text:
Would you wear a black gown to your wedding? Vera Wang says yes!
There’s one refreshing statement that comes to mind when speaking about a black wedding gown – no stains! But would you consider stepping outside of the traditional etiquette box and potentially pissing off tons of relatives and sport a black wedding gown? Vera Wang thinks you should…
“I found black to be fresh and tongue-in-cheek,” Ms. Wang said in a telephone interview. “With all the big weddings that happened this year, it was fun to step out of the box.” via DailyMail
Vera Wang is known for setting color trends for her collections. No different for her 2012 bridal collection. We have a feeling quite a few celebrities will be itching to purchase them.


text:
The NHL lockout is officially over and, according to a photograph of the Jets game schedule leaked online in the Winnipeg Free Press, the first game is set for Jan. 19 at the MTS Centre. Since the return of the Jets in 2011, Winnipeg’s downtown experienced a significant increase in sales for businesses.
Executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement Zone (BIZ) Stefano Grande told the Manitoban that game days attract 15,000 fans to the city centre. Grande said the loss of half the hockey season due to the lockout was felt by businesses involved in the restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment industries.
“Winnipeg saw sidewalks, restaurants, bars, and evening entertainment venues crowded with people from all backgrounds [during the NHL seasons].”
According to Grande, the downtown businesses felt the loss of hockey fans, although the downtown does not thrive solely on business from game nights. He argued that the downtown needs to cater to a plethora of audiences and markets that include over 70,000 workers, 30,000 students, and 16,000 residents, creating ample room for growth. The Jets are just one factor out of many that help the downtown thrive, stated Grande.
Mike Del Buono, server at the Moxie’s Classic Grill MTS Centre location, stated just how significant the return of the Jets was for the restaurant and how the lockout affected his income. His tips nearly doubled with the high volume of clientele that came with game nights, as individuals who came in were willing to spend a lot more on their evenings out.
At the conclusion of the season in 2012, Sachit Mehra of East India Company Restaurant told the CBC that business increased by 40 per cent on Jets game nights.
President of the Pony Corral restaurant on St. Mary Ave., Peter Ginakes, told the Winnipeg Sun that his location saw sales double on Jets game nights. As the lockout began, Ginakes started to use different methods to attract the same level of business through increased entertainment, dance parties, and more beer options.
“The lockout caused my income to go down significantly. I’ve been making less than half of what I was at this time last year. It also doesn’t help that it was a particularly slow year for concerts,” said Del Buono, who is also a student at the Asper school of business.
Del Buono stated that Moxie’s MTS and the workers at the MTS Centre depend on events and concerts and that the uncertainty of the situation was a frustrating experience, sometimes warranting the idea of finding another job. If the season had been cancelled right from the start, Del Buono said he would have already started looking for another job; however, the chance of the Jets’ return was worth the gamble to stay.
Businesses selling Jets merchandise also felt the effects of the lockout. When the NHL returned to Winnipeg, new Jets gear became a hot commodity and stores had no difficulty getting the merchandise off the shelves. The lockout left fans frustrated, threatening to decrease spending on merchandise and concession stands to protest the lockout.
Grande said he thinks fans would reconsider if they knew that downtown businesses and workers will be affected by this.
“Fans should continue to support the local economy, local jobs, and local businesses that are often run and operated by the working class of our city,” said Grande.
By continuing this support it will ensure the businesses still thrive with the return of the hockey season on Jan. 19, commented Grande.
“If you enjoyed your downtown experience at some of these businesses when the Jets were playing, remember that it takes your continued support to ensure that they are around when the Jets return,” said Grande.

domain: news


text:
SEOUL, June 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Following Apple Inc.’s recent decision to support its newest smart device operating system, iOS 14, on older generation iPhone models dating back as far as six years, controversy has reemerged over Android smartphones, which have a shorter duration of technical support.
Consumers say that a flagship smartphone model costing more than 1 million won (US$833) should be supported longer than the current practice of two years.
Apple recently announced that iOS 14 will be supported on the newest iPhone 11 series as well as the iPhone 6S and the first generation of the iPhone SE.
The iPhone 6S was released in 2015, and the first generation of the iPhone SE has been around for five years.
Apple has been maintaining a policy to support its latest iOS on iPhones up to six years old, which has prompted Android smartphone users to complain about Android OS’s shorter period of technical support.
Technical support for Android, while varying by smartphone model, typically expires after around two years.
Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S9, released in 2018, received an update for the latest Android 10 this year. However, it is likely to be excluded from an Android 11 update scheduled for release later this year.
Galaxy S8, released a year before the S9, was cut off from Android updates after Android 9.
Samsung and other smartphone producers using Android are offering operating system updates for only two years.
While it may be difficult to compare an iPhone, a costly, high-end model produced in smaller numbers with an Android phone, most of which are lower-end, cheaper models aiming at the mass market, consumers still complain that the four-year gap between iPhone and Android support is too big to ignore.
The problem becomes even more striking when high-end Android smartphones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy series – which cost as much as iPhones – only offer OS updates for two years.
The recent trend of better smartphone specifications and three years of average phone use before getting a new model further corroborates consumer complaints.
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics both decided to extend warranty coverage to two years, from the previous policy of one year, for all smartphones sold in South Korea starting this year.
Smartphone producers, however, argue that Apple and Android should not be compared as two equivalents, since standard updates for Android are more difficult to come by since it is an open-source operating system that constantly faces standardization issues for various apps and devices.
iOS, on the other hand, is a closed-source operating system, with Apple solely in charge of the development and support of the operating system.
Google’s responsibility over Android is mainly limited to its development. When it comes to updates, the responsibility falls on each Android smartphone manufacturer.
“Android faces a problem that is inherent in the cooperative system between Google and phone manufacturers,” said a source familiar with the industry.
“We aren’t even sure if forcing a new update on older models will work. It’s not just updates we need. We need actual technical support.”
H. M. Kang (firstname.lastname@example.org)


text:
How Facebook Is About to Get More Like YouTube
YouTube's not the only big name in the viral video game. Facebook says it's crushing it in video sharing, too, to the tune of more than 1 billion video views per day on average.
And, to further up its cascading video engagement cred, the social media mammoth today announced that it's rolling out a set of new YouTube-like features this week -- view counts for videos from public figures and Pages, and related video suggestions that will appear after videos are watched.
For the average user, the addition of public video view totals might not sound like anything to write home about, but it's welcome news for metrics-happy, ROI-obsessed brands and marketers. The tallies will enable them to quickly size up how well a video is performing, along with what's hot and what's not content-wise. The fresh features are also geared to help Facebook users more easily discover emerging and popular video content.
Related Book: Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising
In teasing the new duo of basic but useful YouTube copycat features -- expected to debut after today -- Facebook crowed that its video views have grown more than 50 percent from May through July, pumped up in part due to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge soaking everyone's news feeds, according to TechCrunch. Facebook also said that more than 65 percent of its video views pour in via mobile, a platform the social powerhouse is increasingly more focused on.
Facebook also announced today that it will allow video publishers to add a "call-to-action" tool that will invite viewers to visit a specific website or to "learn more or make a purchase" after a video is done playing. Page creators will also be privy to a more robust set of metrics designed to help them better reach their target audiences, including analytics on how long viewers watch videos before clicking away from them and how many unique views each video earns.
Sure, Facebook's averaging some 1 billion-plus videos view per day isn't bad. The boom represents some relatively strong growth overall, but it's not exactly astounding when compared to YouTube. Not yet at least. Google's massive video platform boasted some 4 billion daily video views back in 2012. It's unclear how many more views YouTube racks up each day today, but we do know more than 1 billion unique users descend upon the Internet's third most popular website each month.
Will Facebook, now 1.3 billion monthly active users strong, build up enough video muscle to lure a significant number of eyeballs (and advertisers) away from YouTube? We'll have to wait and see.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
This Co-Founder Was Kicked Out of Retailers for Pitching a 'Taboo' Beauty Product. Now, Her Multi-Million-Dollar Company Sells It for More Than $20 an Ounce.
Have You Ever Obsessed Over 'What If'? According to Scientists, You Don't Actually Know What Would Have Fixed Everything.
After He Was Fired From the UFC, This Former Fighter Turned His Passion Into a Thriving Business
Most People Don't Know These 2 Things Are Resume Red Flags. A Career Expert Reveals How to Work Around Them.


text:
concealment writes "Rethink Robotics founder Rodney Brooks took to the stage at the Techonomy conference here to talk about the wonders of his new robot, Baxter, which is designed to work on factory floors doing dull and necessary tasks. He costs just $25,000 and works for what amounts to $4 an hour.
Baxter is a step forward in robotics with mass potential. It has a face and sensors to tell it when people are near. It's about as close to a humanoid robot as we can get, and Brooks said it's just the beginning.
"Within 10 years, we're going to see humanoid robots," said Brooks, who was a co-founder of iRobot, maker of iRoomba, the vacuum cleaner robot."
Link to Original Source


text:
Samsung Prepares To Launch ‘Artificial Human’ Called Neon
Samsung announced that it is launching an “artificial human” called Neon at CES 2020 on Jan. 7 and emphasized that it is completely different than its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Bixby, according to PYMNTS.
Samsung’s Twitter account shared limited information about Neon, but included an “Artificial Human” teaser with the tagline “Have you met an ‘artificial’?” in several languages.
“Honored to have so much coverage even before we unveil. But contrary to some news, NEON is NOT about Bixby or anything you have seen before,” Samsung tweeted.
Neon is being developed under Samsung Technology & Advanced Research Labs (STAR Labs) and the effort is being led by president and CEO Pranav Mistry.
How Neon will be different from previously released Bixby is unknown until the CES 2020 in Las Vegas.


text:
The Vietnamese and US travel societies are expected to sign an agreement in Hanoi on April 7 to boost tourism cooperation.
Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA), said it had taken the two sides a couple of years to make preparations for the signing of this cooperation deal.
A vice president of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and representatives of 15 travel agencies will come to Hanoi next month during the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) slated for April 6 to 9.
They are expected to spend two weeks exploring some tourist destinations which will then be introduced to American travelers.
Binh told the Daily last weekend that the cooperation could help increase tourists to the two countries.
Data of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism shows more than 552,000 Americans visited Vietnam last year, up 12.5% against the previous year and accounting for over 5% of all international arrivals to Vietnam.
VITM Hanoi 2017 is being organized by VISTA. Around 500 domestic and foreign tourism and transportation firms have registered to participate in the event. More than 100,000 promotional air tickets and about 15,000 discount tours will be up for grabs.
Via : Sapa Luxury Travel


text:
The sale of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) in California has risen by more than 100 percent in two years, with the state making up 40 percent of U.S. sales of such vehicles in 2022 and roughly 19 percent of all cars sold in California.
According to data from the California Energy Commission, 18.8 percent of all new cars sold in the state in 2022 were ZEVs. Last year, ZEV sales in the state were 38 percent higher than in 2021 and 138 percent higher when compared to 2020. In 2021, only 12 percent of cars sold in California were ZEVs. It’s a significant increase, considering that 10 years ago ZEV vehicles made up only 2 percent of sales. California also had 80,027 shared electric vehicle chargers installed across the state.
In 2022, California accounted for 40 percent of all ZEVs sold in the United States. Estimates put ZEV sales accounting for 5.8 percent of all car sales in the United States last year, revealing a lack of confidence in such vehicles across the rest of the country.
“California continues to lead the zero-emission vehicle revolution with groundbreaking policies and investments that drive innovation, create good jobs, and expand ZEV access and affordability across the state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a news release on Jan. 20.
“Keeping our focus on the communities that are most impacted by the intensifying climate crisis, we’ll keep pushing ahead to make our clean transportation future a reality in California.”
California’s ZEV Push, Power Issues
Back in September 2020, Newsom had announced a plan to phase out gasoline vehicles in the state by 2035. Last year, the state mandated that all new vehicles sold by 2035 must be fully electric or plug-in hybrids (PHEV).
California has initiated several measures to boost ZEV use in the state. In December, for example, the California Energy Commission green-lit a $2.9 billion investment plan to accelerate the state’s hydrogen refueling and electric vehicle-charging targets.
The state is expected to secure $384 million in federal funding to install charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. It is home to 55 ZEV and ZEV-related companies.
California’s push for ZEV adoption is happening at a time when there are persistent doubts about the state’s power infrastructure. In September 2022, the state’s power grid manager issued an alert asking people to avoid charging their electric vehicles amid rising demand for electricity.
Californians questioned the state’s 2035 mandate to only allow the sale of electric cars given ongoing power issues. “If we can’t do these things today, how are we going to do when everything needs to be electric?” a driver asked in an interview with KTLA-TV.
Meanwhile, some states are seeking to restrict the sale of EVs. In Wyoming, six Republican lawmakers are pushing to phase out the sale of new electric vehicles by 2035 to protect its oil and gas industries as well as to preserve crucial resources.
In a recently introduced bill, the lawmakers note that allowing the proliferation of electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles will seriously affect the state’s economy as well as its communities.
Moreover, the batteries used in the EVs contain critical minerals needed in many other applications. The domestic supply of these minerals is limited and at “risk of disruption,” the bill stated.
The electric vehicle “mania” might be at an end, or, at a minimum, easing down, according to research, as concerns about supply chains, lithium sourcing, inflation, and more affect production capacities while customer demand decelerates globally,
Rebate Programs, Two-Tier Society
California has multiple rebate programs to boost ZEV adoption. This includes Clean Cars 4 All, Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, and the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP), which is the largest of the three initiatives.
Targeted at low-income households, these programs grant rebates in the range of $7,000–9,500 for buying a ZEV vehicle. More than 30,000 low-income residents are estimated to have taken the benefit of rebates under CVRP.
Meanwhile, there are also worries that the ZEV mandate might make California a two-tiered society when it comes to the distribution of vehicles.
In a commentary at The Epoch Times, John Seiler, a former press secretary for California State Sen. John Moorlach, speculates that the top tier would consist of people who can afford the higher-priced electric vehicles.
“The bottom tier of car owners will be those who can’t afford new EVs, or even EVs a couple of years old. They will be forced to buy much older EVs at high prices, with mechanical problems that will strain family budgets even more,” he warns.
From The Epoch Times


text:
And so as I prepared the upcoming week's meals, I stumbled upon an interesting widget on the world wide web. I clicked on the pink piggy face and was introduced to the concept of "Meatless Mondays." Seeing this new idea spring up on the Food Channel confirmed the fact that losing the meat one day a week had many benefits - healthwise, budgetwise, timewise and earthwise!
The Meatless Mondays campaign meatlessmonday.com is led by Sid Lerner, a former Madison Avenue ad exec, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. This concept is attracting the support of several top name chefs, including Mario Batali.
Sign me up!


text:
Following an extended closure due to Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong Disneyland is set to reopen on April 21, 2022
Disney On ice is set to return to Japan for the first time in over 3 years with the “Disney On Ice 35th Anniversary Tour”
Japan has announced a “Wakuwari” discount campaign, offering discounted tickets Universal Studios Japan and more!
Disney’s official a cappella group, DCappella is set to tour Japan for the first time in 3 years
Universal Studios Japan has announced an increase in the price of Power-Up Bands at Super Nintendo World
Shanghai Disney Resort has announced it will temporarily suspend operations resort-wide until further notice starting March 21, 2022
Disney Japan has announced “Disney, World Beat: Jazz Animals”, a big band concert tour featuring jazzy versions of beloved Disney tunes
Dance parties are coming back to Tokyo Disney Resort, with the return of Jamboree Mickey! Let’s Dance! at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea!
Toy Story Hotel is coming to Tokyo Disney Resort in April 2022. Take a sneak-peek at the resorts first Moderate Hotel.


text: A new study has found that 64% of Americans support adding biometric data to credit cards while 62% support it for debit cards. However, only 27% want that information on a retail store loyalty card. TRUSTe says this correlates with other findings in the survey, which showed 76% of respondents trusted banks and financial institutions “always” or “most of the time” as compared to 41% of respondents trusting retail stores “always” or “most of the time.” The survey also revealed that consumers don’t trust systems that use biometric identification as a payment method. Less than two percent of respondents have used a fingerprint payment system and 32% say that they “do not trust retail stores with this information.” Only 23% of respondents expressed a desire to use this kind of payment system. TRUSTe says 73% of Americans support the addition of biometric information to driver’s licenses and nearly as many support adding it to Social Security cards.


text:
American Honda sales top 500,000 units in first half despite severe second-quarter supply issues
Honda electrified sales stay strong as CR-V Hybrid sets June record and Accord Hybrid first-half sales up 39%
HR-V posts best first-half sales of all-time with strong customer pre-orders (6,000+) for all-new 2023 model
Supported by pre-orders, all-new Acura Integra rides strong demand in first month and leads Acura car sales
Acura NSX has best month since December 2017, with first-half sales of NSX Type S up 105%
“With strong turn rates of up to 90 percent for core Honda and Acura products, it’s clear that success is a relative term in today’s business environment and sales volume is not the best measure of true customer demand,” said Mamadou Diallo, vice president of Auto Sales for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “As we continue an incredible cadence of new model introductions, including the recent launch of the all-new Honda HR-V and Acura Integra, we are very proud of the efforts of our production and sales associates who are working tirelessly to meet the needs of our customers.”
MiamiCars.com is Miami's Fastest Growing Car Community. We share Miami Car News, South Florida automotive events, a Directory of Miami Car Dealers, local Cars for sale, and much more.
Copyright MiamiCars.com. All rights reserved. MiamiCars.com is a division of Florida Web Marketing, Inc.


text:
Facebook Reports 8.7 Percent of Active User Accounts are Fake
August 2, 2012 9:23 PM
That is a total of about 83 million of its 955 million active users
Facebook has determined thaabs sizable portion of its user accounts are fake, which could shine a bit of bad light on the company's total number of
monthly active users
Currently, Facebook has 955 million active Facebook users. Of this total, nearly 8.7 percent (83 million) are fake accounts.
The fake accounts were further categorized into three groups, including duplicates, user misclassified and undesirable accounts.
Duplicates, meaning a user has two accounts for one person, equates to about 4.8 percent of fake monthly active users. Misclassifieds, meaning users create personal accounts for businesses or organizations, account for 2.4 percent of the fake accounts, and undesirables, or those that breach Facebook's terms of agreement, account for 1.5 percent of fake active users.
Facebook recently shared its
10-Q SEC document, which showed that
Facebook only grew 10 percent to 168 million in the United States last year, where the global average is 29 percent
. The document also revealed that
users are leaning more toward mobile
use rather than desktop PC use when accessing Facebook.
The number of users that accessed Facebook by mobile device increased 23 percent since March 2012. There were 83 million mobile users in March and 102 million mobile users in June.
What does this mean exactly? It means that Facebook better get more serious about mobile -- especially in the advertising sector -- if it wants to make any ad revenue.
Last year, Facebook had $3.15 billion in total advertising sales, but none of this came from ads on mobile devices.
The social giant is expected to
release its own smartphone
Facebook also recently posted its
first financial earnings report
since going public in May 2012, where it failed to impress investors with
a net loss of $157 million (8 cents per share). This was likely due to the $1.3 billion the company paid in compensation regarding stock-based pay after the initial public offering (IPO) in May.
posted $1.18 billion in Q2 2012 revenues, which was a 32 percent jump from Q2 2011. This figure modestly passed analyst expectations of $1.15 billion in revenues.
"It's okay. The scenarios aren't that clear. But it's good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that." -- Bill Gates on the Apple iPad
Facebook's Mobile Traffic Jumps 23 Percent Since March
August 1, 2012, 4:38 PM
Facebook Q2 2012 Earnings Meet Analyst Predictions, But Shares Plummet
July 27, 2012, 11:29 AM
Facebook Smartphone to be Released in Mid 2013
July 26, 2012, 5:40 PM
Facebook Wants Childen Under 13 to Join Its Site
June 4, 2012, 10:17 AM
Amazon Airborne Fulfillment Center – Your Merchandise Drop-Shipped from the Clouds
December 29, 2016, 5:00 AM
Amazon is experimenting with a new kind of grocery stores, Amazon Go
December 8, 2016, 5:00 AM
Google has developed Deep Learning Algorithm to detect Diabetic Eye Disease
December 4, 2016, 5:00 AM
Google plans ultra-fast wireless Internet for Research Triangle Park, N.C.
August 12, 2016, 6:30 AM
Twitter Senior VP: "Diversity is Important, But We Can’t Lower the Bar"
November 9, 2015, 9:59 AM
CNN Resorts to Internet Censorship to Promote Clinton Over Senator Sanders
October 15, 2015, 2:47 PM
Most Popular Articles
Super Hi- Vision Will Amaze the World
January 16, 2017, 9:53 AM
Comparison: Xiaomi Mi Mix Vs. HTC U Ultra
January 14, 2017, 12:10 AM
High Performer – Dell Inspiron 15 Signature Edition Laptop
January 13, 2017, 12:01 AM
There is no comparison when it gets to LG TV.
January 13, 2017, 12:01 AM
A Few Technology Trends, Highlight’s of 2017
January 14, 2017, 12:31 AM
Latest Blog Posts
News of the Day Wednesday 1/18/2017
Jan 18, 2017, 12:01 AM
Jan 17, 2017, 12:16 AM
News of the Day
Jan 16, 2017, 12:10 PM
News and Technology Advancement
Jan 16, 2017, 7:58 AM
Jan 15, 2017, 12:32 AM
Here is Some News
Jan 14, 2017, 12:39 AM
News: Improved and New products
Jan 13, 2017, 12:01 AM
News around the world
Jan 12, 2017, 12:01 AM
Rumors and Announcements
Jan 11, 2017, 12:01 AM
This year CES and ridiculous gadgets
Jan 10, 2017, 12:01 AM
Nokia Android phone spurns the west.
Jan 9, 2017, 12:08 AM
New at CES 2017 - Changhong 8K Super Slim TV 65ZHQ3R
Jan 8, 2017, 1:07 AM
Debuted at CES 2017 - Vuzix Blade 3000 Smart Sunglasses
Jan 8, 2017, 12:39 AM
Some news of Day
Jan 7, 2017, 12:01 AM
News 2017 CES
Jan 6, 2017, 12:01 AM
Here is the Latest News in Tech
Jan 5, 2017, 1:47 AM
AI Beats World’s Best at Chinese board game “Go”
Jan 4, 2017, 11:21 AM
Las Vegas 2017 CES
Jan 3, 2017, 12:01 AM
News of Jan 2nd 2017
Jan 2, 2017, 4:40 AM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2017 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (Wi-Fi) – the one which is also known as the Transformer Prime TF700T – is finally making its wave outside as Notebook Italia reports that the company has planned for the 64GB variant of the tablet to ship in Italy by June 10th at a price of €599 (about $782). The release date given is for the Wi-Fi variant only means the LTE version has to wait longer. The site also received official pricing for the Transformer Pad 300 that it’ll cost €399 (about $521) in mid-May for the Italians. Since all these release dates aren’t far off, we suspect we’ll be getting official US availability info soon enough — we’ll let you know when we do.
I2Mag, an Internet & Design Inspiration Magazine having emphasis on empowering and inspiring people by spreading the waves of knowledge. I2Mag is an independent news source dedicated to covering start-ups, reviewing internet products, social media, digital culture and technology news.


text:
Nokia Buys Australian RF Filter Company
Nokia today said it has acquired Mesaplexx, a company based in Australia that develops radio frequency (RF) filter technology. Nokia says Mesaplexx's technology will help it improve its Flexi-branded base stations. Nokia claims it may be able to reduce the size of its Flexi products by as much as 30% using Mesaplexx's RF filters. It will also be able to reduce the cost of each base station, reduce the power consumption of each base station, and minimize radio signal loss in any given cell. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Nokia recently sold its handset business to Microsoft, but still maintains its networking and HERE Maps businesses.
T-Mobile Outs Windows 10 VR Phone From Alcatel
T-Mobile today listed the "Alcatel IDOL 4S with Windows 10 VR" on its web site. The unique version of the Idol 4S not only runs Windows 10, but sports many of the upgrades available in the related BlackBerry DTEK60, such as the high-end Snapdragon 820 processor, 21-megapixel camera, and USB Type-C connector, none of which are in the standard Idol 4S.
Microsoft Adds More Sunrise Features to Outlook Calendar
Microsoft today updated its Outlook email and calendar app for Android and iOS devices. The refreshed communications and scheduling tool offers a number of new features aimed at the calendar.
Nokia to Acquire Withings for Health and Fitness Push
Nokia today said it plans to acquire Withings for about $192 million in cash. Nokia hopes the acquisition will help it make a stronger push into the markets for wearables and the internet of things.
Nokia and Samsung Settle Patent Licensing Deal
Nokia today said it has reached an agreement with Samsung over the licensing of its wireless patents. The companies have been disputing the value of Nokia's patents since Nokia sold its handset division to Microsoft.


text:
Davos 201622 Jan 2016
Chinese Vice President promises Beijing market reforms at Davos
China’s Vice President Li Yuanchao told delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday that Beijing is determined to carry out market reforms, as he sought to reassure investors that his country would address the recent slowdown in its economy.
Li said that the Chinese government will introduce a range of measures to arrest the slowdown, including cuts to excessive industrial overcapacity and policies that will make it easier for private businesses to compete with state-owned companies.
Meanwhile, Fang Xinghai, the vice chair of the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission, said at the WEF on Thursday that Beijing was not looking to prop up its flagging economy by devaluing the local currency.


text:
October 04, 2021 4:46 am
The industry — operators like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea — received a jolt when late evening on September 30, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sent notices to them asking to pay a cumulative penalty of Rs 3,050 crore within three weeks.
October 15, 2015 10:19 am
Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launch in India on 16 October and there are quite a few places online where you can get the new devices
November 02, 2009 5:00 am
We were expecting something good from Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs visit. We didnt know we will get such a gift that has snatched...


text:
Armenia’s booth at the 2021 Philoxenia International Tourism Exhibition drew hundreds of visitors, who had the opportunity to learn more about Armenian culture. The exhibition took place in Thessaloniki from November 12 to 14, while following the proper Covid-19 protocols.
Visitors received information about the country, hotel accommodations, religious sites of interest, gastronomy, as well as Armenian wines, spirits, and beverages. A wide range of travel agents and tour operators from several countries including Greece, Switzerland, India, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, and even Turkey had already prearranged dozens of physical meetings with the Chamber’s executives in the framework of the Philoxenia Hosted Buyers Program.
A number of local officials, among whom were the General and Honorary Consuls of several countries, as well as members of the Parliament, local governors, and mayors, paid a visit to the biggest stand that Armenia has ever had at any fair held in Greece.
The country’s exhibition booth was replenished with flags, videos showing the country’s tourist highlights, and products such as Ararat brandy, the world famous Zulal, Armenia Wine, Karas, Arame, Zorah wines, the multi-award winning Kilikia beer, Jermuk and Bjni mineral waters, as well as the Noyan Premium juice.
Armenia’s participation was organized by the Hellenic-Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Greece, which consistently contributes to the promotion of all touristic destinations in Armenia. The event was held under the auspices of the Embassy of Armenia to the Hellenic Republic.


text:
According to the latest issue of Dengeki, a third Metal Gear Online expansion is in the works, planned for release in mid-March.
Apparently named "Scene Expansion," the add-on is to include Vamp and Raiden and new characters.
You'll get three new levels as well, in Hard House, Outer Outlet and Ravaged Riverfront.
Chances of this heading west: high. We'll check now. Thanks, NeoGAF.


text:
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
National Hog Farmer is the source for hog production, management and market news
March 16, 2012
Nearly 70 Members of Congress sent a bipartisan letter to USDA and U.S. Trade Representative objecting to the Taiwanese government’s protectionist trade restrictions on U.S. pork and beef.
The letter, organized by Congressmen Denny Rehberg (R-MT) and Ron Kirk (D-WI), stated, “We are writing to you with strong concern regarding the non-science-based restrictions that Taiwan has placed on beef and pork imports from the United States.
For over a year, Taiwan has unjustifiably increased inspections of U.S. beef and pork products in search of residues from feed additives. These inspections, which are not based on scientific data or standards, have tainted consumer perception of U.S. beef and pork products in Taiwan and have caused a significant decline in exports.
We are concerned that if this issue remains unresolved, it will continue to have negative consequences for our constituents who work in the beef and pork industries.”
The issue is the use of ractopamine, which improves feed efficiency and growth rate while increasing the lean carcass percentage. It has been approved by 26 countries’ food safety authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Vice President, Bockorny Group, Inc.
Scott Shearer is vice president of the Bockorny Group Inc., a leading bipartisan government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. With more than 30 years experience in government and corporate relations in state and national arenas, he is recognized as a leader in agricultural trade issues, having served as co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for U.S.-China Trade and co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority. Scott was instrumental in the passage of China Permanent Normal Trade Relations and TPA. He is past chairman of the USDA-USTR Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products and was a member of the USAID Food Security Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Bockorny Group, Scott served as director of national relations for Farmland Industries Inc., as well as USDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (1993-96), serving as liaison for the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA to Congress.
You May Also Like
Current Conditions for
Enter a zip code to see the weather conditions for a different location.
This Week in Agribusiness, Feb. 24, 2024Feb 24, 2024
International consumer key to future of US pork industryFeb 23, 2024
Implications of Prop 12 compliance on the farmFeb 23, 2024
Prop 12 journey: Production lessons learnedFeb 23, 2024


text:
After two washout years thanks to Covid, Yorkshire's Christmas markets may finally be returning to normal.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of markets were cancelled in 2020 but a large proportion of them are back on for 2021.
With tens of millions of vaccine jabs delivered in the UK so far, large events are again becoming commonplace. Yorkshire's Christmas markets are at an advantage as most of them take place outdoors.
And there are other events happening in towns and cities where the main event isn't.
Here's a brief guide to what's on, what's off and what's on instead.
Check out the breakdown below, which we will update as and when more information is released.
There is a Christmas fair at Ilkley Manor House from November 26 to 28.
Keighley Town Council will be holding a Christmas market on Church Green, Keighley, on November 27 and 28.
Harrogate Christmas Market isn't happening this year. Harrogate Borough Council cited overcrowding fears and Covid-19 as reasons to not grant the licence for the event on the Stray.
However, Harrogate Christmas Fayre is due to go ahead from December 3 to 12 featuring up to 50 stalls around the town centre.
Another market with 60 traders takes place at Valley Gardens on December 4 and 5.
Crimple Garden Centre, Leeds Road, will host a Christmas Market Weekend on November 27 and 28.
There will be 20-plus food and gift stalls, children's activities, live music and more.
The Piazza Homemade Christmas Craft Fair will take place in The Piazza on November 27 (10am-4pm). There will be 30 local makers, crafters and artists.
The Tolson Museum, Ravensknowle Park, hosts a Victorian Christmas fare on November 28 (11am-4pm).
Honley's popular Honley Together Street Market takes place on Church Street, on December 4 (10am-4pm).
Leeds' famous German Market in Millennium Square isn't taking place this year.
However, there will be a number of Christmas experiences around the city.
There will be a winter wonderland with an ice rink, Igloo bar and pop-up market stalls in Millenium Square from November 26. A traditional carousel will be in Cookridge Street and there'll be a brand new Tipi on Briggate.
Thor's Tipi will be back in Victoria Gardens from November 19 along with the Wheel of Light.
And as usual, there is the famous City Square Christmas tree, the ‘Dear Leeds’ lighting installation on Briggate, Rock n Roll Panto at City Varieties, and Lotherton Hall’s Christmas Experience.
The Christmas market in Sheffield will be going ahead on Fargate this year. Beginning on November 12 it's open every day until the end of December.
On Sundays to Thursdays, around 50 log cabins will be trading from 10am to 6pm and on Fridays and Saturdays, they will be open until 8pm.
There will also be the chance to visit Santa's grotto, drink in the alpine bar and ride on the iconic big wheel.
York's famous St Nicholas Fair around Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square takes place on November 18.
There will be alpine chalets along the street and around the square selling festive food and unique gifts.
The Shambles Market will be selling handmade gifts while the Shambles Food Court will be serving international food including Moroccan wraps, Thai treats, burritos and more.
There will be a vintage carousel in Kings Square and a Thor's Tipi.
Enter your postcode to see what's happening where you live
We've included Manchester because its Christmas markets are a major attraction for people across the North of England.
Manchester's Christmas markets run from November 12.
The main attraction will be the Winter Gardens which take place in Piccadilly Gardens where there will be Yuletide bars and street food stalls selling locally brewed beer, Dutch frites, Greek gyros, cookie dough puddings and more.
There will also be differently themed Christmas markets in St Ann's Square, Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street, King Street, Market Street and Cathedral Gardens.
To get the latest email updates from Yorkshire Live, click here .


text:
Tony Whitefeather said he started Whitefeather Organics in 2006 out of two desires — wanting to “feel self-worth in a complex world” and “selfishly wanting a simple way of life.”
“I think the way we farm is a chosen relationship that we have made with the planet to plow our existence; may we not take lightly how that looks abstractly,” he said.
The Custer area farm started with the planting of winter rye, garlic and shiitake mushrooms, but Whitefeather, who farms with his wife, Laura, said “good things tend to evolve into what they are more than a perfect execution of a plan.”
The farm has evolved into a community-supported agriculture operation in which they offers a variety of pre-picked produce to customers throughout the growing season. They offer spring, summer and fall CSA shares from the beginning of April through November.
The farm also partners with the Farmshed’s Frozen Assets program to sell frozen vegetables from November through April through a CSA program serving central Wisconsin.
The farm participates in the Stevens Point Area Winter Farmers’ Market, where much of their produce, along with eggs and meat, can be purchased directly from November through April.
The farm’s CSA baskets are available for pickup in Stevens Point, Plover, Wisconsin Rapids, Weston and at the farm. They also do wholesale orders for local restaurant, grocery stores and local businesses, providing vegetables, meats and eggs for the community to enjoy.
Like other farms, Whitefeather Organics experiences a variety of struggles. But unlike many other farms, they built their entire operation from scratch, starting with a piece of land and building a barn. The Whitefeathers are nearing the final stages of building their new home.
One of the hardest struggles to overcome, they said, was learning how to balance raising their family and running their farm. After many years of working multiple jobs, the Whitefeathers decided to quit their off-farm jobs and make the leap into full-time farming.
The Whitefeathers have offered pizza nights on the farm in the past, and they hope to again in the future.
In 2017, the farm began offering pizza nights to the public. They followed all food safety regulations but were unaware that there may be a land use zoning issue with the county, and the county didn’t seem to be aware of the zoning issue.
As a result, the farm was able to finish out that year’s pizza nights, but they did not offer pizza nights in 2018 and will not be able to offer pizza nights until completion of the exemption form to become a restaurant.
“This process entails the building of the house to be complete first, then to go in front of the township with a detailed operating plan to ask input for exception, and finally taking the township’s input to the county to get on the board’s agenda, waiting to see if it is revised and passes the exemption,” Whitefeather said.


text:
Spanish exports rose by 4.9 percent in the first semester of the year when compared with the same period of a year earlier, local media reported on Wednesday.
According to the ministry of economy and competitiveness, exports reached 125.122 billion euros (138.085 billion U.S. dollars), hitting a record high and rising by 4.9 percent in comparison with a year earlier.
Exports shipped to European Union countries rose by 6.8 percent from January to June, representing 65 percent of the total, with France, Italy and Germany receiving most of the goods shipped from Spain.
Exports shipped to the Unites States rose by 10.6 percent, those sent to Latin America rose by 7.9 percent, and goods shipped to Asia, the Middle East and Oceania increased by 10 percent, 21 percent and 16 percent respectively.
Exports to Brazil fell by 8.0 percent in the first six months of the year and those to Russia plummeted by 41 percent.
In general, exports to Africa fell by 1.8 percent, primarily due to a fall in exports shipped to Algeria, mainly automobiles and motorbikes. Meanwhile, exports shipped to Egypt rose by 30 percent.
Exports shipped to China increased by 4.5 percent in the first six months of the year. Spain's State Secretary of Trade, Jaime Garcia-Legaz, said the yuan devaluation would have a negative impact on Spanish exports in the short term, while having positive consequences for those Spanish investors with factories in China that export to other countries.
Garcia-Legaz pointed out that measures carried out by the Chinese government should help its economy, commenting that "it is welcomed that the second world's economy corrects its macroeconomic unbalances".
In Spain, Garcia-Legaz expects exports to hit a new record high in 2015.
On the other hand, imports reached 136.603 billion euros in the first six months of the year, rising by 4.2 percent when compared with a year earlier. Imports of capital goods rose by 17.2 percent, those of energy rose by 13.3 percent and those of the automobile sector rose by 17.9 percent.


text:
Driverless cars ultimately will move people. But, in the short term, they’re more likely to deliver pizza and other groceries. Fast food chains, grocery stores and retail markets are looking at driverless vehicles to solve the so-called “last mile” problem. While e-commerce relies on overnight delivery services, food has a more tender shelf-life. Enter driverless delivery.
Pizza chains were some of the first to announce they would harness the power of robotic cars to bring piping hot pizzas to people’s doors. In January, Toyota signed a deal with Pizza Hut to develop driverless electric vehicles for delivery purposes. The Japanese company revealed its autonomous concept vehicle, called the e-Palette, at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The e-Palette is a self-driving vehicle featuring an open-design layout designed to deliver pizza…. and a lot more. The vehicle comes in three sizes ranging from 13 to 23 feet long. It can be configured for everything from parcel delivery, to ride sharing, to serving as a mobile store.
When Pizza Hut was asked about whether driverless cars could potentially destroy the need for drivers, they said it actually would create more jobs by opening the pool of “drivers” to those who don’t own their own vehicles. The pizza giant stated that “drivers” might act more as servers and focus on hospitality.
“Instead of driving, the delivery guy could do more customer service work”, said David Beede, an economist at the Commerce Department. These drivers could then focus on monitoring vehicles, making sure they’re running correctly and answer questions on the status of their pizza delivery.
Drivers Need Not Apply
That’s a departure from the type of research the other tomato pie giant eyeing driverless delivery is conducting. Domino’s announced they’re team up with Ford to test self-driving pizza delivery cars.
But unlike Pizza Hut, which imagines a world where drivers become hostesses, Domino’s is figuring out how people will react when drivers aren’t part of the equation at all. Pilot programs have started in Miami and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Soon, they’ll extend into Las Vegas.
How does driverless pizza delivery work?
Domino’s app customers have an option to accept deliveries from the Ford Fusion Hybrid self-driving vehicle. Once customers accept the driverless option, they receive a unique code and can track their order through the app. The code also unlocks the heat wave compartment, a container that keeps the pizza warm in the back of the car.
The current version of the cars have a Ford safety engineer onboard during delivery. These riders are observing how people interact with self-driving delivery vehicles. And, whether it is a legitimate alternative to drivers.
In a media statement, Russell Weiner, president of Domino’s USA said, “The majority of our research focuses on the last 50 feet of the delivery experience. For instance: How will customers react to coming outside to get their food? We need to make sure the interface is clear and simple. We need to understand if a customer’s experience is different if the car is parked in the driveway versus next to the curb. All of our research is focused on the goal of making deliveries with self-driving vehicles as seamless and customer-friendly as possible.”
For example, multi-unit dwellings present a unique challenge. Where do the driverless vehicles park? How long does the vehicle wait? Do they need to circle the block to keep a parking space clear for other vehicles?
Grocers also want to solve these challenges and deliver goods to your doorstep. Without a delivery human. In July, Kroger announced it will test grocery delivery by driverless vehicles.
Kroger is the largest supermarket in America. Based in Cincinnati, the mega-grocer is partnering with Nuro, a Silicon Valley tech company that built a small, autonomous vehicle specifically designed for delivery.
Although Kroger hasn’t yet announced where it will pilot its program, it envisions customers placing same-day orders through Kroger’s ClickList system and Nuro’s app.
“We are incredibly excited about the potential of our innovative partnership with Nuro to bring the future of grocery delivery to customers today,” Yael Cosset, Kroger’s chief digital officer, said in a statement.
Blame it on Amazon setting high expectations. Even if user-friendly complexities delay large-scale rollout, food retailers will continue investing in ever-faster delivery for their customers. Drivers not required.
Article written by Israel S. Rodriguez. Submitted: 8/17/2018
Israel Salas-Rodriguez is a recent graduate from Brooklyn College. He’s the former Sports Editor of the school’s newspaper, The Kingsman. He is a former contributing writer for the Brooklyn Listening Project and Brooklyn News Service. When he’s not writing, he enjoys nights out in the city with friends, typically where ever margaritas are served.


text:
The editors of Design News, during a live ceremony held last night at the Pacific Design & Manufacturing Show in Anaheim, Calif., announced the winners of our 2012 annual Golden Mousetrap Awards.
"We saw many exceptional, cutting-edge products submitted to the program this year," said Jennifer Campbell, executive editor of Design News. "It was a challenge for us to select just one winner in each category. We congratulate the winners on their innovations and their achievement."
Congratulations to the Golden Mousetrap winners, and especially the group in Automation and Control. It's important to recognize design innovation and excellence, and the contributions that design engineers are making.
Most cyber attacks could be avoided by adopting a list of Critical Security Controls that were created by the Center for Internet Security. That’s the message from Steve Mustard of the Automation Federation.
How 3D printing fits into the digital thread, and the relationship between its uses for prototyping and for manufacturing, was the subject of a talk by Proto Labs' Rich Baker at last week's Design & Manufacturing Minneapolis.
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies.
You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived.
So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.


text:
Sony Alpha a5100 is Sony’s latest entry level APS-C mirrorless camera. It has Ultra-fast auto focus with 179 AF points and 6fps, a 24MP APS-C sensor. Sony a5100 is easy to use, can shooting stunning quality images. a5100 is a great introduction to interchangeable lens cameras. Despite its diminutive size, the new A5100 still manages to retain its predecessor’s built-in flash and 180-degree tilting LCD screen, while the built-in wi-fi and NFC connectivity make it straight-forward to share your photos and remotely control the A5100 itself. The scarcity of of external controls, a viewfinder, multi interface shoe for attaching a more powerful flash and a rotating LCD screen may push enthusiasts towards the a6000, but the new Sony A5100 is a simple to use yet powerful interchangeable lens camera that outperforms all of its main rivals.
The 2017 EISA photography awards now released, there are several Sony gears won this EISA awards. See below:
The Solar Eclipse will take place on August 21, 2017 is going to have a totality (full magnitude) stripe across the nation from the southeast corner to the northwest corner. Sony Alpha Universe recently has posted a article about how to photography a solar eclipse use Sony gears. B&H Photo Video has a page to shop all related Solar Eclipse gears.
Sony USA just starts a new trade-in event for Sony Alpha a9 and Sony a7 series mirrorless cameras. You can get up to $500 trade-in bonus on a9, a7R II, a7S II, a7 II at B&H Photo Video, Adorama, BuyDig. And BuyDig also offers 8% rewards on these cameras. So after both rebates, you can get a9 for $3,639, a7R II for $2,183, a7S II for $1,999.
Lensrentals has posted a article about comparison with Sony’s full frame ultra-wide zoom lenses: Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens Vs. Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Lens Vs. Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens. According to Lensrentals, these three lenses are all excellent wide zoom lenses that each have their strengths and uses.
The price for recently released Rokinon AF 35mm f/2.8 FE Lens dropped again. It is now another $50 price drop at B&H Photo Video. The deal price at B&H Photo now is $299, limited supply at this price. The launch price for Rokinon AF 35mm f/2.8 FE lens is $399.00, now already $100 off at B&H Photo Video.
Read More »
The Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens has already released, and currently in stock and shipping at Amazon/ B&H Photo/Adorama. Sony Artisan Colby Brown has complete the full review of this lens, and said that this lens is great ultra-wide zoom lens, it offers both great IQ and near corner to corner sharpness.


text:
Walid El Saadany, the Managing Director of Egypt’s leading food delivery company Otlob (that is owned by Delivery Hero) has left the company, MENAbytes has learned. The development was also confirmed earlier this week by Tomaso Rodriguez, the recently appointed CEO of Talabat (also a Delivery Hero company), who sent an official email to Otlob’s staff announcing the news, earlier this week.
The email seen by MENAbytes noted that Walid is leaving the company to explore external opportunities and spend more time with his family without sharing further details about his departure. The email also said that he will continue to serve Otlob until year-end (2020) as an external strategic advisor.
Walid had joined Otlob in 2006 when it was part of Linkdotnet and saw it change its ownership multiple times (from Linkdotnet to A15 to Rocket Internet/Foodpanda to Delivery Hero) during these fourteen years. He led the company for over five years with the last three of them for Delivery Hero.
Walid’s departure comes at a time when Delivery Hero is going through restructuring in the region (more on that later).
Otlob is currently the only Delivery Hero brand operating in Egypt. Carriage, the Kuwaiti food delivery company that was acquired by Delivery Hero in 2017, had expanded to Egypt last year but shut down its operations just five months after the launch.
The Berlin-headquartered company has appointed Sofiène Marzouki, a former Jumia executive who had recently joined Delivery Hero as the interim Managing Director for Otlob.
Featured image via Otlob’s YouTube channel.
- E&’s big bold bet on tech - May 2, 2023
- Ameer Sherif appoints a new CEO for Wuzzuf and Forasna, moves on to focus on VC, public policy - September 29, 2021
- Marham raises $1 million seed to grow into a healthcare superapp for Pakistan - August 3, 2021


text:
Does Lebanon Invest in Bitcoin? As of January 2020, the company Blue Wallet, which allows people to store cryptocurrencies securely on blockchain, showed an increase of 1,781 percent in the number of registered portfolios in Lebanon, the highest in the world.
In which country cryptocurrency is legal? In September last year, El Salvador became the first country in the world to introduce Bitcoin as legal tender. According to a government statement, President Faustin Archange Touadera validated the law Wednesday. Tax contributions can also be paid in cryptocurrencies through platforms recognized by the government.
Where is crypto banned? North Macedonia. North Macedonia is the only European country so far to have an official ban on cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others, in place.
Is crypto halal? All cryptos are neither halal nor haram.


text:
Novo Nordisk's Annual Report Stresses Value Creation In a Resource-Stressed Economy
Click to Print This Page
Corporations frequently report that one of their biggest frustrations is that their social and environmental sustainability initiatives are largely ignored by a mainstream investment community focused on short-term financial performance. At the same time, stellar short-term performance often masks hidden risks that are being ignored internally when sustainability goals are not imbedded in a company’s business model.
To counterbalance this short-sighted short-termism, and in the run-up to NYSSA’s Second Annual Healthcare Conference, it might be worthwhile to highlight the activities of Novo Nordisk, a global pharmaceutical company that has not only made a long-term commitment to sustainable practices but is also using a new way of reporting to raise the investment community’s awareness of the strong linkages between sustainable practices and value creation.
Novo Nordisk was one of the first global corporations to publish a sustainability report in 1997, and beginning in 2004 it was one of the first to publish an integrated report that highlights in one document both nonfinancial and financial results and performance targets. The goal is to use the integrated report not only as a communications tool with all external stakeholders but also to focus the company internally on best sustainability practices.
On the first page of Novo Nordisk’s 2010 annual report is a table of “Key Figures.” While financial performance is of course prominently displayed, so are sustainability performance indicators, such as the number of least developed countries in which Novo Nordisk sells insulin according to the differential pricing policy, employee turnover, energy consumption, and total waste.
In 2010 the company had already exceeded targets for energy, water, and CO2 consumption: It was using 20% less energy versus 2007 (having targeted to reduce energy consumption by 11% by 2011 compared to 2007); its water consumption was 37% lower than in 2007 (versus an 11% targeted reduction by 2011 compared to 2007) and its carbon footprint was 55% lower than in 2004 (it had targeted to reduce CO2 by 10% by 2014 compared to 2004). Although sales and production had increased over the 2009–10 period, this carbon footprint reduction came about as the company converted to 100% renewable power in its Danish operations and increased energy efficiency in all production facilities around the world.
What’s more, the letter from Novo Nordisk’s chairman makes a link (although it could have been made in more explicit terms) between these internal efforts to reduce environmental impacts and positive bottom line impacts. Noting that the company’s cost of goods sold fell to less than 20% of sales volume in 2010 he reports that “as the efficiency of our production activities has increased we have also reduced our environmental impact. We reduced energy and water consumed for production activities during the year and CO2 emissions from energy consumption fell 35% compared with 2009 levels.”
It would be desirable to see more detailed analysis throughout Novo Nordisk’s annual report of how its sustainability efforts impact financial results, especially when those efforts may have short-term costs but are deemed to have long-term payoffs for the company. Also more discussion of how making sustainability a part of everyday business decision making creates value beyond cost reduction. But the creation of Novo Nordisk’s integrated report must be viewed as a public statement that the company is thinking about sustainability in a way that few companies are today.
Clearly, for example, Novo Nordisk’s serious commitments to drive waste out of the production cycle should be expected to have even greater positive results in coming decades as the real and rising costs of resource consumption impact the business models of every company in an increasingly resource-scarce and ecologically stressed global economy. Investors who take note of this commitment—a strong proxy for overall good management—will be extracting value that those who are looking only at the short-term will be leaving behind.
–Susan Arterian Chang writes on sustainable finance and is director of content development for Capital Institute.


text:
The world of technology evolves at an ever advancing rate and for companies who undertake business on the internet there has never been so important a time to stay abreast of change.
For the savvy businesses who stay aware of emerging trends and technologies there are seemingly unprecedented opportunities; however, for the companies who are unaware of the latest trends their marketing campaigns could well become a proverbial money pit. The saying ‘knowledge is power’ exists for a reason.
Here, we provide an overview of the vital happenings that are and will continue to affect the way that companies do business on the internet.
Markets that may prove lucrative
The unstoppable growth of Smartphone users shows no sign of slowing down, however of particular note is the unprecedented uptake of Smartphone technology in underpenetrated markets. Over the past twelve months alone there has been a 20% jump in Smartphone users in such markets, which includes countries such as China, India, Brazil and Indonesia (Amazon 2014).
The uptake of tablets
It will come as no surprise that tablet use is now more common than ever, however what is worth noting is that growth seen over the past few years have proven the tablet to have grown more quickly than PCs ever did.
This not only serves to underline the importance of having a mobile friendly website presence, but may well point to the importance of specifically enhancing the user experience when browsing via tablet.
The global amount that is spent annually on internet marketing continues its steady growth and is up by $16 billion dollars to $116 billion in total. What is most notably within this spend however is that mobile marketing is up by a staggering 47% over the past 12 months alone (Amazon 2014).
Content will be a more powerful king than ever
Content marketing is looking set to become more important than ever, however the way in which businesses undertake content market is changing. The upcoming 12 months is promising a shift towards image and video based content marketing. This is easily verified by both YouTube and Pinterest growth, with YouTube providing 50% more viewing hours in 2013 than in 2012 and with Pinterest expanding from 10 million users to 50 million over the past 12 months (Jeff Bullas 2013). But having said that, you shouldn’t forsake all the other content marketing methods that have worked previously, an effective press release strategy can still have a significant impact.
Marketing messages made simple
Whilst there are no hard and fast statistics behind this forecasted trend, Marketing gurus are predicting an ongoing shift in what makes a marketing message effective. Experts say that messages will, and should, become simpler, and draw on the phenomenal successes of companies such as Apple and Google.
The importance of social media for SEO will continue to grow
Whilst Google will never reveal the secrets behind their ranking algorithm it’s pretty well known that social media interaction and the sharing of content has become increasingly important. This trend is forecasted to show no signs of slowing and businesses who are working this most effectively are the ones that thoroughly analyse their social media performance via Google Analytics.
This is just a quick look at some of the key points online businesses need to bear in mind, but the reality is that if your company is doing business online, it’s well worth trying to keep up to date with the latest trends, especially when it comes to how your competitors and your customers are using the Internet.


text:
Despite all the amazing advancements we’ve seen with smartphone technology in recent years, we’re still left asking, “So what about battery life?” If it’s ever been a serious issue for you, chances are you’ve settled on a solution by now, whether it’s carrying around a portable charger, housing your phone in a bulky battery case, or occasionally diving into Starbucks to use a one of its wireless charging stations.
These options, while certainly useful, of course aren’t ideal. While plenty of tech firms are trying their hardest to develop more powerful battery technology, UK-based Intelligent Energy claims it’s taken some big strides, creating a breakthrough fuel cell small enough to fit inside a smartphone yet powerful enough to keep it running for a full week. And it could be rolled out within two years.
One unnamed “emerging” smartphone maker is so convinced by Intelligent Energy’s technology that it’s backing its continued development to the tune of $7.6 million, Bloomberg reported Monday.
Commenting on its work, Intelligent Energy’s Julian Hughes said, “We believe embedding fuel cell technology into portable devices provides a solution to the current dilemma of battery life and with consumers demanding more and more from their phones, battery innovation has not kept up.”
Hughes said his firm offers “a solution that is clean and efficient and means consumers could be truly mobile and free from the constraints of the grid.”
The environmentally friendly fuel cell technology creates power by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Curiously, a number of reports over the last two years suggested Intelligent Energy was working closely with Apple on a similar technology, though any partnership has never been confirmed.
The British technology company is also known to have developed a prototype fuel cell solution based on an iPhone. Speaking to the Telegraph last year, Intelligent Energy CEO Henri Winand said his engineers “managed to make a fuel cell so thin we can fit it to the existing chassis without alterations and retaining the original battery.”
The only design change required was the addition of some tiny vents on the back of the phone to allow waste water vapor and heat to escape.
Pulling all the reports together, it seems Intelligent Energy has pretty much nailed the technology, and appears to now be in the process of refining it prior to commercialization.
“With consumer power demands increasing and the advent of the ‘Internet of Things’ making the world more connected than ever, now is the time to address the biggest limitation we have in achieving true connectivity – battery life,” Julian Hughes said. Let’s hope Intelligent Energy can soon deliver on what it seems to have been promising for a while now. We’ll certainly all thank it if it does.
- This rotary cell phone actually works — and you can buy it, too
- Toyota uses hydrogen fuel cells to power one of its Japanese factories
- The coming hydrogen fuel cell evolution
- Not us! Android makers say they never slow phones over battery problems
- Improve your phone’s reception and extend its battery life with the mJoose case


text:
TRENDS AND TRENDSETTERS IN SPECIALTY TOBACCO RETAILING
Corona Cigar's "Rolling Billboard"
Orlando - Corona Cigar Co. has purchased a new Hummer H2 that has been completely transformed using 3M Controltac Vinyl that covers 80 percent of the vehicle to showcase the Corona Cigar retail store and several of the store's vendors and their cigar brands.
Corona vendors featured on the vehicle include Acid, Avo, Camacho, CAO, Diamond Crown, Indian Tabac, and Perdomo, as well as Corona's signature cigar, Cielo.
"Our initial idea for this one-of-a-kind vehicle was to use it as an advertising, promotion, and marketing tool," said Jeff Wojtanowski, general manager and chief information officer, Corona Cigar Co. "However, what we received was an incredibly eye-catching billboard on wheels that generates attention no matter where it goes."
Corona's "Smokin' Cruiser" is staying busy on the streets of Orlando and surrounding areas, visiting local theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Sea World; tourist districts; and sporting events including the PGA's Bay Hill Tournament, Daytona Speedweeks, and Bike Week. When it's not on the road, the Smokin' Cruiser can be found in front of Corona's world headquarters and retail store in Orlando.
Kahl˙a Cigars Roll Out in Store Tasting Events
New York - General Cigar Co., the exclusive distributor of Kahl˙a Cigars Delicioso, kicked off a national retail event series in June to encourage "tenured" smokers to sample the Kahl˙a liqueur-flavored cigars.
The sampling events provide consumers with a free Kahl˙a Robusto cigar. Also, customers who purchase two Kahl˙a cigars or a full tin receive a free Torpedo.
In addition, a Kahl˙a gift box containing each of the Corona, Robusto, and Torpedo shapes as well as a tin are available for purchase during the events at a significant saving from the suggested retail price.
A total of 65 events will take place nationally, and are being promoted on General Cigar's website, cigarworld.com. In addition, retailers participating in the sampling events will receive a POS kit containing postcard invitations, easel card and poster, quick screen, and outdoor banner.
Cuban Cigar Smuggler Gets Three Years Prison
Chicago, IL - A former public defender in Chicago has been sentenced to three years in prison for smuggling thousands of Cuban cigars into the United States where he then sold them.
Richard Connors, 55, was convicted in October 2002 on eight counts of smuggling, conspiracy, and violating the Trading with the Enemy Act, which forbids American citizens from purchasing any Cuban products.
Between 1996 and 1999, Connors smuggled thousands of Cuban cigars over the course of dozens of trips to Cuba. He covered his actions by lying to customs officials and mailing his passport home from Canada or Mexico on his way back to Chicago from Cuba, The Chicago Tribune reported. He then sold the cigars for as much as $350 a box.
U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman called Connors' activities "a complex and intricate plan of many steps over a lengthy period of time" and sentenced him in June to 37 months in prison plus three years of probation and fined him $60,000.
Famous Rolls Dice With Retail Auction Site|
eBay-Style Experience Adds Element of Fun to Online Buying
Easton, PA - Famous Smoke Shop, a leading cataloger and on-line retailer of premium cigars, has launched an on-line auction site to sell premium cigars. The cyber storefront promotes not only Famous' selection of major manufacturer brands, but also harder-to-find cigars such as Fuente Fuente Opus X or Padron Anniversary. Auction buyers can also bid on cigar accessories including humidors, lighters, cutters, and cases.
The site, CigarAuctioneer.com, posts dozens of new auctions every day, around the clock.
No registration fee is required and auction winners may combine multiple orders into single weekly shipments.
"We realize that we may lose money on some items from time-to-time, but we look at CigarAuctioneer.com as kind of a public service, a way of making shopping at our sites more fun. It's also a way of saying Ĺthank you' to our thousands of loyal customers," said Famous Smoke Shop president, Arthur Zaretsky in an announcement to consumers.
Customers already registered at Famous-Smoke.com can start bidding on cigars just by logging on to their account. Additionally, a new "Auctions" tab now appears in the menu bar on the Famous-Smoke.com website linking visitors directly to CigarAuctioneer.com.
New York: Black Market Sales Have Jumped
Despite touting drastic sales declines in legal cigarettes following the implementation of a tough smoking ban in bars in restaurants in March, 2003, New York city Health Department officials admit that as many as one in three city smokers have purchased bootleg cigarettes to avoid hefty city and state excise taxes.
A series of state and city tobacco tax hikes now total more than $3 a pack, driving a third of city smokers to admit in a Health Department survey that they are buying cigarettes from Indian reservations, through the Internet, by mail, from other states, and even from abroad.
"We have seen an increase in the sales of nontaxed cigarettes," Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said.
The same survey showed the number of regular smokers had plummeted 11 percent between 2002 and 2003, and that cigarette consumption had dropped 13 percent, statistics scorned by industry officials and even tobacco stock analysts as "highly improbable."
"If people can take advantage of an illegal outlet, you're defeating the purpose of raising the taxes," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Klein, who sponsored legislation that now bans Internet sales of cigarettes. Klein is now preparing to sue certain Native American tribes that have refused to levy tobacco taxes. A carton of cigs that costs $75 in the city can cost a mere $25 on an Indian reservation.
Cigarette sales have plummeted by 40% at local convenience stores, says Jose Fernandez, president of the Bodega Association of the United States. He blames lax enforcement for the rampant bootlegging.
Let the Public Decide: States to Put Tobacco Excise Tax Hikes on November Ballots
Voters in several states will be asked this fall to decide whether to raise tobacco taxes to fund a variety of expenditures. Among them:
Michigan Fast Tracks $2 Per Pack Tax
- California: Voters will decide whether to raise telephone surcharges and tobacco taxes to cover the costs of emergency medical care.
- Colorado: If enough signatures are collected, voters would be asked to raise cigarette taxes by 64 cents a pack to pay for health care programs for the poor and for tobacco prevention programs.
- Oklahoma: Voters will decide whether to raise cigarette taxes and whether to create a lottery that would fund education.
Lansing, MI - Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed a 75-cents-a-pack cigarette tax increase bill into law on June 24, raising the state's cigarette tax to $2 per pack, the nation's second highest, behind only New Jersey's $2.05 per pack tax. The tax on the wholesale price of other tobacco products also increased from the 20 percent previously to 32 percent. The increase became effective on July 1, only a week after it was signed into law.
The increase will generate $100 million in state revenue over the next three months to help balance this year's state budget and more than $300 million for the following fiscal year.
Michigan retailers near the Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana borders are already dealing with the affects of lower-taxed cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other tobacco products in neighboring states. The tax on a pack of cigarettes is 77 cents in Wisconsin, 55.5 cents in Indiana, and 55 cents in Ohio.
Alaska to Hike Taxes by $1 Per Pack Over Four Years; First Increase Set for January
juneau-The Alaskan Legislature has agreed to increase the state cigarette tax by 60 cents in the coming year and by a total of $1 per pack over four years. The initial 60-cent increase will take effect in January 2005, raising the cigarette tax to $1.60 per pack. Additional increases of 20 cents a pack will take effect in 2006 and 2007.
Alaska becomes the 34th state, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, to increase its cigarette tax since January 1, 2002.
SMOKESHOP - August, 2004


text:
- 1 min read
Audi India to take its mobile showroom across 20 cities
Introduced in 2015 as a customer-focused initiative, the Audi Mobile Terminal is a fully functional mobile showroom designed to provide complete Audi experience to the customers.
NEW DELHI: Luxury car manufacturer Audion Friday said its Mobile Terminal has been a successful initiative as it takes the Audi brand right to the customer doorstep and offers them an unparalleled luxury buying experience as offered anywhere from Audi in India.
The Audi Mobile Terminal takes the brand to the doorstep of the Audi customer. Besides this, the Audi Collection, Audi Genuine Accessories and new digital developments are shown, said Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India.
The mobile showroom serves as a hub for conducting test drives and enables customers and prospects to connect with Audi dealers for enquiries, new bookings and after-sales support, in the comfort of the Audi Lounge.
The Audi Mobile Terminal is slated to visit 20 cities this year across India. Over 6000 customers visited the Audi Mobile Terminal in 2015, 2016 and 2017.


text:
Horticulture business blooms as expansion plans revealed
A well-known Sunshine Coast family has revealed plans to expand their blooming horticulture business.
The Parsons family, who run Fernland Horticultural and Nursery Supplies at Yandina, have submitted a development application to erect a new building.
The application states the family wants to develop a 4703sq m site near their home on Paulger Flat Road.
According to its website, "Fernland is a One-stop Shop for all your horticultural requirements".
"We are a family-owned and operated business with 40 years trading history, supplying a comprehensive range of products to the nursery, landscape and turf-care industries."
Peter Parsons is the chief executive officer and Stephen Parsons is the chief operation officer.
There are several other Parsons family members also involved in the business.
Their proposal refers to vacant land at 25 to 29 Paulger Flat Road which sits within a small industrial precinct.
The land was part of a previous subdivision and subsequent land release by the Queensland Department of Economic Development.
According to the report submitted to the Sunshine Coast Council, Fernland Horticultural and Nursery Supplies will continue to operate at the existing premises in addition to the proposed development.
It's understood the new premises will be used to support the packaging and storing of their finished products such as lawn and garden equipment, nursery equipment and structures.
There will also be a building constructed for use as an office and administration area for staff.
The building is set to have a ground and mezzanine level with 24 car parks and 10 motorcycle parks.
Fernland Horticultural and Nursery Supplies declined to comment.


text:
As of early June, Él Salvador is adopting Bitcoin as a legal tender. If any adult citizen downloads the government’s cryptocurrency app, each will receive $30 upon registering.
They will be completely adding Bitcoin as a legal tender by September 2021. “What we are doing is encouraging the use of bitcoin and encouraging the use of this system, which is going to generate the multiplication of money in the economy,” said President Bukele when explaining the process. The president also touched on the fears from citizens that all salaries, wages, and pensions will be paid in cryptocurrency; he said this is not the case. Cash will still be the mainstream currency, with Bitcoin as another option. Since 2001, Él Salvador has been using the US dollar as their currency.
Do you trust the main stream media?
"*" indicates required fields
For years, Él Salvador has been a cash based economy. Only 30-40% of citizens there have a bank account. The goal of implementing cryptocurrency into their everyday lives is to build a new ecosystem within their economy. March 2021 is the first time they adopted Strike, an app used to transfer money using Bitcoin. It quickly shot to their number one downloaded app. “The move will help unleash the power and potential of bitcoin for everyday use cases on an open network that benefits individuals, businesses, and public sector services,” CNBC reported.
When Él Salvador adopted the US dollar in 2001, everything had to be switched over to that currency as soon as possible. With the implementation of Bitcoin, this will not be the case since they are still keeping their current currency system in place. Adding another legal tender decentralizes the currencies. According to Bitcoin Market Journal, “A decentralized currency insulates customers from bank failures and collapses, as well as exuberant bank fees and aggressive bank policies. Payments are borderless, allowing for seamless and cheap international payments despite current limits on transnational fiat payments.”
Due to Él Salvador being the first country to adopt Bitcoin into their economy, many other countries will be watching them to see how successful it gets. If this is something that proves to be worthy, other countries will follow suit. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that was invented in 2009, meaning it has little experience as a monetary system.


text:
Analysts from the independent rating agency Weiss Ratings believe now is the perfect time to buy Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency price has dropped significantly from its all-time high nearly $20,000 almost a year ago. Today it is worth around $3,400.
Weiss Ratings covers the mainstream financial markets and more recently the crypto market as well.
As shared two days ago in its official Twitter account, Bitcoin (Bitcoin) is approaching the “best buying opportunity” and is the least speculative investment that can be carried out in the cryptocurrency market these days:
#BTC is getting to such low levels that it’s becoming one of the best buying opportunities of the year. As a store of value, #Bitcoin is here to stay. We truly think it’s the least speculative investment a person can make in #crypto right now.— Weiss Ratings (@WeissRatings) December 11, 2018
It the meanwhile it was reported yesterday that the global trading volume of Bitcoin in the peer-to-peer platform LocalBitcoins increased substantially, reaching the values registered in the end of 2017 — when the crypto market experienced a bull run.
In particular, the most active traders were residents from Russia, Venezuela and Argentina — countries that tend to endorse the adoption of cryptocurrencies and usually invest when their prices fall (believing in their future growth).
Why it is important
- Weiss Ratings is a well-known research firm, with 46 years of experience rating a variety of financial assets and providing data and insights to investors and traders around the world. Its words will resound among circles of the crypto community.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel to stay up to date on the latest crypto and blockchain news.


text:
Fime has become the first company to be authorised by Isis to certify products, including mobile handsets and secure elements, for the US NFC venture. “Rigorous testing of handsets and secure elements from the beginning and throughout the development process will guarantee quicker time to market for vendors,” says the testing specialist.
- Gatwick Airport installs 2,000 BLE beacons for augmented reality wayfinding
- Lotte Card introduces ‘pay with your palm’
- Debit cards set to overtake cash in 2018, three years earlier than expected
- Digital, decisive and drone-ready: American Express commissioned study shows Gen Z’s customer experience expectations
- EU agency calls for action on IoT security


text:
ZIMALL.co.zw was one of the bright ideas that came through at this year’s ZOL start-up challenge and despite not coming close to the coveted $10,000 prize money, they are forging ahead with their project which is already live here.
Techzim caught up with them this week and they were quite eager to sign up users on the virtual mall. The ideas is, in simplest terms, an online mall with store fronts where merchants set up stores on the mall app and customers visit the mall to buy. It’s closely similar to Webdev’s classifieds with store fronts but the major difference is that ZIMALL handles payments, and they do it on behalf of merchants.
Hp 15s Ryzen 5
External Hard Drives
Lenovo ThinkPad SL510
When I met the guys behind ZIMALL, it was clear they hadn’t yet come up with the solution to a nagging challenge brought up at the Start-up challenge – how to get merchants and traffic on board. The problem dubbed the “chicken and the egg” simply asks how best to get both customers and merchants on the site especially when merchants want to see shoppers before they can commit and shoppers want to see merchants before they can regularly visit the mall. It’s a you can’t get the one without the other type of scenario!
Their current solution is to focus on signing up merchants first through leveraging personal relationships and networks. This could work but judging from current uptake (4 out of a target of 10 have signed up for October), you’d think this is a lot of leg work far more than it’s worth. But then again, a start-up gotta do what a start-up gotta do to get things moving.
Pleasing to note that they already have a Facebook app for direct access to the virtual mall on Facebook which could be key to driving shoppers to the virtual mall. Facebook and Google ads will be coming soon according to Michael Chiwere, the one half of the team behind ZIMALL.


text:
Mastercard loses battle against EU ban on cross-border fees
Europe’s highest court supports broader regulatory drive to cut cost of using payment cards
MasterCard lost its decade-long battle against a European Union ban on cross-border card fees as Europe’s highest court today supported a broader regulatory drive to cut the cost of using payment cards.
While the court’s decision applies only to MasterCard and the cross-border interchange fees retailers must pay when they accept credit and debit card transactions in Europe, it could encourage other regulators to take action and cap fees generally.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) said that a lower court’s dceision in 2012 to uphold the European Commission’s initial findings against MasterCard in 2007 was correct. “The Court of Justice confirms the judgment of the General Court and thus validates the Commission’s decision prohibiting the multilateral interchange fees applied by MasterCard,” judges wrote in their ruling.
The world’s second-largest credit and debit card company behind Visa came under regulatory fire more than a decade ago over its fees, which are a lucrative source of revenue. Since the Commission’s 2007 veto, MasterCard has reached a deal with regulators to cap fees for cross-border transactions within Europe at 0.2 per cent for debit cards and 0.3 per cent for credit cards.
MasterCard said it was disappointed with today’s decision but that it would not affect business. “We will continue to comply with the decision as we have been doing for a number of years. This means we would maintain our European cross-border consumer interchange fees at a weighted average of 0.2 per cent for debit and 0.3 per cent for credit,” the company’s president Javier Perez said.
The ruling should spur European politicians and governments to agree to a Commission-proposed cap on credit and debit fees throughout the EU, which has been in limbo since it was unveiled last year, said Ruth Milligan of EU retail lobby EuroCommerce. It was a complaint from EuroCommerce in 1997 that triggered the EU investigation into MasterCard.
The court verdict could also prompt Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority to revive its examination of fees charged by MasterCard and Visa Europe for domestic card payments. The investigation was suspended pending the outcome of the EU case.


text:
September 1, 2020
Auctane LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stamps.com and operator of e-commerce shipping software brands ShipStation, ShippingEasy, ShipEngine and ShipWorks, will become the first office tenant in The Grove at Shoal Creek, a mixed-use project in central Austin. The project is being developed by a joint venture of MileStone Community Builders and Castletop Capital.
Auctane has signed a lease for 105,385 square feet at 4301 Bull Creek Rd. It’s believed to be the largest office lease in central Austin thus far in 2020.
“Our business has grown quickly, and so has our team,” said COO Bryan Jones at Auctane. “We needed a centrally located space where we could bring everyone together, with easy access to retail, parking and greenspace. The Grove was far and away our best option.”
John Gump and Kelly Woodruff of CBRE’s Austin office represented Auctane in the lease.
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Paul Bubny


text:
Visitors From 50 Countries Expected At Scanpack 2009
In a few weeks the doors will open on one of Scandinavia's biggest and most diverse packaging fairs – Scanpack. Almost 500 exhibitors from 25 countries will gather at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre on 20–23 October for the packaging industry's event of the year.
"It's clear that the industry is looking forward to meeting up in Gothenburg. It is three years since the last fair, and interest is growing day by day, " reports Siv Edlund, Senior Advisor. "We're expecting visitors from around 50 countries!"
Romania is planning to exhibit for the first time, and the Baltic states led by Lithuania will have their own pavilion at the fair, as well as India. Japan will be represented by two delegations of visitors from its packaging industry.
"After a fairly slow start due to the recession, the pressure has really built up, " says Siv Edlund, who will be attending her 13th (and final) Scanpack. "The industry as a whole is in a much more optimistic mood than it was in spring."
"The recovery isn't complete yet, but there are many signs that Scanpack 2009 will be almost as big as the previous fair in 2006 in terms of both exhibitors and visitors. That would have been difficult to believe as recently as a couple of months ago."
The new additions this year include a complete store where RFID is being used in a number of different applications, including active shopping trolleys and shelving, intelligent mirrors that display text and a checkout that uses RFID technology. A simple warehouse will also be set up next to the store to demonstrate how RFID works at every stage of chain.
"Visitors will also be able to attend free seminars on various aspects of this technology, including of course profitability. It is only a matter of time before RFID replaces barcodes completely, " predicts Siv Edlund.
Will bioplastics replace common plastics as packaging material? This is one of the questions that will be answered at Scanpack.
Do you know why you choose a particular packaging from the supermarket shelf? Presumably not, but the packaging industry does. The Packaging Media Lab will be showing off its "Eyetracking" project and demonstrating that packaging design plays a much more important role in your choice than you think.
How difficult can it be to open packaging? More difficult than it should be – at least for the hundreds of thousands of people who have impaired movement in their hands and fingers. Chalmers Institute of Technology will be represented at Scanpack for the first time, in the guise of professor Ulrike Rahe, who will be discussing new solutions with the industry.
write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Exhibition News :: home page


text:
Nvidia is announcing a couple of deals with Wintel today that show the company is making progress with its new technologies.
In an endorsement for a new mobile graphics technology from Nvidia, Microsoft said it had certified Nvidia’s Ion platform to deliver a premium Windows experience on low-cost netbooks, or low-cost web browsing computers that are cheaper and less functional than laptops.
Nvidia’s Ion combines a chip set with a graphics core in a single chip. Paired with an Intel Atom microprocessor, the Ion platform is targeted at netbooks and other mobile devices. Earlier netbooks didn’t run Microsoft’s Windows Vista. But Windows 7 is expected to run on a variety of machines, including those using the Ion platform. Windows 7 machines running on the Ion platform could debut by this summer with prices as low as $299, the companies said. Windows Vista Home Premium could also be packaged with Ion-based deskotp computers or more powerful notebook computers.
On another front, it’s no secret that Nvidia is in a quiet war with the other member of Wintel. Nvidia’s graphics chips and Intel’s microprocessor are in a tug of war over who owns the PC. Well, today, Intel is taking a license from Nvidia to get access to Nvidia’s SLI technology. SLI is a chip set feature that allows a computer to use multiple graphics chips at the same time, ganged together, to get better overall graphics performance. Now Intel will license SLI for use in Intel chip sets that sit on the Intel DX58SO motherboard for the Intel Core i7 microprocessor.
GamesBeat at the Game Awards
We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited!
That means that Nvidia’s technology can be used with a Intel’s fastest microprocessors in a way that supports four graphics chips in the same PC. These kinds of computers are aimed at gamers who want screaming graphics performance for the highest-end games. With the new announcement, now Nvidia’s SLI technology can run the gamut of Intel’s product line.
As much as these companies jockey for power and don’t like each other (as we saw in a recent Nvidia dinner), it seems that they are all part of the same ecosystem and are joined at the hip.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


text:
It’s been a while since we last mentioned any recent updates and improvements to the website and there have been quite a few over the last few months. The website team has been very busy over the summer as we continue to update and improve the village website further.
2012 has, so far, really been a great year for the website. Viewing figures have been strong since early in the year and so far the site has had over 45,000 page views since the launch in March 2011 – over 28,000 views are from this year alone.
The News and Events section continues to be the heart of the website and now we are pleased to announce that these useful posts can now be emailed, printed or a link sent to Facebook or Twitter using the new share buttons. It makes sharing useful information via email or the social networks that much easier. You may have also noticed the redesigned homepage with its new dynamic recent post section that shows the viewer the three most recent stories and events stories posted to the website.
The website can only keep people informed, of course, if we continue to get your news and event details, so if you have any news you’d like to share or you’d like to share details about an event going on locally – get in touch and let the website promote your event!
Ever since the website launched, it has been viewable on mobile devices using a special theme optimised for mobile browsing. Recently we updated that theme so that every part of the website can now be easily navigated to and read using an iPhone, Android or similar type of smart phone. Mobile users go straight to the News and Events section by default, but the navigation menu allows mobile visitors full access to content on the website.
There is still plenty to do, with new pages and features being developed, and we would welcome any input by the community. Very soon details of the Slingsby Website and Newsletter Group AGM, where you can help shape the future of the website and newsletter, will be posted. Keep an eye out for news about the AGM coming soon to this website.


text:
Support body gets firms fighting fit: Government names the 25 national champions of 'hyper growth'
The Government has named 25 companies as national champions of ‘hyper growth’.
The groups have been picked out by GrowthAccelerator, a Government-backed support body, as having achieved more than 65 per cent growth in a year after using the scheme’s advice and mentoring services to boost their business.
The companies cover a range of sectors and include pay-as-you-go gym service PayasUgym, engineering design firm Stirling Dynamics, property management group urbanbubble and recruitment company Reuben Sinclair.
Fast mover: PayAsUGym is offering flixible-use passes at 1,200 gyms nationwide
PayasUgym is working in partnership with more than 1,200 gyms throughout the UK, offering customers discounted gym passes they can use on a flexible basis.
GrowthAccelerator – a partnership between the Government and the private sector – picked out PayasUgym and others for their success in overcoming ‘barriers to growth’.
The 25 firms were identified from a representative sample of 500 GrowthAccelerator clients and they created 571 jobs over a year.
Martyn Dawes, who co-founded coffee machine firm Coffee Nation, contributed to the report from GrowthAccelerator.
He says: ‘It is important to shine a spotlight on these businesses. Many problems small firms complain about are not issues hyper-growth companies experience.
‘They face different issues. Access to money is rarely a problem. There is so much funding out there it is obscene.
‘The biggest thing that helped me was access to someone who had done it before. There is no substitute for good experience.’
Most watched Money videos
- Rolls-Royce showcases its bespoke capabilities in stylish car
- Investing Show: Should you invest in India?
- Investing Show: Can the FTSE 250 continue its strong run?
- Watch the production of the one-millionth Porsche 911
- The world's largest luxury car 'Vending Machine' in Singapore
- Investing Show: Will shares go off the boil or keep rising?
- Anthony Joshua receives 'phenomenal' bespoke Range Rover
- New wireless charging road charges electric vehicles on the move
- New Beatrix Potter 50p coins unveiled including Peter Rabbit
- The exciting launch film for Mini Remastered by David Brown
- Time to invest in Europe? It's not fixed, warns Tom Becket
- Aston Martin race vehicles to celebrate opening of factory