text:
MADRID — Earlier dates and a sharp decline in consumer confidence in Spain — reportedly at its lowest level since 2004 — were blamed for a poor showing at the biannual apparel fair SIMM here.
Overall attendance at the exhibition fell 60 percent to 6,598 visitors, according to official figures, while overseas attendance also declined sharply to 973 from 2,010.
Exhibitor participation at SIMM, which ran July 17 to 19, dropped almost 30 percent, to 571 from 811, over last September’s spring-summer edition.
Oscar Vargas, managing director of Fuentecapala, an upscale manufacturer of traditional women’s and men’s apparel, said, “Domestic consumption is at a standstill and trade fairs are a reflection of what’s happening in the country.”
For the first time in SIMM’s 30-year history, show dates were moved up from early September to July, but the resulting soft traffic is “not just about dates,” he maintained. “A lot of Spanish retailers didn’t come because of the economic crisis. There is a general uneasiness in today’s market. Companies that aren’t where they should be are facing a bad moment and chances are they won’t survive.”
The Madrid-based producer, with about 50 U.S. accounts, is planning to roll out a third store in Russia in three months’ time, he confirmed. “Our retail projects — including the recent launch of two locations in China — are going well.”
Key items in the women’s division were tailored separates in cotton blends like an elongated vest with zipper trim over straight pants, full-skirted Sixties-style dresses and oversize floral prints for dressier silhouettes.
“The Madrid show is always the same; it doesn’t make a strong fashion statement. There is no merchandise here that makes a difference. I would like to see more local designers participate,” said Evina Papanicolaou, head buyer for Tsantilis, an Athens-based company that operates a chain of nine multibrand stores in the Greek capital and neighboring suburbs. In addition, Tsantilis has inked licensing deals with Barcelona jeweler Tous and Spanish ready-to-wear designer Roberto Verino.
“Because of the early dates, fabrics are missing and most of the factories aren’t ready. It’s just not a convenient time for them because everyone is on vacation,” she added.
Papanicolaou said she bought what she usually buys at the Spanish show — dresses and evening looks for a mature customer. “We dress from 25-year-olds upward, but that’s not what we buy here.”
The fair’s product offering featured classic midmarket brands and eclectic party clothes; laid-back summer dresses and separates; lots of vibrant swimwear, especially from Brazil, the fair’s guest country, and novelty knits with complex, generally lightweight yarns and spaced-out stitching.
Colors ranged from white and muted pale shades to bold mixes of pastel and acid tones such as pink and berry shades with neon green.
Pola Iglesias, SIMM director, defended the earlier dates, which were the exhibitors’ idea in the first place, she said.The timing coincides with Spain’s traditional summer sales “so retailers have been selling and they are more optimistic,” she reasoned. As for the crisis, “Obviously established brands will suffer less.”
On the other hand, “The dates are definitely too early for the domestic market but for manufacturers like us that focus on international business, the sooner the better,” said Juan Rodriguez, commercial director of Dikton’s, a high-end knitwear manufacturer.
The weak dollar, or what one vendor dubbed “a terrible theme,” is forcing manufacturers to energize design strategies, exhibitors confirmed. “The dollar and global economy are against us so the only way to survive is to offer really distinctive items; basics aren’t good enough,” said Dikton’s Rodriguez.
The Barcelona-based producer’s summer line features woven fabrics with knit trim and a new twisted viscose yarn crafted into a full product line of short and long dresses, sweater variations, cover-ups and scarves.Wholesale prices for the range average $64 to $127 at current exchange.
“I love these dates, but I see less and less foreigners,” commented Yolanda Moreno, women’s product manager of Mirto. “Domestic buyers are not animated and Spain is economically turbulent.Both factors are affecting the apparel industry very negatively.”
The Madrid-based shirtmaker’s women’s collection featured less rigid fabrications and masculine silhouettes with stripes and coordinated micro-striped cuffs and collars; paisley prints in cotton voile; a signature white grouping in cotton poplin-linen, and tunic styles to go with belts and stovepipe pants.
Moreno said Mirto’s prices in the U.S. (which average $140 at retail) are about 5 percent higher with reduced margins to move the merchandise “but we’re doing well there.”
Not everyone had negative views about the Spanish fair. American-born designer Diane Freis said she opened 10 to 15 new accounts from domestic retailers. “We’re doing very well with the range.” Her eponymous label featured glitzy fiesta wear with colorful pattern mixes and sparkle at wholesale prices of around $175.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Freis was popular in the Eighties with her one-size-fits-all polyester print dresses.Currently, the label is manufactured in China with distribution networks in the U.S. and Canada and franchised stores in Cairo and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, she said.
Andrea Butler, a two-unit retailer on Spain’s Costa del Sol, said she sells “hundreds” of Freis’ dresses to resident foreigners and tourists.
“What he has done at Vuitton is really exceptional,” said @gameofthrones’ actress Gwendoline Christie on @mrkimjones’ final show for @louisvuitton. “He has rebooted luxury in terms of making it commercial, viable and contemporary. And most importantly artistic. He has never compromised his artistic vision for the sake of commodity.” (📷: @zefashioninsider)
After seeing a demand for men’s wear from its customers, British contemporary women’s wear label @ariesarise has added a men’s wear component and will launch a unisex collection with @mrporterlive. The 20-piece collection includes jackets, denim, logo T-shirts and more with deconstructed ‘90s vibes. Set to launch on January 18, you can shop the pieces on Aries’ website and on mrporter.com. #wwdfashion
“And so spending so much time with a character who thinks like that, inevitability you try and analyze yourself and go back and think about your own demons and dark chapters that you had in your life,” says @thedanielbruhl of his role in TNT’s “The Alienist.” The show, set in the Gilded Age of New York, also stars Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans. Head to WWD.com to read about how 39-year-old Brühl prepared for the role and why he thinks the show is so relevant to today #wwdeye ( 📷: @Eriktanner)
Now that Celine Dion’s collection has topped $10 million in sales, the pop superstar, fashion icon and newly-minted industry player is eyeing growth in Asia. Read the full report by @tiffanyap, link in bio. #wwdnews #celinedion
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
Among the familiar faces at @off____white’s show was a surprise figure: Japanese artist @takashipom, pictured here on Wednesday morning. Other show-goers included @jerrylorenzo, who spoke about his upcoming project: a @nike collaboration for back to school, with designs inspired by his childhood on the West Coast. Sitting in the front row were Future, Don Crawley, @miguel and more. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: Stephane Feugere)
According to @laurentsai, former “Terrace House: Aloha State” cast member, she didn’t know she was auditioning for the Japanese version of “Real World.” “I was telling a couple of my friends and someone’s like, ‘That sounds a lot like Terrace House.’ I was like, ’No it can’t be.’” Turns out, it was. But Tsai isn’t just a reality star — she’s an illustrator who has worked with Starbucks Japan and most recently, she’s dipping her toes into the fashion world. Head to WWD.com to read about her time on the show, modeling and her art. #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
More changes are coming to New York Fashion Week: Beginning with the spring 2019 collection, @alexanderwangny will move his New York show to June from September, adopting a biannual schedule with collections shown in June and December. Additionally, the @cfda is planning for an official summer/winter fashion season taking place as soon as June and December 2018. Read more about the upcoming changes on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @slovekinpics)


text:
A conman fleeced sports fans out of more than £60,000 in a ticket scam for tickets to Wimbledon, Six Nations and the Champions League.
Jamie Keeble, 45, conned at least 14 victims into paying for memorabilia, packages and tickets to fund his online gambling addiction.
He conned fans into buying tickets to he England v Wales Six Nations rugby match, Arsenal v Barcelona in the Champions League and the Wimbledon men's final.
But the merchandise and tickets never existed.
Keeble, who used aliases such as James Edward Maxwell, James Edward Keeble and James Munroe, also promised his victims extras like front row seats and a meet-and-greet with players.
He was finally stung by police in September 2016 after conning sports fans for over a year, but Keeble denied 14 counts of fraud.
Lewes Crown Court heard many of his customers were contacted by word of mouth, but the conman also targeted members of online clubs and auctions.
Following a trial Keeble, of Horsham, West Sussex, was jailed for five years and also received a 40-months behind bars to run concurrently for similar offences in 2012.
Detective Constable Andy Robinson said: "Keeble conducted a targeted campaign against a number of victims over a prolonged period of time.
"He offered a variety of high-value items for sale, some of which are not actually available to purchase.
"He denied everything throughout the investigation, claiming the tickets and memorabilia were genuine but that he was let down by his suppliers.
"This was a total fabrication of the truth. "He also showed no remorse at any stage, and it is unfortunate that none of the money he claimed has ever been recovered. Instead, he used it to fund his online gambling addiction.
"I hope Keeble will learn from his mistakes and resist the temptation to re-offend in the future.
"His actions have clearly had huge financial implications on his victims. "I would urge anyone who is offered any tickets or memorabilia for sale through an unrecognised source to be wary.
"Check with the venue or the supplier to confirm the seller is registered and that the goods offered are genuine.
"And if in doubt, don't buy them. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is."

domain: news


text:
Fundraising Tool Helps Nonprofits Thrive
Beezable frees charities to save the world, not stuff envelopes
Phoenix marketer Virginia Treviño and fundraiser Terri Shoemaker knew there had to be an easier way for nonprofits to get donor mailings done.
Like many nonprofits, the animal welfare group they met at did mail in-house, instead of hiring an expensive agency. That meant hours of staff time cleaning data, getting print bids, stuffing envelopes and running to the post office.
“Donor mail is a pain point for many small-to-medium nonprofits,” says Shoemaker, who has raised millions of dollars for national and regional organizations. “But they have to do it, because mail is still 88 times* more effective than online fundraising.”
Pain turns into opportunity
Shoemaker and Treviño teamed up with two friends – nonprofit communicator Laura Ingalls Fuqua and instructional designer Bri de Ruiz – to find a solution. The result is Beezable by Abeja Solutions, an online tool that helps you create, print and mail donation letters right from your computer.
With Beezable, a fundraiser can get a donor mailing ready for print in less than an hour. Fundraisers choose a template, upload their content and mailing list, and pay for printing and shipping. Beezable professionally prints and sends appeals to donors within 7-10 business days.
“We were stunned that this automation tool didn’t exist in the marketplace,” says Treviño.
Unlike other direct mail services, Beezable contains features that cater to nonprofit needs – such as letters with detachable, donor reply devices. It’s designed to free up fundraisers’ time so they can spend more of it building relationships with key donors.
“Beezable is not really about the tech at all,” says de Ruiz, who has developed products for Microsoft and Corpedia. “It’s about the bigger question of how to make meaningful connections with donors.”
An under served market
Beezable is the first product from Abeja Solutions, a fundraising marketing firm that Treviño and her colleagues founded in 2014. The Abeja team sees a huge opportunity to serve the nonprofit industry.
Nonprofits make up 5.4 percent of U.S. GDP, contributing over $905 billion to the economy.** Most giving comes from older, individual donors, as opposed to foundations and corporations, making mail essential for most nonprofits.
For now, Abeja will focus on serving fundraisers in Arizona, especially women.
“We know a lot of our clients are just like us – hard-working women who want to balance their work and home lives,” says Fuqua. “We want to help fundraisers spend more time changing the world, and less time worrying about how to pay for it.”
Beezable is an online, self-publishing tool for busy fundraisers at all skill levels. The tool was born from the “hivemind” of four nonprofit refugees. We’ve worked across the charitable industry – in food security, animal welfare, international development and education. Get started on your next donor appeal at beezable.com.
About Abeja Solutions
Beezable is powered by Abeja Solutions, a fundraising consultant firm in Phoenix, Arizona. We help nonprofit and for-profit clients design campaigns that increase revenue, engage audiences, and get more results from traditional and digital tools. Abeja is the Spanish word for bee. And like our namesake we are agile and adaptable, able to respond quickly and efficiently to your needs. Learn more about our team at abejasolutions.com.
*Data & Marketing Association
**Urban Institute: Nonprofit Sector in Brief


text:
A first-edition "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" book that was signed by J.K. Rowling and purchased for only a penny could be auctioned off for as much as $2,700.
Financial expert Dan Roccato shares what you need to know about gift cards before purchasing them this holiday season.
Gov. Tom Wolf is putting the state House of Representatives on a timeline to pass legislation to raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage.
Financial expert Dan Roccato shares how you can avoid overspending this holiday season in another edition of "Cashing In."
Most Americans dread the holidays due to spending, according to a new survey.
Now banks want to turn data they already have on your spending habits into extra revenue by identifying likely customers for retailers.
Feeling insecure about your skin?
Not only has the man been working at the company for more than two decades, but he can also now say he’s one of the oldest employees to wear the uniform.
"Frozen 2" kept a wintry wind at its back in its second week, setting a Thanksgiving record with a whopping box office bounty.
Financial expert Dan Roccato has tips on how to avoid scammers this holiday season.
The FBI and Federal Trade Commission are teaming up to warn shoppers this holiday season.
Even as Americans trend toward fresher and healthier foods, they are wanting it faster.
A mom’s trick to stop her kids from begging for toys while shopping during the Christmas holiday season is the parenting hack you never knew you needed.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman kicked off the holiday season by helping middle school students who've had some trouble paying for meals at school.
If there’s ever a time during the year to lose hope in all humanity, it’s on Black Friday.
An eight-year-old boy just trying to make a few bucks in his business of splitting and selling firewood learned a painful lesson – not everyone is honest.
Financial expert Dan Roccato shares ways you can avoid shedding tears over your finances in another edition of "Cashing In."
Elon Musk says Tesla has received nearly 150,000 orders for its new electric pickup truck since the automaker revealed the futuristic vehicle earlier this week to mixed reviews.
Financial expert Dan Roccato shares tips on dealing with the unexpected during your travels this holiday season.
A man who went into diabetic shock while on a cruise ended up in a Mexican hospital -- with a $14,000 bill he couldn't pay.


text:
For years, HonorHealth, a nonprofit hospital system based in Scottsdale, Arizona, used only two makes and models of N95 masks for its personnel. But when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit and N95 manufacturers could no longer meet the health-care company’s supply demands, HonorHealth — like companies across many industries during the pandemic (see page 40) — diversified its sourcing to ensure adequate supply.
“Normally, we wouldn’t have had that much need for diversification,” says Ryan Kirane, MBA, FACHE, HonorHealth’s associate vice president, supply chain operations. Expanding the sourcing effort required a lot of research, he says. The company received hundreds of sourcing leads from community members (as well as donations of hand sanitizer and face shields from the community and corporate partners) — and all leads had to be vetted. Team members spent hours fact-checking, and a portal was created to compile findings.
HonorHealth also got references: “We wanted to make sure other health-care facilities were using them,” Kirane says, adding that the health-care system felt no need to be at the “leading edge” — as in, among the first to use — a product. Each mask candidate was also visually inspected, he says: “With any new mask, our process is to bring in samples, and ensure their effectiveness and that they can be fit-tested” for proper filtration. The company tested about 15 types of masks and is utilizing half a dozen to support current requirements.
As to the new sources, “a lot of it was timing, and some of it was luck and persistence,” Kirane says. The company placed an emphasis on domestic suppliers, he says, but some product lines were sourced internationally. That created some challenges: “For the international options, we often had trouble getting clear delivery dates,” he notes. “Lead times varied more.”
With the additional stock — including other personal protective equipment (PPE) — came several challenges: (1) mask wastage due to ensuring the new models fit and (2) a need for more storage. The development of a new fit tool (see page 45) and a collaboration with The Luminosity Lab at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, have helped reduce waste.
Needing storage, HonorHealth quickly converted an empty space on its administrative campus (previously leased to an outside company) into a 6,000-square-foot warehouse. “We rapidly put up shelving and bought a forklift and palette jack,” Kirane says. Team members across supply chain functions volunteered to assist with inventory, distribution and transportation.
PPE stock has grown from 25 to 300 stock-keeping units (SKUs) and 400 palettes. “As inpatient volumes have decreased, demand has stabilized,” Kirane notes.
He adds: “The amount of creativity and dedication of staff has been inspirational. … COVID-19 is challenging health-care organizations to work together and look for economies of scale.”


text:
The current Doha round of WTO negotiations is unlikely to go far enough in freeing-up international trade and further relaxation of trade barriers will be needed to create a global “level playing field”.
That was the main message from one of several international speakers at this year’s National Farm Management Conference in Oxford.
“The Doha Round will not complete the critical reforms needed to improve the functioning of global agricultural markets,” said Peter Kell from the New Zealand High Commission in London. “New Zealand’s top priority remains the conclusion of the Doha Round, but we are deeply concerned that political will seems lacking on the part of some major players. We will want to see further negotiations in the WTO take these reforms further.”
He welcomed European and UK efforts to reform the CAP, and urged policymakers to push ahead with measures to free-up trade, and not let the complexities of agricultural policy stall the process.
Mr Kell said any CAP policy changes should avoid “unintended consequences”. In the dairy sector for example, he said border measures such as import tariffs and export subsidies should be reduced at the same time as milk quotas were removed, otherwise there was a danger the sector could “expand significantly in response to price signals which could be well above international levels”.
The Brazilian Embassy‘s Paulo Wrobel said the removal of trade barriers was crucial to help developing countries expand their production. “Brazil has about 394m ha of available arable land, but is only planting 16% of that total. We’ve seen the issues of higher food prices and global food security increase over the past two years, and lowering barriers to trade could bring tremendous benefits all over the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, USDA agricultural specialist Steve Knight said that one of the biggest trade issues from the US’s perspective was the EU’s lack of sound science-based policy on biotechnology. “A lot of policies seem to be based more on politics rather than science, which seems to result in a real mismatch, and creates trade problems and friction.”
Speakers highlighted the increasing population and wealth of Chinese and Asian markets as key drivers of future trade. “However, this also brings new supply chain challenges,” Mr Kell said. “A lot of these markets are different to our traditional ones and involve customer requirements we don’t yet fully understand.”


text:
“We are setting up new companies, thanks to extensive efforts in promoting and publicising the cooperative model across every corner of Spain”, explained Juan Antonio Pedreño, president of the the Spanish Confederation of Worker Cooperatives (COCETA), a CECOP member.
Since 2013, the number of jobs created have been continuously increasing and since 2011 more than 7,000 cooperative enterprises have been set up, of which an average of 76% are worker cooperatives, where the workers play an active role in the enterprise. Stable and ongoing work In 2016 cooperative jobs in industry increased by 4.4%. More than 14,923 people chose to work for cooperatives in the services sector, to give them stable and ongoing employment.
These figures reaffirm Pedreño’s plea: “We want worker cooperatives to be taken into account when it comes to planning economic, labour, and social policies”. In Spain, according to official figures, 80% of people working in cooperatives are members, and have ongoing contracts. Moreover, women represent 49% of those working in worker cooperatives, and 39% go on to reach higher levels of responsibility: a much higher figure than in other types of business models. During the financial crisis, cooperatives lost 12% less employment than other types of businesses.


text:
Short-term rental marketplace Airbnb has an incentive to break the rules set by Portland—and cities around the country—a new analysis finds.
Portland as well as San Francisco require that the people live in any Airbnb property at least nine months out of the year, in order to prevent tourists from taking over homes that could otherwise house local residents.
But according the the data website FiveThirtyEight, 40 percent of the revenue Airbnb hosts earn in Portland are from entire apartments or homes rented for more than 180 days a year, such as a Boise townhouse and a San Francisco condo listed by an Airbnb manager.
And Portland is not alone. These commercial properties account for 32.7 percent of the revenue from Airbnb's top-25 markets.
They represent 15.6 percent of the listings in Portland, which ranks second, after Honolulu among the 25 cities, for having the highest percentage of properties that are commercial operations.
Airbnb spokeswoman Alison Schumer told WW that the tech company, which has a call center in downtown Portland, is trying to get its clients to comply with city rules.
"As our host community has grown over the past two years, we have taken multiple steps to encourage hosts to get city-required permits," Schumer says. "We have hired additional staff and held 29 registration events, including five Q&A sessions with city staff."
Still, these listings, at least to date, represent a small if growing portion of the city's overall housing stock.
Airbnb took issue with the analysis. Here's how FiveThirtyEight summarized the company's objections:


text:
London’s Oxford Street has launched a second sustainability awareness campaign. Actress and activist Amy Jackson is fronting the campaign and there will be a Beyond Now 2022 event to be staged from 22-24 April.
Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday it would suspend the supply of its personal care products in Russia, joining a host of other companies that have distanced themselves from Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Online retail giant The Very Group has announced that operations director Sean Hallows is being promoted to the role of chief operating officer, joining the executive team and reporting to CEO Henry Birch.
Online sales may be seeing tepid growth compared to the huge strides they made during lockdowns in the past two years, but overall trends in UK and global e-commerce are accelerating, a new study says.
Cosmetics group L'Occitane International has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Grown Alchemist, an Australian holistic cosmetics brand whose founders Jeremy and Keston Muijs are set to remain in charge.
L’Oréal UK and Ireland is “creating a new e-commerce experience” in a link-up with TikTok, via its new #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt campaign as it continues to seek innovative and enjoyable ways for consumers to shop online.
Suitors are lining up to take over UK health & beauty retail giant Boots. According to the latest report, New York-based investment giant Apollo Global Management is now in the lead position with a £6bn takeover bid.


text:
Favourable spring weather conditions with excellent grazing conditions have positioned the Agri Sector for a strong performance in 2019
Global supplies of Dairy & Pigmeat product have tightened and we are expecting to see increases in prices across each of these key sectors. Despite the potential threat of Brexit to our Beef sector there is also some short term positivity on price.
The euro/sterling exchange rate, averaging 87.5 pence to the euro for the period since the Brexit referendum, has contributed to an erosion of competitiveness on our main beef export market. This compares to an average rate of 81.4 pence in the three years prior to that. This exchange rate issue together with high slaughter numbers has contributed to an unprecedented flat lining of producer prices from October 2018 to the present. Supplies are beginning to tighten and recently there has been some increase in price as a result.
Better weather, more cows and higher yields are driving volumes and Irish dairy farmers are on track to produce over 1bn litres of milk in May as processors reach peak processing capacity. Up to Mid May, Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions have seen eleven consecutive increases. The most recent sale on June 4th saw a fall in prices with butter down 10.3%. This is the second consecutive sale where this scenario occurs.
While demand for dairy may be subdued in Europe, China’s appetite for dairy is showing no signs of waning. Chinese buyers are showing particularly strong appetite for infant formula, whole milk powder (WMP) and skimmed milk powder (SMP). Market signals are pointing towards a shift upwards on milk price. Global Supply is very weak, dairy stocks in storage are low and this is expected to bring higher milk prices.
An outbreak of African Swine Fever in China/Asia in August 2018 is creating a major supply deficit on Global markets. The sheer scale of the problem for pigmeat production in China and across Asia will affect the global meat industry, not just pigmeat. While ASF doesn’t present any consumer risk, there is evidence that Chinese consumers are switching to other meats therefore driving demand for beef and poultry as well as pigmeat. A major supply deficit in global markets is welcome news to a major exporting country such as Ireland. With China being our second most important export market for pigmeat, there is clear opportunity in this market for the foreseeable future.
Future Growth Loan Scheme
Bank of Ireland will participate in the Future Growth Loan Scheme recently launched by Ministers Creed & Humphrey’s. The scheme will have a €60 million allocation to the Agri Sector and Bank of Ireland is expecting strong demand for loans under the scheme with particular emphasis on future farm infrastructural projects. For more information or to apply for eligibility farmers can log on to https://sbci.gov.ie/schemes/future-growth-loan-scheme1
Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.


text:
SeaWorld is planning on launching a new park in Abu Dhabi, according to a release from the company.
Most notably, however, may be the fact that the new park will be lacking the signature feature of SeaWorld's past parks: orcas.
According to a release from the company, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will be the first new park without orcas and the first park to be announced since the company decided to phase out its ownership of the whales.
"SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will be the first new SeaWorld without orcas, and will integrate up-close animal experiences, mega attractions and a world class aquarium, bringing the latest technology in visitor engagement," said the release from the company.
SeaWorld has slowly phased out its emphasis on the killer whales, announcing in November 2015 that it would stop using the animals for theatrical shows at some locations and announcing in March it would no longer breed the animals, thus phasing out their ownership as the current generation dies.
The moves come as the theme park company has received public backlash following the release of the documentary "Blackfish" in 2013. Following the film, profits have fallen, attendance has dropped, and the company has had to launch as massive image overhaul.
The new park will be developed with Miral Asset Management, a developer based in the United Arab Emirates, and will be the "first dedicated marine life research, rescue, rehabilitation and return center" in the UAE according to SeaWorld.
Following the news, SeaWorld's stock has ticked up just shy of 2% in pre-market trading as of 9:10 a.m. ET.


text:
The most revealing images with the upcoming 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS have hit the web recently.
There is no surprise anymore on the development of a hotter version of the 911 GT3 by Porsche because the model in question, which will be known as the 911 GT3 RS, has been caught on camera several times by now by spy photographers over these past few months. But in between spotting such a morel with camouflage on its body and capturing it on camera completely naked, there is a huge difference, because the images posted below are the most revealing ones, up to date.
The 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS seems to have a familiar styling and this is logical, considering the fact that the company’s designers are quite lazy, and it will come with ventilated front fenders, with a large fixed rear wing, with a double bubble roof, front and rear spoilers made out of carbon fiber and several other tweaks which should make it instantly recognizable and different than its 911 GT3 brother.
The most important part of the new 911 GT3 RS will be found under its hood where, according to some recent reports, we will probably find the 4.0 liter naturally aspirated engine. The unit is believed to produce a total output of 500 HP (373 kW), connected only to a PDK. We are not sure on its performance at the time but this will be announced once the model will be officially presented to the public, probably during the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, this March.


text:
During a meeting with Lithuania’s Deputy Economy Minister Rasa Noreikiene, representatives of China said that they see Lithuania’s potential in the areas of logistics, high technologies, and agriculture, however, according to them, Lithuania is too small a country for local companies to try to penetrate the Chinese market separately, thus, cooperation of companies is very important…Full Article: The Baltic Course July 2015
- The Chinese lead representative expressed interest in potential Lithuanian-Chinese joint ventures.
- Lithuanian agricultural exports to China are minimal but the Baltic country does supply frozen blueberries, whey powder, wheat starch, alcoholic beverages, as well as rice and corn products.
- In June 2015, 11 Latvian fish processing companies were granted approval by China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) to export their product. The move came on the heels of a Russian embargo over alleged food safety concerns.


text:
PORTLAND, Ore. – May 22, 2018 – Portland Farmers Market and COUNTRY Financial® will announce the winner of the 2018 Reusable Bag Design Contest and distribute 1,000 free canvas bags on Saturday, June 9 at the PSU Farmers Market. The unveiling of the winning design and awards ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the market’s main stage. The canvas shopping bags bearing the winning design will be distributed to market goers following the ceremony, while supplies last.
Over one hundred Portland-area high school students submitted original artwork in the eight annual bag design contest. The finalists for the grand prize and the People’s Choice winner will be present at the unveiling.
The student finalists are Nancy Grace Bignell, a senior at Lakeridge High School, Sasha Hennig, a sophomore at Lakeridge High School, Trent Nesbitt, a sophomore at Wilson High School and Chloe Unflat, a sophomore at Wilson High School.
“The Portland Farmers Market Reusable Bag Design Contest is a wonderful opportunity for our young artists,” said Marie Pearson, art teacher at Wilson High School. “Each year, many students devote several hours outside of class to their artwork. This contest is very important to us, it showcases our young artists and aligns with our core community values of supporting local farmers.”
Students were asked to submit original artwork around the theme “You’ve got a lot growing for you” and use inspiration from Portland’s spring and summer seasons and local market goods in their designs.
The finalists are vying for the honor of having his or her artwork printed on the reusable canvas shopping bags as well as a $2,000 scholarship from COUNTRY Financial. The first runner up will receive a scholarship of $1,000 and the second runner up will receive a $500 scholarship. In addition the People’s Choice award of $250 will be presented at the unveiling. The People’s Choice award was decided by a community vote at a gallery event in April.
“All of the submissions were incredible and really showcased the spirit of the Portland Farmers Market and uniqueness of our region,” said Trudy Toliver, executive director of Portland Farmers Market. “The contest is a great way to encourage local youth to learn more about and appreciate the bounty of our region and to think green.”
About COUNTRY Financial®
The COUNTRY Financial® group (www.countryfinancial.com) serves about one million households and businesses throughout the United States. It offers a wide range of financial products and services from auto, home, business and life insurance to retirement planning services, investment management and annuities.


text:
Sleep accessories supplier Protect-A-Bed has upgraded its headquarters and showroom in Wheeling, Illinois, adding a training center for customers called Protect-A-Bed University, a new showroom displaying the company’s entire product lineup and a CrossFit gym for employees. Protect-A-Bed’s headquarters boasts 20,000 square feet of office space and a 200,000-square-foot warehouse.
“As our company and product lines continue to grow, we wanted to ensure that our showroom has a feel of uniformity,” said James Bell, Protect-A-Bed chief executive officer. “We’re excited to expand our interactive learning opportunities at our headquarters, as well as in the field. As Protect-A-Bed’s sales teams continue to grow, the need for easily accessible and consistent training has increased.”
Since 2014, Protect-A-Bed has focused on its REM-Fit collection of bedding protectors and other products, which target consumers interested in healthy, active lifestyles. In keeping with the fitness theme, Protect-A-Bed is sending out a “road crew” to more than 40 fun runs, triathlons, marathons and other racing events in the greater Chicago area through October. Riding in the REM-Fit Recovery Station (a converted ambulance), the crew provides information about rest and recovery, offers REM-Fit products for sale at discounted prices and engraves medals for race participants.
“At REM-Fit, we understand the importance of a good night’s rest to help athletes achieve their fitness goals,” Bell said. “We’re excited to get in front of our local running community and inspire them to stay motivated and get the quality sleep that they require.”


text:
Our customers are seeing an impact to their organizations, especially in supporting growth and change. Christopher Klimek, vice president of global finance and HR technology at Aon plc, said, “We’ve always been acquisitive, and Workday supports our M&A strategy. Now we can be predictable in how we execute M&A and divestitures, and nimbler in the closing days of these deals. Workday allows us to move forward and deal with last-minute changes without having to raise any red flags.”
Mike Hite, director of finance technology at WeWork, also shared how Workday has helped their business. “It would previously take WeWork three months to go through a full data cycle. Now we have the ability to go through the full cycle of accounting close in a normal period of time, iterate on that data, and leverage data to make clear business decisions in real time.”
We believe Gartner’s recognition further validates that finance in the cloud is where the market is headed, and it’s been exciting to see this reflected in our customer momentum. In the last three years, we have tripled our financial management customer community with organizations from midsized companies to large, global enterprises such as Aon, Nasdaq, Netflix, and Cushman & Wakefield having selected Workday Financial Management.
This wouldn’t be possible without our commitment to customer satisfaction—it’s in our DNA and drives us as a company and the vision we have for our solutions. This is something I am very passionate about, as is every person here at Workday. We’ve maintained a 95 percent or greater customer satisfaction rating every year since we began measuring it in 2007, and last year achieved a 97 percent rating.
Workday also continues to invest in extending the benefits of its finance system with the addition of new products including Workday Planning, the first planning, budgeting, and forecasting application that allows customers to continuously and collaboratively plan within their core accounting system of record. In addition, Workday recently unveiled Workday Financial Performance Management, which provides the flexibility to consolidate, close, report, and plan without having to replace a company’s general ledger.
For our customers, we will continue to invest in our products and innovate to help keep you always moving forward and achieving success. We will also continue to demonstrate the core values that have shaped our company and products, and have been the cornerstone for our customer relationships and shared successes.
This is an exciting time for finance, and we look forward to helping to create new opportunities and successes for our customers on the road ahead.


text:
Hoods Hong Kong will be celebrating their 1rst anniversary soon. The store acts as the official flagship store of Neighborhood and WTAPS and actually marked their first official store opening outside of Japan last year. To celebrate the occasion Neighborhood will be releasing limited edition t-shirts, mesh caps and bandanas. Via Milk via Cadmus.
More detailed images of the Hoods Hong Kong 1rst Anniversary Items follow after the jump.


text:
IBM and Hitachi this week announced separate plans to support a new set of standards that promise to ease storage management and make administrators' lives easier.
IBM and Hitachi laid out detailed roadmaps for adding new management protocols into their storage hardware and software products. Both companies plan to deliver products next year that follow the Common Information Model (CIM) and Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM) standards, which are designed to make it easier for customers to manage storage networks made up of hardware from a variety of vendors.
IBM and Hitachi made their respective announcements at the Storage Networking World conference being held this week in Orlando, FloridaIBM and Hitachi, like most major vendors in the storage business, are working to open up their storage management platforms for SANs (storage area networks) in an effort to help users who may have struggled to link hardware and software from a variety of vendors. The companies have turned to the CIM and WBEM technology to create a standard way of letting their products communicate with products from other vendors.
IBM, in Armonk, New York, has started a program to let ISVs (independent software vendors) test their applications with hardware and software from IBM that supports the CIM and WBEM standards. This could help the ISVs to create management products with tight links to IBM gear, said Jim Kelly, vice president of enterprise storage products.
Some of the partners involved in the project in IBM's program include BMC Software Inc., Computer Associates International Inc. and Veritas Corp.
IBM will demonstrate its Enterprise Storage Server and Ultrium tape library being managed by a CIM-ready version of the Tivoli Storage Area Network Manager product at the conference. IBM plans to have CIM-compliant products out in the first half of next year, Kelly said.
In a separate move, IBM announced plans to double the capacity of its TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server, better known as Shark. Both the Model 800 and 800 Turbo systems will be available in November with 146G-byte drives, brining the total capacity of the system to an impressive 56T bytes, Kelly said.
When the new drives arrive, IBM also plans to provide its customers with better software management tools for the Shark products. Administrators will be able to write scripts that automate repetitive commands. Customers will be able to use the scripts to discover information about the status of devices connected in a SAN, check the amount of storage space available on disks and free up more capacity for applications.
Similarly, Hitachi demonstrated its CIM-compliant HiCommand Device Manager working with storage products from other vendors. Hitachi should release the product, which allows users to set up policies for automating storage management, by the end of the year, said Phil Townsend, senior director of product marketing at Hitachi Data Systems Corp. (HDS), a subsidiary of Hitachi. More CIM complaint products should arrive by the first quarter of next year.
HDS, in Santa Clara, California, has also formed a new Global Solution Services organization. The group will offer services around managing SANs and related software, Townsend said. HDS has previously been offering services outside of its area of storage expertise, helping customers with tasks such as database installation.


text:
BALTIMORE, April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning Baltimore-based agency, Clapp Communications, is pleased to announce the addition of a new client to the expanding firm. Clapp Communications will provide the latest Brian Boston property, Highland Inn, a Howard County-based restaurant scheduled to open summer 2012, with public relations and event planning support.
Among its many exciting offerings, Highland Inn will bring al fresco dining, an elegant but casual ambiance and farm-to-table fare to residents of The Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Located at 12857 Highland Road in Highland, Md., the landmark restaurant will feature everything from sandwiches to steaks and entree items are set to range from $21-30. With rich, jewel-toned colors, the interior will be flanked by two murals painted by a well-known Maryland artist and the extensive wine list will be available in an on-site wine shop.
The modern-traditional restaurant is the work of Brian Boston, owner and executive chef of the already-successful Milton Inn in Sparks, Md. The new restaurant will also have an economic impact on Maryland: creating around 75 jobs in Howard County.
"Chef Brian Boston is well-known in the area for excellent food and service," said Clapp Communications President and CEO, Barb Clapp. "We are excited to help Chef Boston bring this same level of excellence to Howard County with the Highland Inn and to fill the community's need for additional jobs and more independently-owned restaurants. Highland Inn is a perfect fit for Howard County."
About Clapp Communications
Clapp Communications is a full-service marketing agency, whose expertise spans public affairs, media planning and buying, brand development, public relations, event planning, marketing strategy and product launch, as well as creative development. Clapp Communications is customer service driven and tailors individual programs to meet clients' needs. Customers consist of local, regional and large national brands in sectors including education, healthcare, government, associations, non-profit, corporate, hospitality and economic development.
Please visit www.clappcommunications.com for more information about Clapp Communications.
SOURCE Clapp Communications


text:
Turbine has released a new behind-the-scenes sizzle trailer for Menace of the Underdark, the first expansion for Dungeons & Dragons Online. Posted below, the video focuses specifically on the Underdark, one of the new Forgotten Realms areas coming to the MMO with the expansion. Menace of the Underdark,will be available on June 25.
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.


text:
Mumbai — April 10, 2018 — Pundi X, a blockchain-based point-of-sale (“POS”) solutions provider to enable the physical retail store to conduct multi-cryptocurrency transactions, today unveiled a new branch of XPOS smart point-of-sale terminal running solely on the NEM blockchain. This device will assist both the physical retailers and the consumers to do cryptocurrency to fiat or fiat to cryptocurrency transactions faster and easier. Pundi X has scheduled to deliver 20,000 units of NEM XPOS devices.
The new NEM XPOS device will be connected to the NEM blockchain via XPlugins, the Pundi X Platform API that allows blockchain developers connect to digital wallets and create smart contract requests. NEM XPOS device will deliver faster transactions at the physical retail stores. Consumers will be able to conduct multiple NEM-based cryptocurrency transactions via XPOS point-of-sale terminals. Tokens confirmed to be listed on this brand new NEM XPOS device are XEM, PXSXEM and XAR. There will be more XEM Mosaic tokens to be listed later.
XEM is the world’s 15th largest cryptocurrency, according to coinmarketcap.com, with a market capitalization of US $ 2.1 billion. NEM’s technology is currently employed by a variety of financial institutions and industries. When considering demand and trade volume, XEM is also one of the most popular altcoins in Japan. NEM XPOS terminal will use the NEM blockchain for both the private and the public chains.
“NEM and Pundi X are working together to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing all blockchain developers and their users —making it accessible for mainstream consumers to use in their daily lives,” commented Lon Wong, former president of NEM.io Foundation. “For the first time ever, NEM-based tokens will come to the store front for mainstream adoption.”
“When consumers conduct blockchain-based transactions, speed, by all mean, is critical for a better user experience, said Zac Cheah, CEO of Pundi X. “That’s why we have started integrating NEM private chain in our pilot XPOS devices at the first place. As NEM platform is growing, it is a natural step for us to launch a NEM XPOS terminal with integrating NEM for both public and private chain to meet the market demand.”
Pundi X will produce 20,000 units of NEM POS devices and schedule to deliver to NEM Foundations and partners.


text:
With a rainy and cool spring, plants across the board took some time to get off the ground, but by the time summer finally arrived, Revelstoke farms were flourishing.
Kristina Metzlaff of Bird Tree Urban Farm could not be more pleased with the local support for Revelstoke farms this year. The resiliency of this community and support for local businesses has been a ray of sunshine in trying times, she says.
All of the local farms increased their production this year in a bid to provide healthy food for Revelstokians, in the midst of the pandemic, and the demand for this food swelled to accommodate the tide of fresh vegetables.
Terra Park of Terra Firma Farms cites more people cooking this season as one of the reasons the demand grew.
While there was increases in buying local food, higher prices of all this fresh organic food can still be cost prohibitive to some of the lower income people in our town, says Melissa Hemphill, Revelstoke’s Food Security coordinator for the city.
To try and address that gap, Jesse Johnston-Hill and Chris Rubens of First Light Farm, who had their first year of production this year, launched a crowdfunding campaign and the community came together to purchase $1,000 of produce grown by First Light Farm to be donated to the Revelstoke Food Bank.
To continue to get your dose of fresh food this winter, some farmers will still be selling their products at the Winter Farmers Market, which runs every second Saturday at the Community Centre. Also be sure to stop by Terra Firma’s Kitchen, where you can eat fresh greens and other artisan inspired food throughout the winter.
Keep your eyes out for posts from Terra Firma and Bird Tree Urban Farm in the new year for information about subscribing to vegetable and flower Community Supported Agriculture boxes.


text:
The much anticipated PlayStation5 showcase took place on Wednesday, with the launch having given Fortnite fans an unexpected look at how the game will look on the console. While the trailer that accompanied the PS5 showcase was brief and didn’t actually reveal anything new about Fortnite itself, it did provide a small indicator as to how the game will perform on the new console.
The hugely popular Battle Royale game will be one of the launch titles for the PS5, with existing players that are thinking of upgrading to Sony’s latest console now knowing that their abilities will not be lost.
How Sony Revealed the News Surrounding Fortnite on PS5
The Playstation5 showcase aired a video showing Fortnite running on Unreal Engine 4, a game engine developed by Epic Games, who have already revealed that the game will also be available on Xbox Series X at the time of launch, as well as PS5.
While the fact that Fortnite will be ready for the launch of these highly anticipated consoles, given its popularity, however the news will certainly have been welcomed by millions of gamers around the world. Fortnite is currently a free to play game, with its availability being one of its biggest selling points. Meanwhile, it is now also one of the most watched games on streaming platforms including Twitch and YouTube.
Similarly to GTA and Skyrim, Fortnite has been expected to launch on PS5 due to its popularity, with the showcase this week having certainly made gamers take note. The screen faded to black, before the famous Battle Bus horn blared out, before video footage of Season 4 on Unreal Engine 4 was displayed.
After a short amount of time, in which viewers were treated to action-packed clips of the game, the screen then turned white, with the text revealing that Fortnite would indeed be available at the launch of PS5. Fortnite will be one of the few games that is available on launch day.
When Can Fans Play Fortnite on PS5?
A number of Fortnite updates have already been released so far this year, especially over recent months, such as Chapter 2 Season 4 back in August, which focused on the world of Marvel. Skins surrounding some of the franchises most popular characters became available, including Iron Man, Groot and Thor. Fortnite is available on PlayStation4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC at present, with gaming fans now knowing that they will be able to get involved on PS5 upon the console’s release in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea on November 12, along with the rest of the world on November 19. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series X is also due to be released in November.


text:
New Zealand commits to banning plastic shopping bags
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - New Zealand on Friday committed to banning disposable plastic bags, as part of its efforts to tackle plastic pollution and live up to its clean-and-green image.
Announcing the ban on Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, “New Zealanders use hundreds of millions of the bags each year,” adding that “some of them end up polluting the precious coastal and marine environment.”
A recent report in the U.S. journal Science revealed that eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the Earth's oceans and seas each year.
The report pointed out that toxic particles in the plastic is ingested by fish and, through the food chain, by humans.
On Friday, Ardern made the announcement alongside Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage, who said that the ban will be implemented on single-use plastic shopping bags by next July.
Previously, New Zealand's two main supermarket chains had announced similar bans on plastic bag usage.
On Friday, officials said that retailers in the country were being given a six-month window to phase out the use of such bags but were supposed to phase out plastic shopping bags by the end of this year.
According to the UN, more than 60 countries and states have introduced bans or levies on single-use plastic bags.
Estimations released by the UN environment agency state that up to 5 trillion single-use bags are consumed worldwide each year.
In December last year, 193 countries committed to a UN plan to stop plastic waste entering into oceans.
Of these countries, around 40 have reportedly completely banned single-use plastic bags, with charges or outright prohibitions in some countries.
On Friday, while announcing the ban, officials stated that New Zealand's efforts to curb the use of the plastic bags also steps from the fact that with the country’s marine Exclusive Economic Zone (a UN-prescribed state sea zone) is about 15 times the size of its land mass - which means that the country has a significant part to play in the globe's plastic pollution cleanup.
Ardern said in her statement, “We’re phasing-out single-use plastic bags so we can better look after our environment and safeguard New Zealand’s clean, green reputation. Every year in New Zealand we use hundreds of millions of single-use plastic bags — a mountain of bags, many of which end up polluting our precious coastal and marine environments and cause serious harm to all kinds of marine life, and all of this when there are viable alternatives for consumers and business."


text:
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
ASUS today announced that the PadFone Infinity will be available in Singapore from 1st June.
Intel has revealed some of the advancements made in power management for their upcoming 4th generation Intel Core processors. These new chips have been touted to reduce idle power by as much as twenty times due to new power optimization technology and improvements made to the 22nm Tri-Gate transistor.
Hot on the heels of Microsoft's announcement regarding their next generation gaming console, the Xbox One, NVIDIA has announced that the product will support their popular NVIDIA PhysX and NVIDIA APEX software development kits.
Trendnet has just announced the availability of their next generation AC1200 dual band wireless router. The TEW-811DRU is designed to handle multiple HD streams in a connected home with multiple devices.
StarHub today announced that its online music portal, Music Anywhere, is now open.
While the mobile app and desktop website version of Google+ has been constantly undergoing a series of improvements and updates, the mobile browser version is usually a step behind when it comes to such updates. Not intending to leave these users out in the cold, Google has updated the mobile version of Google+ as well.
Samsung may be announcing the Galaxy S4 Active, a more rugged variant of its flagship device soon as images and video of the device leaked online.
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Thermaltake has compiled a list of power supply units (PSUs) that support Intel "Haswell" CPUs as some low-end and budget PSUs are supposedly unable to deliver small amounts of power to support the processor's new C6/C7 low-power states.
Enermax has just announced five new cooling fan models that feature its patented APS (Adjustable Peak Speed) control technology. This innovation will allow manual speed control of a fan's peak speed and the speed will be regulated by pulse-width modulation or by an integrated thermal sensor.
M1 Limited (M1) today announced the appointment of Alcatel-Lucent to deploy a Small Cell (Femtocell) solution to further enhance its 3G radio coverage and capacity in indoor premises. It will be made available in Q3 2013.


text:
Superchargers for all! Tesla opens 15 of its UK charging locations to drivers of electric cars from other brands for the first time ever in new trial
- Pilot scheme to open some Tesla Superchargers to all drivers starts today
- The 15 sites contain 158 individual devices that can deliver speeds over 150kW
- Costs to use the devices for non-Tesla drivers will be around £0.60p per kWh
- Membership scheme costing £10.99 per month will offer lower charging costs
Tesla has today confirmed it will allow drivers of all electric cars - not just its own models - to access its industry-leading Supercharger network in Britain for the first time.
The pilot scheme, which is also running in other European countries, will allow non-Tesla electric cars to use charging points at 15 Supercharger stations - which represents around a fifth of Tesla's UK charging network.
These sites contain 158 individual devices that can deliver between 120 and 250kW and can add up to 60 miles of range in less than five minutes. Prices for non-Tesla drivers will average around £0.60p per kWh.
Tesla has 87 Supercharger locations in the UK with a total of 780 connectors, based on figures available at the end of 2021.
However, until today these have been off-limits to drivers of electric cars from other manufacturers.
In a recent survey of 1,500 UK drivers by EV website Electrifying.com, 81 per cent said they would consider making the switch if Tesla were to open up its Supercharger network.
If successful, the pilot scheme could be rolled out across more locations, though this could potentially irk some Tesla customers who will ultimately lose exclusive access to a dedicated charging network, which is one of the brand's biggest appeals.
HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP
The 15 locations include Grays and Uxbridge, as well as Banbury, Birmingham, Flint Mountain (near Chester), Folkestone, Manchester, Theftord, Trumpington (near Cambridge) and Wokingham (near Reading).
There are three accessible Supercharger locations in Scotland - Adderstone, Aviemore and Dundee - and two in Wales - Aberystwyth and Cardiff.
Elon Musk first hinted back in July 2021 that his brand's charging network would be open to all electric vehicles before the end of the year, with the first trial starting in the Netherlands in November.
Today, it has been extended and pilot schemes are running in eight European countries, with the addition of Austria, Belgium, France, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
In a statement, Tesla said: 'It has always been our ambition to open the Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs and by doing so encourage more drivers to go electric.
'More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion.
'Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide.'
It added: 'It’s always been our ambition to open the Supercharger network to Non-Tesla EVs, and by doing so, encourage more drivers to go electric.'
Non-Tesla owners who want to use Superchargers will first need to set up an account with the Tesla app.
Charging rates vary by site, but will cost around £0.60p per kWh.
Under the trial, drivers are also offered the opportunity to sign up for membership at a price of £10.99 a month, which provides lower charging prices per kWh.
Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley said: 'There will be a large number of electric car drivers who will be overjoyed that they will be able to use the Supercharger network at last.
'But it’s certain to be controversial among the fast-growing ranks of Tesla owners.
'The reliable, quick and plentiful chargers have been a major selling point but there are already complaints that the Superchargers are getting busier as sales of its cars have increased rapidly.
'If Tesla were to use the money generated from charging to fund an expansion of the network, this would help to alleviate charging anxiety that we know so many consumers have, whilst also enabling the Supercharger network to expand rapidly.'
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.
Most Read Money
Five money saving tips: From boot sale bargains to free kids' meals at Tesco and unsubscribing from...
Weatherman turned TV presenter and keen property renovator Owain Wyn Evans heads home to Wales to...
BUSINESS CLOSE: UK GDP shrinks 0.6% in June; GSK and Haleon respond to Zantac litigation panic; 888...
Landlord is hiking the rent at my high street butchers - am I better off ditching the physical shop...
GSK shares rally as drugmaker hits back at 'meritless' cancer claims over its heartburn medication...
Will rates keep rising, are cash Isas a good option again and how do you know a challenger bank is...
Ultra-pricey steak restaurant opened by social media sensation 'Salt Bae' raked in £7m in its first...
Why are fuel prices so high? In the hot seat New cars sold in the EU must have automatic speed-limiting tech from next week - will Britain soon m... Fuel prices edge towards £2-a-litre: Here are the most economical new models from each major car bra... London's car cloning crisis exposed by ULEZ extension Could the internal combustion engine still be saved? Cost of car repairs to rise in second half of the year Is Britain's love affair with convertible cars over? Google Maps will soon tell motorists the most efficient route that's tailored to whether they drive ... The ULEZ effect With the price of petrol and diesel at a record high, what can YOU do to trim your fuel use? Best and worst motorways REVEALED Will you face an emissions tax for driving an older car in a town or city near you? Seven steps to accurately measure your car's MPG Drivers in the capital more likely to face £160 penalties for veering into cycle lanes as TfL takes ... Soaring cost of summer holiday car hire exposed Is your car a steal?


text:
THERE are plenty of opportunities for students to become travel agents or run travel companies by the time they are in their late 20s and 30s, industry leaders have claimed.
Industry bosses speaking at this year’s Aspire conference at Butlins in Bogner Regis told student delegates they could be successful in the industry if they’re prepared work hard and are determined enough.
Ocean Village Holidays managing director Peter Shanks, who started out working in reservations and went on to run the Going Places shop network, said: “There is nothing to stop you running a UK travel company in your 20s or 30s. It just takes drive and passion. You do have to work hard but you can make a lot of money. Education is important but more importantly you need common sense.”
Triton bosses John McEwan and Colin Heal told students that agents who were professional and knowledgeable still had a firm future on the high-street.
Heal, chairman of Triton, said: “There are opportunities for young people to be in senior positions by the age of 30 if they are prepared to work at it.”
Triton director McEwan said students should not be deterred because they do not have the product knowledge before going into a job as an agent.


text:
That law was further tightened last month when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 338, which triggers joint liability for retailers that hire logistics companies with repeat violations, regardless of whether a judgment is satisfied.
"California's port drayage drivers are the last American sharecroppers, held in debt servitude and working dangerously long hours for little pay," the Legislature said in its preamble to the new statute.
Independent contractors lease trucks from companies but "can be terminated at any time and lose the money they thought they were paying toward the truck. Companies deduct money from driver paychecks for business expenses that lead to poverty wages," the Legislature said.
The XPO settlements come in the wake of setbacks for California's trucking industry, which has sought to be exempted from Assembly Bill 5, a broad statute that followed a 2018 California Supreme Court decision setting strict conditions on the classification of workers as independent contractors.
The U.S. Supreme Court this month declined to take up a trucking company's petition arguing that AB 5 is preempted by federal rules governing truckers' working conditions. The Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act bars states from enacting laws dictating prices, routes and services offered by motor carriers.
Cal Cartage Transportation Express, which brought the lawsuit, has been locked in a dispute with the city of Los Angeles over its classification of workers as contractors rather than employees.
Another case brought by the California Trucking Assn. against AB 5 has yet to be resolved. A spokeswoman for the association declined to comment on the XPO settlements.
The Supreme Court decision and new laws affecting port drayage show "it's clear that it will be harder and harder for trucking companies to continue to flout our laws — and harder for their retailer customers to turn a blind eye," said Jessica Durrum, director of the ports and goods movement campaign at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, a labor-affiliated nonprofit.
With $16.25 billion in 2020 revenue and more than 100,000 employees in 30 countries, XPO is the world's second-largest logistics provider and freight broker. The company is under pressure from U.S. and international unions to improve conditions for its labor force.
A 2020 report by the Teamsters along with labor groups in nine European nations, "XPO Delivering Injustice," accused the company of negligence in exposing workers to COVID-19 during deadly outbreaks at its facilities, as well as wage theft, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and extreme anti-union tactics.
XPO spokesman Joseph Checkler said the report's allegations "are wholly inaccurate and have been entirely debunked. These union-affiliated groups continue to spread false information to further their financial agenda."©2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


text:
When capital gains are running rampant, it's easy to forget about dividend payouts. While income stocks are a safety net for investors when markets turn sour, they're easily eschewed when the stock market is on track for double-digit percentage gains (as of yesterday's close, the S&P is on track for an 11.7% price bump in 2014). But that's a big mistake. Factoring dividend payouts in materially boosts your returns, even on a short year-to-date basis. Include dividends in the recipe, and suddenly the S&P is on pace for a 14% return this year.
2014 isn't an anomaly either. As I write, U.S. corporations are paying out record dividends thanks to a record pile of cash on corporate balance sheets. And, while few folks realize it, the dividend yield of the S&P 500 is hovering in a range higher than we've seen in any sustained period since the mid-1990s. Adjusting for the incredibly low yields on treasuries, dividend payouts are massive right now.
But to find the biggest gains, it's not enough to simply buy names with big payouts today. You've got to think about what they'll be paying tomorrow too.
So instead of chasing yield, we'll try to step in front of the next round of stock payout hikes.
For our purposes, that "crystal ball" is composed of a few factors: namely a solid balance sheet, low payout ratio and a history of dividend hikes. While those items don't guarantee dividend announcements in the next month or three, they do dramatically increase the odds that management will hike their cash payouts to shareholders.
Without further ado, here's a look at five stocks that could be about to increase their dividend payments in the next quarter.
Topping the list this week is Merck (MRK) - Get Free Report, the $170 billion big pharma giant. Merck has been a spectacular performer in 2014. Since the calendar flipped to January, the stock has rallied more than 17%. The firm also pays out a hefty 3% annual dividend yield right now, and it's a dividend check that looks likely to grow in the next quarter.
Merck is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The firm's well-known portfolio of names includes household names such as Gardasil, Claritin, and Zocor. While Singulair was long Merck's crown jewel, competition from generics following patent protection expiration has moved in on the allergy and asthma treatment in recent years. Like other legacy pharma names, patent expirations are a big black cloud for Merck, even if they were mitigated by acquisitions back in 2009. It's important to note that Merck has a pipeline that's filled with several important new drugs that should see commercialization in the next year and change.
From a financial standpoint, Merck boasts a balance sheet with a hefty $32 billion cash and investment position -- enough to offset its entire $28 billion debt load. That dry powder, combined with a history of prioritizing dividend payouts makes a boost to the firm's 44-cent quarterly dividend look likely next quarter.
Fast food giant McDonald's (MCD) - Get Free Report is grabbing headlines following a ruling by the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board that determined that the firm could be held jointly liable for labor and wage violations by franchises.
But this $94 billion restaurant stock should be grabbing investor attention for its dividend too. Right now MCD pays a 3.4% annual yield thanks to an 81-cent quarterly dividend check. And that payout looks likely to rise in the next quarter.
You don't need to search long or hard to find McDonald's. The chain has more than 34,900 locations spread across 120 countries. The vast majority of those locations are franchised, even if the firm owns the land and beneath many of those franchised locations. The combination of a franchise model and huge land ownership means that McDonald's actually has more in common with a REIT than with the diner down the street.
In recent years, MCD has been making evolutionary steps towards offering more upmarket menu options and in-store amenities at its locations. While that's helped propel margins here at home, the real growth comes from overseas, where a busy and burgeoning middle class population is eating more meals outside of the home.
Investors should look out for a dividend hike in McDonald's by late September.
As of the most recently reported quarter, McDonald's was one of Renaissance Technologies' top stocks.
$32 billion HVAC, power solutions and auto supplier stock Johnson Controls (JCI) - Get Free Report is another name that looks ready for a dividend boost. Right now, JCI pays out a 22-cent quarterly dividend that adds up to a 1.8% yield, but a new management team is putting a renewed focus on returning value to shareholders in 2014.
Among its three units, Johnson Controls operates a very diverse collection of businesses. For instance, it's the leading supplier of automotive seating and interiors, generating more than half of the firm's total revenues last year. Big tailwinds in car sales should help spur demand for the OEM components that JCI provides. The second-biggest business at JCI is HVAC, which focuses on heating and cooling solutions for commercial buildings. Ramping up building overseas should help to drive sales and service revenue for JCI's HVAC infrastructure business in the next several years. Finally, power solutions (namely car batteries) makes up the smallest piece of JCI's empire.
While Johnson Controls operates a trifecta of capital intense businesses, its $7.4 billion debt load is reasonable for a firm of JCI's scale. Look for margin improvement in 2014 to help drive JCI's ability to hike its dividend payout this year. So far, management changes look overwhelmingly positive.
For a long time, Garmin (GRMN) - Get Free Report got no respect from investors. Wall Street saw the stock as a one-trick pony: a consumer GPS navigator maker whose margins were set to drop as the business became commoditized, and smartphones proliferated consumer pockets. Thing is, the short case for Garmin hasn't worked out very well, as this mornings huge earnings beat demonstrates. Now Garmin looks likely to add onto that success with a dividend boost.
Garmin is the biggest GPS and navigation system maker in the world. The firm's products range from ubiquitous in-car devices to advanced electronic flight deck systems used in the latest business jets. That wide range gives Garmin some key advantages that the competition can't match. Because Garmin spends considerable R&D dollars on its bigger-ticket aviation and marine navigation systems, it's able to develop exciting technologies that can flow down to its lowest-common-denominator automotive GPS business at minimal cost. So since Garmin's high-end operations pay for themselves, it can squeeze bigger margins out of its efforts.
As car navigation became commoditized, Garmin has branched out by building a niche in outdoor and sporting electronics, like its GPS-equipped golf watches and VIRB action camera. That's a critical component of this firm's consistent outperformance. Garmin has always been a huge dividend name, and while recent price jumps have muted its high-yield status, the firm has the wherewithal to boost payouts this quarter.
Typically, Garmin front-loads its dividend announcements in February, so this name could take some time for an official hike. In the meantime, however, the price momentum is hard to argue with, and it makes sense to lock in the lower cost-yield today.
Today, Garmin pays a 48-cent quarterly dividend for a 3.33% yield. It was also featured recently in "5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love."
Last up is PetSmart (PETM) , the $7 billion pet supply retailer. With a 1.1% dividend yield, PetSmart is far from a high-yield name, but dividends still have an important impact on PETM's total returns. In the last two years, dividends would have increased your returns from PETM by half again as much as price alone.
PetSmart is one of the largest pet supply retail chains on the continent, with more than 1,300 big box stores in the U.S. Puerto Rico and Canada. PetSmart sells pet food, supplies, services and even small pets at its locations. As pets get treated more and more like full-fledged family members, so increases their allotment of the family budget. Today, Americans are spending a higher per-capita amount on their pets than ever before. That's changed the sales mix at stores like PetSmart, as more emphasis on higher-quality all natural pet foods and more expensive and elaborate toys and grooming products fill the shelves. That focus on quality also translates to higher margins for PETM. More than half of sales come from consumables such as food and treats, which means repeat business.
Through a partnership with Banfield, veterinary care is available at approximately two-thirds of PetSmart locations. That arrangement provides a constant stream of pet owners coming through its stores, and more important, it doesn't require the loss-leader characteristics that human-focused stores typically resort to for the sake of traffic. Net profit margins currently come in at approximately 5.8%, putting PetSmart on the high end of retail profitability.
Look for a hike to the firm's 19.5-cent dividend in the next quarter.
To see these dividend plays in action, check out the at Dividend Stocks for the Week portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.
Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
At the time of publication, author was long GRMN. Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation. Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


text:
The iOS 11 update seems to be just around the corner, and after all those exciting announcements and features that were put on display at WWDC, it's hard not to be insanely excited for it!
Out of all the features that have surfaced with the announcement of iOS 11, is there one in particular that sticks out to you? Or maybe there's a feature that didn't make the cut that you would have loved to have seen in the update?
Some people are pretty pumped about all the new features that come along with the Apple Pencil...
While others – well, this speaks for itself:
Are you super pumped about the updates in iOS 11? Is there one you're over the moon about? Join us in the iMore forums and chat with us about which features you think are top-notch, which you think are missing, and which you think are pretty gosh darn useless!
From the Editor's Desk: Let's 'Unpack' this folding phone trend
With March just around the corner, we expect to see a new iPhone, but it will definitely not be a foldable one. Find out what we think of Samsung's Z Flip and more.
Former Apple exec being sued for poaching talent is now suing Apple
Apple accuses Gerard Williams III of poaching chip designers for his new startup and has taken the matter to court. Now he's accusing Apple of the same.
This is how easily Apple could and should make a folding iPhone
Apple hasn't made a folding iPhone yet. But it could.
Have a large wrist? There's an Apple Watch band for you
Need an Apple Watch band that is comfortable and fits your larger wrists without issue? Check out some of these great options out there!


text:
In letters sent to UK broadcast regulator Ofcom and the Competition Markets Authority last week, Which? asked both bodies to confirm what actions they will take so that consumers “don’t lose out,” claiming that this deal and Sky’s recent partnership with O2 would signal “significant change in the UK telecoms market” and should be “scrutinised in depth.”
“This deal would signal more significant change to the UK telecoms market, with O2 and Three also expected to merge. Fewer players in any essential market is rarely good for consumers,” said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd.
“The competition authorities must now look at both the proposed mergers and the market in the round to make sure that consumers are protected from unfair price increases or poorer service as a result of less competition.”
Last week, BT struck a definitive agreement to buy EE in a deal that will see the UK service provider make a major move into the quad-play market.
BT said that the deal will allow it to offer fibre broadband, WiFi and advanced mobile capabilities, while increasing its capacity for future investment and product innovation.
However, Which? claimed that while BT has initially signalled that savings from simplifying its network will be passed on to consumers, the bundling of services makes it “much more difficult for consumers to compare pricing.”


text:
Updated from Oct. 6
Less than a month after it warned of a quarterly profit shortfall, chipmaker
issued yet another warning Wednesday, revising down its third-quarter guidance for a second time because sales in the final month of the quarter failed to pick up as expected.
The company's shares were recently down 5 cents, or 0.3%, to $16.26.
After the close, the Milpitas, Calif.-based analog chipmaker said it expects revenue of $127 million for the quarter just ended. That's well below the $140 million sales target the company outlined in its first downward profit revision on Sept. 9. Initially, at the time of its July earnings report, Intersil guided for sales in the range of $154 million to $160 million.
The company chalked up the latest revision both to weak demand in September and to the forced closure of its manufacturing facilities for more than two weeks last month due to hurricanes. The dropoff in production resulted in lower-than-expected shipments.
Intersil also said it now expects earnings per share of 11 cents, down from its Sept. 9 forecast for 15 cents.
Analysts were expecting EPS of 15 cents on revenue of $140.2 million.
Intersil is the second big-cap chipmaker to issue two successive profit warnings for the third quarter, a highly unusual event even in the volatile semiconductor industry. Earlier this month,
became the first to
notch that dubious honor.
By end-market measures, Intersil said its consumer and industrial business were in line with expectations, with consumer revenue rising from the second quarter and industrial sales about flat. Sales into computers were down as customers worked off excess inventory. Demand from the communications market continued to suffer from excess customer inventory and saw further weakness in September, the company said.
Intersil is scheduled to report earnings on Oct. 20.


text:
MEDINA — The city of Medina plans to launch its new website sometime in the second week of January.
Mayor Dennis Hanwell said the new site will be easier for city officials to update.
“We update the materials ourselves instead of depending on the web designer, which is much more cost-effective to the city,” Hanwell said.
The new site also will give them the ability to easily post short videos.
“From a user standpoint, it should be much more informative, much more timely,” he said.
The updated site also will better highlight properties available for development, Hanwell said.
“We’re having some challenges with the existing website — showcasing available industrial properties and storefronts,” he said.
Dawn Conwill, Hanwell’s office manager, said the new site will be designed to work on mobile devices like cell phones and tablets, something the current site does not do.
The updated website was designed by WRIS Web Services under a four-year contract for $28,000. The company also will charge $6,000 a year after the first year for updates, support, content management, analytics and hosting. After the four years, WRIS will update the design for no additional charge.
The website the city now uses was designed in 2008 by Chad Allen Technology for a cost of $15,700. The company charged the city extra for upgrades and support on an as-needed basis, Conwill said.
The new site will be located at the same address: www.medinaoh.org.
Contact reporter Kiera Manion-Fischer at (330) 721-4049 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
FORBES DIAMANDS AWARD 2015
Our Polish subsidiary TECHNICOAT SP. Z O.O. was awarded by the prestigious award FORBES DIAMONDS 2015 in the category of companies with the largest trade growth. We are very pleased that the evaluators chose our company and we consider it as a positive assessment of our efforts.


text:
FMCG and telecom brands are the biggest marketers, battling it out for the consumer's eyeball and the largest share in the advertising chain. Maximum visibility across media, including television, print, outdoor and even on-ground, is of utmost importance for these brands. Major advertisers have also promoted popular shows on television, including recent movie releases aired on national television.
However, it's a little out of the ordinary for pharmaceutical products to associate with movie releases on television. Otrivin, the nasal decongestant spray from pharma house Novartis, was the chief sponsor for the TV premier of the Salman Khan starrer, Wanted.
Otrivin has been present in the Indian market for about three decades now but was available in a dropper format. Twenty five years ago, it became an OTC (over the counter) product available without a doctor's prescription. In April 2009, the usage format of the product was changed to be made available in a spray format. The other decongestants in the category are Nasibion (Merck) and Nasoclear, both of which are prescription products.
Otrivin is the first product in the decongestant category to be available in a spray format.
Hence in the second burst of on-air presence, the same approach was taken and the commercial (which was more of an infomercial) was aired mainly on two properties - cricket and movies.
Kamat explains, "Cricket cuts across demographic barriers of age and reaches a majority of male audiences, while films have a much larger scope in terms of target audiences." Also, these properties happened during the peak cough and cold season during winter.
Otrivin was the associate sponsor with Neo Sports for the recently concluded India-Sri Lanka series and the ongoing India-Bangladesh series. The movie Wanted, too, was part of the impact buy route.
The strategy for the OTC brand, says Vineet Singhal, business head, OTC, Novartis India, is to gain the highest visibility. "It's all part of a linked strategy, where we want congested and blocked noses to be treated with Otrivin nasal spray and not an array of multi-symptomatic tablets," says Singhal, explaining why the communication has been on air only during certain months of the year.
The company wants to create a direct co-relation between nasal congestion and Otrivin.
As for future plans, Nissim Ghoghe, head, marketing, OTC business, Novartis India, says, though, the current route has been television, print as a medium was tried out in the Kolkata market. The response received was up to the mark and Otrivin may choose other media soon.


text:
Nearly 10,000 turn out for inaugural Townsend balloon festival in advance of eclipse
The first annual Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival drew as many as 10,000 people to the mountains of Townsend on Saturday for an afternoon of food, music and hot air balloons.
The festival drew such a crowd that U.S. Highway 321 was backed up from the Townsend Visitors Center near Myers Road all the way up to Dogwood Realty, over three miles, just under an hour before the hot air balloons were set to inflate.
Organizers of the inaugural festival said that they had no idea that so many people would show up for the event, which they said was organized in less than five months. Kim Mitchell, tourism director for the Blount Partnership, which organized the festival, said that the festival was originally conceived to help bolster tourism between the start of the school year and the start of fall, which is considered a 'down' time in the area.
"It was the brainchild of Mark Oldham, who owns Dancing Bear Lodge and Chad Rochelle, who owns Dogwood Cabins," Mitchell said. "They came to me with this idea, and I thought it was great, especially in August when normally we're down, just because people have gone back to school and the fall vacations haven't started yet."
Mitchell said that the festival was designed with the idea of providing free activities for kids to do while parents could come and try food from a number of gourmet food trucks or wine and beer from nearly a dozen local producers.
"What we really wanted to focus on was having free activities," she said, "not just having vendors set up a tent and charge people. We really worked hard on finding some good, fun, different kids activities that they can enjoy while they're here waiting for the balloons to inflate."
The festival featured six hot air balloonists from the region who were invited by the Blount Partnership. Lou Bottiggi and his wife Jan travelled with their balloon from Nashville to participate in the festival. Lou, who travels with his balloon to festivals around the county, said that even he was surprised at the thousands of people who had crowded into Townsend on Saturday afternoon.
"We had no clue what to expect," Bottiggi said.
"The policemen told us that even they had not expected anything like this," Jan added.
A number of local breweries and wineries were present at the festival including Nine Lakes Wine Company, Mill Bridge Winery and Cades Cove Cellars. Yardley Sawyer, who works as a retail manager at Cades Cove Cellars, said that they were excited when they were asked to join the festival and that the incredible number of attendees was encouraging, if a bit surprising.
"We jumped on the opportunity to come out here and sell some wine," she said. "We were expecting quite a few (people), but not this many. It's a great way to bring business to Townsend. This is the quiet side of the Smokies and we wanted to share it with everyone else."
The inaugural festival came just two days before the solar eclipse that has brought a number of tourists to East Tennessee. Mitchell said that the combination of hot air balloons and pre-eclipse excitement might have been the perfect storm to create such a popular, crowded festival.
"We were expecting a few thousand, but it's hard to tell at this point," Mitchell said during the festival. "Really, truly right now, we don't have a clue. It is crazy. It's great and we love it. We absolutely love it, but this is a little overwhelming.We did not expect this."


text:
LG promotional event for new phone goes wrong as 20 people end up in hospital
The launch of LG’s latest smartphone has received publicity of the wrong kind after a promotional event went wrong.
The Korean firm filled 100 helium balloons with free vouchers for its new G2 handset worth £550 at an event at a park in Seoul.
But a crowd of participants armed themselves with knives on sticks and ball bearing guns to try to ground the balloons and collect their prizes.
New phone: LG cancelled future promotions linked to its G2 phone
The firm will foot the medical bills for the 20 people injured, which included seven sent to hospital with spear wounds.
LG cancelled future promotions linked to its G2 phone following the disaster at the event, quickly dubbed World War G.
It is not clear how the firm will attempt to promote the launch in Europe.
Most watched Money videos
- Euro NCAP safety tests of new Porsche Taycan shown in clip
- What will 2020 hold for investors and the UK stock market?
- Durability of Tesla Model X examined in Euro NCAP clip
- Vauxhall launches fifth generation of top-selling Corsa hatchback
- Introducing the new Ford Puma with fuel-saving powertrain technology
- Urban Electric's new pop-up chargers rise from the pavement
- Door comes off Volkswagen Sharan during Euro NCAP safety tests
- How a biotech trust invests in the future of medicine
- Volkswagen unveils concept for robots to deliver chargers to cars
- Hyundai Uber concept flying taxi shown off in promo vid
- Blue Whale: We want companies that can grow whatever happens
- Wireless charging network will be installed in Britain from 2020


text:
As if the combination of four-wheelers and cell phones
weren’t already dangerous enough, drivers now have a new reason to be
distracted by the ever-present devices while they’re behind the wheel.
On Tuesday, July 25, Google Inc. – best known for its Internet search
service – launched Google Maps for Mobile, a cell phone-based version of its
popular online mapping software.
According to a Google press release, users who download the program
onto their phones will not only have access to maps of the entire country –
they’ll also be able to check out real-time traffic patterns in more than 30
major U.S. cities, which will be indicated by red, yellow and green colors on
the maps, depending on the level of congestion.
While keeping drivers from getting lost – and, consequently, driving
erratically – isn’t a bad thing, the thought of four-wheelers forgoing another
one of their senses while they squint at their miniscule cell phone screens
just sounds like one more accident waiting to happen.


text:
In just a few hours, Forspoken will be available to all players in the world. The exclusive production on PlayStation 5 consoles (it also comes out on PC) comes with quite a stir. But why has this happened with the Square Enix video game? Let’s go in parts.
Announced at the end of 2020 as Project Athia, the one that would later be called Forspoken was shown with an impressive trailer where the Luminous Engine did real wonders: particles flying across the stage, frenetic control and incredible lighting created a perfect cocktail for the game. However, after this first trailer, the news of the title was diluted like sugar in coffee.
The months went by and we had no news, and when we received them they were the worst possible: Forspoken was late. In fact, this has happened twice already, with a first official date of May 24, 2022, then October 11, 2022 (first delay), and now finally January 24, 2023 (second delay).
However, what has hurt the game the most has been, precisely, something that is always in demand: its playable demo. It is well known that demos are the devil’s work, which is why many studios have stopped releasing them. After all, you may buy a title thanks to playing this one, but the opposite can also happen, that is, you may not even want to play the game. And this is what is happening to Forspoken.
After the launch of the demo, the vast majority of feedback that was seen on social networks was bad. Complaints ranged from the erratic control of Frey (the protagonist) to the empty world that she roamed, as well as a combat system that did not quite work. Square Enix was so aware of this that they even released a patch for the demo. If it is already rare to see a demo these days, publishing a patch for this one is even more so.
With all this behind it, Forspoken has gone from being one of the most anticipated titles of 2023 to being in a doubtful position, and it has all been largely because of that published demo. In addition, to this is added a detail that always stinks: the specialized press complained that the analysis codes had not arrived this past Friday. And yes, the game comes out in a few hours.
With all this already told, we will clear up our doubts in a matter of a few hours, but everything indicates that Forspoken has gone from being one of the most anticipated titles of 2023… to be on a list where ignominy is the predominant note.


text:
The Shangri-La Hotel in Thailand was the venue for the Apple World 2002 tradeshow last weekend. The show was bigger than last year’s, with Apple showing its strengths in digital media, according to an
article in The Bangkok Post .
Several companies showed high-end digital solutions, including Digitron Solutions (displaying video editing technology using Final Cut Pro on Mac OS 9 and Media 100 on Mac OS X), Leaf (digital camera systems), Systematic Instrument Company (Bluetooth and connectivity solutions), and Canon (printers). Also present at Apple World 2002 was the Macintosh Center booth, manned by folks who support Mac users in Thailand.
“One area lacking, however, is the education sector,” the story says. “Recent announcements around the world have included an education program in Brazil, a computer rental and buy-back scheme for students in Britain, and most recently free OS X software for teachers in the US. None of these have come to Thailand though.”