text:
NEW DELHI, INDIA: SanDisk Corp. unveiled a broad lineup of new retail products and introduced a new preservation solutions category. SanDisk’s product portfolio addresses all market segments—from mobile phones and cameras to notebooks and tablets—and use cases ranging from entry level to professional.“Our flash storage solutions help consumers capture more photos, load their mobile apps faster, share exciting moments with friends and preserve their memories for generations to come,” said Manisha Sood, country manager and director, India and SAARC SanDisk.
SanDisk Memory Vault: SanDisk introduced a new product that is tested to preserve images in their original quality for up to 100 years1. The SanDisk Memory Vault provides consumers with a convenient, reliable way to pass down their images for generations to come—a photo album for the digital age.
SanDisk released the results from an online survey conducted on its behalf by Harris Interactive from July 28-August 1, 2011 among 2,294 U.S. adults aged 18 and older2.
The survey found that 79 percent of U.S. adults who have digital photos plan on passing them down to future generations. Photos are so precious that 64 percent of US adults would not consider destroying their family photo collection for any amount of money, not even for one million dollars.
Valuable photos deserve reliable storage solutions. SanDisk developed the SanDisk Memory Vault using Chronolock technology, which incorporates the key elements of advanced solid-state storage to create a proprietary memory management solution.
This allows the device to provide consumers with peace of mind that their precious photos and videos will be preserved for up to 100 years. The SanDisk Memory Vault comes in 8GB and 16GB capacities carrying MSRPs of Rs. 3,499/- (8GB) to Rs. 5,499/- (16GB).


text:
Idea Cellular announced that they will start providing free incoming calls over their network from April 1st, 2017 onwards. This will be applicable for all Pre-paid and Post-paid customers on domestic roaming. The India’s second largest telecom company expects their 200 million customers can enjoy free incoming calls while roaming on company’s 2G, 3G and 4G network across 400,000 towns and villages in India, they claim so on their Press Release.
They’ve also launched a new range of international roaming value packs with unlimited incoming calls and bundled outgoing voice calls, SMS and data to international travelers recently. Expecting the Idea customers will be able to make outgoing calls and SMS freely at affordable rates while roaming anywhere in India, with no extra charges on their incoming calls.
The international roaming packs launch are bundled with free 1GB, 2GB, 3GB data and overage charges of Rs. 3 per MB. Users can also choose a 10-day pack for short leisure travel or 30-day packs for continuous business trips or long stay.
The newly launched plans offering international roaming value packs with free bundled usage of up to 400 outgoing minutes, 100 SMSes per day, 3GB bundled data for international travelers and unlimited incoming calls for 2,499 for Asia, and 5,999 for Europe for 30 days validity.

domain: news


text:
Celebrate Earth Day with Woolley Home Solutions! For Earth Day 2016, we are hosting a contest for customers that switch to paperless invoices and sign up for our e-newsletter!
For customers that switch to paperless invoices and sign up for our e-newsletter, we will be giving away an Amazon Echo–a smart speaker that can control your whole house!
Save A Tree. Signing up for email invoices and email newsletters helps us use less paper. Woolley Home Solutions will plant a tree through the Arbor Day Foundation for every customer who signs up for email invoices and email newsletters from now until June 30th, 2016.
To sign up for paperless billing and enter our Earth Day contest, sign up below:
"While a number of fleets in New Jersey, including the Department of Transportation, have used biodiesel blends for many years, this pump opening marks the first time biodiesel will be sold directly to consumers in the state. We commend Woolley...Joe Jobe CEO (National Biodiesel Board)


text:
Shroff brothers' court trouble
At stake: Not available
Brothers Shardul and Cyril Shroff — managing partners at one of the largest law firms in the country, Amarchand Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co — were locked in a dispute that was triggered by the will of their mother Bharti. She bequeathed the firm entirely to Shardul. Following a mediation, the brothers decided to split the assets and operate from Mumbai and Delhi separately.
Battle of wills for Raheja heirs
At stake: Rs 11,000 crore
Three months after tycoon Gopal Raheja's demise, the battle for his Rs 11,000 crore estate made its way to the Bombay High Court. His two daughters and estranged son cited two different wills, one drawn up in 2012 and the other in 2008. In the revised will, Raheja had divided his stake in K Raheja Group equally between daughters Sonali and Sabita, apparently leaving nothing for son Sandeep.
Hiranandani's sibling rivalry
At stake: Rs 1,400 crore
Niranjan Hiranandani's daughter Priya Hiranandani-Vandrevala sought arbitration in 2009, claiming that her father and brother violated an agreement involving commercial rights to real estate projects. She asked for compensation of around Rs 1,400 crore, raising speculation about the business being split. The father and brother made a counter claim that the fight caused them to lose business.
Elder Pharma's bitter pill
At stake: Rs 1,800 crore
The family of Elder Pharmaceuticals founder Jagdish Saxena, who died in 2013, has been embroiled in a battle for control of his personal and business assets. The dispute has pitched Anuj Saxena, the younger son who heads Elder Healthcare against the rest of the family — Alok Saxena, the older son, chairman and MD of Elder Pharmaceuticals, their mother Sneh and their sister Shalini.
Mafatlals' canvas for controversy
At stake: Rs 50 crore
The Mafatlal family is no stranger to the courtroom. Sheetal Mafatlal, estranged wife of industrialist Atulya Mafatlal, had a theft complaint lodged against her (in 2011) by the family for several missing paintings, then valued at Rs 50 crore. After the dispute was resolved, the Bombay High Court allowed Sheetal to retain the paintings she was accused of stealing. Sheetal continues to be in a separate art dispute with another Mafatlal affiliate.
Singhanias' fight for rights
At stake: Unassessed
The four children of Vijaypath Singhania's (chairman emeritus of Raymond Ltd) elder son Madhupati Singhania recently filed a case in the Bombay High Court, challenging a 'family settlement' their parents and grandfather entered into in 1998, whereby their parents had given up theirs, as well as their children's rights, over the ancestral properties. Singhania's grandchildren sought their claim on the Raymond brand, ancestral properties, real estate and other movable and immovable assets of the group.
* All amounts are estimates.
- Front page
- Pure Politics
- Smart Investing
- Q4 Nos Spring a Surprise, Lift FY23 Growth to 7.2%
A stronger-than-expected fourth quarter lifted India’s growth to 7.2% in FY23, exceeding the 7% cited in the second advance estimates released in February, underscoring the country’s economic resilience in the face of multiple challenges.Sebi Proposes Stringent FPI Ownership Disclosure Rules
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed tighter disclosure requirements for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to prevent the misuse of overseas investment routes and curb public shareholding norm violations.Apple’s India Stores Bear Fruit, Post Sales Record
Apple has won a new laurel in India — operating the country’s largest electronics retail store by sales.The iPhone maker’s first two own stores in India have grossed monthly sales of over ₹22-25 crore each, well over two times what could be the highest revenue for an electronics store in the country during non-Diwali period, according to two industry executives aware of the details.
Read More News on
ETPrime stories of the day
Sun Pharma’s earnings pace is likely to slow down as it takes two steps back for a leap forward
8 mins read
2 mins read
5 mins read


text:
Some supermarkets in the UK have been caught by the Food Standards Agency for selling beef which in some cases contain up to 99% horse or pork DNA. Supermarkets obviously have suppliers which aren’t necessarily all from the UK. As a result of an internal investigation by the supermarkets, it appeared that the meat in question was supplied from countries like Poland and Romania, as well as the UK itself. It is a very hard time for all supermarkets as the public don’t know which supermarket they can trust. Supermarkets are in hot water, as well as their suppliers and all concerned have published apologies, however the British press and media picked up on a very important point; timing of apology.
Unfortunately not all supermarkets and suppliers in midst of this scandal acted swiftly. This lack of responsiveness left plenty of room for speculation; which made the situation even worse for themselves by losing consumer confidence and trust. On a different note, even some evidence showed pork DNA in Halal meals served in number of British prisons; and the government acted swiftly and immediately on that.
One supermarket didn’t need to apologise but felt they need to assure their customers that their beef is 100% beef; that supermarket is called Waitrose.
Waitrose are doing a good job on Twitter with regards to horse meat scandal in the UK. The supermarket has been giving assurance to all their customers. They don’t throw words at people; they give evidence for what they say and do this with confidence. In simple words, this is just great! They clearly communicate with their customers in-stores in simple and plain English, and they do this through their staff; what makes their words believable. The supermarket also monitor all relevant conversations on Twitter and step in to further assure the public about their meat products.
To their credit, staff working at Waitrose are well trained and educated to give confidence and assurance to customers. Below is a conversation on Twitter about the confidence level of customers buying beef burger from Waitrose:
Although such conversations aren’t detrimental to Waitrose’s brand reputation, but Waitrose decided to step in to once again use the popular breaking news platform, Twitter, to assure everyone that they use 100% British beef from their very own selected farms:
Being responsive and professional at all times is key to any business; and Waitrose just did it well. This says a lot about their business ethos and clear communications planning. As it is clear above, Waitrose very systematically integrate offline and online messages with a single tone of voice. It seems Waitrose is amongst those businesses that fully understand and appreciate the power and value of content.
If you’d like to speak to Ehsan about anything social media and digital marketing related, you may like follow him on Twitter.


text:
Unifor to run Super Bowl ad on boycotting Mexican-made GM vehicles
Unifor, which represents 315,000 employees including GM workers, has paid for an ad to run during Sunday’s broadcast of the NFL’s championship game, telling consumers to not buy Mexican-made GM cars as part of its campaign after the announcement of the closure of the company’s assembly plant in Oshawa last November. The ad, which will broadcast in both English and French, says that when GM needed help, it received a $10.8-billion bailout from Canadians and in return the company continued to expand in Mexico.
It ends with the tag line, “You may have forgotten our generosity, but we’ll never forget your greed. You want to sell here. Build here.”
“If the VIN starts with three, that vehicle is not for me,” he said.
Vehicle identification numbers that start with the number “3” are made in Mexico. A second Unifor ad, which will also debut this weekend, shares a similar sentiment.
GM Canada initially responded to the boycott that it would create “collateral damage” across the wider Ontario economy which has more than 60 auto parts companies that support Mexican production.
In its Friday statement, GM said it has invested more than $100 billion into Canada through manufacturing, purchased goods and services since 2009, and over $8 billion in worker pensions.
“GM Canada continues to build where it sells in Canada with production at its plant in Ingersoll alone roughly equal to its total retail sales in Canada,” the company said. “On Nov. 26, 2018, GM confirmed that it does not have a viable business case for production at the Oshawa Assembly plant past the end of this year because of a number of economic factors, including rapid changes in the North American car market, the cancellation of Oshawa products and persistent low utilization at the plant.”
The plant closure affects 4,400 jobs at GM Oshawa and its parts suppliers in Ontario.


text:
Earlier today, Microsoft pulled off its best tech event in literally years, exciting the group of Windows enthusiasts (and impressing the press) with a cavalcade of hardware announcements. We saw the return of Windows Phone with new Lumia devices that can double as mini-PCs when you hooks them up to a screen. We got a new version of the Microsoft Band fitness tracker (which, really, is looking more and more like a health-centric smartwatch). Of course, there was a new Surface Pro tablet with a greatly improved keyboard and trackpad attachment. And then the Surface Book. It's that last one that has everybody talking — Microsoft finally made a laptop, and at first blush it seems like a really good one. And then: hit a button and remove the screen to turn it into a really thin tablet. Oh yeah, and we saw a new HoloLens demo that involved robots crashing through walls.
Read next: The Surface Book review and Surface Pro 4 review.
The hardware looks good, but it's the presentation that's impressive. Microsoft's Panos Panay found a way to make even the nerdiest specs relevant and, dare we say, interesting. You definitely don't want to miss it, so we've rounded up the biggest announcements and best moments into a pithy 9-minute video.


text:
Elon Musk doesn't seem to be a fan of flying cars.
The billionaire entrepreneur responded to a question sent via Twitter by journalist Anirban Ghoshal on behalf of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Khosrowshahi asked about why Musk is focused on developing a Hyperloop transportation system connecting Washington D.C. and New York instead of flight.
Musk compared flying cars to drones that are "1,000 times bigger and noisier."
"If you love drones above your house, you'll really love vast numbers of 'cars' flying over your head that are 1,000 times bigger and noisier and blow away anything that isn't nailed down when they land," Musk said in his response on the social media site.
Uber has been working on a flying taxi project for some time, and in November said it was partnering with NASA to create an air traffic control system for it. Earlier in 2017, the firm teamed up with the governments of Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai with the aim of prioritizing those cities with its flying cars.
Khosrowshahi responded to Musk, saying that improved battery technology, such as that made by Elon Musk's Tesla, and multiple smaller rotors would make the firm's flying cars more environmentally friendly and less noisy.
Musk received a permit for preparation and preliminary excavation of a site in Washington D.C. for his Hyperloop project earlier this week.
Uber's Khosrowshahi is in India as part of a two-day visit to the country. He dismissed rumors that Uber was planning to pull out of Southeast Asia, saying that the firm expects to invest "aggressively" despite not making any money in the region.
CNBC reported earlier this month that the company is preparing to sell its Southeast Asia unit to Singaporean ride-hailing firm Grab in exchange for a stake in the company.


text:
Debates on immigration and assimilation certainly won’t be fading any time soon. But while politicians fight it out the fact remains that the growing Hispanic populations have increasing buying power. And companies are making sure to reach out to these markets. The question is: What’s the best strategy? The answer: Keep it real—as in authentic.
It takes more than just speaking the language to make a connection. Companies are tapping into consumers’ passions by creating events that engage people on their own turf.
The Hispanic market is becoming more and more lucrative and companies are paying close attention and tapping into some of its favorite pastimes—like soccer.
Glidden paint has successfully connected with the Hispanic market by leveraging its sponsorship of Major League Soccer’s Futbolito—a traveling soccer tournament that runs spring and summer now in its sixth year which is very popular in Hispanic markets.
“A large percentage of painters are members of the Hispanic community and we use our sponsorship to speak to them more directly ” says Deena Cave pro customer marketing manager at Glidden. “Our MLS strategy is important to us because it helps us address consumers in a more personal way about something they are passionate about.”
On event day Glidden sets up two giant inflatable slides on tournament grounds topped with two branded cans that can be spotted for miles. The slides have been a big hit with kids who line up all day long for a try. For moms and dads Glidden sets up an interactive tent where it holds juggling contests. Participants get to juggle full-size soccer balls. Last man standing receives a Glidden branded soccer ball.
Futbolito also gives local Glidden vendors an opportunity to reward their key customers by creating its own tournament within the tournament (MLSfutbolito.com). The company gets 16 sponsor slots in four major markets. All the teams in Futbolito pay to enter the tournament so Glidden leverages its sponsorship to pay for its Hispanic painter customers to enter. It sponsors Gliddenbranded teams that play each other in a round-robin format with the winners actually playing in the competition.
Glidden local vendors help select the team members. Each vendor pulls in key customers to form their own team of seven. Those team members are eligible to receive brand exclusive prizes as well as Futbolito prizes (Agency: X! Promos Irvine CA).
“Futbolito gives us an opportunity to provide our existing customers with a unique experience through team sponsorship ” says Cave. “Futbolito and our MLS partnership as a whole fit perfectly with what the Glidden brand stands for: family and community.”
Marketing to minority groups is hardly new but companies’ commitment to creating programs that don’t treat these communities like afterthoughts is growing stronger. You can see it in the number of companies with sub-divisions within their multicultural marketing departments that cater to each specific demographic.
Wachovia Bank for example has a sub-division for Hispanics African-Americans women and in the works Asians.
To connect with the Hispanic market Wachovia hit the road with Wachovia On Wheels. The mobile tour traveled to soccer games and festivals hitting Hispanic heavy markets from north to south.
They paired up with local Spanish-language radio stations and brought out some big-name djs. In Atlanta Wachovia leveraged existing events like Car Wash Wednesday via La Raza 102.3 FM a local radio station.
“Entertainment and community are a big part of this market’s life and we want to reach out to them in a way that is relevant ” says Cecilia Perez senior marketing consultant Wachovia Hispanic segment. “They get to learn what we have to offer and we get to show them we’re committed to their community by spending dollars to go to the places where they live to bring them fun.”
Wachovia also partnered with local dealerships to use their trucks to pull its branded trailer that was used as a mobile billboard. On site Wachovia set up a branded tent with information tables organized soccer games for adults and children and did lots of giveaways to draw folks to local branches (Agency: ROJO Marketing Charlotte NC).
Sprint also went the entertainment route leveraging the release of Latin Grammy Award winner Juanes’ new album to connect with the Hispanic market. The partnership kicked off in September with TV ads that led to videos posted on Sprint video-enabled phones.
Sprint followed up by hosting private Juanes’ concerts in New York City and Chicago exclusive to its customers. In New York Sprint lit up the room as its logo appeared in a laser show that kicked off the performance. The concerts were held in intimate venues holding up to 1 000 guests. Tickets were only available via Spanish-language radio stations and Sprint stores driving the message that “Only Sprint brings you closer to Juanes.”
At the concerts Sprint peppered the venues with posters and banners and gave away branded merchandise.
“Music remains a passion point for Hispanics and Juanes is an internationally renowned and respected artist ” says Isaac Mizrahi director-Sprint multicultural marketing. “These experiences demonstrate our commitment to the Hispanic community. It is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of a Latin artist and give fans access to him.”
Sprint is adding to the program in 2008 through a sweepstakes where fans submit two-minute videos explaining why they deserve a chance to meet the singer. The contest will be promoted via national Spanish language TV.


text:
On Facebook I came across this article about professional women shopping at second hand stores. Apparently, it’s a growing trend in the corporate world.
The writer profiles two professional women who buy their office wear at thrift and consignment stores. One of them keeps it a secret from her co-workers, because of possible negative connotations.
This statistic really surprised me:
Indeed, 80 percent of consumers surveyed in recent years by America’s Research Group said they’d “never buy” someone else’s worn clothing.
“A lot of people don’t want to buy something used because of health concerns,” said Chairman/CEO Britt Beemer.
I took a random survey of my friends, and most guessed that 50-60% of women would “never” buy used clothing. We mused that even when we buy at Nordie’s, we’re not certain the garment has “never” touched another woman’s body (um, returns? fitting room?).
I know many of you shop regularly at thrifts, second-hand and consignment stores, and from eBay. Are you surprised at the “never” number too?
Our weekly link-up, Visible Monday, starts Sunday evening and parties on through Monday. Please join us!
Have the best weekend!


text:
Take this one with a fist-sized hunk of salt.
Apparently, the main focus for Google's Chrome OS is going to be tablets. So much so that Samsung's Galaxy Tab may soon be upgradeable to the new browser-based operating system. APCMag reports that Britain's Sunday Times has heard that the Tab will just be the first part of Google's Chrome-tablet thrust.
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad
How To: Buy a Pokemon Go Plus
Chrome OS is set to hit before Christmas, and HTC has a tablet that is believed to be due out in November. If that is the case, November is also when we're likely to see the Tab upgrade become available. Consider it Samsung's lazy way to "test the waters" with a Chrome OS slate.


text:
MarineMax recently announced the promotion of Ryan West to the role of Vice President. Ryan will continue to lead the company’s best in class Fort Myers operations.
“During Ryan’s 18 successful years at MarineMax he has positively impacted the lives of countless customers and team members. Loyalty and professionalism are hallmarks of Ryan, as demonstrated across all aspects of the Fort Myers operations,” Kyle Langbehn, MarineMax President of Retail Operations said. “This promotion recognizes Ryan’s impact and importance to our company, our team, the boating industry, and most importantly our customers. The industry-leading Fort Myers waterfront location consistently delivers excellence in marine services, including sales, service, finance and insurance, marina and storage, events, and award-winning customer Getaways!. Ryan and his team will continue to build upon the great success of our Fort Myers location providing exceptional customer experiences.”
Ryan joined MarineMax in 2004 and has over 20 years of retail experience, including leading MarineMax locations throughout West Florida and Texas. Since returning to Florida in 2014, Ryan and his family enjoy the close-knit community of Fort Myers and are happy to call it home. Being recognized as the top retail location three times, with over 20 team members obtaining top sales achievements, is a testament to Ryan’s success in Fort Myers.
“I am extremely proud of the Fort Myers Team and our many accomplishments. This promotion to Vice President is a clear result of the dedication and commitment of the entire team to delivering the best pleasure boating experience for our clients every day,” West said. “Our partnerships, forged along the way, are stronger than ever and we remain committed to giving back to the community we serve. I take pride in the facility and operations we have built that provide the best boating lifestyle our area has to offer.”


text:
Alliance Group annual profit rises 11% on demand for red meat, higher prices
Alliance Group, the world's largest processor and exporter of sheepmeat, posted an 11 percent rise in annual profit and is distributing $7 million to its supplier shareholders, the first payout in three years.
The Invercargill-based, farmer-owned cooperative increased its after-tax profit to $6.2 million in the year ended Sept. 30, from $5.6 million a year earlier, it said in a statement. Revenue rose to $1.46 billion from $1.38 billion the previous year, it said.
Alliance is benefiting from buoyant consumer confidence, the gradual recovery of the global economy, growing demand for red meat products and improving market prices. Increased demand from China, where an expanding urban, middle class population is consuming more protein, has underpinned global supply and pricing, the company said today.
"The global demand for protein is growing and we have made significant strides over the past year," said chief executive Grant Cuff. "China is now our largest export market for sheepmeat. However our traditional markets in Europe and North America also continue to show encouraging signs of recovery."
Cuff, who steps down as CEO next month, said the company is making steady progress in developing new markets such as India and Brazil to ensure the cooperative has a diverse mix of customers.
Alliance is part of a 14-member New Zealand trade delegation visiting India this week, led by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. The two countries have agreed to schedule the next round of talks on a Free Trade Agreement after previous talks foundered, Guy said.
"Good international demand and the ongoing development of new markets indicate positive signs for the year ahead," Alliance chairman Murray Taggart said. "Fewer stock numbers both within New Zealand and worldwide support our long-term strategy to operate at the top end of the market.
"We believe the improving confidence and the rising global demand for protein mean the fundamentals of the red meat sector are strong."
Alliance expects overall returns for sheepmeat and venison in 2015 to be "at least similar" to 2014, as higher cattle prices hold over the coming year buoyed by strong North American beef prices and venison importers regain confidence amid an improved European game season.
New Zealand meat companies abandoned efforts to consolidate and reduce surplus capacity last year because they lacked an agreed export strategy and farmers wouldn't commit stock to firms that closed plants, according to people in the industry who were involved in the talks.
The country's four biggest meat processors - farmer owned cooperatives Silver Fern Farms and Alliance, accounting for about half the industry, the Talley's Group family-owned Affco and ANZCO Foods, with a majority ownership held by a Japanese food company - ended talks after failing to reach agreement last year.
Separately, Alliance talks over the potential takeover of the smaller South Island processor Blue Sky Meats also ended late last year after a failure to agree on key terms.
The cooperative's latest earnings include a $2.9 million charge for restructuring costs, reflecting the demolition of the sheep processing area of the company's Mataura plant in Southland, after the company moved its sheep operations to Lorneville.
"Our strategy is underpinned by our belief in farmer ownership and the cooperative model," said the Alliance's Taggart. "We are open to identifying and considering any commercially viable solutions to address capacity issues in the industry which are in the best interests of the company."
Alliance expects to publish its annual report on Nov. 26.


text:
New coronavirus measures will impact Whitsundays
PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has today announced new measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and help “flatten the curve”, some of which will directly impact the Whitsundays.
In a blow to the Whitsunday tourism industry, who is already suffering from the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on international tourism, Mr Morrison also said all cruise ships from foreign ports will not be allowed in Australia for 30 days, and “will go forward on a rolling basis”.
Mr Morrison did say in “specific cases” where Australians are on cruise ships, there will be “bespoke arrangements put in place by the Australian Border Force” to ensure relevant protections in place.
The announcement of the cruise ship ban follows a suite of cancellations by major cruise ship operators, with more than 18 cruise ships already cancelled in the last 35 days.
Nine cruise ships were planned to dock in the Whitsundays over the next 30 days.
“Before you consider buying online or going away for your next holiday, consider having a world-class holiday right here in your backyard. We can all play a positive role in keeping our local business doors open & people employed during this time,” Ms Wheeler said.
“We are all going through this unprecedented crisis; we need to stick together, unite, and collaborate to get through this.
“Whether that be a road trip throughout the region (and) exploring somewhere you’ve not been before, or a long-lunch and delicious cocktails in one of our many restaurants.
“Maybe you’ve always wanted a staycation in one of our many incredible accommodation offerings between the islands or mainland. Support local and holiday here this year.”
Mr Morrison also announced a national plan to close all schools due to the coronavirus will not go ahead at this stage.


text:
The Eastern Highlands Province is known for coffee as a commodity which supports the local economy however, the provincial department of agriculture and livestock (DAL) is now looking into cocoa as well as a means to generate income.
The potential of cocoa grown in the Eastern Highlands was made known to the Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu last week during a visit to the provincial DAL office.
Mr Numu was told that cocoa has been grown by several farmers who have reported to the provincial DAL office that the commodity is doing well.
Mr Numu was told that cocoa has been growing well in some of the districts thus, some farmers have been earning good money from cocoa apart from coffee which they usually grow.
Mr Numu encouraged the farmers tapping into cocoa farming to continue with their work and the provincial government will find ways to help them.


text:
Reflect on 2017 and you might remember this was the year Nintendo launched the Switch. It also happened to be the same year TIME named the system the top gadget. The device managed to beat Apple’s iPhone X and Microsoft’s Surface Laptop.
Now, TIME has put together a top ten list of the decade’s most important and influential gadgets. Thanks to its existing win, the Switch was recognised. It’s worth pointing out this list doesn’t cover every year within the decade, and there are even some double-ups in certain years.
- Apple iPad (2010)
- Tesla Model S (2012)
- Raspberry Pi (2012)
- Google Chromecast (2013)
- DJI Phantom (2013)
- Amazon Echo (2014)
- Apple Watch (2015)
- Apple AirPods (2016)
- Nintendo Switch (2017)
- Xbox Adaptive Controller (2018)
Here’s exactly what it had to say about Nintendo’s hybrid system:
When it comes to gaming on the go, no one can top Nintendo’s track record, beginning with the humble Game Boy in 1989. But the introduction of its hybrid Nintendo Switch in 2017 — which you can play either portably or connected to your TV — might be the company’s most important contribution to gaming yet. Compared to the competition, it handily takes the crown as the most important video game console of the decade, with fans begging developers to bring their next title to the Switch. Its smartphone-inspired portability, paired with Nintendo’s ever-growing library of blockbuster, independent and vintage titles, makes the Switch feel like the culmination of Nintendo’s idea of what gaming should be.
Put your hands together for the Switch in the comments below, and let us know what you think of the rest of this list.


text:
Nike invites you to Win the Day once again as they gear up to roll out another trainer celebrating the University of Oregon.
In fact, here’s our best look yet and official images to the upcoming Nike Free Trainer 5.0 “Oregon”. What has also been referred to as a “Fighting Ducks” release, these kicks are done up in an official black, apple green, and yellow strike colorway which obviously coincides with Oregon’s team colors. Complete with “Ducks” heel tabs and the school’s mascot across each tongue, we’re almost certain that these will land in the hands of Oregon’s most loyal supporters.
Set at a retail price of $105, let us know if you’ll be picking up a pair or two in our comments below.
Colorway: Black/Apple Green-Yellow Strike
Release Date: 11/22/13
Product Code: 621936-037


text:
SHARE THIS PAGE NEWSLETTERS CONTACT US
Global Newsletter: December 11, 2019 4Hoteliers.com ~ Click title to read the article Wednesday, 11th December 2019
Hong Kong to maintain its position as top city destination despite decline in arrivals, Hyatt plans more than 20 new hotels and highs and lows of social media for hotels.
Hong Kong to maintain its position as top city destination despite decline in arrivals Wednesday, 11th December 2019
This year’s 'Top 100 City Destinations 2019' report covering the world’s leading cities ranked by international tourist arrivals, shows that 5 out of the top 10 most visited cities in 2018 are in Asia Pacific, with Hong Kong listed as the most visited city in the world, followed by Bangkok.
Global inbound arrivals are expected to grow by 4.2% to 1.47 billion trips in 2019, with the top 100 cities covering nearly 47% of global arrivals >> Hyatt plans more than 20 new hotels by the End of 2020 11 Dec 2019 : Five new Park Hyatt hotels expected to open as the brand celebrates its 40th anniversary and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt continues to see strong growth in Europe >> Anantara debuts in North Africa 11 Dec 2019 : Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas makes its debut this month in North Africa with the opening of Anantara Tozeur Resort in the southwest of Tunisia >>
The Highs and Lows of Social Media for Hotels Wednesday, 11th December 2019
There are more than a few hoteliers who pine for the days before social media and it isn’t that they don’t appreciate the raw promotional fuel that social media can provide, or the ability to freely broadcast a hotel’s amenities or brand message to anyone in the world. The issue appears more around the lack of control that hoteliers now have >>
Chinese Guests in Alpine Destinations Switzerland has been one of the early winners among European destinations in Chinese outbound tourism, already in 2012 more than half a million Chinese visited the country, in 2015 the best result was achieved with more than 1.1 million guests >> You Shouldn’t Have Told Me That There are certain things employees should never say to a customer. How do they learn what not to say? Training. But the real goal of training isn’t to teach employees about specific things to share or not share with customers >> In case you've missed it: Global eNews of December 10, 2019 Louvre Hotels Group redesigned Golden Tulip product, Sri Lanka’s first internationally developed and managed mixed-use project, building blocks of direct sales and discovering your hotel’s brand & niche >>
Latest News (Click title to read article)
Latest Articles (Click title to read)
Most Read Articles (Click title to read)
~ Important Notice ~ Articles appearing on 4Hoteliers contain copyright material. They are meant for your personal use and may not be reproduced or redistributed. While 4Hoteliers makes every effort to ensure accuracy, we can not be held responsible for the content nor the views expressed, which may not necessarily be those of either the original author or 4Hoteliers or its agents.
© Copyright 4Hoteliers 2001-2020 ~ unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved. You can read more about 4Hoteliers and our company here Use of this web site is subject to our of service and terms & conditions policy privacy


text:
Recognition as a Grammy Award nominee can lead to an increase in record and compact disc sales, say three local record store employees.
"They normally boost up the week before the awards and then heavily the day and week after," said Lewis Windham, manager of Hastings Books Music & Video, 2000 W. 23rd, about sales of Grammy-nominated albums.
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences last week nominated five albums for Album of the Year. The award will be presented Feb. 25 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The nominated albums are "Heart in Motion," by Amy Grant; "Luck of the Draw," by Bonnie Raitt; "Out of Time," by R.E.M.; "The Rhythm of the Saints," by Paul Simon; and "Unforgettable," by Natalie Cole.
Steve Wilson, manager of Kief's Discount Records & Stereo Supply, 2429 Iowa, pointed out that the five albums generally sold from 300,000 to 400,000 copies before they were nominated. He said R.E.M.'s album had sold extremely well, while Simon's album had good sales but did not sell as well as predicted.
"Those albums will be boosted," Wilson said, referring to Simon's album.
Although the Grammys help record sales, Wilson noted it was only one aspect of a record's success.
"I do not deny that Grammy awards have an impact on sales, but on the other hand there are other kinds of exposure, awards, critics' kudos that factor in," he said.
Both Windham and Mark Smirl, a clerk at Streetside Records, 1403 W. 23rd, said their stores would stage promotions for the nominated albums.
"Our store will probably run a pre-Grammy thing with a display," Smirl said.
He said the biggest sales push will follow the awards presentation.
"The nominations really don't make a big difference, but the winner does," Smirl said.
Windham said a Grammy award also could help sell a few copies of an artist's earlier work. He said if Simon's "The Rhythm of the Saints" won, some customers might buy a copy of his 1986 album "Graceland," which also won a Grammy as album of the year. However, Windham said the public would not be interested in albums more than a couple of years old, even by a 1991 Grammy winner.


text:
South Korea’s Busan Port Authority (BPA) has become the first port in the country to issue bills for port facility charges in both Korean and English, in a bid to improve its global port services for foreign shipping companies.
Busan port, Korea’s main seaport, is the port of call for some 30 global shipping companies, according to BPA.
However, foreign shipping companies that did not have branch offices in Korea use local agencies when calling at Busan port. These agencies had to translate the port facility charge bills into English for foreign clients.
To this end, BPA decided to issue Korean-English port charge bills from September, after a one-month test period. The port authority believes that this new service has enabled the agencies to enhance their work efficiency by reducing previous work procedures.
Kim Chan-gyu, customer service center chief at BPA, said: “We are planning to introduce various measures to minimise inconveniences for customers and to improve service at Busan port.”
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.


text:
The Virgin Mobile Venture is an entry-level smartphone that carries out basic tasks reliably, but with low-spec hardware and a pokey processor.
With the help of eBay founder and billionaire Pierre Omidyar, Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who broke the NSA story this summer, is putting together what he hopes is a newsgathering dream team.
Redmond and Chinese Internet company BesTV will explore the possibilities of family-friendly gaming through a joint venture.
Separating from parent Dow Jones, Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg are hunting out a minority investor to reincarnate their tech-news partnership that would value it between $30 million and $40 million, Quartz reports.
With its 2-megapixel camera, 2.8-inch touch-screen display, and onboard QWERTY keyboard, the Virgin Mobile Venture is aimed for first-time smartphone users.
The Finnish handset maker will pay about $2.2 billion for the half of Nokia Siemens Networks that it doesn't already own.
The state-run China Electronics will own 92 percent of the joint venture, which will produce LCDs for a wide array of electronics.
Bloomberg Beta will focus on startups that produce insights from data, according to the media outlet.
The company wouldn't name names about its conversation partner, though rumor has it BlackBerry has spoken with Lenovo in the past.
commentary The Kauffman Foundation recently issued a damning report about its experience with venture investing. The findings are wrong.


text:
The most important things to know when shopping for a cell phone.
News, analysis and tips on the Google Android operating system, and devices and apps that use it.
Apple has released the public beta of its Photos app for OS X. We detail where you sign up to put the new app through its paces.
Before it's even on the market, the watch wins gold in the 2015 iF Design Awards. The next challenge will be to see if it can win the battle for consumers' hearts and dollars.
Featuring a 5-megapixel camera, a quad-core CPU, and a 4.5-inch display, the ZTE Speed is one of Boost's prepaid bargain Androids.
The flash memory specialist announces a 200GB microSD card, drives to backup phone photos and transfer them to PCs, and a high-endurance microSD card for dashcams.
The latest test by RootMetrics shows how the big are getting better. But small carriers Sprint and T-Mobile are making solid progress.
The latest flavor of Google's mobile OS doubles its share of Android devices from a month ago.
Developers will be able to buy ad space at the top of results so their apps pop up when users search for programs in Google's app store.
The ability to preview monthly updates before they roll out is currently available only for Xbox One users.
The tech giant aims to deepen its roots in the workplace with a new initiative and services meant to make IT departments happy.


text:
Italy’s Pirelli Real Estate has confirmed it is in talks to buy a German real estate portfolio from department store and mail order company, Arcandor.
In a statement issued in response to recent media reports and to comply with Italian stock exchange rules, the company confirmed it had teamed up with RREEF, the alternative investments arm of Deutsche Bank to make a bid and that “negotiations are currently underway.”
However, in move to downplay anticipation that a deal will be announced imminently, the Italian company went on to say: “Any agreement has yet to be reached, and no economic terms and conditions have been defined yet. As of today, it is not possible to estimate the date of signing of a possible agreement.”
German newspaper Handelsblatt reported yesterday that the retailer was expected to sell the retail portfolio in the next three days, citing sources familiar with the matter. Also yesterday, The Wall Street Journal said Pirelli and RREEF were “close” to acquiring the properties.
Arcandor, formerly known as KarstadtQuelle, is selling its stake in a property joint venture set up in 2006 with Goldman Sachs Whitehall Funds.
It sold a 51 percent stake to Whitehall for €3.7 billion ($5.4 billion) and decided to offload the remaining 49 percent stake earlier this year.
Arcandor’s chief executive officer Thomas Middelhoff has told reporters the company expects to raise around €800 million from the sale.
RREEF declined to comment when contacted by PrivateEquityRealEstate.com.


text:
cufflink shirts – Approximately 3/4″ x 3/4″, Vermeil with Onyx, Round logo swivel closure,
Apple said it had “no choice” but to stop using some chips from Intel Corp in iPhones headed to Germany in order to comply with the patent infringement ruling. Qualcomm, the world’s biggest supplier of mobile chips, sued Apple in Germany alleging that some older iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models violated Qualcomm patents around so-called envelope tracking, a feature that helps mobile phones save battery power while sending and receiving wireless signals cufflink shirts. The alleged patent violation stemmed not from Intel chips but yet another Apple supplier – Qorvo Inc – whose chip was only present in older phones with Intel modems..
The court sided with Qualcomm and banned sales of some iPhone models that used Intel modem chips, leading Apple to pull the devices from its 15 retail stories in Germany and its online store in the country. The ban was a victory in Qualcomm’s legal conflict with Apple cufflink shirts. The iPhone maker has alleged that Qualcomm engaged in illegal patent licensing practices to protect a monopoly on so-called modem chips, which connect mobile phones to wireless data networks. Qualcomm has in turn alleged that Apple has infringed its patents. A major case between the two goes to trial in the United States in April..
Apple began phasing in Intel’s modem chips in 2016 after years of using chips exclusively from Qualcomm cufflink shirts. In last year’s iPhone models, Apple dropped Qualcomm’s chips completely in favor of Intel’s. But Qualcomm has continued to supply Apple with chips for older models, and Apple on Thursday said it would use only those for German iPhone 7 and 8 models. “Qualcomm is attempting to use injunctions against our products to try to get Apple to succumb to their extortionist demands,” Apple said in a statement to Reuters..
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Executives from T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp faced tough questions from lawmakers on Wednesday about how the companies’ planned merger would affect prices and jobs, especially in rural America. The deal to combine the No. 3 and No cufflink shirts. 4 U.S. wireless carriers, struck in April, was approved by both companies’ shareholders in October and has received national security clearance, but still needs approval from the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission..
Representative Mike Doyle, who chairs the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee panel holding the hearing, raised worries about the deal because the U.S. wireless market has just four main carriers. The industry leaders are AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc. “It’s hard to think of one (deal) where consolidation did not result in people losing their jobs, prices going up and innovation being stifled,” Doyle said. Representative Billy Long, a Republican, expressed concern about lost jobs in his Missouri district. Representative Dave Loebsack, a Democrat, pointed to job losses in Iowa after T-Mobile’s acquisition of Iowa Wireless last year and said T-Mobile’s plan to buy Sprint made him “very concerned” about potential negative effects on Iowa cufflink shirts.


text:
Bubly is set to launch "Bubly Burst" sparkling water, a new product line that marks the brand's first expansion in six years, a move aimed to capture a larger share of the booming sparkling water market.
Featuring six flavors, including triple berry, peach mango and watermelon lime, Bubly Burst promises the "fun of soda" with only 10 calories or less and no added sugar.
With consumers increasingly gravitating towards healthier beverage options, Bubly Burst aims to meet their evolving preferences by offering a sweeter twist to traditional sparkling water.
A Sweet Entry Into the Sparkling Water Market
With the sparkling water market becoming increasingly crowded, PepsiCo, bubly's parent company, is betting on Bubly Burst to carve out its niche and appeal to consumers seeking unique, better-for-you beverage options.
Despite facing stiff competition, PepsiCo sees its extensive distribution network and marketing prowess as key advantages in driving Bubly Burst's success.
“We decided, why don’t we take a crack at the competition,” Bubly CMO Todd Kaplan told Modern Retail.
"We think we have a really great proposition to meet those needs when you look at what the consumers are looking for and what Bubly brings to the table."
View this post on Instagram
To support the rollout of Bubly Burst, the beverage brand has devised a comprehensive multi-channel marketing campaign which includes a mix of TV commercials, out-of-home (OOH) advertising and social media promotion to raise awareness and drive consumer engagement.
Bubly Burst will hit the shelves nationwide on March 25.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang


text:
Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd’s results for the quarter ended September were lacklustre. Sales were lower on a consolidated basis and the stalemate on the US ban on the import of the company’s drugs continues. Also, the road map for tapping the synergies of Ranbaxy and Japanese Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd, its majority stakeholder, is still hazy.
On a consolidated basis, Ranbaxy’s sales were lower by 18% at Rs1,720 crore from Rs1,888 crore in the year-ago period. Operating income at Rs163 crore was nearly twice the Rs87 crore in the quarter ended June. Most of this came from export incentives, clearing of stock of slow-moving items, insurance claims and supply agreements.
The fall in sales was mainly the result of an all-round dip across developed markets. But a 30% decline in sales in developed markets to Rs526 crore, compared with the year-ago period, was due to the problem in US markets.
In September 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the import of more than 30 drugs made by Ranbaxy. The ban covers drugs exported from two units—Dewas and Paonta Sahib—on grounds of being unable to meet current good manufacturing practice standards. The plants account for nearly 90% of US sales. In the US alone, sales were down 53% although Canada clocked a growth of about 14% over the quarter ended September 2008. The company said it is confident of resolving the issue “shortly” with a stronger commitment by Daiichi Sankyo.
In Europe, sales dropped by 10%. A liquidity crunch and softer demand reflected in a 14% drop in sales in CIS countries. The only positive trend was in emerging markets, with sales improving in India, West Asia and Africa. Emerging markets continue to account for 62% of its revenue. Ranbaxy’s stringent cost cutting measures resulted in a double-digit operating profit margin at 13% of sales—the first in this calendar year. Upsides in margins are the result of a leaner workforce and cost rationalization across geographies. Yet, analysts estimate operating margins will remain weak at around 6% until 2010 and 2011.
What would change valuations is clarity on the nature of Ranbaxy’s alliance with Daiichi. Going forward, Ranbaxy could provide base manufacturing support to Daiichi, market its products in India and gain entry into Japan’s generic pharma market. So far, only a few Daiichi products have been introduced in some markets including India, Brazil and Mexico. For now, from the investor angle, the odds are against Ranbaxy, which aims to be among the top five global pharma firms with sales of $5 billion by 2012.
Write to us at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
- Forrester Councils
- Councils Overview
- log in
Posted by Nate Elliott on March 7, 2014
It turns out that marketers aren’t very happy with the social relationship platforms that help them manage their Facebook and Twitter accounts; in fact, most would recommend you not choose the technology partner they did.
There are lots of reasons for this dissatisfaction, but the biggest is that most vendors just aren’t solving the problems that social relationship marketers face. Yesterday we published a new report detailing social relationship marketers' top challenges:
The good news for marketers? All four of these challenges can be solved through the smarter use of data. For instance, most leading social relationship platforms already use sentiment and influence data to help marketers analyze which customer questions and comments require attention.
And some social vendors are now going a big step further, harnessing data to ease (and even automate) additional social marketing tasks. In the process they’re both reducing social marketers’ workloads and improving their output. Today a new breed of emerging social vendors use what we call “data in, data out” practices:
So which social vendors are effectively leveraging data to help marketers succeed? There are many in the market — but most are companies you've never heard of, rather than the biggest names. Some of the "data in, data out" vendors we find particularly impressive include:
And how can established social relationship platforms make their clients happier? Well, they can either develop the kind of innovative data-driven functionality we’ve detailed here, or they can acquire the emerging vendors that have. But they have to do something. They’ve got dissatisfied customers and hugely innovative competitors — and that’s a recipe for trouble.


text:
PARIS — Despite the debt crisis and loss of confidence in the automobile industry in Europe, Volkswagen Group is forging ahead with new-vehicle releases, with plans to launch “more than 140 new models around the world by 2014,” according to the chairman of Volkswagen AG, Dr. Martin Winterkorn.
“This Paris Motor Show is coming in turbulent times,” Winterkorn said on the eve of the Paris Motor Show at a VW Group event here. “How long will this crisis in Europe last? Where will the auto industry go from here?”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Those questions may remain unanswered for now. But one thing’s for sure: “We are convinced Volkswagen will continue” to launch new vehicles in the marketplace, he said. “We have the right vehicles at the right spot. Our global debuts this evening show [that] we are present in more than 150 markets.… Our cars are developed and sold around the world.”
From January to August, says Winterkorn, VW Group sold more than six million vehicles for the first time.
“A lot of people are singing the swan song for Europe,” he says. “Volkswagen is countering this vigorously.”
In fact, Volkswagen Group is investing about 7-billion Euros in research and development and continuing its quest to be “the world’s best carmaker,” Winterkorn says.
Part of the VW Group’s efforts are being spent on developing new plug-in hybrid technologies for the Audi e-tron, Q7, A3, A6 and A8, along with the Porsche Cayenne and “numerous others”, Winterkorn says.
Following are some of the highlights from the VW Group:
Audi unveiled its crosslane coupé concept, a plug-in hybrid that made its world debut here. The crosslane provides a look at the future design language of the automaker’s Q models, says Wolfgang Egger, head of Audi design.
The concept features a 1.5-litre three-cylinder TFSI engine and two electric motors that provide an impressive fuel economy rating of just 1.1 litres per 100 kilometres.
The crosslane is an urban concept designed to appeal to “young, sporty customers,” says Audi. The coupé sprints from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 8.6 seconds. In pure electric mode, it takes 9.8 seconds. The car’s top speed is 182 km/h.
Although there are still no plans to bring the A3 Sportback to Canada yet, that doesn’t mean Audi wouldn’t do so if demand warranted it.
Unfortunately for Canadians, our U.S. neighbours are not as fond of hatchbacks as we are. And that means our volumes don’t (yet) justify the A3 Sportback coming to Canada. It’s too bad because it’s an attractive little hatch.
The A3 Sportback “is the newest baby of the Audi AG family,” said Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of Audi AG. It features 300 horsepower and can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds.
The new A3 Sportback five-door has a 53-millimetres-longer wheelbase than the three-door, yet its lightweight design makes it 90 kilograms lighter with a weight of just 1,205 kg.
Audi is offering the A3 with a choice of one TDI and two TFSI engines, with two diesel and one gasoline version to follow. On average, fuel consumption has been reduced by 10%, according to Audi.
Let’s hope Canadians can persuade Audi to bring the hatch to our shores.
Bentley is off to the races again with its new GT3 Continental race car concept, which made its world debut here.
The automaker says it plans to return to motorsport toward the end of 2013.
While Bentley did not reveal the specifics of the rear-wheel-drive car, it is based on the Continental GT Speed, which also made its debut here. The 330-km/h GT Speed has a twin-turbo W12 engine that develops 616 hop and 590 pound-feet of torque available from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm. With a new ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, the GT Speed accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 4.2 seconds. It reaches 160 km/h in just nine seconds.
“At Lamborghini, we sell dreams,” said Stephan Winkleman, president and CEO of the automaker. But even dreams have to be updated once in a while.
And so Lamborghini took the wraps off its revised Gallardo LP 560-4, which features a new front and rear end, including larger air intakes up front, and new 19-inch alloy wheels.
A new Edizione Tecnica version of the high-performance LP 570-4 Superleggera and Spyder Performante models also made its debut here along with the facelifted LP 560-4.
Lamborghini says nearly 13,000 units have already left the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory.
The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept also made its world debut here, featuring “a look at the future of Porsche,” according to Dr. Matthias Muller, president and CEO of Porsche AG.
The Sport Turismo concept is for those “who occasionally need more loading space but still value the turismo” aspect of the car, says Muller.
The concept is 1,990 millimetres wide, 1,401 mm in height and 4,950 mm long.
A new twist is that there are no conventional exterior mirrors on the concept. Instead, the Sport Turismo features two cameras mounted in the side air outlets whose images are shown on the displays in the cockpit.
The plug-in hybrid features a 333-hp V6 engine coupled with a 95-hp electric motor, which combine for a peak output of 416 hp.
The plug-in hybrid can be driven in pure electric mode up to 130 km/h. The Sport Turismo has an enviable fuel economy rating with a combined city/highway consumption of less than 3.5 L/100 km. According to Porsche, the concept accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.
Volkswagen unveiled three world premieres here: the seventh-generation New Golf and two concepts, the Golf GTI and Golf BlueMotion.
While the seventh-generation Golf is a 2013 model in Europe, it will not arrive in Canada until early 2014, according to Volkswagen Canada.
Despite being 100 kg lighter than the last-generation model, the New Golf is 56 mm longer and 13 mm wider. It’s also lowered by 28 mm. There’s 15 cm more rear-seat legroom and cargo capacity grows to 13.4 cubic feet, up by one cu. ft. It features an all-new 1.4 TSI 140-hp engine. It will be available with six- and seven-speed twin-clutch manual transmissions.
The BlueMotion concept is a “state-of-the-art technology that people can afford,” says Winterkorn.
The third-gen BlueMotion features a new 1.6L TDI engine and it has a fuel economy of 3.2 L/100 km. It has 110 hp and a top speed of 202 km/h, according to the automaker. Helping to decrease consumption are fuel-saving technologies such as stop-start and a 10% more fuel-efficient aerodynamic design.
The Golf GTI concept has a 2.0L turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engine with 220 hp and a high-output version featuring 230 hp. It also has larger brakes and a redesigned steering system to give it sharper handling.


text:
The world of 'Toy Story' is coming to 'Kingdom Hearts 3'
Get a taste of Pixar when the game arrives in 2018.
Disney's 'Powers United VR' puts you in the boots of a superhero
Save the world in virtual reality.
Lenovo made an augmented reality headset for 'Star Wars' games
'Jedi Challenges' and holochess are some of the first experiences.
Watch Disney's D23 video game event at 4PM Eastern
'Kingdom Hearts,' 'Spider-Man' and 'Star Wars: Battlefront II' are on tap.
Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ theme park is taking shape
Disney built a model of the upcoming film-inspired attraction.
Disney's first 4K Blu-ray will be 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2'
Director James Gunn confirmed the news on Facebook.
Sphero ditches the robots for a storytelling Spider-Man toy
The $149 doll doesn't need an app to listen and respond to voice commands.
Netflix, HBO and 28 other companies form anti-piracy alliance
But who knows if it will actually matter.
'Kingdom Hearts 3' trailer shows combat, but no release date
Besides Sora & Co. on Mt Olympus, it promises another trailer in July.


text:
PHOTOS: Palmer Township CVS Opens
A new CVS has opened along Route 248 in Palmer Township.
It took some time.
But the CVS along Route 248 in Palmer Township has finally opened.
The pharmacy opened its doors over the weekend in the Northwood Center along Route 248 and Northwood Avenue.
It had been under construction for some time and appeared ready for the holiday shopping season.
The CVS is part of a retail center that will also include a Sheetz gas station/convenience store and also a small strip center with other retail businesses.
The Sheetz would be the largest in the Lehigh Valley.


text:
Pink 2013 Toyota Crown Shocks Japan
2 January 2013 - Insideline
Toyota created a media firestorm in Japan last week when it took the wraps off a pink version of the 2013 Toyota Crown.
Some likened it to seeing your grandmother in a miniskirt. Others keep frantically checking the calendar to see that it's not really April 1.
Give Toyota credit for trying something new. For generations, the Crown has been Japan's most prestigious domestic sedan, but with a stuffy old-boy image that stuffy old boys in Japan actually happen to like quite a lot.
The Crown — in pink or otherwise — is not for sale in the U.S.
Toyota dealers love the Crown, too, because it sells in strong numbers, at high margins, and for decades has effectively had no rivals.
But times change. The Japanese market is in the doldrums, and Crown sales are down as the German premium brands continue to step up their attack.
Enter a courageous Akio Toyoda, president and CEO of the Toyota Motor Corporation. As he told the media pack in Tokyo, at the last moment, he authorized a big design change on this latest Crown (which he admits some inside Toyota are against). Design and driving performance, he said, had to step up.
Along with this, he approved this new pink color, something never before seen (or dreamed of) on a Crown. The prime motive, said the Toyota boss, was to mount a dramatic change in the image of the Crown.
At the same time, the hope is to attract some new women buyers and drivers to the Crown family.
While the new pink hue has yet to be signed off for the production version of the car (although Akio Toyoda is personally pushing for it), Toyota has at least achieved one part of its mission, and how.
Japanese TV and media have been all over this new pink Crown in a way few of the preceding 13 generations (since 1955) have managed.
The most talked-about car in Japan in 2013? You may be looking at it right now.


text:
- Dr Pepper Snapple Group reported first quarter net income of $177 million, a drop from the $182 million the same time last year.
- Sales for the company were slightly up, coming in at $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to $1.49 billion year-over-year.
- The company’s non-carbonated beverage portfolio was down 6% in the quarter, while its carbonated beverage revenue increased 1%.
Not surprisingly, the biggest gains came from the company's newest acquisition: Bai Brands, the antioxidant superfruit power drink. By itself, Bai increased 80% following the company's acquisition and the growth it provided through distribution. While industry experts questioned the $1.7 billion price tag on the brand, Dr Pepper Snapple's investment is paying dividends already. If this kind of meteoric growth continues, the drink company can successfully reinvigorate itself as consumer tastes and preferences change.
More growth came with similarly growth-targeted brands, including BODYARMOR, Core and Fiji. These grew 33% in the most recent report. However, Snapple and Hawaiian Punch posted declines.
Although soda sales have seen a decrease industry-wide of late, the company saw its carbonated soft drinks revenue increase 1%. The increase was driven by the fountain foodservice business, with Canada Dry posting a 5% and Schweppes increasing 8%. Even its signature Dr Pepper brand increased 1%, reversing a sales trend that has been plaguing it in recent quarters.
Larry Young , DPS’ president and CEO, said in the report that the company used its strategy to unlock growth across its priority brands through integrated communication and execution. This came through in the carbonated beverage segment.
Net sales grew 2%, including the Bai acquisition, which accounted for about 1 percentage point of its net sales growth overall.


text:
One time not that long ago, seed corn hybrids changed quite often, but soybean varieties were pretty much the same from one year to the next. Not any more. Corn hybrids now change yearly and soybean varieties are being introduced in batches, not a couple new varieties per company per year.
The example is WinField announcing “33 new high-performing soybean varieties in its 2013 lineup.” Although the company provides facts to distinguish the Croplan varieties as distinctively different by Goup 0 through Group VII, nearly all feature Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology.
“Investments in breeding technology have accelerated the process of getting much-needed, higher-performing genetics to the field,” said Jack Carlson, Ph.D., soybean director, WinField. “These new varieties meet a number of production challenges and offer farmers the potential to reap meaningful yield increases.”
Carlson cited 2012 data gathered from nearly 200 research locations in the company’s national Answer Plot Program that showed per acre improvement over the previous class of original Roundup Ready seed.
“With current market prices for soybeans, there’s a significant financial incentive to choose new technology,” Carlson said. “Farmers who plant old-technology genetics will sell themselves short and may miss significant opportunities.”
The new varieties are being introduced to also provide for increased soybean cyst nematode (SCN) resistance and new resistant strains of Phytophthora root rot (PRR). Several new varieties contain a gene, Rps3a, which offers more complete protection for PRR, which can be a devastating disease.
Carlson said, “Many soybean growers have been waiting for a solution to combat new races of PRR.”


text:
sustainability Archives - Page 2 of 10 - Inside FMCG
Kirsten and Mark Williams, founders of Star Eco Products, have created a sustainable coffee pod.
Woolworths’ Burwood Brickworks store a culmination of the retailer’s sustainability efforts to-date.
How will we get strong yields in uncertain environments and make more food without using more land?
High demand for products could make the food and agribusiness more valuable than mining.
Disgust responses are hard to shift, but culturally conditioned ideas of what is “natural” may be modified over time.
Consumers are more environmentally-conscious than ever, but when it comes to the crunch will they opt for the most sustainable option?
Australia has a sustainable agriculture policy vacuum, after years of a fragmented, stop-start approach.
Inside FMCG chats to Patch Strips founder James Dutton.
The new packaging will allow the beer giant to sell a wider variety of quantities in supermarkets.
This is the first time this type of packaging has been produced for carbonated drinks in Australia.


text:
GST: Moving ahead
The 31st meeting of GST yielded relief for the commoner as the government slashed the tax rates on as many as 23 items. Cheaper movie tickets, televisions, power banks, video games, et al surely benefits the layman. Some items saw a reduction from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, some to 5 per cent, as frozen and preserved vegetables were exempted from the levy. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said, "The GST rate reduction will have an overall impact on revenue of Rs 5,500 crore." The Union government's move can be perceived in two styles. The Commoner stance might grin at the reduced rates but still argue over the impeded move as it took thirty-one meetings to make GST so user-friendly, if not more. While that may be treated as expected pandemonium by the public, the opposition's criticism over a seemingly positive move marks the opposition stance. If it benefits the people, there must not be any reason for the opposition to be perturbed — considering how they have always placed the government under scrutiny vis-à-vis public welfare. Supporting this argument is the opposition's stand on how Centre had implemented a flawed GST that caused uncomparable inconvenience to small traders and common people alike. The double standard cannot be left unnoticed. Yet, drama encircled on Saturday when the GST council saw the opposition resist the rate reduction on some items. Rahul Gandhi had urged for a simplified GST in a campaign in last Gujarat Assembly polls, citing the GST as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. It makes absolutely no sense to see him now oppose what he initially desired. Moreover, criticism is offered at every turn and should be treated as a necessary evil. In that sense, obsequiously countering government's approach by the opposition must be taken in a common notion. After all, lowering of tax rates will increase the consumption of such items which in turn will turn the wheel of the economy faster than it currently is. Unclogging the economy to let the consumer exercise purchase making the market vibrant. Now that is a constructive perspective to it — one that supersedes both the commoner and the opposition stance. After all, it is not likely that a child scores remarkably high marks and the parent just appraises. There is always a "Try to do better next time" feedback that comes nevertheless. Further, lower taxes facilitate overall economic movement which is a collective interest and certainly a greater good arising from this. Even then, the lowering of taxes has been famed as a hurt BJP trying to please the public after losing out on the three Hindi heartland states. And, that, validates the 'necessary evil' presence of criticism, despite a positive outcome.
Moving beyond the commotion and the criticism that the GST council's decisions sparked, the government's next step is to focus on GST returns and forms regarding the same. The Goods and Services Tax Council further extended the due date for filing annual returns by three months as it looks to provide a reasonable time for the industry to collate the information required to be disclosed in the forms. Adding to that is the amendments that are scheduled to be done in the annual and audit returns. Not just this, the GST Council also approved the creation of a Centralised Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling to deal with cases of conflicting decisions by two or more State Appellate Advance Ruling Authorities on same issues. Clearing the air, a set of reforms that will simplify GST and increase its viability are set to be directed by the government. Scrutinising this aspect would make more sense since this is something that concerns the overall functioning of GST while placing norms as per which the entire audience will file a return. Improving the GST framework is necessary to augment the efficiency of the growing economy. From the future and economic perspective, the government's decision regarding both GST return filing forms and lowering of tax rates is a dual plus for the public. The GST council said that the new return filing system shall be introduced on a trial basis from April 1, 2019. Tried and tested system is one which will benefit the economy despite shortcomings. It is the one where the criticism will be expected in order to improve the viability of the framework. With a bunch of changes scheduled to be done, the council said that the new changes will be notified on February 2, 2019. The opposition and the commoners will again be found with their respective stances for the new changes, however, the constructive criticism, efficient framework, and a vigorously growing economy are the things that will be significant to the future of GST and the nation's economy!


text:
Like the smartphone patent wars of yesterday, there’s a new arms race happening and it’s all about wearables. Similar to the spats going on between Google, Apple, Microsoft and smartphone makers, it won’t matter to me or you. At least not anytime soon.
Jawbone is acquiring BodyMedia, makers of health monitoring armbands, for over $100 million. No further details have been made public about the deal.
BodyMedia fitness trackers have always been the ugly ducklings, because, well, they're ugly. Thankfully, that's about to change. The new Core 2 fitness tracker keeps tabs on a whole lot of metrics, and it's a lot easier on the eyes.


text:
Ex Sony Online Entertainment Chief John Smedley has announced on that he is launching a Kickstarter project for a role-playing video game developed by PixelImage Games, his new company, according to Techtimes.
Smedley’s new game, Hero’s Song, uses 2D pixel art animation and integrates elements of classic RPGs. The game was created by a team of developers, which include EverQuest franchise co-creator Bill Trost and Patrick Rothfuss.
Hero’s Song, according to Smedley’s Kickstarter page, is set in a dynamic world where every time a player starts a new game, the back story changes based on what in-game gods are chosen to make up the player’s pantheon.
The choice of pantheon of gods is an influence on some aspects of the game including the terrain, the traces and the histories of characters, and as far as the family tree of the player’s character. As a player, you also have the option of hosting your own game servers, which can provide support to hundreds of users simultaneously.
Speaking on his inspiration, Smedley said: “the last time I did a startup was 1999, with EverQuest. For a long time, I have wanted to start a company that made super-deep games, versus superficial things.”
Among top developers on Smedley’s team is Bill Trost, a leading designer and co-creator of the famous EverQuest franchise as well as the New York Times’ No. 1 bestselling author of the Name of The Wind fantasy novels, Patrick Rothfuss. Smedley’s core team already boasts of 13 employees, with the number expected to rise as production improves in the next couple of months.
Hero’s Song is inspired by Dwarf Fortress, which is a pixel-art game that is procedurally generated and was originally released by a two-person team 10 years ago. Despite its text-based graphics, Dwarf Fortress received a lot of encomium for its complex, emergent gameplay.
“Dwarf Fortress is the model, a hyper-deep game,” Smedley said. “I think of [Hero’s Song] as a combination of Dwarf Fortress, Diablo III, and Ultima Online. We are focusing on very deep gameplay, and not so much on high-end graphics. We all love pixel graphics,” Smedley added.
On his decision to partner with Rothfuss, he “I love Pat’s books,” he said. “I have more own stories I want to tell, and my own worlds to build. There’s a point you reach in your life where you don’t want to make someone else’s dreams.”
The ex Sony man said Hero’s Song will have 2D pixel art, and will also have role-playing gameplay with an action-combat feel.
The rapid growth of Smedley’s company is worth commending, with initial funding and recruitment of staff saying a lot of his ability to recruit the best hands in the industry. Two decades ago, he had led a team that was responsible for creating EverQuest, which was a groundbreaking MMO, which enabled millions of people play a living game within a virtual world.
“Our goal with Pixelmage Games is to make extremely deep and hardcore games in a beautiful pixel art style with an incredibly deep multiplayer experience” said Smedley. “We’re calling on the community to be a part of this project as we create a really unique game that we’re sure fantasy RPG fans will really enjoy.”


text:
Lego’s first indoor playground in the city at the K11 Musea shopping centre has sold 3,000 tickets for its opening day, the mall said on 6 March 2021.
The opening of Legoland Discovery Centre, which occupies 30,000 sq ft in the shopping centre’s basement, was originally slated for 1 March. But K11 was forced to shut following a Covid-19 super spreader event at Mr Ming’s Chinese Dinningon 28 February.
The Legoland centre is currently opens at noon on Saturday along with the mall itself.
Oliver Tong, head of retail at JLL in Hong Kong said “Having good entertainment facilities could create traffic for the shopping centre. They could help malls differentiate themselves from other shopping centres and attract shoppers,” He added that such attractions could increase the length of stay in shopping centres and create more sales. “The longer shoppers stay in a mall, the more they spend,” he added.
According to the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s mall operators are incorporating entertainment options at their properties to retain customers, as the city’s mass vaccination drive is rolled out. K11, for instance, hopes to leverage the centre as well as the nearby Avenue of Stars and Water of Stars to promote itself as a new tourism destination in the city’s Tsim Sha Tsui district. It has also tied up with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific to offer free flights to the first 100 tourists visiting Hong Kong, it said.


text:
When is Black Friday 2019? Hint: It's not just one day this year
This year, Black Friday is on Nov. 29.
But that's not when all of the holiday deals will happen, so there are several other dates you need to know.
Sales linked to Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving - will likely happen throughout November this year.
So which days should you mark on your calendar? NerdWallet has gathered what you need to know about the Black Friday shopping period.All month: November
The start of November signals the launch of the Black Friday retail season. In the days and weeks leading up to the hyped-up shopping day, retailers try to lure customers in with teaser deals.
For example, last year, Amazon offered some discounts a week before Black Friday.
This year, anticipate pre-Black Friday discount promotions throughout the entire month.Thanksgiving: Nov. 28
Still, many stores reserve their most coveted deals (the ones plastered in Black Friday ads and distributed via mass emails) for later in November.
The major players in the Black Friday arena generally don't wait until Black Friday itself to unleash their key deals. Instead, Thanksgiving Day has become the popular starting date.
In 2018, many major retailers, including Walmart, Target and Best Buy, were open to shoppers on Thanksgiving. It was common for doors to open around 5 p.m.
This year, Thanksgiving is on Nov. 28. If you want a shot at the big deals, you'll need to get in line early at stores or be online by starting time.Black Friday: Nov. 29
The day after Thanksgiving still has some heft. Last year, many stores relaunched their Black Friday sales on Black Friday itself.
If the trend continues this year, shoppers should be prepared for round two of sales on Nov. 29. Expect retailers to open during the evening on Thanksgiving, close in the early morning of Black Friday and open again later that day.Cyber Monday: Dec. 2
Finally, the third round of sales will launch on Cyber Monday, which falls on Dec. 2 this year. Rooted in the ease of online shopping, Cyber Monday offers discounts for consumers who want to shop from home or work.
And in recent years, Cyber Monday has become an extension of the Black Friday shopping period with deals rolling throughout the weekend or picking up where previous sales ended.
So when is Black Friday 2019? Not just on Black Friday, but before and after, as well.More From NerdWallet
Courtney Jespersen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @CourtneyNerd.
The article When Is Black Friday? Hint: It's Not Just One Day originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Just like Walmart, Best Buy offers a slight advantage to some Black Friday buyers, as it has a multitude of physical retail stores across the United States. some of them, and some even camped from
When it comes to Black Friday events John Lewis's deals are among the best in the UK as they push everything from TVs to laptops, to toys and tech. Black Friday is on 29th November
Looking for some wireless earphones that can pair with your new iPhone 11? If so, Apple AirPods should be high on your holiday shopping list. Black Friday deals are likely to include Apple's AirPods and
Currys PC World is aware of how you can do Black Friday. The retailer was among the best manufacturers to buy the buying occasion within the UK final 12 months, with visits to the positioning
Black Friday 2019 deals start on November 29, but it's not limited to just a single day. Believe it or not, Black Friday used to just be a one-day event that took place the day
You must be waiting for Black Friday 2019 sale to go live. Most of you must have prepared the list of all the things you probably want to buy when the sale kickstarts.
After a successful Prime Day back in July, Amazon.com is about to host another massive shopping extravaganza that is about to be the biggest this year: Black Friday. Black Friday is only 48 days away and
We predict some decent affords and deals from excessive facet twin carriageway huge John Lewis this Unlit Friday Credit score: Geoff Pugh As one in every of the mountainous canines of the
More News in Entertainment
We just love it if celebrities hold special events to delight their fans! Someone made a similar appearance that shocked us! It appears that TWICE will meet with fans at Hwajeong Gymnasium, Korea University, on 20
"The Irishman" is a new Netflix crime drama movie directed by Martin Scorsese and top billed by Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro. The film has apparently received critical acclaim before it was
Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images When you're a struggling actor, just starting out in this crazy business of show, there's but one dream: To land that one role, find that one character that'll
Martin Scorsese's recent comments about the Marvel movies not being cinema, something he's since doubled down on, have now been supported by fellow director Francis Ford Coppola. The filmmaker behind The Godfather movies, Apocalypse Now,
JYP Entertainment has officially addressed whether TWICE 's Mina will be joining the group for their future promotions. On October 20, Mina delighted fans by unexpectedly joining her bandmates on stage at TWICE's special fan meeting
There's a pantheon of great American writers who got their start writing about music in the 1960s. It's group that includes writers as disparate as Ellen Willis and Lester Bangs - in other words,


text:
There’s no way a blanket of Skittles can protect an iPhone 7 during a 100-ft. drop test, right? Find out in this video from GizmoSlip. Bonus, the drop test features a drone!
Is Amazon one step closer to actually delivering packages to homes via drones? Find out in this article from pcmag.com.
Amazon Considers Parachutes for Drone Delivered Packages
By Matthew Humphries
Why risk a landing when a package can be dropped from a safe height…
Amazon needs to overcome a number of hurdles in order to make Prime Air drone deliveries a reality. The biggest of those is the fact that under current laws it isn’t legal. But if we assume laws will change and Amazon drones are going to fill the skies, the next problem to solve is the best way to leave a package at its destination.
The most obvious way to achieve this is to have the drone land, release the package from its underbelly, and take off again. But this method carries a lot of risk. A pet or human could be injured by the drone, the drone could topple over and become stuck, or it could be stolen. It’s much safer to keep the bow-and-arrow-proof drone flying at all times, so Amazon is investigating other ways to, quite literally, drop the package off at its destination.
CNN discovered a new patent granted to Amazon, entitled “Maneuvering a package following in-flight release from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV),” which describes methods to “forcefully propel a package” from a drone in order to alter its descent trajectory. In other words, the ability to drop a package and make sure it lands in the right place.
Three methods of controlled descent are discussed: a parachute, landing flaps, and compressed air canisters. All three allow for the direction of a dropped package to be changed if necessary (for example, there’s high winds blowing the package off course). The drone would monitor the descent, sensors would be included with the package, and together they can determine if an adjustment is needed. If so, a flap can be deployed, the canister could fire a blast or two of air, or one or more parachutes could be released.
Even though this drop method would allow the drone to keep flying, they all sound like very complicated and expensive ways to get a package to drop in the right place. Wouldn’t it just be easier to have the drone determine how low it needs to hover based on the weather conditions to ensure a successful drop? Then encase the parcel in a drop-friendly protective packaging and let it go. Simple, cheap, reliable.
In the article from techcrunch.com below, learn how Flybrix has created a simple build-a-drone kit for whiz kids that includes Legos.
Kids can build a LEGO drone with Flybrix kits
By Lora Kolodny
A company called Flybrix is putting legos on the wing.
The San Francisco startup today began selling build-a-drone kits for kids age 14 and up comprised of: LEGO bricks, boom arms and motors that don’t require soldering, and other off the shelf and Flybrix-designed parts.
Once assembled, Flybrix drones are lightweight and meant to be flown indoors. They can be operated with a Bluetooth flight control app for iOS or Android smartphones, or a manual flight controller purchased from the company.
Flybrix drones are also, notably, “crash-friendly,” meaning they can be re-assembled time and again as kids experiment with their designs, and learn how to pilot them.
Co-founders of the startup, Amir Hirsch, Robb Walters and Holly Kasun, want to get teens, or younger kids with adult supervision, interested in things like geometry, aerodynamics and electrical engineering.
The company was founded in 2015 and has been developing its technology at Lemnos Labs, a foundry for hardware startups in San Francisco.
Flybrix is selling the drones direct to consumers via its own website for an introductory price of $149 for a basic kit, and $189 for a deluxe kit. Orders taken now will ship in about 6 weeks to customers, just in time for the holidays.
The basic kit includes about 40 pieces and instructions needed to build a small quadcopter. Assembly takes under fifteen minutes. Deluxe kits include more complex models and ideas and games that require kids to modify a basic design, and figure out how to make their own drones.
Flybrix’s Chief Play Officer Holly Kasun said the company isn’t officially partnering with LEGO, but has made its business known to LEGO and hopes that teens who use LEGO bricks to build drones will also try the massive toy company’s other STEM-related products, such as their LEGO Mindstorms kits.
Kasun also noted that LEGO bricks– because they’re so consistently manufactured and widely available– are used not just to inspire kids and get them building. They have long been used by mechanical and robotics engineers in labs for prototyping and design.
Flybrix cofounder Amir Hirsch attained 3 degrees in math and electrical engineering from MIT where he used LEGO products in the lab, which inspired the eventual creation of Flybrix, Kasun said.


text:
NEW YORK CITY — The man who spent the last eight years chronicling the closings of beloved city institutions now wants your help to save them.
The Vanishing New York blogger, who goes by the pseudonym Jeremiah Moss, launched a crowdsourcing campaign this week called #SaveNYC.
The goal is to amass an array of evidence from across the city to convince politicians to pass legislation that would protect mom-and-pop shops.
#SaveNYC is a social media hashtag and a website where viewers can upload videos, photos and stories about businesses in their neighborhood that are at risk of shutting down or are already slated for closure.
Moss is hopeful that the crowdsourcing project and years of blog entries will serve as proof that small businesses are in grave danger and that people care about their disappearance, he said.
“Weren’t imagining it, we weren't exaggerating it. This is what happens day after day,” he said. “It’s like a witness in a way.”
The #SaveNYC campaign suggests passing legislation that would give rent protections to small businesses that neighbors vote are essential to the community and also measures that would make it tougher for chain stores to infiltrate the city. It pulls from movements to protect small businesses happening in San Francisco and London.
Moss, who's originally from New England and is in his 40s, has lived to the East Village for the past 20 years, he said.
“Like many people who come to New York, I came from a place that was conventional in a lot of ways,” he said. “I was not conventional and I wanted to live somewhere I could feel at home.”
Now he fears that new arrivals to the city have more generic tastes and feel at home and in the “bosom of the suburbs” at chain stores and restaurants like Olive Garden and IHOP.
“I can’t do anything to chase people out of the city, but maybe I can do something that protects what exists,” he said.


text:
Frugal fashionistas can to flock to Green Spring Station this week for its Center Wide Sidewalk Sale, which features up to 70 percent off of hot designers such as Tibi, Trina Turk, Nicole Miller, Bumble and Bumble and Tommy Bahama. In addition, Yves Delorme, a high-end home goods boutique, will celebrate Bastille Day with a 20 percent off storewide sale July 14-23. Attend Green Spring Stations Sidewalk Sale Thursday to Saturday at Green Spring Station in Lutherville.
BARBARA HADDOCK TAYLOR, Baltimore Sun
Copyright © 2018, Daily Press


text:
Deep Silver has announced that it will assume publishing duties for Atlus's upcoming Japanese RPG sequel Persona 5 in the UK and other PAL regions.
The German publisher – which represents the games publishing division of Koch Media – revealed on Twitter that it has partnered with both the Persona developer and Sega for "select titles". The move will also see Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and 7th Dragon III Code: VFD released in Europe.
While no exact release date has been set for the UK and European launch of the latest instalment in Atlus' high school sim/dungeon crawler-hybrid series, the confirmation should at least settle concerns following the developer's decision to ends its publishing agreements with NIS America.
The fifth main entry in the cult series (and spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise) is set to launch in Japan on 15 September, 2015, with a US release later confirmed for February 2017 as an exclusive for Sony's PS4 and PS3 consoles. Whether or not Deep Silver will aim for a similar February release date for Europe is yet to be seen.
Sega acquired the Tokyo-based studio in March 2016, during which time it confirmed that it will publish all future Atlus titles in the US. It appears that instead of following the same strategy in Europe, Sega has instead decided to hand-over publishing duties to the company responsible for the Metro, Saints Row and Dead Island franchises.
Naoto Hiraoka, the CEO of Atlus USA and senior vice president of publishing at Sega of America, released the following statement addressing the move:
"In entering this partnership with Deep Silver, I am truly delighted we will be able to release our titles in the European regions. Not only does the deal span multiple titles, but Deep Silver has a strong presence in European and PAL retailers. They have a strong passion for being able to deliver physical games to our fans in those territories, which we hold in high regard."


text:
15 November 2023
Gallium nitride and silicon carbide to be essential for enabling scale and potential of AIDecades old norms are being challenged in the power semiconductor industry as Omdia forecasts an explosion in novel semiconductors due to the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. “Will the artificial intelligence (AI) boom have a similar impact?,” the firm questions.
“An industry which has long relied on silicon technologies is being both challenged and enabled by devices fabricated from new materials,” notes Callum Middleton, senior analyst for semiconductor components. “The development of both gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power devices began in the previous century, but their technology maturity has matched with the sustainability movement, and devices manufactured from the new materials offer significant efficiency gains in our energy-hungry world,” he adds.
The initial adoption of SiC devices into Tesla electric vehicles in 2018 catapulted the technology from laboratories and test designs into the mainstream. Since then, the EV market has taken off and more manufacturers are looking to include these technologies in their vehicles due to the benefits in performance, charging speed, and range.


text:
Elon Musk, Chief Executive of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), said that the company is planning to open manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia to boost production of its planned mass-market battery car, expecting an increase in demand.
“We’ll try to locate those close to where people are, close to where the customers are, to minimize the logistics costs of getting the car to them,” the Tesla co-founder said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Seth Klarman: Investors Can No Longer Rely On Mean Reversion
"For most of the last century," Seth Klarman noted in his second-quarter letter to Baupost's investors, "a reasonable approach to assessing a company's future prospects was to expect mean reversion." He went on to explain that fluctuations in business performance were largely cyclical, and investors could profit from this buying low and selling high. Also Read More
Starting another plant in California will be costly
The electronic vehicle manufacturer is targeting production of at least 21,000 of its $70,000 Model S premium sedans at its Fremont, California plant, and hopes to increase production by two times by 2014. Musk stated that the factory has capacity to roll out around 500,000 vehicles per year, but additional factories are needed to manufacture smaller electric cars, which will be lower in price than the Model S.
While giving an interview in his Fremont factory last month, Musk said that establishing another plant in California would be challenging due to high costs. The Fremont facility was started in the 1960s by the predecessor of General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), and in 1984 it became a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) (TYO:7203), later acquired by Tesla in 2010.
In the interview, Musk said that establishing another plant in California is a tough task, and the company wants to enhance this plant to its original production capacity of half a million vehicles per year.
There was no estimate provided by Musk on how much the company would shell out to start new factories. As of now, company has a small facility in Tilburg, Netherlands where the Model S is assembled.
Tesla recently filed a patent for Model E
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), named for inventor Nikola Tesla, reported its first ever profitable quarter this year, and also grabbed “Car of the Year” award for its Model S by Motor Trend Magazine. In May, according to Consumer Reports, Tesla was named as the best car it ever tested.
This month Tesla filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark office for trademark protection of the ‘Model E’ name.
Shares of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) surged more than four times and its market value has spiked higher than some of the automobile juggernauts like Fiat SpA (BIT:F), the majority owner of Chrysler Group LLC. Tesla dropped 1.1 percent to $147.86 at the close yesterday, in New York. Tesla shares have gained 337% this year, compared to a 16% increase for the Russell 1000 index.


text:
Today Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan turned a year older and fantabulous as it’s his 55th birthday. While each year his fans travel to Mumbai to gather outside Mannat on this special day, this time the Badshah has requested his fans to not do so, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier he had tweeted, “Iss baar ka pyaar thoda door se yaar’. However, this doesn’t stop the virtual celebration as social media is currently buzzing with posts for the superstar and netizens continue to remember SRK with his iconic films. Besides impeccable silver screen performance, King Khan is also one of the leading style icons in Bollywood. And, on his special day, here’s a look at SRK’s fashion journey through his hit films.
Photo credit: Shah Rukh Khan fanclub Instagram