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E-assessment: CBDT to honour best investigator, tax collector, others
The officers will be categorised under five 'prime' categories of best investigator, best revenue collector, best administrator, best auditor and best innovator. This is being done by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to "promote and appreciate the outstanding work of officers/officials or group of officers/officials in e-assessments for each Principal Chief Commissioner of I-T region".
Umang app review: Provides access to nearly 600 e-governance services
The app is available in 12 languages.
Two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants killed in encounter in Anantnag
According to the police, arms and ammunition have been recovered from them. The...
Money is pouring into scooter startups
Demand for e-scooters in cities worldwide has helped the industry’s biggest players achieve multibillion-dollar valuations. The popularity of the North American front-runners has caused a surge of new competitors to spring up across Europe over the past two years.
Metro Cash & Carry to open 5 new stores in India this year, enhance partnership with kirana stores
The whole idea is how to make a kirana store smarter in terms of usage of technology, by running business more efficiently, targeting more customers using data analytics, drive more customer traffic and make it more successful and profitable.
How to get 'free' e-PAN using Aadhaar
The facility can be availed on the income tax department's e-filing website: www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. This is a paperless, free-of-cost facility where you will get an e-PAN in near real-time.
eCommerce paltform Near.Store raises $300,000 seed fund
Once plugged in, the AI and ML algorithms on the platform take over and manage the various aspects of discovery (SEO), discovery and hyper-local promotion of the store website.
Maharashtra to start e-portal in March to integrate all property transactions
Once the portal is launched, the citizens can visit it for all encumbrances related to property — from checking title search, records of rights, property and water tax dues to conduct charges search at the Registrar of Companies.
Amazon, the world’s largest e-tailer, grapples with the fallout from the Coronavirus
Amazon is likely to feel potential shortages of goods earlier than its rivals due to its 'lean inventory' approach.
Morgan Stanley to buy E*Trade Financial in $13 billion deal
The deal will help Morgan Stanley boost its wealth management unit.
Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist arrested in J&K's Baramulla
"Security forces killed two LeT terrorists named Naveed Ahmed Bhat alias Furkan and Aaqib Yaseen Bhat in an operation last night. They were involved in many terrorist activities. Baramulla Police have also arrested one Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Junaid Farooq Pandith," J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said.
E-comm welcome to work within India's laws: Piyush Goyal
“We welcome e-commerce to work within the framework and the laws of the land,” Piyush Goyal said at the Times Now Summit. The minister said that e-commerce platforms are supposed to work as an agnostic platforms, giving buyers and sellers an opportunity to transact there. “The platform cannot push buyers towards a certain seller,” he added.
Pakistan on FATF grey list, gets 4 months to toe action plan
Pakistan’s presence in the grey list makes it difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, the World Bank and the European Union, affecting its economy which is already facing a crisis.
Sales on e-commerce platform grow bigger on 24x7 availability, lucrative offers
Sales growth in e-commerce continued to outpace brick-and-mortar stores across categories in 2019 as well.
Our men foiling BAT action even before Pakistan is able to launch them: Indian Army chief Naravane
The BAT (Border Action Team) of the Pakistan Army include both regular Army personnel and mercenaries from groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and are tasked to carry out surprise hits on Indian positions along the LoC.
Copyright © 2020 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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News that the U.S. National Security Agency has worked steadily for at least the past decade to systematically undermine security has sparked an uproar on the Internet.
The agency — whose motto is “Defending Our Nation. Securing the Future” — has circumvented or cracked much of the encryption used to protect global commerce and banking systems, medical records and other sensitive data, and the communications of Americans and others, according to a report published in ProPublica.
It apparently also has worked with high-tech companies in the U.S. and abroad to introduce backdoors into commercial encryption products, and weakened the international encryption standards adhered to by developers worldwide.
The latest revelations, following disclosures about the NSA Prism surveillance program, might “significantly impact U.S. sales of encryption software and hardware to other countries,” Joseph Lorenzo Hall, senior staff technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology, told TechNewsWorld.
To Mis-Serve and Unprotect
In addition to working with high-tech companies to build backdoors into their products, the NSA reportedly has deployed custom-built supercomputers to break encryption.
It also has hacked into target computers to grab messages prior to their encryption, and covertly introduced weaknesses into encryption standards.
The news makes the NSA’s security configuration guide statement ring hollow. It also makes the agency’s statement about developing consensus-based security guidance jointly with OS vendors and security experts suspect.
Encryption technology, including SSL, VPNs and the protection used on fourth-generation smartphones, is a major area of focus for the NSA.
“The math behind cryptography still appears solid, but insecure implementations, weak keys, or human vulnerabilities are being used to circumvent it,” Steve Weis, chief technology officer at PrivateCore, told TechNewsWorld.
The agency is still investing in groundbreaking cryptanalytic capabilities to defeat adversarial cryptography and exploit Internet traffic, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reportedly said in his budget request for the current year.
Racking Up the US Trade Deficit
“I suspect that U.S.-based technology vendors selling outside of the U.S. will face extra scrutiny in the aftermath of these revelations,” PrivateCore’s Weis said.
The NSA’s partnership with high-tech companies to undermine encryption “will have huge economic ramifications, as worldwide consumer and business trust in U.S. products decline,” Dan Auerbach, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told TechNewsWorld.
That could hit the U.S. economy hard — U.S. Department of Commerce statistics show that the U.S. exported nearly US$204 billion worth of computer and electronics products in 2012, while importing more than $355 billion worth of those products, to chalk up a deficit of more than $151 billion.
That deficit could balloon astronomically if U.S. sales of hardware, software and other electronics should fall because of these latest revelations about the NSA.
To combat this risk, technology companies need to offer visibility into how their products work and provide customers the means to control their privacy, Weis said.
“It’s unlikely that there are backdoors in everything. The reports haven’t given us great insight into exactly what hardware is compromised,” Auerbach pointed out.
“I don’t see businesses and consumers throwing up their hands and just giving up [on purchasing] encryption or security products,” Daniel Castro, senior analyst for the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, told TechNewsWorld.
Users can turn to end-to-end encrypting technologies such as PGP and S/MIME, which “appear to be strong and safe,” or to startups such as Silent Circle and Gryphn.co, which offer highly secure end-to-end encrypted products, the CDT’s Hall said.
Companies may need to take a serious look at whom they are trusting and why, and take steps to reassert control over their own data,” PrivateCore’s Weis suggested. Enterprises “need to take ownership for establishing trust in untrustworthy environments.”
Businesses should use the most up-to-date open security products and should fight requests to modify their technology to facilitate wholesale surveillance, CDT’s Hall maintained.
Likewise, they should fight requests that have no judicial oversight, such as National Security Letters, he said.
The EFF has set up an online petition to stop NSA surveillance.

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Bulgaria: Decrease in consumer prices softens in August
August 12, 2014
In August, consumer prices fell 0.25% over the previous month, which contrasted the 0.43% rise tallied in July. According to the National Statistical Institute, the decrease was mainly driven by lower prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages as well as for clothing and footwear.
Consumer prices in August fell 0.6% over the same month last year, which was softer than the 1.0% decline tallied in the previous month. August’s figure marked the 13th consecutive drop in consumer prices and the weakest decrease since July 2013. Annual average inflation stayed constant at July’s 1.7%.


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Caledonia is well known for its historical courthouse, wild turkeys and as the home of the great EarthWalkers. Now it is becoming known for a homegrown coffee shop, The Wired Rooster.
The Wired Rooster opened in June 2015. Former Whole Foods buyer and Twin Cities native Jeremiah Ninneman and freelance graphic designer and Caledonia area native Amanda Ninneman are the creative minds behind the shop.
The couple’s decision to open the business came after they followed a desire to move to a smaller community.
“We were living in Minneapolis at the time and we knew we wanted to move closer to the country, my family is down here,” Amanda said. “We wanted to settle down, so we were brainstorming different business ideas. There was no coffee shop at the time and we wanted to create a community space where people would get out of their cars and use the downtown.”
Jeremiah agreed it was a love for the community that drew the couple back to Amanda’s home.
“The area has so much potential here for greatness,” he said. “It’s already great but it helps give the idea to younger folks that they can come back to the community. They can come back and open shops and help keep the town great. Small towns are rapidly fizzling away. Many have the same problems, people are not coming back. Big cities keep getting bigger and small towns keep getting smaller.”
After spending a year creating a business plan, they were surprised with the quickness of their move when the building suddenly became available. They left Minneapolis with daughter Aevyn, 7, while one-year-old Levi joined the family soon after.
“Our main goal has been to help bring back retail businesses to downtown Caledonia, it’s been 30-40 years since its heyday. There are a handful of great businesses. It’s exciting to build off of that,” Amanda said.
The Ninnemans live above the coffee shop in the building that has become a part of the shop’s aesthetic. Built in 1906, the first occupants used the storefront space for a dual purpose; one side was Anton Zimmerhakl’s barbershop and the other was Caledonia’s Café.
“When we were doing different demolition and construction we made sure to keep the history,” Amanda said. “We kept the original floors, we have a picture of the barbershop and café hanging.”
The name Wired Rooster came from a family holiday party where Amanda’s relatives started suggesting names. Her dad eventually came up with Wired Rooster, an homage to the awake feeling one gets after drinking coffee and the early rising bird.
Soon after opening, the couple came across a newspaper article detailing the first client at Zimmerhakl’s barbershop. A Mr. Roster—misspelled as Mr. Rooster in the paper—had the honor. The clip is hanging in the shop.
The coffee shop tries to carry local brands. There is Kickapoo Coffee from Viroqua, Wis., and B&W Specialty Coffee from Minneapolis. The Ninnemans’ are working out a deal to carry Carlson Coffee from Houston.
“All of our coffee is organic and fair-trade…we like to keep it as local as possible,” Jeremiah said.
The coffee shop also sells ice cream from Chocolate Shoppe in Madison, paninis at lunch and dinner, soup during the winter, tea, craft beer and wine in the evenings. The craft beers are also local; Indeed from Minneapolis, Third Street from St. Cloud and Toppling Goliath from Decorah, Iowa.
They carry mostly organic snacks, like ProBars and YumEarth snacks. There are Wired Rooster logo T-shirts and old-fashioned soda pops for sale. The shop offers a trivia night every other Friday and has a kids’ play section.
The shop has seven employees, besides the Ninnemans.
“The fact that a place like this is in Caledonia is incredibly unique,” employee Joseph Rowland said. “I’ve lived here for 15 years. It’s nice to have a venue that isn’t a bar. It’s a place kids can come to and in a small town like this it keeps the mind occupied.”
Although the coffee shop has a series of regulars, the amount of first-time customers has been growing.


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The controversial new rules for Portugal’s restaurant sector – which force clients to present Covid Digital Certificates or negative Covid tests in ‘high risk’ and ‘very high risk’ boroughs in order to eat inside a restaurant – led to a “wave of cancellations” last weekend in the Algarve.
The measure has been particularly devastating for restaurants with no outdoor terraces, the only area where diners are allowed to eat without having to present a Covid certificate or negative test.
Vítor Lourenço, owner of O Chalavar in Faro, said he had so few customers last weekend that he is not planning to open this weekend.
“Yesterday we were empty for dinner, today (Saturday) we were empty for lunch and now we are empty for dinner,” the restaurant owner told SIC.
“No one will want to undergo a test to have a meal at a restaurant,” he added, urging the government to review the latest rules.
Even restaurants with outdoor seating have been affected as the news of the latest restrictions has led foreign visitors, particularly from Spain, to cancel their trips, SIC reports.
“We had a group reservation but then received an email saying that, due to the restrictions in Portugal, they wouldn’t come,” said Jorge Brandão from Faro’s Tertúlia Algarvia restaurant.
Portugal’s ever-changing rules for the restaurant sector have created a feeling of uncertainty among restaurant owners, who every Thursday anxiously await what new restrictions will be implemented.
“This has been a rollercoaster. Every Thursday there is a feeling of anxiety as we try to understand what will happen and what we will be allowed to do,” he said.
The president of the PRO.VAR national association of restaurants has said the measure, “which should have increased feelings of safety (among diners), has in reality transformed into a nightmare, and created more difficulties” (click here).
Meanwhile, Albufeira Mayor has publicly thrown his support behind local businesses and citizens who took part in a protest last Saturday against the government’s Covid combat measures.
Protestors were also promoting a petition entitled ‘S.Ó.S. Albufeira’ which demands the “protection of jobs, social support and grants” for local businesses and families affected by the pandemic.
“A large number of workers and their families who depend on their businesses to survive are currently facing huge challenges,” said Albufeira Mayor José Carlos Rolo.
“The government must take note of the real situation and, as promised, provide support to struggling companies and families,” he added.
According to Carlos Rolo, the council has been doing its part by holding meetings with local and regional associations and warning the government about vital issues such as the need to “correct the formula used to calculate” positive Covid-19 cases and the need to save local businesses from closure and bankruptcy.


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Toyota Material Handling Embracing EV Technology
Columbus-based forklift manufacturer Toyota Material Handling says it making the largest product launch in company history with 22 new models, a move that also signals the manufacturer’s adoption of electric power. TMH says it is responding to growing demand for energy efficient machines.
The company says nearly 70% of all material handing products sold last year were electric. TMH expects that shift will continue for years for forklifts, lift trucks and pallet jacks.
For decades, their products relied on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquid petroleum gas (LP).
“This is an exciting milestone for our company and our customers,” said Bill Finerty, TMH president and chief executive officer. “Never before has the global supply chain endured such challenges as those we presently face. Warehouses and distribution centers everywhere need material handling equipment that can help them keep pace with the speed of commerce.”
TMH says the additions to the lineup range in size and flexibility, responding to the various needs for customers. The company says it has responded to the growing logistics and warehousing industry.
“Material handling operations are being influenced by multiple mega trends, and we believe this historic product launch will provide our customers with the solutions they need to meet increasing throughput demands,” said Jaksa Pejnovic, TMH vice president of sales & marketing. “Consumer buying behaviors are forcing new warehousing strategies to keep up with the explosion of SKUs and the rapid rate of change.”


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DHL Supply Chain to invest 500 million Euros (US$ 503.04 million) in India over next 5 years
DHL Supply Chain, a provider of contract logistics services, is expected to invest 500 million Euros (US$ 503.04 million) in India over the next five years to increase its workforce, warehousing capacity, and sustainability initiatives.
The expansion will add 12 million square feet of warehouse space to its current portfolio, bringing its total capacity to nearly 22 million square feet by 2026.
Additionally, multi-client sites are being developed in tier-2 cities like Baddi, Cochin, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Sanand, Indore, Lucknow, Bhubaneshwar, Hosur, and Visakhapatnam, among other rapidly expanding state capitals.
The company has also announced plans to convert its whole intra-city fleet to green transportation by 2025, and to quadruple its employment in India to 25,000 workers by 2026.
According to DHL Supply Chain, the SmarTransport division will leverage its warehouse investments to leverage economies of scale with end-to-end service offerings in order to further accelerate transport growth.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.


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Bass Pro Shops coming to the Upstate
SPARTANBURG — The region's outdoor retailing market is about to get hotter, as Bass Pro Shops said Wednesday it will locate a store in the Upstate, putting it squarely in competition with Cabela's, which opened a store in Greenville this month.
It will be a 120,000 square-foot facility at Interstate 85 and State 101 and will open in 2016.
Karen Edwards, a senior instructor in the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, said it's no surprise Bass Pro and Cabela's would target the Upstate, given local residents' penchant for the outdoors and a recovering economy.
"You've got the economy rebounding," Edwards said. "You also have a major trend in cultural values as health, fitness, conservation. Those all go to into play with the strength of the movement for the outdoor-type retailing. It's a huge market."
Outdoor recreation generates $18 billion in consumer spending in South Carolina, according to the Boulder, Colo.-based Outdoor Industry Association.
Peggy Binette, a Columbia resident who frequently travels to the Upstate for youth soccer matches, said she and her family "love those stores, particularly Cabela's" for outdoor clothing and gear.
"My husband and I are big Eddie Bauer, Lands' End and L.L. Bean consumers," she said. "We're excited about being able to shop at Cabela's when in Greenville. It will be a draw for people who live outside of Greenville."
Bass Pro, an outdoor retailer in hunting, camping, nature gifts, outdoor cooking, and more, expects a similar response.
Bass Pro has a store in Myrtle Beach and plans another in North Charleston. The company also has a store in Concord, N.C., near Charlotte, according to the company's website.
Cabela's bills itself as the world's largest direct marketer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise.
That puts the two companies in overlapping markets, Edwards said.
Both should benefit, however, from the strength and size of the outdoor retail market, which is growing as more women take up hunting, Edwards said.
"Outdoor retailers have also marketed to a growing category of participants in their sports instead of going for the middle-aged male," she said. "They're promoting this as a lifestyle, as family activities whether it's hiking, camping, boating, fishing, hunting."
Years ago, Greenville-area state lawmakers tried to get a tax incentives bill through the Legislature as part an effort to recruit a Bass Pro store to Magnolia Park.
Had the bill passed, it would have modified existing incentives by allowing the stores to use 75 percent of the sales tax they generated over 20 years to pay for infrastructure, including their own buildings.
When Cabela's opened its store at Magnolia Park, Tommy Millner, chief executive of the Sidney, Neb.-based company, said, "We don't need incentives to make our model work."
The Magnolia Park store is Cabela's first in South Carolina. The company recently opened a store in Augusta, Ga.
The 100,000-square-foot Cabela's Greenville store has approximately 235 full-time and part-time employees.
Taxidermy is a hallmark of the chain's stores, and the Greenville outlet is no exception.
It has 266 replicas of animals, including a water moccasin hanging from a fake cedar tree's Spanish moss-covered limb.
LED lights double as fireflies in a huge hand-painted mural of a Southern lake above the firearms department.
The store also has two 8,000-gallon fish tanks, one of them holding the three kinds of trout found in the streams of northern Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties — brook, brown and rainbow.
Anglers have their pick of 2,900 rods and more than 200 reels on the sales floor.
In Greenville, Millner said Cabela's did its market research and "clearly identified" from its catalog and internet business that its customers are here in big numbers.
Cabela's officials said the company collects ZIP code information through its loyalty card program and catalog and internet businesses.
Edwards, the USC retailing instructor, said companies such as Cabela's and Bass Pro use that kind of consumer data to make "intelligent decisions" about where to expand.
"To make these kinds of investments, they know they've got a customer base here," she said. "My prediction is that they will both be successful, despite the close proximity."


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According to the GSS, the national year-on-year inflation rate was 12.6% in December 2021, which is 0.4 percentage points higher than the 12.2% recorded in November 2021.
2021 ended with 12.6% inflation rate – Ghana Statistical Service
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that the country’s inflation at the end of December 2021 was at 12.6%.
Month-on-month (November 2021 – December 2021) inflation was 1.2%.
Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, told reporters in Accra on Wednesday, January 12, the rate exceeded the finance ministry’s forecast of 8 percent.
“This is the sixth consecutive month in a roll that prices of goods and services have gone up, indicating a 4.8 percentage difference between the rates recorded in June 2021 which was 7.8 percent relative to December 2021 which was 12.6 percent."
The gap between food and non-food items has reduced to a 0.3 percentage point difference; that is 12.8% versus 12.5%, respectively.
There was parity in the month-on-month food and non-food inflation this month (1.2% vs1.2%).
Housing and transport, which include fuel, recorded the highest inflation rates of 20.7% and 17.6%, respectively.
The contribution of food and non-alcoholic beverages to the overall inflation saw a marginal decline from 47.7% in November to 45.2% in December.
Inflation for locally produced items continues to dominate imported items.
The inflation rate for the Upper West region remains high with the Eastern region recording the least.
The Ashanti region has overtaken the Northern region as the second highest.
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Abrupt nationwide closing of tuxedo business leaves couples scrambling
The major tuxedo supplier closed without warning its customers.
“No announcement, no phone numbers, and nothing on the website; no notice,” said Matt Chamberlain who pulled up to a store for a fitting in Nebraska. “It’s a bit of a problem.”
Brianne Huntsucker and Dimitric Edwards have been planning for their wedding in the Kansas City area and grew concerned when they noticed social media chatter about the business from which their wedding party purchased their tuxes.
“A post came up that a bride in the Kansas City area was stressed because she heard that Tip Top Tux locations were going out of business,” Huntsucker said. “She heard that some of them were starting to close, and their wedding was in a couple of weeks and so, we started panicking.”
They quickly realized Tip Top Tux locations across the country and businesses under their parent company Dapper & Dashing were closed with signs on the businesses that read, “Sorry we are closed today. Sorry for the inconvenience. If you are a customer returning your tuxedo from the weekend you will not be charged late fees and may keep your tuxedo.”
The company apparently sent an email to employees that said: “I regret to inform you that you are being laid off from your position effective Monday, August 7, 2023. Unfortunately, the company is compelled to cease operations effective immediately.”
Tip Top Tux couldn’t be reached for comment.
Copyright 2023 KCTV & WOWT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Louisville Sluggers go pink for breast cancer
Hillerich & Bradsby this week is shipping out hot pink Louisville Sluggers to hundreds of big leaguers as part of an annual effort to raise breast cancer awareness.
The bats are to be used during Mother’s Day games, and after the games the players will autograph the bats and Major League Baseball will collect them.
The bats will be authenticated for auction on the MLB.com website, with proceeds going to MLB Breast Cancer Charities. Louisville Slugger also is selling personalized pink bats to the public, with $10 from each sale going to MLB Charities.
Louisville Slugger employee Wayne Newton, who stamps players’ names on bats, said that “it’s really cool making these bats knowing that they will help so many people.”


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators haggled on Thursday over the details of a set of agreements aimed at ending their trade war, just one week before a Washington-imposed deadline for a deal expires and triggers higher U.S. tariffs.
Reuters reported exclusively on Wednesday that the two sides are starting to sketch out an agreement on structural issues, drafting language for six memorandums of understanding on proposed Chinese reforms.
Sides - Agreement - March - US - Worth
If the two sides fail to reach an agreement by March 1, U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports are set to rise to 25 percent from 10 percent. ****-for-tat tariffs between the world’s two largest economic powers have disrupted international trade and slowed the global economy since the trade war started seven months ago.
Negotiators have struggled this week to overcome differences on specific language to address tough U.S. demands for structural changes in China’s economy, two sources familiar with the talks said. The issues include an enforcement mechanism to ensure that China complies with any agreements.
Week - Industry - Source - Talks - Outlines
“It’s not surprising that this week has been more challenging,” said an industry source familiar with the talks. “Once you move from putting together outlines to filling out the details, that is where things would naturally become more challenging.”
Chinese officials did not answer questions as they left the U.S. Trade Representative’s office on Thursday evening after more than nine hours of talks on Thursday.
Discussions - Photo - Opportunity - US - Trade
The discussions began with a photo opportunity where U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He faced each other silently across a table in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House.
It was unclear whether Liu would meet with U.S. President Donald Trump after the scheduled end of talks on Friday, as they did during Liu’s last visit to Washington for talks in...
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For better or worse?
About 90 per cent of the world’s trade is carried by ships, simply because it’s the most cost-effective way to move bulk raw materials and finished goods. As a result, shipping is often seen as a barometer of global economic health.
Before the global financial crisis in 2008, dry-bulk shipping rates had hit an all-time high, and orders for new container ships were at record levels. Even though the crisis hurt the industry, freezing orders and sending rates plunging, by 2013 carriers were back building ever-larger vessels in unprecedented numbers.
Then, in August 2017, South Korean giant Hanjin Shipping Co. collapsed, upending the industry in much the same way that Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy roiled the financial sector nine years earlier. One of the world’s largest shipping firms at the time, Hanjin folded in the face of a cash crisis as supply outstripped demand, weakening pricing power and decimating profits for carriers.
For an industry facing a squeeze, will the blossoming of the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative redefine trade routes, unlock new opportunities and revitalise the maritime industry? Or will the explosion of terrestrial infrastructure under the initiative and another expected associated surge in shipbuilding have an adverse effect on the market?
A wave of investment
The Maritime Silk Road – connecting China with South-east Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe – is a critical part of the overall vision for B&R, and to that end China has been pouring money into boosting shipping capacity.
In 2017, Chinese banks invested USD20 billion in ship financing, 33 per cent more than the year before. This ongoing surge in investment coincides with a period when many European banks that were once heavyweights in ship finance – such as Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and HSH Nordbank – are pulling back from the business.
Chinese lender ICBC saw its ship-financing portfolio grow from less than USD500 million in 2009 to USD10 billion in 2017. Chinese financiers – mainly the big five of ICBC, Minsheng, Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank and China Development Bank – now account for a quarter of the sector, according to Marine Money research.
China has also invested an estimated USD20 billion in port infrastructure in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe in the past two years. Most of this has gone into building and upgrading container terminals to accommodate larger vessels.
At home, the ports of Ningbo-Zhoushan and Xiamen have seen dramatic growth. Under the umbrella of B&R, China has made strategic investments in ports in Djibouti, Athens (Piraeus) and Hambantota in Sri Lanka, enlarging facilities and introducing new technology to reduce handling costs. China has also financed the development of Kuantan and Samalaju ports in Malaysia. In Pakistan, China has committed about USD46 billion to create the port of Gwadar, the terminus of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that gives China direct access to the Indian Ocean.
How B&R might help shipping flourish
As trade grows and infrastructure projects mushroom under B&R, increased demand for shipping has been one of the more immediate consequences, easing some of the industry’s overcapacity problem. These projects require enormous quantities of iron ore, steel, cement, heavy machinery and other materials, and the most cost-effective way to transport materials is by sea.
Under B&R, capacity at key ports along the Maritime Silk Road has been expanded (or created from nothing) and logistics have been upgraded. Once in place, these new and improved ports will have opened up fresh trade routes and expanded existing ones.
The port in Djibouti (East Africa), for example, links to Ethiopia by a railroad also constructed under the B&R umbrella, with approximately 70 per cent of Ethiopia’s foreign trade expected to channel through Djibouti.
The opening of Gwadar put the finishing touches on a new trade route that stretches from western China and Central Asia, through South Asia and out to the wider world. The first commercial shipment left Gwadar in March 2018, carrying containers of Pakistani seafood to Dubai.
In Xiamen Port in Fujian, a USD335 million upgrade resulted in a free-trade zone and new domestic and international trade-transit centres. The port now operates five onward freight-train services to Europe for goods brought by sea. Elsewhere, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has become the busiest in China. New markets opened up by the B&R have boosted the number of sea routes operating from Ningbo to 86.
"The level of planned B&R unvestment will require a sound legal framework that embraces regulatory requirements, cultural considerations and dispute resolution. The initiative also provides nations with the incentive to develop their own institutional arbitration and mediation mechanisms."
Just as overland B&R trade routes will require new streamlined customs, legal and technological regimes to smooth commerce, so too authorities along the maritime routes will need to negotiate new freedom-of-navigation agreements and legal frameworks to cope with anticipated heightened trade. This could herald a new era of trade cooperation.
B&R’s challenges to shipping
Amid the optimism surrounding new ports, capacity upgrades and increased trade, there are concerns that the impact of the B&R will not be uniformly positive for shipping.
In the wake of the Hanjin collapse, a massive industry consolidation escalated:
- In 2015, Cosco Group and China Shipping Group announced a merger to create Asia’s biggest container line, Cosco Shipping Holdings Co.
- In 2016, CMA CGM SA bought Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines Ltd.; Maersk agreed to buy Hamburg Süd and Japan’s three shipping companies agreed to consolidate their container shipping businesses.
- In 2017, Hapag-Lloyd AG completed its acquisition of United Arab Shipping Co. and Cosco Shipping offered to buy Orient Overseas International of Hong Kong.
The growing use of mammoth ships has been an important factor in the turnaround. Companies who own them are able to deploy fewer vessels and move more cargo on a single journey to benefit from higher rates. However, some industry observers are concerned that China’s heavy investments in new shipping may prolong oversupply issues and delay the industry’s recovery.
There are about 58 ultra-large carriers worldwide that can transport more than 18,000 containers each, and their number is expected to double in two years.
The shakeout of the crisis has been less kind to operators of smaller vessels, and port developments along B&R routes may exacerbate that situation by encouraging the use of larger ships through increased capacity, faster logistics and more efficient technology.
In some ways, the overland belt and maritime roads are in competition. The Eurasian Land Bridge road and rail routes through Central Asia to Europe, for example, will only become quicker as technology and multilateral cooperation dismantles the logistical hurdles that slow them down. That could encourage the shipment of high-value, time-sensitive goods that would otherwise be moved by sea. Equally, the expansion of the highway network from China through Central Asia and Central Europe may also encourage smaller exporters to switch away from maritime transport.
The establishment of strategic energy pipelines through Asia also provides an alternative to crude-oil and LNG shipping. The pipelines connecting Kunming in Yunnan province and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar cut the distance oil needs to travel from Africa or the Middle East by about 700 miles (1120 kilometres), reducing the need for shipping. The Myanmar-Chonqing gas pipeline may have a similar effect.
Any restraining factors, however, are likely to be more than counterbalanced by a surge in global trade.
“What’s really interesting is the synergy between the ‘Belt’ and the maritime ‘Road’ as evidenced by the development of Gwadar Port in Pakistan by COSCO – where the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor provides a distribution platform for maritime access to global markets,” said Nigel Anton, Global Head of Shipping Finance at Standard Chartered. “With developments like this, the Belt and Road initiative is already having a positive impact on the maritime and port logistics industries. This will only grow in the years ahead.”
This article was also published on Bloomberg.com.


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Donating cash directly to people in impoverished areas could help more than just the recipients, a new study shows.
Economists looked at 65,000 households in an impoverished, rural area of Kenya, where one group received no aid, and another received a one-time cash grant of $1,000, through a charity called GiveDirectly, reports NPR.
They found that every dollar in cash aid resulted in a $2.60 increase in local economic activity, effectively benefiting the recipients directly, and those in their community indirectly, per NPR. The study, published in November on the National Bureau of Economic Research website, lasted 18 months and found those who received cash directly spent it on essentials, including food.
Much of that money goes to local businesses, says Edward Miguel, co-author of the study and economist at the University of California, Berkeley. "They sell more. They generate more revenue. And then eventually that gets passed on into labor earnings for their workers," he said.
When creating an influx of cash in a community, the issue of price inflation could arise, but Miguel noted that since the local businesses were low on customers, an uptick in customers didn't require hiring more employees or increasing prices, it simply helped their business. Read more at NPR.
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(Fortune) -- A couple of items in recent news clearly point to a new direction for the global auto industry:
One was the decision by Daimler and Renault-Nissan last week to cooperate in the development of small cars and small engines.
The other was the news that General Motors sold more vehicles in China during the first quarter of 2010 than it did in its home market of North America.
The two messages couldn't be clearer: Automakers need scale in order to amortize the escalating costs of new technology and product development.
And they also need a strong presence in developing markets because their traditional strongholds in the U.S., Western Europe, and Japan have all but stopped growing or in some cases are shrinking.
Strategies are still emerging and, to date, few have a clear advantage. Indeed some traditional industry powerhouses are revealing some cracks.
Toyota (TM) has always preferred organic growth to either alliance or acquisition. But as its handling of the sudden acceleration crisis shows, its internal management capabilities have not been able to keep up with its global expansion.
The automaker now faces the necessity of ceding some authority to its overseas affiliates or collapsing under its own weight and complexity.
Honda (HMC) has steadfastly determined to follow its own road by shunning all partnerships. But in the absence of a consensus on the development of alternative fuels, it may find that the demands of multiple technologies may outstrip its resources.
In Europe, Daimler must prove that it learned enough from its failed merger with Chrysler to make its new partnership more successful.
And tiny BMW, which was unsuccessful in striking a deal with Daimler, must seek another partner -- did someone say Ford (F, Fortune 500)? -- that can expand its scale without detracting from its renowned brand.
Among the North American giants, General Motors has demonstrated that even the grandest strategies require execution of the details. Its trail of failed alliances over the past several decades, including those with Toyota, Fiat, Suzuki Subaru, demonstrates that good intentions are not sufficient.
To be sure, analysts and automakers have been talking about consolidation of the industry into supergroups since at least the 1970s. Instead, Independents like BMW and Honda have thrived. And Korea has emerged as a power, some 100 automakers have sprung up in China, and India has leapt onto the world stage with the innovative Nanocar.
Who five years ago could have predicted that Land Rover, Jaguar, and Volvo would be owned by mainland Asian manufacturers?
The barriers to industry entry, once thought to be nearly insurmountable, have proved to be not so daunting to those building from a strong market base. And with the rise of the newcomers, a number of long-established automakers have significant questions associated with them.
Can Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn rebuild Renault at the same time that he works with Daimler -- and can he get it all done before he collapses under the strain of running two companies?
Can Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne resuscitate both Fiat and Chrysler -- and add an Asian company to his complex -- before HE collapses under the strain of running two companies?
How long will it be before medium-sized companies like Peugeot-Citroen, Subaru, Mazda and others are absorbed by larger competitors?
Finally, it is always dangerous to pick winners in this business. Despite the industry's capital intensity and complexity, fortunes can change rapidly.
But one company seems particularly well positioned to succeed in this environment. At this moment, Volkswagen has a clear advantage. It has scale, global reach with successful operations in South America and China, and an impressive portfolio of brands that includes Porsche, Bentley, and Audi.
VW has demonstrated its skill at one of the most difficult feats in the business: sharing components among its brands without detracting from those that produce the highest margins. That enables it to leverage its size to its best advantage. Who notices that Bentley uses parts from Audi, or that Audi uses parts from Volkswagen?
VW is on a tear right now, setting ambitious growth targets and about to open a new U.S. plant. In the past, it has suffered from inconsistency, poor quality, and having a home base in high-wage Germany hasn't helped.
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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Costco has quietly stopped selling its wildly popular half-sheet cakes with big gatherings and parties now discouraged as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
The big-box retailer has stopped making the cakes, which were served at countless parties and workplace birthday gatherings. Costco has instead begun offering a 10-inch round cake, along with their limited-time bar cakes, like the tres leches cake.
The decision coincides with recommendations from health agencies to avoid large gatherings.
Costco says it has no plans to immediately bring back the half-sheet cakes.


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Apple Unveils 'HomePod' Speaker, First New Product in YearsApple nodded to several up-and-coming technology trends, unveiling a new "smart" home speaker and device features touching on virtual reality, online privacy and a form of artificial intelligence called machine learning.
WikiLeaks Says CIA Hacks on Apple Devices Can PersistNew documents from WikiLeaks point to an apparent CIA program to hack Apple's iPhones and Mac computers using techniques that couldn't be disabled by resetting devices to factory conditions.
Apple Appeals EU Order to Collect $14B in Back TaxesApple is appealing a European Union order to collect a record 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in taxes, following a similar appeal by Ireland.
iPhone 8 Set for September 2017 ReleaseYou heard that right, only 2 months after the release of the iPhone 7 and 7s, Apple is ready to take your money again.
Detroit's Automakers, Sensing A Threat, Embrace MobilityFor Detroit, the days of simply making cars are over.
Apple Tells Employees Why it Won't Help Hack Shooter's PhoneApple Inc. CEO Tim Cook acknowledged to employees Monday that "it does not feel right" to refuse to help the FBI hack a locked iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino mass shootings. But he said that to do so would threaten data security for millions and "everyone's civil liberties."
Apple to Fight Order to Help FBI Unlock Shooter's iPhoneApple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says his company will fight a federal magistrate's order to help the FBI hack into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino, California shooters. The company said that could potentially undermine encryption for millions of other users.
Did Apple Kill the iPod Classic Too Soon?And did they help to create an iPod black market by doing so?
Apple, Facebook Paying To Freeze Eggs Of Female EmployeesFacebook began covering egg freezing for workers earlier this year, becoming the first major employer on record to do so, according to NBC News, which reports that Apple will add the perk in January.
Jennifer Lawrence On Celeb Hacking: ‘It Is Not A Scandal. It Is A Sex Crime’The people who chose to look at nude celebrity photos that hackers posted committed "a sexual offense," actress Jennifer Lawrence says in an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair in its November issues
Watch Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon Star in the New iPhone AdsAlready, there are promos online for the iPhone 6 — and the company recruited some big names to help sell them.
#Trending In Entertainment: Maya Angelou Dies And Brad Pitt AttackedThis week a beloved author passed, an A-lister was attacked, and two music moguls got $3 billion richer.
It's a Date | November 2017It's a Date is our monthly calendar created to help you keep up with everything Tampa Bay has to offer!
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the carmaker plans to start building cars on its long-awaited next-generation vehicle platform starting next year. But he says it won't be easy, and the timing isn't set in stone.
"Our current schedule says that we will start production towards the end of 2025, sometime in the second half," Musk said on Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
He warned that accelerating production on the new and "revolutionary" assembly line won't be easy.
"We really need the engineers to be living on the line," he said. "This is not sort of an off-the-shelf, just works type of thing."
Tesla's upcoming platform will be built at its Texas factory to start and is expected to be the basis of a long-promised cheaper vehicle. That kind of addition to Tesla's lineup is sorely needed for Tesla's future growth. Just two models—the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV—account for nearly all of the company's sales, while the new Cybertruck is expensive and unlikely to sell in huge volumes. Tesla needs a lower-priced, mass-market model to retain its competitive edge as rivals gain steam.
Tesla's first next-generation vehicle will be a compact crossover codenamed "Redwood," Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Musk doesn't have the most stellar track record when it comes to sticking to deadlines, so we'll have to see if the 2025 target holds. He first floated a plan for a $25,000 car in 2020, saying at the time that it would launch in three years. Tesla's Cybertruck pickup launched in late 2023, years behind schedule. Its Roadster supercar is nowhere to be seen years after its public unveiling.
Musk acknowledged during Wednesday's call that Tesla could overshoot the 2025 goal: "I don't want to blow your minds, but I'm often optimistic regarding time."


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- 2 min read
AI could help determine who gets laid off
ChatGPT can already write a generic layoffs memo, and Microsoft Corp. is planning to roll out its 365 Copilot to Excel, which could serve as an aid in financial planning.
ChatGPT can already write a generic layoffs memo, and Microsoft Corp. is planning to roll out its 365 Copilot to Excel, which could serve as an aid in financial planning. Now a French startup called Pigment SAS is testing a generative AI tool expressly for chief financial officers.
The product, called Pigment AI, is based on OpenAI software. It places a chatbot inside of spreadsheets and dashboards used to make financial plans. The software is designed to chew through a company’s data and spit out answers to questions like, What if we launch our new product three months in advance? or What do I do to double my revenue in the next year?
“It’s removing the uninteresting part of the work,” said Romain Niccoli, Pigment’s co-chief executive officer.
Right now, nearly every business is scrambling to incorporate versions of the latest AI to boost its bottom line or avoid being gutted by superhuman computers. They are not always fast enough.
As a result, many companies may be interested in this sample question Pigment says its chatbot can answer: Why are our current projected people costs higher than the approved 2023 plan?
You don’t have to be an AI to guess that the recommendation could be to cut people costs. Or simply, cut people.
Companies are bracing for AI to automate jobs away. IBM’s CEO sees 30% of back-office functions going away in five years and has paused hiring for such roles. Microsoft Copilot could save data analysts and other spreadsheet crunchers considerable time — or reduce the need to hire as many of them.
Pigment is testing its AI service with a handful of customers but hasn’t settled on the pricing yet. The startup has raised $164 million in funding since forming in 2019. It said annual recurring revenue increased sevenfold last year but declined to share figures.
While AI could inform a company’s decision to lay people off, Niccoli said it’s a human who will ultimately make the call. “It’s just making sure you understand the consequences,” he said. “It will not decide for you.”
If you are laid off with the help of an AI someday, odds are you wouldn’t even know it.
The big story
Concerns about AI are amplifying. The White House is backing new rules, and the UK’s antitrust watchdog launched a review. AI is being deployed on the battlefield without a full understanding of the consequences. But the billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla said slowing down could kick up a different set of problems.


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The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity’s new report, Fast Food FACTS: Evaluating Fast Food Nutrition and Marketing to Youth, includes more information about fast-food ads seen by Latino and black youths.
As reported by the Multi-American blog:
There is considerable evidence that exposure to marketing for fast food is even higher among African American and Hispanic youth. African American youth view almost 50% more TV advertisements for fast food than do white children and adolescents. Although differences in advertising exposure can be attributed in large part to the greater amount of time that African American and Hispanic youth spend watching television, fast food restaurants appear to disproportionately target African Americans and Hispanics with their marketing efforts. For example, fast food ads appear more frequently during African American-targeted TV programming than during general audience programming.
Fast food advertisements are also prevalent on Spanish-language television networks, comprising nearly half of all ads. Billboards for fast food restaurants appear significantly more often in low-income African American and Latino neighborhoods.
Fast food restaurants located in poorer African American neighborhoods also promote less-healthful foods and have more in-store advertisements compared to restaurants in more affluent, predominantly white neighborhoods.
Multi-American ends its blog with this statement relating to Southern California:
“The scarcity of healthy food options in low-income neighborhoods – a phenomenon dubbed “food deserts” – continues to be a problem in portions of Los Angeles County that are predominantly Latino and African-American. Community activists in South L.A. succeeded in obtaining a temporary moratorium on the development of new stand-alone fast food restaurants, which expired recently; community groups and city officials are still trying to work out a permanent solution.”


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On the page for Google developers posted,and then quickly eliminated a series of changes that mention certain characteristics of the following Android 11 operating system. Users who constantly monitor Google news were able to save data that probably accidentally fell into open access and allow you to get some idea about Android 11.
The page that appeared sent users fortesting Android 11 on Pixel devices and pointed to three major innovations specific to the next operating system. First of all, it will be a system change in the program after the release of Android 11. Also, ways to protect user privacy will be improved, which developers should take into account.
The third feature of Android 11 will be the introductionnew features and APIs. Change interfaces have been developed for devices with folding displays, new features have been added for data exchange, monitoring of biometric data, the use of AI and other functions.
Since last year, Google has abandonedassigning names related to confectionery to new versions of Android and switched to the usual numbering using numbers. The appearance of a random page for developers with a digital name also confirms the fact of the rejection of “sweet” or even letter abbreviations in the name of the operating system.
Android11 beta expected to be releasedin March 2020, and a full version for users will be released by August-September. More detailed data on Android11 will most likely be announced in mid-May at the Google I / O conference (May 12-14)


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Jacksonville, N.C. (WNCT)
Astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch, who is from Jacksonville, celebrated Independence Day on the International Space Station.
Hague tweeted a photo of Koch and himself wearing patriotic clothing in space.
While the astronauts can’t have a traditional American “cookout” in space, Hague said, “Beef patties, corn, blueberry cobbler, and lemonade are all on the menu,” and they can all be ready to eat in less than 15 minutes, he said.
Hague said he and Koch hoped to watch some fireworks displays from space.


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MONTREAL, QUEBEC and TORONTO, ONTARIO and PARIS, FRANCE–(Marketwired – May 20, 2014) – Engagement Labs Inc. (TSX VENTURE:EL) released results for its quarter ended March 31, 2014. As previously announced, Engagement Labs changed the Company’s fiscal year end to December 31. Therefore, it should be noted that this first quarter ended March 31, 2014 will be compared to the quarter ended February 28, 2013. For the quarter ended March 31, 2014, revenues have decreased by 37% compared to the quarter ended February 28, 2013 and by 25% compared to the quarter ended February 29, 2012. Revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2014 decreased by 20% compared to previous three-month quarter ended November 30, 2013. Condensed interim consolidated Financial Statements and Management Report are available on SEDAR’s website at www.sedar.com.
“We are currently working on perfecting the latest version of our evalue™ social media analytics tool to help brands and marketing agencies navigate the social media world and become more agile and proactive. In addition, we will soon launch an important sales and marketing campaign designed to boost awareness about our evalue™ score and increase our sales”, said Paul Allard, CEO.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2014, the Company shows a net loss attributable to shareholders of $720,828 compared to a net loss of $859,171 for the quarter ended February 28, 2013 and a net loss of $191,435 for the quarter ended February 29, 2012. Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $343,549 from -$555,489 (-69% of sales) for the quarter ended February 28, 2013 to -$899,038 (-177% of sales) for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. Basic and diluted loss per share was -$0.10 for the quarter ended March 31, 2014, compared to -$0.14 for the quarter ended February 28, 2013. ENGAGEMENT LABS INC.’s total assets as at March 31, 2014 amounted to $5,571,780, an increase of $2,364,170 from December 31, 2013.
About Engagement Labs
Engagement Labs offers real-time social media data, analytics and insights for organization that are actively engaging on social networks. They extract business intelligence from user generated data (BIG DATA) and transform it into actionable data for corporate clients, brands and social media teams. Engagement Labs created #esuite™, an Intelligent Data on Demand platform for agencies, marketing teams and dashboard providers. Offered under SaaS or through an API, #esuite™ supports the entire social marketing cycle by providing over 250 comprehensive intelligent analytical metrics to measure performance and ROI for brands to evaluate and coordinate social media activities across all online channels (social media sites, forums, news and blogs).
Engagement Labs Inc. is listed on the TSXV under the symbol EL.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Conversational Marketing Director
Engagement Labs Inc.
+1 (514) 317-6448, ext. 106
President & CEO
Engagement Labs Inc.
+1 (514) 831-4245


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China economy set to sink further, with US trade war and pork crisis to drive record low growth lower still
- The economy grew by 6.0 per cent in the third quarter, and analysts expect it to slow further in the final quarter and into 2020, as tariffs compound the issue
- Trade war just one of many problems facing China, with pork crisis and consumption issues also expected to weigh on growth in the world’s second largest economy
A miserable three months for China’s economy was capped by the lowest growth on record on Friday, and the expectation that with darkening storm clouds on the horizon, things are likely to get even worse.
“Actually we still believe the actual growth slowdown might be worse than the headline official numbers,” said Nomura analysts, emphasising the pessimism that is now widespread with regard the world’s second largest economy.
While the material difference in a percentage point or two of economic growth is scant, for Beijing the symbolism is huge. A strong economy is often offered as the justification for the Communist Party’s non-democratic governance of the Chinese people.
“We think they are still on track to meet the lower end of the target range for 2019, around 6.1 per cent. Growth for 2020 will be solidly below this, around 5.8 per cent,” said Carlos Casanova, Asia-Pacific economist at insurer Coface. “The question remains: why is China not doing more to boost growth?”
These tariffs, if they are not delayed, will exacerbate China’s economic woes significantly. Research firm Oxford Economics said growth could sink to 5.7 per cent in 2020, excluding the impact of the December 15 tariffs, which will hit Chinese consumer goods like smartphones and televisions for the first time.
“Right now we are seeing the impact of previous tariff tranches, which were already pretty high and covered many products exported to the US,” said Tommy Wu, senior economist at Oxford Economics. Should the next round of tariffs come into place in December, Wu said gross domestic product (GDP) growth could fall to as low as 5.5 per cent in 2020.
However, the trade war is just one of the many challenges facing China’s economy. Friday’s data released by the National Bureau of Statistics in Beijing showed that net exports now contribute less than one-fifth to China’s economic growth, when they were previously one of the engines that powered its decades of double-digit economic growth, along with investment. Even without the trade war, Coface’s Casanova said, China’s economy still would have grown at an underwhelming 6.3 per cent in the third quarter.
Consumers are also being hit by the African swine fever epidemic which will now roll into 2020. Pork output accounts for around 1.0 per cent of the Chinese economy and Nomura expects it to drop by 40 per cent in the final quarter of this year, after a 23 per cent collapse in the third quarter due to the disease ravaging China’s pig population.
This alone would shave a fraction from the final economic growth figure of the year, with the Chinese consumer paying a higher price for the country’s most popular meat as a result.
“The decline in the pig supply that has already taken place suggests that by early next year, pork price inflation will probably have doubled again from September’s 11-year high, weighing on consumer confidence and real incomes,” said Martin Lynge Rasmussen, an analyst at Capital Economics.
Employment numbers for September, also released on Friday, were steady, but analysts fear that the more economic growth slows, the greater the risk of job losses.
“One thing that the Chinese government worries more about is not the speed of growth, but employment,” Wu from Oxford Economics added. “If GDP growth gets too slow, then it’s actually more difficult to maintain employment levels.”


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House votes to keep 6-day mail delivery
- Staff Pittsburgh Business Times
A bill passed by the House of Representatives is blocking the U.S. Postal Service's plan to stop Saturday mail delivery in an effort to help get it back on financial track.
The Federal Times reported the bill wouldn't allow the decision, announced earlier this year, to be made by Postal Service officials struggling in the wake of billion-dollar deficits and losses of $25 million a day. The bill still needs to be voted upon by the Senate and, if passed, signed by President Barack Obama.
That may not sit well with the Postal Service, which The New York Times reported wouldn't discuss the House vote but said its decision to end six-day delivery was responsible given its financial condition.
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The third episode of Telltale’s Game of Thrones arrives later this week, the studio has announced.
Signifying the midpoint of the six-episode title, The Sword in the Darkness” will launch March 24th on PS3 and PS4 in North America as well as release worldwide on PC.
The content arrives March 25th on PS3 and PS4 in Europe, along with the worldwide release on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Finally, the iOS and Android editions will receive the new chapter on March 26th.
Here’s the episode’s spoiler-filled trailer. As this article’s accompanying image indicates, a notable dragon from the series makes an appearance:


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The upcoming Android N release will allow Android to run natively within cars, letting Google put much deeper hooks into the cars it runs on, the company announced Wednesday at its I/O developer conference.
It also means that carmakers can incorporate Android directly into instrument clusters.
The concept, on a Maserati Ghibli, is also equipped with a 15-inch 4K display and a 720P digital cluster.
"As they move away from using proprietary systems for infotainment, a big win for them car manufacturers is going to be that the ecosystem that s part of Android will come with that so they don t have to think about, 'How do I go out and make developers write for this proprietary system?'"
Of course, it will still be up to individual car companies to decide whether or not to adopt Android, and they will have a lot of flexibility in deciding exactly how they implement it into their vehicles.
Even then, we won't be seeing Android N running natively on anything more than a concept anytime soon.


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Kylie Jenner returned to social media for the first time since she was criticized for her handling of the Astroworld tragedy, while her partner Travis Scott remains out of the public eye. It’s been less than three weeks since the rapper performed during the deadly concert that killed 10 people and injured hundreds more.
Scott, 30, has been named in multiple lawsuits totaling more than $ 3 billion and they keep piling up. But what exactly is the rapper hooked for? One legal expert says the case “will come down to what you knew about the security issues, when you knew about the issues and what you did about it.”
“If Scott ignored the known risks to his concert goers, either before or during the show, he could be in danger from negligence, at least, and from the millions of dollars in damages that could result from the lawsuits. “said attorney Rachel Fiset. Zweiback’s managing partner, Fiset & Coleman, tells Yahoo Entertainment. “The incidents at Scott’s previous concerts will be a factor in the plaintiffs’ claims that Travis Scott should have done more to alleviate the risks on his show, but investigations into what happened to cause the horrific tragedy at Astroworld are still ongoing. ongoing and Scott’s knowledge appears to be still unknown. ”
Fiset says Scott “could be held liable for multi-million dollar damages, which, of course, could lead to bankruptcy with the amounts possible as a result of these lawsuits.” However, it will be a stretch to put this only on Scott. While it is unclear how the incident will directly affect the musician financially, his brand could be irreparably damaged.
“It’s been a brand disaster through a treasure chest of mistakes,” says crisis public relations expert Eric Schiffer. “After the incident, he said he was devastated, but Travis’ opening words don’t ring true to many people. Why did he keep performing when emergency vehicles stopped if he was so devastated? Why didn’t he stop the music and Producers announced it? Why did he and Drake throw a party right after? “
Schiffer believes Scott was “slow to respond” – the rapper finally released a statement the next day.
“Attempts to manage his brand have not changed the perception that he enabled an environment that sparked a lethal night of music,” adds Schiffer.
Scott isn’t just Mr. Kylie Jenner. Forbes declared the “Sicko Mode” singer a “brand whisperer” and placed him on its 30 under 30 list. He reportedly made $ 20 million from his McDonald’s deal, launched his tough seltzer Cacti, and partnered with Nike and its Air Jordan line on Cactus Jack, a sub-brand he created. Nike has postponed the launch of its latest sneaker collaboration following the tragedy. Dior is evaluating the possibility of going ahead with its men’s spring line in collaboration with Scott.
“You are witnessing the most incredible brand success for a musician in modern American history. Travis is sitting on a powder keg that could watch his empire explode,” believes Schiffer. “Many brands will see Travis as a plague, which could face their business explosion. Travis’ legal liability is nothing compared to the severe financial pain and suffering that he can suffer with Napaline brand deals right before their eyes. Nothing. The stuff is over, but he’s an incremental stepping away from individuals and families outraged enough to direct his anger at the Travis brand partners. “
The union of Scott and Kylie was announced. W Magazine The cover, which was filmed before the tragedy, will not be published or promoted digitally after the incident. So is that a sign of things to come for the powerful couple?
“There will continue to be a significant slowdown of any stock and a lot of analysis and observation of how Travis is running things over the next few days and weeks,” explains Schiffer.
As for Kylie’s billion dollar solo brand, she is likely to come out unscathed. The reality star was present at the concert, but was pulled from the VIP section with Kendall Jenner. The Kardashians were criticized across the board for appearing insensitive after the tragedy, posting about Kris Jenner’s birthday, and most of all, doing business as usual.
“Kylie and the Kardashian family will not be held to the same standard as Travis. Therefore, the criticism will not materially affect the Kardashians,” says Schiffer.
“If I were advising Travis, I would let him know that because trust is damaged, the battlefield will have to focus too much on defining who the real Travis Scott is. It would make it clear that his most significant risk is that he runs into for many as distant, “he continues. “Travis has the difficult challenge of making the public understand the past events in which he fostered a lack of security in the face of an image of what he wants: the innocent bystander responsible and unaware despite people suggesting that he was being warned of the deaths below his stage. ”
Travis Scott and Drake named in a $ 750 million lawsuit from Astroworld:


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Automessen: insight into Norway's suppliers market
Automessen, Norway's largest and most important trade fair for automotive suppliers, opens from 7 to 10. February 2018 at Norway Trade Fairs in Lillestrøm. The 14th trade fair is an important meeting place for automotive suppliers throughout Scandinavia.
The event is not just a top class trade show presenting all the important suppliers at the Norwegian market, but offers also workshops, seminars, networking activities and parties.
Apart from the representatives of the traditional automotive sector among the exhibitors, there are also companies targeting commercial drivers, truck owners, coach companies, the taxi sector, the construction and agricultural vehicle sector, and exhibitors passionate about cars.


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The PS4 vs. Xbox One console war continues, and a winner has become clear in the coming months. Of course, the victory has been declared by Xbox boss Phil Spencer, so it's obviously biased toward Project Scorpio.
There could easily be a new PlayStation 4 being developed behind closed doors to compete with Xbox's 4K juggernaut, since gamers will often go after what they feel is the most powerful console, regardless of the games. Sony has yet to acknowledge any such plans.
On that front, Scorpio is most likely going to remain backward compatible with the Xbox One and Xbox One S. Microsoft isn't likely to abandon a console which is due to be maybe a year old by the successor's launch.
Microsoft is also still planning to support Windows 7, however minimally, until 2020, as they continue to push toward a consumer base running only Windows 10. They also haven't disabled the ability to play Xbox 360 as much as just not providing any further firmware updates or technical assistance.
Xbox and Sony both know that simply bricking older consoles will only make gamers who still own them angry. Nintendo has even embraced older consoles, re-releasing the NES and SNES as miniature pre-loaded gaming boxes, even if scalpers are ruining it for everybody.
Project Scorpio is aimed at ending the PS4 vs. Xbox One console war for good, as Eurogamer says Xbox is eschewing the ESRAM console standard for a new undisclosed method which bypasses the need for lower-speed DDR3 RAM and opens up the digital throttle. The original 32 MB memory limit will increase to 320 GB per second. In mechanic terms, it's the equivalent of swapping out a sedan-standard V4 engine with a turbo-friendly V8.
Xbox isn't planning to make games exclusively for Project Scorpio, however, and is telling developers to continue programming for ESRAM. That's the standard used by the Xbox 360, and it can be upscaled.
This new technology could also come with a hefty price tag, and Xbox has shown that they aren't afraid to tack on an extra hundred dollars. Of course, Sony did something very similar with the PlayStation 3, charging $500 at launch, likely due to the included Blu-Ray player technology. This led to the Xbox 360 dominating the gaming market due to its more budget-friendly price tag.
While Project Scorpio won't likely be seen at E3 in June, Phil Spencer has stated on Twitter that he has seen games actually running on the upcoming console and he's impressed.
"Actual games [are] running where I can see the fidelity on screen [and] feel the gameplay. For me, that's when it becomes real."Yes, Xbox fans, the Scorpio will play all of your current games, according to GameSpot. Microsoft has also claimed that the Scorpio will be the most powerful console ever made, touting a noticeable performance advantage over the PS4 Pro.
It's unknown if Sony will attempt to compete with this new technology once they see it running, having already stated their confidence that the PS4 Pro is going to be good enough to keep gamers happy. Despite the VR headset, which has garnered reviews even more favorable than those of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, once gamers realize that the visuals are just better on the Scorpio, the PlayStation 4 Pro might lose much of its consumer loyalty. Once again, the price tag could be the reason many might stay with PlayStation.
Hardcore console gamers often want the best they can get, and Scorpio aims to compete with PC, a first for consoles.
What do you think? Does Project Scorpio's allegedly improved performance outweigh the possibly hefty price tag?
[Featured Image by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Xbox]


text: WASHINGTON — The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is proud to announce that it has launched a completely redesigned website. With the completion of the full rebuild, RFA has added new and enhanced content to further improve ease of navigation, usability, and end-user experience. The website will provide up-to-date market data and will feature news of importance to the ethanol industry, as well as statistics, RFA reports and studies, and infographics. The website also features Google optimization and a responsive design that allows its display to be easily viewed on any mobile device, smartphone, laptop, or tablet. "When we took on the task of redesigning the RFA website, our main goal was to greatly enhance the end-user experience," said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. "The functionality of the new website will make it a dynamic resource for those who are looking for the latest information on the ethanol industry. RFA will continue to vigorously advocate for policies that seek to provide a stable energy marketplace and allow consumers to have more choices at the pump; the new website is part of a set of tools, including the RFA mobile app, 'RFA Advocacy,' that will assist RFA in its efforts." For information on the RFA mobile app, visit: www.EthanolRFA.org/policy/app.


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Russia hopes to further raise China-Russia LED trade volume, and attract top Chinese LED manufacturers to invest in the country, said Alexey Gruzdev, the Russian trade representative to China during a Russia’s lighting market analysis and strategy forum in Shenzhen, China.
Developments in Russia’s LED industry have quickly gained trajectory during 2013, with annual growth rates even reaching 250 percent, said Gruzdev. Currently, decorative LED luminaires make up 10 percent of market shares. According to data compiled from Russia’s lighting market in 2013, the country’s LED bulb sales have reached 1 billion, and generated an annual sales revenue of RUB 40 billion (US $1.11 billion). In recent years, the Russian government has launched policies to promote energy efficient lights. It is estimated by 2016, decorative LED luminaires market share in the country will increase to about 35 percent.
The Russian market imports more than 50 percent of lighting products, “and the ratio is even higher for lighting components which is up to 70 percent,” said Gruzdev. China’s LED exports to Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States amounted to US$ 800 million, with up to 75.74 percent of exports going to Russia, said Dr. Li Wenyu of Guangdong Emerging Industrial Strategy Development Research Institute. Chinese LED products have more than 40 percent market share in the Russian LED market.


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Here’s a deal for 50% off the Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch Festival, which is Oct. 5-6.
The regular price for two adults and two children is $50. But with this deal from Groupon, a family of four can get in for just $25.
The deal includes unlimited carnival rides, kids’ hay-bale and corn-stalk mazes, a dress-your-own scarecrow and a hayride. The festival is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Peacock Park.
Get discounted tickets to the Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch Festival here. The deal is good through Sunday, Sept. 8, or until it sells out, whichever comes first.


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Attendees at this year’s Australian Cotton Conference on the country’s Gold Coast got a fascinating glimpse into what the next decade or two may have in store for the cotton industry.
Business futurist Morris Miselowski told the crowd that the next decade will produce the equivalent of one hundred years of change, and this century will see more change than the previous 10 centuries combined.
Such sweeping developments will, of course, change the face of the cotton industry. For example, he predicts that within a decade, farmers will be able to “print” spare parts for their machinery and be using driverless tractors. Sending emails will be a thing of the past, and people will be flying in airplanes powered by electricity rather than jet fuel.
Miselowski believes the changes coming to the cotton industry can be grouped into three main categories:
- The technology we use to grow cotton. In the future, growers will be much more reliant on digital technology. “A decade ago, a farmer may have had a mobile phone that may have been able to make a phone call (if there was service), and the computer was something [that stayed] back in the office,” he said. “But today, a farmer is likely to have two or more digital devices on their machines, feeding them a constant source of information. This [data] gives farmers much more empirical information, and they will be able to use that with their intuitive senses, to make better decisions.”
- The things we make from cotton. Miselowski believes that cotton will eventually be used in a wide range of utilitarian clothing. This next generation of working apparel will be able to do things such as measure a body’s vital signs and adjust automatically for changes in temperature.
- The people who make up the cotton industry. An increasing number of people will choose a career in agriculture, and they will have a higher degree of qualifications. He also pointed out that people entering the work force today are likely to have six different careers, and a dozen or more jobs, during their lifetimes. “In the 80’s, if I saw that a person had changed jobs three or four times, I would probably have dismissed him as a candidate because he couldn’t stick at a job,” Miselowski said “Today, if someone hasn’t moved about, you wonder about their ability to manage change.”


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Since kicking off the program January 1, Mooyah has seen tangible success. Compared to the same time last year, Mooyah is up 300 percent on the number of 5-star Google reviews.
In the first three days, Mooyah doubled the number of daily Google reviews it received in all of December. Mooyah started 2019 with an overall star average of 4.2. In the last two and a half months the average has increased to 4.5. “Every single month we improve on our rating,” Anderson-Liu says.
The new program is in place at 70 locations and, of those participating, 38 restaurants are now in the top three search results on Google Maps, she adds.
“You have to overcome those negative reviews from the past,” Anderson-Liu says. “So, these increases—even 0.3—are really, really great. We're really encouraged by that.”
Here’s how Mooyah is doing it. Instead of incentivizing customers to post positive reviews on their own, the brand is motivating its team members and franchisees to solicit the positive reviews from customers. Mooyah rewards team members whenever their name is mentioned in a five-star review.
“We found that this program would help us by turning every shopper into a mystery shopper in our team members’ minds,” Anderson-Liu says. “We thought if we could change their mindset a little bit to say, ‘this isn’t just a guest’ or ‘this is just a person in front of me,’ this is somebody who could actually improve my livelihood and my standing here at Mooyah.”
Along with recognition by the brand, employees who are called out in a positive review can choose from different rewards depending on how many reviews come in each month. The different tiers include rewards when a team member reaches five or more reviews in a month and a second tier of different gifts when an employee reaches 10 reviews. If a team member achieves 11-plus reviews in a month they are entered into a $250 value gift raffle. Each quarter, the franchisees with the highest rating will receive a cash reward.
Employee retention has improved since the program kicked off in January, Anderson-Liu says.
“By rewarding the team members instead of the guests, we're getting them to stick around a little bit longer than they might have otherwise,” she says.
Anderson-Liu notes that millennials make up a large part of Mooyah’s workforce and they enjoy being recognized for their hard work. The top employees are called out by name in the company’s biweekly newsletter and that’s a rewarding experience, she says.
“We've gotten really great feedback from team members, which we often don't hear,” Anderson-Liu says. “We're getting tons of thank you emails from them, just for recognizing them and finding a way to connect with them in a way that matters to them, which is sometimes difficult. To be able to recognize those people who are working really hard and who are the heart of our brand is great.”
The program is motivating employees to interact more with customers and pay attention to details that might have been overlooked before. From ordering to table touches, workers are finding different ways to encourage guests to leave a review. In some cases, they’re also helping rectify a situation before it turns into a negative review. When a business resolves a complaint in the customer’s favor, they are likely to do return and do business with the brand again 70 percent of the time, according to Lee Resources.
Employees are now using instruction cards to help guests learn about the program and guide them through the process to leave a review.
“We equip our team members with these cards and then we've trained them to look for specific opportunities, like table touches,” Anderson-Liu says. “When we go around and do that table touch and ask them how their meal is. If they say, ‘Well, it wasn't great,” it allows us to catch that and make it right on the spot.”


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Enable remains committed to Christchurch during lockdown
"We are a lifeline utility and essential service provider which means our business needs to remain open through this time to serve our community.”
An expert’s perspective on COVID and fintech in NZ
Tourism and wine industries to benefit from Vodafone 4G launch in Marlborough
Axios Systems bolsters University of Canterbury's IT service management
Chorus: First day of significant increase in broadband traffic
Google's 12 remote working tips for better productivity
How to manage company communication throughout a lockdown
Fuji Xerox brings accounts receivable solution to APAC
The AI-driven, cloud-based solution enables intra-team collaboration and is compliant with standards in over 60 countries.
Apple's new iPad Pro features LiDAR tech for immersive AR
LiDAR is essentially depth-sensing technology, and Apple says the scanner is able to measure the distance between the iPad and objects around it that are up to five metres away.
Kiwi businesses urged to double down on cybersecurity
Cybercriminals will seek to exploit more businesses that are moving online, particularly as those businesses move to remote working.
CompTIA launches IT workforce planning guide
The free resource, called My IT Path, is designed to provide a personalised and interactive experience for anyone learning about careers in the field.
In times of crisis, collaboration is critical
Never before has our society been tested as it is right now, writes Jeremy Paton.
NXP: Race against time to set up remote working infrastructure during outbreak
Businesses are racing to set up home office infrastructure as more people begin to work from home amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Why you might want to buy tech right now
Manufacturing disruption, closed borders, remote working and learning, economic downturn - it might pay to get that purchase in now.
D-Link launches new wireless router for remote working
D-Link Australia New Zealand has launched a new wireless router designed specifically for people working from home.
NZ telcos preparing to keep up with extra demand over coronavirus self isolation
“The New Zealand telecommunication industry has high quality networks which are more than able to respond to extra demands on the networks from people working from home and spending more time at home due to self-isolation.
How impatience drives our digital behaviour
Your reward for slow load times is a more fleeting interaction with your customer.
HP CEO: "Please stay safe" during coronavirus outbreak
“The entire HP leadership team and I are ready to support you in the coming weeks and months. Do not hesitate to reach out to us or our teams at any time.”
Trade Me announces full migration to cloud with Google Cloud partnership
The online auction website says the move will migrate all systems and applications off its on-premise data centres and fully migrate to the cloud.
ISPs pledge continued service as internet infrastructure feels the pressure
Some ISPs have already reported a huge increase in daytime, home-based internet usage as New Zealanders move their work into their living rooms, studies and spare rooms.
Acronis steps up protection offering for businesses
The company aims to provide a secure collaboration environment for remote workers.
Microsoft announces all-new features for Teams as virus keeps workers home
The new capabilities for Teams announced today focus primarily on online remote meetings as well as new technological solutions for ‘traditionally underserved professionals’, including firstline and healthcare workers.
Privacy Bill will mandate more transparency in Kiwi businesses - OPC
“Privacy is about being transparent and clear with customers and protecting their personal information. It’s about telling people what you’re collecting and what you’re going to do with it."
Google offers Hangouts features for free in midst of COVID-19
As businesses make the move to work entirely remotely as countries go into lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, Google is offering free upgrades on their G Suite for business, providing certain enterprise features for free for the next few months.
Learn the art of working remotely
Use Microsoft Teams to your advantage with short, sharp courses for all of your staff - complete with bonus Mastering Remote Working Madness = presentation.
IDC: AR/VR market will still see eventual growth in 2020
AR and VR headsets will see shipments decline in the near term due to COVID-19, but the long-term outlook is positive, according to IDC.
COVID-19: Zoom downloads explode as people work from home
Between February 22 and March 22 2020, Zoom application downloads increased by 1,270%.
Techday introduces RemoteWorkerTech Asia site
This is a new site dedicated to covering the latest technology, expert opinions and trends around remote working.
Vodafone drops cheques in move it calls (sigh) "Chexit"
Vodafone is, ahem, chequing out of the now old-school payment method as it focuses on developing its digital-first services.
How to keep your customers engaged when introducing an integrated app strategy
While savvy businesses understand engaging with customers in their own environments makes sense, the path to making these meaningful connections with customers is not always easy.
Hands-on review: ASUS ZenScreen Go MB16AP
We get hands-on with Asus's new screen for mobile professionals. It's a fascinating device.
Hands-on review: Wacom One graphics tablet
With the current climate encouraging social isolation, I’ve been spending several hours a day searching out and embracing my inner artistic muse.
Vodafone NZ launches new COVID-19 plans
“Vodafone has taken a proactive approach to this pandemic right from the beginning, and is committed to doing its utmost to support society during this rapidly evolving situation.”
Uber Eats injects $5 million into A/NZ operations as demand surges
“We are putting in place a range of initiatives to continue to support restaurant partners, particularly small business owners, as they keep their kitchens firing to feed people across the country.”
Check your home network: Demand will congest internet during Covid-19 lockdown
New Zealand Telecommunications Forum says demand for data will increase as New Zealanders use their home networks to access internet to continue working, learning and to entertain themselves once the entire country goes into self-isolation.
TIBCO outlines data sharing across open banking, finance and beyond
Open banking is one step in the move towards an ‘open API economy’, in which key services are shared amongst internal departments, partners, and even public developers.
Vodafone's Sharina Nisha up for Women Leading Tech Award
“Sharina aims to inspire other women into technology and she spends a lot of time mentoring emerging engineers."
Kordia provides business confidence in an age of uncertainty
Kordia provides voice, cloud, connectivity, security and IoT services for your business peace of mind.
Survey reveals challenges facing Kiwis working at home
35% of survey respondents say that they feel less productive, and 35-44 year olds expect working with kids at home may prove a challenge.
Vodafone urges customers to go digital, expects call times to increase
"Due to precautionary measures in New Zealand and internationally, our customer care teams are managing the impacts of COVID-19 while dealing with higher call volumes."
Hootsuite offers free pro plan to non profits and SMBs during COVID-19
Hootsuite has announced free access to its professional plan for all non-for-profit organisations and small businesses in a bid to support them through the COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts.
ThousandEyes launches outage map as internet usage explodes during COVID-19 outbreak
"Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been inundated with requests from businesses, industry analysts and other various parties wanting to get a better understanding of global internet health during these trying times."
Is it time for a remote work ramp-up?
No need to panic. Look within your IT partner eco-system and leverage subject matter expertise to support increased remote work requirements.
Snowflake and Adobe team up to empower marketing teams
The Federated Data Access (FDA) connector integration is part of the Adobe Experience Cloud and enables joint customers to analyse data from Adobe Campaign on Snowflake’s integrated cloud data platform.
Apple gives MacBook Air one more tune up
Apple has focused on improving CPU and graphics performance, a new Magic Keyboard, doubled storage capacity, and a new microphone system, amongst other features.
Nutanix expands Xi Frame support across additional APAC data centers
According to Nutanix, the expansion aims to soften the blow of COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak by enabling more businesses and employees to work from remote locations, such as their homes.
COVID-19: Google and Facebook must step up to help businesses
“Now it’s time for them to step up and pay it forward by crediting the accounts of these at-risk advertisers.”
OnePlace Solutions offers free Microsoft 365 add-on to support remote workers during COVID-19
The offer comes after Microsoft announced that subscribers to Microsoft Office 365 will be able to access a free trial of the Microsoft Teams software.
Four NZ projects named as finalist in IDC's Asia Pacific Smart Cities Awards
Two projects from Christchurch City Council, one project from the Rural Connectivity Group and another from Frenzy Application have been shortlisted in IDC's Asia Pacific Smart Cities Awards.


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Massachusetts gun stores are attempting to redefine their businesses in the weeks since the state’s attorney general effectively ended the sale of all AR-15s and AK-47s in the state.
Per the measure, any vendors who continued selling the so-called “copycat” firearms violated the ban and could face fines, prison time and/or lose their Federal Firearms License.
Greg Malany, owner of GFA ArmsTec, said the outright ban sent his shop into utter chaos as he had only a few hours to move his remaining inventory.
“There was no warning,” Malany told The Milford Daily News. “It came completely out of left field.”
While Tombstone Trading Company moved residual inventory into online sales to out of state residents, Guns-Inc told Guns.com they are concentrating on other firearms moving forward.
“We will concentrate on handgun sales more instead of the combined semi-auto rifle and handgun sales,” Kensall Knapik, owner of Guns-Inc said in an email.
Nick’s Sport Shop owner Mario Torchia said the now restricted firearms encompassed about 10- to 15-percent of his stock. He told local reporters that the measure’s murky language and unclear definitions has his team struggling to define what they can stock.
“We’re still trying to figure out is this gun legal, is that gun legal?” Torchia told MassLive. “It’s still not that clear. There’s still a lot of questions on the mechanism of the guns, what falls into that class.”
Healey shocked Second Amendment supporters when she issued the directive on July 20.
“Gun manufacturers have manufactured these weapons as legal versions of prohibited guns,” Healey told reporters. “These weapons are illegal. They are copies or duplicates of banned weapons, and they cannot be bought or sold in Massachusetts.”
“The gun industry doesn’t get to decide what’s compliant (with state law),” Healey added. “We do.”
A wave of panicked customers flocked to local gun shops after the announcement in an attempt to get their hands on the soon to be outlawed weapons.
The line to get into Four Seasons gun shop in Woburn extended into the parking lot. Mass Firearms School in Holliston extended its hours to 11:59 p.m. to accommodate the influx of buyers. The store went so far as to issue an email blast to customers reminding them, “Today is your LAST DAY to purchase a semi-automatic rifle in Massachusetts!”
According to information from the state’s Firearms Records Bureau over 2,500 rifles were sold the day Healey announced the ban. In comparison, just 132 were sold the day before.
Gun rights supporters also turned up in droves to rallies at the state capital. One of the demonstrations organized by the Massachusetts’ Rifle Association garnered thousands of protesters.
The association, one of the nation’s oldest active gun clubs, has been vocal about its disdain for the ban and the manner in which Healey accomplished it. The group told Guns.com that the lack of clarity and sweeping language creates a dangerous level of uncertainty that should concern all 2A supporters.
“If allowed to stand, this creates an intolerable precedent. This allows a single individual to redefine a law 22 years after being passed. It declares that otherwise lawful members of society are now felons based on them following the law of the land for the last 22 years,” the group told Guns.com via Facebook. “This is not the creation of a new law, it’s the destruction of the rule of law.”
The organization urged Facebook followers and members to continue to protest Healey’s measure.
Gun Owners’ Action League also spoke out against Healey. In a statement published to their website, the group condemned the sudden directive.
“Now, suddenly, without warning or any due process a single person with a clear political agenda decides to change the rules,” the statement read. “All Massachusetts residents should be alarmed.”
Source Article from http://www.guns.com/2016/07/31/massachusetts-gun-shops-redefine-business-after-ag-healeys-ban/