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Some say the era of brick-and-mortar retail may be waning, but a rundown of current building applications and ongoing projects for Route 58 includes more than a dozen proposals.
So what does that mean for Riverhead’s bustling shopping district?
“I think residents like Route 58 because it’s a compact shopping district where they can get their wares and goods and then get right back out to rural areas or farm fields,” town Supervisor Sean Walter said.
But in this era of remote and online shopping, the supervisor said the town “has to be wary,” adding that he hopes the Town Board can begin a master plan update of Route 58 zoning this year.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that we will have some additional funding this year to maybe start that study, because I want to be ahead of the curve if it’s true that box stores could be coming to an end,” Mr. Walter said.
An examination of building applications pending or underway along Route 58 showed 13 projects in various stages of development. Here’s where they all stand.
EAST OF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE
• In 2016, the Town Board changed zoning once again to permit movie theaters on Route 58, having previously limited them to downtown Riverhead in hopes of drawing a multiplex there.
The owner of the former Walmart shopping center, Manhattan-based Philips International, has submitted an application to raze the Walmart building, replace it with a multiplex and create two new restaurants at the north end of the property.
“We are negotiating a lease with Regal Entertainment Group at this point,” said Andrew Aberham, international director of sales and leasing for Philips International. “We’re pretty far along. We’re not at the finish line, but we’re definitely closer to the finish line. Time is critical here, so we’re moving on all fronts.”
Regal, the country’s largest movie theater chain, is the same company Mr. Walter tried to lure to the former Woolworth site in downtown Riverhead several years ago, an offer Regal ultimately turned down.
A theater was also proposed in 1996 for Riverhead Centre, the complex anchored by Home Depot, but Regal eventually dropped out of that project, which had been stalled by a lawsuit.
A Regal spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on its possible interest in the Route 58 site.
“We’re excited about it,” Mr. Aberham said of a possible deal with Regal. “The Riverhead market is definitely in need of a movie theater.”
• Developer Richard Israel’s Riverhead Commons development at the former Rolle Brothers site, across from Firestone, has been in the proposal stages since 2011. Mr. Israel’s company bought the property in 2009.
Riverhead Commons calls for one restaurant and three retail spaces comprising approximately 50,000 square feet.
It was last before the Riverhead Planning Board in October, when issues under discussion included the location of an RPZ (reduced pressure zone) valve to protect water from contamination and whether to require a cross access easement with a medical office proposed for Ostrander Avenue, enabling cars to exit away from Route 58.
• The southeast corner of Route 58 and Ostrander Avenue, site of a former gas station, could also be redeveloped. In October, owner TSA Capital received Planning Board approval to add 14,378 square feet of property acquired from an adjacent church, which would make it possible to build a new gas station in the same spot. Chris Kent, the attorney for TSA, said at the time that no convenience store was planned, just a gas station.
• After twice being hit by cars barreling off the Route 58 traffic circle, Pizza Hut asked to be let out of its lease late last year.
Michael Hartofelis, an attorney for property owner Bell Boulevard Realty LLC, told the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals in December that Pizza Hut would surrender its lease for the site and that an urgent care walk-in clinic called STAT Health was interested in taking over the location. STAT Health recently appeared before the town Architectural Review Board.
• Tire Country, which took over the 1,933-square-foot former Meineke Muffler building, seeks to build a 3,067-square-foot L-shaped addition that would stretch behind Friendly’s. That application was granted several zoning variances by the ZBA in December.
• A Popeye’s chicken has been proposed for a vacant one-acre lot on the north side of Route 58, east of Malvese. That application has been before the Planning Board once and no action has been taken on it yet.
WEST OF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE
• A 2,590-square-foot Sonic drive-in fast food restaurant was proposed for land across from Apple Honda on Route 58 in January 2016. It called for 40 indoor seats, 16 outdoor seats and 22 drive-in parking stalls.
Town planning and building administrator Jeff Murphree said the town asked Sonic to supply more information following a public hearing but hasn’t heard from them since.
• A similar situation exists regarding Zwanger Persiri’s proposal for a radiology center at the southwest corner of Route 58 and Osborn Avenue, according to Mr. Murphree, who said he has not heard back from the applicant. That property is currently being used to store cars from the adjacent Apple Honda, which is constructing a previously approved two-story 7,433-square-foot showroom and office building just east of its existing building.
• Just west of the proposed Sonic site, Apple Honda has proposed a 60,048-square-foot retail center on 12 acres east of Riverhead Centre on Route 58.
That project received preliminary site plan approval from the Planning Board in September.
• The Shops at Riverhead, proposed by Brixmor Property Group has been the source of criticism dating back to 2012, when the developers clear-cut the entire 41-acre site, with town approval, to allow for construction of Costco, to date the only tenant at the site.
Neighbors and town officials said the clear-cutting led to noise and dust and that the trees Brixmor planted to shield neighbors often died.
Now, Brixmor is back with plans for 120,450-square-foot of additional retail on a different section of the property. In January, the Planning Board granted preliminary site plan approval, with the stipulation that Brixmor build a 10-foot sound wall to protect private homes to the east. Ulta Beauty, PetSmart and Marshalls/Home Goods are among the proposed tenants, according to the applicant.
• Peconic Bay Medical Center is currently building a 3,500-square-foot annex at the northwest corner of Route 58 and Kroemer Avenue. The project, approved in 2015, is aimed at reducing emergency room traffic at PBMC’s main Roanoke Avenue campus, according to hospital president and CEO Andrew Mitchell.
• Directly across the street, Barclay Ehrler received site plan approval in 2016 for a 14,400-square-foot retail building on a vacant 1.5-acre lot, a property Mr. Ehrler told the Planning Board he purchased 20 years ago and has been trying to develop for more than a decade.
• Just west of Walmart is the second of two hotels developer Lee Browning planned for Route 58. The 114-room Hilton Garden Inn was built in 2007 and a 140-room Marriott Residence Inn hotel is now being erected directly beside it.
Photo caption: The former Walmart location, pictured in June, is said to be a location for a multiplex and two new restaurants. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)


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Samsung Electronics on Wednesday posted a 34.57% drop in operating profit in the fourth quarter from a year ago, in line with its guidance issued earlier this month.
Here are Samsung’s fourth-quarter results versus estimates:
- Revenue: 67.78 trillion Korean won (about $51 billion), vs. 69.27 trillion Korean won expected by LSEG analysts
- Operating profit: 2.82 trillion Korean won, vs. 3.43 trillion Korean won expected by LSEG analysts
Samsung’s revenue for the quarter ending December fell 3.8% from a year ago, while operating profit dropped 34.57% in the same period.
In its earnings guidance earlier this month, Samsung said it expected operating profit for the October-December quarter to be 2.8 trillion South Korean won ($2.13 billion), down 35% from the same period a year ago when the firm reported an operating profit of 4.31 trillion won.
Daiwa Capital Markets in a Jan. 9 report said Samsung’s revenue and operating profit estimates were “lower than our market estimates.”
“We assume that memory business earnings improved sharply on increased memory shipment and prices,” said SK Kim of Daiwa Capital Markets after Samsung’s preliminary earnings.
Samsung is the world’s largest maker for dynamic random-access memory chips which are found in consumer devices such as smartphones and computers.
Memory chip prices plummeted drastically last year due to inflationary pressures that have caused consumers to cut back on smartphone and PC purchases, as well as excess inventories of chips that companies stockpiled during the pandemic.
This has hit Samsung’s earnings hard, with its operating profit plunging 77.6% in the third quarter from a year ago. Other chipmakers such as Taiwan’s TSMC and SK Hynix have also reported declines in quarterly profits.
But the global PC market returned to growth in the fourth quarter, posting a modest year-on-year growth of 3%, according to global technology market analyst firm Canalys.
Analysts told CNBC in October that weak demand in the memory industry has bottomed out, as chipmakers have been running down excess inventories through production cuts.
“We expect further price hikes in 1H24 and a marked rebound in earnings for memory makers in 2H24 and 2025,” said Kim of Daiwa Capital Markets on Jan. 4.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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Feb 16, 2023
Silvergate Bank and CEO Accused of “Aiding and Abetting” Fraudulent Scheme
Silvergate Bank, its parent company Silvergate Capital Corporation, and its CEO Alan Lane have been accused of “aiding and abetting” a “multibillion-dollar fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF)” and two of his entities, FTX and Alameda Research, in a newly proposed class-action lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on Feb. 14 by lawyers representing a San Francisco-based FTX user who was frozen out of around $20,000 in crypto when the exchange collapsed last year.
The proposed class-action lawsuit accuses Silvergate Bank, Silvergate Capital Corporation, and Alan Lane of concealing “the true nature of FTX” from its customers and of knowingly aiding and abetting FTX’s fraudulent scheme.
The suit seeks a combination of damages, restitution and disgorgement of profits with the amount to be determined in trial.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of class-action complaints against Silvergate over the last two months.
In December, plaintiff Joewy Gonzalez filed a similar class-action suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, accusing Silvergate of its alleged role in “furthering FTX’s investment fraud” by aiding and abetting the crypto exchange when it placed FTX user deposits into the bank accounts of Alameda.
On Jan. 10, a class-action suit was filed against Silvergate Capital Corporation in the United States District Court of Southern California alleging that Silvergate’s platform failed to detect occurrences of money laundering “in amounts exceeding $425 million” involving South American money launderers.
Last week, algorithmic trading firm Statistica Capital filed a putative class-action lawsuit against New York-based Signature Bank, alleging it had “actual knowledge of and substantially facilitated the now-infamous FTX fraud.”
The proposed class-action lawsuit against Silvergate Bank, Silvergate Capital Corporation, and Alan Lane highlights the growing importance of NFTs and their promotion in the web3 space. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital assets that are unique and not interchangeable. They are used to represent art, music, collectibles, and more.
NFTs have become increasingly popular in recent years, and their use in the web3 space is growing. As such, businesses are looking for ways to promote their NFTs, and NFT marketing agencies are popping up all over the web.
NFT marketing agencies specialize in helping businesses promote their NFTs through various channels, such as Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms. These agencies offer services such as creating promotional videos, setting up campaigns, and developing strategies to increase NFT sales.
Businesses are also turning to Twitter NFT marketing to increase the visibility of their NFTs. Twitter is a great platform for promoting NFTs, as it has a large user base and is easy to use. With Twitter NFT marketing, businesses can reach a wide audience and increase their NFT sales.
The proposed class-action lawsuit against Silvergate Bank, Silvergate Capital Corporation, and Alan Lane is a reminder of the importance of being aware of the risks associated with selling NFTs. It is important for businesses to do their due diligence and ensure they are working with reputable NFT marketing agencies and that they are following the necessary laws and regulations when selling NFTs.
Cointelegraph has reached out to Silvergate for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.Disclaimer: All investment or financial opinions expressed by MoonLanding Media are not recommendations and are intended for entertainment purposes only. Do your own research prior to making any kind of investment. This article has been generated based on trending topics, has not been fact checked and may contain incorrect information. Please verify all information before relying on it.


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Having facilitated rupee trade with Russia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka, the government has asked trade bodies and banks to explore such opportunities with more nations, sources said.
Indian banks have already opened special rupee vostro accounts (SRVA) with banks of these three nations, operationalising the rupee trade arrangement.
Recently, SBI Mauritius Ltd and People's Bank of Sri Lanka opened an SRVA with State Bank of India (SBI). In addition, the Bank of Ceylon opened an account in its Indian subsidiary in Chennai.
Union Bank of India has opened a special rupee account of Ros Bank Russia while Chennai-based Indian Bank has opened such accounts of three Sri Lankan banks, including Colombo-based NDB Bank and Seylan Bank.
In all 18 such special rupee accounts have been opened by 11 banks, including two of Russia and one of Sri Lanka, following approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The RBI issued detailed guidelines on cross-border trade transactions in the domestic currency in July.
In a recent review meeting with stakeholders, sources said, the finance ministry asked stakeholders to explore more countries and establish this mechanism as part of its plans to expand bilateral trades through SRVAs and internationalise indigenous payment modes.
Following the Russia-Ukraine war and the sanctions imposed by the West, India has been trying to promote rupee trade.
Since July, Sberbank and VTB Bank -- the largest and second-largest banks of Russia, respectively -- are the first foreign lenders to receive approval after the RBI announced the guidelines.
The RBI, as per the guidelines, decided to put in place an additional arrangement for invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports/imports in the rupee.
Another Russian bank Gazprombank, which does not have its branch in India, has also opened this account with Kolkata-based UCO Bank.
The move to open the special vostro account clears the decks for settlement of payments in rupee for trade between India and Russia, enabling cross-border trade in the Indian currency, which the RBI is keen to promote.
The RBI has allowed the special vostro accounts to invest the surplus balance in Indian government securities to help popularise the new arrangement.
"Indian importers undertaking imports through this mechanism shall make payment in INR (Indian Rupee), which shall be credited into the special vostro account of the correspondent bank of the partner country, against the invoices for the supply of goods or services from the overseas seller/supplier," the RBI had said.


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The mui board will be exhibited at Cassina ixc.’s product exhibition, “Botanical Garden” starting from Thursday, July 9
mui Lab will display the mui board at the product exhibition "Botanical Garden" by Cassina ixc. from Thursday, July 9, 2020, in collaboration with Cassina ixc.
Botanical Garden is an exhibition that introduces new lifestyles through interiors in a time where there is a demand for ideas to create fun in the house. mui Lab will display mui at Botanical Garden as a for of biophilia tool in the office space. *The exhibition of mui will only be at Cassina ixc. Osaka
「LIFE CRUISE－旅するように暮らす」 Botanical Garden（ボタニカル・ガーデン）
Osaka Cassina: From July 9, 2020


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Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, has announced that it plans to open an infrastructure region in the Middle East by early 2019. The new AWS Middle East Region (Bahrain) will consist of three Availability Zones at launch. Currently, AWS provides 44 Availability Zones across 16 infrastructure regions worldwide, with another 14 Availability Zones, across five AWS Regions in China, France, Hong Kong, Sweden, and a second GovCloud Region in the US expected to come online by the end of 2018.
AWS has also announced it will launch an AWS Edge Network Location in the UAE in the first quarter of 2018.
It will bring Amazon CloudFront, Amazon Route 53, AWS Shield, and AWS WAF to the region and adds to the 78 points of presence AWS has around the world.
Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon Web Services, Inc., said: “As countries in the Middle East look to transform their economies for generations to come, technology will play a major role, and the cloud will be in the middle of that transformation.”
He added: “Some of the most gratifying parts of operating AWS over the last 11 years have been helping thousands of new companies get started, empowering large enterprises to reinvent their customer experiences, and allowing governments and academic institutions to innovate for citizens again. We look forward to making this happen across the Middle East.”
The announcement has been welcomed by political leaders in the GCC states. Countries across the Middle East are looking to innovate, grow their economies, and pursue their vision plans, such as Saudi Vision 2030, UAE Vision 2021, and Bahrain Vision 2030, and cloud technology will be key in helping them achieve this.
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, crown prince of Bahrain, first deputy prime minister, and chairman of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: “Today’s announcement is a significant moment for Bahrain and the region. For the Kingdom, the expansion of regional cloud capacity builds upon a business environment that is already driving innovation and entrepreneurship, using technology to accelerate economic diversification in Bahrain.
Through improved efficiencies, access to new career opportunities, and helping to enhance the delivery of government services, this marks further realization of the principles of sustainability, fairness, and competitiveness that form the core of Bahrain’s 2030 Vision.”


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New Orleans Arena Naming Rights Deal Smells Fishy
Some trade groups and industry officials say they disapprove of a proposal being considered by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to buy the naming rights to the New Orleans Arena.
If approved the plan would use about 17 percent of the $30 million BP gave to repair Gulf seafood's damaged reputation after the Deepwater Horizon spill.
The Seafood Board's Executive director, Ewell Smith, says it could help Louisiana seafood and restaurants statewide.
But board member Alan Gibson, who works at at Tideland Seafood Co. in Dulac, says the money was to rebuild and promote the entire industry — not "celebrity sports millionaires or New Orleans."
Board member Stephen Minvielle is also director of the Louisiana Crawfish Farmers Association. He says the crawfish group's board unanimously opposes the idea.


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After two separate reports indicated that Apple is working on iPhone models that will not require a physical SIM card, a leaker offers further insight into the matter. The leaker made similar claims much earlier this year, well before the iPhone 13 launch. It’s still unclear when Apple will release an iPhone without a physical SIM card tray. The previous reports cited the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 as potential versions that will not feature a SIM card slot. Also, one of these reports said Apple and its carrier partners might sell iPhone 13 options that buyers can activate via a digital eSIM. They’ll have a SIM card slot, but they will not ship to buyers with nano-SIMs in the box.
Why removing the iPhone SIM card slot makes sense
We explained the other day why removing the iPhone’s physical SIM card slot is inevitable. Apple is looking to eliminate all ports and buttons from the iPhone. That “perfect” iPhone design would let Apple offer buyers a waterproof device, not just water-resistant. With no point of entry inside a perfectly sealed case, the iPhone would survive accidents involving liquids even better than it already does. The Lightning port, the SIM card slot, and the buttons are such entry points.
The removal of the SIM card tray has an added benefit. Apple can recycle that internal space for new logic board designs. Apple can then save up more internal real estate to increase the battery capacity.
A report from Brazil said a few days ago that the iPhone 15 will lose the SIM slot. Separately, MacRumors learned that Apple instructed carrier partners to start selling eSIM-only phones by September 2022. Mobile operators should begin selling iPhones without nano-SIM cards in the box as soon as the second quarter of 2022. These eSIM-only iPhones would still feature physical SIM card slots. Apple isn’t about to change the iPhone 13 design halfway through the cycle.
The new rumor
A leaker who goes by the name of @DylanDKT said on Twitter that he is in “agreement with recent rumors regarding the removal of the physical SIM card tray.”
He linked to one of his tweets dating back to February, where he said he was able to confirm with sources that Apple wants to remove the SIM card tray from the iPhone “sooner than later.” He also said that it wouldn’t happen this year — and it did not. But Apple was already testing an undisclosed iPhone model with only eSIM technology.
Apple introduced support for eSIM in 2018 with the iPhone XS/XR series. Every iPhone since then, even the iPhone SE (2nd-gen), supports eSIM cards. Moreover, the iPhone 13 quietly introduced the feature that Apple would need in an iPhone model without a physical SIM. The iPhone 13 models support dual eSIM cards, something that’s not available on other dual SIM iPhones.
In other words, Apple has all the technology it needs to launch a phone that has no physical SIM card tray but can support two eSIM cards.


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Mindelo, Jul 09 (Inforpress) – The promoter of the Fazenda do Camarão project in São Vicente, Nelson Atanasio dos Santos, told Inforpress Thursday the company plans to produce 46 tons of shrimp this year, thus doubling production compared to the previous year.
“In the past we have produced 23 tons of shrimp, but I believe this year we will exceed the production of the previous year, or produce at least twice as much,” said Nelson Atanasio dos Santos, for whom Cabo Verde, in total, does not reach 30 tons of seafood among lobsters and other species.
According to the investor, this project has already proven that it is feasible, that it is necessary for the country, and proved to the population that Cabo Verdeans like shrimp. But the main one that is financing is missing, he said.
For Nelson Atanasio dos Santos, the cancellation of flights to São Vicente and the COVID-19 pandemic caused “enormous difficulties” to the project. He explained that initially they imported larvae to then feed and raise in São Vicente, but with the cancellation of flights from Boston, they could not import and had to do local production.
CD / CP / HVF


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A couple of months ago, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo announced a selfie –centric smartphone Vivo Y67. Now its successor Vivo Y67A spotted at TENAA and revealed its specifications.
According to the TENAA listing, the upcoming device Vivo Y67A will sport a 5.5 inch HD display with 720×1280 pixels resolution, 4GB RAM, internal storage capacity of 32GB, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card slot. It will be powered by a 1.5 GHz octa-core processor and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It will have the dimension of 153.8 x75.5 x7.55 mm and weighs 154 grams.
The camera section of the device will include a rear camera of 8 MP which can capture photos of 13-megapixel sensor, and a front-facing camera of 8MP, which can snap photos at 16MP sensor and will also come with Gravity sensors, distance sensors, light sensors. It will be powered by a 2,930 mAh battery.
Connectivity wise, it will feature dual SIM, 4G-LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS/A-GPS and a micro USB 2.0 port.
The users will get the device in Gold color. The cost of the device hasn’t confirmed by the company yet. According to the latest rumor, it will be launched in MWC event, which will be started from 27th February to 2nd March 2017.
Go ahead with us for more information.


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Dean Foods reported third quarter 2015 results. Net income per diluted share was $0.22 and adjusted net income per diluted share was $0.30.
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Q3 adjusted results reflect the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year improved results behind solid execution and price realization. Dairy category improves and DairyPure, the first and largest fresh, white milk national brand, supports commercial performance.
The company Repurchased approximately $53 million of common stock, or approximately 3.2 million shares, at an average purchase price of $16.73 per share. Q4 adjusted diluted earnings are expected to be $0.28 to $0.38 per share.
The third quarter 2015 average Class I Mover, a measure of raw milk costs, was $16.38 per hundred-weight, a 4% sequential increase from the second quarter of 2015 and a decrease of 30% from the third quarter of 2014.
The company expects the fourth quarter 2015 average Class I Mover to approximate $16.22 which represents about a 1% decline sequentially and a 31% decline year-over-year.
Total volume across all products was 658 million gallons for the third quarter of 2015, a 2% decline compared to total volume of 673 million gallons in the third quarter of 2014. For the fourth quarter 2015, as compared to the prior year period, the company expects total volumes to decline in the low single digits.
Based on the USDA's recently published category data, fluid milk volumes improved sequentially from a 2.2% decline in the first quarter to a 1.3% decline in the second quarter.
Quarter-to-date through August 2015, fluid milk volumes declined approximately 0.9% year-over-year, on an unadjusted basis. On this same basis, Dean Foods' share of U.S. fluid milk volumes increased 10 basis points sequentially to 35.3% but decreased from 35.9% in the third quarter of 2014. ■
Residents in coastal North Carolina and Virginia braced for potential flooding after Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall near a North Carolina barrier island on Saturday morning, bringing rain, damaging winds and dangerous surges of water.


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The Office of National Statistics has announced that inflation has risen by 0.3 per cent. It explained the largest upward contributions to the change in the inflation rate came from transport - notably air transport and motor fuels - and clothing.
The price of clothing and footwear also rose 1.2 percent month on month to tighten the squeeze on households, as the cost of women's outdoor clothing increased during a colder-than-normal month.
More top news
Top management at British Gymnastics face a grass roots rebellion in the wake of recent controversies surrounding the sport.
Philip Hammond's financial commitment to the NHS in this year's Budget falls short of what is needed according to hospital bosses.
As well as preparing his speech the Chancellor had spent some time preparing his gags, one of which included a prop.


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Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 annually, as a national holiday in India. Traditionally observed with flag-raising ceremonies, parades and cultural events, IGI's family of employees across India honored Independence Day 2020 by standing together in this powerful video tribute.
Emphasizing their commitment toward buyers and sellers alike, eBay India has announced the Gems and Jewelry Certificate program (GJC) in cooperation with IGI. Under this program, Indian eBay sellers can have their products independently graded by IGI at competitive prices, empowering confidence for consumer-buyers.
A chance to win awards, cash-prizes, education, recognition and exposure: The 2020 IGI JEWEL Jewelry Design Contest invites jewelers, artists, teachers, students and fans alike to submit design-concepts in four categories by August 20. Participation is free of charge and open to anyone, whether professional or not.
An exciting discovery was made by Gemologists examining a beautiful red ruby under the microscope. The arrows and needles they found don't just give hints as to the country of origin, they can also indicate when the gemstone has undergone treatment.
Are close-ups of gemological inclusions actually works of art, painted by Mother Nature in anticipation of our creative human inspirations? When exploring the mysterious spaces of crystals we must sometimes ask ourselves whether we've stepped into another area, the field of real art.
In their article titled "How to Buy a Diamond From Home" we are pleased to be Orlando Magazine's diamond grading laboratory of choice - especially in a piece relating to consumer confidence.
10 writers and editors from New York Magazine’s Strategist tested the eCommerce jewelry experience firsthand. The article's mission involved more than product quality. It was an exercise in consumer confidence.


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Analysts have given their backing to Rightmove’s stock market prospects but there are warnings that it can’t “rest on its laurels” in the face of emerging competition from CoStar-owned OnTheMarket.
The portal’s latest annual report released last week shows profits of £258m off the back of a 10% rise in revenues.
While average estate agency revenue per advertiser (ARPA) was up 6% to £1,356, Rightmove ended the year with 15,839 agent customers – down 1%.
It comes amid the resurgence of OnTheMarket following its takeover by CoStar, which has promised a massive marketing budget.
Analysts questioned how much more Rightmove will be able to raise agent fees in the face of portal competition.
Charlie Huggins, manager of the quality shares portfolio at Wealth Club, said: “This is another decent set of results from Rightmove. Despite the significant challenges facing the housing market, it has again grown revenue and profit, underlining the resilience of its business model.
“Rightmove’s revenues aren’t directly linked to the number of houses bought and sold, or even to house prices. Combined with its exceptionally dominant market position this has underpinned Rightmove's progress.”
However, Huggins warned the competitive environment is hotting up.
He said: “CoStar's acquisition of OnTheMarket means Rightmove now faces a highly credible and deep-pocketed rival. While it seems very unlikely CoStar will topple Rightmove, it could make it more difficult for Rightmove to raise prices and force it to respond with higher marketing and advertising costs. Time will tell.
“One thing's for sure, Rightmove cannot afford to rest on its laurels. Innovation is becoming increasingly important and that comes at a cost. This means operating profit growth is expected to lag revenue growth in the year ahead."
Mark Crouch, analyst at investment platform eToro, added: “Rightmove have posted an impressive set of earnings this morning, despite a less than accommodating economic climate.
“While these earnings are a glowing reflection of Rightmove’s business model and dominance in the space, the more pressing challenge facing the company and their shareholders is the current state of the UK housing market, which continues to flounder, and the future direction of interest rates.”
Crouch said Rightmove boasts excellent margins but has still only seen a 20% increase in its share price in the last five years.
He said: “Compare that to the five years prior to the 2018 stock split which saw the share price increase by over 130%. What these results do seem to indicate however, is the company is more than equipped to navigate any future economic headwinds, should they arise.”


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Visa on Wednesday said it would award up to $500,000 to 50 small U.S. food service owners who commit to going cashless. The company believes firms could save billions by using only digital payments. The initiative is called the Visa Cashless Challenge.
Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.
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Google aims to rule your ride, phone, wearables, and TV
Google debuts Android One – a new, low-cost phone – Google Fit, Google TV, and Google Drive, all part of the company’s plan for a brave new world powered by Google.
Since 2008, Google has hosted an annual developer conference called I/O in San Francisco. I/O attracts developers who write code on Google’s open source platform, and in turn, Google blesses them with new features they can implement in their code.
Google’s keynote at I/O was 2.5 hours. That’s right: Two-and-a-half hours. Lucky for you I watched it all (give or take a few smoke breaks). I’ll break down the most relevant news and spare you the boring details.
Google will be releasing Android One, a smartphone system that aims to put its technology into the hands of the masses. The phones will cost less than a $100. According to engadget, “…engineers will design cost-conscious hardware, and other companies will simply manufacture it. There are plenty of fringe benefits, but the biggest one is that Google will be able to dictate a minimum set of standards for forthcoming Android handsets.”
Moving right along…Google Fit
“[Google Fit is] a platform to organize all of the data from the myriad health trackers and body sensors that we’re all sure to have strapped to our body in the near future. It looks a heck of a lot like Apple’s Healthkit for iOS. More fun personal data Google has on you!
Google showed off an LG G Watch at the event yesterday, with some cool features:
- ‘Always on’ display
- Google Maps – turn-by-turn directions right from the smartwatch
- Voice commands (you can be like Dick Tracy, talking into your watch)
- Integration with health related apps
- and more…
Google gives you the ability to bring its ecosystem right into your car. Here’s the best part: you can plug in, put your phone down, and use the controls of your car to “drive” your phone. I firmly believe Android Auto is likely here to stay; it won’t become obsolete as quickly as everyone thinks. Having this type of software in your phone rather than hardwired into your car makes it flexible and adaptable to updates.
Android Auto will be available later this year.
Google TV will provide an online streaming experience, running on its Android software, of course. Android TV is a follow-up to Google TV, the company’s first foray into TV software, which failed to gain widespread adoption. This time around, Google seems to be focusing on creating a platform more squarely focused on entertainment and ease of use. The platform will enter a crowded market that already includes Apple, Amazon and Roku, but the company did announce some key partners: The 2015 line of HD and 4K televisions from Sony, Sharp and TP Vision will all support Android TV.
This is what Google TV’s home interface will look like
Google also announced more news specific to developers. To find out more, click here. If you have time and want to watch the entire keynote, there’s a recorded live stream here on KnowTechie.


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Advertisers are suing Facebook over misleading reports of ad viewership. In 2016, Facebook publicly noted that it inflated the average watch times for videos and claimed to have fixed the issue as soon as they became aware.. [...]
This year, mobile will surpass TV ad spending by more than $6 billion, according to our latest ad spending forecast. By 2020, the channel will represent 43% of total media ad spending in the US—a greater percentage than all traditional media combined. [...]
This year will mark a milestone for digital video advertising in the US, according to eMarketer’s latest ad spending forecast. In 2018, video will grow nearly 30% to $27.82 billion. [...]
While social media have a greater effect on what consumers buy now than two years ago, most people haven't actually purchased anything through platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, according to a study by digital commerce firm Sumo Heavy. [...]
The "Doors Are Always Opening" campaign is part of the company's effort to move past a year of bad publicity and managerial changes. [...]
eBay uses iPhone X camera to let people shop with a move of the head. The company has developed technology that uses Apple's ARKit and the iPhone X camera to track head movements, allowing for hands-free shopping. [...]
Snapchat's back at it again with another exclusive ecommerce opportunity. The company partnered with Adidas and Darkstore to pre-release a new style of the Falcon W shoe on Aug. 21 [...]
The app — which may be called IG Shopping — will let users browse collections of goods from merchants that they follow and purchase them directly within the app. [...]
The world's largest sportswear seller has debuted a new way to request shoe try-ons in stores, along with new functionality in its smartphone app.
Shopping decisions that will be powered by augmented reality (AR), as well as virtual reality (VR), are among the top retail technology trends of the future. [...]
Waiting curbside for an Uber or Lyft driver might one day be the old-fashioned way of getting around. Instead, passengers will need to head to the helipad to catch a ride from a flying autonomous vehicle.


text: exico is the largest soft drink market in the world, with high rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Due to strains on the nation’s productivity and healthcare spending, Mexican lawmakers implemented one of the world’s first public health taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in 2014. Because Mexico’s tax was designed to reduce SSB consumption, it faced strong opposition from transnational food and beverage corporations. We analysed previously secret internal industry documents from major corporations in the University of California San Francisco’s Food Industry Documents Archive that shed light on the industry response to the Mexican soda tax. We also reviewed all available studies of the Mexican soda tax’s effectiveness, contrasting the results of industry-funded and non-industry-funded studies. We found that food and beverage industry trade organisations and front groups paid scientists to produce research suggesting that the tax failed to achieve health benefits while harming the economy. These results were disseminated before non-industry-funded studies could be finalized in peer review. Mexico still provided a real-world context for the first independent peer-reviewed studies documenting the effectiveness of soda taxation—studies that were ultimately promoted by the global health community. We conclude that the case of the Mexican soda tax shows that industry resistance can persist well after new policies have become law as vested interests seek to roll back legislation, and to stall or prevent policy diffusion. It also underscores the decisive role that conflict-of-interest-free, peer-reviewed research can play in implementing health policy innovations.


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Cointed has activated dozens of Dash ATMs across Austria, bringing the global total past 50.
The Vienna-based cryptocurrency exchange operates a series of ATMs in Austria. Recently, Cointed activated Dash functionality on all 34 of these machines across the country. This brings the total amount of publicly-listed Dash ATMs around the world well past 50.
Dash-for-cash buying options popping up around the world
The number of options available to users seeking to buy Dash at a physical location around the world is increasing exponentially. New Hampshire was one of the first areas to add a pair of publicly-listed Dash ATMs. Oregon-based ATM operator BitcoinNW added three Dash-enabled ATMs as well. Finally, Florida-based operator ByteFederal, under the counsel of the Dash AeroSports team, activated Dash on all 10 of its ATMs across Florida.
Other in-person buying options have been on the rise as well, particularly in Europe. BTCU.biz enabled Dash in its trading platform, allowing users to buy Dash at 9,000 kiosks across Ukraine. Austria once again takes the lead for physical buying locations, with cryptocurrency exchange Bitpanda offering a service where users can buy Dash vouchers at over 1,800 participating post office locations around the country, which can then be redeemed online.
Dash is gaining serious ground in adoption
In 2017, Dash has been on a sprint to be accepted in as many businesses as possible. So far, 220 businesses are listed on DiscoverDash.com as accepting Dash payments, with many more to be added soon. This gives Dash a large advantage over most other non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies, which tend to enjoy niche adoption at best.
Dash is gearing up for the preliminary stages of the Evolution release this year, which will vastly revamp usability for the average consumer. Once Evolution is released, main street adoption for Dash is expected to take off even higher.


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Gourmet burgers and wraps are the specialties of choice at the aptly named Good Burger restaurant that opened up inside the BP gas station at 10419 Ford Road in Dearborn this month.
The new restaurant is owned and operated by local residents Zo Olabi and Hassan Jaafar, who have been in the food service industry for 10 years.
"This is our first time venturing out on our own," Jaafar said. "A few years ago we considered starting a catering business and stumbled on this space inside the gas station, so we decided to seize the opportunity."
The restaurant hasn’t been open long, but its already becoming a popular stop for the business and college crowd with its unique take on the American comfort food.
"Business has been fantastic," Jaafar said. "Everyone tells us they really enjoy our menu."
The secret, according to Olabi, is fresh, never frozen products. That includes ordering buns and meat from local businesses daily, preparing all the sandwich condiments and sauces in-house, fresh produce, and hand-cut French fries and onion rings.
"We strive to use all top notch ingredients," Jaafar said. "Our location might not say 'gourmet hamburgers,' but you have to start somewhere. As we build out our clientele and brand loyalty, we'll venture into a diner."
For now, the two self-professed foodies are content with their location, which they said caters to customers on the go.
Jaafer said what he loves most is being able to get creative with his own menu.
"We're adding new burgers all the time based on customer feedback," he said. "If people want a specific burger and we have the ingredients, we'll try to make it."
A popular request is the restaurant's Southwest Burger, which includes jalapenos, Frank's Red Hot sauce, and Pepper jack cheese, according to Olabi.
In addition to hamburgers, the restaurant also offers salads and chicken fingers, as well as halal options.
As part of the restaurant's grand opening, it is offering free delivery for the Dearborn area. Good Burger is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Plans are already in the works to expand the restaurant's hours in May.
For more information, call 313-584-3114, or visit the restaurant's Facebook page.


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CNET editors round up their favorite tablets, including products from Apple, Samsung, and Google.
New fast processor, better cameras, Touch ID, and it's even thinner: see what makes this year's iPad even better than before, even if it feels like a familiar package.
CNET editor Sharon Profis takes Apple Pay, Google Wallet and PayPal for a test drive and compares the options.
The one new feature you didn't expect from Apple's iPad Air 2? iFixit says the new device has a battery that's 15 percent smaller, yet Apple claims it still gets the same battery life.
Apple says it won't break out retail store and iPod sales anymore. And forget about detailed stats on the Apple Watch, due next year.
Apple said its new tablets would launch later this week, but stores across the country already have the Wi-Fi models of the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3.
CNET breaks out the most important things to know when shopping for a new television.
The ride-sharing app's drivers in the US and London are complaining about fee hikes, fare cuts and the lack of a tip option.
A few of the security cameras we've reviewed have come close to perfection, but we still think there's room for improvement.
At $20, Sprint is offering twice as much data as Verizon and more than three times the data as AT&T.
Apple's tablet lineup has expanded from six configurations to more than 50 in four years. Has the product lineup become too complex?


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New Five Below store opens in Wilson today with freebies!
The new Five Below store opened in Wilson today and they are having giveaways, freebies and 5 cent hot dogs!Posted — Updated
The new Five Below store opened in Wilson today and they are offering giveaways, freebies and 5 cent hot dogs!
Here is the info about the grand opening:
Grand opening events begin at 10 a.m. today and lasts all weekend
Enter to win a $100 Five Below shopping spree if you go to the store any time this weekend
The first 300 customers each day during opening weekend will receive a free Five Below T-shirt with any purchase
They will also have hot dogs for just 5 cents each!
My girls really enjoy shopping at Five Below in Cary and there are lots of good deals there for birthday party gifts. I did a story about the Cary opening last Fall. Click the link in the box above to see the video of our outing to the store and the goodies we found!
Here is the info from their press release:
WHAT: Five Below will host the grand opening of its fifth North Carolina store, located in Wilson. Five Below plans to open up to three more stores in the state this year, closely following its North Carolina debut in Raleigh-Durham last fall. Throughout the weekend, the store will be giving away Five Below T-shirts, and other prizes, including one $100 Five Below shopping spree.
WHO: Five Below, the leading retailer of extreme-value merchandise to teens and pre-teens. Five Below offers affordable, brand-name merchandise when American teens need it the most, including DVDs, games, fashion must-haves, professional sports team merchandise, cell phone and iPod accessories, holiday décor and more, all priced between $1 and $5.
Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text: NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says Apple Music will be the new sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show. The multi-year sponsorship will begin with this season’s Super Bowl on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona. Apple Music replaces Pepsi, which sponsored the show for the past 10 years. Terms were not announced, but analysts had expected the league to get at least $50 million per year for the rights. Apple is also negotiating with the NFL for the rights to the “NFL Sunday Ticket” package of Sunday games that do not air in a viewer’s home market.


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Realme launched its new phone Realme 5i in the Indian market only last week. During the launch of this phone, it was also announced by the company officer that Realme will now sell smart gadgets along with smartphones in India. At the same time, the news is coming out that Realme is preparing to bring the Realme 6 series after the success of its ‘Reality 5’ series in India. Under this series Realme 6, Realme 6 Pro and Realme 6i can be introduced in the coming days. Not only this, but the Realme brand can also introduce Realme U2 and Realme C3 smartphones soon, while Surprise their fans.
This big news related to Realme has been received through BIS i.e. Bureau of Indian Certifications. On this certification site, four smartphones of Realme brand have been listed, whose model numbers are Realme RMX2020, Realme RMX2030, Realme RMX2040 and Realme RMX2061. Although the name of these smartphones has not been mentioned in the listing, it is believed that all these smartphones belong to the Realme 6 series which can come in the market by becoming Realme 6, Realme 6 Pro and Realme 6i.
According to information received by Phonebar, Realme can launch this new series in the first quarter of the year 2020 itself and Realme U2 and Realme C3 smartphones can also enter the Indian market with Realme 6 series.
If we talk about Reame 6, it is being said that this device will be launched with the punch-hole display. The punch hole display of this phone will be given in the middle of the screen like the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite smartphone. At the same time, it is being told that where the quad rear camera was given in all the phones of the Realme 5 series, the Realme 6 series smartphones will support the Penta camera. That is, 5 camera sensors will be present on the back panel of the phone. For processing, Realme 6 can be launched on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 chipset.
However, any information related to Realme 6 Series and Realme U2 and Realme C3 smartphones can not be called substantive.


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New York state bans furniture, electronics that contain certain flame retardants
New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will prohibit the sale of furniture, mattresses, and electronic displays containing what the governor said are certain dangerous flame retardant chemicals that have been linked to significantly elevated risks of neurological injury, hormone disruption, and cancer.
“Far too many household items contain toxic chemicals that put our children and first responders at risk for serious illness,” said Gov. Hochul. “The furniture, mattresses, and electronics we buy should be safe, and with this legislation signed, we can now ensure that when these items are sold in New York, they will be free of hazardous materials.”
This bill will regulate chemicals in upholstered furniture, mattresses, and electronic enclosures. It helps to define terms like halogenated chemical, organophosphorus chemical, and organonitrogen chemical. It prohibits the sale of any furniture that contains identified flame retardant chemicals. It also established a fine of up to $2,500 per day for repeated offenses.
New York has become the latest state to ban certain chemical flame retardants from upholstered and other furniture. Others with laws in effect include California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C.
Flame retardants are a class of chemicals added to furniture, electronics, and building materials intended to help prevent fires. However, many flame retardants are associated with adverse health effects in animals and humans, including negative impacts on the immune system, infertility, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal and child development. Children are extremely susceptible to exposure to dangerous chemicals contained in flame retardants. Flame retardant chemicals are also difficult to break down, meaning they can remain persistent in the environment or a home for years.
According to the governor’s office, these toxic chemicals have limited value, if any, in preventing or suppressing fires. Other states that have enacted legislation have not ]experienced more fires or new safety concerns associated with the removal of those chemicals.
Sen. Todd Kaminsky said, “Nothing is more important than protecting the health of our children and firefighters from cancer-causing chemicals. By banning these toxic substances from everyday items in our homes, such as furniture and mattresses, we will be taking a major step in keeping our communities safe. I was proud to lead the fight to put our families and first responders’ lives ahead of corporations’ profits — and that is precisely what this law will do. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing this measure.”
Assemblymember Steve Englebright said, “This new law will help protect first responders from unnecessary exposure to harmful chemicals. Smoke inhalation is the number one cause of fire-related deaths. Unfortunately, flame retardants produce toxic chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide that can cause harm when inhaled. This is especially dangerous to firefighters. Additionally, the presence of flame retardants in mattresses, furniture, and the casings of electronic equipment endanger our families as these chemicals leach out of products and become part of household dust. We breathe in these chemicals and our children ingest them playing on the floor. The chemicals cause adverse health effects including cancer, infertility, and damage to our immune systems.”
Link to article


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Drool LLC’s critically acclaimed Thumper is making its way to the Nintendo eShop, appearing today in the ‘Coming Soon’ section. Thumper is billed as a ‘rhythm violence’ videogame, crossing high-speed racing with intense music transitions.
In Thumper, the player is cast as a space beetle. You must brave the void and confront a maniacal giant head from the future. Sound bizarre? It is. Fly down the endless track and crash through punishing obstacles, mastering new moves, overwhelming velocities and surviving epic boss battles.
Originally launched last year on PlayStation 4 and PC, Thumper supports virtual reality (VR) through the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets. Of course, no such compatibility is currently available on Nintendo Switch.
Thumper will launch on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch on 18th May 2017, priced at £15.99 GBP.
Are you excited for Drool LLC’s Nintendo Switch debut? Have you played Thumper on other formats? Let us know in the comments below!


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In their attempt to collect 1,000 tons of old, recyclable textiles, H&M has teamed up with M.I.A with a new music video.
On our minds is World Recycle Week, an event initiated by H&M with the aim to collect 1,000 tons of unwanted garments and textiles from their customers worldwide. As a way of increasing awareness of their in-store recycling efforts, the retailer has now appointed British artist M.I.A to act as the ambassador for the event with a new music video highlighting the environmental impact of textile waste. The video will be unveiled over at H&M’s website on 11th April ahead of World Recycle Week, which will run from 18th-24th April alongside Fashion Revolution Day-turned-week. Any textiles in any condition from any brand will be accepted for drop-off, and we hope to see the materials collected re-used for another “reclaimed” collection. Read more here.
How Sustainable Is ARKET?
We take a closer look at ARKET's level of consciousness.
Now Dylan's more than ready for winter.
Emma loves these shades from the EoE organic eyewear collection.
Brand to Watch: Von Holzhausen
Von Holzhausen makes sustainable bags from both real and vegan leather.


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Some good news, a rare occurrence these days. Freight costs have fallen dramatically. Some freight forwarders are now reporting $3,000 for a 40ft container from China to the UK. This is back to pre-pandemic prices. Last year, we reported the huge increase in shipping costs. Prices peaked at $20,000, for a 40 ft container from China to the UK. This was over 6 times higher than today’s price. For a large trading economy such as the UK, this could have a 1-2% downward impact on inflation. Importers can hope for some relief following energy price increases, exchange rate upheaval and the hiking of interest rates. The large build up in inventory, following the supply side shock during Covid, and the subsequent drop off in demand, as inflation bites, are the primary drivers in the collapse of freight prices. From a famine to a feast.
A significant fall in freight prices plus a recent significant strengthening in sterling against the dollar should have a material positive impact for importers. It also should impact consumer prices. Sterling has strengthened by 20% against the dollar since late September early October. Sterling is now trading at $1.21. If these changes remain it should have a material impact on inflation in the new year and hopefully stave off some of the more bearish economic predictions. Our Trade Finance product can help take advantage as well as manage the downside risk of the current volatility in the market place. For more information on how we can help support you or your clients business contact us.


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Your search for Innovation found the following documents (of 49861 documents searched):
Displaying documents 1-8 of 3209, with best matches first:
- 1. Thales Opens Innovation Hub in Singapore
Thales has opened an Innovation Hub Singapore, the group’s first multidisciplinary innovation centre outside of Europe. The Thales team will engage customers in user centered innovation, code signing, prototyping and testing new ideas and concepts across domains ranging from defence, maritime security to aerospace, air traffic management and smart cities.
- 2. Finalists of 2013 UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Innovation in Tourism
The finalists of the 2013 UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Innovation in Tourism, one of the three categories in the annual UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism, have been named. The following is the list of finalists, in alphabetical order, of the 2013 UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Innovation:
- 3. Jennifer Marchetti appointed as VP Marketing and Innovation at Wyndham
Jennifer Marchetti appointed as Vice President Marketing and Innovation at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has appointed Jennifer Marchetti as vice president of marketing and innovation. In her new role, Marchetti will be responsible for leading marketing and innovation efforts for the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand and its affiliated Wingate by Wyndham and
- 4. Sheldon G. Adelson of Las Vegas Sands Wins Innovation Award
Sheldon G. Adelson of Las Vegas Sands Wins Innovation Award. Sheldon G. Adelson, the chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp. and its majority-held subsidiary Sands China, has been awarded the Innovation Award by the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific. The Innovation Award recognizes and celebrates a person who has created uniquely innovative products, services, ideas, or processes
- 5. IATA and Travel Capitalist Ventures Launch NDC Innovation Fund
IATA has partnered Travel Capitalist Ventures, a travel-focused investment firm, to create the NDC Innovation Fund. This fund will support innovation in airline distribution using the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard. NDC is a travel industry-supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new XML-based data transmission standard.
- 6. Airbus Inaugurates Innovation Centre in China
Airbus has inaugurated a new Innovation Centre in China at an official opening ceremony in Shenzhen, China, one of the world’s leading innovation hotspots.
- 7. Yann Barbaux Appointed Chief Innovation Officer @ Airbus
Yann Barbaux has been appointed Airbus Chief Innovation Officer, effective 1 May 2013. Yann’s key mission will be to foster a strong innovation culture throughout Airbus. Together with his team, his mission is to encourage new ideas from all areas of the company and facilitate a rapid, systematic screening at the right decision making levels.
- 8. Cláudia Sofia Simões Joins Sapphire Innovation as Head of Global Aviation Engagements
Cláudia Sofia Simões has joined Sapphire Innovation as Head of Global Aviation Engagements. Miss Simões joins Sapphire Innovation from Swiss Aviation Software, a subsidiary of Swiss International Air Lines, and part of the Lufthansa Group, one of the world’s largest airline groups, where she was a Senior Business Consultant for Finance. Prior to joining Swiss Aviation Software, Mis
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Earthlink Drops Most in Decade After Loss, COO Departure
The shares dropped 10 percent to $6.09 at the close in New York, the biggest one-day decline since August 2002. Through yesterday, the stock had increased 5.6 percent this year.
Revenue sank 7 percent to $338.2 million in the second quarter from $363.6 million in the same period a year earlier, as sales to business customers declined, the Atlanta-based company said today in a statement. The net loss was $1.11 million, or 1 cent a share, compared with income of $6.55 million, or 6 cents, a year earlier.
Analysts on average had estimated the company would report net income of 3 cents a share on sales of $339 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg
Wetzel will depart on Dec. 31, the company said. EarthLink didn’t name a replacement.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Commercial vehicles maker Eicher Motors today reported a 22.14 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 459.62 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2017. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 376.29 crore during the April-June quarter a year-ago, Eicher Motors said in a BSE filing. Its total consolidated income was up 29.49 per cent to Rs 2,332.67 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 1,801.30 crore in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal. Eicher Motors total expenses rose 26.89 per cent to Rs 1,680.56 crore as against Rs 1,324.39 crore in the year-ago period. Shares of Eicher Motors closed 1.91 per cent down at Rs 31,520.55 on BSE.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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ALDI is taking on luxury department store John Lewis by releasing an identical looking range of copper saucepans - for less than half the price.
The budget supermarket chain is helping customers cut the cost of Christmas with the stylish selection of Tri-Ply copper pans.
The company claims they heat up faster than conventional saucepans and therefore reduce cooking time.
Products in the range include a 16cm saucepan for £19.99 - which is £55 cheaper than a near-identical product at John Lewis.
Buyers can also get their hands on a copper stockpot, a sauté pan, and a Tri-ply copper roaster tray, which cost up to 73 per cent less than equivalent items at the posh department store.
Some products in the new Aldi range can be picked up for as little as £3.99, including copper kitchen tools.
Copper pans are becoming a popular choice with cooking experts and are also trendy with celebrities.
COPYCAT CHRISTMASAldi's Christmas hamper looks suspiciously like Fortnum & Mason's - but it's £126 cheaper
HAMPS A LOTWhat are the best hampers for Christmas 2016? Our picks from Aldi to Fortnum & Mason and beyond
BAG THE BARGAINSJohn Lewis Black Friday 2016 deals - here are the bargains you should be looking out for now
Reality television personality Kylie Jenner, 19, has shared a photograph of her copper kitchen range on social media in the past.
The new Tri-Ply copper pan range is available in Aldi stores and online now.
Aldi vs John Lewis copper saucepan war
Price comparison between John Lewis Copper saucepans and Aldi Tri-ply copper saucepans:
John Lewis 16cm saucepan - £75.00
John Lewis 18cm saucepan - £85.00
Aldi 16cm saucepan - £19.99 (73 per cent saving)
Aldi 18cm saucepan - £29.99 (65 per cent saving)
John Lewis 24cm Copper Casserole Dish - £125.00
Aldi 24cm Copper Stockpot - £34.99 (72 per cent saving)
John Lewis 28cm Sauté Pan: - £115.00
Aldi 28cm Sauté Pan:- £34.99 (70 per cent saving)
John Lewis 35cm Copper Roaster - £70.00
Aldi 35cm Tri-Ply Copper Roaster - £39.99 (43 per cent saving)
This is not the first time the German chain has stolen a march on competitors with cheaper options.
It launched a range of Christmas hampers and one looks suspiciously like luxury retailer Fortnum & Mason…but it’s £126 cheaper.
The “Exquisite” hamper from Aldi includes a Christmas pudding, truffles, champagne, biscuits and luxury chocolate, priced at a total of £98.37.
The Fortnum & Mason hamper which includes traditional festive products, including cognac butter, Christmas pudding, vintage port and even Christmas coffee is priced at £225.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 0207 782 438


text: Cash-strapped inns are a cheap way to expand into China's hospitality sector, but buyers should look at the hazards Distressed state-owned hotels in China are providing investors an opportunity to expand in the mainland hotel sector at a low cost, yet with unpredictable risks concerning regulatory issues and policies. With a higher internal rate of return, the sector has lured institutional investors, developers and international hotel chains to a treasure hunt in one of the world's biggest hospitality markets. 'Among all the state-owned hotels in the market, four-star and five-star hotels and budget hotels are doing the best,' said William Zhao Xianglong, a senior representative in China of global consulting company HVS International. 'Many of the two-star and three-star hotels are losing money and even on the edge of bankruptcy,' said Mr Zhao, whose company has been conducting research on China's state-owned hotels in 25 cities. 'The most attractive point in investing in distressed state-owned hotels is that they have very good locations,' he said. 'The price of the land where they stand will keep rising.' State-owned hotels usually occupy a large land area. This gives investors a chance to own a big piece of land in a good location by buying a relatively cheap two-star or three-star hotel. 'Land costs on average account for more than 30 per cent of the overall costs of a new four-star or five-star hotel in China,' Mr Zhao said. 'But by buying a three-star state-owned hotel and then building a new high-end hotel on the land will lower the land cost percentage to 5 per cent to 6 per cent.' Goodwin Gaw, the chairman of Gateway Capital, a property fund management company with a Greater China focus, said the fund definitely is interested in the sector. 'Repackaging distressed assets by adding value could be creative,' he said. 'We are definitely interested in [acquiring distressed hotels] mainly due to their low prices. By adding value, you can be creative, for instance, by converting an office into a hotel.' The internal rate of return is higher than in normal asset acquisitions, Mr Gaw said, adding that the return varied deal by deal. 'But normally, real estate funds target projects with [returns] in the mid-20 per cent,' he said. A year ago, Gateway looked at 63-storey office-hotel-residential development Guangdong International Building in Guangzhou, once the city's landmark, he said. But the fund gave up due to complications in the property's title, Mr Gaw said. 'You have to spend time and effort to improve returns on assets such as this.' He said there are also many opportunities in Shanghai. 'There are many half-built developments foreclosed by the banks and courts,' he said. Recently, the fund bought an office building which suffered from a poor occupancy rate due to mismanagement in Beijing. 'We plan to upgrade it into a serviced apartment [block],' he said. Far East Consortium International is also seeking opportunities in the sector to build up its mainland hotel portfolio. 'The company is looking at seven to 10 distressed hotels in different cities,' said deputy chairman David Chiu Tat-cheong. In contrast to its three-star and four-star hotel portfolio in Hong Kong, Far East Consortium's investment in the mainland will concentrate on four-star to five-star hotels. Mr Chiu hopes to finalise a deal shortly. Starwood Hotels and Resorts has foreshadowed an aggressive acquisition spree in the mainland including exploring opportunities in investing in distressed hotels. 'We will go for it if we find their financial structure is right,' said Stephen Ho, Starwood vice-president for acquisition and development in Asia-Pacific. The chain plans to double its rooms over the next three years from 23,000, he said. Investing in distressed assets requires extreme caution and a doubling of efforts to uncover the hidden risk. Mr Zhao said the highest risks in state-owned hotels come from usage of land on which the hotels are built. 'The government can easily forbid the buyer of a hotel from redeveloping the land or building a new hotel,' he said. Many risks require investors to tread carefully, he said. 'Take hotels of China Post for example. It is very difficult to figure out who actually paid the money to build the hotels.' In cases like this, China Post usually owned the hotels indirectly through a state-owned holding company. 'Investors have to figure out the ownership between the hotels and the holding company, as well as that between the holding company and China Post.' Sellers of state-owned hotels range from owners of an individual hotel to those who own a group of hotels. The sellers mostly suffer from financial problems and bad management or entered the hotel business blindly in the early days. Mr Chiu said bankers once presented a package of 300 distressed hotels owned by a state-owned enterprise to his company. 'If each hotel took a day for due diligence, [all 300] took us a year. But it is an interesting area,' he said. Li Ying, a partner at Heller Ehrman who has been helping clients on mergers and acquisitions in China, said it is not easy to find buyers for owners of domestic hotels who have run into financial difficulties. 'It's hard for them to sell, they can hardly repay loans from the bank.' One of the biggest owners of distressed hotels is China Post. 'Definitely we are going to sell part of the hotels we have,' said Ren Yongxin, an executive at the State Postal Bureau, the office in charge of separating the main postal business from other businesses of China Post. However, the exact number and asset valuations of the hotels under China Post are still unknown. There could be hundreds worth about 10 billion yuan in total, Shanghai Securities News reported in September. China Post is still evaluating its own hotel assets. The State Postal Bureau has sent out staff to help people from the consulting firm to check each of China Post's hotels around the country. Mr Ren said the evaluation results would come out in about 10 days. According to information from various travel websites in China, China Post's hotels are mainly two-star and three-star inns scattered in developed cities and tourist spots in remote counties. Some of the hotels in big cities are four-star. Still, a large number of China Post's small hotels are either in remote areas or have no ratings.


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Clothing boosts Tesco FY, turnaround remains "firmly" on track
UK supermarket retailer Tesco posted its ninth consecutive quarter of positive sales growth, with its clothing sector performing well throughout the year as its F&F range continued to prove popular with customers.
In its preliminary full-year results published today (11 April), Tesco said profit before tax soared to GBP1.3bn (US$1.84bn), compared with earnings of GBP145m a year earlier. Group operating profit before exceptional items, meanwhile, which gives a picture of the company's underlying performance, was up 28.4% to GBP1.64bn from GBP1.28bn in the year-ago period.
Group sales climbed 2.3% to GBP51bn, thanks to the retailer's ninth consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth. In the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI), like-for-like sales grew by 2.2% and 2.7% respectively.
The retailer said clothing "performed well" throughout the year with like-for-like sales growth of 2.6%, reflecting the strength of the F&F brand and quality of its range.
CEO Dave Lewis said it has been another year of strong progress.
"More people are choosing to shop at Tesco and our brand is stronger, as customers recognise improvements in both quality and value," he added.
"We have further improved profitability, with group operating margin reaching 3.0% in the second half. We are generating significant levels of cash and net debt is down by almost GBP6bn over the last three years. All of this puts us firmly on track to deliver our medium-term ambitions and create long-term value for every stakeholder in Tesco."
The retailer shared its ambitions in October of last year, which includes plans to reduce its costs by GBP1.5bn, generate GBP9bn of retail cash from operations and improve operating margins to between 3.5% and 4% by 2019/20.
Lewis also hailed the completion of the retailer's merger with Booker in lin


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Singapore’s tourism sector is going through an existential crisis, its tourism board chief said on Wednesday, laying out plans to boost local demand after a collapse in customer arrivals due to Covid-19 journey restrictions.
Singapore had welcomed a file 19.1 million travellers in 2019 – greater than three times its complete inhabitants.
But the island city-state closed its borders earlier this year and has suggested its residents to keep away from going abroad – a place that’s unlikely to change within the close to time period.
Tourism numbers for the rest of the year can be comparable to April and May after they fell 99.9%, said Singapore Tourism Board chief government Keith Tan. The board unveiled a S$45 million ($32.5 million) advertising and marketing and promotion marketing campaign to drive local demand for lifestyle and tourism companies.
Singapore is hoping locals, who spent S$34 billion on abroad journey in 2018, will splash out on staycations at accommodations and go to vacationer points of interest.
Still, the STB doesn’t count on residents, already apprehensive about salaries and jobs, to give you the chance to fill the S$27.1 billion gap left by worldwide guests.
“Given the severe impact that Covid-19 has had on international travel, it is inevitable that more job losses will happen in the coming months,” Tan added.
The authorities has pumped in stimulus of practically S$100 billion to cushion the influence of Singapore’s worst recession.
“It is not sustainable for us to keep supporting a business model that may not longer be available or at least will not come back within the next one, two years,” said Chan Chun Sing, minister of commerce and trade, urging tourism companies to search new markets and area of interest choices.
While demand for mass market tourism is unlikely to decide up within the close to time period, Chan said, Singapore has agreed to resume important enterprise journey with China and Malaysia. It is in talks with South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and a few European nations for comparable agreements.
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Free, the word that’s choking the music industry to death. With a plethora of free streaming available online – Spotify being today’s biggest name – artists are struggling to get compensated by the hard work they‘re putting into their music. But a current move by one of the industry’s biggest name might just be what these artists need to get their cut out of the music they’re creating.
Tidal to make a splash
To start, what is Tidal? Tidal is an artist-owned music streaming service and the first of its kind. Jay-Z spearheaded the whole thing which started from the hip-hop artist purchasing Aspiro, a Swedish company.
Unlike, Spotify, however, it isn’t free. While Spotify is ad-supported and compensate artists by how much traffic a track or album is generating, Tidal offers two services. First is the Tidal Premium which costs $9.99 a month offering standard sound quality, HD music vids, and curated editorial content. Second is the Tidal HiFi for $19.99 which includes higher sound quality and other extra stuff for those opting for it.
There are numerous big names that are shareholders of Tidal. Coldplay, Rihanna, Beyonce, deadmau5, Daft Punk, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, and Madonna are just some of them.
As the streaming site is directly owned by these artists, they have effectively cut the middle man and thus will take in more profit from their music. The next big move is convincing people to actually pay for Tidal’s services. No easy feat given that there are a lot of free services available out there.
People paying for something free
The fact that Tidal is artist-owned is possibly one of the reasons that Jay-Z and other shareholders might entice people to spend cash on the music streaming site. It may be difficult to believe, but people are willing to pay for music if it means it’ll support their favorite artist.
But why would people pay for something that’s free? Water is already free and yet people are still paying for it, Jay-Z said in his interview with Billboard. And the guy is absolutely right.
Another tact that these artists might take is pulling their music off of Spotify, similar to what Taylor Swift did recently. By making their music available only in Tidal, it might force people to actually head over the site and pay for its services.
And both Tidal Premium and Tidal HiFi are free for the first month allowing music fans to experience it before finally deciding to spend money on it.
It’s still early to determine whether or not Tidal will make a huge impact on the industry or will be buried underneath the weight of Spotify and other free streaming sites like Youtube.
But artists will continue their fight to be rightfully compensated for what they’re creating. To quote Taylor Swift in this regard, “Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that music should not be free.”


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Social Media News, Articles & Analysis
Read the latest Social Media News, Articles & Analysis at Campaignlive UK
On the second day of its IPO roadshow, Snap's founders are fending off pointed questions from sceptical investors.
Soon after launching Instagram Live Stories, Facebook has made an update to WhatsApp that again challenges Snapchat ahead of its
Six-second videos have maximum impact on brand awareness, finds a new Magna study.
Mark Zuckerberg has published a manifesto defending the power of social media to do good after repeated criticism of Facebook's
A new report shows a high willingness among users to engage with advertisers.
Facebook is launching an app that allows users to watch videos on its site on a TV.
An uptick in political conversation isn't the only thing changing Facebook.
After its intentional Super Bowl live ad disaster, the candy bar brand felt for Adele after she needed a do
Snap will have to figure out how to lure advertisers as behemoth rival Facebook does all it can to stop
The SFW film was done by Chandelier Creative, the only ad agency that has wanted to be involved in the
The industry is splitting into agencies that make marketing collateral and those creating culture, says Adam & Eve/DDB's David Golding.
Starting next year, YouTube will stop allowing the 30-second unskippable ad and will focus instead on shorter formats.
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SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE / ACCOUNT MANAGER – Shopper Marketing agency £23-30k depending on experience Judi Patton, London (Central), London (Greater)


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LONDON — The British Fashion Council on Friday unveiled a new strategy, vowing to generate “responsible growth, relentless innovation, and the global and local amplification of the British fashion industry.”
David Pemsel, who succeeded Stephanie Phair last October as chair of the BFC, revealed the trade organization’s post-pandemic plans in a letter to BFC members and stakeholders.
“Our mission is to champion British fashion as a creative force on the world stage. We will do this by continuing to bolster our pioneering, world-class programs that unlock and elevate creative talent. Our work and success are fueled by you, an extraordinarily diverse and inspiring community of creatives, advocates, icons, experts, and fans,” Pemsel said in the letter.
In an exclusive interview, Caroline Rush, chief executive officer of the BFC, said the new strategy offers much-needed clarity to businesses and individuals “about how they get involved, how they can access the work that we’re doing, and why.”
The BFC said it will continue to prepare businesses at all stages for positive change by embracing innovation.
In the letter, Pemsel said that success will mean “positioning British fashion as a catalyst of change in core commercial and cultural areas of the industry, through DEI & B [diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging], Web 3, and the environment through our Institute of Positive Fashion.”
Unveiled in 2020, the Institute of Positive Fashion was meant to be a resource for businesses looking to ramp up their sustainability efforts, urging them to meld global collaboration with local action.
In the interview, Rush said the organization is planning to roll out webinars and forums in specific areas for members to envision how they can use these new ideas in their businesses.
The BFC said it wants to create connections, insights and advisory opportunities for the community to come together and prepare for regulation, and support emerging talent.
“Success will be to see businesses grow responsibly year on year, to build their networks to support growth, and to have the insights and advice they need at the different stages of their development. As part of this, the community will support us to support the next generation of talent through the BFC Foundation and early-stage business mentoring programs,” Pemsel’s letter added.
Rush said mentorship has been “growing in strength and success” in the past few years via the BFC community portal, which is accessible to designer members and patrons. It enables patrons to offer particular mentoring services to the whole of the design community, she added.
The letter also noted that London Fashion Week continues to be “a leading creative, diverse, and culturally influential platform” and described The Fashion Awards as “a celebration of London as the creative capital and the primary fundraiser for the BFC Foundation.”
The London Fashion Week June edition runs from Friday to Monday. Qasimi, SMR Days, Saul Nash, and Ravensbourne University London will anchor the showcase, while Daniel Fletcher and Martine Rose will show off-schedule on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
There will also be panel discussions and a London fashion-focused pub quiz over the weekend for attendees.
Rush described the slim June showcase as “a transition period,” and promised that the next one will look drastically different. Next year marks London Fashion Week’s 40th anniversary, and the BFC has been talking to menswear businesses about creating a new platform, she revealed.
“We love the highly creative businesses that are doing catwalk shows. But Savile Row, designers like Oliver Spencer, and other craft-led businesses don’t lend themselves necessarily to fashion shows. We want both the industry and the consumer to have access to those businesses and be able to celebrate their stories,” Rush said.
She also confirmed that the January edition of London Fashion Week, which used to focus on menswear, is unlikely to return. The timing — right after New Year’s Day — was awkward for designers, press, and buyers alike as they often skipped London to head straight to Pitti Uomo in Florence, and the showcase was put on hold during the pandemic.
Rush said the fast-changing buying model means that London-based menswear brands don’t necessarily have to stage a runway show so early in the year.
“The January edition started quite small. We felt comfortable doing it right at the beginning of January, but the pandemic made that incredibly challenging. We were practically under lockdown every January for the last few years. As a result, [men’s] designers have chosen to show in February,” said Rush.
She added: “I was talking to a menswear brand yesterday. They said that because buyers are now buying year-round, they’re actually able to write their menswear orders during London Fashion Week in February.”
Rush said the annual Fashion Awards ceremony, which is due to take place at Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 4, will “focus more on our British designers,” instead of global names, which have long dominated the event.
Last year’s edition spotlighted Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.
Rush said the BFC wants to give “brilliant British businesses a voice alongside the international fashion brands that are here. We want to celebrate our industry and equally support the next generation of designers coming through. Many of them may well end up in the design rooms around the world.”
The BFC will resume staging global events as well, Rush revealed.
She is meeting with the delegation from Shanghai Fashion Week next week to talk about rebooting the exchange program that was introduced in 2018. At the time, the project was funded by Chinese e-tailers JD.com and Vip.com.
The BFC also hosted a cocktail reception in New York in 2019 with designer Christopher Kane and model and singer Karen Elson in attendance.
Global outreach was a key part of Phair’s strategy for the BFC, which was revealed in September 2018 at a time when the U.K. was dealing with the challenges of Brexit and a fast-changing industry.
The other key area Phair was pushing for the BFC was to secure more private funding and bring the investment community closer to the fashion one.
She delivered that with a BFC joint partnership with tech companies including Google, Holition and Clearpay. She also helped to establish the Venrex BFC Fashion I fund.
The venture capital fund was a partnership with Venrex aimed at supporting “nontraditional” fashion businesses that have “strong creative, innovative and commercial credentials,” with seed, early stage or growth stage funding.
While Pemsel’s letter mentioned very little about the role that private investment will play going forward, it’s understood that the BFC will continue to help its community to engage with investors.


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Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) showcase in Dubai, has announced the launch of Arabian Travel Week – an...
Addressing delegates during the inaugural ceremony of 14th CII Annual Tourism Summit in Delhi, KJ Alphons, Union Minister of State (I/C) Tourism, said that...
(eTN) - The Lusaka-based headquarters of Africa’s largest trade block, COMESA (Common Market for Easter and Southern Africa), has today issued a media statement ahead of their first Sustainable Tour
The fifth and largest UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Ministers’ Summit, held in cooperation with World Travel Market (WTM), will look at how the travel and tourism sector can prosper followin
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Caribbean tourism leaders and European Union (EU) officials have ended the first Caribbean tourism summit in the European capital with a greater understanding of each other’s con


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The section is about the diverse segments in retail sector. It encapsulates features on the developments, recent trends, active players and other pertinent details about the sectors. The coverage herein highlights the market response towards the different sectors and consumers’ shopping trends.
According to a latest report by Euromonitor International, India is touted to be THE leader in top-ten fastest growing eyewear market during 2016 to 2021 fiscal followed by UAE, Thiland, Malaysia, China and others.
Owing to changing market dynamics and growing popularity of eRetail, fashion retailers have become more adept and flexible in their business models, writes Pankaj Renjhen, Managing Director - Retail Services, JLL India
2015 can be crowned as 'THE' year for hyperlocal space. The industry saw rise, dominance and epic fall in the same year. Despite the large market size, consumer preference and huge injection of funds, what led to such a catastrophic downfall?
Owing to the unorganised nature of the sector there are several problems that the weavers face which have compounded in the recent times. This has led to closure of many handloom units and thus has resulted in massive unemployment.
More than 75 per cent of the shoppers in most such stores happen to be women on a consistent and ongoing basis. They come in, browse, engage, make their choices and then take the final call based on their past experience.
With more and more consumers drifting towards the digital mode of shopping, the trend has uplifted a lot of such high prevalent retail segments. CDIT, too, is touted to witness a reconnoitre boom in 2016.
E-commerce, with all of its permutations and combinations, is touted to deliver something not otherwise available through the brick-and-mortar retail. Footwear is one such category where this is very much the case.
The experience of grocery shopping in our country has undergone a huge digital makeover in the form of online grocery service platforms, which have cropped up in recent times to keep up with our fast-paced lifestyle.
Consumers are attracted towards online buying because of the wide range online, variety, discounts and more for every product or service which is why it is both attractive and convenient, writes Akshay Chaturvedi, CEO, Housefull.com.


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Disney Cruise line is the cruise line currently making headlines. A very disturbing story has been reported involving a sexual molestation of an 11 year old girl aboard the Disney Cruise ship, the Disney Dream, while in a Florida port. The disturbing news is that the incident was caught on a surveillance video and reported to the cruise ship company. Despite this, the ship sailed without reporting the incident to United States authorities. The cruise line waited to report the incident until the cruise ship arrived in Nassau, Bahamas, where the cruise ship is registered. A local 6 investigation out of Orlando, Florida reports that the incident was not reported until the following day, long after the ship had left the Florida port, suggesting that the cruise line intentionally allowed the 33 year old crewmember (suspect) to avoid any investigation and potential prosecution by United States authorities.
To further illustrate the disturbing actions of the cruise line, the story by the local 6 investigation team states that Disney first stated they did report the incident while the ship was still in port on August 5th. However, after they were confronted by local 6 and the Port Canaveral police, which established that they did not in fact report the incident while the ship was still in Florida, the cruise line then recounted on its story. The cruise line than admitted the incident was not reported. The story than changed, and Disney originally claimed their employees were not aware of the incident until the following day. Disney’s next explanation was that what was reported to them was that the 11 year old had something happen to her to make her feel “uncomfortable”, and therefore they were unaware that an actual crime had been committed.
Again, surveillance video and a confidential Disney Line security incident report obtained by local 6 suggests that this story is also false, according to the local 6 story.
Is this another instance of a cruise line trying to cover up a crime that occurred onboard their cruise ship? It surely appears that way.
This is why there has been movements to enact legislation setting forth strict reporting requirements of crimes onboard cruise ships, and giving these laws teeth by imposing fines and penalties for failure to comply with such laws. This is critical.
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act was passed by President Obama to create mandatory requirements as to reporting of crimes. The cruise line industry appears to have caused some last minute changes to the language of the act to give them an additional loophole with respect to the disclosure to the public of criminal activity onboard cruise ships. This is currently being addressed, including by the International Cruise Victims Association.
Sexual assaults of minors are a concern to parents who take their children on a cruise ship. Everyone must be aware that they do occur, and take necessary steps to make sure their children are protected during a cruise. Any incidents must be promptly reported, and U.S. authorities should be immediately contacted when a crime occurs. Do not let a cruise ship company discourage you from personally reporting a criminal act directly to the authorities. In fact, the cruise line should provide you the necessary information to make sure that you can in fact personally contact the appropriate United States authorities to report a crime.
We will keep you posted on further developments regarding this incident.
The story reported by WKMG Local 6 out of Orlando is interesting reading regarding this matter and provides more details.
Our Miami Maritime law firm continues to act as safety advocates for crewmembers and passengers.


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In additon to being the only country in the euro zone with a budget surplus, Estonia enjoys an abundance of technological and business know-how. Ars Technica, an online magazine, reports that the country of 1.3 million has the second-highest number of startups per capita, after the United States.
Speaking at a conference for Baltic and Nordic entrepreneurs and investors last week, venture capitalist Allan Martinson said he could not pinpoint any particular reason why Estonia is such fertile ground, the magazine reports. But he said a combination of people going into business for themselves as jobs disappeared during the crisis, and the country’s generally low salaries, have boosted entrepreneurship.
“The only way to become rich in this country if you have a technical background is to launch your own company,” he told the conference, according to Ars Technica.
Unlike the country’s most famous tech company, Skype, most Estonian startups are created for the business-to-business market. ZeroTurnaround, which develops tools for Java, reached $10 million in revenue in three years. Martinson said there are “around five to 10 companies” that have launched in the past few years and are taking in more than $1 million dollars. He predicted “one or two companies” would get to the $100 million in the next three to four years, according to Ars Technica.
But Martinson warned that a dearth of young Estonians could make it hard for those companies to find technically skilled employees.
(Photo courtesy Flickr user dierken, Creative Commons)


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In a blog post, Insomniac CEO Ted Price said the developer is already “prototyping new stuff” for future Fuse content that will not be DLC.
“We’ve already begun expanding what we’ve begun with Fuse,” Price wrote, “Right now as I write this we’re taking the core concepts behind Fuse and prototyping new stuff…stuff that leverages this bizarre alien substance which is at the heart of the game. No, I’m not talking about DLC. I’m talking about new Fuse experiences altogether.”
“What’s wonderful about creating and owning one’s IP is that you can take it any direction you want. And that’s what we’re going to do. Stay tuned!”
Fuse is Insomniac Games’ first multiplatform, wholly owned IP. It was released on Tuesday for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Source: Insomniac Games