text:
“We all have a responsibility to help safeguard the environment, personally, in business and as an industry as a whole,” states James Conn, ceo of UK Greetings. The major card publisher has always taken the issue of the environment seriously, but its decision to form a dedicated Environmental Steering Group, which includes key personnel with different specialisms demonstrates UKG’s deeper commitment to instigate environmental improvements in the supply chain and the industry at large.
“Our Environmental Steering Group’s collective strengths mean that we can investigate possible improvements from all angles. We are reviewing end to end processes, including product, manufacturing and distribution to drive our ‘reducing avoidable waste’ project forward,” adds James. “We are working with our retail partners to understand what strategies they are implementing to meet the change in government legislation on this front and are offering solutions to support their pledges.”
UKG has already started making changes internally, with its Plastic Free Friday initiative which forms part of its plastic elimination strategy.
This ongoing campaign involves weekly activities to reduce the business’ plastic footprint.
Starting with a ‘quick win’, all plastic cups have been removed from the publisher’s water fountains and canteen areas.
Last Friday’s (March 16) #plasticfreefriday activity saw UKG employees all invited to buy a re-usable thermos cup at a vastly reduced price, thereby eradicating the need to use the single use cups provided by the Costa Coffee operation within UKG’s offices, factories and warehouses.
Commenting on the response from the UKG staff to the #plasticfreefriday campaign, Rachel Wood, UKG’s product development director for private label and member of the Environmental Steering Group said: “We have received lots of positive feedback and it’s great to see how everyone at UKG has embraced this positive change”.


text:
The #CrochetGO Facebook group has grown to over 1,000 members in just a few days.
One of the most enticing things about playing Pokémon GO is the way it encourages you to move around in the real world, experiencing a sort of virtual crossover where Pokémon are hiding everywhere.
But what if there were real Pokémon to be found at PokéStops too?
Thanks to self-described “crafty geek” and stay-at-home mom of two Nichole Dunigan, the next time you hit a PokéStop (GPS-mapped locations where players can refuel and get Poké Balls, potions, etc.), you might find an unexpected discovery.
Dunigan calls it #CrochetGO, and her project started as a personal hobby. The expert crafter crochets Pokémon that are perfectly identical to the characters in the game—from Squirtle to Bellsprout and more.
Dunigan began by posting photos of the crocheted figures to her Instagram account. Soon after, she had the brilliant idea to hide the cute, fuzzy creatures at real PokéStops in her town of Lewisville, Texas, for Pokémon hunters to find.
Dunigan was featured on her local news station CW33, which said she was overwhelmed by online orders for the crocheted monsters. But there’s just one problem: They aren’t for sale. Just like on the game, you have to go on a treasure hunt and find where Dunigan hides the knotty Pokémon. If you spot one, you get to keep it.
So many people have responded to Dunigan’s cute crochet figures, she decided to launch a Facebook group for fellow crafters interested in making IRL Pokémon to hide in their own cities and towns. The #CrochetGO group was created on August 17, and two days later had over 1,000 members—with many posting photos of their crafting progress.
Members of the #CrochetGO Facebook group live all over the U.S. and beyond—a quick scan through the latest posts showed members getting ready to hide piles of crocheted Pokémon in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Dunigan also encouraged players lucky enough to stumble across hidden crocheted Pokémon to post their finds using the #crochetgo hashtag.
A kid named Mario looked absolutely thrilled with the Zubat he found at a PokéStop.
Some crafters even posted photos of the Pokémon after they were hidden, leaving subtle clues for players who might be in on the secret sub-game.
Dunigan said on Facebook that she doesn’t plan to start selling the crocheted ‘mons no matter how many times people ask.
“I am in love with designing them and making them to hide,” she wrote on the page Nichole’s Nerdy Knots. “Also, I kinda like that you have to find them in the wild to have one! Anywhere I travel I’ll be dropping them off, so keep an eye on my feed for locations.”
The most brilliant part of Dunigan’s magical, free project? She’s made all of the Pokémon patterns available for free on Ravelry so inspired crafters can join in the fun.
Gotta craft ’em all.
Pure, uncut internet. Straight to your inbox.

domain: news


text:
Soft Q4 PC Sales Lead to First Annual Decline in Five Years
January 11, 2013 2:07 PM
comment(s) - last by
PC industry slumps as Windows 8 fails to drive upgrades
Manufacturers in the computer industry were optimistic for the launch of Windows 8. Computer manufacturers and Microsoft hoped that the launch of Microsoft's latest version of its Windows operating system would spur consumers and businesses to upgrade and buy new PCs. However, IDC reports that
did not have the impact expected for the computer market.
The research has offered up its numbers for Q4 2012 for the computer industry, and the results are far from positive. IDC reports that worldwide PC shipments totaled 89.8 million units in Q4 2012, representing a decline of 6.4% compared to Q4 2011. The decline during Q4 was worse than the forecasted decline of 4.4% for the computer market.
Lackluster sales during Q4 2012 marked the first time in more than five years that the PC market has seen a year-over-year decline during the holiday shopping season. The computer market continues to be challenged with the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones that many consumers are purchasing instead of upgrading computers.
"Lost in the shuffle to promote a touch-centric PC, vendors have not forcefully stressed other features that promote a more secure, reliable and efficient user experience,” said Jay Chou, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. “As Windows 8 matures, and other corresponding variables such as Ultrabook pricing continue to drop, hopefully the PC market can see a reset in both messaging and demand in 2013."
HP maintained the top position in the worldwide rankings for Q4 2012. Lenovo outpaced the market with growth of over 8% landing in the second place for the global computer market. Rounding out the top five PC vendors in order by sales volume are Dell, Acer, and ASUS.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Apple bias?
1/11/2013 4:09:23 PM
mmmkay... I am not sure what you are looking at. IDC (independant research that is wideley accepted as the leading unbiased source for consumer/market info) shows it went down slightly...
But like I said... Really, who cares. You are just panty-wadded because Apple wasnt being portrayed in a bright light. Get a clue and a life, and some self esteem, and stop glomming on to a company to fill the void in your life.
"This week I got an iPhone. This weekend I got four chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a land line so I can actually make phone calls." -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Quick Note: Microsoft Announces 60 Million Windows 8 Licenses Sold
January 8, 2013, 5:30 PM
Samsung Reveals Metal Unibody Galaxy A5, A3 Smartphones
October 31, 2014, 9:27 AM
Amazon Exec on Fire Phone: “We didn’t get the price right”
October 31, 2014, 8:22 AM
Moto 360 to go "Champagne Gold" for $299, According to Amazon Listing
October 30, 2014, 3:24 PM
Call-capable Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Launches Nov 7 in U.S.
October 30, 2014, 12:45 PM
Lenovo Completes $2.91B Acquisition of Motorola
October 30, 2014, 11:57 AM
Samsung Electronics Q3 Profit Falls by 60%, Mobile Division Sees 74% Profit Decline
October 30, 2014, 10:10 AM
Most Popular Articles
1 Million Credit Card Activated on Apple Pay Within 72 Hours, Walmart CEO Hopes Visa "Suffers"
October 28, 2014, 8:17 AM
Amid Theater Boycott Netflix Defiantly Plans New Movies, Plus 3 TV Shows for 2015
October 24, 2014, 7:30 PM
CVS, Rite Aid Kill Unofficial Apple Pay Support, Burn Google Wallet Users in the Process
October 25, 2014, 5:26 PM
Microsoft's Figures Show Desktop Users Flocking to Windows 10 Preview
October 27, 2014, 11:04 AM
Fitbit's $249 Surge Fitness Watch Packs 7-Day Battery Life, Two Other Models Also Air
October 27, 2014, 4:20 PM
Latest Blog Posts
Costco Gives Employees Thanksgiving Off; Wal-Mart Leads "Black Thursday" Charge
Oct 29, 2014, 9:57 PM
"Bear Selfies" Fad Could Turn Deadly, Warn Nevada Wildlife Officials
Oct 28, 2014, 12:00 PM
The Surface Mini That Was Never Released Gets "Hands On" Treatment
Sep 26, 2014, 8:22 AM
ISIS Imposes Ban on Teaching Evolution in Iraq
Sep 17, 2014, 5:22 PM
Space Terrorism is a Looming Threat For the United States
Apr 23, 2014, 7:47 PM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2014 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
KABUL—The former United Nations envoy to Afghanistan accused Pakistan of undermining negotiations with the Taliban by arresting senior Taliban officials.
Kai Eide, a Norwegian diplomat who stepped down from the U.N. post this month, said in a British Broadcasting Corp. interview broadcast Friday that he had been engaged in negotiations about a possible end to Afghanistan's war with "senior Taliban leadership" since last spring, with the apparent blessing of the insurgency's overall chief, Mullah Muhammad Omar.
Walmart coupon: $20 off your $50+ order
Up to 50% off + extra 20% off sitewide - JCPenney promo code
Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair
60% off running shoes and apparel at Nike
- The Home Depot:
$50 discount sitewide - Home Depot Coupon
Hotels.com September Deals - Save 20% or more


text:
The government on November 10 has made some amendments in Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) following which the national permit vehicles can now ply without two drivers and also there is no requirement of having dark brown body color for such vehicles, as was mandatory earlier.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in its statement said, “The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made amendments to CMVR 1989. For national permit vehicles the requirements of having a dark brown body color and having two drivers have been done away with.”
The statement also said that the words “National Permit or N/P” should be inscribed in the front and rear of the vehicles in bold letters, and added that in case of trailers, the letters “N/P” will be inscribed on the rear and left side of the vehicle.
“The body of a tanker carrying dangerous or hazardous goods shall be painted in white colour and shall display the class label. It has to be fitted with FASTag. Vehicle shall be affixed with reflective tapes at front and rear,” the statement reads.
Under the amendments made the vehicle will also be fitted with a vehicle tracking system device. It will not pick up or set down goods between two points in the same state if restricted by the particular state.
The statement further added that the announced measures will ease the transport sector of the regulatory requirements and would help to reduce corruption and increase the efficiency of the sector.


text: Although we've already seen the 2010 Chevy Camaro revealed in three colors, the crazy kids over at CarScoop have decided the new Chevy Camaro RS needs to be seen in more than just plain-Jane colors like red, yellow and silver. They've Photoshopped a veritable Skittles-like rainbow of colorgasmic flavors for the new Chevy Camaro. Check out the front ends over here, then head on over to CarScoop to check out the hot rear action. Although we''re partial to pink on the new mullet-mobile, what's your favorite flavor? Better question — anyone want to take a few moments in P-shop themselves to mock up what colors and decals you'd drop atop Chevy's new muscle car? We'll do a post showing off the best tomorrow afternoon before the official unveiling at 4:00 PM EST.


text:
Vietnam exported to Norwich with $81.9 million, raised by 26.3% in the comparison to the same period of last year. The import activity reached $46.7 million, raised by 33.7%. The commerce surplus between two countries reached $35.2 million, raised by 17.6% in the comparison to the same period of last year.
In the structure of export goods, footwear reached $23.6 million, raised by 0.1%. Then, textile gained $12.3 million, raised by 12.8%. Wooden products reached $7.6 million, raised by 6.2%. Aqua product reached $4.2 million, raised by 18.5%. Handicraft reached $1.6 million, reduced to 1%. Cashew nut reached $1.9 million, reduced to 69%.
The economic experts reviewed that, Norwich is the potential market of Vietnam. Vietnam can transfer goods to North Europe via Norwich. The exporters should focus on the goods that Norwich has the high demand such as footwear, aqua products, textile, wooden products, vegetables and fruits, and cashew nuts.
Translated by: Maxib2b.com
Denmark fell into recession in the first quarter as a sharp fall in household consumption blamed on the government's belt-tightening policies took analysts by surprise.View more...


text:
'The Saint' Volvo 1800 S first owned by the late Sir Roger Moore will be displayed at Techno-Classica Essen, Germany's huge classic car show in late March
A 1967 Volvo 1800 S formerly owned by the late Sir Roger Moore and which starred in The Saint will be on display with Volvo Cars Heritage at Techno-Classica Essen.
Prior to taking on the role of James Bond, where he reprised the role of the world’s most infamous spy for a record seven films, Moore starred as Simon Templar in The Saint from 1962 to ‘69.
In early February of 1967 Moore became the registered keeper of his co-starring 1800 S. Finished in Pearl White, the car was built in Volvo’s Torslanda plant in Sweden at the end of 1966. Wearing its ‘ST 1’ number plate, the car featured until the series ended.
Later, Moore sold the car to actor Martin Benson, who played Mr Solo in Goldfinger.
Several owners followed, and in the early 2000s the car was carefully restored to near-original condition. Notably, it retains a thermometer on the dashboard and a separate interior fan, used to cool the actors during studio filming.
The German exhibition, which runs from March 21-25, will be the first time the car has been shown at a European classic car show.
At Techno-Classica, Moore’s car will feature alongside another Volvo 1800 belonging to Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars.
Samuelsson said: ‘The Saint with Roger Moore was my favourite TV show in the 1960s and since then I always wanted a P1800.
‘It is the most legendary Volvo model of all time and a great example of Scandinavian design.
‘Volvo Cars proudly purchased this car a few years ago and we are very excited to be able to show it at Techno-Classica. It is a unique car with a remarkable history,’ added Per-Åke Fröberg, head of Volvo Cars Heritage.
Also on show is a one-off 1968 1800 ES prototype built by Italian coachbuilder Pietro Frua, an unrestored 1973 1800 ES never driven on the road, an extremely rare 1966 1800 Volvoville convertible, of which only 30 were built and an early 1961 P1800 barn-find.
For details of Techno-Classic Essen, visit the website.


text:
Environment Canada proposes fuel efficiency and GHG regulations for MY 2017 to 2025; aligned with US
Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent, announced proposed regulations to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of passenger automobiles and light trucks for model years 2017 to 2025. The proposed regulations are aligned with the new United States regulations. (Earlier post.)
For model years 2017 to 2025, cars will be required to achieve, on average, 5% annual reductions in GHG emissions. Light trucks will be required to achieve, on average, 3.5% annual GHG emission reductions from model year 2017 to 2021 and 5% reductions from 2022 to 2025. This will give time for companies to find technological solutions that lead to reduced emissions without affecting the utility of their trucks.
While the regulations are aligned, Canada has included greater regulatory incentives for advanced technology vehicles such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids for model years 2011 to 2016; both countries are now following suit for model years 2017 to 2021, Environment Canada pointed out.
These new regulations improve fuel efficiency so that by 2025 new cars will consume 50% less fuel and emit 50% less GHGs than a similar 2008 model, leading to significant savings at the pump.—Minister Kent
Environment Canada expects these regulations will reduce GHGs by 162 megatonnes between 2017 and 2025.


text:
Afghanistan: Latest beverage news & analysis
This month, Richard Corbett casts his eye in the direction of Afghanistan - a country of great danger, but maybe even greater potential, for the soft drinks and water producers among us.
PepsiCo has signed a bottling agreement with Alokozay Group of Companies for the manufacture and distribution of its drinks brands in Afghanistan.
Coca-Cola Co. has become the first major business to open in Afghanistan since the fall of the hard-line Taliban regime almost five years ago.
- Why consumers don't care about vodka's provenance
- Pernod Ricard's FY Performance by Region, Brand
- Japan follows in Scotch whisky's footsteps
- Brown-Forman's Q1 Performance by Region, Brand
- Pernod Ricard's FY fiscal-2015 - Preview
- Diageo launches glass Bulleit & Cola bottles
- Pernod Ricard "in line" after full-year results
- Pernod Ricard releases social medial guide
- Bruno Mars rum rolls out across US
- Brown-Forman CEO unfazed by FX headwinds
- Global gin insights - market data, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global Tequila insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research


text:
Revolut, a cryptocurrency-friendly digital banking startup, has expanded its record of cryptocurrency choices.
The company noted in an announcement that it added COTI Community’s native cryptocurrency to its monetary app.
“We’re happy to tell you that Revolut has added COTI (ERC20) to its supported crypto providing of their app! Revolut is constructing the world’s first international monetary super-app,” Revolut stated.
Following the announcement, COTI will probably be made obtainable to Revolut’s clients dwelling in the UK (UK) in addition to the European Financial Space (EEA).
Revolut Crypto Choices Surpasses 80 Cash
Revolut has continued to broaden its cryptocurrency choices to incorporate extra crypto belongings. This comes lower than three years after the corporate introduced that it will supply its shoppers digital currencies.
With the COTI token added to the record of Revolut’s supported cryptocurrency belongings, the corporate has expanded its crypto providing to greater than 80 digital currencies.
The crypto digital banking startup helps a number of the high cryptocurrencies, together with Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Bitcoin Money (BCH).
Curiously, Revolut’s customers have surged tremendously following the corporate’s enterprise into the crypto area. In keeping with Revolut, it has greater than 20 million customers globally, who conduct over 250 million month-to-month transactions.
COTI Community’s Play Energetic Position in Cardano’s Djed’s Issuance
COTI is the native digital forex of COTI Community, a number one enterprise-grade fintech firm based mostly on the Cardano community.
It’s noteworthy that COTI Community was chosen final yr to grow to be the official issuer of Cardano’s official stablecoin, Djed. Charles Hoskinson, the founding father of Cardano, introduced in September 2021.
Since its choice, COTI Network has partnered with numerous projects as a part of efforts to bolster the issuance of the algorithmic stablecoin.
Among the corporations COTI Community has partnered with for the issuance of Djed’s stablecoin embody Cardano-based decentralized alternate SundaeSwap and cloud computing platform Iagon, amongst others.
Over the previous month, COTI announced five new partners that can use the Djed algorithmic stablecoin on their respective platforms.
– Commercial –


text:
Cotton prices changed marginally opening the week, yesterday. The US cotton futures closed down 0.05 per cent on the day with the benchmark December contract on ICE Futures at US cents 66.15 per pound, paring losses after sinking near the key support level of US cents 65.
Cotton prices fell in line with tumbling grains markets as cotton competes with corn and soybeans for acreage in the US. Market speculators jumped to a big bearish bet and expectations have risen that US farmers will harvest a bumper crop in the world's top exporter. Late rains in the top cotton producing areas of Texas eased worries over the return of dry weather that has been plagued by drought since 2010. Official data showed that speculators trimmed a huge bearish bet in cotton futures and options in the week ended 19 August..
Elsewhere, in Pakistan the cotton market was stable on the first day of the week as mills continued buying to cover forward buying. The official spot rate recovered PakRs 50 from the previous week-end fall to PakRs 5,500 per maund. According to reports, persistent demand from mills helped sustain the rate at current levels. Meanwhile, exporters were on the sidelines due to high rates.
In India, prices were seen moving up on Monday, according to the Cotton Association of India, gaining INR100-600 per candy from last week end. While J-34, LRA-5166 and H-4/ MECH-1 cotton was dearer by INR100 a candy, V-797 and NHH-44 surged INR400 per candy. The monsoon rains have been trailing the long-period average by 18 per cent until mid-last week dry spells in parts of cotton-growing states of Gujarat and Maharashtra is likely affect production.
Courtesy: YnFx Daily Textiles Prices Service
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
Countries Served Worldwide


text:
|Bid||162.60 x 1100|
|Ask||162.67 x 800|
|Day's Range||162.81 - 167.25|
|52 Week Range||149.02 - 218.62|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||25.21|
|Earnings Date||Oct 30, 2018 - Nov 5, 2018|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||210.06|
Move aside Tinder and Bumble, Facebook hopes to come out on top of the dating game with the launch of its new dating service. The social media giant started testing its online service in Colombia with millions of users already signed up to use the platform.
The White House is reportedly working on a memorandum for President Donald Trump to sign that would direct government agencies to "thoroughly investigate" whether social media companies such as Google or Facebook have violated U.S. antitrust laws, Bloomberg reported Saturday. Social media company leaders, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter chief Jack Dorsey have denied that their platforms are politically biased.
A draft of that executive order would direct federal agencies to give recommendations ways to "protect competition among online platforms and address online platform bias" within a month after being signed.
Salesforce Chief Product Officer Bret Taylor has climbed the ranks quickly since his start-up Quip was acquired two years ago, and now he's in Benioff's inner circle.
Bret Taylor was central to the MuleSoft acquisition and he's played a leading role in Salesforce's Dreamforce roadshow. Taylor and Marc Benioff have known each other for about a decade, dating back to intimate CEO dinners they both attended. Benioff has put Taylor in charge of developing products that are more consumer friendly than traditional business software.
Facebook (FB) is facing accusations that it lets employers show job openings to men only while keeping potential female candidates in the dark. A group of job seekers, backed by labor unions the American Civil Liberties Union and Communications Workers of America, has recently filed formal complaints against the company with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing it of enabling discrimination in job ads. Facebook’s advertising tools seem to be generating a lot of trouble for it lately.
Your Facebook Page can now join members-only Facebook Groups. In a new setting update spotted by social media aficionado Matt Navarra, Facebook is now going to let Pages on the site interact with communities through Facebook Groups. Handy... Facebook is now letting Pages join Groups h/t @MariSmith pic.twitter.com/aQxaExHhtr — Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 19, 2018 Within Facebook Group settings, a new option has popped up for group owners that enables them to “allow Pages to request to join as group members.” Previously, only personal profiles could join Facebook Groups and post and comment within them. SEE ALSO: The only good thing left on Facebook is private meme groups “We've heard from people that engaging with public figures, non-profits, publishers, and businesses in a more intimate setting can be meaningful,” a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable. “We previously launched the ability for Pages to start Facebook Groups so that they can engage with their communities. We are now testing the ability for Pages to join existing Facebook Groups as well.” As Facebook points out, there are a number of Facebook Page types that really stand to benefit from this change. For one, there are actors, musicians, politicians and all other sorts of celebrities and public figures who use Facebook Pages as their main account. Some might not make their personal Facebook profiles public. Others might not even have a personal profile at all. Before this change, various public figures and brands could have been prohibited from interacting with their fans or supporters within Facebook Groups. Now that Pages can join groups, Facebook might soon see verified Pages with millions of “likes” interact on a more personal level within Groups. Page owners using the Page itself in Facebook Group can now also possibly see an uptick in likes due to these interactions as opposed to friend requests on their personal profiles from users they may barely even know. Page owners can now build the brand they properly want to use within Groups instead of being forced to use personal profiles which Facebook requires a real name to use. With the positives from these changes, there’s bound to be some negatives, too. Hiding behind a random Page name as opposed to your real name on a profile is bound to lead to some abuse. And Facebook seems to have prepared for that. Facebook tells me that Group administrators can turn off the option allowing Pages to join their Facebook Group. Admins can also ban Pages just as if they were any other group member. All Facebook Group administrators will soon be informed of this brand new feature. Enabling Pages to join Groups will be the platform wide Group default. Group admins will also be told how to turn the setting off. Facebook appears to be taking its Groups feature more seriously in recent months. Along with the options for Facebook Pages to both join and create Groups, earlier this summer Facebook announced a Group subscription plan option, allowing some Groups to charge members for access. WATCH: Musk under investigation, Trump's Chinese tariffs, Facebook's fake-news victory: The week in tech news
AR/VR (augmented reality and virtual reality) is still in its early stages of development. But recently, there have been signs that companies are ready to embrace the technology.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2018 / Pawar Law Group announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of shareholders who purchased shares of Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) from ...
Although BlackBerry (BB) wasn’t featured on the list of companies leading the race to patent blockchain ideas, it does feature a massive patent portfolio. The company owns more than 40,000 patents, which it allows other companies to use in their products and services for a fee.
Facebook (FB) is testing its much-anticipated dating service in Colombia before it considers bringing it worldwide. The service will not have the swipe function like Tinder. Instead, it’s based on algorithms that screen possible matches based on the user data Facebook already has.
The European Commission is putting more pressure on Facebook (FB) to make additional changes to its terms of service. Facebook updated its terms of service earlier this year, but according to Věra Jourová, the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Facebook is still opaque in terms of how it monetizes user data.
Emails between Google employees appear to show them discussing ways to alter the company's search engine algorithm so that results pages detailed ways of countering President Donald Trump's travel ban, after his administration restricted immigration from several Middle Eastern and African countries in January 2017. Google said none of the suggestions was ever implemented, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Instagram's new IGTV video service suggested content that showed potential child abuse, according to a report by Business Insider. In one video, called "Hot Girl Follow Me," a girl aged around 11 or 12 is shown in a bathroom, about to take her top off. It appeared on Instagram's "Popular" tab, one of the ways the app recommends content.
Dating app Tinder is rolling out a new feature aimed at its top-paying members. Called Top Picks, this feature is rolling out globally following successful trials in several countries in the last few months. Tinder is one of the online dating platforms operated by Match Group (MTCH). The others platforms are OkCupid, PlentyOfFish, and Match.com.
Market-leading companies including Alphabet, Facebook and Netflix are changing S&P 500 sectors on Monday, with big implications for investors who use technology, consumer discretionary and telecom index funds and ETFs. The new S&P communications sector that replaces the telecom index will include these big technology stocks, changing the nature of what has been one of the market's best defensive and highest-dividend yield stock strategies.
Facebook is apparently set to release its own video chat device, Portal, next week. As reported by Cheddar, the device is Facebook's first foray into consumer tech outside of Oculus, and is similar to Amazon's recently-updated Echo Show. SEE ALSO: Facebook Dating wants to be the anti-Tinder The outlet's source said the device will come in two screen sizes, and could cost around $400 for the larger size, while the smaller version could be priced at $300. That's compared to $229.99 for the Echo Show. These devices were due to be unveiled at the tech company's F8 conference in May, but Facebook held off due to intense public scrutiny following the Cambridge Analytica scandal earlier this year, Bloomberg reported. Concerns over the diminishing public trust in Facebook led to the inclusion of a privacy shutter in front of Portal's wide-angle video camera. The device uses AI to recognise people in the frame and follow people as they move around the room. It'll also have Alexa voice assistant integration, and lets users play music, watch videos, get cooking recipes, and receive news briefings. Portal is reportedly the result of Facebook's Building 8, a secretive R&D centre for hardware projects. The device is part of Facebook's plans to get people to video chat on its platform. But given the company's well-publicised issues with data privacy issues and how much data it has on users, putting a connected device in their home might not sit well with many people. WATCH: iPhone XS and XS Max video review: Should you make the splurge?
Facebook Inc said on Thursday that it would no longer dispatch employees to the offices of political campaigns to offer support ahead of elections, as it did with U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2016 race. The company and other major online ad sellers including Alphabet Inc's Google and Twitter Inc have long offered free dedicated assistance to strengthen relationships with top advertisers such as presidential campaigns. Brad Parscale, who was Trump's online ads chief in 2016, last year called onsite "embeds" from Facebook crucial to the candidate's victory.
Facebook said it would no longer dispatch employees to political campaign offices to offer support ahead of elections, as it did in 2016.
Facebook Inc (FB.O) said on Thursday that it would no longer dispatch employees to the offices of political campaigns to offer support ahead of elections, as it did with U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2016 race. The company and other major online ad sellers including Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) have long offered free dedicated assistance to strengthen relationships with top advertisers such as presidential campaigns. Brad Parscale, who was Trump's online ads chief in 2016, last year called onsite "embeds" from Facebook crucial to the candidate's victory.
The European Union is ramping up pressure on Facebook Inc. to better spell out to consumers how their data is being used or face sanctions in several countries. Věra Jourová, the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, on Thursday warned the U.S. tech firm that if it doesn’t change its “misleading terms of service” by the end of the year, that she will call on consumer-protection authorities in EU countries to impose sanctions. A spokesman for Facebook said it has made changes to its terms based on regulators.


text:
Samsung video ups the antagonism between Apple with teaser video promoting its Galaxy S III launch event.
Norton Secured Seal will replace the Verisign logo to reassure consumers online that a site has been checked out for malware and security issues.
New revisions to the social network's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities are up for discussion until a revised deadline of April 27.
Security firm Trend Micro says Apple topped its list of companies hit with vulnerabilities followed by Oracle, and Google.
Paltry fine on Google for monitoring Wi-Fi nets will only encourage snoopers.
Shrewd business or a poke at a bubble -- Pundits are divided over the market meaning of Facebook's latest purchase.
A survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals that 20 percent of Americans live in a world without cyberspace and don't expect to move anytime soon.
Apple's deal with e-book publishers contained a sweetheart clause to keep Apple's wares competitive.
Scammers are out in force as the tax filing deadline approaches. Here are some of the most common scams to be on the lookout for.
Three of the five book publishers sued Wednesday by the Department of Justice quickly agree to scrap their deal with Apple and claim no wrong-doing.
More than 1,400 chief information officers in U.S. companies with 100 or more employees shared some of the strangest questions they have ever received.
The search giant's slate could bring some needed order to the market--or could greatly add to the present confusion.


text:
ioa news search results
Developer news items we found relating to ioa
Internet of APIs (IoA) will Break Out in 2016
Monday, December 21, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
We recently visited with Kurt Collins, Director of Technology Evangelism and Partnerships at Built.io, about the impact the Internet of APIs (IoA) will have in 2016.ADM: We’ve all heard the term the “Internet of Things (IoT),” but how will this evolve in 2016 and how so?Collins: The year 2015 was a breakout year for the Internet of Things. The Apple Watch was released a...
built.io Offers Flow Early Access Program to IoT Platform
Thursday, December 18, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
flow.built.io is offering sign up now for early access to the unveiling of it's platform. Developers and businesses can access the developer tools which lead to the future of Internet of APIs (IoA). The company’s developer tools are letting users utilize sophisticated IoA workflows which are unique to monetizing IoA use cases. The Internet of APIs may even be ...


text:
Recently, many parts of the world have been affected by high-temperature weather. Recently, the World Meteorological Organization issued a warning that this round of high-temperature weather will last at least until next week and may affect many peoples. Summer heatwaves continue to affect not only humans but devices of all kinds.
Many European countries are facing more extreme high-temperature weather. For example, the temperature in the UK has exceeded 40 ℃, setting a record. For this reason, Valve officially issued
a high-temperature warning, suggesting that Steam Deck holders should not play games in the hot outdoors. Valve says that the Steam Deck performs best at ambient temperatures ranging from 0°C to 35°C, and if the temperature exceeds the limit, the built-in protection mechanism of the Steam Deck will limit its performance.
The AMD custom SoC on the Steam Deck
runs at 100°C without failure, but once the limit is exceeded, the Steam Deck will force it to run at a lower frequency. In the worst case, the Steam Deck will cut power completely to prevent the device from overheating and damaging the device.
Valve is not the first device manufacturer to issue a similar warning. About a week ago, Nintendo issued
a similar warning, advising players not to play the Nintendo Switch in an outdoor high-temperature environment, with a maximum safe ambient temperature of 35°C. Nintendo also recommends that players should clean the air inlet and air outlet of the Nintendo Switch and leave at least 10cm of space around the perimeter.
In the hot summer, it is best for players to go back indoors if they want to play games.


text:
Nintendo’s 3DS is more than just a handheld gaming console. The console also comes with support for some apps, such as the YouTube app that allows gamers to watch videos on their consoles, a nice break from just playing games all day. However, if you do use the YouTube app quite a bit, you might be disappointed to learn that the app will be going away in September.
In an announcement on its website, Nintendo confirmed that the YouTube app for the 3DS will be officially shutting down on the 3rd of September. They note that the YouTube app will continue to exist for both the Nintendo Switch and the Wii U, although we can’t imagine that support for the Wii U will continue much longer either given the focus on the Switch these days.


text:
Qorvo‘s GP712 System-on-Chip is in the new Zigbee-based HUMAX Chorus Voice Assistant. The pairing is advancing the Internet of Things (IoT) by creating a turnkey, smart home system for operators that integrates gateways, sensor devices, cloud platforms and mobile applications.
GP712 multi-stack, multi-protocol Voice assistants are fueling growth in the smart home market. According to Gartner’s report, end-user spending for the worldwide virtual personal assistant (VPA)-enabled wireless speaker market is forecast to reach $3.52 billion by 2021, up from $720 million in 2016.
The GP712 was the first Zigbee 3.0-compliant platform, and the first multi-channel IoT transceiver in the industry to be certified for the Thread protocol. With the ability to support Zigbee and Thread on different RF channels, the GP712 enables designers to use a single transceiver for gateway products to simultaneously serve both protocols.
Qorvo becomes the only company to simultaneously support Zigbee 3.0, Thread, Zigbee RF4CE and Zigbee Green Power in a single radio. Qorvo products that solve the IoT’s toughest RF challenges will be showcased during CES 2018 (#CES2018) in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 9-12, in booth #42531, Halls A-D of Sands Expo.


text:
Honor has just launched a Wireless earbud that looks like almost exactly like the Apple Airpods
While wireless gadgets still keep making a wave in the mobile tech space, the Chinese owned brand announced the release of a new earpod that clones similar look from the Apple AirPods, down to the charging case. The mother company has launched a similar earbud they called “Huawei Freebuds”, although it is way back behind the new FlyPod in terms of tech-pack. The initial plan of the company was to release new FlyPod alongside with the Honor Mate 20, but some things were not in place, while the now “FlyPod” was meant to carry the name “Huawei FreeBuds” according to a reliable source.
The Huawei-owned Honor FlyPod takes a shift from the norm, having the ability to unlock a compatible mobile phone via a biometric technology. The FlyPods Pro have what Honor is calling “BoneID technology” which supposedly can use a combination of voice recognition and “bone sound pattern” recognition as biometric authentication to unlock your phone by voice. It can also be used to make payments on WeChat and AliPay.
The FlyPods connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and have an IP54 waterproof rating, so it’s safe to work out with them. Earbuds can be used to answer calls, control media playback, and activate Honor’s YoYo voice assistant. The 420mAh battery should last three hours on a single charge, and up to 20 hours with the charging case. It can charge via USB-C, or on a wireless charging pad.
The FlyPods are available for preorder with a starting price of ¥799 (about $115 USD or N41,750)) and come in teal and white colors. The FlyPods Pro cost ¥999 (about $143 USD or N51,909) and come in white and red colors. Both versions will go on sale starting from November 6th in various retail stores.


text:
Tetris recreated in LBP
While every man and his non-hardcore gaming Gran battles it out to get on Sony's LittleBigPlanet beta ahead of next month's 'proper' launch, developer Media Molecule have cleverly recreated Tetris within the user-generated content world.
Presumably designed to exemplify the flexibility and creative-empowerment offered by the new platform-cum-sandbox title; the demonstration even boasts the correct 'plinky-plonky' music.
The fully functioning Tetris is likely to delight sackboy's fans ahead of launch, and you can see it for yourself by heading over to the official website.
We'll bring you more on LBP as release nears.
- Underworld Ascendant makes its Kickstarter goal with room to spare
- Rare is 30, has something special coming in recognition of the anniversary
- Destiny will get one more update before House Of Wolves arrives
- Warner Bros to bring DC MOBA Infinite Crisis to Steam
- Gabe Newell: No-one gets motion-sick with the Vive VR headset
- NPCs can now be mugged in The Elder Scrolls Online
- Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander passes Square Enix Collective and heads to Kickstarter
- Zombie Army Trilogy shambles onto PC and next-gen consoles
- Sony aiming to release Project Morpheus in 2016


text:
Did you know, for the past 10 months, Kia Motors America has joined forces with comic-book publisher DC Entertainment to create a fleet of custom Justice League Super Hero-inspired vehicles that have been unveiled at auto shows and comic book conventions around the country. These fantastical Kias – Superman Optima Hybrid, Batman Optima SXL, Aquaman Rio5, The Flash Forte Koup, Wonder Woman Sportage, Green Lantern Soul and Cyborg Forte5 -- have captured the imagination of fans everywhere while raising awareness for Kia and our support of “We Can Be Heroes,” DC Entertainment’s giving campaign to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
As a finale to this enormously successful program, the eighth and final vehicle, a Justice League-inspired Kia Sorento, was unveiled to the press at San Diego Comic Con on Wednesday. This highly collectible and fully-drivable Kia features custom artwork by legendary comic book artist, Jim Lee, and will be auctioned online with all proceeds going to the “We Can Be Heroes” charity.
This vehicle will be featured on the site www.ebay.com/wecanbeheroes. It will be going live at 2:30 pm PST on 7/17 and end at 2:30 pm PST on 7/27.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
One millionth Kia rolls off Georgia assembly line
The one millionth Kia produced at the South Korean automaker’s plant in West Point rolled off the assembly line last week, the company said.
The vehicle was a snow white pearl 2014 Sorento SXL, Kia said. The company began operations at the plant in November 2009 after investing $1 billion to produce the Sorento CUV. The plant, called Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, was expanded last year with an additional $100 million investment, and it added the Optima sedan to production.
The Troup County plant, about 45 minutes southwest of Atlanta, has a capacity for manufacturing 360,000 vehicles each year.
Kia said its first North American plant employs more than 3,000 but is responsible for creating more than 11,000 jobs in the area when related jobs such as suppliers are taken into consideration.
Despite the milestone, the company said the one millionth vehicle will end up on a lot like others before it at one of Kia’s more than 765 dealerships nationwide
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Pastries, pasties, and pies are ideal snacks, meals, and treats—and as UK demand for vegan food options grows, there is an increasing number of plant-based options available.
According to a recent report, the global vegan food market could reach $31.4 billion by the year 2026.
According to the market research firm Mintel, around 20 million Brits are cutting back on animal products. Almost 40 percent of UK meat-eaters claim to be reducing the amount of meat they consume. Nielsen data indicates that 98 percent of consumers who regularly purchase meat-alternatives also regularly purchase traditional meat.
Approximately 91 percent of British consumers now self-identify as flexitarian, according to the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s. Flexitarians are meat-eaters who heavily reduce their consumption of animal products in favor of primarily vegetarian and plant-based foods.
This demographic is instrumental in driving current consumer demand for vegan and plant-based foods. Even more so than vegans themselves, despite the number of British vegans quadrupling between 2014 and 2019. Experts predict that consumer demand for vegan food will continue to grow.
Vegan meat, in particular, is extremely popular with many consumers—regardless of dietary preference.
According to Mintel, meat-free food sales are on the rise in the UK. Between 2014 and 2019 the meatless food market grew 40 percent to an estimated £816 million. The research also indicated that the number of Brits trying plant-based foods overall increased from 50 percent in 2017 to 56 percent in 2019.
In general, plant-based meats are widely considered to be a more ethical, sustainable, and healthier than traditional animal products.
Savory pasties and pies can contain vegan meat, but they are not the only forms of vegan pastries.
Pastries can refer to any variety of baked products, ranging from tarts and quiches to croissants and buns. In general, pastry is a dough made using flour, water, and fat—whether for a savory or sweet recipe.
The high fat-content of pastry is what differentiates it from bread dough. Even in sweet pastries, swapping animal products for plant-based alternatives often results in a healthier final product.
Eggs are one of the most commonly used ingredients in traditional baking. They can be ingredients in sweet and savory fillings, and old fashioned recipes occasionally call for pastries to be glazed using egg whites.
Ground flax seeds, chia seeds, banana, apple sauce, aquafaba, and even silken tofu can all replace eggs in different dishes. For glazing pastry, many people brush on a small amount of melted vegan butter or plant milk in place of eggs.
As the demand for vegan food grows, many companies are offering a variety of plant-based options for ingredient-conscious consumers.
The 9 Very Best Vegan Pastries In the UK
These are some of the most popular and readily available vegan pastries available in the UK. Though many independent bakeries—including Crosstown and Temple Doughnuts, Earthcake, and The Vegan Cakery—are partially or entirely vegan.
1. Greggs Sausage Rolls
Greggs’ vegan sausage rolls launched in January 2019. The sausage rolls were so popular during the initial launch that many stores struggled to keep up with demand. Since then, the company has introduced vegan doughnuts and the popular vegan steak bake.
“We are working away to see if we can come up with a version of all our bestselling lines because people want vegan options,” said Greggs CEO Roger Whiteside. “If we can produce something that tastes just as good as the meat version, then that will sell very successfully.”
2. Aldi’s No-Steak Bakes
Following the success of Greggs’s steak bakes, Aldi launched its own version of the plant-based meat pasty. The budget supermarket sells its No-Steak Bakes for £1.19 per pack of two, compared to £1.55 for a single pasty from Greggs.
According to Vegan Food and Living, the retailer said: “In an Aldi first, the supermarket is bringing the infamous bakery shop favorite – the vegan steak bake – to stores near you. The end result is so delicious, you definitely won’t miss the real thing.”
3. Jus Roll Cinnamon Swirls
General Mills-owned company Jus Roll produces easy-to-bake pastry products, including vegan cinnamon swirls, croissants, and pain au chocolat, as well as other pastries and pizza bases. According to the company, these “ready to bake Cinnamon Swirls are a perfectly easy way to bake your family a tasty morning treat at home. Just shape, bake, and enjoy warm from the oven.”
4. Ginsters Vegan Quorn Pasties
This “Quorn-ish” pasty from Ginsters uses 100 percent vegan ingredients. It combines Quorn pieces with locally sourced potato, onion, swede, and puff pastry. Ginsters sells a vegan Moroccan Vegetable pasty and several vegetarian pasties in its Bitesize range.
5. Carluccio’s Croissants
High street Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s added vegan croissants to the menu in August last year. The company added the croissant Vegano and the Saccottini al Cioccolato—which is similar to a pain au chocolat—to the menu along with a variety of dairy-free milk.
A Carluccio’s spokesperson told the Swindon Advertiser at the time: “These new plant-based croissants from Carluccio’s are a welcome addition to a menu that already features a selection of new vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes to cater for all dietary requirements.”
6. Morrisons’ Doughnuts
Depending on the store, Morrison’s salted caramel, jam, apple, and custard doughnuts can all be vegan-friendly. But make sure to check the label before you buy, as this is subject to change. The freshly baked doughnuts are covered in powdered sugar and cost 50p for a pack of five. Morrisons also sells a foot long vegan sausage roll.
7. Parsons Veggie Sausage Rolls
Bristol-based bakery chain Parsons stocks its veggie sausage rolls at all of its branches in the Southwest. The bakery chain also offers plant-based milk and flapjacks.
8. Co-Op Doughnuts
The Co-Op’s jam and custard doughnuts are vegan-friendly. Occasionally, the ring doughnuts are also vegan, but the filled varieties are consistently dairy-free. The Vegan Food UK Awards even voted the doughnuts “the best accidentally vegan product of 2018.”
9. IKEA Doughnuts
IKEA UK doughnuts—sold at in-store food kiosks—are vegan-friendly. The Swedish multinational homeware store may seem like an unlikely place for plant-based options, but the sustainability-minded chain serves a variety of vegan foods in its cafe. In the UK, hotdogs, meatballs, and soft-serve ice cream are just some of the available options.


text:
Prismpop bridges social content, influencers, and e-commerce to support Gen Y and Z consumption habits
PASADENA, Calif., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The world of beauty, fashion and other female-oriented products can be massive, confusing and saturated, even to its most dedicated consumers, especially when they are shopping online more than ever. So much so that, Prismpop was created to help female consumers discover what to buy in the e-commerce world.
New social shopping platform Prismpop has raised $5M total seed funding to help consumers discover what to buy.
Starting as a Santa Monica-based Mucker Capital (known for funding Honey and TaskRabbit) incubated company, Prismpop has announced that they have raised $5 million in total funding to-date. The new round of seed fundraising was led by Female Founders Fund, the largest seed fund investing female entrepreneurs, participated by Foundation Capital, Revolution Capital, Plum Ventures, Mucker Capital and Uphonest Capital. Additional investors from the previous round include Unshackled Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group, Sequoia Capital (Scout Fund), Plug and Play, and more.
Prismpop’s social shopping platform aims to amplify the creation and sharing of female lifestyle content so that consumers could be equipped with authentic information from the shopping community while they discover what to buy online.
Prismpop is headed by CEO and founder, Peggie Li, a Bytedance (known for Tik Tok) alumni who established their North American presence as its first U.S. member. Prior, she held digital media leadership roles at Maker Studios (acquired by Disney), AwesomenessTV (acquired by Dreamworks), Leaf Group, Fox Networks, and Sony Pictures.
“We want to empower female consumers with trustworthy information to make online purchasing decisions they can feel confident in,” says Prismpop CEO Peggie Li. “From the world of cosmetics to fashion to fitness, our goal is to deliver personalized content and community interaction that inspires consumers into an evolved way of shopping. It’s shopping and sharing with friends re-invented.”
Prismpop’s team is joined by members of industry-leading apps such as Grindr and Tik Tok, as well as co-founder and head of content Maggie Knox, formerly of Awesomeness TV/NBCUniversal, a multi-channel network focused on female teenage content.
Prismpop is a female-oriented social shopping community focused on sharing insights and products that uplift your lifestyle. Find on mobile and the web your new favorite product, shopping advice, product reviews, beauty secrets, fashion tips, food ideas and more. prismpop.com


text:
Starlink is coming to India. The company has announced that it has plans to launch the services in India in 2022. Starlink is owned by tech mogul Elon Musk. The company provides high-speed internet service. Starlink is basically a satellite internet constellation in the low Earth orbit. The private aerospace company is SpaceX is behind the constellation. SpaceX is also owned by Musk. The constellation has thousands of small satellites orbiting the Earth. All these satellites in the low Earth orbit function in synchronization with transceivers based on the ground. The company has already launched almost 1,000 small satellites to build its constellation. The company’s decision to enter the Indian market is significant as it comes close to the heels of Musk’s Tesla coming to the southeast Asian country.
The company has already started accepting pre-booking. According to details available on the company’s website, a consumer can place an order by making a payment of INR 7,300. The amount will be fully refundable. The amount will be returned to customers at the time of termination. Starlink is charging INR 7,300 against the equipment it will provide. The equipment will be installed at the consumer’s place. It will allow access to Starlink’s internet service. Starlink promises to provide speed up to 50-150 Mbps. Musk has set a target to double the speed by end of this year. The note on Starlink’s website said that availability will be limited to few metro cities initially. It will fulfill orders on a first-come and first-serve basis.
Musk has said that the Starlink project will cover the entire Earth. He wants to meet this target this year itself. The company will then focus on densifying the coverage. The company claims that its services are suited for regions where connectivity is a challenge. It is targeting to launch 2,000 more small satellites. The satellites will deliver high-speed Internet connectivity. Starlink has started delivering beta service in the US and other countries. The company said that it will continue expansion in other parts of the world. The Federal Communications Commission recently awarded USD 886 million to SpaceX to help in providing high-speed broadband Internet to the rural areas in the US.


text:
Predicted figures still below average
Global GDP for the electronic system and IC markets looks set to rise 0.6 points to 3.2 percent in 2013, research has found.
However, in its IC Market Drivers – A Study of Emerging and Major End-Use Applications Fuelling Demand for Integrated Circuits, report, IC Insights said these figures were still below long term average.
Throughout 2012, the expectations for global economic growth had consistently deteriorated. The report says that global GDP growth was expected to expand by an estimated 2.6 percent in 2012, very close to the global recession threshold of 2.5 percent and well below the long-term average growth rate of 3.5 percent.
Although the forecast for worldwide GDP in 2013 is 3.2 percent growth – better than this year – it would still be 0.3 points below the long-term average growth rate.
With one month remaining in 2012, there are hints that the economies in China and the US are improving, including stronger housing demand and hiring in the US, and accelerating factory output and retail sales in China.
Following “industry-average” electronic system sales growth of six percent in 2011, electronic system sales are expected to grow three percent in 2012—half the long-term average.
However, the research company was upbeat – claiming that the improving outlook for global GDP is forecast to help boost electronic systems growth by five percent in 2013.
Computer sales are estimated to grow by only one percent in 2012, down from the 11 percent growth registered in 2010.
2013 will see the communications category overtaking computers as the largest end-use segment, which will be the first time this has happened.
Surging smartphone shipments are driving this growth, with IC Insights estimating that smartphones will account for 49 percent of total mobile market share in the last quarter of 2012. Total smartphone shipments are expected to rise 55 percent to 750 million units for all of 2012.
The prospect of stronger electronic systems growth in 2013 has raised the outlook for the IC market as well.
IC Insights’ updated forecast shows the IC market growing six percent in 2013 and improving to an average annual growth rate of 7.4 percent between 2011 and 2016, more than double the 3.3 percent average growth for the IC industry in the previous 2006-2011 period.


text:
The Hearthstone community is on high alert for information regarding the next expansion since it should be rolling out in April.
The Hearthstone development team recently took to Reddit for an AMA and revealed that we’ll be getting a new free card a week before the next expansion.
Players who were around during the launch of Kobolds & Catacombs might remember Marin the Fox. This card was an eight-mana cost, six attack and six health minion with a very interesting Battlecry. Marin would summon a treasure chest for your opponent with zero attack and eight health. If you killed the treasure chest, you got an awesome loot card.
Marin was released the same week as Kobolds and was given to every player who logged in during that time period. So tons of people were testing out the new card on ladder and made existing decks feel even more exciting heading into the launch of that expansion.
Similar to how things worked with Marin the Fox, this new card will come to players a week before the expansion launches, more than likely sometime in April. Since the fresh free card isn’t something that happens with every expansion, the team shared some insight into why it has decided to do it this time around.
The team said players really seem to enjoy having a burst of flavor and change right before a new expansion hits. By giving players the card a week before the expansion, the team hopes to generate excitement and get people engaged with the game. Developers also said they wanted to make sure players had the opportunity to use the card during the expansion pre-release weekend.
Although we don’t have any details about what the actual card is at this point, we can expect it to be something fresh and meta changing. Something the developers focused on throughout the AMA is how dedicated they are to making the meta feel new. The team has already announced it plans on removing Genn and Baku from standard play a year early, so it seems like the goal really is to keep things fresh.
While we don’t have an exact release date for the new card or the expansion, most people in the community believe both will be coming in early or mid April.


text:
Clear Channel Las Vegas Becomes Exclusive Advertising Partner for the Las Vegas Monorail
Unveils Advertising Plans to Broaden Reach in Powerhouse Market of Business and Holiday Travellers
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Clear Channel Taxi Media, a division of Clear Channel Outdoor, the industry leader in outdoor advertising, has been selected as the exclusive advertising partner for the Las Vegas Monorail, adding to Clear Channel Outdoor's already impressive list of innovative advertising platforms. The Las Vegas Monorail, a high-tech eco-friendly transit system serving 676,000 passengers monthly, is a vital part of Las Vegas' growing tourism infrastructure. As a result of this partnership, Clear Channel Outdoor now provides the most comprehensive and inclusive transit advertising in the Las Vegas market.
"By adding the Las Vegas Monorail to our current outdoor mobile offerings, we are broadening advertising penetration throughout this highly coveted tourism market," said Christine Preus, Vice President, Clear Channel Taxi Media. "We look forward to working with the Las Vegas Monorail's dedicated and creative team of professionals. Together, we'll help advertisers reach the ever changing marketing mix that is Las Vegas."
"We're thrilled to call Clear Channel our partner and are excited to continue to offer the unique canvas of the Las Vegas Monorail as a backdrop to the world's leading advertisers and brands," said Ingrid Reisman, Vice President of Corporate Communications for the Las Vegas Monorail Company. "We are in an exciting phase of the Las Vegas Monorail's history with the impending airport expansion, and this partnership is another important step towards the Monorail's long-term success and pivotal role in Las Vegas' future."
Through the new partnership, Clear Channel Taxi Media will be the sales conduit by which advertisers can reach potential customers at seven high-traffic stations; including MGM Grand, Bally's/Paris Las Vegas, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Hilton and Sahara, along the Strip, as well as nine train wraps and interior train car opportunities. Additionally, for the first time ever, product sampling will be made available in the Las Vegas market which has proven to be an innovative and effective strategy in most major US markets.
"Advertisers want originality, engagement, accountability and most of all, results," said Morgen Van Buren, Director of Marketing for Clear Channel Taxi Media. "The Las Vegas Monorail will allow us to offer the most targeted advertising plans for a any business that would benefit from exposure to this diverse demographic of upscale tourists, conventioneers, and trade show attendees."
About Clear Channel Outdoor
Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE:CCO) is the world's largest outdoor advertising company with over 973,000 displays in more than 60 countries across 6 continents. In the United States, the company operates over 167,000 advertising displays and has a presence in 49 of the top 50 Designated Market Areas. It also operates airport, rail, taxi and mall advertising businesses worldwide. Its Spectacolor (U.S.) and DEFI (international) divisions are the global market leaders in spectacular sign displays, including in New York's Times Square. Clear Channel Adshel is the company's international street furniture division, which operates over 3,500 municipal advertising contracts worldwide. More information may be found by visiting www.clearchanneloutdoor.com.
About The Las Vegas Monorail
The Las Vegas Monorail is an easy and convenient connection to the Las Vegas Strip, linking riders to the city's world-class restaurants, shows, shops, clubs, hotels and casinos. Monorail riders can travel the world-famous Las Vegas Strip in 15 minutes or less in a safe, comfortable and clean environment - without the hassles of traffic or wasted time. Currently, the privately-funded Monorail system has seven stations: MGM Grand; Bally's/Paris Las Vegas; Flamingo/Caesars Palace; Harrah's/Imperial Palace; Las Vegas Convention Center; Las Vegas Hilton; and the Sahara. As one of the nation's most environmentally-friendly public transportation systems, the Monorail's electric trains produce zero emissions and consistently run at 99 percent operational efficiency, indicating an optimal level of performance from people, processes and technology. For more information on the Las Vegas Monorail or where to purchase tickets, call 866-4-MONORAIL or 866-466-6672 or visit www.lvmonorail.com.
Source: Clear Channel Outdoor
Released October 3, 2007


text:
Acquittal In Switzerland, a law student was acquitted of allegations of possessing eight grams of cannabis by the Zurich District Court. Originally, the defendant was ordered to pay a fine for the eight grams, for which he was summoned to appear in court. The result: acquittal. The entire story can be found here.
After studying Swiss law intently, the defendant and his legal representative, also a law student, believed that only the consumption of cannabis may be punishable with a fine, but that possession of a small quantity of up to 10 grams for personal use, on the other hand, should be exempt from punishment. Both took a very detailed look at the country’s Narcotics Act (BetmG), which was revised a few years ago, and discovered that
“Any person who wilfully consumes without authorisation narcotics or any person who commits an offence in terms of Article 19 for his or her own consumption is liable to a fine.”
(Article 19a, paragraph 1)
“Any person who prepares a negligible quantity of a narcotic for his or her own consumption or supplies it to a person over the age of 18 free of charge for the purpose of consuming the narcotic together at the same time does not commit an offence.” (Article 19b, paragraph 1)
To date, possession of a small quantity and consumption have always been punished by a fine of between 100 and 200 Swiss francs (CHF). Depending on the canton, a randomly imposed “administration fee” was often added to this amount, so a small bud or baggy could quickly carry a fine of CHF 500-800 francs (€400 – 700) and still can. The Zurich judge took a look at Article 19 of the BetmG and confirmed that both students were right. Simply possessing small quantities of cannabis products of up to 10 grams had wrongly been punished with a fine.
Confirmation of applicable legislation through acquittal
The court acquitted the defendant, because, as the judge argued, non-punishable offences should not be punished with a fine. According to the presiding judge, the BetmG states that eight grams are not illegal and as such, no consumption offence had been committed. According to Swiss media reports, this verdict could affect the entire country’s drugs policy. “Only consumption may be punished, and not the possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal consumption,” explained Peter Albrecht, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law and former President of the Basel City Criminal Court in an initial statement made to the “Schweiz am Sonntag” newspaper.
To date, no one in Switzerland has dared to take legal action against a penalty decision for circulating small amounts of cannabis, because even though “circulation free of charge” is not defined as a punishable offence by law, it is on a par with possession of a small quantity. Resourceful smokers could therefore argue that in addition to possession, the circulation of a small quantity in the form of a gift is not sufficient for imposing a fine either. The Swiss police are of a different opinion, of course, and have already announced that they will not be changing their current practices when it comes to imposing fines.
Yet the formulation is so clear that the government either needs to change the text in the law or abstain from punishing mere possession offences in future. Because people in the Confederation are already discussing a change to the BetmG and various cannabis pilot projects, things could still go either way.
Reality overtakes the law
But whilst at the federal level the long overdue pilot projects are still being discussed, there is now already legal CBD cannabis that contains up to 1% THC, because unlike in the EU, where a limit of 0.3% is in force, hemp in Switzerland may contain up to 1% of this active substance. At Cannatrade Zürich, several companies have even envisaged growing the CBD plants that already exist in greenhouses in accordance with medical standards, in order to produce buds, concentrates and other CBD products from them. Just recently, a tobacco substitute made of CBD hemp buds obtained authorisation throughout Switzerland. But what could prove to be an effective product for consumers trying to give up tobacco, or a tobacco substitute, is now causing Swiss drugs investigators quite a headache, because a CBD joint looks and smells like a real one. Only real connoisseurs, of whom there are not too many among the Swiss police, would be able to differentiate between a CBD joint and one containing THC.
Something is even happening with the planned pilot projects, even if it is proceeding much more slowly than many people expected. In Bern, in addition to the Cannabis Social Club pilot project, which was launched years ago, the first pilot project for medicinal cannabis will take place, and up to 30 pharmacies wish to participate. However, neither the demands of many municipalities made according to regulations nor the lack of a legal basis for a regular supply of cannabis for patients have had much effect on federal policy to date. In Switzerland, all pilot projects relating to cannabis require the green light from federal authorities. To date, the responsible Swiss Federal Council, under Alain Berset, has blocked all related attempts. But at the beginning of this year, Berset appeared surprisingly open, when one of his predecessors confronted him with the problem for the umpteenth time. In a one-on-one meeting with ex-Federal Councillor Ruth Dreyfuss in February, Berset allegedly appeared open to the idea of cannabis pilot projects for the first time. At the time, it was agreed that the concerns of numerous cities and municipalities would be “examined seriously.” In February, Berset made his promise dependent on the legal position but since then, those concerns have been examined without result. The group surrounding Genevan professor Cattacin has been working on the project for four years now and would like to finally start the cannabis pilot projects in 2017, but they have yet to obtain approval from the union.
The verdict as an opportunity for CSCs?
Now, given that an ordinary law student has discovered a loophole in the law, which until now had been missed by all professionals, this could still be taken as the basis for the proposed pilot projects. The proposal: If possession and consumption of a small quantity for personal consumption were not illegal, as the latest verdict indicates, you would no longer be able to define consumption at certain places such as Cannabis Social Clubs or a model coffee shop as a summary offence. Therefore, public consumption would still be a summary offence, whereas possession and circulation of larger quantities would remain a criminal offence. That creates scope for pilot projects, without legalising cannabis overnight or the police taking measures to prohibit ostentatious consumption.
Yet because of or even despite the latest verdict, Bern has yet to give the signal to overcome the huge discrepancy between reality and mood on the one hand, and the law that is currently in force on the other. That discrepancy is even greater among the Swiss than in the rest of Europe. What is certain is that a reform of the reform is urgently needed, if only to ensure that patients are cared for in a humane manner and to finally give the consumer a degree of legal certainty. At the moment, even many of the Swiss do not know what is legal and what isn’t when it comes to this stigmatised plant.


text:
Presented by Nation's Restaurant News and sponsored by Ventura Foods, the MenuMasters Awards honor culinary excellence in menu development.
Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar is on a mission to bring Cajun food to the world.
They’re not purists about it, though. As the Baton Rouge, La.-based casual-dining chain seeks to expand, the leadership knows that it can’t be all about gumbo, boudin and crawfish étouffée. Besides, its burgers and mainstream sandwiches, such as Buffalo chicken, also sell well.
Twenty-unit Walk-On’s currently has restaurants in Louisiana and Texas, but by the end of the year it will expand to Florida, Mississippi and Alabama, and in 2019 it will grow to South Carolina, Tennessee and Oklahoma. As the menu evolves, it’s the mission of Mike Turner, vice president of culinary and supply chain, to maintain the chain’s strong Louisiana identity, while also appealing to a broad base of customers.
He balances those two forces in Walk-On’s new menu, which debuted in September 2017.
“It was a pretty massive undertaking,” Turner said. “We affected about 60 percent of our menu, from upgrading our quality, bringing in new and exciting items, and repositioning things to where we thought they made more sense.”
New menu items include a Crawfish BLT salad made with fried crawfish, mixed greens, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, feta cheese and vinaigrette spiced with Tabasco Pepper Jelly. The menu item takes a classic Louisiana protein and a beloved local brand’s spicy product and merges them with the spirit of a Greek salad, plus bacon.
“What we’ve found is that our guests are looking for a more eclectic fusion of food, but from that Louisiana perspective,” Turner said. “They’re not the die-hard Cajun restaurant fans who want that over-the-top, cream-filled cuisine. They want that taste of Louisiana, but also the broad stroke of Americana that’s on our menu.”
He took a similar approach with the Venison Chili Nachos.
“We were a little concerned that [venison] might be polarizing for some of our guests, but we also felt like the guests who really got us wanted the experience of what we were offering,” Turner said.
The nachos feature tortilla chips and venison chili, as well as sour cream, diced tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, green onions and Cajun Queseaux, a cheese blend with tomatoes and peppers.
Other new items are more standard, like fried oysters served with waffle fries, cocktail and tartar sauces, hush puppies and garlic bread, or in a po’boy sandwich.
The po’boys are new, too, dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise and pickles, and filled with a choice of alligator, catfish, crawfish or fried oysters.
The alligator comes from Mark Glass, a Georgia farmer who raises them for the chain. He’s one of several small purveyors Turner works with, ensuring that all the shrimp comes from the Gulf of Mexico and the catfish comes from local farms. Boudin sausage is from a local purveyor, too, and the venison is all American, although much of the farm-raised venison eaten in U.S. restaurants comes from New Zealand (restaurants aren’t permitted to serve hunted venison).
“We try to stay as true as we can to our Louisiana roots and bringing some of these smaller vendors along with us as we grow,” Turner said. “We’ve partnered up with Louisiana purveyors, allowing them to grow their business model with us.”
Other menu items that reflect Walk-On’s Louisiana roots include Pasta Alfredeaux, consisting of blackened chicken, linguine, Alfredo sauce, Parmesan and garlic bread, priced at $14.99, and for dessert, Butter Pecan Pie with vanilla filling blended with pecan pralines in a graham cracker cookie crust, priced at $5.99.
Daniel Boulud, MenuMasters Hall of Fame
Trendsetter: Kroger Co.
Meet the 2018 MenuMasters
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary


text:
When AT&T was ready to take a new step in support of its commitment to reduce dependency on foreign oil and boost its support for sustainable transportation, the company knew exactly which automaker to call: Chevrolet. As a result, the telecommunications company recently added 101 new Chevy Express cargo vans to its customer service fleet, and all of them run on clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG).
The CNG Express vans will emit about 25 percent fewer emissions than those relying on gasoline or diesel fuel, without sacrificing fuel economy.
Via: Chevrolet in the news
Welcome to the Courtesy Chevrolet blog – your place for Chevrolet news and reviews. Brought to you by Courtesy Chevrolet.
Click here to take a virtual walk-through of Courtesy Chevrolet.
Click map to enlarge
Centrally located 1233 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix, Arizona, 85014
Click here for our hours
Produced by 72 Advertising


text:
The publication of the investigation on January 10 prompted some stores, including Wal-Mart and Claire's, to pull any jewelry mentioned in the investigation. Meanwhile, according to the AP, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said it will open an investigation into the matter.
AP investigators put jewelry through a stomach acid test to see how much cadmium would be released from the jewelry. One of the charms released more cadmium over 24 hours than is deemed "safe exposure" by the World Health Organization for a 33-pound child over 60 weeks.
Jewelry makers use cadmium because it is shiny, strong, malleable at low temperatures and cheap. Cadmium has a lower melting point than zinc—approximately 100 degrees lower—which means factories burn less energy. Furthermore, cadmium is lighter than zinc, so buyers get more per ton.
READ MORE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS LEGAL NEWS
According to Statistics Canada, chronic exposure to cadmium can cause other serious problems, including kidney damage, bone mineral density loss and hypertension. Inhalation of cadmium can cause life-threatening lung problems. According to the Associated Press, cadmium ranks number seven on the Centers for Disease Control's list of the 257 most hazardous substances in the environment.
Cadmium is banned from use in paint applied to children's toys, but not jewelry.
In 2007, Chinese-made toys were recalled over dangerous levels of lead. However, when the US enacted stricter regulations on lead, manufacturers turned to cadmium instead.


text:
Blog: Nestle confirms emerging market targets
Katy Askew | 6 November 2012
Swiss food group Nestle has confirmed that it hopes to generate around half of its sales in emerging markets by 2020.
Nandu Nandkishore, Nestlé Zone Director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East commented: "Globally emerging markets I believe contribute about 40% of Nestle's business at this point of time... and [the] expectation is that by the end of the decade it should reach 50%"
Nestle's revenue growth in emerging markets is outpacing that in developed economies. During the first nine months of this year, Nestle said that emerging market sales rose 11.7%, compared to growth of just 2.4% in developed markets.
In a bid to continue this growth in emerging markets apace, Nestle is focused on expanding its routes to market and enhancing its product offering. The company recently announced that it will open two R&D centres in China to support local product development.
And Nestle - like many of its peers - looking well beyond the highly publicised opportunity presented by the BRIC economies. In this month's just-food interview, to be published in the coming weeks, we will be speaking to Nestle equatorial Africa region head Ian Donald on the company's plans to grow in the region.
Market speculation over a possible takeover of Kellogg surfaced this week, with the snacks-to-cereal maker linked to both Kraft Heinz and Coca Cola Co....
The introduction of legislation requiring the labelling of GMOs in the US has gathered widespread public support....
The impact on the global food system is one of "six key priority areas" highlighted in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017 report, which sets out "the most urgent risks and opportunities" arisi...
Following last month's referendum in the UK on the country's membership of the European Union, the repercussions from the decision to leave have been felt far and wide....
- What next for Nestle under new CEO Schneider?
- Unilever is "working harder" in tough environment
- Hemp food sales in the US set for growth
- Nestle catering for an ageing global population
- Brexit and UK food market policymaking
- Unilever sees growth but spreads decline continues
- Dairy Crest sees "momentum" in spreads
- Campbell's Soup's sustainable growth strategy
- Campbell takes Unilever to court in Australia
- Job cuts imminent as General Mills restructures


text:
INTEREST-free loans are being offered to businesses in Wales who have been hit hard by the recent bad weather.
NatWest and RBS have launched a £250 million UK Storm Business Fund to provide short term, interest-free financing to speed recovery for businesses affected by recent floods and gales.
Parts of Newport were evacuated last week, as a series of high tides hit Gwent.
Loans are being offered to cover the cost of repairs and replacement stock to help businesses return to normal trading.
Interest-free loans will be provided for three months giving businesses the “breathing space they need to get back on their feet”, according to the banks.
The fund and support package is available for all viable businesses adversely affected, not just existing NatWest or RBS customers.
Haydn Thomas, managing director of business banking for NatWest Cymru, said: “The loss of trade or damage to stock from such a storm can mean businesses find themselves in financial trouble. We’re making additional support available because we know how important it is to the local economy and communities to get these businesses operational again.”
Businesses seeking finance from the UK Storm Business Fund will be subject to a maximum cap of £250k per loan.
Call the UK Storms helpline on 0800 529 8544.


text:
Sales of new homes rose 3 percent in March, reversing direction from February's 12.5 percent plunge, as mortgage rates continued to fall.
But the market was mixed, with sales rising by double-digit figures in the Midwest and West while falling by double-digit figures in the Northeast and South.
The Commerce Department said Tuesday sales of new single-family homes totaled a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 577,000, up from a revised 560,000 in February, which was the lowest since 554,000 in May 1992.
February sales originally were estimated to have dropped 14 percent, to a 551,000 rate. But analysts had predicted the plunge would be revised upward as more information became available.
The new-home sales report is based on relatively small sample surveys and is revised often.
Despite a 2.1 percent gain in January, sales during the first three months of 1995 still were 15.3 percent below the level of the same period a year ago.
Regionally, sales rose in the Midwest, a 11.7 percent gain to 115,000. The West posted a huge 38.7 percent jump in sales, to a 172,000 rate. It was the biggest advance since sales shot up 48 percent in December 1981.
But sales dropped 14.1 percent in the Northeast, to a 55,000 rate, the largest decline since an 18 percent decrease in December 1994.


text:
It has been an exciting time for our client, Oldham-based PMD Business Finance.
The firm recently celebrated its largest-ever deal, in assisting a £4.1million acquisition.
We’re not normally ones to boast but, wow, what a superb few months of press coverage we’ve achieved for our client, SimpleTax.
As part of our PR services, we regularly send detailed PR evaluations and analysis to our clients. We do this to show the financial value of the publicity we have secured for them.
From December to February, SimpleTax, an Oldham-based accountancy software firm, has been featured in a range of publications and media platforms, including the Metro.
Unusual assignments and quirky photo opportunities are all part and parcel of a career as a journalist.
Here at Bloomin’ Creative, both of us (Danielle and Colette) are former newspaper hacks who cut our teeth in print media.
Having solid journalism experience is something that’s really important to us at Bloomin’ Creative. We believe our combined years of newsroom experience gives us our dynamic USP as a full-service public relations and marketing agency in Cumbria.
Written by Danielle Owen-Jones, Bloomin’ Creative director
There was something that stuck with me for a while after I visited the Barking Mad headquarters recently.
It was a framed piece of paper, with the soft outlines of very faint scribbles. Those pencilled scribbles were in fact the very start of Barking Mad, and they’re proudly displayed in the boardroom in a frame that states “Out of small seeds…”
As the owner of a young business (we recently celebrated Bloomin’ Creative’s first anniversary as a PR agency set-up), this was particularly poignant because Barking Mad’s story of success and growth is one I’ve admired from afar as a fellow Kirkby Lonsdale business.
Ever wondered what it’s like being ‘top dog’ at a PR agency? Well, wonder no more! Meet Poppy – the Bloomin’ Creative office mascot who certainly thinks she’s top dog at our Cumbria-based public relations consultancy.
As featured on one of our all-time favourite PR websites, PR Moment, this is a day in the life of one-year-old cockapoo, Poppy Owen-Jones – designated trouble maker, real-life teddy bear, pen stealer extraordinaire and fluff ball of love.
We know the press love a nice ‘good news’ story, especially when it’s about the growth and success of a local business. That’s exactly why we’ve enjoyed spreading the word about PMD’s phenomenal seven year success story.
The Oldham-based business finance firm recently celebrated its seven year anniversary, cementing itself as one of the biggest independent brokers in the UK.
We love all things PR, here at Bloomin’ Creative. But we’re proud of our roots, and our roots are in journalism.
That’s why it was especially nostalgic when we issued a press release for our client, property firm Mason Lord, to the newspaper both our director Danielle AND our new staff copywriter Colette cut their teeth on – the Southport Visiter (yep, spelt with an ‘e’ not an ‘o’ thanks to its interesting heritage as one of the oldest local newspapers in Britain!)
A floating bedroom on Derwentwater, a Hollywood collaboration and a dog who welcomes guests to a popular Lake District hotel. Over the years, we’ve seen some superb PR stunts by businesses in Cumbria. They were creative, bold and imaginative. But not only that, they achieved impressive results due to the brilliant exposure in local and national media, resulting in completely free publicity that would’ve cost a fortune had they opted for advertising rather than PR.
Here are our top five favourites.
Social media can be a tricky business. As a PR agency that helps brands with their reputation both offline and online, we completely understand how businesses can feel overwhelmed by the pressure of not only having a presence online, but getting that presence right.
That’s why we were thrilled to bits when we got a bloomin’ big thumbs up from CN Group’s social media specialist and one of our favourite Cumbrian Columnists, Helen Statham.


text:
Maui Garden Expo at Maui Mall, June 17
The Maui Garden Expo will take place on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Maui Mall in Kahului.
The free public event will feature a combination of non-profit organizations, pest control companies, garden product companies and plant nurseries that will have booths with locally grown products for sale.
Educational talks will occur throughout the day at the mall’s center stage area with topics ranging from container gardening to the best kalo varieties for your home garden. A schedule of talks is available here.
There will also be free soil pH testing and plant pest diagnosis at the event. For soil testing, bring two cups of soil in a bag and visit the soil testing booth. If you have plant pest or disease issues, bring in a sample in a bag for diagnosis at the Master Gardener’s booth. There will be an “Ask The Experts” booth too for any horticulture questions.
With Father’s Day approaching, keiki will have the opportunity to make a free potted plant for dad, while supplies last.
One lucky attendee will also have a chance to win a “lanai garden,” that comes with an array of potted plants, both edible and ornamental. To enter, visit Maui Mall’s Center Stage and get a “passport” for the event.
The 7th Annual Artscapes – A Living Art Exhibition will also be taking place during the event. “This is a great opportunity for garden creators and artists to show what they can do. ArtScapes entries in the past years have given the public a chance to experience creative and fresh new ideas for their own gardens and meet the people who created them,” says Gary Mohrlang, owner of Islandscapes, LLC. There will be cash prizes for the top three winners and a Peoples’ Choice award.
The Malama I Ka Aina Award will be presented later in the day to a community member who strives to preserve native plants and prevent invasive species.
The schedule of events is as follows:
10:00 a.m. – Welcome to the 21st Annual MALP Maui Garden Expo
10:30 – 11 a.m. – Small Talk with with horticulture experts
11 a.m. – Malama I Ka Aina Award Presentation
11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Small Talk with horticulture experts continues
2:45 – 3 p.m. – Artscapes Awards; Lanai Garden drawing
3 p.m. – Close of the 21st Annual MALP Maui Garden Expo


text:
LAHORE: The textile industry of Pakistan had high hopes for the announcement of a handful of beneficial and favourable policies by the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, which has now been in power for nearly one and a half year.
Earlier in the final years of previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, Imran Khan – then an opposition leader – had expressed solidarity with the textile sector, apparently a political step to win over voters in the upcoming general elections in mid-2018. He assured them of formulating sector-specific growth policies if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power.
As soon as he was elected in July 2018, textile and other sectors of the economy turned highly optimistic. Now, the optimism has started to die down as real action to facilitate industries is yet to be taken.
However, calendar year 2019 has brought some relief to the textile industry as it has managed to perform better than other sectors and has made exports of around $12.45 billion in 11 months (Jan-Nov).
First five months of current fiscal year 2019-20 were more encouraging as textile shipments to overseas markets grew 4.68% to $5.76 billion compared to the same period of the preceding year. Textile and clothing exports in 11 months of 2019 rose a negligible 1% year-on-year.
On the other hand, investment in the textile sector for replacing and installing new imported machinery increased 17% to $480 million in the period under review against $453 million in the same period of 2018.
Although the industry was promised energy supplies at subsidised tariffs as part of the government’s incentive package, the decision, approved by the Economic Coordination Committee, could not be implemented in true letter and spirit. Some industrialists insist they are going to get energy subsidy through court orders as they are not receiving utility bills at the reduced tariffs notified by the government.
Meanwhile, news reports have emerged that talk about withdrawal of the energy subsidy granted to the textile sector. The industry has also lost its zero-rated status, along with four other major export sectors, in the 2019-20 budget and is required to pay sales tax from the current fiscal year.
Hope still alive
Despite expressing reservations about the government policies, many industry players still believe that the political leadership is doing its homework to help enhance the share of textiles in the country’s global exports.
According to official data, the exporters of readymade garments reported the highest growth of 32% in first 11 months of 2019. They exported around 53 million dozen units of garments compared with 40 million dozen units in the corresponding period of the preceding year. Readymade garments were followed by the knitwear segment, which posted 17% growth with exports of 118 million dozen units in Jan-Nov 2019.
Alarmingly, cotton arrivals as of December 15, 2019 dropped to 7.86 million bales against 9.96 million bales at the same time last year. The drop in production of cotton – a key raw material for textile mills – is likely to cause its shortage and force the textile sector to increase cotton imports.
The industry needs at least 15 million cotton bales in a year to meet its processing requirements.
According to statistics provided by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), the industry is eyeing an export target of $13.3 billion for FY20 with projected investment of $1 billion. The readymade garment sub-sector is again expected to take the lead in overseas shipments.
For the first time in 2019, Pakistan hosted the 35th World Fashion Convention, organised annually by the International Apparel Federation, a European lobby of fashion brands. The event, attended by executives of many global brands and associations, has somewhat changed Pakistan’s perception abroad and exporters are gearing up to cash in on the advantage.
Some exporters claim that initially they were unable to reap benefits of rupee depreciation, citing that international buyers were smart enough who were keeping a close watch on the exporting country’s exchange rates and revised prices according to fluctuations in the currency value.
Nevertheless, the exporters managed to lift shipments of art, silk and synthetic textile from 147.49 million square metres in first five months of 2018-19 to 190 million square metres in the same period of 2019-20.
Similarly, exports of readymade garments rose to 26.2 million dozen units in July-November FY20 against 19.26 million dozen units in the corresponding period of fiscal year 2018-19. Industrialists term the increase in export volumes a smart move as it can enhance the share of Pakistan’s textile sector in global markets and its benefits will eventually reach the country in terms of dollar earnings.
By FY24, the industry is anticipated to nearly double exports to $25 billion but many of the challenges dogging the sector for the past 10 years have not been addressed. However, some of the problems have been tackled like ending energy blackouts.
Still, the scarcity of raw material is one of the biggest concerns for different textile sub-sectors because their targets are directly linked to the country’s cotton production.
Earlier in 2020, the GSP Plus preferential trade status, granted to Pakistan by the European Union, will be reviewed – another area of worry for the stakeholders as they direly need an extension of the facility to boost exports.
Internal and external challenges are likely to haunt the government as well as the industry, which are keen to meet the targets. Some of the internal challenges include energy affordability, inconsistent policies in the short term, infrastructure hurdles, skill development constraints, foreign exchange volatility and above all, the macroeconomic volatility.
On the external front, improvement in the country’s image internationally is the biggest challenge as a damaged perception turns away global buying houses and brands. Getting greater market access to the Asean region, the US, Japan and Australia is also a potential challenge for the textile industry.
Efforts of the industry to step up Pakistan’s textile and clothing share in global markets from the existing 1.6% to 3% over the next five years largely depend on facilitation from the government.
The textile sector claims that things are moving in the right direction, although promises made by the premier before general elections have not yet been honoured to the satisfaction of the industry.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2019.