks ago. Apple is using system memory from SK Hynix, which appears to be the same 2 gigabyte LPDDR4 mobile DRAM from iPhone 6s.
Apple tapped NXP to bring NFC touchless payments to its low-cost iPhone. Like the iPhone 6s, iPhone SE boasts an NXP 66V10 module that incorporates the Secure Element 008 and an ear-field communications controller labeled NXP PN549. Chipworks said the SE's InvenSense 6-axis inertial sensor also made its way from iPhone 6s.
Dating back to 2014's iPhone 6 is a Qualcomm MDM9625M modem and WTR1625L RF transceiver.
Along with parts bin components, iPhone SE packs in new hardware including a Skyworks SKY77611 power amplifier module, a Texas Instruments 338S00170 power management IC, Toshiba NAND flash, an EPCOS D5255 antenna switch module and AAC Technologies' 0DALM1 microphone, the report said. A separate as-yet-unidentified chip could be a new power management IC designed by Apple in cooperation with Dialog Semiconductor.
Apple took the wraps off its new entry-level handset at a special event earlier this month. The iPhone SE is thought to address burgeoning markets, Android switchers and users who prefer smaller form factor devices. The company has not released official first weekend sales numbers, though reports indicate preorders surpassed 3.4 million units in China alone.


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Next week, which ironically enough also happens to be Banned Books Week, you will be able to get your hands on these.
First, on Tuesday, both the paperback edition of The Marbury Lens and the new release of its sequel, Passenger will be available.
They will be followed on Wednesday by the short story King of Marbury, which will be published as a free download at Tor.com.
To celebrate a bit early, MacTeen Books is running a blog post featuring five questions from readers to me about the Marbury series. The post is up today, so you can get a taste af what's coming up in just one week.


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At the height of the holiday shopping season, Target Corp. (TGT:NYSE) announced that customer credit card data had been compromised. The breach reportedly occurred between November 27 and December 15, 2013. Initially, Target reported that only credit card data had been accessed — not debit card data or Target’s own credit card. Target assured customers that debit card PIN data had not been compromised. Though the breach was large — 40 million customers — Target promised that the financial harm would be limited: “You will not be responsible for fraudulent charges — either your bank or Target have that responsibility.”
The scope of the breach has grown since the initial disclosure. In addition to the payment data that was previously disclosed, Target reported that “names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses for up to 70 million individuals” had been taken. Target has confirmed that encrypted PIN data for debit cards was taken as well. Target again told customers — but not lenders and credit unions — that they would “have zero liability for the cost of any fraudulent charges arising from the breach.”
Target’s customers, and the lenders that issued their credit and debit cards, are potentially on the hook for at least some of the unauthorized charges. While the liability of credit card customers tops out at $50, the liability of debit card holders is not as clear. Depending on when a debit card customer notices and reports the unauthorized charge, he or she can be liable for $500 of unauthorized charges if the loss is not reported within two days. Also, refunds to debit cards can take much longer to process, leaving people with limited or no funds to pay bills and buy essential items until the unauthorized charge is reversed.
Lenders issuing the compromised credit and debit cards are on the hook as well. Indeed, some credit unions have already taken action to hold Target accountable for their losses. These lenders have claims for money refunded to their customers for fraudulent charges, and for the cost to close accounts, and reissue new checks, debit cards and credit cards — all during the peak of the holiday season.
Whether filed by consumers or lenders, the cases against Target will address whether it maintained adequate computer data security of customer credit and debit card information. When processing transactions for cards bearing the logos of Visa, Master Card and others, Target is prohibited from storing unprotected information of cardholders. Yet, that is precisely the information that was compromised.
As the use of electronic payment methods continues to skyrocket, protecting the confidentiality of that information is paramount. While the loss of data security at Target is alarming for its scope and timing, the fact is that these incidents are occurring regularly throughout the United States. In the last week, Neiman Marcus disclosed that some of its customer payment card data was compromised. Customers, lenders and credit unions should be careful to protect their right to be made whole when these breaches occur. While Target has vowed to absorb any loss, it has not yet done so and, indeed, has not yet determined the extent of the loss or the limits of its liability.
Three Tips to Protect Your Identity:
- You should carefully watch activity on your account statements and immediately report any unauthorized charges. This is particularly important if you used a debit card at Target.
- The scope of the breach, and the accessibility of your personal information, is mostly unknown at this point. It is important that you remain vigilant and continue to monitor your payment card activity in the coming months.
- Target lost customer names, email addresses and other personal information, so you should be careful not to respond to phishing emails which would compromise more of your personal information.
Strauss Troy is investigating potential claims for consumers and lenders arising out of the Target data breach. If you would like to discuss a potential claim, call me at 513.629.9417 or Ron Parry at 513.629.9485.


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A SWEET OR SOUR DEAL?: A Hsu Fu Chi candy counter at a supermarket in Beijing has tons of treats available for sale (CNSPHOTO)
Nestle Group, the world's largest food manufacturer, announced on July 11 it had entered a partnership agreement with Chinese candy and pastry producer Hsu Fu Chi International Ltd. Nestle intends to acquire a 60-percent stake in the Chinese company, a deal valued at $1.7 billion.
This has been the 35th instance of foreign companies acquiring Chinese brands since the year began. It's also the second time this year Nestle has made a move to acquire a share of a Chinese company. In April, Nestle purchased 60 percent of Yinlu Foods Group, famous for its canned food and drinks.
Industrial insiders believe Nestle intends to gain a competitive edge in the candy and pastry market through the purchase. The acquisition is already causing concern among the Chinese public, which believes the Hsu Fu Chi brand may disappear altogether after the sale.
These fears are not unwarranted. Domestic brands such as Dabao (cosmetics), Robust (mineral water), Supor (cooker), Nanfu (battery) and Mini Nurse (cosmetics), used to stand out in their respective markets until being bought by multinationals. Many of them have since vanished from the market.
Lu Renbo, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce, said most Chinese companies are not aware of brand protection. Once they are acquired by foreign companies, their brands disappear. Many foreign companies simply covet sales channels and marketing resources established by domestic brands by various hardships, instead of the value of domestic brands.
Fortune or misfortune?
According to a Hsu Fu Chi statement, in 2010, the company reported sales revenue of 4.31 billion yuan ($669.25 million) and net after-tax profit of 602.2 million yuan ($93.51 million), up 14 percent and 31 percent, respectively, year on year, ranking first among all Chinese candy companies. Hsu Fu Chi hasn't provided an explanation behind the decision to sell, despite the appearance that the company is in its prime.
Other experts side with the sale. Hsu Fu Chi's product line is limited to candy and pastries, a market that is already overly competitive. To drive development, Hsu Fu Chi must strengthen research and development of new products, a weak point for the company. Hsu Fu Chi's past efforts include development of high-quality chocolate products to boost sales, but the results were less than satisfactory.
Nestle, on the other hand, has a solid R&D base. An acquisition by Nestle would mean access to new opportunities for Hsu Fu Chi. Moreover, since the acquired price represents a premium of 24.7 percent over the volume-weighted average share price over the last 180 days, shareholders of Hsu Fu Chi can also reap handsome benefits from the acquisition.
Wang Wei, Chairman of the China Mergers and Acquisitions Association, said the brand influence of Hsu Fu Chi is priceless, and it is now hard to estimate the industrial influence of foreign companies acquiring domestic brands.
On the positive side, Wang said the acquisition can speed up industrial integration and hasten industrial development. But a significant negative impact is that it is likely for foreign companies to monopolize the industry, impairing the power of control over the market by domestic companies.
Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) show that among China's 39 industries, foreign companies have stakes in a growing number of Chinese brands. Wang said in the next two years and on, the Chinese capital market will see the frequency of foreign acquisitions increase. If foreign capitals gain a leading position or a monopolized market share by mergers and acquisitions, or acquire competitors and leading companies in the market, market shares of foreign companies will grow rapidly, which will eventually monopolize the market.


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The following is a round-up of apparel and footwear news from the world’s local media.
- A World Trade Organization dispute panel has ruled against Colombia in a case brought by Panama to challenge its tariff on textiles, clothes and shoes. Panama claimed the tariffs, which consisted of a fixed 10% and a variable component, breached the maximum allowable 35-40% tariff on those products. Colombia has 60 days to appeal. REUTERS
- Pou Chen Corp, the world’s largest contract shoemaker, is moving a large section of its operations from China to Vietnam. The company, which supplies to products to Nike, Adidas and other major brands, wants to take advantage of Vietnam’s lower labour costs and more favourable tariffs. BIZ HUB
- The Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association (PFMA) is urging the government to extend the financial benefits the country’s textile sector receives, such as revised financing rates, to the footwear sector. It says the footwear industry is “suffering” due to a “long overdue hold up of refunds in the form of duty drawbacks, sales tax and income tax refunds”. DAILY TIMES
- Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) is considering plans to provide additional incentives to the country’s garment and footwear sector in a bid to prevent further job losses. Such incentives could include a 50% reduction in income tax for companies employing up to 5,000 workers and exporting 75% of its products. JAKARTA GLOBE
- The surge in imports of man-made fibre yarns in Pakistan’s domestic market is affecting the local textile industry, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has said. Competitors such as China and India are producing MMF yarns and fabrics with comparatively lower energy costs, the organisation noted, while Pakistan is facing the highest energy cost in the region. DAILY TIMES
just-style has not checked these stories so cannot guarantee their accuracy.


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Top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) joined Fox Business to discuss Democrats’ endless, wasteful spending ruining our recovery and Biden’s global tax hikes that voluntarily make America less competitive.
Rep. Brady said,
“The Biden budget was pretty candid and acknowledged that once this sugar-high of all the stimulus gets through, America goes back to those slow, sluggish Obama-Biden years of slow growth of two percent or less. So they acknowledge their own policies are slowing growth in America, slowing jobs in America, and obviously are going to impact paychecks again.”
CLICK HERE to watch the full interview.
Biden’s Economic Blunders Mean Inflation Like the 1970’s and a Recovery Slower Than 2008.
- Democrats’ stealth tax in inflation is burning holes in Americans’ wallets at every turn.
- With consumer prices jumping 5 percent – the fastest spike since the summer of 2008 – and consumer confidence taking a nose dive for the first time in six months, Americans are realizing that Biden’s recovery is a bust.
- Biden’s inflation is going to disproportionately hurt America’s working families and blue-collar workers.
It’s time to stop Democrats’ Emergency Spending and Get America Back to Work.
- As President Biden and Democrats push through another multi-trillion dollar COVID spending bill, Americans have already received unprecedented government relief from Congress.
- It’s time to end the emergency spending and government checks and get people back to work.
- Biden’s unemployment programs is rampant with fraud – as much as than $400 billion may already have been stolen – and are keeping people from getting back to work despite the more than 9.3 million job openings on the market.
Biden’s Global Tax Hikes are Not a Victory for America, but a Surrender.
- Under Biden’s global tax hikes, we are voluntarily giving our competitors a handout of American jobs, investment, and tax base to our foreign competitors.
- Biden’s $6 trillion in global tax increases will slow the economy and drive investment and jobs overseas.


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Bitcoin: MtGox exchange goes offline - BBC NewsThe minimum fee rate is as low as 0.5% - usually for new accounts and those with a thin volume ( Fee Schedule ).
Coinbase is a San Francisco, California based company and its initial offering was primarily restricted to the U.S. but now it has entered Europe providing, buying and selling services to around 18 countries.Russian operator of long-standing bitcoin exchange BTC-e indicted for laundering money including high-profile hack of funds from Mt Gox exchange.The historic Brexit vote is expected to have significant impact on the local Bitcoin industry and how the digital currency is taxed in the UK.Alamy You can set up a virtual wallet on the internet to keep your Bitcoins in.The latest markets news, real time quotes, financials and more.
Buy gold and silver online - Bitgild.com
UK Plans to Regulate Bitcoin Exchanges - Bitcoinist.comMy cousin owns a house, bank account, and has a family in the UK.UK Residents Now Can Invest in Bitcoin Exchange Traded Notes, ETN.The exchange has trading options with U.S. Dollars and Euros.
Looking for a trustworthy exchange through which you can safely buy and sell bitcoins and other crypto currency.Bitcoin: MtGox exchange goes offline Jump to media player Bitcoin, a virtual currency which only exists on the internet, has become increasingly attractive as it does.High-profile Bitcoin backers are seeking to establish a Bitcoin exchange in the US that would be overseen by mainstream financial regulators.
Bittylicious: Santander UK to Terminate - CryptoCoinsNewsThey store 99.5% of the assets in cold storage and only 0.5% is in wallets to allow for convenient deposits and withdrawals.
Login - Bitstamp
CoinReport Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini launches in U.KTo buy Bitcoins, clients need to open an account with Bitstamp, which is followed by transferring money into the account.Gox and present themselves as advanced models with better security mechanisms in place.Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that is attracting a lot of attention in finance circles.
Bitcoin Invest Club claims to be a cryptocurrency investment company based in the United Kingdom.They warned the sum would be doubled if it was not paid within three days.Our network of expert financial advisors field questions from our community.Realize the difference of using bitcoin exchange UK and PayPal.
Best 40+ Options To Buy Bitcoins Online Around The WorldThe exchange does not charge any deposit and trading fee for BTC, LTC and CNY, it charges a withdrawal fee.
It also offers secure storage of Bitcoins (offline) as the exchange uses many cold storage techniques for the purpose.Coinbase is a secure online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency.Convert amounts to or from USD and other currencies with this simple Bitcoin calculator.Gox enjoyed the status of being a monopolist as it dominated an estimated 80-90% of the Bitcoin-Dollar trading volume.As bitcoin and ether prices scale in drastic ways, cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, founded by the Winklevoss brothers is now expanding to the UK as a part of a wider.Amid price volatility and impending regulation, Bitcoin startup Coinbase is launching in the UK.
The website Silk Road was closed in 2013 following raids by the FBI and other agencies amid allegations of drug dealing with authorities seizing millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin during the raids.Trade the Forex market risk free using our free Forex trading simulator.There are speculations that the company is actually headquartered in Russia and not Bulgaria, the anonymity factor about founders has deepened such thoughts.Exchange your Bitcoins to PayPal and US dollars or other currencies.
Bitcoin exchanges are online services which allow their users to trade Bitcoin and other.


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It's a big day for Renegade Kid with both its first-person horror/action game Dementium 2 and its retro platformer Mutant Mudds receiving enhanced ports to new platforms.
Mutant Mudds and Dementium developer Renegade Kid is making a first-person shooter for the Nintendo eShop.
Mutant Mudds and Dementium developer Jools Watsham has clarified his comments about the Nintendo 3DS and piracy.
Mutant Mudds developer Renegade Kid has confirmed a sequel to its beloved retro platformer.
"A sequel will happen, for sure," tweeted Renegade Kid co-founder Jools Watsham. When pressed for confirmation on that Watsham added, "Yes, Mutant Mudds 2 is confirmed."
He later noted that it would be an eShop release. When a fan asked about a release date Watsham said, "We are hoping both games [Mutant Mudds Deluxe and Mutant Mudds 2] are released in this quarter. No dates yet."


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Chrysler announced an $843 million investment in its Indiana transmission plant as it prepares to build a 9-speed automatic transmission front front-drive vehicles.
The announcement comes on the heels of General Motors announcement of a $2 billion infusion into a number of plants, including $200 million for upgrades to its Toledo, Ohio plant to build 8-speed transmissions. Chrysler will begin selling 8-speed equipped Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans during the summer.
Chrysler expects the 9-speed transmissions, developed in partnership with ZF, to be on sale in 2013.
[Source: The Detroit News]


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LONDON (AFP) - Lotus have set their sights on a top-three finish in this year's Formula One (F1) world championship after becoming the first team to unveil their car for the forthcoming campaign.
PARIS (REUTERS) - Renault said former chief operating officer Patrick Pelata is leaving the French automaker more than a year after he gave up the No. 2 job over his role in a mishandled espionage investigation.
TOKYO (REUTERS) - Honda Motor started building a second production line at its Malacca plant in Malaysia on Thursday where it will build hybrid and small-sized vehicles as local demand grows for green cars, the Japanese automaker said.
DETROIT (REUTERS) - Mr Dan Ammann wants it understood he's not one of the grey-suited 'bean counters' who once dominated, and nearly destroyed, General Motors (GM).
DETROIT, Michigan (AFP) - Honda Motor is ramping up production in the United States (US) and expects to double its US-made vehicle exports in the next few years, a senior Honda official said on Wednesday.
MILAN (AP) - Italian carmaker Fiat announced on Wednesday that it will extend its month-long holiday shutdown of its Naples plant by some two weeks due to slumping car sales in Italy that have hit the lowest levels in more than three decades.
FRANKFURT (REUTERS) - General Motors' (GM) European unit Opel has named Mr Michael Lohscheller, who helped turn around Volkswagen's (VW) loss-making United States (US) operations, as its new chief financial officer (CFO) as part of a broader management reshuffle.
(REUTERS) - United States (US) safety regulators said they are investigating possible throttle-control problems with an estimated 730,000 older model Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute small sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
PARIS (REUTERS) - France made clear on Wednesday it is not prepared to provide aid to struggling carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen unless it makes concessions that could include suspending dividends.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Compact carmaker Perodua says it is on track to sell 188,000 vehicles in Malaysia this year to retain its leadership of the domestic auto market for the seventh straight year.


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We deliver to you the most recent version of Information Roundup: Indian Startup Tales Of The Week!
This week noticed a serious flip of occasions with the federal government saying a ban on 59 Chinese language apps, together with TikTok, UC Browser, ShareIT, ES FileExplorer, Conflict Of Kings, Helo, Likee, CamScanner and Shein amongst others, from Google Play Retailer and Apple App Retailer, underneath 69A of the IT Act. These apps had been banned on the premise of inflicting a risk to sovereignty and safety of the nation as a number of complaints had been being registered within the public area for breaching information.
Based on the federal government, these malicious apps had been mentioned to be siphoning off information of Indian customers in a suspicious method to servers outdoors the nation. Nonetheless, many of those banned Chinese language apps appear to have not taken the information so nicely and claimed to have abided by Indian guidelines and rules. These firms at the moment are searching for readability from the federal government. On the similar time, this determination confronted plenty of criticism from the Chinese language authorities in addition to web entities.
As an illustration, TikTok mentioned that it didn’t cross on any info or information about its Indian customers to any entities, together with the Chinese language authorities and wouldn’t achieve this sooner or later. Whereas this opens a giant alternative for Indian startups to develop options to banned Chinese language apps, many nevertheless are funded by Chinese language traders are going through a backlash. A number of the startups which can be backed by Chinese language traders embody Paytm, Zomato, Hike, Flipkart, MX Participant, BYJU’s amongst others.
Along with this, it has additionally difficult the lifetime of Indian startups and tech firms, together with OYO, RateGain, Wipro, Infosys and TCS and others which can be at the moment working or have subsidiaries in China.
On the sunny facet, Indian startups that had been various to the banned Chinese language apps are gaining in a single day reputation and downloads. Lately, vernacular social media platform ShareChat, a competitor of banned Helo app, inside 36 hours, obtained over half-a-million downloads each hour, reaching to about 15 Mn app downloads. The corporate is now trying to increase funds of $200 Mn from present traders, together with SAIF Companions, Lightspeed Enterprise Companions and Twitter. In addition to this, different Indian apps which can be gaining traction out there embody Chingari, Bolo Indya, Mitron, Roposo, Jiochat, Zoho’s Doc Scanner amongst others.
Zomato Rebrands Gold To ‘Zomato Pro’
Foodtech unicorn Zomato rebranded its premium dine-in service Zomato Gold to include 50% extra dine out and supply eating places, underneath a model new title referred to as ‘Zomato Pro,’ the place the present Zomato Gold customers shall be routinely redirected to this service. The perks underneath Professional subscription consists of quicker deliveries, unique supply gives, money-back assure.
Apparently, Zomato claimed that if its customers should not capable of save 2x the price of Professional subscription then it’ll refund the subscription price on the finish of the 12 months. It must be famous that the money-back scheme is relevant for all Zomato Professional/Gold memberships introduced or renewed on or earlier than June 30, 2020.
Swiggy Launches Digital Pockets ‘Swiggy Money’
Bengaluru-based foodtech unicorn Swiggy not too long ago introduced that it has launched its personal digital pockets referred to as ‘Swiggy Money’ in partnership with ICICI Financial institution to allow a ‘single-click’ checkout expertise for its customers. The brand new digital pockets by Swiggy will permit clients to retailer cash, acquire fast meals cancellation quantities and pay for all meals orders amongst others. Additionally, ICICI Financial institution clients who’re on Swiggy platform can instantly begin utilizing the pockets.
BYJU’S Launches Personalised After Faculty Tuition Lessons
In a bid to supply personalised after college tuition courses to Ok-12 college students, India’s edtech unicorn BYJU’S launched a complete on-line tutoring programme named ‘BYJU’S Lessons.’ The brand new programme gives college students to entry scheduled on-line courses, resolve doubts and one-on-one steerage from devoted mentors, who shall be in contact with each dad and mom and college students regularly. Along with this, the devoted mentors can even be accessing the scholars’ efficiency via dwelling assignments and sophistication exams and counsel them on their studying talents and different issues.
Worldwide Commerce Authority Praises India’s Powerful Stance On Extension Of Ecommerce Moratorium
The United Nations Convention on Commerce and Improvement (UNCTAD), in its analysis paper, praised India’s stance of ending the moratorium on ecommerce transactions, forward of world commerce organisation (WTO) determination of lifting the moratorium, which permits international locations to impose customs duties on digital transactions.
The ecommerce moratorium has led to an enormous lack of income for international locations, significantly the growing nations like India, Mexico, Thailand, Nigeria, Pakistan because it doesn’t permit them to impose the tax on transactions. As an illustration, India makes about $500 Mn loss yearly and $eight Bn lack of potential taxes yearly throughout 58 growing international locations.
UPI Data All-Time Excessive Transactions In June
The Nationwide Funds Company of India (NPCI) not too long ago introduced that the Unified Funds Interface (UPI) recorded 1.34 Bn transactions, value INR 2.6 Lakh Cr final month. In Could 2020, UPI recorded over 1.23 Bn transactions, value over INR 2.18 Lakh Cr. In April, the transactions fell all-time low at 990 Mn transactions, reaching INR 1.51 Lakh Cr, in opposition to INR 2.06 Lakh Cr in March.
Pine Labs To The Rescue
The fee unicorn Pine Labs could buyout of the Asian enterprise of SoftBank-backed bankrupt firm Wirecard. The funds and danger administration service supplier, Wirecard filed for chapter final month after $2 Bn went lacking from its steadiness sheet over an alleged accounting fraud. Nonetheless, in keeping with media studies, the consumers are probably going to attend for the regulatory proceedings in opposition to Wirecard to conclude in order that the image will get clearer for the phrases of the deal that’s but to be determined.
Ecommerce Draft Coverage Calls Regulatory Measures For Knowledge Storage
The ecommerce coverage draft urged that the corporate sharing Indian customers information offshore shall be subjected to periodic audits. Accordingly, the ecommerce firms shall be required to supply any information that’s requested by the federal government, these failing to adjust to shall be fined. The brand new ecommerce draft coverage requires a regulator for the sector, together with an ecommerce legislation which restricts the information out there with the companies on the premise of how they retailer, use and switch info.
Notices To Amazon, Flipkart To Showcase ‘Country of Origin’
The Delhi excessive courtroom not too long ago issued notices to ecommerce firms like Amazon, Flipkart in a plea searching for to show the merchandise with the origin of nations particulars on their web sites. The courtroom has additionally requested the federal government to reply to the federal government’s coverage for the show of ‘Origin of country’ tags on all of the merchandise. The subsequent listening to for the case has been scheduled on July 22.
In one other replace, the Ministry of Shopper Affairs, Meals and Public Distribution has requested the federal government to make sure that Chinese language merchandise should not bought via ecommerce market (GeM) or another supply. It additionally said that the regulatory authorities have signed a memorandum and banned the acquisition of things made in China to all its departments, together with Meals Company of India (PCI) and Central Warehousing Company (CWC).
Nykaa, Faballey, Pepperfry, Slowly Coming Again To The Enterprise
The omnichannel ecommerce gamers like Nykaa, Faballey and Pepperfry are slowly reviving their enterprise after the three months of lockdown. As an illustration, Pepperfry mentioned that the corporate has managed to get well 60-65% of the sale quantity it was catering to in March 2020, pre-lockdown. As a result of Covid, the corporate has postponed the launch of its offline shops, which was anticipated to be launched final month, and out of 60 studios, it’s at the moment working solely in just a few shops.
The Voice Of Twitter, Boycott Netflix
Two college students from Delhi College have shared their privateness issues on Twitter, associated to their college’s on-line portal, the place college students obtain their admit playing cards. The login portal of the web site asks the scholars to fill the three separate fields, together with examination roll no, pupil title and gateway password. All of those fields are obligatory to fill by the scholars who need to entry their playing cards.
The OTT platform Netflix appears to be trending on Twitter for the mistaken motive. The not too long ago launched movie ‘Krishna and His Leela’ has harm a number of the ‘Hinduphobic’ sentiment, thereby giving rise to ‘Boycott Netflix’ tag on Twitter, which had been trending for fairly a while now.
US Govt Marks Huawei And ZTE Company As Nationwide Safety Threats
The US Federal Communications Fee(ECC) not too long ago listed Chinese language telecom firms corresponding to Huawei and ZTE Company as nationwide safety threats, thereby fuelling the ant-China sentiments within the US. The event comes after the US authorities had reportedly accused each the businesses for spying on information of customers for the Chinese language authorities. Each Huawei and ZTE Company have performed a big position within the US, the place rural carries relied on their low cost tools.
SMBs Beneath Strain To Embrace Expertise, Says Google
Based on a latest survey by Google India and analysis agency Kantar revealed that the small and medium companies (SMBs) in India are underneath strain to embrace expertise and adapt to extra modern methods of operation. Out of 400 companies throughout 16 cities who participated within the survey, almost 93% had been going through customer-related challenges, whereas 63% reported a lack of income on account of low demand. Along with this, 58% of the companies had been struggling to satisfy their fastened prices. Additionally, 30% of the respondents had been clueless about restarting operations, whereas 29% had been nonetheless planning to undertake digital expertise for his or her companies.
Keep tuned for the subsequent version of Information Roundup!
Learn Inc42’s newest Blockchain This Week, Electrical Autos This Week, Cryptocurrency This Week and Funding Galore.


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China's chemicals industry is changing and digitalizing faster than ever, creating both challenges and opportunities for multinational companies. Thomas Luedi, a partner with Bain's Chemicals practice, describes a three-part strategy for multinationals to compete with local companies and expand market share, retain talent and increase innovation.
Read the Bain Brief: Strategies for China’s Increasingly Competitive Chemicals Market
Read the transcript below.
THOMAS LUEDI: Digitization is happening faster in China than in many other markets—and not only in the B2C space but also increasingly in the B2B space. And it has a huge impact on the chemicals industry and how chemicals products are being sold.
For example, we see a number of chemicals-dedicated online portals coming up, competing with the more traditional chains. And chemicals companies are also using existing partners that are available across the entire range of the supply chain to more effectively sell their products and reach customers across the vast market of China.
University graduates traditionally wanted to join multinational companies to learn a new set of capabilities and get opportunities to work outside of China. Increasingly, they merely use multinational companies as a training platform and quickly move over to local companies, lured by fast career development and attractive packages.
Now, these shifts, you know, having fundamental impact on the China chemicals markets, create a lot of challenges for multinational companies. However, they equally create a set of opportunities that they can capture. First of all, multinational chemicals companies should look at China as their home market. They should aspire to have similar market shares in China as they have in their traditional home markets.
Then they need to localize. They need to localize their R&D platform, they need to localize their go-to-market models and they need to localize their supply chain in order to be cost competitive, in order to be fast to market and in order to develop the products that are most wanted by Chinese companies.
And finally, in order to win, multinational chemicals companies will have to commit to China, will have to regain leadership in the domestic market to make sure that the top university graduates want to make a career in their company and not go to the competition.


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It’s feared multi-storey car parks across the country could be at risk of collapse as heavier electric vehicles put pressure on ageing infrastructure.
Car parking experts and engineers have told The Daily Telegraph that the growth of EV use in the UK could put pressure on car park floors, with unloved structures most susceptible to buckling.
The report says new guidance is being developed that will raise the weight levels for what car park floors should be able to hold.
Chris Whapples, a structural engineer and car park consultant and the author of the new guidance, told The Telegraph: “I don’t want to be too alarmist, but there definitely is the potential for some of the early car parks in poor condition to collapse.”
“Operators need to be aware of electric vehicle weights, and get their car parks assessed from a strength point of view, and decide if they need to limit weight.”
(Picture – Yay Images)


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Vanillaware's side-scrolling, fantasy action-role-playing game Odin Sphere is coming back next year in remastered form, publisher Atlus announced today. Odin Sphere: Leifþrasir, a high-definition re-release, is bound for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in January.
Odin Sphere: Leifþrasir will run at higher resolutions than the PlayStation 2 original was capable of, and Vanillaware is also making some gameplay changes. The remastered Odin Sphere will include new enemies, new maps and tweaks to the game's alchemy and fighting systems. It sounds like Vanillaware is taking steps to make the game less repetitive as well.
The original Odin Sphere was released for PS2 in 2007. The title was released as a PS2 Classic for PS3 in 2011.
Atlus plans to release Odin Sphere: Leifþrasir on Jan. 14, 2016 in Japan. You can watch the game's debut trailer above.


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Have you ever wondered how important Tourism is to Waterloo Region?
Tourism brings outside dollars into our region, which results in economic development and job creation.
DYK: One in 11 jobs in Canada relies on the Tourism industry!
Tourism is a people business. It brings people together in different places for an experience or an event. However during the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has largely been brought to a halt.
September 27, 2022 is World Tourism Day. This year’s theme is Rethinking Tourism and aims to inspire the debate around rethinking tourism for development, including through education and jobs, and tourism’s impact on the planet and opportunities to grow more sustainably.
While tourism was the industry first hit, the hardest hit, and will be the last to recover from the pandemic, it remains vital to Canada – not only for its ability to generate economic activity, but also for showcasing Canada’s values as a nation: resilience, peace, tolerance, and inclusivity. These values are needed on the world stage now more than ever. Tourism counts!
How does tourism contribute to Waterloo Region?
- Creates employment
- Promotes cultural awareness and helps preserve local culture
- Encourages volunteerism (festivals, events and tournaments)
- Builds community pride in the local population
- Increases product development, spending and infrastructure improvements which benefit the local population
Quick Facts about Tourism in Waterloo Region*
- 5 million visitors in 2019
- More than $350 million spent in 2019 by tourists to Waterloo Region. Local restaurants, retailers, accommodations, transportation, the arts, and recreation all benefit from the dollars spent here
- Tourism resulted in over 1.6 million overnight stays in 2019
- 2,583 local tourism-related businesses employ 26,820 people**
- Waterloo Region is a bronze certified sustainable tourism destination
*Statistics reflect 2019 figures which are the latest available from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport*
**Statistics from Tourism Industry Association of Ontario Tourism Business & Jobs Per Riding**


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South Korea’s largest messenger app operator Kakao Corp. reported record results last year, powered by roaring new businesses in taxi and mobile payment and steady revenue streams from its flagship messenger platform.
Consolidated operating profit in the final quarter of 2019 surged to 79.4 billion won ($67.1 million) from 4.29 billion won a year earlier, according to the company’s earnings guidance released Thursday.
Sales jumped 28.8 percent on year to 867.3 billion won.
For the entire year, operating profit soared to 206.6 billion won from 72.9 billion won a year ago and revenue climbed 27.8 percent to 3.09 trillion won, both record highs.
Kakao shares finished Thursday 4.07 percent higher at 179,000 won.
The company attributed the stellar results to KakaoTalk messenger’s robust business model and strong profitability of new business ventures.
Its platform division raked in sales of 440 billion won in the fourth quarter, a 47 percent increase from a year earlier.
Sales of new businesses surged 95 percent to 88.2 billion won, driving overall platform sales. Demand for its KakaoT Driver service shot up in the year-end as people hired designated drivers to take them home after drinking gatherings. Services of its taxi-hailing app KakaoT Blue also expanded in the final quarter. Its mobile payment service KakaoPay also saw a rise in transactions and increased returns in its financial products.
KakaoTalk Biz sales rose 73 percent to 221.6 billion, thanks to the banner ad placements on its messenger app and record high ecommerce transactions.
Portal sales edged up 3 percent to 134.2 billion won, helped by a seasonal bump-up in advertising.
Banner ads on KakaoTalk messenger [Photo provided by Kakao Corp.]
The contents division delivered sales of 423.3 billion won in the final quarter, up 14 percent on year.
Game content sales rose 6 percent to 105.9 billion, led by the October release of its new game, The Legendary Moonlight Scultor. Music content sales also gained 9 percent to 153.3 billion won.
Revenue generated from paid contents fell 25 percent to 47.8 billion won due to changed accounting standards of its online comic platform Piccoma.
Kakao said it plans to broaden its fintech presence through KakaoPay, KakaoBank and Kakao and accelerate efforts take its paid contents global.
By Kim Hyo-jin
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]


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Nintendo, in its second in-house mobile game, has finally brought everyone’s favorite plumber to tablets and smartphones as the company experiments with bringing its famed catalog of games and cast of characters to everyone to secure its financial future with an alternate revenue stream. – Download Super Mario Run – [Download Link]
Super Mario Run debuts for iPhone and iPad
Analysts have long called on Nintendo to bring its games and characters like Super Mario and Zelda to mobile and this call only intensified following the success and craze created by Pokemon Go! earlier this year. It should be pointed out that Pokemon Go! was not created by Nintendo, but developer and publisher Niantic.
Super Mario Run, which debuted today for iOS, was announced at an Apple event in September by the creator of the side-scrolling Mario titles that have offered gamers countless hours of fun for decades, Shigeru Miyamoto.
David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital returned -2.9% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to 8.5% for the S&P 500. According to a copy of the fund's letter, which ValueWalk has reviewed, longs contributed 5.2% in the quarter while short positions detracted 4.6%. Q2 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Macro positions detracted 3.3% from Read More
Nintendo has for years been wholly unreceptive to taking its library of titles to mobile but is clearly of a different mind now following the lack of success with the social media “game” Miitomo and the crazy success enjoyed by Niantic’s Pokemon Go.
Super Mario Run will cost $9.99
Nintendo has made what could be called a surprise or even baffling decision to release this first offering of Mario for mobile at such a price point. Given the success of games like Pokemon Go and Candy Crush Saga with their “in app purchase” gaming, some fear that at $10 Nintendo is chasing off all but the diehard Mario lovers who have controlled him for years on their consoles.
Apparently, Nintendo believes that it can enjoy success by letting gamers know what they are going to get ahead of purchase. The company allows anyone to download sample “runs” and low-level play for free to try out the game before opening their wallets.
“It is an interesting decision,” Andrew Chanin, CEO of PureFunds, speaking of the upfront cost. “Players will know what they’re getting themselves into when they download the game.”
SensorTower, an app analytics firm is calling for gross revenues of $71 million in Super Mario Run’s first month or about half of the $143 raised by Pokemon Go.


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The key to computational storage is to initiate its commercialization by dropping the conventional "computation offloading"
The Pope weighs in on AI, Amazon Web Services rolls out instances based on next-gen GPUs, software and tools make access to quantum computing easier, and more.
The new offerings let organizations match processors to workloads as applications move from development to training a model to use in a production environment.
Today’s businesses increasingly rely on leveraging their exponentially growing data stores to extract actionable insights into customer behavior, security …
In the news this week: chip vendors make acquisitions and introduce new AI products, an analytic database provider releases an enhanced solution, and
Cisco's new rack server shows the firm thinks that their clients' AI development won't necessarily be
By optimizing for GPUs, SQream's DB update offers up to 15 times faster queries, the company
NVIDIA's new effort should reduce the time it takes to make AI models for tomorrow's
Fresh on the heels of its rebranding from MapD to OmniSci in early October, the analytics company recently announced $55 million of Series C
DXC's CTO points out that many enterprise clients are making substantive changes to how they process data in both real- and


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Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor (Neelofa), 28
A household name in her native Malaysia, actress and TV host Neelofa's first claim to fame was winning a local teen beauty contest in 2010. Four years later, she decided to don a hijab - a headscarf worn by Muslim women to cover the hair ? a move that inspired her to launch a modest fashion business catering for young and stylish Muslim women. Neelofa credits a big part of her success to entering the market at the right time. A Reuters report estimated that Muslim consumers spent $266 billion on clothing and footwear in 2013 and expect this market to account for over 14% of the global fashion market by 2019.But her social media marketing strategy supported by her millions of Instagram fans has also played a big part in expanding the business.Among her handful of lifestyle brands, the "Naelofar hijab" line now sells in 38 countries, including her latest concession in the heart of London's upmarket Chelsea district.
Munshi Ahmed For Forbes


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Sharing 5G Wonders: Super Telecom & Sunray Technology at China Mobile Global Partner Conference
China Mobile Global Partner Conference 2018 was convened at the PWTC Expo, Guangzhou from December 6 to 8. China Mobile 5G Innovation Center worked with more than 200 top global companies to display the latest 5G innovations, from chips to terminals, from edge computing to core network, giving the full picture of China Mobile's 5G ecological strategy. As important partners of China Mobile, Super Telecom and its holding subsidiary Sunray Technology were invited to the event.
"5G Connection to New Era" Theme Booth
Revolving around the theme of the conference, "5G Connection to New Era", Super Telecom displayed solutions to NB-IoT smallcell equipment and network construction, focusing on the spread of 5G network evolution and expansion of the scale of 5G applications. We also exhibited NB-IoT modules and its applied achievements, as well as solutions to the IoT vertical industry terminals and application platforms. We had fully demonstrated the great prospects for 5G network deployment and its application in vertical areas.
NB-IoT Wireless Networking Started
As 5G will be used for commercial purposes in 2020, we will seize the golden opportunities of 5G and IoT to expand our key business of network services. Our smallcell technology comes out on top and Super Telecom was included as an equipment supplier of China Mobile in 2015. The smallcell has a coverage of up to 300 meters and provides access to hundreds of users (nodes). The NB-IoT smallcell has been applied in intelligent parking and remote meter reading. It will be used more widely as the layout of operators quickens.
Booth of Holding Subsidiary Sunray Technology
Empowering IoT Application
5G is driving the development of all industries. It was first used in seven sectors: smart city, smart transportation, smart agriculture, smart industry and energy, smart education, smart health care, and smart finance. Our products and solutions related to low power-consumption wireless IoT communications, which are developed by Sunray, have covered intelligent water utilities, intelligent gas, intelligent electricity meter, intelligent firefighting, intelligent street lamp control, and energy consumption monitoring and management. Another holding subsidiary Connectek IoT Tech provides clients with solutions to the acquisition of intelligent IoT data, which have been widely used in retail, manufacturing, logistics and other sectors.
China Mobile Leaders Visiting Super Telecom Booth in the Company of Chairman Liang Jianhua
Many of our IoT terminals and solutions such as NB-IoT cell equipment, modules, water/electricity/gas meters, and smart smoke alarms attracted China Mobile leaders, important guests, and friends of the industry. The communication platform created by the conference provides an opportunity for us to discuss the cooperation in NB-IoT/5G new era with businesses of various sectors.
Deputy General Manager Zhang Jun Explaining to the Audience
5G will bring about more opportunities as well as social changes. Super Telecom has prepared for the strategic layout of "Hardware-Vertical Application-Network". We will help to promote China's 5G development and realize the vision of ¡°changing society with 5G technology¡±.


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Break through the noise in China pet market.
A comprehensive platform for pet industry professionals to understand the latest trends in Chinese pet industry and develop their brand in a fast growing environment
Royal Canin has announced a plan to double its sales volume by 2025, with special efforts in Asian markets and online sales channels across the world. The brand now belonging to Mars Inc. has been a pioneer in China, entering the pet industry more than 20 years ago. Continuous efforts, particularly in


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Like laws and sausages, consumer electronics are now on the list of things best not to see being made. Behind our shiny new iPhone, our dirt-cheap netbook or cutely-packaged Nintendo games console is a process that reeks of exploitation, drudgery and, as we can now see, despair.
The spate of suicides at Foxconn’s plant in Shenzhen has provided an alarming education and raises a perfectly timed red flag over the US-China currency debate. On the grand scale, China has been forced to acknowledge that the real story behind its magnificent growth figures is, in many cases, a degrading one. The


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InvertiGro on SBS World News
"Indoor Vertical Farms will be essential to feed Australia's growing population and for fresh export opportunities" - Fiona Simson, National Farmers Federation.
InvertiGro was thrilled to be featured on SBS World News last night at the forefront of the future of farming.
With the conundrum of how to sustainably scale up food production to help feed the world’s swelling population now reaching critical,
With the likes of Amazon, Ikea and Google investing hundreds of millions in Indoor Vertical Farming solutions overseas,
With the 2018 Farm Bill making new provisions to encourage urban, indoor and other emerging agricultural practices in the US,
With vertical farming start-ups – the likes of Aerofarms, Bowery and Plenty – already shaking up the international agricultural sector,
.. it is clear that the 'future of food production' revolution is here.
Australian AgTech innovators are at the forefront of sustainable and profitable food production solutions .. so now is the time that companies, like InvertiGro, are looking to seriously scale up and ensure that Australia leads the revolution, rather than risk being left behind.
To find out more about the investment opportunities in Australia’s agricultural revolution or to discuss the opportunities to future-proof our food production contact [email protected]


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RENTALS of retail space in Singapore's central region decreased by 5.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year over the previous three months.
This is a bigger pace of decline compared with the 4.5 per cent drop in the previous quarter, according to figures from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) released on Friday.
For the whole of 2020, rentals of retail space declined by 14.7 per cent, contrasting with the increase of 2.9 per cent in 2019.
URA’s fourth-quarter data also showed that prices of retail space in the central region decreased by 2.1 per cent, reversing the increase of 2.2 per cent in the previous quarter.
For the whole of 2020, prices of retail space shrank 4.5 per cent, against an increase of 1.3 per cent in 2019.
Islandwide, as at the end of Q4 2020, there was a total supply of 426,000 square metres (sq m) gross floor area of retail space from projects in the pipeline, slightly lower than the 428,000 sq m in the previous quarter.
The amount of occupied retail space rose by 24,000 sq m of net lettable area (NLA) in Q4 2020, compared with the decrease of 50,000 sq m NLA in the previous quarter.
The stock of retail space fell by 26,000 sq m NLA in Q4 2020, after shrinking by 53,000 sq m in the previous quarter.
As a result, the islandwide vacancy rate of retail space declined to 8.8 per cent as at the end of Q4 2020, from 9.6 per cent as at end-Q3 2020.


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Few people on Earth put more thought, care or flair into their outfits than the aficionados at a rare vintage clothing sale.
The elite collectors invited to attend the opening-night cocktails for the Sturbridge Show in New York City on Thursday evening think about clothes the way many people think about food — consuming for sustenance as much as for pleasure. Minutes after the doors opened at 5 p.m., the eager vintage hounds wove through rows of artfully merchandised booths noses down in search of something delectable.
“Tonight, it’s the early birds — mostly dealers shopping for their own stores,” said David Brockman, 63, who runs the show and brought the event to Manhattan from Massachusetts, where it normally happens the Monday before the Brimfield Antique Flea Market. “I wanted to have a very particular, curated, design-inspiration show,” he said, alluding to the numerous fashion-design professionals who also come to shop, hoping to find old items from which to get new ideas.
In the 35 years he has been working with vintage clothing, Brockman has gotten to know “pretty much all of the people” who are serious about it, he said. Growing up on a family farm in Missouri, he was bitten by the vintage bug early on, when his mother, an avid antique collector, took him along with her looking for old gems.
Brockman said he couldn’t pick a favorite item in this year’s show, which ended Saturday. Although he favored the old denim and the 1920s and ’30s garments, he seemed to love it all. “Just look at that ’70s Saint Laurent over there!” he said, gesturing with great excitement at a red-and-pink printed dress hanging in a booth across the room.
Nearby, Laverne Cox, wearing a KN95 mask and a navy Mugler blazer embellished with silver rings, was on a mission. Cox had returned from Los Angeles the day before, still recovering from the 24-hour workday she put in interviewing stars on the Oscars red carpet on March 10. “Four a.m. to 4 a.m.,” she clarified. “For a 51-year-old woman who’s not usually out there like that, my body’s like, ‘Oooh, girl, what’d you do?’”
Exhaustion, however, proved no match for a love of vintage Mugler. Cox said she simply couldn’t resist the urge to see what new surprises the Sturbridge Show might offer.
“My Mugler obsession started 30 years ago with the ‘Too Funky’ video,” Cox said, referring to the 1992 George Michael music video that featured clothing by designer Thierry Mugler. “I couldn’t afford Mugler in the ’90s, or 2000s, and honestly most of the 2010s — um, it is what it is,” she said, laughing. “So I just started collecting about six years ago. My Mugler collection now goes back to the ’70s, through the end of his collections in 2002.”
Cox hoped to find iconic pieces. “I am creating a Mugler room,” she said. “Last year, I discovered my love of seeing things on mannequins and dressing mannequins — which is a weird thing to realize about yourself at 50 years old, but I want to see the pieces displayed as art.”
A passion for vintage fashion turns many enthusiasts into mini-historians and discerning experts. Fashion designer Anna Sui wasn’t shopping for anything in particular. She wandered through the racks, examining Edwardian blouses, running her forest-green nails over baubles that had been laid out on the tables like candy. Sui, 59, attended last year’s Sturbridge Show and came back again this year. “It’s one of the best vintage shows I’ve been to,” she said.
Sui would know. She searches for vintage “almost every day,” she said, checking sites such as eBay and Etsy. “I was 16 when I bought my first vintage item. A vanity from the Salvation Army,” Sui said. She brought it home and painted it a glossy black, which later became a hallmark design element of her brand.
Tziporah Salamon, an author and New York sartorial fixture frequently photographed by Bill Cunningham, said vintage collecting had been her way of life for more than 40 years. What was she looking for this evening? “It’s always a hat.”
Salamon, cradling a bright, patterned turban plucked from a booth with many colorful hats, looked pained not to be able to put it on over the twisted headpiece already on her head. “It won’t go with my outfit,” she lamented. — NYT


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S J Kingston Classics, Bristol Road, Congresbury, Bristol, BS49 5AQ
In recent months we have seen countless articles and interviews discussing the pros and cons of the Brexit and the impact it could have on the economy and our way of life in the UK.
We have already seen the FTSE wobble and shares in the UK property market have been falling over the last couple of months.
However, one area that has been overlooked is just how the Brexit will affect the classic car market.
Currently a private individual looking to import a car from the EU won’t have to pay VAT or any customs duty upon arrival, with the only cost other than transportation being the £55 fee to register the car in the UK.
In comparison, an individual looking to import a vehicle from outside the EU will have to pay VAT alongside a 10% duty on the value of the car, a hefty fee for the enthusiast not looking to immediately profit. If we were to leave the EU it could be the beginning of some hefty import taxes.
The lack of free movement across the EU could increase the price of classic British vehicles as buyers in mainland Europe struggle to pay the costs of the extra taxes. Possibly leading to demand outweighing supply for British classics across the EU and therefore increasing values.
Since the announcement of the referendum we have seen the pound falling, this is not good news at all for those looking to bring a car over from the EU as the costs of importing goods increases. However, on the other hand those looking to export cars can benefit from selling cars for an increased profit margin.
Although there may be positives for exporters, Britain’s exit from the EU will certainly cause massive disruption to the balance of the classic car market across Europe.


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STAFF BLOG NEWS TRIBUNE ATTIC Duluth TV personality Jack McKenna dies at age 91
We received word from KUWS radio's Mike Simonson, on the Radio Superior Facebook page, that longtime Twin Ports radio and TV personality Jack McKenna died Sunday, Dec. 8 at age 91.
Jack McKenna doe... Posted on 12/9/13 at 5:06 PM
STAFF BLOG TWIN PORTS BUSINESS Kohl's to be open 100 hours straight
Kohl's department stores typically stay open late into the evening, and always seems to have sales going on. But even Kohl's hasn't gone this far before.
Kohl's stores -- including the one in Duluth ... Posted on 12/5/13 at 3:38 PM
STAFF BLOG EH? PLUS Help with hunger
The big day isnt until Jan. 18, but the people of Salem Covenant Church want to get the word out early.
On that day, the West Duluth church will play host to its second Kids Against Hunger food-packa... Posted on 11/11/13 at 11:00 PM
View your ad here! Cost effective targeted advertising. Contextual advertising starting as low as $79/month. This includes targeted ad delivery and search results! Add your business to the Marketplace »


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With a fresh-looking version of its iconic Civic due in showrooms this fall, American Honda Motor Co. hustled the outgoing compact car out the door in September, helping Honda to a 13 percent sales gain across its Honda and Acura brands.
The company also received a major boost last month from a 27 percent surge in light-truck volume.
Within the Honda division, sales increased 14 percent overall to 119,046 units, aided by a calendar with more selling days than usual and an expanded light-truck lineup.
Civic sales had dipped by 4 percent for the year at the end of August, but they jumped 27 percent to 28,278 units in September -- nearly enough to match sales of the red-hot CR-V. Honda is now gearing up for sales of the redesigned 2016 Civic, which boasts more power, better fuel economy and styling that ditches the utilitarian looks of the current car. Pricing will be announced Oct. 19.
With more customers moving into crossovers, CR-V sales increased 26 percent to 29,925 units in September, while sales of the family-hauling Pilot midsize crossover, which was redesigned this summer, increased 31 percent to 10,238 units.
“The success of our new truck introductions has given us great momentum heading into fall,” Jeff Conrad, general manager of the Honda division, said in a statement. “Now we see the freshened Accord and all-new Civic sedan propelling us into 2016.”
Acura division sales rose 6 percent to 14,704 units in September.
The luxury brand sold 4,753 units of the TLX in September, a heartening 18 percent increase in its second year on the market. It was Acura’s best-seller for the month.
Sales of the MDX crossover fell 15 percent to 4,313 units. This is the first time Acura’s sales charts have been topped by a car rather than a crossover since September 2011, when the now-discontinued TSX sedan narrowly outsold the MDX.


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LAST UPDATED : Jun 03, 2020, 04:58 PM IST
- NKDA to test compost made from organic trash
The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), with the help of IIT Kharagpur, is setting up 12 test beds in New Town’s Patharghata area to test the quality of the compost that the NKDA authorities are producing by recycling organic waste. Officials and a research team inspected the spot last week.
- In a first, Panchkula sets up 26 crop purchase centres
The Panchkula administration has for the first time made 26 harvested crop purchase centres for mustard and wheat crops. A total of 9,328 farmers registered on the online portal of the administration and only registered farmers can sell their harvested crops.


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Oculus Quest has been developed to the newest Oculus Quest as release in OC5 (Qculus Connect 2018) subsequently OC3 in 2016 and OC4 in 2017. As the rightful main role in Oculus Connect 2018, the appearance of Oculus Quest has undoubtedly attracted too much attention – so what are the new changes in product design today as $399 compared to the VR prototypes that came out in OC3 of 2016?
Review of VR prototypes in OC3
Zuckerberg often talks about the use of VR in gaming and entertainment, and after the game industry, Oculus has many other platforms to develop. When he announced the Facebook acquisition of Oculus VR in March 2014, he stated that all of us may image enjoying a live game at home; attending classes around the world; or having a face-to-face consultation with a doctor, all with VR glasses.
Apart from introducing Touch Controllers at Oculus Connect 3 in 2016, the biggest highlights of Oculus were spending money on VR investments, VR support, VR development, and so on. So there are some pictures of VR in OC3 as below,
The above is the October 2016 Santa Cruz product prototype released by Oculus official through a short 35 second video clip. Obviously, its design merely is Oculus Rift with changing the skin, then adding some components.
New VR of Oculus Quest in 2018
Obviously, the device officially named Oculus Quest, is much more rounded in outline than the earlier prototype of VR. The additional components of the back of head and the external earphones on both sides are all gone. At the same time 4 cameras are added to the front of the Headset. In addition, the 6DOF double touch controllers and the top-of-the-head fastener also give Oculus Quest a distinct product positioning from Oculus Go. If Oculus Go tends to experience on a seat then there is no doubt that Oculus Quest’s experience is much closer to Oculus Rift’s.
Although Zuckerberg vowed at the Oculus Connect 2018 that Oculus Quest has more than 50 games, at the same time the tech giant also wrote in a blog “The company’s first all-in-one VR system with six degrees of freedom lets you look around in any direction and walk through virtual space just as you would in the physical world”. It’s not hard to be patient and watch more than a few moments to find that, despite the beauty of the promotional films and the focus of Oculus Quest’s function, in the final analysis, it is still an own business – Social Networking.


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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
If You Go
What: Ringgold Farmers Market.
When: Saturday, beginning June 2, from 8-11 a.m.
Where: Catoosa County Courthouse square on Nashville Street.
Beginning next month, people can visit the county courthouse not just to see judges and apply for licenses but also to pick up fresh produce from a “tailgate” farmers market.
The market, tentatively scheduled to open June 2, is the result of talks among members of the city’s Downtown Partners, Downtown Development Authority and the newly formed Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“I’m a member of the DDA, and our goal is to promote Ringgold and help drive its economy,” said Marcy Cirlot Kernea, of Ringgold Telephone Company. “We started talking about the market and found there is so much involved in planning one that we turned to Chris Thomas for advice.”
As the owner of Palo Duro Records, an independent recording label, Thomas manages the Northwest Georgia Bank Amphitheater for Catoosa County. Thomas also owns Chattanooga Public Markets, the nonprofit corporation that operates the Chattanooga Market on Sundays at the First Tennessee Pavilion and the Chattanooga River Market at the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza on Saturdays.
Daniel Shepherd, Ringgold’s marketing and DDA coordinator, said that rather than hire Thomas as a consultant he has become a partner with the city’s fledgling market.
“He was wanting to expand the Chattanooga Market at the same time we were wanting to start our market,” Shepherd said. “The size and popularity of their market next to Finley Stadium shows they clearly are doing some good stuff.”
Now focused more on developing local markets than recording artists — “Unlike the music industry, people haven’t stopped buying food” — Thomas said he expects Ringgold’s market to start small and grow over the next few years.
“These things take on their own life,” he said, noting that Chattanooga’s has grown from fewer than 75 vendors five years ago to now having more than 300 vendors with an additional 100 or so wanting to join.
Shepherd said he expects some who participate in Ringgold “will be locals who cannot provide the volume that the Chattanooga Market could handle” and some will bring excess produce to market if they have a bumper crop.
“It will be an evolving process,” he said.
Everyone involved in bringing the market to fruition said they hope there will be about a dozen regular vendors from the start and that those numbers will grow.
“We’ve had calls from entrepreneurs and farmers in North Georgia that can’t work at Chattanooga Market who are interested in coming here,” Thomas said. “For some, this provides a chance to market their produce and products; for others, it is a chance to help their community.
“We’re happy to be participating in the rebuilding of downtown and have the expertise that can make this market happen.”
Kernea said the town’s proximity to Interstate 75 — and the high price of fuel — could attract customers from Dalton and Chattanooga to shop in downtown Ringgold.
This relationship should be a great thing,” she said. “We do not have a specialty food store, so if you want goat cheese you can’t find a local product. Maybe now you can. And with the growing interest in shopping locally and knowing where produce comes from, this is a way to support local agriculture and the community.”
Thomas said several of the Chattanooga Market’s regular vendors — Possum Creek Herb Farm, Lee & Gordon Greens, Buffalo Brad’s Steak Jerky and others — will be among those at Ringgold’s market.
Vendors interested in participating should contact the Chattanooga Market by calling 423-402-9960 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Fresno, California-based bed maker Pleasant Mattress Inc. is boosting its California sales team with the addition of two bedding veterans Reid Onnen and Quincy Scurry.
Onnen has been named sales representative for Southern California. Scurry is responsible for Northern California. Both report to Kevin Cooley, field sales manager.
Previously, Onnen held sales posts with furniture retailers and mattress makers, beginning his career in 1988 with retailer Miramar Mattress Co. Scurry’s background also includes experience in wholesale and retail mattress sales.
“We are building a first-class sales team with the additions of Reid and Quincy,” said Rion Morgenstern, president and chief executive officer of Pleasant Mattress. “Both bring a wealth of retail and bedding sales experience to our organization, and we look forward to seeing where their knowledge and innovation will take us.”


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Sme Startups /
A company based in Donegal which measures people’s moods at work created its own website to successfully raise funds
Conor Hanley came up with the idea for Galway design agency MediaLab when he was collaborating with a designer on a project for a former employer.
Ireland’s first online music college has launched in Dublin at a cost of €30,000.
Matthew Nevin and Ciara Scanlan established The Mart in 2006 in the south Dublin suburb of Rathmines.


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ORLANDO, Fla. - The anti-government hacking group, Anti-Sec, says it stole 12 million Apple ID numbers from the laptop of an FBI agent from the FBI Regional Cyber Action Team in New York.
The numbers are supposedly linked to consumers' iPads, iPhones, and iPods. Anti-Sec claims the IDs are listed alongside user names, device names, phone numbers, and addresses.
To prove it, the group says it leaked a million of those numbers yesterday. However the file containing the stolen information is heavily encrypted, and while some security experts did get in and confirm the theft, it's still difficult to confirm it on a wide-scale basis. If true, it would be a massive data breach.
The Apple identification numbers listed in the file are not the "Apple IDs" with which users sign into iCloud, iTunes and other services, but unique device identifiers that developers often ask users to submit to access apps.
The sourcing of this information remains difficult. It appears to have first been posted by a website supposedly linked to the hacktivist group Anonymous. But that posting also contains sometimes intelligible rantings about the Syrian rebels, Wikileaks, and the imprisoned Russian punk band, Pussy Riot.
Various web sites have links consumers can use to see if their Apple ID numbers match those the group claims to have stolen. However, consumers should only use familiar links they trust, and should be cautious sharing share personal data while trying to verify a breach.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Why the resurgence of organized labor hasn’t helped gig workers
Drivers for DoorDash, Instacart, and Gopuff have all staged work stoppages recently. But most workers won’t strike—and some actively love their gigs.
On October 16, an unknown number of drivers for grocery delivery service Instacart went on strike. These shop…
Dec, 06 2021


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D. Beatty D’Alessandro, who currently serves as vice president and chief information officer as well as a member of the board of directors of Graybar Electric Co., will succeed Juanita H. Hinshaw as senior vice president and CFO. Hinshaw announced she will retire from her positions as senior vice president, chief financial officer and director effective May 2.
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This is an uncertain and frightening time for everyone. Places have gone on 'lockdown', Irish businesses have had to close their doors and people have been asked to stay at home. It is a time where many people are afraid and worried about their health, that of others and also that of their business. But it is also a time where there has been great strength and ingenuity in Irish business and the country as a whole. People are trying new things and getting creative in how they live their lives in a new kind of 'normal'. We've seen some great examples of this, near and far over the past few weeks and wanted to share some of the good news stories here.
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurants and bars were hugely impacted by the current situation. Many businesses that never considered home delivery or doing take out are now offering this to the public. This along with online menus on their websites has given people a break from cooking meals to bring some 'normalcy' to people's lives and petrol stations are offering free teas/coffees to health care workers. For something a bit fancy and for the first time ever in Ireland you could also order a €19 Michelin-star takeaway in Dublin.
The owners of Wing It restaurants and Ohana bar established a new online grocery shopping and delivery portal, creating ten jobs for laid off workers from the hospitality and events industry with the aim of creating at least 20 more posts in the coming weeks.
Protecting vulnerable people at a time like this has been something that has been embraced by everyone. Supermarkets and shops have really stepped up to the mark with initiatives like priority shopping times for vulnerable shoppers and complementary home delivery. Many used social media channels to spread the message to their employees and shoppers.
Traditional industries have also started looking at online channles to help keep business going. Irish car dealership, Windsor, has seen prospective buyers make use of its digital platform while its car showrooms are temporarily closed.
Connections all around, online
Working from home had been something that many companies felt was not achievable for their workforce but these new circumstances have highlighted that is may be more achievable than we first thought. Phones are now being answered from home offices and video conferencing companies like Zoom have never seen so much traffic. This may be something positive that comes from a very difficult situation - the possibilty for more flexibility, for more people in the workplace.
Marketing in a crisis
This crisis has also highlighted something in marketing that is sometimes forgotten. Marketing should never just be about 'selling'. It should be about connecting with your audience, about sharing information.
The silver lining of something like this is that it can bring out the best in humanity. It makes us think about the world as a whole, we all look out for each other. And the internet is allowing us, in a time of great isolation be more connected to one another both on a work and personal level.


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The National Composites Centre (NCC) and UK hydrogen energy specialist Arcola Energy have published the findings of a survey about the heavy-duty vehicle supply chain.
The UK Hydrogen Supply Chain Survey was undertaken as part of an Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) project aiming to build a strong supply chain to support the decarbonisation of heavy-duty vehicles. The survey includes data from approximately 175 companies with existing operations and latent capabilities in the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) powertrain market, according to the NCC.
The findings suggest that key areas of opportunity and current supply chain strengths include hydrogen storage, high-power batteries and power electronics, machines and drives (PEMD).
The total UK market for heavy-duty vehicles is around 50,000 units in the UK and 320,000 across the EU, with volumes expected to increase by 10% to 2030, the NCC said. Despite their relatively small numbers, transport such as lorries, trucks and buses are responsible for a quarter of road transport CO2 emissions and 6% of total emissions.
‘It is clear that the increased use of hydrogen and fuel cells for powertrains is going to be significant in the heavy-duty transport sector across the next decade,’ said Richard Kemp-Harper, strategy director, Arcola Energy. ‘At present, reliance on battery technology alone is not sufficient to meet the government’s zero emissions targets in the outlined timeframes – this is especially true for long-distance applications.
‘A key takeaway from NCC’s analysis is understanding how important clear and concise coordination in this space is – through strategic collaboration and government support to effectively define the parameters of a new zero-emission market for heavy-duty vehicles.’
Based on the survey results, the NCC and Arcola Energy have suggested a program based on the following principles:
- At-scale deployment of a significant number of semi-standardised vehicles, integrated in the UK by organisations such as Arcola, using improved technology. These vehicles can be used as living test beds to validate UK-developed technology
- Supply chain integration and learning for suppliers in the segment, who will have open access to vehicle integrators
- Market development created by at-scale deployment, instilling real demand for FCEV and BEV common components.
- Import substitution for R&D to develop and replace imported components
Arcola Energy says that it will be next leading a hydrogen road freight study in Scotland in collaboration with freight operators. The objective of the study is to identify companies with a strong drive to decarbonise operations and find out vehicle and infrastructure requirements.
The report can be found here.


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GIARS (Grand Island Amateur Radio Society) agrees to be acquired by ARAN (Amateur Radio Association of Nebraska) in a stock and cash deal valued at 999,999.99.
Ron L.. spokesman for ARAN said everyone was real excited about the new group. Quote ” With the addition of GIAR's membership we will have to rent a bigger room for meetings and the average age of our membership will – well I guess be about the same.”
Ron L. also stated that funds for the purchase will primarily be raised by having bake sales and car washes. Quote: ” it's going to be a lot of cupcakes and car washes, but we think we can do it.”
When asked about the purchase price, Ron said that they didn't think they could raise a penny more.
Requests for comments from the board of directors of GIARS went unanswered, they are reportedly vacationing in the Bahamas.
Hey Guys, Sorry I couldn't make it to the fundraiser car wash. It took the rescue squad almost 4 hours to get me out of that old bathing suit. I guess it has been a few years, and it seems you can't “load up” a “20 Meter” bathing suit on a “40 Meter” operator.