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Home field advantage: Latin Americans build their own franchise industry with home-grown concepts. (Franchising).
A little more than a decade later, McDonald's is heading for the exits. Once a Latin American franchising industry leader, the company reported a loss in the fourth quarter of 2002--the first in the company's history--and began shutting some of its glass double doors after approximately US$67.2 million in charges on investments in Latin America and Europe.
As the luster of some better-known global brands fade, emboldened entrepreneurs are expanding homegrown chains at home and abroad. They are attracted to the increasing development of domestic brands and low investment cost. Big global companies not only introduced brands but also the franchising know-how Now, entrepreneurs have developed their own businesses and, in some cases, are beating out the international pioneers.
Brazil's franchising industry grew 7% in 2002, five times more quickly than the country's economy, and is expected to grow 10% in 2003, according to the Brazilian Franchising Association. The region's franchises will continue to experience high growth during the next five years as Latin Americans continue to create concepts, analysts say, with Brazil and Mexico accounting for approximately 80% of the new franchises. The regional leaders in annual sales, not surprisingly, have the most-developed franchising industries.
The industry in Brazil generates approximately $7 billion in annual sales, says the Brazilian Franchising Association. "Brazil's homegrown franchises have caught up with U.S. counterparts," says William LeSante, managing director at franchising consultancy LeSante International. "They have done well with their own brands."
Central America is also rapidly climbing the learning curve. Guatemalan chicken chain Polo Campero's success at home has led to expansion into neighboring Central American countries and southern Mexico, and most recently in the United States--one of the most difficult markets to enter, analysts say, because of high legal costs and fierce competition. Polio Campero opened its first U.S. restaurants in 2002 and plans to open 200 units across the country in five years, betting its success on brand recognition among Central Americans living abroad and on high acceptance in the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market.
Know your customers. Successful domestic brands are regarded more favorably than big foreign names, say investors. Without any formal business experience, Brazilian Maria Sueli Cavalcanti picked a Brazilian shoe store chain called Mister Cat for her first franchise investment. Five years later, she now has six stores outside her hometown of Itagual in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Based on the success of her first venture, she decided two years ago to open an O Boticario store, which sells personal care products such as cosmetics for women as well as shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and soaps for both sexes and for children. She now has two of them, "What is fascinating about O Boticario is that it is concerned with franchisees' training. Other franchises that I researched had strong brand names but weren't structured properly," Cavalcanti says.
O Boticario was one of the first companies in Brazil to choose to expand through franchising, instead of wholly owned stores. Pounded in March 1977 in the southern city of Curitiba, it is the Brazilian equivalent of U.K. skin and hair products company The Body Shop. Much like The Body Shop, O Boticario projects an environmentally conscious image and contributes a percentage of its net profits to a not-for-profit fund to promote environmental conservation. Along with strong products and smart marketing, the decision to franchise has allowed the company--a three-time winner of Brazilian Franchising Association awards for outstanding achievement--to grow quickly at home and abroad. "O Boticario is recognized around the country and is now going into other countries," says Cavalcanti.
The Brazilian company opened its first international stores in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1985, and now has outlets in Bolivia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Japan. "A lot of them grow from their existing base: the Latin market. They feel it is easier for them:' says analyst LeSante.
In the midst of a fast-food boom in the late 1980s, Alberto Saraiva--born in Portugal and trained as a physician in Brazil--created Habib's, which has become the world's largest chain of Arab fast food restaurants. Building on its success in Brazil, Habib's has begun to export its concept. It opened its first international outlet in Mexico and was ready, too, to make a run at the U.S. market, but the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks intervened.
A better deal. While global brands brought franchising to Latin America, low investment requirements quickly made national brands a more popular choice. U.S. franchises require investments averaging $100,000, yet many major Mexican opportunities, for instance, cost half that amount.
In 1993, when most were capitalizing on the hype of U.S. fast-food, Mexican entrepreneur Gustavo Felix did just the opposite. He invested in a Mexican electronic components company called Steren. A decade later, he bought his second Mexican franchise, packaging and storage services company Todo de Carton. Felix chose homegrown store chains largely because the terms were more economical. "With foreign franchises, you have to pay in dollars," he says. "The exchange rate can affect royalty payments."
Ramon Vinay, president of Mexican consulting company Francorp, attributes part of domestic brands' success to affordability. "It opens the door to many people who don't have the money to open big franchises," says Vinay. The Mexican Franchise Association began operations in 1989 as McDonald's restaurants first entered the country. At the time, the association was made up of five U.S. franchisers and one Mexican company. Today, more than 60% of the association's members are Mexican.
Mexican companies have become the country's top picks, says the association. For the past two years, it has named Hawaiian Paradise, a Mexican snow cone and fresh fruit company, as the best franchise for under $10,000. The operation has expanded to 320 outlets throughout the country, offering packages complete with start-up material, equipment and training. While the return on a low-cost investment is smaller than that of the average international franchise in Mexico, many say it is a smaller risk. "You wouldn't jump out the window for that kind of money in the United States, but you would jump out of the window for that kind of money in Mexico," says Vinay.
Increasingly, franchises are gaining ground on the old independent start-up model for companies. Tried-and-true business practices, training and an established brand with years in the market often promise a greater chance of success than starting from scratch with a new name, product or concept, analysts say.
The rate of return on investment, too, is greater as they usually receive training, administrative assistance and marketing support from parent companies bent on making every outlet successful. Franchises are also a dependable investment during uncertain or volatile economic situations, analysts say. In Mexico, for instance, the 1995 peso crisis and the ensuing economic downturn closed approximately 6,000 restaurants. According to Vinay, only 30 of the 6,000 Failed businesses were Franchises. This phenomenon is largely due to the additional support investors receive from the brand's home office.
Introduced during the boom years of the 1990s in Latin America, the imported franchise model is now being exported to the rest of the world. The oldest and strongest Latin American brands are expanding beyond borders, bringing new and improved concepts back, in some cases, to the market of origin. Polio Campero, Guatemala's Fast-food chicken company, is invading Kentucky Fried Chicken's home turf. Only time will tell if Campero can pluck Colonel Sander's pride and joy, the U.S. Fast-food market.
Portuguese-language Edition Editor Carlos Adese contributed to this report.
RELATED ARTICLE: FAST-TRACK FRANCHISES
HABIB'S: Brazilian restaurant Habib's, specializing in Middle Eastern food, faced fierce competition during the fast-food franchise boom in the 1990s. but a decade later has Fared well, becoming the No. 2 chain in the country. The company opened more than 200 outlets in a span of 14 years, including the latest addition to the Habib's network in 2000, six outlets in Mexico--its first international franchise.
HAWAIIAN PARADISE: Since opening its doors in 1993, snow cone maker Hawaiian Paradise has built 320 stores throughout Mexico. The Mexican company attributes a large part of its franchising success to its expansion plan and low-cost investment. For two consecutive years, the Mexican Franchise Association has named the snow cone maker the best franchise requiring investments under US$10,000. The awards noted the company's high growth and innovation.
O BOTICARIO: Among the pioneers in Brazil's franchising industry, the personal-care products company now has 2,100 outlets throughout Latin America and overseas as far away as Jaspan. The company has been awarded for its contributions to franchise development and the environment. Through its environmental conservation foundation, it established in 1993 the Salto Morato Natural Reserve, located in one of the country's most important Atlantic forests.
PEMEX: The pillar of Mexican franchising successfully operated 3,164 gas stations a decade ago when it decided to establish one of the country's first Formal franchise structures. Offering Franchises in gas and petrochemical products, the state-run oil monopoly has been recognized by the Mexican Franchising Association as a hot-growth opportunity, opening hundreds of stations in recent years.
POLLO CAMPERO: A 32-year veteran in the fast-food chicken business, this Guatemalan favorite has expanded into the rest of Central America and southern Mexico. In 2002, Pollo Campero opened five restaurants in the United States and expects its presence in the country to grow to 200 units within the next five years. It currently has more than 175 restaurants in nine countries.
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Operation Black Ice, the first of four DLC packs for Rainbow Six Siege, is now available for Season Pass holders. This DLC will be available for everyone else on the 9th of February.
Operation Black Ice features a brand new map that is set on a luxury yacht that has crashed into an iceberg breaching the hull. The map is available starting today for everyone, including those without the Season Pass.
This DLC also comes with two JTF-2 operators, new weapon skins, and a Spectator Camera feature. All this content will be available for free for everyone, but Season Pass holders will have these new operators unlocked automatically, while everyone else will have to unlock them via in-game currency.
In addition, Ubisoft has also updated the game to version 2.0, with this update adding a few balancing and gameplay tweaks, as well as playlist changes.
Ubisoft will be releasing more DLC packs throughout the year, including six more opeators and three maps.

domain: news


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This story is fucking hilarious. The NYPD tweeted about 106 pounds of marijuana they had seized as part of some “precision policing and relentless follow up”. The tweet was accompanied by a picture of two cops trying to look boss while posing with dozens of bags of “contraband”. It appears that they had Super Troopers on the job because the shipment was actually legally grown hemp that was on its way to a CBD shop. The paperwork for the hemp was included within each box of the shipment. Precise work, boys.
The NYPD 75th Precinct took to Twitter on Tuesday to brag about 106 pounds of marijuana it seized from a delivery “destined for our city streets.” One problem: That “marijuana” turned out actually to be legally-grown hemp from licensed Vermont farmers, bound for a CBD store in Brooklyn. The hemp contained no significant level of the THC component that gives cannabis its narcotic effects.– CBS 2 New York
For the NYPD’s benefit, hemp and marijuana come from the same Cannabis plant family. Legally, hemp must contain less than .3% THC, and marijuana contains more than .3% THC. The 2018 Farm Bill made growing hemp legal. So while this shit looks the same, it’s so great to see our tax dollars so very hard at work.


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in this issue
World News and Views :: Top of the News
Lanxess Reports First-Quarter Loss
May 7, 2009 | Deepti Ramesh
Lanxess has recorded a net loss of €14 million ($19 million) for the first quarter of 2009, compared with a net profit of €104 million in the first quarter of 2008. Sales decreased by 31%, to €1.05 billion. Ebitda fell 70%, to €66 million. “All business units were impacted by the global recession,” says Axel C. Heitmann, Chairman of the Lanxess board. “The drop in demand of more than 35% reached historic proportions. But by immediately launching our extensive ‘Challenge09’ package of global measures, we succeeded...
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Coral regeneration initiative underway at Outrigger Resort in Maldives
Guests at the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort recently joined the Best Dives Konotta marine biologist and staff to relaunch a coral regeneration project. According to the resort, the previous initiative launched in December 2015 was doing well until the El Nino effect in April raised water temperatures and negatively impacted new growth. On 19 August, […]
Outrigger Konotta Maldives appoints new General Manager
Outrigger Enterprises Group has appointed John Allanson as the General Manager of its award-winning Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort. Allanson will report to Paul Richardson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Outrigger’s corporate office in Hawaii. “John’s leadership in hotel and resort operations in Asia and UK will help Outrigger take our acclaimed hotel operations […]
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort celebrates first anniversary, offers special discounts
The Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort celebrated its 1st anniversary this week with travel industry professionals and hotel guests. The celebrations took place from from 30 July to 1 August. The invitees participated in dolphin spotting, relaxed in the Navasana Spa hydro pool, and enjoyed water sports activities. Hotel guests then joined the invitees for a management cocktail party by […]
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort Celebrates Independence Day
The Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort celebrated the 51st anniversary of the Maldives’ independence on 26 July. The hosts and the management of the resort got together for a flag raising ceremony and sang the national anthem of the Maldives. The hotel’s chefs baked a special celebratory cake for the hosts to commemorate the day. The […]
Outrigger appoints new Director of Marketing and e-Commerce
Outrigger Enterprises Group has appointed Eugene Oelofse as Director of Marketing and e-commerce, Asia Pacific. Oelofse will be based in the Outrigger Asia Pacific office in Phuket, Thailand, and will report to Mark Simmons, VP Sales & Marketing, Asia Pacific. Oelofse hails from South Africa and brings 13 years of experience in branding, communications, digital, […]
Outrigger gears up to celebrate anniversary of conservation efforts
Outrigger Resorts is gearing up to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its innovative global conservation initiative, OZONE (Outrigger’s ZONE), with a variety of environmental events and activities. In conjunction with World Oceans Month, and in collaboration with its global OZONE partner organisations, the celebratory activities will take place at Outrigger’s nine iconic beachfront properties in […]
Emirates and Outrigger Resorts offer last-minute holiday deal
Emirates Airline and Outrigger Resorts have forged a partnership to offer last-minute holidaymakers a free room upgrade and dinner for two. Travellers who book to stay at an Outrigger resort in the Maldives, Mauritius, Phuket or Koh Samui in Thailand will be entitled to a complimentary upgrade to the next room standard and a free […]
Outrigger Konotta appoints new HR Director
Outrigger Enterprises Group has appointed Jennifer Obregon as Director of Human Resources at its flagship Maldives resort, Outrigger Konotta. “Jennifer’s extensive experience in the operating environment of the Maldives and her HR leadership skills will be vital to Outrigger where the role of or hosts – our staff – is of the utmost importance,” said […]
Outrigger Resorts appoints new UK sales and marketing representatives
Outrigger Resorts has enlisted UK-based PR firm Hills Balfour as its representative for sales, marketing and public relations support.
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort reveals its Grand Konotta Villa
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort this week revealed its 600 square metre (6,400 sqft) Grand Konotta Villa, a stunning three-bedroom over-water retreat.
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort Wins ‘Luxury Contemporary Resort of the Year’ Award
The Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort has won “Luxury Contemporary Resort of the Year,” at The Luxury Travel Guide Global Awards 2015.


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We are exhibiting on the Danish Security Fair on 25 – 26th August:
– It will be a physical event at the MESSE C, Fredericia
– Free admission for industry professionals who have registered in advance.
Danish Security Fair is a trade fair, presenting the latest technology in electronic and mechanical products and systems to promote the security of people, buildings, areas and data.
This week, the Port of Esbjerg is launching a new project with drones tasked with
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Stay updated on events and news


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Metropolitan regions of the U.S. are increasingly staring at $4 gallon gasoline retail prices or higher, with the national average quickly marching towards the psychological price point, averaging $3.844 gallon on April 18, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The U.S. gasoline average reported by the EIA first topped $4 gallon on June 2, 2008, and held over the round number for nine consecutive weeks from early June, peaking at $4.247 gallon on July 7, 2008.
View DTN’s Weekly and Historical Gasoline Price Index.
That all-time high is likely to hold through spring, but there are no guarantees that retail prices won’t challenge the July 2008 average sometime this summer. What is increasingly likely, however, is that the U.S. retail average will top $4 gallon by Memorial Day.
Meanwhile, on-highway retail diesel fuel is averaging $4.105 gallon.
The oil market is due for what’s referred to as a technical correction, meaning prices should now move lower because of the steep and quick advance. Determining when such a pullback will occur can be tricky.
Earlier today (4/25), the New York Mercantile Exchange crude oil futures contract with nearest delivery traded at a $113.48 barrel 31-month high before reversing lower, but still holding above $111.00 bbl. NYMEX RBOB (Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending), which serves as the gasoline price benchmark, traded at $3.3416 gallon today, a new 33-month high for the contract nearest delivery. There were only three days in which the RBOB contract traded higher, occurring on July 11, 14 and 15 in 2008. The contract reached the all-time high on July 11, 2008 at $3.6310 gallon.
Based on current trading in the futures markets, there’s more upside to go for retail pump prices. Typically it takes as many as eight weeks for the full change in price at the wholesale level to be reflected in retail prices, with most of the cost change at the wholesale level reflected by retail prices within two weeks.
Despite high prices, fuel demand in the U.S. is not crumbling to the degree some analysts had projected. The American Petroleum Institute said on April 21 that in March, gasoline deliveries, a proxy for demand, increased 6.1% compared with March 2010. For distillates, which include heating oil and diesel fuel, deliveries surged 11.3% in March from March 2010.
“Strong deliveries continue to indicate growth in the economy,” said API Chief Economist John Felmy. “The increase is consistent with expansion in the manufacturing sector reported by the government, although that was relatively modest. The increase is especially significant given the potentially depressing effect of rising prices on fuel demand and amid some prognostications that forward growth in the economy may be more modest than hoped.”
About the Author
Brian L. Milne is the Refined Fuels Editor for Telvent DTN—a leading business-to-business provider of real-time commodity information services. Milne has been focused on the energy industry for 15 years as an analyst, journalist and editor. He can be reached at [email protected].


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Under its #ColorIsIn inititayive, Nokia India has teamed up with the PWD Ministry, Government of Maharashtra to splash vibrant hues across 12 Zebra crossings in Mumbai as part of a campaign to raise awareness about pedestrian safety.
The campaign was inaugurated by Mr. Chhaggan Bhujbal, Minister of Public Works, Government of Maharashtra, who stated, “I am very proud of this initiative since we are really starting a citizen movement that will encourage people to start using these crossings and help aid pedestrian safety. We encourage more and more Mumbaikars to come forward and join this movement.”
Commenting on the initiative, Mr. P.Balaji, Managing Director, Nokia India, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to partner with the PWD Ministry for this unique campaign. Nokia’s approach to design and color is unlike any other brand in the market. Our campaign, #colorisin, is a bold new step that celebrates Nokia’s distinct design & color language and we are delighted to see it manifest in the form of colorful zebra crossings in Mumbai. Consumers love colors and we hope these beautifully colored zebra crossings will encourage them to respect pedestrian safety.”
Colouring the monotonous black and white Zebra crossings is a novel idea indeed, and should serve as a constant reminder to anyone passing by, that things need to change for the better. If nothing else, looking at colour while being stuck in a jam should also make the roads a lesser eye sore. Nokia is also looking to bring this initiate to other cities, so the next time you’re in Delhi or Bangalore and you see colourful crossings, you’ll know why.


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June 16, 2015
- What do you do with the used batteries when a vehicle like the Chevrolet Volt or Nissan Leaf are ready to be scrapped? You convert them in to alternative or backup power sources for other applications, such as buildings. For details, go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
May 4, 2015
- Chevrolet is again cutting the price of its Volt plug-in hybrid -- but this on the all-new 2016 model that will also get a 31% increase in battery-mode range. More from TheDetroitBureau.com.
- The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt will have a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price of about $33,995, which is about $1,200 cheaper than the current-generation plug-in hybrid from General Motors.
- Despite a significant improvement in style, performance and practicality, General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] is offering its second-generation Chevrolet Volt at a lower price than the original. The automaker has confirmed pricing for the 2016 Chevy Volt will start at just $33,995, including an $825 destination charge, making the car close to $1,200...
April 16, 2015
- It may be a bit confusing, but Chevrolet will be sticking with the name “Bolt” when it launches its 200-mile battery-electric vehicle next year. The story from TheDetroitBureau.com.
April 9, 2015
- Due sluggish sales and a new model on the horizon, GM plans to end production of the Chevrolet Volt extended range EV at its plant in Detroit in May. Hybrids and EVs haven't been faring well in the era of low gas prices, according to the story at TheDetroitBureau.com.
March 12, 2015
- General Motors Co. is recalling some Chevrolet Volt gas-electric hybrid cars to fix a problem that can cause carbon monoxide to build up in an enclosed space.
January 12, 2015
- Hot on the heels of the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt unveiled this morning at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show comes a new concept that signals the bowtie brand’s new pure electric strategy. It’s called the Bolt EV, and it’s a preview of a new battery-powered electric car due from General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] in the next couple of...
- General Motors on Monday showed off what direction its alternative fuel vehicle are headed in, unveiling the production model 2016 Chevrolet Volt and the Chevrolet Bolt EV concept at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
- Chevrolet’s second-generation Volt extended-range electric sedan has finally landed, making its debut in Detroit on the eve of the city’s annual auto show. The new Volt goes on sale later this year as a 2016 model and brings with it a much sleeker and sexier shape as well as an improved powertrain. Thanks to a completely revised...
- GM sparked plenty of interest with the 2010 debut of its first plug-in hybrid. Now it's back with the gen-2, 2016 Chevrolet Volt. TheDetroitBureau.com has a closer look - and plenty of inside details.
January 11, 2015
- First came the Chevrolet Volt, now comes the Chevy Bolt. Even as GM gets ready to reveal the Gen-2 version of its plug-in hybrid, it also plans to launch an all-new battery-electric vehicle that could deliver 200 miles range at barely $30,000. More on this unexpected breakthrough from TheDetroitBureau.com.
January 8, 2015
- A look at some of the buzz surrounding the Detroit Three as the 2015 North American International Auto Show draws near.
January 5, 2015
- A week before its official unveiling at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, GM pulled off a surprise, offering a sneak peek at the 2016 Chevy Volt, Meanwhile, a senior exec privately told TheDetroitBureau.com to expect "significant" improvements in range, mileage and performance, and a roomier, more upscale interior.
- General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] has used this week’s 2015 Consumer Electronics Show to tease its upcoming second-generation Chevrolet Volt. The new extended-range electric sedan was shown briefly during Chevy’s CES press preview on Sunday night and will be making its official debut in a week’s time at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show...


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In the repair area of one of the Russian dealers managed to capture a brand new Geely Coolray. According to the Chinese Automobiles resource, citing an unofficial source, the car did not appear in the dealer’s repair area by chance – it is being prepared for certification in the Russian Federation.
Getting OTTS, however, does not mean the crossover will soon appear on sale, but the fact that the process has already begun suggests that the current Coolray will sooner or later meet with its serial successor.
All the details about the new Coolray have already been revealed – the car is sold in China. It is equipped with a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine with a capacity of 181 hp. and accelerates to 100 km / h in 7.6 s. Paired with the engine is a 7-speed robotic transmission with two “wet” clutches.
Inside the new Coolray – two screens with a diagonal of 10.25 and 12.3 inches, arranged in a single unit. The equipment also has wireless charging for a smartphone, cruise and climate control, and the top version has a panoramic roof.


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Press release -
Another timeshare giant calls it a day. Club La Costa announces "discontinuation of new timeshare sales"
Club La Costa announces discontinuation of new timeshare sales
Club La Costa (CLC) announced in October this year that they were 'pausing all sales operations until further notice.' Observers at the time believed this to be a sign that the timeshare powerhouse may be getting out of the business for good.
CLC confirmed this expectation with an announcement by email on Friday 20th November 2020 that after over three decades at the top of the timeshare industry, they are finally admitting defeat. Club La Costa are discontinuing new timeshare sales.
The email which was sent to all CLC members informed them that the decision was made to place the timeshare sales companies into a "controlled administration process" and that the closure of the companies will have "no impact whatsoever on CLC World's (existing) members".
CLC email to all members
Greg Wilson, a claims expert from the Timeshare Advice Centre comments that, "CLC ceasing sales operations is one more indication that the industry´s days are numbered. The timeshare system of holidaying was a great innovation a couple of decades ago, but they haven´t adapted and innovated to keep pace with the rest of the travel industry.
"The smaller, or weaker companies folded a long time ago. The last ones left are the biggest and best, but it's clear that the end is inevitable. Modern consumers no longer want the commitment of paying for a holiday every year for decades, or even indefinitely in some cases. The pandemic has sped things up as owners are rebelling against having to pay for holidays that they can´t take, while their travel-agent-using neighbours only pay for the vacations they book.
Wilson points out that people pursuing compensation claims against the timeshare giant should not be affected. "This controlled administration is to make sure that the CLC liabilities do get settled. And that includes what they may owe to clients who were issued illegal contracts. Club La Costa still has enormous revenues coming in through their real estate business, external bookings and annual fees, so at this time we believe there to be no immediate concern about them running out of money."
End of an era
Daniel Keating of the Timeshare Consumer Association adds that "Club La Costa shutting down may well be a 'bellweather' indication that other operations are facing similar difficulties. CLC were enormously successful in the past, and the reason they have stayed profitable so long is that they were very well run. If they can close, then so can anyone.
"We agree that there is no need for concern and believe the assurance that members will not be affected. Anyone wanting further advice on their situation with any timeshare membership is welcome to get in touch with us the TCA on the contact details below."
Timeshare Consumer Association. Contact us on: T: +44 2036704588 or +44 2035193808 (ask for Daniel), E: firstname.lastname@example.org (Address to Daniel)
TCA provides a central resource of consumer information on timeshare matters for the media and other organisations – We work towards encouraging responsible, honest, timeshare operators. We also publicly expose negative consumer practices and organisations which operate in a manner detrimental to timeshare buyers and owners.
An important part of our mission is to lobby UK and European Governments and regulatory bodies for improved consumer protection in the timeshare environment and collect information on frauds and mis-selling, for action by enforcement authorities.
We are staffed by former and current timeshare owners, as well as former timeshare industry staff. We know our way around the timeshare business
We are a proud member of the UK Small Charities Coalition


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While Mimi's fans patiently await the moment they can finally bust down MAC's doors for her glitzy makeup, let their senior artistAshley Rudder show you how to get a look inspired by the diva herself perfect for all your upcoming holiday parties!
Who doesn't want a face beat like MC's???
Ch-ch-check out the EXCLUSIVE tutorial by pressing PLAY (above)!
P.S. Missed our MAC Trolls tutorials?? Yes, plural! Watch them both HERE!
P.P.S. Click HERE and HERE to check out even more of our beauty how-tos!
The reality star is an official MAC ambassador for the new MAC Shade Scents — fragrances that correspond to a different lipstick from the collection.
Chyna's scent is Candy Yum Yum, which also happens to be her favorite lip shade. She wrote:
"Pink has always been a signature part of my look from head to toe and my signature pink Lipstick shade has always been @MACcosmetics eye catching Candy Yum Yum. Pink is a powerful color women and girls use to embrace their femininity. It's strong and sexy! Now, I can express my vibrant personality in a new way with #MACShadescents. With six scents that are inspired by @MACcosmetics most iconic Lipstick shades, there is one for every personality. #IAmCandyYumYum – what's your #MACShadescents?#MACambassador"
How exciting! MAC has found even more ways to take your money! LOLz!
Well isn't this the best news Caitlyn Jenner could receive on her birthday??
On Friday, MAC announced their "Finally Free" lipstick collab with the famous Olympic athlete raised $1.3 MILLION in sales. And yes, 100% of the proceeds are going to the MAC AIDS Fund's Transgender Initiative!
The hefty sum will be divided between 21 trans organizations nationwide.
On Thursday, the 51-year-old shared a photo of herself holding up two onesies adorned with the Casamigos tequila logo, with one saying "CASA" in pink and the other "MIGOS" in blue, and commenters were quick to wonder if this meant the Clooneys were having a child of each gender!


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Whether it’s messages on smartphone Apps or the old fashioned way on billboards, radio and TV, advertisers bombard us relentlessly. Fortunately, our brains have an inbuilt BS-detector that shields us from the onslaught – a mental phenomenon that psychologists call simply “resistance”. Ads from dodgy companies, our own pre-existing preferences, and a forewarning of a marketing attack can all marshal greater psychological resistance within us. However, a new study suggests that funny adverts lower our guard, leaving us vulnerable to aggressive marketing.
Madelijn Strick and her team exposed 86 Dutch university students to pictures of 12 foreign peppermint brands, each of which appeared together with one of four types of text: funny; positive but unfunny; distracting neutral (simple maths problems); and non-distracting neutral. Crucially, before they saw the brands and text, half the students were primed to be resistant. They were told that the experiment was being conducted in collaboration with a cunning local supermarket manager who was planning to bombard university students with email and text ads, and that he was even willing to use subliminal messages to make more money.
Three minutes after seeing the brands (during which they completed irrelevant filler tasks), the students completed tests designed to gauge the impact the brands had made on them. They were shown pictures of peppermint brands, some new, and had to say as quickly and accurately as possible whether they’d seen them earlier or not. Another test involved pictures of one of the original brands being flashed on-screen before a positive or negative word, and participants had to categorise the words. Brands with positive connotations would be expected to speed up the recognition of positive words.
As expected, those students who were primed to be resistant tended to perceive the brands as having more negative connotations … unless that is, the brands were accompanied by distracting text, be that humorous or neutral. The distracting text appeared to interfere with the automatic processes that usually underlie our resistance to aggressive marketing. Separately from nullifying resistance, positive text (humorous or not) led to the brands acquiring positive connotations.
Another study tested whether these effects had any bearing on actual consumer behaviour. A similar procedure was followed but this time the brands were energy drinks and accompanying pictures were used rather than text (as before, these were: humorous; positive but unfunny; neutral non-distracting; and neural distracting). A new batch of students, as well as completing the post-presentation tests, also indicated how many discount coupons they wanted for each brand.
Regardless of whether they were primed to be resistant, students generally preferred brands that had been accompanied by positive images (funny or not). For students primed to be resistant, it was specifically brands accompanied by funny and neutral-distracting images that were more popular. The more resistance the students said they felt, the more they tended to show a favourable bias towards the brands accompanied by a humorous picture.
Strick and her team said that humour has a double effect – because it’s distracting, it prevents the formation of negative brand associations, and separately it engenders positive connotations for the brand because of the pleasure of mirth. These effects were implicit in the sense that they occurred regardless of whether participants remembered that a brand had been paired earlier with humour. There was also a cost (to advertisers) of humour – brands were remembered less well if they were accompanied by funny text or pictures, presumably because of their distracting effect.
Taken altogether, the results paint a nuanced picture. “The main contribution of this research is not the overall conclusion that humour in ads ‘works’,” the researchers said, “but that it sheds light into when and why humour should be preferred over non humorous positive emotions and neutral distractions.” For brands that expect to meet resistance in their target audience, humour can help prevent the formation of negative associations. But distraction should be used in moderation – too much and the brand won’t be remembered. From the consumers’ perspective, beware advertisers bearing jokes – they could be using them to lower your guard.
Strick M, Holland RW, van Baaren RB, and van Knippenberg A (2012). Those who laugh are defenseless: How humor breaks resistance to influence. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied, 18 (2), 213-23 PMID: 22564085


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#auto #car #vehicle #World #Europe
The interceptor on the basis of the Dodge Durango will use in the United States.
Dodge company has expanded the range of vehicles for law enforcement and provided a police “interceptor”, is based on the Durango SUV. The decision on the construction of the machines was taken after informal testing in the Police Department of Michigan, reported, citing .
A police Pursuit Dodge Durango equipped with 5.7-liter V8 HEMI (365 forces and 529 Nm of torque), permanent four-wheel drive, vosmidiapazonnym “automatic” two-stage transfer case, heavy-duty brakes.
The list of standard equipment of the SUV includes heavy-duty water pump and oil cooler, tri-zone automatic climate control, rear view camera, driver’s seat electrically adjustable in eight directions.In addition to Durango, the Dodge lineup is a police sedan Charger. In November 2016, Police in Michigan have tested various cars and found that the Dodge Charger Pursuit has the best braking performance among all service vehicles concerns General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: to stop from a speed of 96 kilometers per hour he needs 37.5 meters.


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Netflix’s DVD business was once so big it was 1.3 percent of all US mail. | Photo by Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Netflix was never going to be a DVD shipper forever. But to win the streaming wars, it might need to recapture what made DVDs by mail so special.
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Import prices increase by more than 30 percent
Imported goods, primarily gas, electricity and crude oil, are currently expensive. In March, the Federal Statistical Office even recorded the strongest price increase in 48 years.
The upward pressure on prices from foreign trade is continuing. In March, the prices for goods imported into Germany rose by 31.2 percent compared to the same month last year, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. This is the strongest increase since 1974.
Analysts had expected an average rate of 28.6 percent. In February, import prices rose by 26.3 percent.
Record growth, especially for gas
Energy prices continue to rise particularly sharply. Imported energy was 160.5 percent more expensive in March than a year earlier. The main reason is a sharp increase in natural gas prices, which more than quadrupled year-on-year. The increase of 304.3 percent is a record increase according to the statistics office. Crude oil and petroleum products like gasoline were also significantly more expensive. Imported electricity was 440.8 percent more expensive than in the same month last year, imported hard coal was 307 percent more expensive.
Import prices represent one of several price levels that influence consumer prices. The European Central Bank (ECB) bases its monetary policy on the latter. Due to the currently very high inflation, the ECB has already reduced its purchases of securities. The ECB currently seems to be aiming for a first interest rate hike for the summer.


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JOHANNESBURG and HONG KONG and NEW YORK, July 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — ORGANO today announced it has completed phase one of its Continental Africa growth plan.
“The October 2018 opening of ORGANO in South Africa represented a milestone achievement, furthering our goal of providing economic development opportunities for African citizens everywhere and making ORGANO products and services more broadly available around the world. Over the past nine months ORGANO has had a positive impact on people and communities throughout the countries we serve in Africa,” said ORGANO Director of African Operations, Helen Rees. “ORGANO currently has full scale operations in Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia. As ORGANO begins phase two of its continental Africa growth strategy the company will open for business in Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda before the end of 2019,” added Rees.
Expanding ORGANO throughout the African Continent is an important component of our strategic growth plan for the EMEA region,” said ORGANO Managing Director of Global Strategy, Leonard Chin. “The ORGANO brand is one of the most well known and respected brands around the world. Being open for business in more than one dozen African countries before the end of 2019 brings the ORGANO product lineup to millions of Africans who enjoy great tasting and healthy nutritional foods and beverages. The value proposition will only get better as we add products and services from our other industry verticals including Beauty and Cosmetics, Travel Related Products & Services and FinTech,” added Chin.
As in most markets around the world, ORGANO offers a lineup of its beverages and specialty nutritional products in Africa. The company pivoted into a new “Vertical Markets EcoSystem” model earlier this year and will begin extending and expanding into new industry verticals in Africa beginning later this year.
“ORGANO’s pivot into a “Vertical Markets EcoSystem” business model is an innovative move designed to overcome shortcomings rooted in antiquated direct to consumer models. Our new business model is having a positive, and positively disruptive, impact on the way products and services move into markets globally. Our expansion throughout the African Continent represents a long term commitment to the people of Africa through our Continental Africa Plan, our broader regional growth strategy for the EMEA region and our intention to make ORGANO products and services more broadly available around the world,” said ORGANO Chief Operating Officer, Norm Perrett.
Founded in 2008 and formerly known as Organo Gold, ORGANO is one of the world’s leading producers and marketers of healthy, convenient and affordable food and nutrition products. In early 2019 the company added new industry verticals including Beauty & Cosmetics, Travel oriented products and services and FinTech. ORGANO provides superior quality, taste and nutrition in all of its consumable products and produces and markets advanced beauty products based on proprietary botanical formulations. The company recently announced the creation of “Organo Products Trust,” a Blockchain driven program designed to build trust into every ORGANO product. The company currently operates in five continents.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, which contain words such as “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” or “plan,” by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. These uncertainties may cause actual future events to be materially different from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
To learn more about ORGANO, please visit http://www.organogold.com
CONTACT: Shannon Hewitson, email@example.com
The content is by PR NewsWire. DKODING Media is not responsible for the content provided or any links related to this content. DKODING Media is not responsible for the correctness, topicality or the quality of the content.


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Spain has banned Worldcoin for up to three months, drawing a sharp rebuke from Sam Altman's company, amid perceived privacy risks from the venture which scans irises in exchange for a digital ID and free cryptocurrency.
The Spanish data protection regulator AEPD said on Wednesday it demanded Worldcoin immediately cease the collection of personal information and stop using data it has already gathered.
In response to the ban, Worldcoin posted a blog response on its website Tuesday, claiming the AEPD was "circumventing EU law" and that “it operates lawfully in all of the locations in which it is available” and “under close supervision” of GDPR compliance regulators.
“It is also unfortunate that they are spreading inaccurate and misleading claims about our technology globally after our efforts to provide them with an accurate view of Worldcoin and World ID have gone unanswered for months,” the company said.
The AEPD said its action came after several complaints regarding insufficient information, the collection of data from minors or not allowing for the withdrawal of consent.
More than 4 million people in 120 countries have signed up to have their irises scanned by Worldcoin's "orb" devices, according to its website. However, the project has drawn criticism from privacy campaigners from Argentina to Germany over the collection, storage, and use of personal data.
Worldcoin's Data Protection Officer Jannick Preiwisch said in a statement that efforts to engage with AEPD had gone unanswered for months.
"We are grateful to now have the opportunity to help them better understand the important facts regarding this essential and lawful technology," Preiwisch said.
The Spanish regulator said the processing of biometric data, which has special protection under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), "entails high risks for people's rights, taking into account their sensitive nature."
It said that urgent measures temporarily prohibiting Worldcoin's activities were justified "in order to avoid potentially irreparable damage," adding that not acting would deprive people of the protection to which they are entitled.
Preiwisch said that Worldcoin has been in communication for months with the state data agency in Bavaria, where its owner Tools for Humanity has a German subsidiary.
Regulators investigating since 2022
As the lead authority in the EU investigating Worldcoin, Bavaria was analyzing documents and carrying out onsite checks for an investigation begun in November 2022.
Its president Michael Will told Reuters that this "should allow us to present the procedure to our European colleagues very soon with a final evaluation."
Portugal's data authority said it was liaising with its counterpart in Bavaria while it analyzed whether Worldcoin's data processing complied with GDPR and said it was speaking with companies involved in the project.
A spokesperson for the UK Information Commissioner’s Office said organizations must conduct a so-called Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) before starting to process data.
They "need to have a clear lawful basis to process personal data. Where they are relying on consent, this needs to be freely given and capable of being withdrawn without detriment," the spokesperson said, adding that the ICO's inquiries were ongoing.
Altman says the Worldcoin 'World ID' will allow users to, among other things, prove online that they are human, notably in a future world dominated by artificial intelligence.
Worldcoin is backed by some of the most prominent venture capital names, including a16z crypto and Bain Capital Crypto.
Worldcoin and its biometric iris scanning “Orb” was first launched in July 2023, immediately raising concerns among France, Germany, and other EU privacy watchdog groups over its “questionable” data collection practices.
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High Quality Print uses proprietary separation techniques that enhance the quality of images that can be reproduced on beverage cans. The new technology incorporates high-resolution printing plates that allow for improved dot spacing, leading to superior print reproduction of complex images on cans, the co. says. The co. says images such as human or animal faces, fruit and fine text are prime candidates for this technology. The new print technology offers marketers the perfect billboard for conveying brand messages.
Crown Holdings, Inc.,


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THE HEARING HAS PASSED BUT YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BE HEARD. PLEASE READ BELOW FOR INFO TO WHAT YOU CAN DO.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering an ordinance that would ban the sale of vapor products within the city. This means that no vapor products would be allowed to be sold in any brick and mortar shop or online. Meanwhile, combustible tobacco products will continue to be sold legally, and without direct competition from smoke-free…Continue
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E-cigarettes are almost twice as effective at helping smokers quit as nicotine replacement therapies such as lozenges and patches, according to a new study that immediately stoked the debate over whether e-cigarettes are an important smoking-cessation tool or a health menace.Continue
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This comes exactly 60 days after the FDA…Continue
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Over the next decade, the global plant-based food market is predicted to triple in size, with plant-based food sales forecast to surge by more than 12 per cent. However, for some experts, the increase in sales of highly manufactured meat and dairy product alternatives has raised some concerns.
As a food scientist, agri-business consultant and founder of FMCG business incubator and accelerator Seedlab Australia, many so-called ‘plant-based’ alternatives are failing to deliver on taste, promise, price, and most importantly, nutrition.
There are basic nutritional building blocks that as humans, our cells and bodies need and crave – vitamins, minerals, salts, protein, sugars, fibre, fats – and the list goes on. The reality is some highly manufactured meat and dairy alternative products are masquerading as real foods and are not providing the nutrition our bodies require, the wow factor that our taste buds expect, and may not be worth the higher price point they command.
The influence that large food brands have had on the plant-based market is evident by the many companies that have switched from incorporating mushrooms, nuts, legumes, and vegetables as ingredients in meat alternatives, to more frequently utilising highly scientific food technology processes in the production of plant-based alternatives that look and attempt to taste like meat and dairy. However, the final products may or may not contain any whole foods or comparative nutritional value at all. Many plant-based alternatives are now a blend of extracts, isolated food components and other single chemical ingredients.
Recent stories coming out about the global plant-based food sector include the plateau of plant-based meat sales in the US, which is predicted to soon play out in the Australian market, UK meat brand Heck reducing its alternative range from 15 to two, and v2food closing its Wodonga, Victoria plant.
In a 2022 study into sensory expectations around plant-based burgers and cheese alternatives, global taste and nutrition company Kerry found that 60 per cent of Australian consumers began eating plant-based products as they were considered healthier than the alternative, while 51 per cent were consuming these products for positive environmental impacts.
Outside of vegetarian and vegan communities, consumers are purchasing these products either for novelty reasons, because of enticing branding and packaging that positions the product as being better-for-you, because social media made them trendy, or because they were on special.
The emergence of plant-based meat alternatives initially presented an opportunity to address nutritional, ethical, and environmental issues in a unique and impactful way, by incorporating wholefoods including nuts, mushrooms, legumes, and vegetables into food products in quantities greater than we had seen previously.
The conundrum comes when the only alternatives for people who choose not to consume animal-derived meat and dairy products – for whatever reason – are products made from extracts, concentrates, isolates, thickeners, sugar, oils, and dextrose, with a percentage of mushroom, pea and rice protein, and potato starch. Labelling such products plant-based is a bit of a stretch – ‘non-animal-derived’ may be more accurate.
Just because something has a slight resemblance to the look and texture of meat or cheese, it doesn’t mean it delivers the same nutrients that the human body needs.
We need to continue to support and encourage producers and food manufacturers to look for sustainably produced, nutritious ingredients including wholefoods that deliver holistically on taste, nutrition, economics, and environmental responsibility.
Hazel MacTavish-West is the CEO and co-founder of Seedlab Australia. With a career spanning over 25 years, Hazel has a Bachelor in Agriculture & Agricultural Chemistry and PhD in Plant Biochemistry.
Seedlab Australia is a unique national incubator and accelerator program for Australian and New Zealand producers of value-added food, non-alcoholic drinks, and sustainably produced personal and home care products. The team draws from over 150+ years of collective business experience and team leadership and is made up of industry leaders who are passionate about helping businesses make their dreams real.
Article: Pulse of the nation
Article: The genesis of functional foods


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Noveko International Inc. (TSX:EKO) says the H1N1 flu crisis last year helped shrink its second-quarter net loss this year to $2.93 million.
The maker of antimicrobial face masks cut its loss to three cents per share from seven cents or $5.01 million the year-earlier quarter.
Noveko said sales of hand sanitizers and masks shot up "significantly" during the H1N1 influenza crisis, leading to record consolidated revenue.
Second quarter revenue growth also increased due to an order for hand sanitizers by Quebec's IGA grocery stores, as well as more sales of medical equipment by the company's Algerian division.
The company's revenue went up to $5.02 million in the quarter from $4.89 million last year.
But Noveko's subsidiary Epurair took a financial hit as the Canadian dollar climbed against the euro.
"We intend to keep up this momentum notably by taking advantage of the remarkable progress in our medical equipment segment and the advances achieved by our various filtration activities," Andre Leroux, chairman and CEO of Noveko said in a statement.


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At 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, homes, businesses and entire cities around the globe will go dark for one hour to raise awareness of the planet during Earth Hour 2014.
The campaign, which began as a local event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights to show support for environmentally sustainable action, has since grown into a global event, with hundreds of millions of participants in more than 7,000 cities taking part last year, including private citizens, businesses and many of the most recognized man-made and natural landmarks in the world. In the past, the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, Empire State Building, Mount Rushmore, the entire Las Vegas strip and even the great pyramids of Gaza have participated.
It's a grassroots movement success story, to be sure, and the beauty of it is that you don't need to make time to take to the streets to show your support. All you have to do is turn off your lights and powered devices for one hour, and that hour can benefit you personally, as well. Maybe play charades with the kids by candlelight or take the opportunity to talk with otherwise-smartphone-chained teens. Teach the dog a new trick. You might find you actually like sitting in the dark without the TV blaring.
Regardless of where you stand on climate change, you can't argue that saving energy for an hour is a bad thing. Or that playing charades won't be fun.


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How many apps should a major brand have to connect with consumers? It’s a question asked by brand marketers and strategists since the App Store debuted in 2009. The New York Times spent time last week discussing the ins and outs of brand apps and user satisfaction, meanwhile on a similar front, Global food giant Nestlé delved into their reduction in consumer-facing apps. What’s a brand marketer to do?
When the Experience is Good
“If you’re a brand and you don’t have an app strategy or you aren’t investing in your app development, then it’s going to be really hard for you to engage and monetize the fastest growing population, which are mobile shoppers,” said Jon Hudson, vice president of customer solutions and innovation at Criteo, a digital marketing and technology firm, in a recent article by The New York Times.
As traditional methods for reaching consumers and customers directly like direct mail and TV promotions have fizzled, and easy stand-bys like social media and YouTube have had their brand safety rightly questioned, owned apps, with their in-app and push notifications, have become an easy solution for CPG, retail, and restaurant brands to deliver special offers, product announcements, and more.
But the app experience has to be good, otherwise, it may end up driving loyal customers away, and it has to be easily accessible and worth users finding it.
Nestlé, the owner of such other brands as Tollhouse, Gerber, Purina, Lean Cuisine, San Pellegrino, and more, recently delved into its own decisions to limit the number of consumer-facing apps. In an interview with Computer Weekly, Luca Dell’Orletta, global mobile solutions manager at Nestlé, said, “It was extremely surprising for me when I started because there were about 230 mobile applications. I thought that was too many.”
The company has reduced its count of apps down to 150, which may still sound like a lot, but is actually a focused list of the company’s most successful apps. When you consider Nestlé as a company owns everything from chocolate, to bottled water, to perfumes, it’s hardly surprising it has more apps under its belt than most.
Nestlé’s catalog of apps include a Purina app featuring a game that lets cats attempt to catch fish on a screen and a Nespresso IoT-enabled app that allows customers to buy capsules for the instant coffee machines, including a loyalty program baked in (CPG, retail, and dining take note!).
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- Introducing SingleTap™ For AdColony Performance Campaigns - September 21, 2021
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A longer version of this article, written by the Rainforest Alliance’s Patricia Convey Saville, originally appeared in Business Quarter.
‘Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.’ This is #13 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a strategic global plan for tackling humanity’s greatest challenges. Achieving many of these targets relies on the business sector proactively investing in measures to tackle the most pressing economic, social, and environmental issues. Such external investments can offer a high return for businesses while supporting the SDG mission. As just one example, rather than waiting until supply chains have been severely impacted by erratic weather patterns, now is the best time to start developing a business plan that will be resilient to climate change. Companies can attain significant value from sustainable sourcing through the potential of reducing risks and improving brand value, reputation, product quality, and reliability of supplies while contributing to the mitigation of climate change. Sourcing certified materials, which support environmental, social and economic imperatives, can also bring true business value through greater access to new supplies, markets and customers. The Rainforest Alliance is one resource through which companies can develop sustainable sourcing policies and processes to address the risks of climate change.
Here are three top incentives for merging sustainability with business plans:
- Strengthen supply chains’ resilience against climate change. Staying in business means looking towards the future, and a reliable supply chain is the foundation for a successful business. Although climate change is a complex issue, the bottom line for many businesses is that this scientific phenomenon often means lower yields for farmers, placing supplies at risk. The Rainforest Alliance works with farmers to provide solutions for climate change challenges, in addition to providing traceability and transparency in the supply chain, two additional components critical for mitigating risks.
- Serve as a beacon for positive change within your sector. Your company can act as an industry leader by joining the growing movement for a more sustainable business world. Truly resilient organisations continually strive to ensure their future success. Integrating sustainability into your business plans can transform your tactics into a model that peers will want to emulate and measure their success by. Speaking of the Rainforest Alliance work, our president Nigel Sizer recently stated, ‘when we’re out there certifying agricultural and forest products, we are already well ahead of the SDGs. Any company’s supply chain that is consistent with our standard goes above and beyond what’s being mandated by the SDGs.’
- Foster an emotional connection with consumers. More and more, consumers are choosing to support companies that are aligned with environmental and social responsibility. These ‘conscious consumers’ want to feel that companies understand their values and global concerns. According to the branding and marketing agency BBMG, today’s consumers have a strong desire for responsible consumption, and increasingly believe that the right thing to do is the cool thing to do; this ‘creates new possibilities for brands, businesses, and the society that we share.’ Through showing customers that your business’s operations have a conscience, sustainability becomes an opportunity to enhance your relationship with current and new audiences.
Since 1987, the Rainforest Alliance has been actively working to help the private sector realize the business value of sustainability. To date, 101 crop varieties are grown on 1.2 million Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms around the world. As a few examples, production from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms accounts for 15.1 percent of the total world production of tea, 13.6 percent for cocoa, 5.6 percent for bananas, and 5.4 percent for coffee.
To learn more about the Rainforest Alliance’s sustainable sourcing opportunities, please visit: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/business/


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Yessi Bello PerezFormer Senior Writer, Growth Quarters
Taiwainese mobile phone manufacturer HTC is launching a more affordable blockchain phone with full Bitcoin node capabilities.
Originally announced last month, the Exodus 1S will be launching in Q3 this year and will have an extra SD card to support its blockchain capabilities. For what it’s worth, HTC was gunning to include node capabilities in the Exodus 1, but the company ultimately decided to drop the functionality for the device’s first iteration – perhaps due to Google’s updated Play store policy that forbids on-device mining.
The manufacturer has not shared a specific launch date but says the device will be priced at around $250-300.
Phil Chen, HTC’s Decentralized Chief Office, told Hard Fork he would not divulge details about Exodus 1, the S1’s precursor, sales performance but said the company was “happy and even excited by what we have seen so far in terms of sales … and they’re on track with internal targets.”
In terms of marked differences with the previous device, Exodus 1S is being priced at a lower mark in a bid to “broaden the reach and adoption of blockchain and crypto technology with a more value focused offering.”
HTC made headlines when it first announced the phone’s launch during a keynote speech at an investment forum held in Taipei in April.
Exodus 1S is the company’s second entry into blockchain-powered mobile devices. Its original offering, the Exodus 1, featured a cryptocurrency wallet alongside hardware designed to support decentralized applications (dapps).
The news comes amid increased controversy about security concerns of using smartphones as cryptocurrency wallets. Overall, researchers have actively advised users to opt for an actual hardware wallet.
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WESTLAKE, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ECHO Health, Inc. (ECHO), a leading provider of electronic healthcare payment solutions, has added a new patent to their portfolio of proprietary health insurance payment processing technology. The company, which develops and provides payment processing services and solutions to healthcare payers of all sizes, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted US Patent 10,599,813 to ECHO.
This patent covers health insurance payment methods and systems, including the generation and delivery of a consolidated payment and related translated explanation of benefits (EOBs) to a medical service provider. ECHO’s innovative systems consolidate individual medical provider and vendor payments, including an aggregation of health insurance payments covering multiple claims into a single ERISA and HIPAA compliant format, remits electronic payments and provides an explanation of payment details to providers.
“The granting of this patent further validates our mission to develop innovative technology that drives business improvement for our clients and their groups,” said William Davis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ECHO. “With the issuance of this patent, ECHO and its trading partners remain the only healthcare payment processors that can generate and deliver a consolidated payment and translated EOB to a medical service provider. This key functionality, combined with other unique capabilities, offers a substantial competitive advantage to our channel partners and customers enabling them to deliver the most efficient, cost-effective provider payments.”
About ECHO Health, Inc.
ECHO Health, Inc. is the leading provider of electronic healthcare payment solutions. ECHO processes more than 200 million claims and pays more than $40 billion annually to providers and members from industry-leading payers. Founded in 1997, ECHO is a privately held company located in Westlake, Ohio. For more information, please visit www.echohealthinc.com or call 440.835.3511, ext. 118.


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Well, folks, it’s a new day in China, and the big guns like Tencent and Xiaomi are laying down the law! According to some insider info seen by Reuters, these tech giants are putting their foot down, saying, “Nope! No more new apps if you’re not spilling all the beans the authorities wanna see.”
Why now, you ask? Well, turns out, Beijing introduced some new, tight regulations last month, and it’s shaking things up big time. Everyone in the app world is on edge thinking, “Man, putting out apps in China is gonna be like trying to thread a needle in a haystack!” Yep, there’s a good chance some apps might hit the chopping block.
Now, let me break it down for you. The new rules basically want app folks to spill the tea about their business to the government. And the deadline? End of August! Talk about a tight squeeze.
Rich Bishop, the big cheese over at AppInChina, chimed in: “Come Friday, all these Android stores are saying, ‘Got the paperwork? No? Tough luck!’ And for those apps already out there, they better get their act together by March 31.”
So, global apps, here’s the lowdown: Either buddy up with a local partner, or set up shop in China itself.
Now, you’d think that after years of poking and prodding China’s tech scene, the authorities would’ve called it a day. But nope! They’re keeping a hawk’s eye, ensuring businesses are dancing to their socialist tune.
Last week, the Android bigwigs – I’m talking about Tencent, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo – sent out a big “FYI” to app creators. Their message? “Without the right papers, don’t even think about getting featured!” Some sneaky peeks of these notices popped up on blog posts from Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo.
What about Apple? Beats me! As of Monday, they aren’t playing the check-the-files game, says AppInChina. But who knows what’s cooking behind those Apple walls? They kept mum when Reuters reached out.
Speaking of mum, Tencent, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo? All silent as a church mouse. But hey, WeChat (the kingpin of social media in China) spilled some juice! They’re toeing the line too, requiring these so-called “WeChat Mini Apps” to jump through the same hoops.
Word on the street? MIIT’s got a new crew working overtime on this policy, and they’re gearing up for some chit-chats with the tech world.
And here’s the cherry on top: Every app’s gotta have a “We’re all good!” stamp on these platforms. Well, looks like the app world in China’s gonna be one wild rollercoaster ride! Buckle up, everybody!


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Apple to Update MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in June 2013 with New Processors, All Retina?
DigiTimes reports that Apple has signaled Taiwan-based suppliers that both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air series will see revisions in June 2013. As noted by our buyers guide, this would put the updates in line within the expected timeframes.
DigiTimes' sources also reveal that the new MacBook Airs won't have any major external design changes, but will feature a "new processor platform":
The sources pointed out that the MacBook Air for 2013 will feature a new processor platform, but its industrial design will not see any major changes.
The paper also reports that Ultrabook manufacturers are concerned that Apple "is likely to reduce the prices for its existing MacBook Airs before the launch of the new models." Such a move, however, would be extremely unusual for Apple. Apple rarely changes the prices of existing models before they are revised. So, we're skeptical about that particular concern. With the iPad 2, Apple has retained an older product and lowered its price to make room for a new product, but that move would also be unusual for Apple's notebook line.
Apple's MacBook lineup plans for late 2012 and 2013 (Source: Ming-Chi Kuo/KGI Securities)
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously outlined
his expectations for Apple's 2013 plans back in June. The predictions in the top-portion of the graph above have already come true. Kuo expects that the MacBook Pro will consolidate back into a single hardware line next year. The new MacBook line will also use Intel's new Haswell chips
which are expected between March and June 2013.
Haswell will incorporate CPU performance boosts as well as double the performance of the integrated GPU. This added GPU performance would be helpful if Apple does standardize on Retina Displays across the entire MacBook line in 2013.
We've seen a lot of teasers about the Beats Studio Buds over the past month since they first showed up in Apple's beta software updates, and today they're finally official. The Beats Studio Buds are available to order today in red, white, and black ahead of a June 24 ship date, and they're priced at $149.99.
The Studio Buds are the first Beats-branded earbuds to truly compete with AirPods...
Google has rolled out picture-in-picture support as an "experimental" feature for YouTube premium subscribers, allowing them to watch video in a small window when the app is closed.
If you're a premium YouTube subscriber looking to try out picture-in-picture, follow these steps: Launch a web browser and sign into your YouTube account at YouTube.com.
Navigate to www.youtube.com/new.
Apple has been involved in a long-running iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, which was revived today by IGB Electronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics company that originally registered the "iPhone" name in 2000.
IGB Electronica fought a multi-year battle with Apple in an attempt to get exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark, but ultimately lost, and now the case has been brought to...
YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.
A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on...
Apple today released iOS 13.1.3 and iPadOS 13.1.3, minor updates to the iOS 13.1.2 software that was released two weeks ago. This is the fourth update to the iOS 13 operating system that came out in September.
The iOS and iPadOS 13.1.3 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update....
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with MAXOAK to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Bluetti portable power station and an accompanying solar panel. Bluetti makes a range of portable power station options that are useful for camping, emergencies, power outages, off-grid living, and similar situations.
The Bluetti EB70 is a solid middle of the road option that offers 716Wh and...
The upcoming 14-inch MacBook Pro is set to be more expensive than the current 13-inch MacBook Pro and both the 14 and 16-inch models will offer the same performance, according to the leaker known as "Dylandkt."
The leaker shared the information on Twitter, explaining that both of the upcoming MacBook Pro models, expected to come in 14 and 16-inch sizes, will feature the same performance due...
During today's earnings call covering the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter), Apple CFO Luca Maesteri said that Apple is expecting supply constraints to affect the iPhone and the iPad in the coming quarter.
"The supply constraints that we've seen in the June quarter will be higher in the September quarter," said Maestri. The constraints will impact iPhone and iPad sales...
Apple recently dropped the $19.99 fee for OS X Lion and Mountain Lion, making the older Mac updates free to download, reports Macworld.
Apple has kept OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion available for customers who have machines limited to the older software, but until recently, Apple was charging $19.99 to get download codes for the updates.
As of last week, these updates no...
As is tradition, Apple executives Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak joined Daring Fireball's John Gruber in an episode of The Talk Show to discuss several announcements that Apple made over this weeks WWDC, including iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and a large focus around privacy.
Federighi kicks off the conversation discussing the common architecture, now thanks to Apple silicon, across all of...


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Indian apparel and textile firms face a 30 per cent decline in revenue and profitability if the COVID-19 crisis continues. The closing of retail areas such as malls and high street shops, along with the general advisory for avoiding public spaces, has hampered demand. Unless the current situation persists, several more concerns will undoubtedly emerge. Indian textile manufacturers may need to look at other alternatives, including local procurement, which could in effect raise the cost of finished products by 3% to 5%. Besides this, finding vendors in such a short time will result in a toll on lead times, quality and cost.
Mostly, there would be the question of lack of working capital. The money flow would be insufficient for tax payments, discharge of bank interest, repayment of loans, legislative dues, etc. If the Coronavirus pandemic continues longer, India can expect a 0.5 per cent impact on economic growth this fiscal. If the virus persists for longer, the economic effect would be important, and long-term. There’s even danger of expanding the fiscal deficit. The Banking sector’s NPA rates are expected to grow. It is likely that exports and imports are contracting. Though hospitality, tourism, aviation, auto and car ancillary will be hit hard, the pandemic will profit pharmaceuticals and healthcare.


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The Indian indices witnessed selling pressure throughout the trading session today as it extended losses for a second straight day amid weak Japanese markets. The sentiments were also hurt on fears of a global slowdown. While the BSE Sensex closed lower by 266 points, the NSE Nifty closed lower by 89 points. The S&P BSE Midcap and S&P BSE Small Cap also followed this trend and finished lower by 1.9% and 1.3% respectively. Losses were largely seen in metal and IT stocks.
Japan's Nikkei index posted its biggest daily drop in nearly three years on Tuesday as a stronger yen dragged down stocks across the board. The Nikkei 225 ended 5.4% lower. The Nikkei has slumped 15% so far in 2016, hit by worries about a slowdown in China's growth and sliding crude oil prices. Major other Asian markets were closed on account of Lunar New Year. European markets steadied today after suffering heavy losses in the previous session. The FTSE 100 is trading higher by 0.51%, while the DAX and the CAC 40 are down 0.27% and 0.18% respectively. The rupee was trading weak at 68.16 against the US$ in the afternoon session.
Automobile stocks languished in red today with Tata Motors DVR and Maruti Suzuki faring the worst. Maruti Suzuki has reported 4.67% fall in its production to 115,782 units in January 2016, as compared to 121,448 units in same month last year. Of total, the company manufactured 36,235 vehicles under mini segment in January 2016, as against 40,826 vehicles manufactured in corresponding month previous year. The company manufactured 49,840 vehicles under Compact segment; 9,718 vehicles under Super Compact and Midsize; 8,729 units under Utility Vehicles segment and 11,260 units under Vans category.
Maruti Suzuki registered a fall of 2.6% in its total car sales (Domestic + Export) for the month of January 2016 at 113,606 units, as against 116,606 units in 2015. The company's domestic sales rose by 0.8% in January 2016 at 106,383 units, as against 105,559 units in corresponding month last year.
In other news from the automobile sector, Hero MotoCorp is reportedly planning to set up a technology development base in Europe. This comes at a time when the company looks to add volumes from exports. Also, the company has acquired expatriates from former partner Honda and other global two wheelers Yamaha and BMW as the company plans to strengthen its R&D segment to face the rising competition. The script of Hero MotoCorp bucked the weak trend and finished the day up by 0.4% on the BSE.
FY16 has been a year of mixed fortunes for the Indian automobile industry. After a long period of slowdown, automobile companies were showing some signs of recovery during the festive season, supported by new launches and a double digit growth in the Utility Vehicle (UV) segment . However, the trend came to an unexpected standstill in the previous month as the Supreme Court banned the registration of diesel cars (Subscription Required) with an engine capacity of over 2000 cubic centimeters (cc) from January to March 2016. Post the ruling, the stock prices of automakers with a substantial share of luxury and diesel vehicles in their product portfolio have taken a hit.
Moving on to the news from the pharma sector. According to a leading financial daily, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories' US subsidiary, Promius Pharma, LLC, US, has received approval for Sernivo (betamethasone dipropionate) Spray, 0.05% from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). Sernivo Spray, a prescription topical steroid, is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate plaque psoriasis in patients 18 years of age or older. The commercial launch of the product is planned for the coming quarter.
Meanwhile, India's largest biopharma company, Biocon, is gearing up to enter the regulated markets of the US and the UK with a portfolio of biosimilars. The company is in advanced stages of completing global phase-III trials for four out of nine biosimilar programs in partnership with Mylan, a US-based drug maker. The company recently reported 10.5% YoY growth in total income and 199.9% YoY increase in net profits. Here is our analysis of the results (Subscription Required).
The use of biologics has been increasing rapidly. North America and Europe have become the largest global markets and are growing swiftly. Reportedly, the global biosimilar market (also known as follow-on biologics) is expected to reach US$35 billion in 2020 (Subscription Required), up from US$1.13 billion in 2013. This means this market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 60% from 2014-2020. Hence, besides Biocon, a few of the Indian pharma companies are looking to strengthen their presence in this space given how niche it is.
For information on how to pick stocks that have the potential to deliver big returns, download our special report now!


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Today at and international Press conference Acer announced they would be release a new phone fairly soon with a bundled goodie, a smart wearable. The Liquid Jade looks to be one of the thinest phones on the market, we actually had a little hands on with the phone that Acer did not reveal a release date for. The Jade is to have Gorilla Glass for protection and no straight edges meaning the device is entirely curved. Two colours were on display with several more being planned.
Bundled with the Liquid Jade is the Liquid Leap, a wearable that promises to show fitness information alongside notifications sent from your phone smartphone. There was no confirmation if the smartwatch would be compatible with other devices, or sold separately.
Looking around the Jade:


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Windows 8.1 release date
So Microsoft have finally announced the release date for Windows 8.1, (formerly known as Windows Blue), and they
confirmed that Windows 8.1 will be launched at 4am PDT (12 noon GMT) on the 17 October and will be available through the Windows Store as a free download.
The bigger surprise is that they are not allowing an early release to the soon to be discontinued TechNet and to MSDN, which in all honesty is a rather baffling move...
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The Design of a New Redmi Phone with a 6,000 mAh Battery Shared on TENAA
A new smartphone of Redmi, which is listed on TENAA today, appeared in TENAA again after hours. However, the design of the phone was one of today’s trendy ones. Operating under the technology giant Xiaomi, Redmi has launched many affordable smartphones of any segment to date. Almost every model of the company was successful and the users were very satisfied. Xiaomi is planning to aim even higher.
The company has launched a large number of its own smartphones and Redmi smartphones in the past few months. The company wants to further expand their audience with new devices. Correspondingly, one more smartphone of Redmi appeared in TENAA. After Redmi‘s new smartphone with model number M2010J19SC was listed on TENAA, the photos were also shared. The design of the smart phone is revealed as well. As we can see from the released images, Redmi will offer a similar design to previous ones,
The design of Redmi’s mysterious phone was shared
As you can see in the pictures, Redmi‘s new smartphone will be released with a design, similar to other smartphone models of Samsung, Honor and Realme. There will be a rectangular camera setup on the back of the phone. However, the screen of the device will not be a different phone than the perforated screen structure.
The name of the smartphone is currently unknown. Regarding the information on the TENAA page of the phone however, it will be released with a 6.53 inch FullHD + resolution screen. In addition, it is currently unknown which processor will be used in the hardware part of the phone. The most crucial point of the new Redmi phone will be its battery. The 6,000 mAh battery of the phone will also have 22.5 W fast charging support. The phone will be available in black, white, red, purple, green and orange. Millions of Xiaomi smartphone users are looking forward to the release date of this new phone.