text:
It is no longer surprising to hear that the paints and coatings market is constantly flourishing and expanding. All countries need paint simply because every commercial entity—from manufacturing to engineering—relies heavily on it. Otherwise, everything will be bland, if not colorless.
Research and Markets revealed the global paints and coatings market will reach $181.3 billion by 2020 at a CAGR of 5.5 percent.
As expected, the market showed a moderate increase in the past few years as companies around the globe continued to purchase paint from various suppliers and producers across the globe. The waterborne coatings, or eco-friendly coatings that use water as a solvent, helped the entire industry to gain leverage amid economic slowdowns in some emerging and developed countries that have been large consumers of paint products.
The waterborne paints and coatings industry accounts for at least 40 percent of the global demand. The segment has grown significantly over the years due to its adherence to VOC regulations. These regulations were established by government bodies worldwide. Today, the number of paint manufacturers realizing the importance of being “organic” and “environment-friendly” in obtaining higher sales and better brand reputation is increasing. Brands are already aware that consumers are now conscious about contributing to environmental protection through the goods and services they purchase.
Meanwhile, a separate report conducted by American market intelligence firm Transparency Market Research says the converse. The market, valued at $100.3 billion in 2012, is currently growing at a CAGR of 5.4 percent from 2013 to 2019. This could potentially grow bigger to $143.9 billion before 2019 ends.
In addition, the current growth in the paints segment also helps the titanium dioxide industry flourish. In fact, these two industries are inseparable.
Titanium dioxide industry
The paint and coatings market can never survive without the titanium dioxide mining industry. Paint manufacturers rely heavily on titanium dioxide as it is a key component in their products. This mineral gives their products the richness, whiteness, brightness, and opacity they need.
Though there have been some minor supply issues in the past years, the global supply of titanium dioxide has always been stable. After all, it is one of the most abundant minerals in the world. The supply segment is being secured by various global rutile, anatase, brookite, and ilmenite miners across the globe. One of the most promising mining firms today is White Mountain Titanium Corporation, a Chile-based company that boasts of 112 million metric tons of rutile ore production.
The company owns the Cerro Blanco Property, a sprawling, 17,041-hectare rutile deposit in Santiago, the country’s capital and largest city. According to experts, it is one of the largest titanium dioxide facilities in the world today. Its size alone signifies its importance in maintaining stability in the mineral’s supply segment.
Still, the global titanium dioxide supply market remains dominated by behemoth global firms such as Huntsman, Cristal Globe, DuPont, Kronox, Tronox Inc., Sumitomo, VSMPO-AVISMA Corp., and TIMET. The Asia-Pacific region is currently the largest consumer of paints and coatings. Leading the regional market are China, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia—countries with expanding manufacturing industries.
The North America and the European market remains saturated in terms of market demands. The rising demand for use of water-based technology has led the rapid growth in the market. In this case, further growth can only be achieved should the regional brands aim for improvements. These improvements should be in line with Asian brands, and market share.
The largest paints and coatings company in the world today are BASF SE (Germany), Akzo Nobel NV (Netherlands), Nippon Paint Co. Ltd (Japan), PPG Industries Inc. (U.S.), The Valspar Corporation (U.S.), and The Sherwin-Williams Company (U.S.), among others.
This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.
BB Biotech: Positive development in a volatile market environment
The total shareholder return in 2020 was 19.3% in CHF and 18.1% in EUR, slightly below the performance of the...
Bitcoin slips back to $53,000 and major altcoins go lower on February 22nd
The fall seen in the price of Bitcoin on February 22 was also strongly felt among exponents such as Ethereum...
The keys to ESG investment in 2021 in the face of growing interest and profitability
While all the data point to the fact that investment under climate, social and corporate governance criteria is increasingly in...
New investments in the Fez-Meknes Region
As part of the industrial revival strategy, the Fez-Meknes Region should welcome 95 potential projects identified in the project bank....
Rebound in pharma and healthcare operations: 14% increase in 2020
The volume of mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector increased by 25% compared to the first half...
Featured7 days ago
Banca Progetto prepares to launch instant lending for consumer credit
Cannabis5 days ago
The ANMAT will allow the importation of cannabis-based products in Argentina
Featured6 days ago
Repsol hires Linklaters and Uría to list its renewable energy subsidiary
Crypto5 days ago
How LODEpay’s Price Oracle is Tackling Silver Spot Price Manipulation


text:
Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) Members come from a wide range of sectors and are aligned in their mission to build a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on communities and ecosystems around the world. The Coalition Spotlight is our monthly blog to uplift and showcase their work, giving our readers an inside look at some of these influential change-makers. This month’s edition features toxic-free cleaning products, an organization focused on protecting the oceans, a woman-owned aluminum water company, and the group behind a global movement to make July (and beyond) plastic free.
Meliora Cleaning Products
Ever wonder what chemicals are in your cleaning products and if they are safe to use in your home? Although many compounds in cleaning agents can pose serious environmental and human health concerns, there are still no federal laws in the United States requiring manufacturers to disclose ingredients in home cleaning products. Additionally, most of these products come in plastic packaging that pollutes during every stage of its existence, from extraction, to production, transportation, use, and disposal. And plastics are wasteful; consider, for example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 641 million laundry jugs are used each year in the United States, most of which are never recycled.
PPC Business Member Meliora Cleaning Products manufactures home cleaning and laundry products that are safe for you and your family, planet-friendly, and effective! They are a woman-owned B Corp, and member of 1% for the Planet that has been certified by Leaping Bunny and MADE SAFE for their toxic- and cruelty-free products and business operations. All of Meliora’s products are free of single-use plastics, and their refill and reuse packaging is predominantly plastic free. By making concentrated washing powders, solid soap bars, and soap refill tablets, Meliora eliminates the need for added preservatives and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of Meliora Cleaning Products, and we applaud their success in changing the status quo of the cleaning products industry, prioritizing human and environmental health above all else. Most recently, their laundry powder was featured on Good Morning America in a segment on how reducing waste can help save you money. They have also been working hard to expand their grocery partnerships across the country, making it easier for people to ditch plastic water bottles. Lastly, Meliora co-founder Kate Jakubas recently attended the United Nation’s Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
(INC-2) in Paris, France, and was a signatory in Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Business Member Statement, which was delivered to the U.S. delegation and submitted to the UN. Meliora is a true mission-based business, in practice and action.
In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8, we want to celebrate the largest international advocacy group solely dedicated to ocean conservation, Oceana. A close ally and Organization Member of Plastic Pollution Coalition, Oceana is dedicated to protecting and restoring the abundance and biodiversity of the world’s oceans. They do this through a series of interconnected campaigns that are grounded in science, focused on measurable outcomes, and supported by their team of multi-disciplinary experts in the field who work to usher in policies that best protect and support oceans and the ecosystems they sustain.
Since 2001, Oceana has protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and influenced over 225 pieces of legislation for the seas, which cover over two thirds of the entire planet. Their campaigns address threats to the oceans holistically, by addressing the root causes of harm to coastal communities, marine ecosystems, fish populations, biodiversity, and more. One of the most widely recognized and immediate threats to ocean health is plastic pollution, which Oceana has put at the top of their list of priorities. They recently released a report revealing that Coca-Cola has backtracked on their public commitment to increase the reusability of their product portfolio, and actually added billions of single-use plastic bottles to their production output. They have also called on Amazon shareholders to vote on a resolution that would hold the e-commerce giant accountable for their astronomical amounts of plastic packaging waste they create every year, most of which isn’t recycled and ends up in landfills or the environment. Although Amazon’s shareholder vote calling on the company to address its plastic pollution fell just short of a majority at the end of May, Oceana continues to put public pressure on big corporate polluters to disclose and reduce their global plastic packaging footprints.
The bottled water industry is one of the fastest-growing industries on Earth, growing 73% from 2010–2020. More than 1 million bottles of water are sold every minute across the world, piling up in our environment and breaking up into harmful micro- and nano-plastic particles, degrading ecosystems across the entire planet. Although it’s imperative we move away from single-use consumption towards systems of reuse and circularity, we must find non-plastic alternatives to address the immediate concerns of single-use plastic pollution.
Open Water is the world’s first Climate Neutral certified canned water company with the sole mission to rid the world of plastic water bottles. Their infinitely recyclable, BPA-free, post-consumer aluminum cans are challenging the status quo of plastic bottles, embodied by their slogan, “Bye, Bye Plastic.” Not only does Open Water encourage reuse of their products, but they produce net-zero carbon emissions across the entirety of their business operations. Open Water is minority-, woman-, and LGBTQIA2S+-owned, and gives 1% of their annual sales to nonprofits as a member of 1% for the Planet. Open Water’s “Still Can” has received the Blue Standard Product and Packaging Seal, a rigorous sustainability standard that verifies plastic-free products, packaging, and business operations.
As the sustainable packaging industry grows, it will be important to break through to industries that are influential in changing societal habits. On March 12, 2023, Open Water partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to eliminate plastic water bottles at the Oscars. In alignment with Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Flip The Script on Plastics initiative, their partnership has helped catalyze a shift in the entertainment industry away from plastic and its toxic impacts. To join the movement, you can become an activist for Open Water and visit PPC’s Flip the Script on Plastics page to browse our plastic-free entertainment resources, sign our pledge, and more.
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July (PFJ) is a global movement that empowers people to make changes and refuse single-use plastics in their daily lives and communities. Every year, over 100 million people around the world participate by taking the challenge, which can be uniquely designed according to individual or group preferences, including intensity, duration, region, and more. PFJ provides a host of resources to get you started, wherever you might be in your zero-waste journey. Their open-sourced platform contains learning opportunities, posters, videos, books, expert tips, and even ways to share short stories about your experiences and be inspired by others.
This year’s theme is “Small Steps, Big Difference”—a reminder that the culmination of global, community-wide action drives cultural and systemic changes needed to tackle the scale and urgency of the plastic pollution crisis. In 2022 alone, 140 million participants collectively eliminated 2.6 million metric tons of waste from their lives, including at least 300 million kilograms of plastic. By the end of the year, 88% of PFJ participants had made at least one lasting behavior change, with the cost savings from their actions avoiding plastics totaled $2.8 billion.
The PFJ movement has initiated global progress towards behavior change and resulting policy action on the international scale. Their research, for example, found that 87% of people support policies and action to reduce plastic waste. The movement has also been used to center the voices of underrepresented communities around the world in the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. As a result of their recent accomplishments, Plastic Free July was selected as one of two finalists for the United Nations “Mobilize” award, from over 3,000 applications from 150 countries, as initiatives that mobilize, inspire, and connect people to drive action towards a more sustainable future.
Find out more about the PFJ movement, and all the ways you might participate here.

domain: news


text:
Samsung doesn’t usually release unlocked models of their flagship smartphones in Canada in spite of increasing demand for such devices from users who’d rather pay extra money for the flexibility and bloatware-free experience that only carrier-agnostic devices can deliver. The trend, unfortunately for a lot of Canadians, seems not to have changed with the launch of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in that country. So people buying either of the two latest smartphones from the South Korean manufacturer will still need go to their respective carriers to get their hands on the devices. Meaning, the three largest carriers in the country – Rogers, Telus and Bell – still get to call the shots when it comes to which software users get to use on their respective devices.
The one thing that may not be widely known to mainstream users around the country is that the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge units sold across Canada start off as unlocked units, meaning, they’ll accept SIM cards from any carrier irrespective of who you’ve bought it from. However, there’s a catch. The moment a SIM is inserted for the first time, the devices lock onto that carrier’s network and installs the necessary software. Normally, once this happens, there’s no legal and easy way of getting back the phone to its unlocked state whereby users will be able to use any SIM from any carrier at any time – the way an unlocked device is supposed to work. However, unlike earlier when Canadians were almost entirely at the mercy of their carriers when it came to buying their Samsung smartphones, this time around the company is giving its customers an option to unlock their handsets even after activating them on a carrier.
For people buying the Galaxy S7 or the Galaxy S7 Edge from one of Samsung’s four experience stores in Toronto, Burnaby, Richmond or Edmonton, the company is throwing in two unlock codes that will get the phone back to its original state even after the initial activation. Along with that, Samsung is also including the customary Gear VR headsets, which are being given away free of cost to all Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge buyers worldwide. Additionally, Samsung is also including a 128 GB microSD card, now that Samsung’s flagship smartphones once again support expandable storage after an outcry over the lack of a microSD card slot on the company’s 2015 flagships. So if you’re in Canada and want to nab an unlockable Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, you can head over to the Sherway Gardens in Toronto, Metrotown Mall in Burnaby, the Richmond Centre Mall in Richmond or the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton to take advantage of the offer from Samsung.


text:
Asumsi, an Indonesian multi-platform digital media company, is looking at launching a live streaming platform by mid 2022, according to an announcement.
This, after the startup raised $700,000 in funding from Southeast Asia-based venture capital firm East Ventures.
The new fund will also help Asumsi invest further to expand its operation and engineering team to create a more interactive platform, as per the announcement.
Asumsi currently covers current affairs, politics, and social issues and targets the Indonesian youth segment. The company said it reaches more than 10 million audiences per month through various social media channels.
The planned live streaming platform is easily customized to tailor the needs of the streamer, and audiences can access interactive features such as tipping, Q&A, and quiz maker. The platform is intended to be available for public use.
“We are very grateful and excited to have continuous support from East Ventures in our journey to create and publish stories to the Indonesian audience,” said Pangeran Siahaan, CEO of Asumsi.
The pandemic, he added, posed a different challenge to the media business and “we’ve become more resilient to adjust and adapt to industry dynamics”.
Moreover, Asumsi aims to add two coverage focuses, namely Sports and Lifestyle, complementing the current content on politics and social issues. The two topics are chosen to expand the audience base and increase commercial opportunities.
Indonesia is a sports-crazy nation while lifestyle and pop culture have been a regular theme in the new media landscape.
Commenting on the investment, East Ventures co-founder and managing partner Willson Cuaca said Asumsi keeps growing to provide quality stories to Indonesians.
“We believe that the innovations in journalism from Pangeran and Asumsi team will create greater space for diversity and democracy in Indonesia,” Cuaca added.
According to the GWI report in 2020, people are increasingly watching “TV” content via streaming apps on their mobile devices. It reflects the huge potential in the media market, which is expected to grow from $1,713 billion in 2020 to $2,670.7 billion in 2025 globally, Asumsi said.
Discussion about this post


text:
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ship traffic rose 7 percent in 2021 compared to the previous 12 months as the Kingdom continues to work towards becoming a global logistics hub, according to the official data released by the General Authority for Statistics.
The GASTAT report noted that 13,200 ships reached Saudi Arabia’s ports in 2021.
According to the report, Jeddah Islamic Port had the largest share in ship traffic, with 4,100 ships, followed by the King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, where ship traffic reached 1,900 ships.
The report noted that the total volume of goods unloaded at all ports in Saudi Arabia reached 119.8 million tons in 2021.
Jeddah Islamic Port had the highest percentage of unloaded goods, reaching 29 percent of the total Saudi ports, followed by King Fahad Industrial Port with 22 percent.
Jazan Port had the lowest percentage of unloaded goods, amounting to 1 percent of the total ports in Saudi Arabia, the report added.
As for commercial ports, the percentage of unloaded goods in 2021 fell by 18 percent compared to a year before.
The report indicated that 51 percent of the total goods unloaded at commercial ports were that of foodstuff, making it the largest segment unloaded at commercial ports in 2021.
The total number of passengers traveling through ports in Saudi Arabia reached 652,000 in 2021, where the number of passengers increased by 33 percent compared to 2020.
The GASTAT report further pointed out that Jazan Port has the highest percentage of arriving and departing passengers, where the number of passengers reached 460,000, or 71 percent of the total number of passengers traveling through ports in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi ports retained a total capacity of 601 million tons that year, reported GASTAT.
King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail held a capacity of 210 million tons, making it the largest of all Saudi ports. The Jeddah Islamic Port came next with a volume of 130 million tons in 2021.
According to the report, the aggregate number of stations amounted to 32 in Saudi ports – the largest number of stations pertained to King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu.


text:
The world is now driven by automation, which is facilitated by the internet and its applications. The advancements in the latest technologies have been nothing short of a miracle if compared to the mechanical age a few decades ago. Cars were once considered luxury but now they have become a necessity in all major metropolitan and tier 1 cities of the world. The global wave of smart cars originated from the west with the advent of brands like Tesla. Car manufacturer Tesla has been known for its advanced safety and automated features. The features go to such an extent where the car can drive itself and detect any obstructions on the road and brake accordingly.
Tesla case study
The world leader in smart cars has been in existence since 2003 and launched their first car in 2008, and since then has been working towards fueling cars with green energy like solar, electric and such. Tesla has been the flag bearer for bringing automation to the automobile sector and opening the door to IoT based services in the cars. However, Tesla cars have been targeted by hackers quite often, the attacks rose to such an extent that Tesla started a bug bounty program where the hackers could be paid for finding the vulnerabilities in the car system.
A hacker once hacked a Tesla car by using a wifi dongle, he used a drone and attached a dongle to it, he brought the drone nearly 5 feet close to the car, and then using his tools he was able to successfully connect the car to the dongles and was also able to give the commands to the car and drove it without a driver for nearly 20 miles. Two years down the lane in 2016, the same hacker was able to hack a fleet of nearly 15,000 Tesla cars, he hacked into one of the car and then using an elaborated Modus operandi of cyber attacks he was able to actually make contact with the main Tesla server named the “MotherShip”, which in turn gave him access to 15,000 cars. These are just a few instances of the best car being hacked, however now it is easier for a person to imagine how vulnerable a smart car is. Such penetration tests are now an integral part of the cybersecurity of smart cars and are now being done by all automobile manufacturers.
Norway is the world’s first country to have the majority of its public transport system on electric/ smart vehicles. As of September 2022 65% of vehicles in Norway run on green energy and the nation aims to be completely 100% emission free by 2025, thus becoming the world’s first nation to completely switch to e-vehicles. The Govt of Norway has increased tax on gas fueled vehicles and has provided for tax exemption for e-vehicles. As the nation moves into the wave of green energy, the vulnerability and the cyber security aspect also need to be given due attention in order to create a protected automobile cyber space. Let us now look at some stats which clearly showcase the threats and issues faced by the smart cars –
- The frequency of cyberattacks on cars increased 225% from 2018 to 2022
- Nearly 85% of attacks in 2021 were carried out remotely, outnumbering physical attacks four to one
- 40% of attacks targeted back-end servers
- 2021 saw 54.1% of attacks carried out by Black Hat actors, up from 49.3% in 2020
- The top attack categories were data/privacy breach (38%), car theft/break-ins (27%), and control systems (20%)
- Keyless entry and key fob attacks account for 50% of all vehicle thefts. Thieves only need to be close to the key fob for a Black Hat hacker to pick up and reproduce its signal
- It is estimated that the automotive industry is projected to lose $505 billion by 2024 to cyberattacks
Majority of automobile manufacturers have declared that they will completely switch to green energy fuels in the next 5-7 years, these prominent manufacturers include – Audi, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Dodge, Ford and many more. Most of these brands intend to go into production of smart vehicles right from 2025.
What are the attack vectors for smart cars?
The smart cars have a few vulnerabilities as per their software patch and cyber security mechanism, however the cyber criminals follow a distinct form of approach, where they try to access the car remotely and then further penetrate into the network of systems and communication and try to disrupt the whole network in order to cause damage to maximum no. of vehicles. The following are the attack vectors often used by the cyber criminals in order to gain unauthorized access to the vehicles –
- Attacks against Telematics Systems – Telematics systems allow vehicles to communicate with a remote center and exchange with it the telemetry data and other information. Some car manufacturers already offer their customers telemetry services for a remote diagnostic that could prevent accidental crashes and electronic faults. Attackers could exploit vulnerabilities in these systems to potentially interfere with onboard components, and modify their parameters to alter the response of the vehicle to the driver’s orders.
- Malware exploits – An attacker could inject tailormade malware into some car components, modifying their behavior or triggering a Denial of Service condition. A malware program could be injected in different ways. For example, using a USB stick inserted into an MP3 reader or through wireless technology (wifi, Bluetooth, mobile communication).
- Unauthorized applications – On-board computers can download and execute applications and related updates. A threat actor could tamper with these applications to get malicious code executed on the target vehicle. In a classic supply chain attack, hackers could inject the car with a tainted update that, once installed and executed on the vehicle, could allow attackers to carry out malicious activities.
- OBD(On Board Diagnostic) – Tailormade software could exploit the OBD-II (on-board diagnostics) port for installation. Once the connector is accessed via the CAN bus, it is possible to monitor every component connected to it.
- Door locks and key fobs – An attacker could emulate the presence of access code used by key fobs and door locks to control locks and start/stop for car engines.
The car manufacturers and the Governments across the world need to come together on a common consensus and give equal importance to vehicle cybersecurity as any other. The policies to achieve zero emissions have been quite successful globally however, the aspect of automobile cyber security needs to be incorporated in the same. The government should lay down the security requirements, compliance guidelines and policies so that the indigenous population is also secured of such cyber threats. As we now move into the age of automation and digitization, it is crucial that we take up such issues of cyber security right now as we have the opportunity to be ahead of the criminals in creating a preventive and secured automobile cyber ecosystem.
Author: Mr. Abhishek Singh, Research Associate, CyberPeace Foundation


text:
The group building a new store in Rincon has wasted little time in getting its site ready.
Teramore Development, which is building a Dollar General at the intersection of Highway 21 and 10th Street, already has cleared the lot in preparation for building the store.
“We’d like to open the doors in May,” said Josh Hufstetler of Teramore Development. “But we’ve done it before, so we’re comfortable with it.”
The Dollar General store will be 9,400 square feet and is a new prototype, according to Hufstader.
“We’ve got all our best guys on the job,” said Steve Hufstetler, Teramore Development president. “We’re excited. We appreciate city council’s willingness to work with us.”
Rincon City Council members approved the final site plan at their March 11 meeting, and the developers have addressed the requirement for additional parking spaces, city planner LaMeisha Kelly said. The state Department of Transportation also has approved a right turn-only lane onto Highway 21.
“I know it’s been an adventure,” said Mayor Ken Lee. “I’m glad it’s worked out.”
Teramore Development had asked council members last month for a variance in the number of parking spaces. Based on demographics and traffic counts at other Dollar General stores, Steve Hufstetler told council members that 29 parking spaces was more than adequate. The company was able to adjust the design of the building to accommodate the necessary parking.
Hufstetler, who has been building Dollar General stores for 12 years, said the design for the new Rincon store will be “cutting edge.”
“It will be a nice-looking building for the neighborhood,” he said.
Hufstetler added there is a 15-year guarantee from Dollar General to be at that location, with five-year renewal option periods.
“Dollar General has a pretty good track record of renewing leases,” he said, “especially when we’re building new designs. “Dollar General is not going to go anywhere in 15 years.”


text:
The contemporary art world, for all its cultural daring, is pretty conservative. An entrenched crew of aging tastemakers, artists, curators, and dealers hold on until they fade completely out of relevancy (watch as New Yorker critic Peter Schjeldahl marvels in bemused incomprehension at Ryan Trecartin in a review from this year). There’s a strict hierarchy of which collector is allowed to buy which painting from which gallery, clear from art-fair deal-making and buyer waiting lists even for young guns like Jacob Kassay. Galleries often lack strong online presences, preferring secrecy to transparency. Artworks are shipped in giant crates to be installed by hand. Art is a resolutely physical business in an increasingly paperless world — which is why it’s surprising that in 2011 the art world finally began to openly embrace the possibilities of the internet.
It’s long been a semi-shameful public admission for galleries that collectors often buy works without seeing them in person, making their decisions only on a jpeg attached to an email. But last February, the VIP Art Fair, helmed by the highly regarded New York City James Cohan Gallery, made buying via jpeg the norm. As in a physical commercial fair, galleries bought “booths” in the VIP Art Fair, paying a premium for a pristinely designed web-based selling spaces and access to attendees. Technological flaws made the first VIP fair a failure in the eyes of participating galleries, but some sales were made, and the fair will relaunch February 2012.
This year, Art.sy, a New York-based startup backed by such art-world heavy hitters as dealer Larry Gagosian and patron Dasha Zhukova that claims to be the “Pandora of the art world,” will analyze users’ taste in art and show them other works and artists that they might like — a tempting prospect for buyers and sellers alike. A series of parties and demonstrations turned the not-yet-public technology into a word-of-mouth sensation.
It’s not just commercial operations getting in on the game, either — 2011 is also the year that the term “social media art” went viral. Artists like Man Bartlett, who uses social networks like Twitter and Facebook to create performances, and An Xiao, who has turned her online presence into a kind of communication-based total artwork, hit the mainstream with countless blog posts, tweets, and a major feature in ARTnews magazine. Bartlett also participated in Creative Time Tweets, an ongoing series of Twitter-based performances commissioned by the venerable New York City art non-profit Creative Time.
Social media art’s success builds on the earlier presence of internet art, which sees artists engaging with online culture to make work that plays with the internet as a platform, remixes memes, and plumbs the depths of web design aesthetics. Internet art also had a good year. The international presence of internet art collectives F.A.T. Labs and Computers Club grew, while museums, galleries, and online media took notice.
Some added bullet points in the Year of Art Online: The Metropolitan showed off the knowledge and tastes of its world-class staff in a series of curated online videos called “Connections.” The Museum of Modern Art launched a comprehensive site redesign while the Walker Art Center’s own redesign was heralded as a huge step forward for art institutions, turning the museum website into something more blog than brochure. Internet artists Ole Fach and Kim Asendorf’s GIF Market got buyers to pay for ownership of animations publicly hosted on the internet, free for anyone to download. Tumblr became huge as a venue for artists to publish and share their work. Facebook even banned users for posting 19th-century painter Gustave Courbet’s titillating Origin of the World on their profiles — the admittedly explicit image constituted pornography, the company determined. On the other side of the spectrum, Tumblr has become the go-to platform for visual art blogging with its emphasis on big pictures and allowance of nudity, from Courbet to your favorite black-and-white hipster erotica blogger.
This year, conquering the internet, next year, actually making a living at it? The chief problem art online still faces after 2011 is how to get people to actually pay for it on a sustainable scale, something physical galleries are still far and away the best at.


text:
Turkey holidays may be off all summer as country battles third Covid wave05/05/2021
BRITS hoping to head to Turkey on holiday may this summer may have to wait a bit longer, as the country faces a second Covid wave.
Last month, the daily case rate hit pandemic-highs of 63,000, forcing Turkey into its first full lockdown.
The tourism sector is fearing another lost season, with hopes that the current lockdown will allow holiday bookings to return in time for the summer.
Istanbul-based Andiamo Tour's Cem Polatoglu told local media: "The lockdown decision will probably not be able to save the season."
Even if cases drop below 5,000 by the end of the month – yesterday the country reported 24,000 daily cases – then he said it still means "losing July too" as countries won't be lifting the travel ban in time.
Tourism accounts for some 12 per cent of Turkey's economy, with 45m tourists visiting in 2019, a record for the country, but fell by 71 per cent last year.
Turkish Hoteliers Federation Chairman Sururi Corabatir told Reuters: "We had hopes for 2021. But unfortunately the case numbers have not been at the desired levels."
At the beginning of March, Turkish officials said they were prepared to let in unvaccinated British tourists, as long as they'd received a negative test.
But the UK is unlikely to add Turkey to its list of "green" countries, due to be announced this Friday.
Green list destinations, which won't require Brit to quarantine when returning to the UK, is expected to be small from May 17, including destinations such as Portugal, Malta, Gibraltar, Iceland and Israel.
Turkey is likely to be on the amber or red list, which will require a mandatory 10-day quarantine back in the UK.
Under the restrictions in Turkey, in place until at least May 17, locals must stay at home but for essential shopping trips and to receive urgent medical treatment.
Travel between cities will require official approval, while schools are closed and there are strict capacity limits on public transport.
Traditional holiday hotspots, including France, Spain, Greece and Italy, look set to be classed as amber for the time being as Europe battles a spike in cases.
Meanwhile, a source has claimed even countries on the green list could be swapped to the red list with little warning if cases surge unexpectedly or a new variant of concern is identified.
Portugal and Cyprus hope to welcome UK tourists from mid-May.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
Are consumer prices in the major economies seeing improvements now that oil prices are holding off from more losses?
Let’s take a look at the latest economic releases and see if you can spot any forex trade opportunities.
For forex newbies out there, you should know that central banks tend to look at inflation closely, as they give cues on overall consumer activity in the economy.
Take note that we are looking at annualized consumer price index (CPI), which measures the prices of a basket of consumer goods and services. Core CPI numbers exclude the impact of volatile items such as oil prices.
While most economies release monthly numbers, others like Australia and New Zealand tend to release quarterly figures.
- Annualized CPI up from 0.7% to 1.4% in January, the highest since October 2014.
- Core CPI up from 2.1% to 2.2%, above the Fed’s 2.0% targets for the third month in a row and the highest in four and a half years.
- Driven higher by rent, transportation, and medical care.
- 3 rate hikes in 2016 back on the table? Core PCE price index, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, is still at 1.4% (against 2.0% targets) in December.
- Annualized CPI up from 1.6% to 2.0% in January, the highest reading since November 2014.
- Core CPI up from 1.9% to 2.0% against January last year.
- Food cost (+4.0%) and transportation (+2.2%) rose at a faster pace and gasoline prices rose for the first time since October 2014.
- Since Canadians import a lot of their food, the weak Loonie might have factored in making food prices more expensive.
- Annualized CPI up from 0.2% to 0.3% in January, the third consecutive rise and a 12-month high.
- Core CPI settled down from 1.4% to 1.2%
- Major boosts came from higher housing and utility prices.
- Don’t hold your hopes up. The BOE recently downgraded its growth, wages, and inflation forecasts.
- Annualized CPI up from 0.2% to 0.4% in January the fourth consecutive increase and its highest since October 2014.
- Core CPI inches up from 0.9% to 1.0%.
- Boosted by price of services (+1.2%) and cost of food, alcohol, and tobacco (+1.1%). Oil prices (-5.3%) still dragged the overall figures.
- The ECB is targeting “close to but below 2.0%” inflation and is widely expected to introduce more stimulus in March.
- Annualized CPI fell by another 1.3%, similar to December’s figures and the 15th consecutive decline.
- No core CPI data in January, but December’s figures show a 0.9% decline from November’s 1.0% downtick.
- Prices were driven lower by declines in transportation (-4.6%), communication (-2.1%), and miscellaneous good and services (-2.1%).
- No January figures yet but December’s 0.2% increase is slightly lower than December and November’s 0.3% uptick.
- Core CPI stayed at 0.1% from November to December.
- Consumer prices are dragged lower by energy, transportation, and housing prices.
- Will the muted inflation give the BOJ more reasons to deepen its negative interest rates?
- Annualized CPI up by 1.8% in January, the highest since August 2015.
- Core CPI unchanged at 1.5% in December.
- Price acceleration was mainly due to the Lunar New Year celebrations and may not be sustainable.
- Data released on a quarterly basis.
- Consumer prices up by 1.7% through the year to December, up by 1.5% from Q3 2015. It’s the fastest growth since Q1 2014.
- Core CPI up by 2.2% in Q4 2015, higher than Q3 2015’s 2.1% growth.
- The RBA is targeting a range of 2.0% – 3.0% inflation, which is why it’s saying that Australia’s inflation “provides scope for further easing.” Yipes!
- Data also released on a quarterly basis.
- Q4 2015 consumer prices haven’t reflected the improvement in oil prices, only up by 0.1% vs. Q4 2014.
- Lower oil (-7.0%) and vegetable prices (-17.0%) dragged numbers the most.
- Recent inflation outlook reports reflect expectations of lower consumer prices, which support the RBNZ’s dovish bias.
Putting it all together:
While some major economies haven’t printed their January figures yet, we can see that the slight increases in oil prices (or even just the lack of further losses) have already pushed the consumer prices of other economies to their fastest paces in months.
If oil prices continue to improve and global inflation continues to respond positively to those gains, then some central banks might be inspired to chill out from their extreme easing measures and even contemplate tightening their policies *cough* BOE *cough*.
For now though, it looks like the consumer prices of the major economies are slowly recovering from the previous oil price slumps.


text:
Ren’s Pets is expanding by eight new stores in 2023 and are planning to continue to expand and fill in gaps throughout Canada, one of these stores is going to be opening in Newfoundland – a province Ren’s Pets have not been in yet.
“It is an Ontarian and Maritimes expansion, and at this point we are filling in the gaps,” says Scott Arsenault, the CEO of Ren’s Pets. “I have been with Ren’s Pets for eleven years and the one thing that keeps coming back to me is we need more stores. Every market we have gone into we haven’t had one Ren’s Pets that was unsuccessful, which is exciting as we have never needed to close a store in 47 years. It is just about opportunities and how we will make sure we live up to each one.”
“Three of the stores are out in the Maritimes which is really exciting,” says Larissa Wasyliw, the VP of E-commerce and Marketing for Ren’s Pets. “We have five stores out there right now and this will be another three and PEI and Newfoundland are brand new provinces for us, so that will be exciting. The whole Eastern Canada seems to be welcoming to Ren’s Pets so it is exciting to be able to build our store network in that area. So the next eight stores that are for 2023 really start to build Ren’s Pets in a way we have not done before.”
Below are the eight new stores that will be opening.
- St. John New Brunswick, located at 90 Consumers Drive. This store will be 9889 square feet and will be opening in April.
- Brockville, located at 2098 Parkdale Avenue in Ontario. This store will be 8600 square feet and will be opening in April.
- St. John’s Newfoundland, located at 56 Aberdeen Avenue. This will be the first Ren’s Pets in Newfoundland. It will be 9996 square feet and will be opening in April.
- St. Thomas, located at 1063 Talbot Street in Ontario. This store will be 8100 square feet and will be opening in May.
- Cornwall, located at 501 Tollgate Road in Ontario. This store will be 6650 square feet and will be opening in May.
- Oakville, located at 270 North Service Road in Ontario. This will be the second store in Oakville, along with its flagship store. It will be 6900 square feet and will be opening in June.
- Charlottetown, located at 80 Buchanan Drive in Prince Edward Island. This will be the first store in PEI. It will be 6700 square feet and is opening in July.
- Owen Sound, located at 1555-18th Avenue East, Sydenham Heights in Ontario. This will be 9200 square feet and will be opening in August.
Two New Provinces
Ren’s Pets decided to open stores in two new provinces, Newfoundland and PEI, as they continue to look for new opportunities to expand across Canada. And Ren’s Pets has been waiting for these locations for a while. As winter months can be harsh in Newfoundland, Arsenault said with the larger store, 9996 square feet, it can stock more products in case there are issues with shipping.
“That was our A site and our A demographic. Newfoundland has long been on our list, we just wanted to make sure that we move with the full support of the team. One of the things we talk about for your pet’s best life is food as it is the number one requirement for any pet parents and making sure you are not switching or transitioning it. So, we need to make sure that this store is stocked appropriately and that it has enough weeks of supply that if there were any interruptions we would be able to serve the pet community really well so that is going to be an exciting one,” says Arsenault.
Arsenault said they see the maritimes being a 12-15 store market and are looking to opening more in the East Coast soon, and “even Newfoundland could be a multiple store market, it is just a matter of filling out all the gaps.
Second Location in Oakville
Oakville is where Ren’s Pets opened its first location 47 years ago, and in June – it will be opening its second location there.
“Oakville is going to be our second location there. The first one is our flagship store and the first ever Ren’s Pets, so we are excited to be able to build a second location in that area. What is really fun about the other seven stores, is that we have been traditionally a GTA type of company, so this really starts to fill out the rest of Ontario,” says Wasyliw.
As Oakville is growing in size and in population, Arsenault said it is getting tougher for people to travel from the top end of Oakville to the bottom as it can take around thirty minutes.
“Oakville is one of the leading cities in Canada in terms of population, demographics, and in pets spend. We feel like we are undeserving the south, so we are looking to put a store that will be readily available for those consumers and we just wanted to be more localized to the south end of Oakville,” says Arsenault.
Future Expansion Plans
The eight stores that will be opening in 2023 were the only ones discussed; however, Ren’s Pets will be making its way across Canada. Arsenault said the minimum goal for Ontario would be to have around 100 stores and will expand to go all the way to British Columbia.
“We have a wish list. We see Ontario to be a minimum of around 100 stores, so that is what we have mapped out. We are going to head out West at some point and open more stores in the Maritimes. We have done really well in Ottawa and we have learned a lot through our two Halifax stores, so those lessons are really going to help us now as we look out West, We have been giving out a road map to fill out the rest of Canada, but we just have to do it in a manner that is responsible and aggressive – but not reckless,” says Arsenault.
Wasyliw and Arsenault said Ren’s Pets as a loyalty program, along with other data information, that helps them collect data information from customers and use the information to help find site selections and where their customers are coming from. In the next five years, Arsenault said he can see opening around a 100, but they have to wait for the right opportunity to come to them.
“We are very solid in who we are, we really believe we are here for your pets best life and that is what our employees stand behind. That is one thing that makes Ren’s Pets different is our core values and what we believe in as a company. Our brand is well recognized as it is Canadian owned and operated – which means a lot to people these days. Customers know when they are coming to us, they are getting the best food, the best treats, and the best pet toys they can get. Pets are family, and we are here to support them. The company started 47 years ago and how amazing it is that we now have 44 stores, two more to open, and eight more next year – it is just a great Canadian story.”


text:
NEW YORK, Apr 5, 2008 / FW/ — Shane and Shawn, a footwear brand that seamlessly fuses fashion and function – makes its long awaited debut! The opening of the NYC Flagship heralds the brand’s expansion.
On Tuesday, Apr 8, from 6:30 till 8:30 PM, the Shane and Shawn Flagship boutique gala opening will be hosted by Bijou Phillips.
To celebrate the flagship boutique, a party will be held at the sleek new Nolita store and will feature footwear from the brand’s acclaimed current spring/summer collection. Men and women’s footwear will be on display from the Detny and Shane and Shawn Collections.
It was Fall 2003 when Detny by SHANE&SHAWN was launched It was in Spring 2006 that the brothers took their already established brand to the next level by introducing SHANE&SHAWN, a sophisticated dress collection.
Within five years from the original launch Shane & Shawn had gathered an impressive celebrity fan based – Fergi, Green Day, Jamie Foxx, WILL.I.AM, David Beckham, Kevin Spacey, New York Giant – Reuben Droughns, Cleveland Brown – Braylon Edwards, Frenchie Davis, Rachel Smith & Gregg Bello.
WHAT: Shane and Shawn Flagship Boutique Launch
WHERE: 238 Mulberry Street, New York City (Prince and Spring)
WHEN: Tuesday April 8th from 6.30pm to 8.30pm


text:
News Companies Klöckner&Co 10 March 2023
In 2022, the company's deliveries fell by 4.1% y/y
The steel and metal distributor Klöckner&Co will reorganize its sites in France in 2023. This was stated by the company’s CEO, Guido Kerkhoff, reports Ksllanish.
Klöckner will not reduce the scope of its activities in the country. It is planned mainly to change the locations of more efficient work, which will mean the closure of a number of sites. The company intends to focus on larger facilities.
Klöckner has 24 sites in France, of which 11 are projected to be closed. It has commenced negotiations with trade unions, and as of yet will not anticipate the possible outcome, chief financial officer Oliver Falk told Kallanish on the sidelines of the event. Therefore, Klöckner wants to keep only the larger warehouses with faster turnover rates in the French regions.
The company calls it an initiative focused on the growth of the hub structure in France. This will have a negative financial impact on earnings, which, however, may be offset by the medium-term benefit from asset disposals.
Simultaneously, according to Nebenwerte Magazin, the company is expanding its product portfolio by acquiring assets in North America and Europe. In particular, at the end of 2022, the acquisition of National Material of Mexico (NMM) by the American subsidiary of Klöckner – Kloeckner Metals Corporation (KMC) was announced. The point is that NMM and KMC complement each other well in terms of regional coverage and customer segments. In addition, this acquisition is an attractive entry point into the electrical steel market, which offers great growth potential. The deal is subject to antitrust approval and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023.
In 2022, Klöckner&Co deliveries fell by 4.1% y/y – to 4.68 million tons. At the same time, sales last year increased by 26% compared to 2021 – up to €9.4 billion thanks to higher average price levels.
The company also expects that the global steel market will return to normal in 2023, despite the difficult economic situation. Therefore, stronger demand dynamics in Klöckner’s key sales markets in Europe and the US should be accompanied by significantly higher volumes of supplies compared to FY2022. However, despite rising steel prices in early 2023, the company expects lower year-on-year prices and correspondingly lower sales.
As GMK Center reported earlier, Liberty Steel UK in January has announced its intention to focus on the production of high-margin products and suspend the production of unprofitable, with partial release of idle personnel. In connection with the liquidation of unprofitable enterprises, the Liberty Steel Newport plants and the Liberty Performance Steel West Bromwich processing plants, which will be turned into sales and distribution centers of the company’s products, are subject to shutdown.


text: Latest News Essilor Announces Acquisition of LensTech and Plans for X-Cel Optical By Staff Friday, February 1, 2013 12:27 AM CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France— Essilor International (ESSI: PA) announced yesterday that it has acquired LensTech Optical, a wholesale optical laboratory in Greenwood, Ind. that generates annual revenue of $6 million. The purchase price was not disclosed. Essilor said in a statement that it plans to provide LensTech, now an Essilor partner lab, with new technologies that will speed the distribution of its flagship brands, including Varilux and Crizal, in Indiana and other markets the lab serves in the Midwest. An Essilor spokesperson confirmed that lab’s management team, consisting of Bill Harding, Greg Dallas and Greg Kyle, will remain in place. Essilor also revealed additional details about its recent acquisition of an 80 percent share in X-Cel Optical, an ophthalmic lens manufacturer based in Sauk Rapids, Minn., which was previously reported in VMail. “The development of the X-Cel Optical product line, which fits very well with Essilor’s, will be led by the Group’s various distribution networks in the U.S., comprising both proprietary and independent laboratories, and around the world,” said Essilor. “The X-Cel Optical offer may also be moved upmarket, using Essilor’s leading-edge technologies, in particular the Crizal range of surface coatings, as a lever.” According to Essilor, the partnership with X-Cel will enable Essilor to optimize its sourcing strategy. Additionally, Essilor and X-Cel Optical may also share their engineering skills and capabilities to optimize their production processes, the company said.


text:
A showcase of enterprises by students was on view at the three-day 10th USC Entrepreneurs’ Fair held at Ayala Center Cebu starting last Sunday until yesterday, September 9.
The Entrepreneurs’ Fair is a semestral event which forms part of the core requirements of the Business Practicum Program of the Department of Business Administration.
There are 18 enterprises, 17 of which sell food. “While there is no theme for this semester’s fair it just so happens most of us got into food,” said Carlos Gothong of Fujinoya, a Japanese restaurant.
According to The Executive Chronicle (TEC), the Entrepreneurs’ Fair is “centered on reinforcing the entrepreneurial spirit of the BS-Entrepreneurship students by engaging them in the outside university setting to harness their skills as a way to take business to a higher growth plane.”
The Entrepreneur’s Fair started back in 2009 with two fairs per year and is now on its 5th year.
“The projects actually go through a long process,” Mrs Maria Vallez, the coordinator of the business practicum program stated, making mention of students that often see the project as “spur of the moment” activities.
She added that studies are done long before and presented to a number of professors before the go-aheads are given. Performance is monitored and the students even have to defend their projects.
“It’s not only about sales,” replies Anne Bacunawa of Quenchers when asked about what it takes to succeed in an enterprise. “While sales are important, other factors such as complying with requirements are taken into account.”
In terms of advantage, Bacunawa said, “Our advantage was sourcing of supplies.” Gothong on the other hand mentioned that his advantage was “scale.”
The Entrepreneurs’ Fair hosted a range of activities and performances and was topped by Charlene Dasig being crowned Ms. Entrep Fair 2014.


text:
Peter Costa of Empire Executions and Charles Bobrinskoy of Ariel Investments told CNBC on Friday, how investors can prepare their portfolios for the weekend.
Microsoft—“I’ve been playing with the Bing, the new search engine, and it’s not bad," Costa told CNBC. "When they sell every Windows-based computer, they’ll have it on so they’ll have a built-in market...It will be a competitor to Google and this company has a ton of cash…I still think it has a long way to go.”
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF—“A lot of underlying power in the consumer that over the next 6 to 9 months, it’s going to start rolling out," he said. "People are going to start spend more… It has a broad mix of companies in it that will help benefit the ETF.”
Johnson & Johnson—“We think earnings are going to be up…it’s just way too cheap here,” said Bobrinskoy.
Accenture—“We still think there’s great value. People are worried about what they do with financial companies but there’s going to be long-term IT services growth around the world and Accenture is way too cheap at less than 12 times earnings,” he said.
No immediate information was available for Bobrinskoy or Costa.


text:
Articles about iPhone X
28 Jan 2021
iPhone SE Plus' design and specifications leaked
As an addition to its line-up of affordable SE-badged smartphones, Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone SE Plus model sometime in April.
27 Nov 2020
#DealOfTheDay: iPhone Xr is available with Rs. 8,900 discount
If you are planning to own a premium smartphone, this might be a suitable opportunity for you. Flipkart is offering a discount of Rs. 8,901 on the iPhone Xr (64GB storage model).
15 Oct 2020
Flipkart Big Billion Days: Top-deals on Apple and Samsung smartphones
Flipkart has kicked-off its Big Billion Days sale in India starting today for Flipkart Plus members. For other users, the sale will go live starting tomorrow i.e. October 16.
14 Oct 2020
Apple's iPhone 11, Xr, SE (2020) have become remarkably cheaper
Apple has reduced the prices of its previous-generation iPhones including the iPhone SE (2020), iPhone Xr, and iPhone 11 in India by up to Rs. 14,200.
17 Sep 2020
#TechBytes: How to install all-new iOS 14 on your iPhone
After months of beta testing, Apple's latest operating systems, the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, have been released to the public.
25 Aug 2020
Now, Apple's iPhone SE 2020 is 'Made in India'
In a major development, Apple has started making iPhone SE 2020 locally in India.
05 Aug 2020
Flipkart Big Saving Days sale: Top deals on best-selling smartphones
Flipkart is all set to host the Big Saving Days sale on its platform from August 6. Under the sale, which will end on August 10, the e-commerce giant will offer attractive discounts on some of the top-selling smartphones.
24 Jul 2020
Apple is now making iPhone 11 in India: Piyush Goyal
A few weeks ago, a report suggested that Apple's contract manufacturer Foxconn is looking to expand the production of iPhones at its Chennai plant by investing up to $1 billion.
16 Jul 2020
#DealOfTheDay: Apple iPhone Xs is available with Rs. 33,000 discount
If you are planning to own an Apple iPhone, today might be a suitable opportunity. Amazon is offering a massive Rs. 33,000 discount on the 256GB variant of the flagship iPhone Xs.
28 Jun 2020
iPhone SE scores a decent 101 in DxOMark camera tests
Apple's newly-launched budget handset, the iPhone SE (2020), has been reviewed by DxOMark.
18 Jun 2020
Flipkart Big Saving Days sale: Top deals revealed
Flipkart is all set to kick off the Big Saving Days sale on its platform from June 23. Under the four-day sale, which will end on June 27, the e-commerce giant will offer a massive discount on some of the best-selling smartphones.
08 Jun 2020
Several iPhone 11 Pro users report 'Green tint' display issue
Several users of iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max have reported that a green tint appears on the display after they unlock the handset.
04 Jun 2020
#TechBytes: Best premium smartphones you can currently buy in India
Due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the sale of smartphones got affected. However, this was a temporary setback as the market has returned in full-swing and several top-notch devices are up for grabs again (the demand has not picked up though).
01 May 2020
iPhones will skip Face ID authentication for people wearing masks
The outbreak of coronavirus has made face masks and protective gear 'the new normal'.
15 Apr 2020
Finally, Apple launches new iPhone SE at Rs. 42,500
After months of leaks and rumors, the affordable, second-generation 'iPhone SE' - which many called iPhone 9 - is finally here.
07 Apr 2020
Apple iPhone 12 will have four variants, specifications leaked
Apple's next batch of flagship smartphones, likely to arrive as part of the iPhone 12 series, could include as many as four different models, according to prototyping details leaked by tech analyst Jon Prosser.
01 Apr 2020
After Xiaomi, Apple and Samsung increase smartphone prices in India
With the recently-announced 50% hike in GST rates on mobile phones coming into effect today, Apple and Samsung have followed in the footsteps of Xiaomi to increase the prices of their smartphones in India.
26 Mar 2020
Apple, Samsung suspend India production amid coronavirus lockdown
In compliance with the 21-day, nation-wide lockdown enforced by the Indian government to combat the spread of coronavirus, leading smartphone manufacturers Samsung and Apple have suspended most of their operations in the country.
24 Mar 2020
Amazon Fab Phones Fest: Unmissable deals on best-selling smartphones
Amazon has kicked off a fresh round of its Fab Phones Fest in India, offering attractive deals and discounts on some of the best-selling smartphones.
17 Mar 2020
Apple reportedly working on affordable 'iPhone 9 Plus' too
We already know about Apple's plan to launch an entry-level iPhone 9 or iPhone SE 2 model.
12 Mar 2020
This app brings multi-camera capabilities on iPhone 11 series
FiLMiC has launched a new app that promises to transform the iPhone into a multi-cam studio by allowing you to record videos from two cameras at the same time.
08 Mar 2020
Will Apple iPhone 12 look like this?
Apple's iPhone 12 is several months away from going official but that hasn't stopped the artists from imagining how it will look like.
05 Mar 2020
Apple won't manufacture iPhone 11 in India: Here's why
A few days back, Apple chief Tim Cook announced the company's plan to launch its first brick-and-mortar store in India.
26 Feb 2020
Apple's low-cost iPhone Xr was the best-selling smartphone of 2019
Apple's iPhone Xr was the best-selling smartphone of 2019, according to research firm Omida. The low-cost flagship, which was launched alongside the iPhone Xs series in 2018, recorded over 46 million shipments last year to outsell every other handset in the market.
16 Feb 2020
Flipkart Mobile Bonanza Sale: Deals and discounts on popular smartphones
Flipkart is all set to host the Mobile Bonanza sale on its platform from tomorrow.
04 Feb 2020
Flipkart Apple Days Sale: Incredible discounts on iPhones
Flipkart is all set to kick off its Apple Days sale from tomorrow i.e February 5. Under the sale, which will end on February 8, the e-commerce giant will offer incredible discounts on some of the best-selling iPhones such as the iPhone Xs, iPhone 11 series, and iPhone Xr.
26 Jan 2020
Vivo beats Samsung, grabs second spot in Indian smartphone market
Vivo has surpassed Samsung to become the second-biggest smartphone company in India in the last quarter of 2019, according to market research firm Counterpoint.
22 Jan 2020
Cheapest iPhone till date could be launched in March: Report
Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone, popularly referred to as iPhone SE 2 on the internet, could be launched sometime in March this year, according to a Bloomberg report.
11 Jan 2020
Amazon Great Indian Sale 2020 announced: Details here
Amazon has announced the first round of its popular Great Indian Sale for 2020 from January 19.
25 Dec 2019
Apple iPhone Xr was the top-selling smartphone of 2019
Apple's bid to offer an affordable iPhone experience with iPhone Xr finally appears to be paying off.
09 Dec 2019
Apple is planning to launch its cheapest iPhone till date
After launching iPhone 8, Apple jumped straight to iPhone X and then to the newer models.
08 Dec 2019
Flipkart's Apple Days sale: Exciting offers on iPhones and iPads
If you're planning to buy a new iPhone or iPad, today might be a good time.
02 Dec 2019
5 countries you can visit under Rs. 1 lakh
Given the way gadgets are priced these days, one can't buy a lot of high-tech devices in a Rs. 1 lakh budget.
26 Nov 2019
Amazon Fab Phones Fest sale: Top deals on best-selling smartphones
Amazon is back with yet another edition of its Fab Phones Fest sale.
26 Nov 2019
Huawei's flagship has better audio than iPhone 11 Pro Max
Due to the missing Google services support (because of the ongoing trade war between China and US), Huawei's latest flagships may not be attractive software-wise, but they still manage to beat competitors with well-crafted hardware.
21 Nov 2019
iPhone 12 or Galaxy S11: Which one will look better?
In 2020, the smartphone wars will no longer be exclusive to camera performance. Instead, battlefronts will expand to include factors like design, high refresh rate displays, faster charging, and GPU performance.
18 Nov 2019
These Nokia smartphones have become cheaper in India
If you're planning to buy a new premium smartphone that offers pure Android experience, then this might be a good time.
17 Nov 2019
Amazon 'Apple Days' sale: Deals on iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, Watch
Amazon's Apple Days sale is currently live in India with great deals available on Apple products.
22 Oct 2019
Now, Apple iPhone Xr is being manufactured in India
Apple's famous 'affordable' smartphone, the iPhone Xr, now comes with the 'Made in India' tag.
19 Oct 2019
Shocking! Pixel 4 face unlock works even if you're asleep
When Google unveiled Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, we all were pretty excited.


text:
Asia next cruising hot spot for Australian travellers
Asia has been earmarked as the next cruising hotspot for Australians as global cruise and tour company Princess Cruises announces plans to be the first premium cruise line to have ships based in Singapore, China and Japan.
Stuart Allison, Vice President Australia and New Zealand of Princess Cruises told Global Travel Media that the move will help elevate Asia to one of Australians' most sought after cruise destinations.
"Australians want to cruise to exotic destinations close to home so that's a big part of Asia's appeal," he said. "Our cruises combine the regions most desirable destinations into one holiday where our guests can unpack once and wake up in amazing locations."
The cruise industry is experiencing strong rates of growth worldwide including Australia where according to Tourism Australia the sector is expected to grow 17 per cent in 2013/14.
The strong Australian dollar has made overseas travel more affordable for many Australians and cruising offers them new way to see the region.
When travelling overseas, it's important to have the right level of travel insurance cover for your trip. Some standard travel insurance policies do not include cruise cover so it's important to read the fine print of any policy and shop around. According to the Mozo database, the cost of travel insurance for a couple travelling for a 10 day trip to Singapore and Thailand, with a cruise component included range from $72 per couple for basic cover up to $242 for full comprehensive cover. Compare travel insurance options on Mozo here.


text:
While we hear a constant drum beat that trust in the news media continues to drop, it’s not the same for advertising. In fact, more people think ads are more honest than they were three years ago, according to a YouGuv survey in March.
Trust but verify
Still, 64% of US adults think there should be stronger requirements for advertising in proving claims. That’s up from 58% in 2014.
Print, TV, Catalog, Radio ads top the trustworthy list
Legacy media predictably tops the list of ad trustworthiness.
The mediums have evolved over time and so have the advertising practices. Digital popups ranked the lowest on the scale (who likes them?).
We’ve all been burned by click bait articles, ads disguised as content, and pesky popups online. It’s no surprise that these practices taint the medium itself when it comes to advertising.
SOURCE: MarketingSherpa via eMarketer
Compare that a Gallup poll from September which showed trust levels in mass media dropping to its lowest level in history.
Only 32% of those surveyed said they had “a great deal or fair amount of trust” in the media. In 1976, that number was 72%. Ouch.
So, more people trust the ads in the news than trust the news itself.


text:
Japan has a red cheeseburger making its debut in July, and people can’t stop talking about it. According to Kotaku, the new item will be available at Burger King locations in Japan beginning on July 3. Less than one year after the “black cheeseburger” was introduced, the chain came up with this new menu item that is nothing short of creative, and it probably tastes good too — if you like spicy, that is.
“Called the ‘Aka Burger’ (‘aka’ or 赤 means ‘red’), it comes in two types: Aka Samurai Beef and Aka Samurai Chicken. (Yes, Burger King Japan calls the chicken sandwich a burger, too). Both are served on red buns and filled with red cheese and red tomatoes. The burgers are slathered in a spicy sauce made from chili peppers and chili paste. Burger King Japan is calling this an ‘ANGRY sauce.’ “
Japan’s red cheeseburger looks more appetizing than the 2014 black cheeseburger, and sounds a little more appetizing, as well. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the black cheeseburger, called the “Kuro Burger,” had some interesting (to say the least) ingredients.
“The Kuro Burger has blackened buns that are made from bamboo charcoal. The toppings include an onion, garlic sauce that is made with squid ink, their classic beef patties topped with black pepper, and a black cheese that incorporates the bamboo charcoal.”
— Uli (@uliwitness) May 29, 2015
Of course, many people enjoyed last year’s special item, and there will be plenty of people trying this year’s new creation, even if it is a little intimidating.
— UCT Radio 104.5fm (@UCTRadio) June 17, 2015
In Japan, Burger King Has Red Cheeseburgers: Remember last year’s black cheeseburger? This year, Burger King is se… pic.twitter.com/r2dYjnSmFo
— Gamer (@games_24_365) June 17, 2015
According to the Wall Street Journal, the black burger is still available — and a new improved version (they added eggplant) will be available in August.
Anyone willing to try Japan’s red cheeseburger will pay about $5.00.
“The latest offering will cost ¥540 ($4.40). Aka Samurai Beef burgers will also be available for ¥690… The Kuro Shogun burgers will be available from Aug. 21 for ¥690.”
Would you try either one of these burgers? Which one sounds more appetizing to you?
[Photo via Twitter]


text:
UK: Jewellery Group Signet Reveals Sparkling Sales
British jewellery retailer Signet Group, owner of the H Samuel and Ernest chains, revealed Thursday that group like-for-like sales climbed 6.5 per cent in the eight weeks to December 24, compared to slight fall in the third quarter.
It added that UK same store sales rose by 9.7 per cent over the same period, compared with growth of 7.2 per cent in the third quarter. Comparable sales in the US rose 5.3 per cent, compared to a decline of 4.4 per cent in the third quarter.
In a statement, Signet Group chief executive, Terry Burman, said he was "very pleased with the group's performance over the important Christmas period".
- Steps to piloting living wage in garment factories
- US apparel retailers' November 2016 sales roundup
- Planning is key to an effective inventory strategy
- Why do modern robotics elude sportswear makers?
- Software for financial planning and operations
- Esquel efficiency drive continues to boost brands
- US Q3 in brief – Genesco, G-III Apparel, Express
- Columbia waterproof jacket first made without PFCs
- Myanmar garment industry "lacking labour rights"
- North Face parka features synthetic spider silk
- Outdoor performance apparel 2016: A broader perspective
- Footwear Top 5 Emerging Markets Industry Guide_2016
- Global market review of lingerie – forecasts to 2022
- Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, October 2016
- REPORT BUNDLE: Africa-Med, Southeast Asia and Central America strategic sourcing pack


text:
Sir Richard Branson checks out Deeper™ Fishfinder
Article Media Click images to enlarge +
One of the world’s best-known entrepreneurs, Sir Richard Branson, has been introduced to the Deeper™ Fishfinder, created by Lithuanian-based Friday Lab.
The owner of the Virgin Group visited the annual Forum One event in Kiev – the biggest business and leadership conference in Eastern Europe – where he met his long-time business friend, Vladas Lašas, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Friday Lab partner, UPS.
The two were discussing the most innovative Lithuanian start-ups during the show and Lašas introduced the Virgin Airlines chief to the Deeper Fishfinder.
The two businessmen talked about the merits of the Deeper Fishfinder before posing for a joint picture.
UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company, signed a distribution agreement with Friday Lab last year. “We are very happy to know that UPS supports and trusts our products,” said Rolandas Sereika, CMO and one of the co-founders of the Deeper start-up.
“Such great partnerships are significant to our business as we seek to provide our customers with the best product and service.”
• Friday Lab will be at next month’s ICAST, where it will be showing off its Deeper Fishfinder alongside a new feature on its mobile application – the Boat Mode Chart Plotting.
It has been introduced for those who want to know more about the bottom of the lake. The app will enable the creation of a map of fishing locations and the ability to save them in a database.
Deeper sonar is also giving anglers access to its unlimited fish finding history. Previously it was only possible to review 15 minutes of sonar. Now, every inch of Deeper’s path can be accessed.
Friday Lab ICAST Booth No.1343


text:
North West daddy is not Kanye West?
Olivier Rousteing, the handsome French designer at the helm of Balmain, was interviewed for the September issue of Vogue UK. The article features a photo of Rousteing as a child, which he then posted to his Instagram account. Immediately, the page exploded with comments saying that he looks exactly like North!
Some users pointed out that Kim Kardashian herself had liked the photo, while others were more blunt with their accusations. “KIM PROBABLY SLEPT WITH HIM,” said one fan, aptly named @imatroll911.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?


text:
News: leading UK design figures have nominated items including a light bulb, a coffee pot, an iPhone and a tin of anchovies as iconic contemporary objects to be buried in a time capsule at the ground breaking of the Design Museum's new home today. More
London Design Festival: "Legal systems don't really defend designers at all" when it comes to copying, British designer Tom Dixon told Dezeen today at the Global Design Forum, a day of talks from leading figures in the design world as part of the London Design Festival (+audio). More
News: "There may be architects that can design better than me but the important thing is making it happen," architect John Pawson told Dezeen today, at the ground breaking for the new London Design Museum that he's designed. More
Dezeen promotion: the A' Design Award has announced its World Design Rankings list of the countries with the highest concentration of talent in arts, architecture and design, with the USA coming first and the UK placed fifth. More
Our special issue of Dezeen Mail for the London Design Festival includes our free map of all the events taking place around the city, which has already been viewed by 35,000 people, plus details of the installations we commissioned in Seven Dials, the Dezeen Live series of talks at 100% Design and all of our pop-up shops this week.
London Design Festival: London designer Paul Cocksedge has made a giant chocolate QR code that visitors to The Dock during the London Design Festival can scan to get a free gift (or you could just scan the image in the bottom of this story). More
For those readers who asked to see more interiors from Zaha Hadid's Pierres Vives government building in Montpellier, here's a reading room lined with glowing bookcases by architect Stephane Hof (+ slideshow). More


text:
There has been a lot to celebrate in 2019 at The Boro. Between the site’s grand opening, recent retail openings, and tenant and resident move-ins, this year was a year of many exciting firsts. Amongst these grand openings, The Boro Connect, the transportation program at The Boro, launched this year!
We kicked off the program launch with a lunch event in honor of Try Transit Week at Boro Tower, where we celebrated the occasion with Tropical Smoothie and cookies. Tenants were also able to take the pledge to try transit during the week of September 16 – 20, 2019.
We also held a raffle for a Tropical Smoothie gift card and SmarTrip card. Next up, The Boro Connect celebrated the holiday season with the residents of Bolden with Breakfast On-The-Go. Residents enjoyed pastries, coffee, and hot chocolate and entered a raffle to win one of two $50 Flower Child gift card.
Thank you for making 2019 a year to remember for The Boro Connect! Stay tuned for upcoming events in 2020, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.


text:
OpenSea everything except affirmed through tweet Tuesday that Solana non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are coming to its commercial center for computerized collectibles.
In a “wen solana?” video prodding the April expansion – yet keeping a precise date – the organization esteemed at more than $13 billion mockingly uncovered “the trick of the trade in web3.”
Industry insiders have guessed this news for a lot of 2022. In late January, tech blogger Jane Manchun Wong spotted indications that OpenSea was preparing support for Solana advanced wallets. Indeed, even Tuesday, OpenSea’s web code is covered with notices of the quick and modest chain.
Solana would turn into the third layer 1 and fourth blockchain network whose NFTs can exchange on OpenSea, after Ethereum, Polygon and Klaytn. Among those, Solana is second just to advertise pioneer Ethereum in untouched NFT deals, per information tracker CryptoSlam.
OpenSea’s development could introduce a test to Magic Eden, the main commercial center for Solana NFTs.
Sorcery Eden right now overwhelms Solana NFT deals with more than 90% piece of the pie in the previous week, as per a Dune Analytics dashboard.
Enchantment Eden’s 2% exchange expense is 50 premise focuses underneath Opensea’s, giving purchasers and dealers a slight edge there. Whether that will be to the point of fighting off the market chief is not yet clear.


text:
STAMFORD, CT – HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), announced today that it has been selected by Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle (DFPV) of China to equip its new luxury segment mid size sedan, the Aeolus, with branded audio systems. HARMAN will provide a ten-speaker premium surround audio system for the Dongfeng Aeolus models, including powered subwoofer and vehicle audio amplifier.
“Dongfeng Motors is among China’s top automotive manufacturers, and we are pleased to work with DFPV to promote our new relationship and our branded audio solutions,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, the Company’s Chairman, President and CEO. “Dongfeng’s consumers desire an individual and uncompromising lifestyle, and our premium audio systems for the Aeolus will provide customers with an in-car listening experience perfectly customized to the car’s interior characteristics.”
HARMAN maintains manufacturing and R&D operations in Shanghai, Suzhou and Shenzhen, serving key customers such as Shanghai General Motors, BYD, and Geely. The Company recently announced a further US$100 million investment to bolster its manufacturing and research capabilities in the People’s Republic with new facilities in the city of Dandong. With more than 1200 employees currently in China, HARMAN has an established base from which to supply the foreign and domestic Chinese automakers in what has become the world’s largest automotive market.
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 12,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.6 billion for the twelve months ending March 31, 2011. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.


text:
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois is making changes to the way people receive unemployment benefits.
Those benefit payments will no longer be sent to state-issued debit cards. Starting December 27, anyone who chose that option will start getting paper checks instead.
This does not affect people who get their benefits through direct deposit.
IDES said the change comes after their vendor KeyBank made the decision to no longer provide debit cards for unemployment insurance benefits.
Claimants will still have access to remaining funds on their KeyBank debit card, but the cards will stop getting new funds on December 27.
Those who wish to switch to direct deposit need to create an ILogin account. For more information on switching to direct deposit, visit ides.illinois.gov/payment.


text:
Gefco UK has appointed Martin Rantle as commercial director to help drive a “key stage” in the company’s expansion strategy. As well as continuing to grow its traditional automotive logistics arm, the firm is also gaining momentum in new market sectors. In September last year it secured a major contract with Jaguar Land Rover, as well as being picked as multimodal partner for wine merchant Gerrard Seel. Rantle joins Gefco from Palletline, where he was executive director of sales and […]
Yorkshire-based Potter Logistics is the first third-party UK logistics company to purchase the 7.5 tonne Fuso Eco Canter Hybrid.
Having achieved record volume last year 2013 is set to be another record breaker, with the UK’s nine pallet networks on course to handle the most pallets through their systems that they have ever done since the launch of the concept two decades ago.
Palletforce is to expand operations in the South East, with plans to open a southern hub, following its acquisition of QTR Transport earlier this year.


text:
As we've mentioned here before, the wireless market, while it has a lot of competitors, isn't all that competitive for the 236 million consumers who subscribe to cellular service. There are onerous restrictions on what phones you can buy and on how you use the phones you have.
Many of these issues were raised in a petition filed by Skype Communications asking the FCC to recognize that cell phone users should have the same rights as those who use regular landline phones — the right to attach equipment and to use services they want.
Earlier today, six groups filed comments with the Commission in favor of Skype's petition. The members of the Ad Hoc Public Interest Spectrum Coalition signing the comments were (in alphabetical order): EDUCAUSE, Free Press, Media Access Project, New America Foundation, Public Knowledge and U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The full text of the comments is here.
In our comments to the Commission, the groups noted that under a 1968 FCC order, consumers using telephones connected to the wired telephone network “have the right to attach equipment and use applications of their choice.” The groups argued: “Wireless consumers deserve the same innovation-spawning rights.” The problem today, the groups said, is that: “Wireless carriers are hampering innovation and raising costs by using market, technical, and contractual barriers to limit consumer choice and reduce competition in communications software and consumer equipment.”
The groups asked the FCC to “adopt and enforce non-discrimination requirements for wireless Internet access networks.” According to the filing: “Wireless carriers actively interfere with consumer access to Internet content and services; therefore, the Commission, under its own reasoning in the 2005 Broadband Access Policy Statement, should prohibit wireless carriers from discriminating against consumer-chosen equipment, applications and content.” Wireless carriers “should not be allowed to leverage exclusive government spectrum licenses to thwart competition and restrict consumer choice in the related and rapidly evolving markets for wireless devices, applications and content,” the groups said.
The groups also recommended the Commission investigate wireless consumer service agreements, which often include hefty termination charges. According to the filing: “We believe these long-term unilateral agreements harm consumers and prevent market corrections.”
We know there will be a lot of opposition to the Skype petition, and to us, from the entrenched interests in the wireless industry. We think everyone will be better off with greater freedom, competition and flexibility — consumers, wireless companies, phone manufacturers and service providers.


text:
Despite a tough climate for car sales, David and Joe Hidy are investing nearly $10 million in two new automobile locations.
The co-owners of Hidy Ford are moving their dealership from Seajay Drive in Beavercreek down the road to a new $6 million facility on Heller Drive, next to Hidy Honda off U.S. Route 35.
"We decided moving next door makes more sense to us," David said. "It's a better location. We're on eight acres instead of five, and we will have a larger, new facility."
In addition to the new Ford store, the father-son combo has teamed up to purchase a Hyundai dealership. The new dealership, Hidy Hyundai, will be located in the former site of American Classic Cycles, also on Heller Drive. Dave said the total investment for buying the franchise, the facility and renovation costs will be about $3 million.
"Hyundai is a strong up and comer," Joe said. "They're a great franchise to get a hold of."
Tom Walker, executive vice president of the Dayton Area Auto Dealers Association, said the two new dealerships will make that part of Beavercreek a great spot for car shopping.
"It's helping turn that section of Beavercreek into a new automobile row," Walker said. "There's a really strong presence in the eastern half of the city."
The Hidys are hoping to open the new Hidy Ford location in December and are scheduled to open Hidy Hyundai in the next 60 to 90 days.
New jobs will be coming as well. David said he is looking to hire 15 new employees to work at Hidy Ford, which has 55 workers. Joe said they will hire between 35 and 45 employees to work at Hidy Hyundai.
Hidy Hyundai will be the second Hyundai location in the Dayton market. Joe said the manufacturer's product has improved over the years, and its affordable, gas efficient cars should sell well. Joe estimates they will sell more than 600 new cars annually from the Hyundai dealership.
The Hidys have already broken ground on the new Ford dealership, which will boast a 35,000-square-foot facility. The building will have a sleek, bold look, David said.
"It's a huge upgrade, the old store is tired," Joe said. "This location will pop off the road."
Joe expects to sell more than 700 new cars per year at the new Hidy Ford location. Through June of this year, Hidy Ford has sold 190 new vehicles.
Columbus-based Ricop Construction Co. is building the Ford store.
Having two new stores also means more commercials starring David Hidy, who is known for his silly car commercials.
"He will be doing some new commercials," Joe said. "I think he enjoys doing them."
David said both stores will have plenty of eyes looking at them because about 37,000 cars pass by on U.S. Route 35 every day.
"There's great visibility," he said.
Both Hidys said Hidy Ford saw a decline in sales when the state closed the Route 35 exit ramp near Seajay Drive about two years ago. They are expecting an increase in sales because of the new store and better location.
"We absolutely expect an increase in sales from this new location," Joe said. "It's tough to gauge how much it will increase, but we think it will be a sizeable increase in sales."
David said while Ford's sales have been down nationally, he thinks sales will pick up.
"We're hoping to see more," David said. "We feel that Ford will get it together."
Joe said the company's focus on streamlining operations, switching over to building cars on a global platform and creating smaller, fuel efficient vehicles, will help Ford bounce back.
"They are the domestic manufacturer that is doing the most things right," he said.
Larry Taylor, president of Beau Townsend Ford and Beau Townsend Nissan in Vandalia, said relocating the Ford dealership was a smart decision.
"It's a good move," Taylor said. "It will centralize their operations. Logistically, it will work much better for them."
Taylor said owning a Ford dealership is a good investment.
"They do it right," Taylor said. "They have a clean store, good customer service and a great reputation."
Since Joe started working with his father full-time six years ago, his goal has been to grow the company. He said these dealerships will help him achieve that goal.
"I've been working to grow the family business," he said. "I'm hoping to continue to do that."
E-mail email@example.com. Call (937) 528-4427.


text:
The opportunity: Inflation is driving up the cost of virtually everything right now, including bags we use in operations to cover and protect smaller packages when shipping. In Anastasia Elias’s role she is laser focused on price and saw an opportunity to find a more affordable alternative.
She researched and found a more sustainable bags made from recycled plastics – which creates 25% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than using a new plastic product – at a better price.
By approaching a business challenge with both priorities in mind, Anastasia achieved a win-win for the company. And there was a bonus win too – she sourced the sustainable material from a women-owned business.
Get inspired: The UPS Sustainability Trailblazers hosts webinars to highlight all the ways UPSers are integrating sustainability into their everyday work and inspiring others to do the same.
In her words: “Sustainability is my personal value,” she said. “My advice is to continually challenge the status quo and be part of the change.”
What’s next: Anastasia has her eyes set on adding a closed-loop recycling program. That means suppliers could continue recycling indefinitely without having a negative impact on the environment.
If that’s not enough: She’s also working to create sustainable bags that could replace steel drums (a nonrenewable resource) to safely dispose of hazardous waste.
“I’m very excited for what’s next,” Anastasia said. “I hope I’m proof that you can find sustainable solutions in everything you do.”


text:
Nintendo's American chief, Reggie Fils-Aime, has gone on-record on CNN to state that the Wii U versions of 3rd-party games like Call of Duty look 'dramatically better' on Wii U. It's the kind of claim we would have accepted some 12 months ago when we thought Wii U was going to be more powerful than Xbox 360/PS3, but Call of Duty: Black Ops II Wii U is already out in the US so we can see for ourselves. Consensus opinion is that it isn't better. Slightly different, yes, but certainly not 'dramatically better'.
Here's the interview in question (skip to 2:18 for the section in question):


text:
One of the most mind-boggling markets right now is that of rare Nissan Skylines. It wasn’t too long ago we brought you the news of a Tommy Kaira R34 which didn’t meet its reserve despite bidding reaching over £200,000. That seems a bargain relative to the £1.6m a Z-Tune sold for in 2022 and £700k an R33 Nismo 400R went for earlier this year.
Well, there’s another one about to go for auction, and it’s one to keep an eye on if you’re looking to make an investment, or just want to join us in crying as prices for GT-Rs go ever further out of reach.
This is an R32 GT-R V Spec II N1, built as a homologation special for Japanese N1 racing. Based on the already-special Nismo version of the R32, the N1 took things a step further to be ready for the track.
Changes over a standard V Spec II included a revised front bumper, along with the deletion of ABS. Various weight-saving measures were made too, with the removal of the rear wiper, air conditioning, boot carpet and sound system, plus lighter headlights.
Officially, the 2.6-litre RB26 straight-six still made 276bhp. But with uprated turbochargers, you can be sure that figure, which was already believed to be a conservative one, was comfortably above 300bhp.
The N1 is a particularly desirable R32, with only 63 made. Furthermore, this 1994 example was never registered for road use, and as a result, it only has six miles on the clock. It even comes with the original plastic seat covers, factory floormats and toolkit, plus three keys. Being 29 years old, it’s legal for US import too.
Up for auction in Japan through Collecting Cars, bidding sits at $53,111 (approx. £42k) at the time of writing with five days left.


text:
Spendabit, the Bitcoin Product Search Engine, expands operations in Europe
Spendabit, the first global product search engine for Bitcoin launched in July 2014, announces the appointment of blockchain advocate Lisa Gibbons as Head of European Partnerships. Lisa has over 12 years experience in growth marketing and business development across a wide range of fintech and e-commerce platforms. She is active in the NFT space and a believer in the power of blockchain technology to enhance living standards across all walks of life.
As an advocate, Lisa Gibbons has plans to help Spendabit expand its reach across all European countries through various events and partnership initiatives.
“I am delighted to represent a company that inspires me and I feel passionate about becoming Head of European Partnerships. Spendabit already supports large retail partners and is now rolling out support to smaller organisations who wish to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment, I believe Spendabit is at the forefront of bridging the gap between crypto curiosity and consumer adoption.”
Recommended for You
In order for Bitcoin to be truly accepted into the mainstream it has to be offered as a means of payment across multiple industries. Some industries have been adapting to the changes at speed, such as the Sports Arena and Celebrities. Others, including many in the FMCG (consumer goods) industry are more reluctant. Spendabit wants to connect with all of these retailers who are already accepting Bitcoin, open to new payment mechanisms or simply curious about the future of finance.
“It is our belief that Bitcoin provides a pathway towards a more transparent, equal financial system. We work with key product/service providers across all industries. From cars to coffee and everything in between, we want to showcase the broad array of uses for crypto-currencies to the world,” says co-founder Devan Calabrez.
Spendabit has partnered with many merchants and innovators in the crypto-currency space and continues to seek opportunities to make the technology more accessible to the average person.
“It’s always encouraging to speak with product leaders and visionaries in the space who see the real value proposition of Bitcoin, and crypto-currency in general. It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far. I remember the days when the idea of ‘digital currency’ was routinely mocked and you’d be lucky if you could spend your coins anywhere. But today I think we may be close to crypto payments becoming ubiquitous for online transactions,” says Chris Wagner, co-founder of Spendabit.
Spendabit (https://www.spendabit.co/) is a search engine that helps people find places to spend bitcoin and other crypto-currencies. Started in 2014, Spendabit grew its partnerships organically with larger companies like Overstock who had the foresight to recognise the trend towards spending in crypto-currencies. Since then it has expanded into over 15 countries with plans to grow in Europe, it is pleased to currently offer products and services from hundreds of validated suppliers across a wide range of industries.


text:
When Pfizer created erectile dysfunction drug Viagra and launched in the US, it was a prescription primarily based medicine. But with 威爾剛 coming into into the market existence of Viagra in excess of the many years, the drug has now grow to be obtainable in the United kingdom pharmaceutical market as an over-the-counter medicine.
Alliance boots, the chain of chemist shops in the United kingdom has announced that three of its pharmacies based in Manchester would start to market Viagra as an above-the-counter solution from Valentine working day onwards which is an sign that in Uk, the reputation of the anti-impotency drug Viagra has elevated enormously and that there are erectile dysfunction troubled individuals who are usually on the shift to procure Viagra and remedy them selves of male impotency.
But why Viagra has been prepared to launch as an over-the counter medicine only on Valentine’s Day? Alliance Boots has taken the initiative with the hope that when Viagra would be available as an above-the-counter medication, the guys suffering below the grip of erectile dysfunction would be effortlessly able to get rid of impotency by way of Viagra and make enjoy with their companions on the valentine evening.
From this total discourse, aren’t you obtaining a perception of self-assurance that folks have on Viagra these who are expanding their businesses by selling Viagra and also the impotency afflicted men who are desperate to rescue by themselves from the shackles of erectile dysfunction by means of Viagra administration. Effectively, a company belief in the ability of Viagra is absolutely required to commence off your anti-impotency regimen with the drug and if you have the confidence on Viagra, then go ahead and purchase Viagra. After all, erectile dysfunction is unleashing havoc in your life and not on any other man or woman on the verge of wreck on account of this condition.