text:
You may not believe that these three people in Taiwan were a part of the drought that occurred over the last few years. But the truth is that these three people had the luxury of knowing that they could have easily and quickly solved this particular problem.
This is because for any farmers who invested in irrigation, the price of water went up. The price of water has always gone up, and it’s only taken a few years for it to go up even more. The government’s response was to increase water tariffs, which they then passed on to farmers. While this may not be a direct cause of the increase in the prices of food, it does make it easier for farmers to use more water to produce less food.
The problem is that the government’s response has made it difficult for farmers to sell water to other countries. The problem isn’t because farmers are actually paying more for water. The problem is that they are paying less to the government for it because they are getting less for it.
The government has just imposed a new, high water price. The government is basically asking farmers to use less water so they can sell it to the rest of the country. While this may not be a direct cause of the spike in the price of food, it does make it easier for farmers to use more water to produce less food.
We should be using less water and this government will be asking farmers to use less water because we are using less water to produce less food. We should be using less water to produce less food.
It seems that more people are being asked to use less water in this country, and while that may not be directly causing the recent spike in food prices, it certainly makes it easier for farmers to grow less food. Our goal is to produce more food than we need to, to make sure that the country’s food supply is enough to feed the entire population.
We also wanted to get in touch with farmers and find out what they want to do about the water crisis.
It’s a good idea to use less water. It’s not a good idea to stop using water because of the drought, or to use less or less water when you already have plenty. It’s just not a good idea. The only reason we have the water we do is because of the way the world is going. It’s our job to make sure we don’t let that happen again.
The farmers who have suffered through the drought have not been able to sell their crops, and the government has cut off their water and other kinds of relief. It’s a fact that the government wants to keep the farmers in a constant state of starvation. So if its a good idea to use less water, then it’s a good idea to not only use less water, but to use less water when you already have plenty of water. You don’t have to force yourself to drink less water.
A lot of questions have been asked about how drought will affect the farming industry in China. And in a country that has more people than it does water it is certainly a concern. But the government is also concerned with the plight of the farmers. So they are trying to use those concerns to create a kind of pressure by giving them a deadline to sell their crops.


text:
Co-op store opens up its doors
A £1.2m Lincolnshire Co-op food store opened its doors to the public yesterday.
The store on the A15 crossroads in Bourne Road, Morton, was officially opened by Julia Romney, president of the Lincolnshire Co-op.
Attending the opening were representatives from the Morton New Day Baptist Church and Morton Village Hall who were handed cheques for £500 by the Co-op to celebrate the store opening.
Store manager, Gavin Willson said: “I think it is a fantastic store that we have here which will offer a great service to the community.
“I am really pleased that we have given the groups cash – we have given back to the community as well.”
He added that the Co-op would be making more donations to charities and groups in the area in future.
Shoppers are able to enjoy an instore bakery, hot food-to-go, chilled wines and beers and a Costa Coffee machine.
One of the first shoppers to visit the store was Morton woman Joyce Burgess.
She said:”I think it is fantastic that we have a Co-op here. I’m sure I am going to be a regular here.”
After the store opened at 7am the first 50 shoppers were handed a bouquet of flowers.
The baptist church will be spending the cash on clubs it runs for senior citizens and children throughout the year.
Minister of the church, the Rev Andy McManus said: “Every penny will go into the community - nothing will go on our gutters - it will go to the community.”
The village hall will be spending its cash windfall on enhancing lighting outside the building.
Chairman of the hall, Tina Barnatt said: “I wasn’t expecting the cash - it has come as a complete surprise to me. We can make good use of the money.”
There is 18-space car park at the store.
The store has created 15 full and part-time roles.
In the next four weeks, customers spending more than £15 on groceries will have £3 taken off their total shop.
The supermarket’s Love Local range, will allow customers to support local producers including Deeping St James based Grasmere Farm.
And those spending more than £20 during the store’s opening week will be given a Pipers Crisps tasting box, which come in eight flavours and are part of the Love Local range.

domain: news


text:
Michael Sampino takes the reins at iconic Joe Marty's sports bar
The excitement sparked by news that Michael Sampino and the Sampino’s brand are running the show at Joe Marty’s on Broadway unleashed a flood of new customers over the weekend — but many expressed frustration that the food hadn’t changed yet.
Sampino, who announced Friday that he has purchased the iconic sports bar and Land Park fixture next to Tower Cafe, said Monday that he’s taking some heat on social media about the more traditional sports bar menu. He stressed that the ownership change is a work in progress. He has entered into an agreement to buy the business, but the process takes times. The food created by the owners that re-launched Joe Marty’s 13 months ago will continue for the time being.
Sampino said to expect a revamped menu in the next several weeks.
Joe Marty’s opened in 1938 and closed for a decade after a fire in 2005. Through the years, it has been a beloved local institution, replete with baseball memorabilia.
In the past 17 years, Sampino’s Towne Foods has emerged as a highly touted destination for food lovers. It is best known for its meatball sandwich and other casual Italian fare. Sampino has been working at Joe Marty’s in recent weeks to get a sense of the operation to ease the transition. The Bee reported the Sampino purchase online Friday and in print Saturday.
Fresh from a 17-hour shift at Joe Marty’s on Sunday, a weary Sampino said, “After the article in The Bee, the social media and the telephone just exploded. People are flooding in with anticipation, but I want to reiterate we have not touched the menu.
“People are making comments about the food, but until the ownership transfer, we’re still serving the original owner’s food.”
Sampino said he expects something of a culture clash in the coming weeks, when the bar and grill will become known as Sampino’s at Joe Marty’s and the menu shifts dramatically toward Italian food and away from basic sports bar staples. He embraces local, seasonal ingredients and said some original customers may balk at the prices on the new menu. Already, he said, some regulars are at odds with a new communal table — something that’s now commonplace in midtown — where strangers are often seated at the same large table.
Sampino said a notice of change of ownership is expected to be placed in the window in the next days, and that the actual transfer of ownership will take a few weeks longer.


text:
Quadrise Fuels International PLC (LON:QFI) has launched a new sustainable fuel product called bioMSAR.
It is a synthetic alternative to heavy fuel oil (HFO) with significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the company said.
In the new product the company’s MSAR technology is used to combine renewable glycerol with water and refinery residues to produce an oil-in-water emulsified synthetic fuel.
The company noted that, compared to HFO, the new product can produce emissions with 20%-30% less carbon dioxide, whilst nitrous oxide and particulate levels will also be lower.
READ: Quadrise says MSAR can save refineries US$100mln a year
Glycerol is a benign chemical that’s colourless, odourless, water-soluble, non-volatile and bio-degradable, the company added. As a fuel, glycerol has excellent lubricity, burns almost pollutant-free and is virtually carbon neutral.
Quadrise highlighted that a switch to bioSAR fuel has similar benefits to using liquified natural gas (LNG) instead of HFO, but such systems require expensive cryogenic storage and liquefaction systems and have the risk of ‘methane slip’ during use, which can impact potential greenhouse gas reductions.
“The development and launch of bioMSAR is a real success story for the company,” said Jason Miles, Quadrise chief executive in a statement.
“Having planned a roadmap for a sustainable fuel product earlier in the year, the innovative Quadrise team has made outstanding progress in bringing our glycerol-based biofuel from concept to market in such a short time, including the filing of a new joint patent application with Nouryon.
“Our original target for bioMSAR was a 10-20% reduction in CO2 compared with heavy fuel oil, however, 20-30% has been achieved already which compares favourably with LNG, albeit at a much lower cost for conversion.”
Miles added: “We look forward to updating shareholders, as appropriate, on the results from planned engine and combustion testing of bioMSAR(R), new fuel developments, and commercial discussions with stakeholders in the biofuel supply chain during the coming months.”


text:
No upside to Brexit for Irish farmers, Michael Creed says
Minister for Agriculture says fear is UK will fill shelves with cheap non-EU food
Hard Brexit, which would see food tariffs being imposed, would cost €700 million a year, IFA forum told. Photograph: Finbarr O’Rourke
There is no upside to Brexit for the Irish agrifood industry, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has warned.
Mr Creed told farmers that Brexit was not a “pretty picture” and that the department was very worried that the UK will fill up its supermarket shelves with cheap food from outside the EU.
A hard Brexit, which would see food tariffs being imposed, would cost €700 million a year and “decimate” the industry, he maintained.
Speaking at the IFA Brexit forum in Goffs, Co Kildare, Mr Creed said there might be some upside to Brexit in the financial service sectors or in getting EU agencies to relocate to Ireland, but there was none for farmers
“You can’t make a banker out of a west of Ireland suckler farmer,” he pointed out.
He announced a seven-point plan to find alternative markets for Irish food and drink exports.
The plan will be implemented by the Department of Agriculture with significant input from Bord Bia and Irish embassies around the world.
However, he also stated that the best markets for Irish food products were mature western European markets and most specifically the UK.
“It would be difficult to replicate a market as rewarding as the United Kingdom market,” he said.
Exports to Britain account for 37 per cent of all Irish agrifood exports worth more than €4.1 billion.
The weakening of sterling after Brexit wiped off €570 million worth of exports for the industry in 2016.
Mr Creed said it was not time to “raise the white flag” on food and drink exports to Britain. “We are not walking away from the hard won yards on the UK supermarket shelves,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, IFA president Joe Healy said the threat to Irish agriculture posed by Brexit was “stark”.
He urged EU commissioner Phil Hogan, who was present, to ensure that Irish interests are to the forefront in the Brexit negotiations on trade.
He said any trade deal cannot be undermined by allowing the British to import food from countries outside the EU which do meet EU standards of food safety.
“Any free trade agreement must include the maintenance of European standards and the UK’s acceptance of the European Common External Tariff to protect the UK market against low-cost imports from outside the EU,” Mr Healy said.


text: Apple has another antitrust problem in Europe. Dutch regulators said Thursday that they have opened an investigation into whether Apple has abused its market position by giving preferential treatment to its own apps. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets said in a statement that app providers have submitted evidence “which seem to indicate that Apple abuses its position in the App Store.” The regulator said it had been studying the issue for 10 months. It said the probe would initially focus on Apple\n \n (AAPL), but it also called on app providers to report any issues with Google’s Play Store. “Apps have increasingly become important parts of our daily lives,” said the regulator, which added that it “expects Apple and Google\n \n (GOOGL) to exhibit fair and transparent behavior.” Apple said in a statement that it is “confident” the review “will confirm all developers have an equal opportunity to succeed in the App Store.” The move comes after Spotify\n \n (SPOT) launched a similar complaint against Apple last month with the European Commission. The Swedish music streaming company accused Apple of giving its own music service an unfair advantage over competitors. The European Commission is considering the complaint. The Commission, which is in charge of safeguarding competition across the European Union, said it had taken note of the Dutch case. The Commission often follows up on probes by individual member states. It has already investigated and fined Google $4.3 billion ($5 billion) for abusing its market power and forcing smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its apps on devices as a condition for licensing Google’s app store. A spokesperson for the Commission said Thursday that the Dutch investigation “complements” its own decision on Google and inquiry into Apple.


text:
NEWTON, Mass. and PETACH TIKVA, Israel – May 9, 2017 – CyberArk (NASDAQ: CYBR), the company that protects organizations from cyber attacks that have made their way inside the network perimeter, today announced the appointment of Marianne Budnik as chief marketing officer (CMO). Marianne will report to CyberArk CEO Udi Mokady, and be responsible for the global structure, strategy and execution of all aspects of CyberArk’s marketing efforts to broaden market reach and drive demand for the company’s market-leading privileged account security solutions.
“Marianne brings tremendous technology industry experience and insight earned from working with a range of organizations at different stages of growth and maturity,” said Udi Mokady, chairman and CEO, CyberArk. “She has a proven track record for creating and leading effective global marketing initiatives that scale, and will be a valuable addition to our executive team. Her focus, energy and talent will be instrumental in continuing to differentiate CyberArk as a cyber security leader.”
Budnik brings deep experience to CyberArk, having led creative, impactful global marketing strategies at SimpliVity (acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise), Acme Packet, Inc. (acquired by Oracle) and CA Technologies. As CMO at SimpliVity, she helped shape and drive demand for a new technology category, hyperconverged infrastructure, which drove customer value and the evolution of the organization from start-up to a high-growth industry leader. Prior to SimpliVity, Budnik served as CMO of Acme Packet where she helped expand market opportunities and increase brand value and visibility. Budnik also served as CMO at CA Technologies, and held multiple senior leadership positions at EMC Corporation.
“CyberArk is a respected cyber security industry leader and a trusted advisor to thousands of organizations around the world,” said Budnik. “The incredible focus and discipline of this organization, which is clearly committed to innovation, value and customer satisfaction, makes CyberArk a stand-out global organization. Drawing on the drive and vision of this team, I am enthusiastic about what we can achieve together.”
Budnik joins the CyberArk executive team as the company extends its position as the market leader, being consistently recognized for technology innovation by organizations such as SC Magazine, CRN and Government Security News. CyberArk has also been named a top place to work by Fortune Magazine and global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work, Boston Globe and the Boston Business Journal.
CyberArk is the only security company focused on eliminating the most advanced cyber threats; those that use insider privileges to attack the heart of the enterprise. Dedicated to stopping attacks before they stop business, CyberArk proactively secures against cyber threats before attacks can escalate and do irreparable damage. The company is trusted by the world’s leading companies – including more than 45 percent of the Fortune 100 – to protect their highest value information assets, infrastructure and applications. A global company, CyberArk is headquartered in Petach Tikva, Israel, with U.S. headquarters located in Newton, Mass. The company also has offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, Asia Pacific and Japan. To learn more about CyberArk, visit www.cyberark.com, read the CyberArk blog, or follow on Twitter via @CyberArk, LinkedIn or Facebook.


text:
Tag: expo west
Coronavirus panic sends shoppers to stores, puts events under scrutiny- General News
Panic about the spread of coronavirus has postponed one industry event, and sent consumers to stores to stock up.
Buyer, exhibitor concerns about coronavirus prompt Expo West to postpone- General News
The postponement comes amid a flurry of news articles and social media posts calling for the event’s cancellation amid concerns of the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19.


text:
Gator’s Easy Wind Pub Adjusts to Serve Patrons During COVID-19
When the government began to shut down businesses in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, bars and restaurants were among the first to feel the economic effect of the pandemic. As retailers and other businesses re-opened and slowly began their road to recovery, bars and restaurants continued to struggle with restrictions on operating hours and customer capacities.
In Marietta, Gator’s Easy Wind Pub celebrated its sixth anniversary in June, after being closed for three months. Times may be uncertain, but the familiar faces around the bar are certainly a welcome sight. According to his daughter, owner Jeff Harris has poured every ounce of his energy into remodeling the building over the past six years. The building had previously been home to the Four Seasons Bar, an establishment with a not-so-positive reputation.
From their extensive renovations and expanded menu, to their participation in downtown events like First Friday, Harris is proud to say Gator’s has earned the reputation as one of the cleanest bars in Marietta, overcoming biker bar stereotypes and past perceptions.
Now the biggest hurdle Harris faces is making it through a global pandemic. With forced early closing times and many patrons still hesitant to jump back into their pre-quarantine routine, Harris and his staff have had to get creative.
“We have changed our operations since the onset of COVID-19 by encouraging social distancing, offering delivery and carryout for food and drinks, and adjusting our hours to be open 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.,” said Gator’s Office Manager and Harris’ daughter, Sara Wilson. “We have also eliminated one entryway to ensure that we do not exceed our maximum capacity of 50 people, which is half of our normal capacity, to adhere to state guidelines.”
Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes can be found throughout the pub, helping Gator’s maintain their squeaky clean reputation. Wilson said they also donated gloves, Lysol, and disinfectant wipes to a few of their regulars that work in local medical offices when they couldn’t find supplies at the beginning of the pandemic. And the patio out back makes it easy for patrons to enjoy some fresh air while they sip on their beverage of choice.
Wilson and Harris hope that the community will feel safe returning to bars and restaurants more frequently this fall. “It’s crucial for folks to support our local bars and restaurants during this time because if we have no customers or support, it will be impossible to keep our doors open,” said Wilson. “We have overcome every challenge we’ve faced thus far and with the community’s support, we know we can do it again.”
In April, Ohio Governor DeWine signed an executive order allowing Ohio businesses with a liquor permit to sell up to two alcoholic drinks per meal for takeout or delivery. In June, legislation passed in the House to permanently allow Ohio establishments to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout or delivery, or to drink in adjacent parking lots. (The bill, House Bill 669, is currently pending approval in the Senate.)
To make it easier for patrons to support Gator’s throughout the pandemic, the bar now offers carry-out drinks, coffee, six-packs – even gift cards. Wilson said she hopes the community will use this opportunity to pick up their next six-pack from a local bar instead of a big box grocery store or gas station.
“If the public wants to be able to visit local bars and restaurants after the pandemic, we must all do our part and support those businesses during these difficult times.” If you haven’t visited Gator’s Easy Wind, why not show your support and try a new local spot at the same time?


text:
- Find my Car
- Roof racks
For those whose car boots bulge at the seams on summer trips, Yakima has launched the SkyBox 16S, a cargo box that fits onto Whispbar, square and factory roof racks.
Yakima says the lid is 50 per cent stiffer than its previous boxes, so it vibrates less and is easier to open and shut one-handed. The box is designed to fit most vehicles.
It is just over 2m long, weighs 21.3kg and has a capacity of 453l.
Last updated: 11th November 2014
Originally published in NZ 4WD Magazine June 2021 Join Yakima on its Journey Yakima’s story is more of a journey, because they’ve never been good at sitting still. After all, they don’t have wild sides; they have wild souls. For over four decades, their trusted solutions have transformed the way...
Originally published in Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine Annual 4WD Magazine 2021 Yakima has launched its new platform mounting system Designed from the outset to carry heavy loads and look good while doing it, Yakima says RuggedLine is the new standard in 4WD cargo management. The RuggedLine system is available now...
Words by Mike Blewitt and images by Lachlan Ryan. Originally published in AMB Magazine issue #173. Yakima's recently released FoldClick bike racks are a new step for the American gear haulage and carrying company. Yakima have a few classics in their range of rear-mounted bike racks with dependable models like the HoldUp...


text:
By: Julian Emeritt • email: email@example.com
Last month’s meeting of countries that ratified the World Health Organisation’s Illicit Trade Protocol (ITP), led to a welcome last minute reprieve for the duty free tobacco business. The 48 member countries agreed to delay undertaking research into whether duty free contributes to the illicit trade of tobacco until 2020 at the earliest. The WHO Secretariat had originally suggested the research start immediately.
This delay is a well-deserved victory for industry associations such as the Duty Free World Council (DFWC) and the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC), which have lobbied governments and customs authorities hard over the past 12 months, arguing that the duty free channel is, in fact, one of the most highly controlled in the world. The decision to postpone research into duty free is a strong signal that the issue is not a top priority for ITP signatories.
However, now is not the time for the industry to take its eyes off the ball. As controversial as it may be, the tobacco industry still matters to this business. The latest figures from Generation, unveiled at the TFWA World Exhibition last month, show that duty free tobacco sales held steady at US$ 7.2 billion in 2017 – still significantly ahead of other categories such as confectionery (US$ 5billion), jewellery and fine writing (US$ 5.7 billion) and electronics and gifts (US$ 4.9 billion).
It’s true, tobacco’s share of overall duty free sales has slipped over the years – it currently hovers at just 10.3%. Yet the category remains an important footfall driver for many travel retailers. Moreover, research study after study has shown that duty free tobacco purchasers are also good shoppers of other product categories.
Tobacco is a category worth fighting for. The challenge now is to convince and educate the WHO that many of the provisions required by the Protocol to eliminate illicit trade, such as the establishment of a tracking and tracing system, strong security measures and good record keeping, are already being undertaken by the duty free industry in partnership with national Customs authorities.
Successful lobbying campaigns require unity and common purpose. However, it is far from clear that this unanimity now exists amongst the major tobacco companies. While Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has strongly supported the fight to retain duty free tobacco sales, for instance, Philip Morris International (PMI), the producer of Marlboro, one of the best-selling brands in duty free, appears to be no longer a supporter of the traditional tobacco business.
Instead, the multi-national company wants smokers to ”give up cigarettes” and is trying to persuade smokers to switch to its smoke-free IQOS heated tobacco device – the latest iterations of which (IQOS 3 and IQOS 3 MULTI) were unveiled in Tokyo with great fanfare last month. PMI’s heated tobacco device is now on sale in 43 markets worldwide and the company estimates 5.9 million adult smokers have stopped smoking and switched to IQOS.
On one level, PMI’s aim is laudable, of course. A world with fewer smokers has to be a good thing. But the question has to be asked: is PMI’s desire to exit the traditional cigarette business a helpful one in the duty free industry’s very important fight to hold onto traditional tobacco sales?


text:
This week, we’re joined by tech journalist (and former The Drill Down co-host) Tom Cheredar, as we discuss: Taylor Swift tells Apple Music ‘we ARE getting back together’, French cab drivers are revolting, Netflix is about to be bigger than networks, A.I. sasses back, a real GIANT ROBOT DUEL!! … and much much more.
We discuss the effect the bin Laden raid had on global twitter traffic (and one tweeter in particular), Sony gets hit with a second round of security breaches, Apple updates their iMacs, rental laptops spy on their rentees, Warner Brothers buys Rotten Tomatoes, and The Woz tells Paul Allen to stop trolling.
Later we discuss the decline of TV ownership and DVD/Blu-Ray sales and why that’s an indicator of the new way we watch content; Julian Assange says Facebook is the most appalling spy machine that has ever been invented; and we breakdown the new upcoming Star Wars box sets.
This week we’re happy to have as our guest video producer and creator of Bottles, Blends and Brews podcast Zack Luye. Zack shares his experience in creating BBB and the most unusual beverages he’s ever had. Later we discuss Nielsen’s report on how we’re spending time online, Disney gets into the casual games space with purchase of Playdom, Android sales overtake iPhone sales in the U.S., Saudi Arabia bans Blackberries, college students gain higher awareness of privacy on Facebook, YouTube expands upload time to 15 minutes, and RIP, Google Wave.
The finale of ABC’s six-year-long castaway saga, LOST was expected to bring in a record audience share. The ads were pre-sold at $900,000 per 30-seconds. When so much money is riding on getting a TiVo ad-skipping audience to stop and take a look at what you have to sell, how do you glue those eyeballs to the screen? Target Brands, Inc. seems to have hit the, um, target by catering directly to LOST’s hardcore fanbase with a handful of custom ads. These advertisements, directed by regular LOST director Jack Bender, incorporate themes familiar to LOST fans such as the smoke monster, the Swan station computer, and hunting the local island fauna.
These ads are prime examples of how to effectively market to a very niche audience. Advertisers who want to stop ad-skipping viewers dead in their tracks can take a lesson from Target.
Kentucky Fried Chicken also rode LOST’s coattails early on. This ad aired nationally during the height of LOST’s first season.
And here’s Bud Light’s take on the LOST meme:
UPDATE: According to ratings researcher Nielsen, “nearly 90% of the national advertisements aired during the telecast achieved higher brand recall in the finale, compared to their average in other primetime programming”, and in particular, the Target ads “captured the strongest Net Likeability of any ad in the show – nearly quadrupling the average of all other spots in the telecast.”


text:
Get the digital magazine on your device!
FREE TRIAL – Limited time only
Phones with projectors in didn't work the first time around, so why should they now? But we wanted to know if it was any more serious in real life, so we fondled its curves to find ou »
Mobile World Congress has barely started yet, but the announcements are starting to arrive. First out of the blocks is Samsung with the Galaxy Beam and Galaxy Tab 2 »
What good is Watchmen on Blu-Ray, or even Uncle George on brandy, if you don't have a high-quality screen to do it justice? We look around for the best visual tech »
James Gilpin is a designer and researcher who has turned the sugar-rich urine of elderly diabetics into a high-end single malt whisky »
With its vast tin reserves, the indonesian island of bangka is experiencing a mining rush that has led to environmental damage and human suffering. The cause? global demand for the solder used to make our smartphones and tablets »
There is enough here to make it enjoyable but too many inconsistencies and errors »


text:
Creating 400 New Jobs and Continued Growth in United States
Princeton, Ind. (Jan. 24, 2017) — Toyota Indiana knows how to ring in the New Year! The company will add 400 jobs at the plant in Princeton, investing $600 million to meet the strong and growing demand for the Highlander midsize SUV and modernize the entire plant. The investment will be used for retooling, new equipment and advanced technologies to make the plant more competitive. The project is scheduled to begin in fall 2019 and will add 40,000 Highlanders annually.
This expansion project is part of Toyota’s localization strategy to build vehicles where they are sold. During the 2017 North American International Auto Show, Jim Lentz, chief executive officer, Toyota Motor North America, announced that the company would, “invest an additional $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. This investment will be used to make the existing plants even more competitive.”
This announcement shows Toyota’s commitment to continued U.S. investment. The Princeton, Indiana plant produced over 400,000 vehicles last year, the highest in its 20-year history. “The Highlander has been a great vehicle for our plant and we are excited to deliver even more of them to our loyal customers,” said Millie Marshall, president of Toyota Indiana. “This is a true testament to our team members and their dedication to producing quality vehicles.”
The third-generation Highlander made its debut at the Indiana plant in 2013 and has continually exceeded customer expectations. The Highlander received the 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognizing good crash protection across the board.
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to assist more people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.


text:
FTSE CLOSE: Stocks on both sides of Atlantic rebound from their drubbing as US jobs surge revealed; Service sector activity edges up in the UK but economy remains lacklustre
- US jobs surged by 312,000 in December versus forecasts of just 176,000
- FTSE 100 back in the green - up 1 per cent at 6,762.43 after the bell
- The engineering arm of collapsed airline Monarch has fallen into administration
- House prices fell 0.7% in December - slowing to the weakest pace since 2013
The FTSE 100 has closed up 2.1 per cent, or 144.76 points at 6,837.42, reversing the losses it suffered yesterday on the back of a choppy session on Wall Street.
In company news, the engineering arm of collapsed airline Monarch has fallen into administration, resulting in the loss of 450 jobs. Economy Energy has been banned by Ofgem from taking on new customers for three months amid concerns over its customer service.
And, annual house price growth has slowed to its weakest pace since February 2013, according to Nationwide Building Society.
The FTSE 100 opened in the green on Friday after a volatile session on Thursday
Retail stocks received a welcome boost this week after Next - first out the blocks with its Christmas results - pleased investors with a 1.5 per cent sales rise.
Despite the fashion giant trimming its profit forecasts for the year, and suffering a near-10 per cent slump in in-store sales, Next shares revved up by 6 per cent, and dragged other beleaguered retail stocks up with it too.
Neil Birrell, chief investment officer, Premier Asset Management-
"It’s quite understandable if investors are confused at the moment as news flow and data releases are not providing certainty. Disappointing Apple revenues were rapidly followed up by a drop in the US manufacturing ISM index not seen since 2008, which caused a big sell-off in US equities last night.
“Better news on the possible US government shutdown and trade talks with China subsequently provided support in Asia and Europe, but a flurry of PMI data in Europe this morning has, for the most part, been a little disappointing, although the UK was quite good.
“One constant positive through 2018 was US employment data and that continued with the release of the non-farm payroll figures for December. 312,000 jobs were added in the month, but the unemployment rate rose, so perhaps full employment has not yet been reached. Average hourly earnings were also higher than expected, rising 3.2% year on year. This suggests the US economy is still performing well and vindicates the Fed’s decision to hike rates in December.
“This is likely to be positive for the dollar, but notwithstanding the good news, there is enough uncertainty around to mean that asset prices will remain volatile, but market levels are starting to discount a fairly bleak outlook.”
Neil Wilson at Markets.com -
“Today’s was an exceptionally strong jobs report, totally defying expectations and signalling the ongoing strength of the US labour market. We got a very strong headline number, sharper wage acceleration and a very strong increase in labour force participation. In short this report does one thing – it leaves the Fed with the ammunition to keep raising rates and ignore what the markets are telling it to do – at least for now.
"Despite being superficially strong, it hasn’t really moved the markets in the way a report like this would have done even 12 months ago, highlighting the uncertainty that overhangs the state of play with the US economy and the Fed.
"The dollar has spiked higher a touch, with the DXY up above 96 – let’s see how long that lasts. Dow futures still looking up around 300 points with the tailwinds from China (trade talks and easing) offering support. Treasury yields have ticked higher a touch, but 10s remain well set at year lows around 2.62%.
US stocks rose at the open after a after jobs data was better than analysts expected and proposed trade talks with China next week.
The Dow Jones rose 0.9 per cent higher at the open to 22,894.92, while the S&P 500 rose 1 per cent to 2,474 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 1.6 per cent to 6,567.
Apple shares bounced back after yesterday's fall, rising 1.5 per cent at the open.
The tech giant caused a market sell-off yesterday after it cut its holiday sales forecasts amid lower iPhone sales and pressures in China.
The Footsie continues to make gains, trading up 1.4 per cent at 6,783 at lunchtime.
The FTSE 250 is also higher, up 1.2 per cent at 17,649.
The pound is 0.3 per cent higher against the dollar at $1.26, and is 0.1 per cent higher than the euro at €1.11.
And oil prices are on the rise, with Brent Crude up 2.2 per cent at $57 a barrel.
Shares in online musican instrument seller Gear4music have more than halved today after it warned over profits.
The electric guitar-to-piano retailer said that it expects full year earnings to come in lower than the previous 12 months as sales growth was constrained by capacity issues over Black Friday and Christmas, which will impact profit margins.
Howard Archer, chief economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, commented:
The weak December PMI adds to the evidence that the services sector has had a very challenging fourth quarter.
Reinforcing concern for any near-term pick-up in services activity, incoming new business growth was at the second lowest level (after November) since July 2016. Confidence in the sector weakened to a 29-month low and was at the second lowest level since March 2009.
The weak set of December PMIs reinforce our belief that the Bank of England will remain firmly in 'wait and see' mode on monetary policy until after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. Moderating inflation amid weakened oil prices gives the Bank of England increased scope to adopt a cautionary approach on interest rates.
CMC's David Madden explains >>>
'The Caixin survey of Chinese manufacturing reading was 53.9, which topped the forecast of 52.9, and it was an improvement of the 53.8 reading in November.
The announcement was a welcome change from the negative news surrounding China this week.
The reserve requirement ratio has been trimmed in order to stimulate the economy, and cuts to taxes are expected too, and that has lifted sentiment across Europe this morning.
Mining and energy stocks are higher on the back of the Chinese news, and they are some of the biggest gainers in London this morning.'
The pound is up against both the Euro and the Dollar today after being at its lowest level since April 2017 yesterday. It has been helped by the weaker greenback, and also vaguely positive services data...
XTB's David Cheetham says: 'The business survey from the UK this week has delivered a slightly positive message from the service sector. The reading is above the 50.4 seen in the prior month and better than expected.
'That said, the rise in manufacturing PMI was not as positive as it first appeared and largely due to companies taking measures to mitigate the impact of a no-deal Brexit and while today’s data is also pleasing on the face of it, it is far from a beacon of strength.
'Looking into the details of the report it contained a stark warning with business expectations fell once again to 60.2 from 60.6 in November - marking the weakest 2-month period since 2009!'
Shoppers face paying 'substantially' more for everyday goods if politicians fail to secure a watertight tariff-free trade deal for the UK, a leading figure representing the retail sector has warned.
Helen Dicksinson, head of the British Retail Consortium, said in the BRC-Nielson Shop Price Index published today: 'Shoppers may have become accustomed to great value, but Brexit uncertainty means that a continuation of the low prices is by no means guaranteed.'
Annual house price growth slowed sharply at the end of 2018, falling to its weakest level since February 2013, according to a leading index.
In December, house prices were just 0.5 per cent higher than the same month in 2017, Nationwide Building Society said. This compared to the 1.9 per cent annual growth rate notched up in November.
The services PMI showed a reading of 51.2 in December, higher than the 50.4 recorded a month earlier. Economists were expecting a reading of 50.7. A figure above 50 indicates growth.
Jeremy Thomson-Cook, chief economist at WorldFirst commented-
“The largest and most important part of the UK economy is slowing to a crawl, according to the latest data. While December was slightly better than November, the malaise felt into the end of the year will have far-reaching consequences on everything from the High St to business services as we enter 2019.
"Slowing growth for a protracted period will eventually lead to cuts in capacity - i.e. jobs. In the meantime we expect that businesses will continue to talk about margin compression as they attempt to pass on higher wage costs to consumers despite consumer reticence to spend likely to increase as we creep closer to the Brexit deadline of March 29th."
"Everybody knows what needs to happen to reduce the fear and uncertainty in business and consumer purchase and investment intent; a deal on Brexit is enough to eliminate the near-term risk of an economy driven to stagnation."
New work increased by only a fraction in December, despite lower fuel prices helping to 'offset some of the pressure on operating expenses from rising staff wages', it said.
Stonegate, the owner of Slug & Lettuce and cocktails bar Be At One, saw sales rise during the festive period.
The group booked like for like sales growth of 7.8 per cent in the month to January 1.
Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, key trading days for the sector, saw Stonegate's sales rise on average 8.3 per cent, and in the two weeks from 17 December they were up 12 per cent.
It also performed well on Boxing Day as punters sank pints while watching festive football.
AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould -
“Stocks are bouncing back after yesterday’s Apple-inspired bout of weakness, but the S&P 500 in the US is still on course for its worst first week back after the New Year since 2016 when fears of a currency crisis in China led to significant volatility. And this follows on from the worst December for the index since the Great Depression.
“The fortunes of the Chinese economy, amid an ongoing trade war with the US, are central to investors’ current fears. However, the FTSE managed to soldier ahead on Friday, gaining 0.6% to 6,729.50 on hopes that next week’s talks between the US and China can help temper the tensions on trade. In the context of today’s fragile recovery, non-farm payrolls data later could also be key to determining the next major move in markets.
“Employment data is a central factor behind the decisions made by the US Federal Reserve, and its plan to stick with at least two rate hikes in 2019 has been a significant catalyst for the flight from equities in recent weeks.”
The small energy provider has been banned from taking on new customers until it improves its customer service and could see its licence revoked if it fails to do so.
Regulator Ofgem has given the firm three months to address its billing and payment failures, refund customers 'in a timely manner' and improve and expand its customer contact procedures via email and webchat.
If Economy Energy fails to make improvements within three months, Ofgem said it could confirm the provisional order to extend the ban or, if the supplier fails to improve, it could take steps to revoke its licence.
Monarch Aircraft Engineering has fallen into administration as it run into financial difficulties after the collapse of Monarch airline in 2017.
Some 450 jobs have been lost at the engineering firm based at London Luton Airport. MAE, which is owned by private equity firm Greybull Capital, is the last remaining entity of the failed carrier.
KPMG has been appointed to carry out the process.
The Footsie shot up 1 per cent at the bell. At 8.25 it had slipped back a touch and was settling around the 6,730 mark.
Investors will be hoping for a calmer day today after what has been a very volatile week for global markets, driven primarily by concerns around the Chinese economy.
A strong FTSE 100, buoyed by retail stocks on Thursday, was decimated when the bell rang on Wall Street yesterday and Apple suffered its worst day in six years.
Most watched Money videos
- Lamborghini unleashes the 217mph Sian Roadster hypercar
- What next for shares after the post-crash bounce?
- Ford reveal promo video of new hardcore Bronco 4X4 range
- Jaguar new 'predictive touch' that stops viruses spread
- Take a look at the new Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 supercar
- The all new Ford Puma is unveiled by Ford
- Yo! promo shows how customers will be served post-lockdown
- Promo clip shows capability of Torsus Terrastorm as cargo van
- The first Aston Martin replica from 007 Goldfinger ever made
- Ineos reveals its brand new model Grenadier 4X4
- Check out the lightning quick Lamborghini Essenza SCV12
- Ford unveils the all-electric track Mustang Mach-E SUV


text:
In today’s episode of “What Windows 11 22H2 Breaks This Time” we have the broken Windows Hello authentication system. According to the software giant’s latest update, users may experience issues with Windows Hello sign-in methods, such as facial recognition, fingerprints, or standard PIN.
Microsoft says the bug affects customers who set up Windows Hello before installing Windows 11 2022 (or 22H2) update. The problem shouldn’t bother you if you enabled Windows Hello after accessing the latest version of Windows 11.
A botched Windows Hello doesn’t mean affected customers are completely locked out of their systems. Windows 11 reverts to Microsoft account or offline account passwords if Windows Hello is not available. Still, Microsoft applied a compatibility hold to protect customers from the frustrating experience. Affected systems will not receive the Windows 11 2022 Update until Microsoft provides a permanent fix.
You can work around the issue by installing KB5017389, the first optional cumulative update for Windows 11 22H2. Microsoft says it will remove the backup in mid-October 2022, and you can expect the fix to arrive in today’s Patch Tuesday update.
Broken Windows Hello has joined the ever-growing list of known issues with Microsoft’s latest operating system. The company has already confirmed performance degradations in SSDs, broken supply, crippled printers, issues with remote desktops, and game issues caused by new security features. Therefore, if your computer does not see any updates and cannot access Windows 11 22H2 “naturally”, it is better not to force the update and stay on Windows 10 or the initial version of Windows 11.


text:
Listowel, Ont.-based Ideal Supply will hold a virtual trade show June 10 and 11.
The online event is being designed to replicate the feel and opportunities of a physical show, from “Reward Bucks” and special pricing, to technical training and interaction with vendors.
“We like to be leaders in the industries that we serve,” said marketing coordinator Peter Mackie. “Obviously we love our physical show but given the environment that we’re all living in these days, we had to do something a bit different to support our customers and still have a little fun along the way.”
It will all take place on a specially developed website, with landing pages that direct attendees to the reward program, videos, training, vendors, and other features.
“I’m sure other companies have done variations of this, but this is our creation. We built this from the ground up, to replicate the journey that attendees would have at a physical show,” said Mackie. “When you come to the landing page, the first thing you’ll see is the rewards plan, where you can create your wish list, just like you would when you come through the physical doors at our trade show.”
From there, you can follow your own path to browse new products, learn about vendor companies, watch instructional videos, or live training webinars.
A live-chat is being planned to allow attendees to ask vendors direct questions about the products and equipment they’re interested in.
“Obviously there won’t be free food and beverages,” said Mackie. “It’s too bad we can’t send those to you digitally.”
The company normally holds two spring trade shows – two weeks apart in Barrie, Ont., and Stratford, Ont. – which draw a total of about 3,000 people. This year’s events were cancelled in mid-March, due to concerns about spreading coronavirus.
“We started to make a contingency plan right away because the trade shows are a very big part of our marketing year,” he said. “As soon as we saw some confidence in the market, we set a date and let our vendors know.”
Mackie said the response from the industry has been “phenomenal.”
“Everybody who was signed up to be part of the physical show has signed up to do the virtual show,” he said.
Keeping to normal trade show schedule was deemed to be an important part of the plan.
“We still want to create that sense of urgency,” he explained. “We’re not going to run it for a couple of weeks. It is confined to two days just like our physical show would be. At the same time though we want to build in some flexibility. If you’re a mechanic and you’re pulling wrenches all day, you can still log in in the evening and see what we have to offer.
If the event goes well, Ideal Supply may incorporate elements of the virtual show into future physical shows.
“Maybe in the fall we could do a combination of a physical show with some of these online features,” Mackie said. “We wouldn’t want to move away from physical shows. There’s so much value in a live event. A trade show is a great time to strengthen industry relationship. But I wouldn’t rule out some online features to supplement a live show.”
Great idea! .. Good luck. I’m sure clients are appreciative.


text:
Amazon acquires the Wondery podcast network to compete with Spotify
Amazon is the second most valued company in the US. Besides the online and offline retail and logistics business, it has a plethora of entertainment services under one umbrella. Some of these services include established brand names such as Audible, Kindle, Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Prime Music. And now, popular podcast network Wondery is joining the list with the announcement of its acquisition by Amazon.
Wondery is one of the top five podcast publishers in the US and is home to noted podcast shows such as Dr. Death and Dirty John. As per the blog post announcement, content from Wondery will be available on Amazon Music, which received support for podcasts in September 2020. Amazon notes that after this deal, the existing Wondery shows will continue to be available on all of the existing platforms and not restricted to Amazon Music exclusively. This means if you are a user, you can access shows on Spotify, Apple Music, and a whole lot of other podcast streaming services.
The blog notes that the deal completion awaits “customary closing conditions.” Until then, nothing changes in terms of how the platform works. Moreover, there is no clear information on what happens to the existing Wonder+ subscribers once the deal concludes. Meanwhile, Ben Mullin of The Wall Street Journal reports that once the deal goes through, Wondery CEO Hernan Lopez will step down from their existing role and COO Jen Sargent will be filling the position.
While the conditions of the deal have not been made public, previous reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal suggest Wondery was valued at a minimum of $300 million. Before Amazon, Apple and Sony were also reportedly in talks to acquire the company.
While Amazon joined the podcast clan late, this deal is expected to put Amazon Music on the same level as competitors such as Apple Music and especially Spotify, which has signed exclusive deals with major creators such as Joe Rogan.


text:
Struggling to regain lost market share, the Compaq Computer Corporation outlined a new business strategy today based on lower operating costs and a new line of inexpensive personal computers. The announcement came 12 days after the company ousted its president and chief executive, Joseph (Rod) Canion, replacing him with Eckhard Pfeiffer, formerly the head of Compaq's foreign operations.
In a presentation to securities analysts at its Houston headquarters, Compaq also introduced a new senior management team and a new distribution strategy that places less emphasis on traditional computer dealers. On Monday, Compaq had announced price cuts of up to 25 percent on certain notebook computers.
After plummeting steadily for days, Compaq shares gained $1.25 each today, closing at $27.875 on the New York Stock Exchange. But analysts remained skeptical.
"They are saying the right things, but it's all in the doing," said Richard Shaffer, publisher of the Technologic Computer Letter, an industry publication. "Once a company begins to slide, it's very hard to stop it."
After achieving record growth by manufacturing I.B.M.-compatible personal computers, Compaq stumbled when competitors like Dell Computer, AST Research and Gateway Computer came to market with similar machines at far lower prices. Compaq also lost its reputation as a technology leader by lagging behind competing companies in introducting new models.
Today Compaq said it would regain the high ground, while also staking a claim in the low end of the market with far lower prices than it had offered before. The company also said it had refocused its product development and product planning in order to shorten new model cycles and lower manufacturing, material and overhead costs.Continue reading the main story


text:
This week, JB Straubel, who leads Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, took on a second employer. Mr. Straubel, who lives in California, resigned from Tesla on December 19, just months after he joined AT&T as CEO of the newly formed blockchain and connectivity division.
Mr. Straubel, who designed the electric cars, spacecraft and satellite Internet service at Tesla, will head up the new group at AT&T. The venture, which was announced by the telecommunications company on Monday, is part of the $38 billion AT&T is paying to acquire WarnerMedia — AT&T’s $85 billion bid for Time Warner, including Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of CNN and TBS, and HBO.
The AT&T blockchain division, or new business unit, was created when Mr. Straubel accepted the job. He announced his departure from Tesla, which has been hit by a series of management shakeups, in an email to employees that was obtained by CNBC. “I am really looking forward to this new challenge and will miss everyone,” Mr. Straubel wrote.
Spokespeople for AT&T and Mr. Straubel did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Straubel’s Silicon Valley resume is thick. Before joining Tesla in 2000, he was the vice president of networking at Cisco Systems, where he helped develop the company’s series of routers, switching devices and Internet protocols. He also worked at Lycos, which was bought by Barry Diller’s IAC, and eBay, before joining Tesla.
Since joining the electric car company, Mr. Straubel has overseen multiple product lines and enormous growth. He was behind the Model S sedan, which were the most successful cars ever sold by Tesla. Now, Mr. Straubel is taking on the challenge of helping to help Uber raise money — and get its valuation, which has fallen dramatically since its last public funding round in 2016, higher.
By joining AT&T, he’ll have more power to influence digital media. He will report to AT&T’s chief executive, Randall Stephenson, and his new role will be to “build next-generation capabilities for AT&T’s telecom, connected devices and enterprise businesses,” as the company said in a statement on Monday.
Mr. Straubel’s agenda will include “solving for next-generation devices and connected services, such as TV everywhere, Time Warner’s assets, machine learning, the Internet of Things, virtual reality, machine learning, wearables, enterprise applications and autonomous vehicles,” AT&T said. “He will also focus on building the foundation for AT&T’s long-term Internet platform initiative.”
Mr. Straubel is the second Tesla executive to go to another company in recent months. In November, Jeff Evanson, a technical expert who helped design Tesla’s Model 3, the latest, cheaper model of its car, resigned from the company, where he was executive director of test engineering.


text:
TORONTO — Ontario’s foremost liquor purveyor is urging residents to stock up early this holiday season to prevent any supply chain-induced disappointments.
The LCBO says transportation issues and the “ongoing considerations of COVID-19” – including changes to consumer demand – have led to a booze shortage.
The Crown corporation’s chief supply chain officer says imported products are more likely to be affected.
Nick Nanos says that includes some champagnes, wines from New Zealand, Australia and South America, as well as tequila and scotch.
He says the LCBO will continue to have a selection of international products, but those who have a particular drink in mind should shop early.
Nanos says some of the supply chain issues are expected to continue into 2022.


text:
GEORGE TOWN: A consumer group wants all products with glyphosate, an ingredient used in a popular weedkiller, to be banned over concerns it could be harmful to humans and animals.
Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader said some 20 countries had banned or restricted the use of the herbicide, which is said to cause cancer.
He said there were more than 200 herbicides with glyphosate, which were used for a variety of crops and in oil palm plantations in Malaysia.
“Glyphosate residues are neither removed by washing nor broken down by cooking. The herbicide residue remains in food for more than a year, even if processed, dried or frozen.
“It not only causes cancer but is also associated with increased spontaneous abortions, birth defects, skin diseases, and respiratory and neurological disease.
“As this is harmful to health, the wildlife and the environment, there is a compelling case for banning or phasing out glyphosate-based herbicides worldwide and Malaysia should follow this trend,” he said in a statement today.
He said glyphosate was one of the most widely-used herbicides because it was a weedkiller that genetically modified corn and soybeans had been engineered to “tolerate”.
Mohideen said a court in Bangladesh had ordered the government to phase out glyphosate from pesticides and introduce a safe alternative. Closer to home, Thailand and Vietnam had imposed a ban or restricted the use of glyphosate.
“In view of its toxicity, CAP calls on the agriculture ministry to ban the glyphosate-based herbicide.
“Meanwhile, agribusiness should move away from the use of toxic chemicals and should instead focus on the use of the safer organic production method.”


text:
Weekly Market Outlook
This week, we call your attention to a few key events, most of which are concentrated in two days, Tuesday and Thursday. In the period Tuesday to Thursday, US banks’ Q3 data are to be released. On Tuesday, China is releasing its trade balance data. Expectations here are for high external demand and somewhat weaker, though fairly good, internal demand figures. On the same day, September’s UK employment figures will grab investors’ attention. Later on, in the day, the US is scheduled to report its CPI, which marked its highest rate of increase for the last five months in August.
The main highlight on Thursday is the next episode of the EU/UK saga, aimed at negotiating a mutually beneficial deal after Brexit. On the same day, the US jobless claims are likely to provide fresh evidence for the jobs market slight recovery. On Friday, all eyes will be on the US retail sales in the context of the first month without government support since the outbreak of the pandemic.
US Banks Q3 Results (Tuesday-Thursday)
The Covid-19 outbreak has been particularly painful for the US banking sector. Generally, banks’ trading departments have kept a decent level, given the market volatility surge. Banks, like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, which focused on financial markets trading did well. The revenue of the latter has in fact marked its highest level for the past several years.
With provisions for bad debt taken into account though, banks like Wells Fargo posted a quarterly loss. The major US credit institutions announced that they had allotted $25 billion for bad debt provisions in the first quarter. Then in Q2, they allotted nearly $34 billion related to credit losses. The lending sector also suffered, with margins getting narrower due to the rather low interest rates.
China September Trade Balance (Tuesday)
Lately, the Chinese economy has started to pick up. June brought a 2.2% rise in imports, which indicates a moderate internal demand in the country. Commodity prices, of course, have always been a factor which impacts the overall status. The strong exports apparently mean robust external demand. It should be kept in mind, however, that this may be due to the large-scale exports of personal protective equipment, of which China is the largest manufacturer. Perhaps what currently matters more are import figures, as they provide a clear picture of internal demand.
UK Employment Figures (Tuesday)
As the UK unemployment rate’s increase from 3.9% to 4.1% indicates, the coronavirus-induced health crisis is taking its toll on the labour market. The numbers do not show the complete picture yet, because furloughed workers are not included. According to Rishi Sunak’s plan for the period after the furlough scheme, companies are to pay staff 55% of their normal wages, and the 22% top-up by the government will bring the earnings to 77% of their full amounts. The scheme is not exactly great news for employers, so the expectations are for a rise in unemployment rate after the end of the furlough scheme in late October.
US September CPI / Retail Sales (Tuesday/Friday)
August’s CPI rate rose to its highest since March, from 1% to 1.3%, thus beating the 1.2% forecast. The data clearly indicate that demand is coming back strong. US retail sales have started recovering in the past few months after their initial slump. The September figure is awaited with serious interest, as this has been the first full month in which no government support was paid out. The latest data show a drop in the unemployment rate, from 8.4% to 7.9%. Given the participation rate has declined too, however, the situation in the US labor market is perhaps not as good as it looks.
EU/UK Trade Talks (Thursday)
The negotiations on a Brexit deal have not yielded any positive results lately, although both the UK and the EU say that they are making progress. In reality, the looming differences have made it difficult for both parties to negotiate. As Boris Johnson had earlier stated, if no satisfactory deal is reached by 15 October, the British side will withdraw from the talks. The prime minister’s statement might as well be just another tool for exercising pressure on the EU. If no deal is agreed upon, then the EU and the UK may start trading under WTO terms starting from January 2021.
US Jobless Claims (Thursday)
After the first few brutal months in the coronavirus hell, the US labor market has started to pick up. The latest initial jobless claims figures indicated a decline to 840,000 from 849,000: the lowest level since the pandemic kicked off. The metric has been keeping below 1 million already for six weeks. The counting claims report, which gauges the number of workers still getting unemployment benefits, declined to 10.97 million: the lowest level since early April.


text:
By Charlene Weisler
“It’s TV but not quite TV anymore,” posited Tim Hanlon, Founder and CEO, Vetere Group. Randi Schatz, VP, Market Leader of Media Entertainment, Future plc, called it, “the most transformational topic in media today with rapidly changing developments offering a myriad of opportunity and challenges to TVs technological future.”
Arguably one of the fastest growing and increasingly morphing movements in media today is in programmatic. From its early years of automatic buying and real time bidding, today’s programmatic has been both humanized and computerized in a way that lends itself to all platforms of media buying and selling. How is the industry handling yet another area of transformative change?
Here are the takeaways from the recent Programmatic TV Summit held in NYC:
- Programmatic TV is expanding into more areas of television and spending is on a steady rise according to eMarketer, offering opportunities even in linear avails. The whole nature of programmatic has evolved. Will Offeman, Chief Product Officer, WideOrbit, noted that, “now there is programmatic against premium inventory.”
- But legacy systems and protocols are slowing down progress. As Gerard Broussard, Principal, Premeditated Media, pointed out, linear TV currently lacks the technological bones for exact digital-like programmatic and older systems are slowing down the roll-out. But there are industry initiatives likeTIP (Television Interface Practices) that are tackling the obstacles.
- Creative is innovating so as to take advantage of the flexibility of formats, messaging and pod lengths that are enabled by the various device platforms. Xandr has “a brand new user interface with a suite of products to expand creative formats and a powerful optimization engine with a new user interface that can activate on these different formats,” according to Lindsey Van Kirk, Vice President of Product Management.
- Consumer opportunities are expanding. Technological innovations like driverless cars (where consumers will have uninterrupted travel time, ripe for messaging) and smart products (like dog collars that indicate when to feed and when to walk the dog) are creating new advertising opportunities coupled with new data streams.
- Technology is streamlining and improving the business. Joan Fitzgerald, SVP Advanced TV Global Partnerships, PremiumMedia360, explained that A.I. is enabling clients to, “figure out media in advance along with stewardship, reconciliation and payments.” Adam Lowy, Chief Commercial Officer, Telaria, noted that “There is traction. In OTT the supply is growing and more facets of the inventory is being realized. More people experimenting with programmatic to target smarter.” Programmatic, according to Lowy, “is more of a core part of businesses.”


text:
Diamond miner De Beers has partnered with the Jewellery Council of South Africa to serve as the main headline sponsor of this year’s ShopJewellex, a newly launched retail-consumer jewellery showcase to be held at Montecasino over the Black Friday weekend.
ShopJewellex will showcase the latest collections, designs and jewellery trends from some of South Africa’s favourite jewellery retailers and designers, as well as an array of emerging designers.
Some of the companies to exhibit are part of the De Beers Group beneficiation interventions, which include the De Beers Enterprise Development project, De Beers Group Young Designers initiative and the De Beers Small Beneficiators project.
The entities exhibiting include Molefi Letsiki Diamonds, Sunrise Gem Stones, Isabella Jewellers, Irresistible Diamonds, Lilja Hastie Jewellery, Caliente Designs, Lurozzia Jewellers, House of Phoenix and Vivid Gems.
The event will also include a fashion show by fashion designer Abigail Betz.
Partnering in this initiative forms part of De Beers’ beneficiation strategy, which aims to empower local beneficiators through access to rough diamonds, consumer markets and funding.
“At De Beers Group, the concept of Building Forever describes our commitment to creating a lasting positive legacy, both through our own interventions and by working in partnership with others to find solutions to the most significant challenges that we face collectively.
“Our aim is to assist with the growth and transformation of the diamond industry in South Africa and we look forward to continuing working with government and industry stakeholders to achieve this,” says De Beers sightholder sales senior VP Peter Phemelo Moeti.
He believes that, with constructive collaborations and partnerships with all industry stakeholders, including government, a vibrant diamond industry can be built and upheld.
De Beers sightholder sales beneficiation manager for South Africa Kagiso Fredericks adds that facilitating access to local and international diamond consuming markets is core to the growth and transformation of the local diamond jewellery industry.
“As industry stakeholders it is important that we collaborate with the aim of creating an environment that will allow our local diamond and jewellery beneficiation business to thrive.”


text:
Secondary buyouts have seen their share of the exit market rise, while trade sales hold steady, according to the latest figures from unquote” data.
Catch up on essential features from this past week with our round-up of industry analysis
Director Théodore Schneider will reinvest alongside CVC to retain a 20% stake in the company
Sale follows a three-year tenure and reportedly values the care home operator at €236m
Following a three-year holding period, the GP sells its stake to a consortium led by Hat Orizzonte


text:
In a relatively quiet week in iOS, news surfaced that Android owners are switching to iOS in big numbers, Apple Watch apps are pouring into the app store, and Amazon Prime members can now stream music on iOS.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 2,562
Third-party apps that support Apple Watch have started to arrive in Apple's App Store.
Microsoft has struck deals with 11 Android tablet makers, including Samsung and Dell, to preload a number of Microsoft's applications and services on Android hardware.
In the world of iOS this week was news about the growing rate of iOS 8 adoption, a trade-in program for Android and BlackBerry phones is coming from Apple, and Nintendo is coming to the iPhone.
Everyone from Apple to Samsung may be clamouring for a slice of the mobile payments market, but being a tech giant isn't always a guarantee of success - as Google's recent experience in Africa shows.
The iPhone and iPad tech giant launched the new mobile software alongside its desktop operating system counterpart as a testbed for developers and early-adopters.
Many people use their phones for GPS navigation in their car, on public transit, and when walking around town. Nokia's HERE for iOS is available now for free with worldwide map support.
What do you get if you take Apple's new MacBook, pry out the keyboard and duct tape the display to the body? An OS X-powered MacBook tablet, that's what.
Apple has patched a security vulnerability in iPhones and iPads, which the company warned could allow an attacker to intercept encrypted connections.
Apple has added a new MacBook to its lineup. The company claims that this offers a full-sized Mac experience in the thinnest and lightest form so far.
IT leaders are being urged to look beyond the usual bells and whistles of application interfaces.
This week in iOS were reports of Apple Pay fraud, that iPhone is the top phone in China, and the Apple/IBM alliance released three new apps for the enterprise.
This week in iOS came reports of Apple looking at tracking iPhones when turned off, and analysts chiming in about Apple Watch and Apple Pay,
Google has updated Inbox for iOS, offering users a version optimised for Apple's tablet.
If you're a Dropbox user who owns an iPhone or iPad, then your life is about to get a lot more productive.
Financial transactions and business-critical apps can now be run securely in trusted containers using Intercede's MyTAM on Android smartphones that support Trustonic's Trusted Execution Environment
Apple may be running out of ideas. It reinvented the smartphone, the tablet, and most recently the wearable. What next, a car? A smart TV would make more sense first.
This week in the world of iOS were reports that Jet Blue will accept Apple Pay inflight, iOS had a large increase in managed devices in the enterprise, and Apple has increased the maximum allowed iOS app size to 4GB.
Apple has doubled the maximum allowable app size on iOS to 4GB, allowing developers to make bigger, richer apps.
While Apple may have beaten Android when it comes to sales, when it comes to stability the new Android 5.0 Lollipop beats Apple's iOS 8.


text:
Households with pets continue to rise in Thailand, with the purchase or adoption of cats showing the strongest growth, followed by small dogs. One of the major driving forces behind this trend is urbanization, as the migration from rural to urban areas shifts people into high-rise flats and condominiums, particularly in Pattaya and surrounding areas.
The phenomenon of pet parents is becoming increasingly common as families see their pets as part of the family nucleus. According to Euromonitor International, this is resulting in pet owners applying their own purchasing habits when buying products for their pets, spending time with their pets for leisure, and including their pets as part of their personal social image.
Despite the Thai economy, people continue to spend more on their pets, says the research firm. Consequently, more pet shops are selling products that are marketed as “super premium” and purporting to have greater inherent benefits. These include brands that are organic, natural, raw, etc. Such claims are a common strategy in capturing the consumer base in Thailand, where a majority of consumers lack understanding in terms of ingredients and nutrition. In addition, dog-treat products from local players are seeing further development in terms of quality and offerings. Some are fortified and promoted as premium, thereby pushing prices upwards. The introduction of dog bakeries and home-based businesses for dog snacks is also contributing to this development.
Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin and Purina are some international brands that have a deep-rooted presence in Thailand. Local pet owners trust these brands after many years of television and radio advertisements. However, Euromonitor points out, national local players have grown more aggressive in conducting marketing campaigns. Some provide pet shops with financial aid, others partner with neighborhood pet stores for promotions. For example, local brand Bastassia (Nutrix PCL) uses aggressive discount sales in pet shops to compete within the mid-priced range despite marketing itself as premium.
Internet retailing saw strong and stable growth in pet care over the past decade, and it remained the most dynamic channel in 2017. While hectic lifestyles have been the key driver, the development of internet platforms and infrastructure, as well as rising ownership of digital devices are the major factors sustaining growth. Third-party websites that specialize in pet care, such as PetPro.co.th and TailyBuddy.com have grown in popularity. Moreover, popular online shopping platforms such as Lazada.co.th and Orami.co.th offer a wide range of pet products, some of which cannot be found in online pet specialists.
Despite the economic slowdown, pet care is expected to continue flourishing as pet ownership is likely to improve and pet pampering becomes more prominent. Pet owners are expected to become more educated and sophisticated in understanding pet nutrition as internet penetration increases and information is more readily available both from online pet owners’ communities and manufacturer websites. Euromonitor International expects this to boost the growth of the premium segment for cat and dog food, while pet owners who previously fed their pets with unpackaged pet food are likely to switch to commercially produced pet food. Alongside this, internet retailing is likely to develop with many players and retailers cashing in on ecommerce and improving non-store-based services, including delivery.


text:
Barbie has sparked controversy by introducing a boy into its commercial for the Moschino Barbie.
Not because he is a male, but because people believe he has been stereotyped as gay.
While some have applauded the ad which features a young trendy boy sporting a Mohawk for breaking gender stereotypes, others think it plays on the idea that boys who play with dolls are likely to grow up to be gay.
Yeah! The future is putting a little boy in a barbie ad and making him stereotypically gay! https://t.co/7KggobEWTw— Al (@alexandrarosone)
I'm overjoyed that Barbie put a boy in their recent ad. yes yes yes yes. I want to see a little girl in a GI commercial now— Alexa Losey (@alexalosey)
Mattel, the toy maker that produces Barbie, is not the only company who has recently embraced ambiguity in advertising. Mattel follows in Disney’s footsteps, as it removed gender labels from its Halloween customers last October. Target and Toys “R” Us also removed gender-based labelling in their stores on toys and décor.
Earlier this year Louis Vuitton blurred the line between male and female with an ad, starring Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, as the face of its womenswear campaign.
It seems gender-neutral advertising is catching on, which is a move in the right direction. However when breaking one stereotype, it’s best not to perpetuate another.
What do you think of the Barbie ad? Comment below.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at email@example.com


text:
The PlayStation 5, released last November, has been sold out for almost two months in most retail stores. That’s because of a global shortage of semiconductors, which is affecting video games, medical equipment, and more. As of today, there’s a six-month wait for the console in retail stores. According to Tom’s Guide, this shortage is likely to continue until 2022. That means that gamers will have to wait until mid-2022 to get their hands on one.
Another reason why PS5 units are sold out: Sony didn’t make enough PS5 units. The lack of spare parts has caused the manufacturing timelines to be pushed out further. The demand has also outstripped the supply, and retailers haven’t been able to keep up. Aside from shortages of parts, PS5s are also difficult to find due to scalpers and bots. While Sony has tried to combat this problem, it has been unsuccessful. Even the popular PlayStation 4 is hard to find.
Another reason why PS5s are sold out is lack of supply. Sony simply doesn’t have the parts needed to make enough of them. While retailers are working to make more, they can’t keep up with demand. This has led to a PS5 shortage, which has been predicted for 2021. Additionally, there are a variety of issues with the PS5’s supply and availability. Many people have been disappointed by the shortage.
The lack of supply is also a factor. Because of the high demand, manufacturers are struggling to make enough PS5s. As a result, the supply can’t meet the demand. Some other problems have also made PS5s unavailable in stores. For example, Sony doesn’t have enough parts to produce the consoles needed for a large number of users. The shortage has made it extremely difficult for consumers to find a PlayStation 5. As a result, some consumers have been forced to resort to scams and bots to try and buy a PS5.
There are several reasons for the shortage of PS5. First, retailers aren’t seeing the anticipated inventory. In fact, Best Buy didn’t have any restock this week after opening orders on Friday for six weeks. And second, because the PlayStation 5 hasn’t been manufactured in the right quantity. Because of these factors, demand has outstripped supply, and manufacturers haven’t been able to keep up with demand.
Despite the limited supply, many online retailers have reported their PS5 units are still available. However, retailers don’t have enough parts to produce enough PS5 units. Because of this, they haven’t been able to restock on a daily basis. The supply is largely determined by the demand, but other factors have also affected availability. With the PS5’s high price, retailers aren’t seeing the necessary inventory to meet demand.
Moreover, the pandemic is affecting global trade. It has slowdown production at factories worldwide and has slowed down supply chains. This has impacted PS5 restocking in many places, including the HSN website. Those who want to buy one can’t wait, since it is impossible to find an online retailer that restocks it. There are two other reasons for the PS5’s limited availability.
The biggest reason for the PS5’s limited availability is the demand for the gaming console. The demand for the console far outweighed the supply. This was the main reason why the PS5 was so hard to find at retail. Several retailers had to cut their restocking plans. Some even shut down their websites. Then, they failed to meet the demand. Ultimately, the PS5 is an extremely popular product and it’s very hard to miss.
Some of the reasons for the PlayStation 5’s lack of availability are due to the shortage of parts. In addition to this, retailers have not been able to keep up with the demand. Some stores opened orders every Friday for six weeks, but only had PS5 Disc consoles available on their shelves. Walmart and Sony Direct have also had trouble keeping the PS5 in stock. So, the best thing to do is to be patient and don’t give up hope.


text:
Novavax falls after warning of ‘significant doubts’ about future
(Bloomberg) – Novavax Inc. said there were significant doubts about its ability to stay in business into next year, the company’s latest warning after it struggled to develop and sell a Covid-19 vaccine. The stock plummeted in extended trading.
Most read by Bloomberg
“Significant uncertainty” surrounds 2023 earnings, although there should be enough money to fund operations, the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based drugmaker said in a statement Tuesday. The warning came as the company reported a fourth-quarter loss that nearly doubled analysts’ estimates.
“In the face of these uncertainties, there are significant doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern,” the company said.
Shares of Novavax plunged 25% in late trade as of 6:35 p.m. in New York. The stock is down 10% this year through Tuesday’s close, extending a 93% selloff into 2022.
Novavax reported revenue of $357 million last quarter, compared to the median estimate of $380.3 million compiled by Bloomberg. The company posted an adjusted loss of $2.28 per share, more than Wall Street had expected from a $1.15 per share loss. It ended the quarter with $1.34 billion in cash and cash equivalents.
Production issues had delayed the company’s regulatory filings for its Covid-19 vaccine. When Novavax received approval for its protein-based shot last year, mRNA vaccines from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. were already dominating the market. Novavax is now looking to sell its shot as the US government prepares to stop buying Covid vaccines and instead shifts that responsibility to the private market.
To date, Novavax has shipped 1.1 million doses of its Covid vaccine to the United States, a small fraction of Pfizer’s roughly 650 million and Moderna’s 400 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The UK government canceled its deal with Novavax in December, sending shares down 34%. The company had announced that it would seek additional equity and outside capital.
(Updates with corporate statement and additional details from third paragraph)
Most Read by Bloomberg Businessweek
©2023 Bloomberg LP
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/novavax-falls-citing-substantial-doubt-213338302.html Novavax falls after warning of ‘significant doubts’ about future


text:
Recycle, renew, reuse, and replenish – bamboo is something we should all live with. Everyone who wears and uses Cariloha Bamboo goods is i..
While most of us on any given day are going about our daily routines, sitting at our desks, commuting to and from work, or attending s..
Utah Business magazine this week honored Cariloha as the 17th fastest-growing company in Utah at the annual Fast 50 Awards event.
Landon Faulkner Making Adventure in Cariloha Bamboo
By Landon Faulkner
This has been in the works for a few weeks, but it’s finall..
Cariloha Ranks No. 1139 on the 2014 Inc. 500|5000 with Three-Year Sales Growth of 387%
Cariloha, international retail brand special..
Bamboo retailer, Cariloha, this week announced the newest iteratio..
Cariloha opened its second store on the island of Kauai this week in Lihue at the Anchor Cove Shopping Center. Located adjacent to the..
Cariloha this week introduced the following new Bamboo Style shirts for women to all Cariloha stores worldwide: Women’s Racer Tank & Dolma..


text:
Fitbits and other wearables may be more than just a fitness tool
Hospital uses data to accurately treat patient
My friend recently purchased a Fitbit in an attempt to kick-start a healthier lifestyle. She rolled up her sleeve to show off the device and rattled off the progress she’s made in a few short weeks. I’ve spent numerous hours researching wearables, and the benefits of tracking how many steps you take, how many hours you sleep and your heart rate. But no person, story, or statistic has convinced me more about the effectiveness of a Fitbit than a recent NPR report about how this product actually helped save a man’s life.
In past blog posts, we’ve compared the quality of a Fitbit to an Apple Watch or discussed how wearables are supporting medical research, but this incident details how doctors of a New Jersey hospital used real-time data to properly treat a patient’s arrhythmia.
When the man entered the hospital, he had suffered a grand mal seizure. NPR reported that he felt fine and was unaware of his irregular heart beat. In order to assess his risk for a stroke and determine when the irregular heartbeat started, they asked permission to tap into a Fitbit app on his smartphone.
Using data from the Fitbit’s heart rate monitor, the doctors were able to determine when the arrhythmia started and treated him accordingly. After a few hours, he was sent home, Fitbit in hand. Medical professionals were so impressed by the capabilities of the Fitbit and the role it played in saving his life, they published the case study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Although this is an isolated incident, other studies have proved Fitbits and other wearables are more than just a fitness tool. In a recent Accenture Consulting study, it found 87 percent of consumers were willing to invest in wearables to track vital signs, fitness data, or both. Similarly, 90 percent of consumers were willing to share such data with a doctor.
Healthcare marketers looking to expand hospital market share and engage audiences on a new level may want to consider wearables. With population health gaining momentum, this technology could help physicians monitor patients’ health and potentially stem issues on the rise. Wearables also give physicians the option to hold virtual appointments, while freeing up time to visit with other patients face-to-face.


text:
British telecom giants Vodafone is set to introduce their concept umbrella charger this summer at a series of VIP events in the UK. The Booster Brolly umbrella charger will power up your smartphone all whilst sheltering you from a storm.
The Booster Brolly was developed by Dr. Kenneth Tong, a lecturer in antennas and microwave technology at University College. Tong’s work focuses on improving the performance of mobile phone antennas when held in different positions by automatically aligning them with multi-directional signals. His research led Tong and a team of PhD students to develop the Booster Brolly umbrella charger for Vodafone.
The Booster Brolly uses a combination of a high-gain antenna (in the umbrella spike) and a low-power signal repeater (underneath the canopy) to catch radio waves from a Vodafone transmitter. It then disperses a very low-intensity signal that creates a small “signal shower” above the user’s head. The Booster Brolly not only connects phones to a network, but it can also boost the signal of other Vodafone customers in the vicinity.
After working out the kinks of various prototypes, Tong’s team settled on a design that incorporates a dozen flexible two-volt solar panels into the canopy of the umbrella charger. The power obtained from these hand-sewn panels can then be used to power up your smartphone, which has a docking mechanism attached to the umbrella arm.
However, the real control center is the handle of the Booster Brolly, which conceals a booster circuit, a USB-charging circuit, a switch to turn on the signal booster, as well as a flashlight. This is all packaged in an umbrella that weighs about the same as a loaf of bread.
“We’ve put in all of this technology,” says Tong, “but it’s not heavy. It’s not big — and it looks good. In fact, it’s a bit of a James Bond umbrella — you can’t tell what it does from the outside.”
The Vodafone Booster Brolly was developed in conjunction with Vodafone VIP, a series of events sponsored by the telecom as a way to thank their customers. There is no word on price or a broader sale of the umbrella charger just yet, but keep an eye out, as this will likely go to market very soon.
Hmmm I wonder for how much they will charge it for retail sale?


text:
A celebrity watchmaker with a chequered corporate history has won a £2.8m contract to supply gloves for health workers, stoking concerns about the Government’s £15bn PPE spending spree.
Cheshire-based Bellagio Global says it specialises in custom-made “watches for the stars”, and makes gifts for fans of pop stars such as Bruno Mars and Rihanna.
It is among several relatively small companies, many with no experience in PPE, to have won multi-million pound contracts from the Department for Health as it scrambled to get supplies at the height of the pandemic.
The Treasury last week revealed the overall bill has reached £15bn.
Bellagio Global was incorporated in April last year. Michael Cohen put another of his companies, Bellagio Europe, which had turnover of £1.3m, into liquidation in July last year due to its liabilities. Records show it owed £40,000 to HMRC for VAT when it collapsed. Mr Cohen said this had been settled.
The Sunday Telegraph has found that other beneficiaries include Luxe Lifestyle, a small fashion company run by designer Karen Brost, which was awarded a contract worth £25.8m. KAU Media Group, a small marketing agency in Hammersmith, also won a public sector PPE contract.
The Department for Health says it runs a “robust” process.


text:
We’re thrilled to announce that our services will now be available on Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10.
You can download the Freecharge app from the Windows store and experience an adaptive layout coupled with a great user interface on screens of all sizes including tablets, laptops and desktops. The app has adaptive tiles that showcase contextual data. While the normal tile displays the wallet balance, the wide tile indicates the wallet balance and also sends reminders on deals and offers. The large tile displays the details of most recent transactions undertaken by the customer.
Here’s what Govind Rajan our CEO had to say,
“We are excited to be the first in the payments industry to launch a unified app for Windows 10 to be accessed via tablets, laptops, and desktops. This integration will help us widen our user base by reaching out to millions of consumers on the Windows platform. The unified app on Windows will provide an engaging user experience and seamless transaction with our less-than-10 second payment completion process. Freecharge has rapidly gained acceptance as a trusted and easy-to-use replacement for cash among merchants and consumers as we aim to achieve our mission of becoming the Digital Payment OS of India.”
You can also do an end to end recharge and make bill payments using Cortana, Microsoft’s voice-based smart assistant. Cortana works by using the ‘Favorites‘ feature in the app. It recognizes names that users set in Favorites and transacts for those favorites without opening the Freecharge app. You can make transactions on Cortana (both text and voice input supported) without even opening the application!
Harish Vaidyanathan, Director of Independent Software Vendor Programs at Microsoft, said –
“The payment industry in India has seen an enormous change in the past few years. This change has been fueled by digitally empowered consumers and the rapid growth of technology. The availability of Freecharge on Windows10 underscores our commitment to provide unified experiences to our consumers and also ensure a seamless digital payment experience. Adding to the consumer experience, the new app offers Cortana integration that will allow consumers to make transactions with just a text and voice input, without having to open the app. The new app integrates beautifully with the Windows 10 interface and we are confident that our consumers will enjoy the Freecharge experience”
Making a transaction on the Windows 10 app is extremely easy. We’ll tell you how.
- Chose a payment option, for example – Mobile (recharge)
- Choose a tariff plan and add payment information
- Click on ‘Proceed to Pay’
- That’s it, PAYMENT SUCCESSFUL!
We will also be launching the Windows 10 app for Smartphones next month. So stay tuned, folks!


text:
A new extreme adventure activity is opening just minutes from Essex today. Hangloose Adventure at Bluewater shopping centre is 'launching' its Giant Swing this morning (Wednesday, August 3).
The massive swing is the largest of its kind in Europe, seating up to five riders with a terrifying 46-metre drop. Thrillseekers can swing alongside the chalk cliffs, less than 20 minutes away from the Dartford Crossing and the Essex border.
This new attraction joins Hangloose's amazing zip wire - the longest in England - at the Kent-based centre which only opened last summer. Adrenaline junkies will also be pleased to hear that there is still more to come, with the UK's first outdoor skydive machine opening later this summer.
Read more: I tried Lakeside's 'private' restaurant that's often ignored
Since its launch in June 2021, Hangloose has seen more than 30,000 people take on their heart-racing zip wire. Not only have locals from Kent and Essex given it a try but people from across the globe as far as Africa and the US to ride the wire.
Chris Lane, site manager at Hangloose Bluewater, said: “The build of the Giant Swing has been a challenging and exciting time for the team, and we are so proud of the finished product. We cannot wait to see people enjoying this unique and truly amazing experience, which has launched in time for the summer holidays.”
James Waugh, centre director at Bluewater, said: “Our latest attraction really is something quite special and we’re in no doubt that the Giant Swing will be a massive draw, not just to thrill-seekers living locally, but further afield too. We’ve seen from the last 12 months that the zip wire has attracted visitors and tourists from across the UK and internationally and now we have another amazing adrenalin-fuelled attraction it’s even more of a compelling reason to visit.
“We’re delighted to open for the school holidays and with two fantastic attractions at Hangloose, plus The Beach now open once again, Bluewater is the place to be this summer.” Tickets for the Giant Swing start from £40 and can be booked online.


text:
The U.S. is easing up on air travel restrictions come November according to an announcement by the Biden administration on Monday. HM Wilkins Imperial analysts say fully vaccinated foreign passengers will become eligible to travel to the U.S., marking the conclusion of 18 months of travel bans.
Former president Donald Trump originally enforced air travel bans as Covid-19 took its toll last year. HM Wilkins Imperial analysts reported that travelers who had been in a list of areas within the last 14 days, including the UK, the Schengen region, China, and Brazil, and who did not possess U.S. citizenship, green cards, or special approval, were barred from entering the nation. While Trump withdrew the bans immediately before the end of his presidency, President Joe Biden reinstated them instantaneously.
In November, travelers from around the globe will be able to step foot on U.S. soil – provided they have been vaccinated. In addition to proof of vaccination, foreigners will need to carry a negative test taken no more than three days prior to travel and wear masks for the duration of their flight. Contact details will also be required for tracing. Officials are currently determining which vaccines will be recognized for travel.
“The Biden administration’s announcement is a giant leap for U.S. economic recovery,” says an economic analyst at HM Wilkins Imperial. “Trade and tourism sectors will undoubtedly experience a much needed push, and the careful regulations for travelers will minimize chances of a travel-produced outbreak in cases.”
Already, airline shares in the U.S. and much of Europe have seen a stark upsurge following the announcement, with investors quickly rising to the occasion. The travel sector as a whole appears to be rejoicing, with executives publicly declaring their enthusiasm regarding the news.
“The alleviation of U.S. travel restrictions should benefit a number of other countries, namely those struggling to vaccinate their populations,” explains an economist at HM Wilkins Imperial. “U.S. travel as an incentive will likely assist countries like Australia that require more ammunition to fight anti-vaxxers.”