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Life's Design With 9 Golden Jerseys
By SUSAN PEARSALL
Published: January 12, 1997
FIVE years ago, Debra Tyler quit her job teaching gifted children to start a small dairy farm in Cornwall Bridge. Ms. Tyler's operation, known simply as Local Farm, depends on nine golden Jerseys that produce milk sold unpasteurized in glass bottles bearing the motto: ''More than a memory.''
Local Farm is one of six in Connecticut that sell raw cow's milk. The others are Town Farm Dairy in Simsbury, Trinity Farm in Enfield, Fred Shepherd's farm in Woodbridge, Pulaski Dairy in Monroe, and the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem according to Gabe Moquin, deputy director for the bureau of regulations and inspection at the State Department of Agriculture.
While health officials generally frown on consumption of raw milk because of the potential for spreading milk-borne diseases like tuberculosis and undulant fever, supporters say precautions and inspections have reduced those risk factors. They say they prefer the taste and nutrient levels of raw milk. (Raw milk sales are banned in at least 22 states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to a 1995 California Department of Food and Agriculture survey. Farm-only sales are permitted in Vermont, Minnesota, Nebraska and Minnesota.)
Seven days a week, Ms. Tyler arrives by 6 A.M. to feed and milk the herd at the nearly century-old, red barn she leases on 46 acres. The cows are milked again at 6 P.M. When it is not too cold, her 19-month-old daughter Margaret accompanies her.
On a recent day that dawned raw and drizzly, there was still a heavy mist clinging to the surrounding hills, as the cows slowly returned from the pasture. A tall woman who hefts milk crates and hay bales with ease, Ms. Tyler, 42, was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt under a winter jacket, black rubber boots, knee pads and a wool knit cap.
''When they come in, they all answer to their names,'' Ms. Tyler said. ''They're like dogs.''
Dot Lee, a 2-year-old that had recently calved, was first to enter the milking parlor. Ms. Tyler washed the cow's udder and teats with a disinfectant before hooking her up to a milking machine, its cups rhythmically sucking the milk into a stainless steel pail.
While the cows all looked alike to a visitor, Ms. Tyler knew each one by her markings and temperament.
Alisa, the cow pictured on the bottle labels and milk tags, was the last to be milked. She was Ms. Tyler's first cow, and she remains her favorite. ''She is the boss cow,'' Ms. Tyler explained. ''She's 14, so most of these were raised on her milk.'' That distinction puts Alisa at the top of the pecking order, and she seems to know it. ''If she stands in the doorway, I can't get any other cow in,'' Ms. Tyler said.
On average, Ms. Tyler's cows produce 100 quarts of milk a day, which she bottles four times a week, using a machine that fills, then caps four bottles at a time. ''It's wonderful to see the whole thing right from feeding the cow to the person drinking the milk,'' she said. Currently, Local Farm milk is sold in 15 small grocery stores and health food stores in the Northwest Corner. The milk is certified as organically produced, which means the cows are fed only chemical-free hay, grasses, corn and soybeans as required by the Northeast Organic Farming Association. Local prices are $2.35 a half-gallon and $1.50 a quart, plus a bottle deposit.
Ms. Tyler makes most of the deliveries herself, stacking milk crates in her compact car. She is assisted by three women who make deliveries in return for free raw milk. More than a dozen regular customers arrive at the barn on Saturdays.
Six more stores are on a waiting list. Ms. Tyler said she is not accepting any new customers until February, when three cows that will have recently calved return to the milking string.
Ms. Tyler discussed the benefits of raw milk.
''All raw foods have all the enzymes that your body needs to break them down,'' she said. Many customers who thought they had a lactose tolerance problem have told Ms. Tyler they can digest raw milk.
''Vitamin C is completely destroyed by pasteurization, and there is Vitamin C in raw milk,'' she added. In general, Jerseys produce the richest milk of all major dairy breeds, with more protein and calcium than other milk on the market.
Vitamins A and E are found in the cream, which rises to the top of the bottles. The cream can be poured off for making butter or whipping or mixed back into the skim milk by shaking the bottle, Ms. Tyler said. State regulations require that all cows be tested annually for milk-borne diseases. Each month, inspectors visit raw milk farms and collect samples that are checked for the presence of infection, dirt, disease or antibiotics.
In Connecticut, there have been no outbreaks of tuberculosis or brucellosis (which causes undulant fever in humans) among dairy cattle since the 1940's, according to Mr. Moquin of the Agriculture Department.
He said that dairy farmers know if their cows are sick. ''They can tell immediately if a cow has a temperature or mastitis, a disease of the udder,'' he said. ''We would expect that they would withhold the milk from those cows.''


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I will make sure that I am by Bipasha’s side, says designer Rocky S
Just a few days ago, Rocky S vehemently denied having any knowledge of Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover’s wedding. But the designer quickly changed his stance after the couple released a joint statement on April 7, which confirmed that their marriage will take place on April 30. “I am super excited about Bipasha’s wedding. She is my closest friend, and is almost like a sister to me,” says Rocky, revealing that, unlike popular perception, he will not design the actor’s wedding outfits.
“I had told Bipasha that whenever she gets married, I will design her outfits. But I have been really busy for the past few months. I just didn’t have the time to do it. I thought it was better to not design her clothes, rather than creating something in a hurry,” says the designer, who recently presented a show at the London Fashion Week.
In fact, Rocky reveals that designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is creating outfits for both Bipasha and Karan. “I’m sure he will do a great job,” says the designer, adding that the couple will have an intimate Bengali wedding in the morning on April 30, and a reception on the same night. Apart from that, a mehendi ceremony will be held on April 29.
Ask Rocky if he is planning anything special for his friend, and he says, “Till now, I have not got a chance to plan anything. But now that I am back in Mumbai, I will make sure that I am by her side, and do whatever she wants me to. I plan to throw a party for her and Karan post the wedding. It will be a small gathering for a few close friends.” While speculation has been rife about Bipasha and Karan’s relationship for a while now, the couple had remained tight-lipped. Rocky says it’s a “justified” way of doing things. “The media has always torn her relationships apart. Therefore, this time, she wanted to keep everything private. I feel it is justified, because it is not always feasible to put everything out there,” he adds.
Finally, talking about his show in London, UK, where he showcased a line with elements of Rajasthani and Gujarati embroidery, Rocky says, “I only had 12 days to put that collection together because they invited me at the last moment. But I was able to pull it off.”

domain: news


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Customers of convenience store chain 7-Eleven in Taiwan can now make mobile payments using a mobile wallet provided by Pi Mobile Technology backed by a bank card supplied by CTBC Bank. “Consumers can make electronic payments of less than NT$1,000 (US$31.95) at 7-Eleven stores nationwide with the Pi app running on their smartphones as the app creates a barcode on a user’s smartphone display,” Taipei Times reports.
- Google Pay rolls out Gmail integration that lets users automatically import tickets, coupons and loyalty cards from email
- McDonald’s integrates Alipay mobile payments and rewards into Hong Kong app
- ST webinar explores the potential of Type 5 NFC tags — watch it now
- Queensland rolls out contactless driving licences
- Vietnam tops global growth for mobile payments


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This Thursday saw the launch party for HackFood, Australia’s first food-themed hackathon. A hackathon is a weekend-long business building competition and start-up boot camp that aims to encourage its participants to uncover unique digital technology solutions to combat some of the biggest challenges faced in traditional industries Despite the connotations associated with the term ‘hackathon’, HackFood is an all-inclusive event encouraging not just tech developers but passionate entrepreneurs, foodies and chefs to collaborate on ideas and of course, eat delicious food.
Last Friday night saw the launch of The Light Ball in Sydney. Started in Ireland, the charity ball is a black tie event held to raise awareness of mental health issues and to aid the Irish Charity, Pieta House and the Australian Charity, beyondblue. Highly successful in Ireland, two members of committee recently moved to Sydney with the plans to take the ball Down Under.
The Pacha Mama Laneway Fiesta hit Melbourne in style on Monday night, drawing a crowd that was more than ready to make merry despite the threat of ominous storm clouds ahead. The doors at Blender Studios were thrown open, allowing for the party to tumble out into the adjacent laneway, which featured grungy street art amidst colourful buntings. Despite the season, the atmosphere was reminiscent of a long Indian summer as the team behind Pacha Mama paid tribute to their South American-inspired roots with a touch of panache, in celebration of their two new-release wines – the 2015 Pinot Gris and Riesling.
Get down, party people. After 12 years, Melbourne’s chic waterside venue, Alumbra, has undergone a redesign by Roar Projects – the team behind the newly developed nightspot, Ms Collins. Located at the end of Central Pier’s historic runway, Alumbra launched with an exclusive VIP corporate and media event last week to unveil a whole new look. We headed along just to see what all the fuss was about.
Gin-drinkers rejoice! G&Ts and gin cocktails will be the order of the day at Taylor Square’s newest drinking den Middlebar. Previously Lo-Fi, wedged in between Kinsela’s and Standard Bowl, Middlebar opened with a bang and a celebration of gin – its spirit of choice. The brainchild of industry veterans Lee Potter Cavanagh and David Rozario (formerly of Sydney-favourite Baxter Inn) the bar aims to bring a little of Havana and its embrace of good times to Sydney.
Celebrating just being an awesome venue, Manly Wharf restaurant and bar Papi Chulo threw a mid-week bash, brightening our mid-winter spirits. A mix of locals and city-siders packed out the stylish watering hole enjoying the live music, unique South American via Caribbean decor and fantastic water views. From the scattered candles, warm wooden interior and flower-draped windows opening on to the water Chulo has lifted the game; impressive in the beachside suburb where quality bars and eateries continue to take off.
Renewal is as much a certainty in Sydney these days as the sun rising and it can be an equally hit or miss exercise. Luckily Double Bay favourite The Sheaf has nailed the successful update with their Garden Bar and we got to bask in their success at its official launch.
Sky Zone came to our backyard, took one look at that lone, depressingly rusty trampoline drowning in overgrown lawn and decided Australia needed more awesomeness in its life. In the spirit of one upmanship they took a stadium, lined it with trampolines (and padding you know, for safety’s sake) and said ‘hey kids, have at it!’ and so it was ... and nobody had to be told twice. The world’s first chain of indoor trampoline parks was born and to celebrate their first year in Alexandria helping big and little kids believe they can fly, they’ve partnered up with Red Bull as part of the Big Air Festival, showcasing some of the nation’s best Skaters, BMX Riders and Wall Runners.
The Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton was filled with the sound of excited yapping over the weekend as ‘The Dog Lovers Show’ sailed into town. Four legged pooches were scattered over two floors as various stalls lined the walls. An assortment of exciting products were available for purchase and a delightfully large amount of giveaways were on offer.
Melbourne is well-known for its hive of bustling laneways, which weave through the city grid like a cultural maze. Adorned with graffiti, these creative thoroughfares contain many hidden gems that furnish the city with its distinguishing character. On any given day, you will most likely spot a bridal party or two making their way down these lanes for wedding photos following staunch ceremonies at nearby churches. But what if you could walk to the altar from one of these secretive alleyways, at any time of the day or night, for a fun and exciting wedding on the spot?
The last time there was a distillery in the City of Sydney convicts were still being sent to our shores and Australia was a straggle of colonies, not yet a country. But with the launch of Archie Rose Distilling Co. in Rosebery Sydney is finally able to get a taste of some uniquely Australian spirits in its own inner west backyard.
One of Sydney’s most luxurious hotels Pier One claimed another feather in its cap when it officially opened its new restaurant The Gantry Restaurant and Bar Tuesday night. The newly refurbished restaurant boasts an open deck with stunning Walsh Bay harbour views, an open style kitchen, chef’s table and cold seafood display, all of which came to life in the presence of over 200 guests.
Woolloomooloo has, oddly enough, not enjoyed the explosion of small bars that a lot of the inner-city has over the last few years. That’s why the opening of Sydney’s newest cubby hole, Peekaboo Bar, in the harbourside suburb is so welcome.
Last week, before the clock struck Midnight on New Years Eve, iconic brand Ford helped introduce their brand new Ford Mustang to Sydneysiders, setting up a special live music stage right under the Sydney Harbour Bridge that helped get the party started well ahead of the fireworks, with a mix of Australian and International musicians performing with the Harbour behind them and the Mustang to their right.
Last Monday, in an Australian first, a mix of media, travel industry and 100 Facebook competition winners got the chance to party on board Australia's largest cruise ship - Royal Carribean's Voyager of the Seas - in a Facebook Party at Sea.


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Within the next few weeks, the leading auction site will complete the installation of a "parallel recovery system" that will limit outages to less than 75 minutes, according to spokesman Kevin Pursglove.
The timing is crucial for eBay, which has recently suffered a series of outages. As with most e-commerce companies, the holidays provide an important--if not necessary--bump in revenues.
Last year, for example, a big jump in auction activity in the December quarter lifted eBay revenues 642 percent compared with the previous year.
But eBay also suffered a series of outages during the period last year. Several outages also have taken place in recent weeks, just as the holiday shopping season gets underway.
eBay has steadily increased the amount of money it is throwing at the outage problem. Although this spending hurt profits in the third quarter, the company risked losing much more if it had ignored the problem.
eBay's gross margin fell to 70.8 percent in the third quarter and has been on the decline since the first quarter when it posted margins of 81.4 percent. The company, however, said it expects margins to bounce back to the mid-80 percent range by next year, as it curtails spending on improving the technology that runs its site.
eBay's new backup system will get its site running within 15 to 75 minutes of an outage, said Pursglove, who would not disclose the cost of the system. The company currently has a backup system that is designed to kick in two to four hours after the site goes down.
Despite the drag on eBay's earnings, Tim Albright, an analyst with Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, said the company's strategy makes sense, and he expects the margins to "snap back" next year.
at a glance
HQ: San Jose, California
CEO: Margaret Whitman
Annual sales: $47.4 million (1998)
Annual income: $2.4 million (1998)
52-week high: 234.00
52-week low: 28.17
Market cap: $17.3 billion
The increased spending follows a major outage in June that lasted about 22 hours. That outage sent its stock in a tailspin. The company lost nearly 26 percent of its value in five days, and the outage cost it upward of $5 million in revenues in the second quarter.
Since then, the company has been hit with a string of smaller outages, the most recent occurring last Tuesday. In total, the outages lasted four hours and spanned three days.
Not just a customer relations nightmare, analysts have been quick to factor in the hit to the bottom line.
"When they had the June outage, I reduced our third- and fourth-quarter numbers significantly," said Derek Brown, an analyst with Volpe Brown Whelan. "I changed our third quarter [earnings per share] to 1 cent from 6 cents and the fourth quarter to 2 cents from 7 cents. This decision was largely related to the amount they would be spending for their infrastructure costs."
And does Pursglove believe Wall Street has taken a hard line with the company's backup system expenditures?
"If you look at the criticism we had in the second quarter, it was that we weren't spending enough in that area," Pursglove said. "We try to make stability and scalability our top priorities. If we do right by our users, Wall Street and analysts will do right by eBay."
Brown, meanwhile, said the revenue loss during an outage is not as great of a concern as the potential for eBay's customers to flock to competitors, such as Amazon or Yahoo.
Pursglove, however, noted that the company has not seen any evidence of large numbers of customers abandoning its site because of the outages. The company's membership and sales continue to grow, he said.
Although eBay's gross merchandise sales remained flat in the third quarter despite a rise in new members, analysts say that new members to any e-commerce site tend to be slow to purchase compared with frequent visitors.
Meanwhile, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette's Albright believes it will take several all-day outages to send eBay's customers away.
"You'd have to have a massive and ongoing problem like June-type outages every couple of weeks," Albright said. "eBay is addressing the issue, and they should have their new backup system going any day now."
He added that investors should be more concerned with the results of eBay's recently announced deal with AOL to cobrand four Web sites, which will combine eBay's auction with the navigational aids found on AOL. Also worth noting are the company's efforts to expand overseas, he said.
"The next leg of growth could come from these local roll outs and their international expansion," Albright said.
Despite reports that emerged after the June outage that the problem lied with Sun Microsystems' servers, Pursglove said eBay and Sun were a little premature in their assessment, and that the cause was much more complex.
Sun is expected to remain a seller to the company, he said. "We're happy with Sun and will continue to work with them. But as we expand, we will always keep our options open."
Pursglove noted that it is difficult for eBay to find one vendor that can provide end-to-end solutions for eBay's complex system.


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By Andy Fry
UK platform operator Sky TV has made streaming service Discovery+ available to its subscribers at no extra charge. Starting immediately, Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers can sign up to the service, saving £6.99 or €6.99(US$7.55) a month.
The switch will give Sky customers free access to a range of factual shows and live sports events. Content on the service includes the 2023 Australian Open and Roland-Garros tennis, the Tour de France and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Customers already paying for Discovery+ will be automatically switched to the free offering.
Elizabeth Wynn, managing director, Sky TV, said: “We know value is important right now, so we’re pleased to bring Discovery+ to Sky TV customers at no extra cost. And if you’re a Sky Stream or Sky Glass customer, you can stream all this content straight over wi-fi with no dish, bringing together channels, shows and apps into one place.”
GM UK & Ireland Warner Bros. Discovery, Antonio Ruiz added: “Through this offering we can bring our extensive real-life entertainment and exciting sports line-up, with the Australian Open starting today, to even more Sky customers.”
The deal raises a couple of key commercial questions. Firstly, whether Discovery+ has been struggling to gain traction as a paid-for service – since the new deal inevitable takes some revenue out of the streaming market. Secondly, how long the offer will last. Discovery+ parent Warner Bros Discovery is preparing to launch a new all-encompassing streaming platform in the next few months, so it’s not clear how long Discovery+ will exist in the streaming market as a stand-alone proposition.


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A Russian astronaut managed to record a new record as the oldest still active astronauts ‘walks’ in outer space.
Quoted by FoxNews, Monday (22/4), Pavel Vinogradov is recorded as the oldest astronaut at the age of 59 years.
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Eidos Montreal announced a new game genre action adventure titled Thief 4, which is scheduled to be released on the PS4 console, PC and next-gen Xbox.
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An Iranian scientist has claimed that he managed to create a time machine.
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Quoted from Huffingtonpost, Friday [...]
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Raise money for children with cleft lip.
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LONDON — Boutique Parisian perfumer Memo has launched a new fragrance that harnesses the scent of sesame, the first in a new collection called “Graines Vagabondes”, which will be inspired by seeds and their life-enhancing power.
The fragrance, named Kedu, was inspired by a plain of the same name in Java, Indonesia. The fertile plain nestles between the Merapi Volcano and the ancient Buddhist temple Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world that was rediscovered in the 19th Century, buried under ash and vegetation.
“According to the practices of Buddhism, you are purified from your passions by burning sesame seeds in a temple,” explained Clara Molloy, Memo founder, at the scent’s launch in London. “Buddhists, being meticulous, count over 1,000 different passions. I was attracted to this gesture of sesame offered to the fire and I was very interested to see how Aliénor [Massenet, the International Flavors & Fragrances perfumer behind the scent] would render it.”
Massenet took the new sesame absolute captive created by IFF, teamed it with white musk and moss at Kedu’s base; blended it with citrus top notes of grapefruit, neroli and mandarin; and a floral heart of fresia and peony accords, and maté absolute. “It’s like a game with us; because I don’t set her any limits, she always chooses the most expensive ingredients,” joked Molloy.
“To make a warm and fresh scent is not so easy. Because of it’s associations to food, it could have been not very elegant,” said Massenet. “We had to dominate the sesame. We didn’t want to get too intellectual and dark, we do want the fragrance to be worn.”
From June, Kedu will be sold in 100 doors worldwide, including Harvey Nichols and specialist perfumeries, for 168 pounds, or about $283 at current exchange. The 75-ml. glass bottle is a long, rectangular shape, with a gold cap, and is covered in black and gold squares, inspired by traditional Indonesian fabrics. There are no ancillary products.
Memo declined to discuss figures, but industry sources expect it to generate sales of 500,000 pounds, or about $843,260, at wholesale in the first year.
Memo, which was launched in December 2007 by Molloy and her husband John, works on the basis of creating fragrance “collections,” based around a particular theme. In this instance, it is seeds, but existing collections have been called Les Échappés (The Escapes), Escales Extraordinaires (Extraordinary Stops) and Cuir Nomades (Nomadic Leather), and have also included home-fragrance items. There are now 17 fragrances in Memo’s niche portfolio.
The brand is not currently available in the U.S., but Molloy said that they have plans to expand into the market as early as this year. But she notes, “we are never in a rush.”
Breaking News: @louisvuitton's men's artistic director @mrkimjones is leaving the French fashion house after nearly 7 years. Jones joined Louis Vuitton in 2011, following a three year tenure as creative director of British luxury goods brand Alfred Dunhill. Jones is to exit Louis Vuitton after showing his fall 2018 collection for the brand in Paris on Thursday. Read the full exclusive story on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
For men’s fall 2018, @giuseppezanotti drew on elements from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ‘n’ roll. Pictured here are a pair of shoes from the collection, featuring zippers, rhinestones, and silver hardware. Head to WWD.com to see a roundup of the accessories from Milan’s men’s fall 2018 shows. #wwdfashion (📷: Andrea Delb)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of @ralphlauren’s snowboarding collection, the brand is mining its archives. The iconic brand is reintroducing vintage styles and dropping new designs for a color capsule that will be available in Ralph Lauren stores and @openingceremony on January 25. The capsule will consist of 10 pieces, including the Snow Beach Pullover, pictured here, which is a collector’s item that rapper Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” video. #wwdfashion (📷: Tom Gould)
For @rochasofficial’s pre-fall 2018 collection, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua channeled the sophisticated and intriguing Catherine Denevue in the film “Belle de Jour.” Polished collarless coats, midi skirts, suits and ’60s graphic motifs were all featured in the collection, adding a sense of discreet luxury. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion
“We tried to produce clothing of that couture quality, but the most daunting part was that we only had a matter of days [to do it],” said costume designer Lou Eyrich, who recreated Gianni Versace’s iconic looks for @americancrimestoryfx. Eyrich searched online retailers and vintage shops for original pieces from the design house and for @penelopecruzoficial, who plays Donatella Versace. Head to WWD.com to read how she created the Versace world. #wwdfashion
Only three months after her stellar debut catwalk season, @kaiagerber has inked her first big design collaboration –– with @karllagerfeld. The collection blends Lagerfeld’s Parisian chic aesthetic and the model’s signature West Coast casual style via RTW, accessories, footwear and more. The #KarlLagerfeldxKaia collection will launch in September with a series of events. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews


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Japan’s Wald International has released a ton of images of its new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212 SPORTS LINE Black Bison Edition.
The modified 2010 E-Class by Wald gets a new front bumper, side skirts, a new rear bumper fascia with an integrated diffuser, rear spoiler, roof spoiler, sports fender ducts and an exhaust system.
Wald is also offering 19, 20 and 21-inch wheels. Like it, love it or hate it? Let us know in the comments section after the jump.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wald SPORTS LINE Black Bison Edition:
– By: Kap Shah
Source: Wald (via WCF)


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Learnlight, the global language, intercultural skills and soft skills training provider, has acquired Arenalingua, a leading German language training company, as part of its European expansion strategy.
Udemy, the global marketplace for learning and teaching online with over 30 million students and 42,000 instructors worldwide, announced today expanded operations in India with an employee hub in Gurgaon.
This e-book shares a proprietary design and development process for developing online learning. Download now to learn five steps to design a results-driven e-learning curriculum
Emerald Group, the global provider of research and learning resources, today announces the successful acquisition of Mind Tools, the digital learning and performance support company.
O’Reilly, the premier source for insight-driven learning on technology and business, today announced the launch of Pro Series by O’Reilly blended courses, a new outcome-driven program.
Valamis, the global leader in digital learning technologies and workforce development, and OpenSesame an industry-leading provider of elearning courses for the enterprise have announced a strategic content partnership.
2 Apr 20199:00 am ET
Mentoring Method, an award-winning SaaS technology company and the creators of the only digital learning experience designed for large-scale cultural change, announced today the launch of its new brand name, ion Learning.
Learn2Engage has decided to partner with Learnworlds and create a platform where companies can register their employees and get them the training they need to complete their jobs more effectively.


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Pilot Heidi Kennedy
Head of Casino Operations
Head of Casino Operations
Maine became the latest state to legalize sports betting when Governor Janet Mills signed LD 585 into law. The move comes as somewhat of a surprise after Mills vetoed similar legislation in 2019.
Exciting legal gambling news is just in for Maine residents! Since the supreme court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, Maine legislators have tried multiple times to pass laws to legalize wagering on sporting events. The first attempt passed both chambers of the state government before being vetoed by Governor Janet Mills, while the second attempt simply stagnated. With Mills putting her signature on LD 585, the matter is officially settled. Bettors will be required to be at least 21 years of age in order to place wagers, and both online and retail sports books will be legal. Wagering will be allowed on professional, collegiate, and amatuer sporting events, however wagers on games involving any college team based in the state of Maine will not be permitted.
The major difference between the previous legislation and LD 585 is the fact that LD 585 is a larger package bill designed to offer various benefits to the state’s native tribes. It was widely speculated that Governor Mills would not have supported the legislation without the significant benefits awarded to the states tribes. After signing the bill, Mills said “This law provides meaningful economic opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations. It incentivizes investment in Tribal communities, and it formalizes a collaboration process on policy that sets the foundation for a stronger relationship in the future,”
The biggest win for tribal gaming operators is their exclusive access to online sports betting sites. The state’s current casinos and horse racing tracks will be allowed to operate retail sportsbooks, but only tribal gaming operators will be granted licenses to operate mobile and online sportsbooks. Tribes will be allowed to create their own online wagering platform or to partner with an existing national platform such as DraftKings or FanDuel.
Maine legislation goes into effect 90 days after the close of the legislative session, and the 2022 session ended on April 25. This means that it will be legal for operators to begin taking bets in late July. It is possible that operators will need additional time to prepare for the launch, but the timing opens the door for top bookmakers to begin taking bets before the 2022 NFL season begins, and they will be highly motivated to take advantage of the opportunity to do so.
In addition to a friendly timeframe, the new bill is also friendly to operators from a tax standpoint. Sports betting revenue will be taxed at 10%, which is in line with many other states, however rather than the tax being imposed on gross revenue, operators are allowed to deduct both federal excise taxes as well as promotional expenses from their taxable revenue. The licensing fees are very reasonable as well, with a four year retail license costing just $4,000, while a four-year online license will cost $200,000.
This new legislation is a big win for Maine sports bettors as well as the state’s tribes who have long had much less influence on the Maine gaming market than tribes in other states. Churchill Downs and Penn National Gaming however currently operate retail gaming establishments in Maine and had high hopes of having a piece of the lucrative online Maine sports betting marketplace. The two companies had strongly supported previous legislation that would have allowed them to do so, but it seems clear that any bill that didn’t grant tribes exclusivity over the online market would not have received approval from Governor Mills.
Maine joins New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in allowing sports betting, leaving Massachusetts and Maine as the only states in New England to still prohibit sports betting. Massachusetts is inching towards joining in on the action as well. The law proves that even lawmakers who have had reservations in the past about legalizing sports betting can come around, and brings the country even closer to having sports betting legalized nationwide.


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Restaurants hope state allows to-go alcohol service permanently
Restaurants are hoping that New York state lawmakers pass a provision to make alcohol to-go service permanent.
Gov. Kathy Hochul included the provision in her budget.
Alcohol to-go started to help restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, restaurants are still facing challenging times. The cost of food has gone up 25% since the pandemic, according to the New York State Restaurant Association. That cuts right into the bottom line.
Alcohol is a critical part of a restaurant’s business. It has a higher profit margin than food, and it doesn’t have an expiration date.
Most restaurants have spent their Paycheck Protection Program COVID relief loans, said local restauranteur Dominick Purnomo.
That extra boost from alcohol to-go is critical to keep the lights on and keep staff employed, restaurant owners said.


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The $12 billion sale of Atlanta’s Mailchimp announced this week is one of the biggest ever involving a homegrown tech company and shows the growing strength of Atlanta as a tech hub.
Silicon Valley’s Intuit, maker of TurboTax and QuickBooks, on Monday agreed to pay $12 billion in stock and cash for Mailchimp, a digital marketing company that grew organically over more than 20 years and never took help from outside investors.
As part of the deal, Mailchimp’s employees will profit handsomely from the sale. Intuit will provide $300 million of restricted stock to Mailchimp’s workforce of 1,200 employees, including 900 in Atlanta.
Ben Chestnut, 47, one of the company’s founders, declined to say how many employees the sale and stock disbursement will turn into Mailchimp millionaires when the deal closes, which is expected by the end of January.
The sale is the latest among Atlanta startups that shows how far the city has developed as a tech hub in the U.S. Kabbage, an online lender, was acquired by American Express for an undisclosed amount in 2020. The company was valued at more than $1 billion, according to Forbes. Atlanta companies Greensky and Airwatch also reached “unicorn” status — valuations of a billion dollars or more — and sold in 2014 and 2013, respectively. At least seven other Atlanta tech startups have reached that rare valuation.
Metro Atlanta unicorns
Tech companies and the year that they reached billion-plus dollar valuations. (Value is calculated from listings on stock exchanges, business sales prices, Forbes magazine estimates and company information.)
Calendly (productivity, communications): 2021
Salesloft (sales engagement, analytics, communications): 2021
Greenlight (financial technology): 2020
Bakkt (financial technology): 2020
One Trust (privacy, security and risk management): 2019
Sharecare (health technology): 2018
Rubicon (sustainability, smart waste management): 2017
Companies sold to other companies
Kabbage (financial technology): 2015
Greensky (financial technology): 2014
Airwatch (mobile device management): 2013
Chestnut told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday he will remain with Mailchimp, which started as a tiny business focused on creating e-mail greeting cards, and continue to grow it. Mailchimp will hire an undetermined number of new workers, he said.
Intuit will integrate Mailchimp’s marketing, social media and communication tools into QuickBooks, which will help Intuit’s small business users connect with new customers, said Alex Chriss, Intuit’s executive vice president.
“Our intent is pure acceleration,” Chriss said. “We see this as a massive growth opportunity and we will continue to invest in Mailchimp.”
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Atlanta, like Mailchimp, grew its initial tech scene without a lot of outside help. Some early tech entrepreneurs had success and turned huge windfalls into funds that plowed money back into the local economy.
After selling automated marketing company Pardot in 2012, Dave Cummings founded Atlanta Tech Village as a place to incubate businesses. More than 300 companies have emerged from Atlanta Tech Village, raising at least $1.2 billion in capital, according to the group’s website.
Alan Dabbiere started or helped start three Atlanta tech companies that became unicorns and plowed money from their sales into other Atlanta startups, such as One Trust. As the process repeats itself, the number of tech entrepreneurs in Atlanta gains momentum, he told the AJC ten months ago.
“I think Atlanta is getting to critical mass now that we are seeing more people spin out as entrepreneurs,” he said.
Chestnut declined to say if he would invest his windfall into other Atlanta companies.
But longtime Atlanta tech investor Charlie Paparelli said, “Even if a small percentage of that money gets returned as startup capital, it’s going to be transformative to the Atlanta technology community.”
The area’s successes are also attracting outside investors. According to venture funding data analysis firm CB Insights, Atlanta companies received $3.1 billion in funding in the first two quarters of 2021, which beats any previous full year of investments in metro Atlanta.
Several Atlanta tech companies have recently closed big investment deals, such as SalesLoft, which makes sales-management software. In January, it raised $100 million, boosting its valuation to $1.1 billion, according to the company.
Atlanta’s success has also caught the attention of the big established tech firms. Microsoft is building two data centers in the metro area and plans to build a corporate campus on the Westside that could eventually host hundreds of employees. Online rental marketplace Airbnb plans to open a tech hub in Atlanta and create hundreds of jobs.
Many companies want to boost their minority workforce, and Atlanta has many Black college students and graduates with technology backgrounds. Atlanta was the highest-ranked Southeast city last year, and in the nation’s top 10, for the quantity and quality of its tech talent, according to real estate firm CBRE.


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VERO BEACH – A man in Vero Beach says Sprint overcharged him $3,088.42 after five Samsung Galaxy S8 cell phones showed up on his bill.
The victim made a fraud complaint in the lobby of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office last Monday after receiving his Sprint bill in Vero Beach.
The man, who also works in law enforcement, explained that he had received a statement from Sprint that showed he owed them $3,088.42.
He contacted Spring who informed him of the five Samsung Galaxy S8 cell phones that were purchased on a line of credit in his name.
“After the purchase and delivery of the phones, the account was canceled,” the report said.
The Sprint customer said he was disputing the charges and that he was a victim of identity theft.
The only information Sprint gave the victim was an email address used to open the account.
Sprint required the customer to file a local police department before they began a fraud investigation in Vero Beach.
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the incident.


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According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), vendors shipped a total of 334.9 million smartphones worldwide during the first quarter of 2016 (1Q16) -- that's up slightly from the 334.3 million units in 1Q15, marking the smallest year-over-year growth on record.
The minimal growth in this quarter is primarily attributed to strong smartphone saturation in developed markets, as well as a year-over-year decline from both Apple and Samsung, the two market leaders.
The biggest change to the market, however, was the addition of lesser-known Chinese brands OPPO and vivo, which pushed out previous fourth and fifth place players Lenovo and Xiaomi, respectively.
Market Development in China Matures
As the China market matures, the appetite for smartphones has slowed dramatically as the explosion of uptake has passed its peak. In 2013, China's year-over-year shipment growth was 62.5 percent; by 2015, it had dropped to 2.5 percent. Conversely, the average selling price (ASP) for a smartphone in China rose from $207 in 2013 to $257 in 2015.
"Along China's maturing smartphone adoption curve, the companies most aligned with growth are those with products serving increasingly sophisticated consumers," said Melissa Chau, senior research manager at IDC. Lenovo benefited with ASPs below $150 in 2013, and Xiaomi picked up the mantle with ASPs below $200 in 2014 and 2015. Now Huawei, OPPO, and vivo, which play mainly in the sub-$250 range, are positioned for a strong 2016."
IDC believes that these new Chinese vendors would be well-advised not to rest on their laurels though, as this dynamic smartphone landscape has shown to even cult brands like Xiaomi that customer loyalty is difficult to consistently maintain.
Traditional Smartphone Market Leader Disruption
Outside of China, many of these brands are virtually unknown and the ability of these rapidly growing Chinese vendors to gain entry into mature markets -- such as the United States and Western Europe -- will be essential to the disruption of Apple or Samsung at the top.
Huawei has proven that it can sell increasingly premium devices. In China, Huawei is already recognized as a premium brand, but it is now going toe-to-toe on build quality with premium devices like the Nexus 6P that are available worldwide.
While Huawei is furthest along in terms of international recognition, selling equally impressive volumes outside of China remains a challenge for many of these brands. Their ability to drive local growth in China no longer applies when it comes to international expansion, where premium branding quickly turns to price competition.


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•Click here to read more about the renovation of the old Target store and the new businesses opening soon.
•Click here to read more about the new Pizza Ranch coming to Elk River.
by Joni Astrup
The company behind the renovation of the former Target store in Elk River is Furniture Outlets USA, based in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Furniture Outlets USA purchased the nearly 90,000-square-foot building in 2009 for $3.4 million. It has been running a furniture liquidation center out of the space.
Gordy Wallenstein, president of Furniture Outlets USA, declined to say how much they are investing in the renovation of the building other than to say it has been “a large investment.”
The building is being turned into a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store and two furniture stores — Ashley Furniture HomeStore and Furniture Mart.
Wallenstein looks for Jo-Ann’s and the furniture stores to work well together.
“Jo-Ann Fabrics, it’s going to draw women, and women buy furniture,” he said. “So it’s a good fit for both us and for Jo-Ann. We’re both excited about being here in Elk River.”
Wallenstein said the two new furniture stores in Elk River will employ about 20 people.
With the two new Elk River stores, Furniture Outlets USA will have 34 stores in the Upper Midwest.
Furniture Outlets also owns the Ashley stores at the Albertville outlet mall and in St. Cloud as well as a distribution center in Fridley.
Wallenstein said Ashley is based in Arcadia, Wis., and is the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. The Ashley Furniture HomeStore will only carry the Ashley brand.
Furniture Mart will carry a full line of furniture representing a variety of brands.
Why move into the Elk River market?
“We had a void up in this area and it was actually a good investment,” Wallenstein explained. “Right now if you can afford or have the guts to buy property and to open a new business it’s a good time to buy because prices are down on things.”
He said they have several stores around the Twin Cities market and are focusing a lot of growth on the Furniture Mart brand, which he said isn’t well known in this area yet.
“We’re happy to be part of Elk River,” he said. “Obviously there’s a lot of competition in this market so we’re going to do our very best to earn our customers’ business.”
About Furniture Outlets USA
•Furniture Outlets USA is a family-owned furniture retail operation.
•Founded in 1976 by William A. Hinks, the company has grown from a single location in Sioux Falls, S.D. to No. 50 on the list of America’s Top 100 furniture retailers.
•The company has 32 retail store locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. With the two Elk River stores, that number will be 34.
•Stores operated by Furniture Outlets USA are Ashley Furniture HomeStores, Furniture Mart, Unclaimed Freight Furniture, Furnish 123 and Carpet One, as well as a few clearance centers.
•The company headquarters are in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Source: wwwfurniture outletsusa.com


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Twiced-named Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur and CEO of Galileo, Amy Karr joined us at TF2 to talk about product marketing in blockchain. Often panelist and speakers focus heavily on the technology side of blockchain. Amy’s role is quite different. Her concentration is on helping consumers understand the problems being solved using blockchain technology through designing product strategies, designing brand ambitions, and creating proper mission statements.
She was inspired by blockchain technology from her experiences in political campaigns. She saw that blockchain was the only way to bring about transparencies and accountabilities within voting systems.
Amy points out that there are many blockchain start-ups that are popping up each and every day.
She wants to help blockchain technologies devise better strategies and have a clearer picture of their aims for both the companies themselves, as well as the consumers they are trying to appeal to. As a strategist, Amy asserts she can help drive blockchain start-ups to higher levels by defining their roles. Using this ideal, Amy suggests that these small startups can gain loyalists and benefits from blockchain in a way that can make them competitive or even greater than large companies.
Check out the video to learn what Amy Karr thinks makes Seattle special when it comes to blockchain technology and the community.
Follow Amy Karr on Twitter @amykarr
Learn more about Galileo at https://www.galileocollective.com/
TF Blockchain (TF3) will be on March 28, 2019, in beautiful Seattle, Washington, at the top of the Columbia Tower Club.
Those Interested in bringing TF Blockchain to their city or collaborating with TF on AI, IoT, AR/VR, Retail, MarTech, or Product Management, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.org
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed at Token Forum (TF Blockchain) events are those of the presenter/speaker and do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of Token Forum. Token Forum is not responsible for the opinions, content, or copyright infringements, and does not endorse all expressed claims and opinions.


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April 16, 2014 – Hong Kong – The Hoffman Agency, an independent PR agency with eight offices across the globe, including San Jose, Beijing, Hong Kong, Korea, London, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo has hired Ann Hung to join their Hong Kong Operation as general manager, and appointed Jenny Chan as vice president, new business development and marketing for APAC.
Ann Hung is a veteran in the Hong Kong PR industry, bringing more than 17 years of in-house and agency experience. Ann is a trusted advisor to senior executives on communication and media relations strategies in the Asia Pacific Region, having worked with some of the largest brands including F5 Networks, IBM, Polycom, Eaton, SWIFT, Grant Thornton, Starbucks and more. Prior to joining Hoffman, Ann worked in several senior positions for Bite, Thomson Reuters and Ketchum.
There are a growing number of start-ups and multinationals based in Asia looking for cross-cultural communications counsel in the US and Europe. And a similar dynamic has US companies increasingly looking to Asia. To capitalize on this trend, Jenny Chan who has been holding the post of general manager, Hong Kong since 2011 has been appointed as Vice President, Business Development and Marketing (APAC). Under Chan’s leadership, the Hong Kong office continued to achieve year-on-year double digit growth, and expanded the Agency’s client portfolio to include prominent brands such as China Mobile, Internet Society Hong Kong, Chicago Booth, Siemens, Bosch, A.S. Watson Group, Cyberport and more. Leveraging Chan’s experience and proven track record in winning and managing multi-country accounts, Chan will drive regional initiatives that will support new business opportunities and elevate the Agency’s position within the PR industry in this newly created role.
“The Hoffman Agency is at an exciting growth stage, and we’re adapting the business in response to client and market demands,” said Natalie Lowe, managing director, Asia Pacific, The Hoffman Agency. “These two strategic senior announcements will help enhance the depth of our services that we offer to clients within the region.”
Both Hung and Chan will report to Natalie Lowe, Managing Director Asia Pacific.
About the Hoffman Agency
The Hoffman Agency (www.hoffman.com) helps companies in markets of technical complexity communicate compelling messages across the world. Thanks to a unique global infrastructure and culture, The Hoffman Agency takes a collaborative approach to implementing multi-country programs. Its operation extends across Asia Pacific, Europe and the United states.


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BTCUSD Shorts went parabolic yesterday; it was, and currently stands as, the single largest intraday increase in shorts the community has ever seen. Interestingly enough, though shorts were dominant, the price of $BTC has been entirely unaffected 🙌.
In other news, a recent research study, conducted by WIPO data, shows that while China is overtly strict against decentralized cryptocurrencies, it is wildly accepting of its underlying technology: Blockchain.
The research study found that Chinese e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba and U.S. tech company IBM currently rank first and second, respectively, in terms of Blockchain technology patents filed. Alibaba has 90 filed patents whereas IBM has 89. 🎉
To illustrate the support China has for Blockchain technology, it is important to note that the most number of Blockchain-related patents filed in 2017 came from China, with 225 filed patents during that year alone. China’s 225 filed patents dwarfs that of the United States, which came in second with a mere 91 filed patents. Australia is in a distant, yet respectable, third, totaling 13 filed patents in 2017.
This information was made public on August 31st. The contents of the research occurred through the month of August, 2018, and involved data collection from China, the EU, America, Japan, South Korea, and the International Patent System from the World Intellectual Property Organization.


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EA has been named as the most critically successful publisher of 2012 by reviews aggregation site Metacritic.
The report included all publishers who had released 15 or more titles and factored in metrics including average review score and the number of good (75%+), bad (49%-) and great (90%+) titles published.
Improving its average Metascore and ranking for the second straight year, EA has captured this year’s no.1 position, thanks in part to being the only major publisher scoring 75 or higher for its 2012 releases,” the report concluded.
The decades-old gaming company released two 90+ titles last year (Mass Effect 3 for the 360 and PS3 as well as the 360 version of FIFA Soccer 13) while earning positive reviews for 58% of its releases, best among all large publishers.
The company’s other mostly well-received products last year included the latest entries in the Need for Speed and SSX franchises and the big-budget Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (though the latter’s free-spending developer, 38 Studios, quickly went out of business).
But while EA technically didn’t release a single poorly-reviewed game (i.e., a game scoring 49 or lower), it did release some disappointing ones, most notably Medal of Honor: Warfighter, which looks likely to be the last title in the Medal of Honor shooter franchise, at least for the time being.”
Take-Two was named as the most successful mid-size publisher.
Metacritic’s major publisher ranking league table was as follows:
6. Warner Bros
10. Activision Blizzard
11. Namco Bandai


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One of the world’s six “supermajor” oil companies is remaking itself as greentech, having purchased a controlling stake in the solar manufacturer SunPower. Just to give you a sense of the relative size of these industries–and their pocketbooks–Total’s $1.3 to 1.4 billion purchase of SunPower is roughly equal to all venture capital solar investments in 2009 combined.
SunPower is the biggest item in Total’s solar investment strategy, but not the first. It’s created joint ventures with solar companies in Europe and bought minority stakes in a couple of U.S. solar firms. What does it all mean? Probably just that there’s a buck to be made. Experts predict that by 2050, photovoltaic will supply 11 percent of the world’s electricity, equal to 253 million homes.
Read (lots) more at The Street.


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Swedbank has signed the Poseidon Principles, a global framework for integrating climate considerations into lending decisions within ship finance.
By signing, Swedbank enhances its ability to support and influence the continued decarbonisation efforts of the shipping industry.
The Poseidon Principles provide a standardised methodology for data collection and reporting of emissions from banks’ shipping portfolios, with the overall ambition of supporting and facilitating the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
“We are happy to have signed the Poseidon Principles, the main reference for climate alignment of ship finance. This adds to the list of sectors in which the bank measures its environmental impact, furthering our commitment to helping our customers become more sustainable,” says Johanna Fager Wettergren, Head of Group Sustainability at Swedbank.
Swedbank now joins a group of more than 30 leading banks around the world, covering about 80 per cent of the global ship finance portfolio.
“The shipping industry is a key enabler for world trade and offers transportation services with superior CO2 efficiency when compared to air- and road-based alternatives. The industry has made significant progress on its decarbonisation journey. However, this work will still be ongoing for many years. As a Poseidon Principles signatory, Swedbank will enhance its ability to impact this process,” says Niels R. Bugge, Head of Ocean Industries at Swedbank.
During 2024, Swedbank will complete and publish its first climate alignment assessment according to the principles.


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Toyota to launch fuel cell SUV in 2015, hoping for a stable hydrogen infrastructure by that timeSeptember 13, 2011
Toyota recently unveiled their new Highlander SUV that is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
The company is well known for its work in making alternative energy a priority, as is evidenced in the ever-popular Prius. Confronted with decisions from competitors to release hydrogen-powered vehicles in 2013, Toyota has made a bold decision to hold off on launching their fuel cell car until 2015. The decision comes from uncertainty surrounding the establishment of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure and whether consumers will take to the notion of using the fuel.
The automaker has been struggling to bring down the cost of their fuel cells for some time. Hydrogen fuel cells are notorious for their expense, as they make use of valuable materials and components. The cost associated with fuel cells is one of the primary reasons they have not yet reached the commercial market, as few consumers would be able to afford vehicles powered by such technology.
Toyota has successfully lowered the cost of the SUV twice, with the most recent reduction bringing the cost of the vehicle to $50,000.
In the nine years that Toyota has been developing its fuel cell technology, it would seem that the company has not been able to settle on a single design. Their fuel cells have undergone constant, and sometimes dramatic, changes for the sake of efficiency and affordability. Some changes were worse than others, making the fuel cells less durable or less powerful, but the company seems to have found a balance with their latest unit.


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By Ben Cooper2017-09-21T05:00:00
In May, the vice-president of BP’s European retail division, Alex Jensen, made a very telling statement. In the UK, she said, half of BP’s customers don’t even buy petrol when they visit a filling station. “Fifteen years ago it was just fuel,” she said. Now people are there to shop ...
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Aon Corp. announced Monday it is buying Hewitt Associates for $4.9 billion, with the aim of creating the world’s leading “human capital solutions” company. The combined company will be called Aon Hewitt.
The deal has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in November. The merger is valued at $50 per Hewitt share, a 41% premium over Hewitt’s closing stock price of $35.40 on Friday.
Hewitt serves more than 3,000 corporations, institutions, not-for-profits and government agencies around the world. Aon did not disclose the number of clients that its benefits consultancy serves but said it has more than 36,000 associates in 500 offices out of more than 120 countries.
Russ Fradin, chairman and chief executive officer of Hewitt, will serve as chairman and CEO of Aon Hewitt, reporting to Greg Case, Aon Corp. CEO. “This agreement reflects our ongoing efforts to ensure that Aon’s associates, capabilities and technology remain at the forefront of our industry, providing distinctive client value," Aon CEO Case said.
“As we continue to grow our business, this merger will give us a broader portfolio of innovative products and services focused on what we believe are two of the most important topics in the global economy today: Risk and people,” Case added.


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The State Legislature passed several pieces of legislation over the past few days that focus on helping local businesses like restaurants by allowing liquor license holders to sell beer and wine with food to go – along with a municipal package focusing on taxes.
State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz praised the efforts of both houses of the State Legislature in working well together to get necessary changes passed quickly that will help local businesses and local governments survive the COVID-19 response.
“This relief package will give administrative and economic relief to our restaurants, our cities and towns, and to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth,” he said. “As we continue to face the day to day effects of COVID-19, it is vital that we do all that we can to offer assistance to those in need.”
The legislation would extend the individual state tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to July 15.
The legislation also includes the following provisions:
•Permits establishments licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption to sell wine and beer via delivery and take-out provided the wine or beer is sold in the same transaction as a purchase of food and in a sealed container.
•Modifies local permitting processes, extending municipal tax deadlines, and allowing municipalities to extend property tax exemptions and deferrals.
•Allows municipalities to activate qualified workers by suspending the cap on hours and compensation for certain retired employees for hours worked during the state of emergency.
“As the COVID-19 public health crisis continues to evolve, the House responded again today to the growing needs of our communities, our businesses, and our residents by easing burdens related to local permitting, extending the state’s tax deadline and giving restaurants more business opportunities,” said Speaker Bob DeLeo. “Thank you to Chair Michlewitz and Chair O’Day for their leadership on these important issues.”
The bill was expected to be signed quickly by Gov. Charlie Baker, who proposed many of the measures two weeks ago.


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A Westminster Hall debate has been scheduled for 19 February on e-petitions relating to animal testing and non-animal research methods. The subject for this debate has been chosen by the Petitions Commitee, and the debate will be opened by Elliot Colburn MP.
The petition had reached over 140,000 signatories on 17 May 2018 and states:
Removing puppies for sale from litter & mum often creates sick, traumatised, dysfunctional dogs. Puppies should be seen with their mum & transporting them to a different place for sale harms welfare. Regulating commercial 3rd party sales is ineffective to prevent harm & a ban is therefore necessary.
In response to the petition the Government highlighted the announcement in December 2017 of stricter licencing rules and conditions for anyone who breeds three or more litters a year, and those selling puppies. These will be introduced through The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, which come into force in October.This was followed in February 2018 by a call for evidence on a possible ban on commercial third party sales of puppies and kittens in England, which would mean “anyone looking to buy or adopt a dog will either deal directly with the breeder or with one of the nation’s many animal rehousing centres”. The call also highlights that less than 100 third party sellers are currently licensed in England. It refers to a lack of data on the number of puppies bought and sold each year but points to an estimated demand for 700,000 puppies a year in the UK, of which 80,000 (in Great Britain) may be sold through third party sellers.
Previous to the Government’s proposals, the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee report Animal welfare in England: domestic pets, published in November 2016, made a recommendation on similar lines and concluded that:
Responsible breeders would never sell through a pet shop licence holder. The process of selling through a third party seller has an unavoidable negative impact upon the welfare of puppies. It also distances the purchaser from the environment in which their puppy was bred. Banning third party sales so that the public bought directly from breeders would bring public scrutiny to bear on breeders, thereby improving the welfare conditions of puppies. It would also bring a positive financial impact to breeders, allowing them to retain money that is currently lost in the supply chain. We acknowledge that difficulties of public access, due to a rural location, security issues and diseases, may be challenging for some breeders. On balance, however, we consider it is more important that animal welfare standards are ensured across all breeders.
The wide range of estimates of the number of puppies sold in the UK was also discussed during EFRA Committee inquiry. The Committee recommended that the Government ban third party sales of dogs and that dogs should “only be available from licensed, regulated breeders or approved rehoming organisations”.
At the time, in its response published in February 2017, the Government raised concerns that a ban would in effect be a statutory requirement for puppies to be sold only by breeders. It also highlighted difficulties for local authorities with enforcement and the risk of a ban driving puppy sales underground. Instead it would “support the robust licensing of all pet sellers including third party sellers”.
The Dog Trust supports a ban but is concerned that the measures will not be UK wide as animal welfare is devolved. It would like the new licencing requirements to apply to those breeding one or more litter. It also called for regulation of dog homes and shelters, which currently do not require a licence, in a similar way to measures being discussed in Scotland. The Kennel Club also supports a ban but has wider concerns about the enforcement of the new licencing regulations.
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill 2023-24 was introduced by Dr Therese Coffey MP on 11 December 2023. Its Commons Second Reading is scheduled for 2 February 2024.
A government ban on American XL Bully dogs in England and Wales came into force on 31 December 2023.


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Chinese live-streaming platform Bilibili‘s uploader He Tongxue released a video featuring his self-made AirDesk on Monday. Up to now, the broadcast volume for the video on Bilibili‘s platform alone has exceeded 4 million views, and the advertisement at the end of the video has sent Loctek shares soaring by 14%.
The video is titled “I made the product that Apple gave up…”. He Tongxue explained his reasoning behind making the gadget, “Four years ago, Apple released its own wireless charging board, AirPower, but until now, this product has not been released.” In a flash of ingenuity, He figured out a way to solve a problem he himself was having and thus created the ultimate version of AirPower – AirDesk.
In the video, He introduced the process of making the AirDesk. The desk not only supports wireless charging while also retracting its own legs, but the desk can also automatically find electronic products that need to be charged on the table. In addition, the desk can remind users to get some exercise and automatically hand cups of water to users.
After watching the video, netizens have expressed that they want one. Unfortunately, the table can’t be mass-produced for the time being. At the end of the video, He Tongxue said that the lifting table leg used in the video is the LIFT1 of Loctek, a mention that caused the company’s share price to soar by nearly 14% today.
He Tongxue, a 22-year-old student, is an influencer on Bilibili. In October 2017, He began to upload videos on Bilibili, which focusaed mainly on digital technology.
On June 6th, 2019, He received the attention of the whole network with a video titled “How Fast is 5G?”. This video was later renamed “How fast is it? The Real Experience of 5G in Daily Use” and has been viewed by 27.256 times by now. On February 17, 2021, He’s exclusive interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook went viral on the Internet.
In terms of the beneficiary, Loctek is a listed company in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. The company designs and manufactures sit-stand desk risers, height adjustable desks and monitor arms, etc. With the trend of online working, its performance has shown explosive growth. Last year, the incident about “Loctek Chairman doesn’t welcome Ping An Asset Management’s investment in the company” attracted much attention, which had a certain impact on its stock price.


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How to eliminate trade conflicts after implementation of EVFTA With the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) set to take effect in July after gaining the approval of the National Assembly, the pact is set to open up a wealth of opportunities for local businesses to boost production and exports, although some believe that there are potential risks of trade conflicts occurring. In 2019, some of Vietnam’s steel products were subject to high anti-dumping duties by several countries In order to assist Vietnamese businesses in dealing with the risks and challenges of potential trade conflicts when the EVFTA is implemented,Le Trieu Dung, director general of Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that research, forecast, and warning activities must be intensified in a bid to cope with trade remedies which can be applied to Vietnamese exports, including investigations against evasion of trade remedies. In addition, the MoIT has proposed that the government should bring cases to the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanisms, whilst the ministry has co-ordinated efforts with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, as well as enterprises to successfully handle two WTO disputes relating to… Read full this story
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Buena farmer's beets featured in craft beer
- Cape May Brewing Co. is located at 1288 Hornet Road, Cape May. The tasting room is open seven days from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
BUENA - John Formisano Sr. has supplied produce from his Buena farm to countless suitors for 60-plus years now.
With so many growing seasons under his belt, the 79-year-old Formisano was a bit surprised when state Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher approached him with a first-time proposition.
Cape May Brewing Co. was working on a new certified Jersey Fresh beer starring red and golden beets, and Fisher pegged Formisano Farms, a 300-acre plot on Plymouth Street, as a perfect partner for the project.
“It wasn’t my idea, I can tell you that,” Formisano joked in his gruff voice. “They came to me looking for beets and we sent down, I think, 10 boxes of the golden ones and eight or nine of the red ones.”
The inspiration for the beer, named Beets By May, came from Ben Menk, general manager of The Farm & Fisherman Tavern on Route 70 in Cherry Hill. He's also a client of Formisano Farms.
Menk was chatting with two of the restaurant’s chefs one night when he tossed out the idea of a beer made with beets — a regular ingredient on Farm & Fisherman’s rotating menu.
“The whole concept of a fruit or vegetable beer is out there, but it’s not done a lot,” Menk said. “I immediately thought of Cape May Brewing Co. for this because we have a great relationship with them.
“They brew some pretty great beers, some whimsical beers — their cranberry shandy (The Bog) comes to mind. So we felt like they were the most logical place to ask first, and they just ran with it from there.”
Fisher said his department constantly looks for ways to drum up partnerships among vendors, producers, processors and the state’s farmers while highlighting the Jersey Fresh movement.
Registered growers, like Formisano Farms, are licensed to use the Jersey Fresh logo on their products after meeting specific quality standards.
Cape May Brewing, according to co-founder and president Ryan Krill, is the only brewery in the state to boast Jersey Fresh beers as part of its lineup. Beets By May is Cape May’s second beer to fit that bill, joining its Honey Porter, which is brewed with local Jersey Fresh honey.
For Krill, teaming up with Formisano was an easy decision.
"We wanted to use a local farmer, and with them being right there in Buena and a Jersey Fresh supplier, it was a nice fit," Krill said.
Krill said Beets By May, on tap now at the brewery on 1288 Hornet Road in Cape May, is “doing great” with patrons.
“It’s a very different beer, different than anything we’ve done before,” he added. “It’s very light and refreshing with a nice beet character.
"We wanted to do something unique. New Jersey still very much has an up-and-coming craft beer scene and we like to try things that are really fun."
The beer, which clocks in at 5 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), is complemented by notes of pine, fresh grass and a touch of orange citrus courtesy of Bravo, Target and Chinook hops, according to the brewery.
Menk and Fisher both used the word "earthy" to describe Beets By May's taste.
The brewery produced 30 barrels, or 50 half-kegs, of the beer. Formisano, Fisher and Menk were among the guests on hand at the brewery to celebrate Beets By May's release late last month.
Fisher said collaborations like this one are key to keeping the Jersey Fresh campaign trending in the right direction.
"Cape May Brewing Co. is a great success story when it comes to incorporating our produce into their beers," Fisher said. "And Formisano is a great farming operation that is respected far and wide."
Farm & Fisherman shares similar values in its approach to providing locally sourced offerings to customers.
The Beets By May collaboration is just one example.
"That's really what our vision is all about — getting everybody working together," Menk said. "The farmer supplies the beets, the brewery makes the beer, we pour the beer at the restaurant. Obviously, that's the ideal system."
For Formisano, seeing his beets involved in the brewing process was an enjoyable experience.
The lifelong farmer admitted he doesn't have much taste for beer, but did give Beets By May a try.
"It wasn't bad," he said.
It also prompted Formisano to push Cape May Brewing to consider another one of his crops for a beer.
"This fall, I told them they should try a fennel beer," Formisano said. "Who knows? To me, they sounded really enthused about that."
Anthony Coppola; firstname.lastname@example.org; (856) 563-5258
If you go:
Cape May Brewing Co.
1288 Hornet Rd., Cape May
Open seven days, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.


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We are thrilled to announce Tobi Henney, one of Australia’s most sought after celebrity and fashion hair and make-up artists, will be joining the Amodrn contributor family.
An acclaimed professional in the beauty industry, Henney collaborates regularly with Australia’s most influential media personalities including our very own Bianca Cheah, Shanina Shaik, Margaret Zhang, Sara Donaldson, Megan Gale, Jesinta Campbellas well as contributing to major online publications such as ELLE US, Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Schön, Pop Sugar and Gritty Pretty. More recently, she has taken on the role of L’Oréal Paris’ Makeup Director for Australia.
“I am so excited to have won the Makeup Designer Contest,” said Tobi Henney, “L’Oréal Paris is such an iconic brand and I am so proud and honoured to join the team as the brand’s new Makeup Director.”
Keep your eyes peeled for new articles coming soon. We can’t wait to see (and steal) as many beauty, hair and make-up tips from her as possible (shhh we won’t tell if you don’t!).


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New program offers a helping hand to Utah restaurants, other businesses
SALT LAKE CITY — One of the first industries to feel the brunt of pandemic closures is about to receive a helping hand–Utah restaurants.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a new program created by the Small Business Administration (SBA), consists of $28.6 billion. It will soon be available to restaurants nationwide. And don’t let the title discourage you. The Small Business Administration Utah said many types of food-related businesses can apply.
“Restaurants, food stands, food trucks, food carts, caterers, and bars,” are all among those businesses that can quality said Siobhan Carlile with the SBA Utah.
The program begins May 3, 2021.
For the first 21 days, the SBA will give priority to business owners who are women, veterans, and those socially or economically disadvantaged. After that, the funds will be made available to businesses on a first-come-first-served basis.
A single business could receive up to $10 million (or $5 million per location). The amount of money a business can qualify for will be based on the difference between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic gross receipts.
The grant program was authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act. The amount of money a business may receive will be reduced if a business has already received help from PPP loans.
The SBA assumes this will be a very popular program. They advise business owners who would like to apply to prepare early. Beginning Friday, April 30, create an account at the Restaurant Revitalization Portal.
Learn about and then gather the documentation you will need, which may include tax forms, business tax returns, bank statements, etc.
And finally, attend a virtual training seminar which is also available at the Restaurant Revitalization Portal.
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Major Coffee Chain Working on “Fully Recyclable and Compostable” Cup
Published March 27, 2018 at 3:05 am
Have you ever thought about how many of your empty coffee cups are sitting in landfills? Well, coffee at one major chain in Mississauga is set to get a lot more sustainable.
You might be excited to learn that coffee giant Starbucks is working to create a “fully recyclable and compostable cup” in the next three years.
“Our store partners proudly pour sustainably sourced coffee in our 28,000 locations around the world, but everyone wants to take our ability to serve it sustainably to the next level,” said Colleen Chapman, vice president of Starbucks global social impact overseeing sustainability.
“No one is satisfied with the incremental industry progress made to date, it’s just not moving fast enough. So today, we are declaring a moon shot for sustainability to work together as an industry to bring a fully recyclable and compostable cup to the market, with a three-year ambition.”
According to Starbucks, an estimated 600 billion paper and plastic cups are distributed globally. Starbucks cups account for about one per cent of that, but that’s still a substantial few billion cups every single year.
How does the chain plan to create a fully sustainable cup?
Well, Starbucks recently invested $10 million in partnership with Closed Loop Partners towards the NextGen Cup Challenge.
“This is the first step in the development of a global end-to-end solution that would allow cups around the world to be diverted from landfills and composted or given a second life as another cup, napkin or even a chair – anything that can use recycled material,” said Starbucks in a recent release.
The challenge is set to award grants to entrepreneurs working on ideas that might develop more “sustainable cup solutions,” says Starbucks.
“Through this partnership, the Challenge will enable leading innovators and entrepreneurs with financial, technical, and expert resources to fast-track global solutions, help get those solutions to shelf, through the recovery system and back into the supply chain” said Rob Kaplan, managing director of Closed Loop Partners.
The challenge is set to be open source so others can access the information to create more sustainable cups globally.
Starbucks paper cups are currently manufactured with 10 per cent post-consumer recycled fiber, which is a start.
It’ll be unique and interesting to see how the new cup unfolds!insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies
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When four friends decided to open a new Thai restaurant in Manhattan, the first order of business — and topic of debate — was what to call it. The brainstorm continued off and on until the four found themselves in a car together and someone blurted out, “Thai food near me.”
“There was a big pause and the name suddenly stuck — we immediately said, that’s the one,” Robert Sampson, one of the four owners, told Fortune.
“This is a really simple name, but it’s exactly what I search for on Google,” he said. “And we are Thai food, and, for our target audience, we are ‘near me.’”
For Sampson and his partners, the name was good marketing. The restaurant, which has been open since April, has a steady stream of customers, many of whom find it online, and the name is “a conversation starter” with most of them, said Sampson.
It’s also a “powerful symbol of Google’s far-reaching impact on businesses over the past two decades,” according to the tech publication The Verge, which published a deep dive into businesses that add “near me” to their names. The thinking goes, if “near me” is part of the business’s name, it will appear higher in internet search results when someone looking for a service types in “[service] near me.”
Number of “near me” names explodes
The earliest use of “near me” in a business trademark name was less than a decade ago, according to Steve Manning, co-founder of Igor Naming Agency. A “Locksmith Near Me” in Mesa, Az., registered in November of 2016.
But the “near me” phenomenon’s popularity has exploded in recent years: “There have been as many ‘NEAR ME’ trademarks filed in the last six months as there were in the preceding seven years, so it appears to be picking up steam,” Manning wrote.
The data is incomplete: Manning noted that most local businesses don’t file for a trademark. But it does indicate that Google, which is in the middle of an antitrust trial, exerts a powerful pull on people’s lives.
Before Thai Food Near Me opened in April, it went briefly viral for a photo a local posted on Twitter. After some Very Online brands tweeted their approval (Google Maps said it was “very relatable”), users shared other photos of extremely online business names: A Dentist Near Me in Philadelphia; a Sushi Near Me in Southern California, and an “auto repair near me” (location undetermined.) Then there’s the SEO-friendly but not location-based restaurant names, such as “Best Greek Chicken and Food.”
Other examples cited by Mia Sato, The Verge’s reporter, included: “an Antiques Near Me two hours outside of New York City; seven Plumber Near Me businesses; a Phone Repair Near Me in Cape Cod, Mass.; a Psychic Near Me in Chicago; and more than 20 iterations of ‘Notary Near Me.’”
To be sure, the way people communicate is constantly changing to reflect technology. The dotcom bubble of the late 1990s had plenty of businesses adding “dot-com” to their names to seem more modern. The dominance of Google as a search engine turned “Googling” into a verb in the past decade.
In the pre-internet era, when most businesses advertised via the alphabetically organized Yellow Pages, that directory saw plenty of functional, forgettable names.
“[Y]ou’d see businesses named AAA Plumbing, AAAA Plumbing, and AAAAA Plumbing appearing together at the top of the alphabetized directory,” said Manning.
“Because most of our decisions are emotional, consumers don’t form a bond with generic brands,” he said. “At the end of the day, generic naming is a losing strategy.”
It also leaves a brick-and-mortar business vulnerable to an easily changeable algorithm. Manning noted that Google could easily change its algorithm to penalize businesses with “near me” in the name. As of now, Thai Food Near Me, on the east side of Manhattan, appears in search results only to those who are reasonably close—searches from Brooklyn or Queens bypass it.
But even that, Sampson says, is enough to get an edge. In general, “most people are not going to get super far to get their food,” and the density of Manhattan plays to their advantage.
“If you even reach people within a mile of you, you’re talking about a million people right there.”


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BlackBerry Ltd. appointed John Sims as its new president of global enterprise services, James Mackey as executive vice-president for corporate development and strategic planning and Mark Wilson as senior vice-president of marketing.
The company made the announcements in a pair of releases Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sims most recently served as president of mobile services at SAP AG, while “Mackey served as senior vice-president of corporate development at Open Text Corp., as well as head of corporate development at SAP,” and Wilson was chief marketing officer at Avaya Inc.
This follows news of three other executives leaving BlackBerry, which comes after last month’s departures of its chief operating, chief marketing and chief financial officers, as well as the Nov. 4 news that Chen would become interim chief executive, replacing former CEO Thorsten Heins.
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- Apr 12, 2001
Apple is rolling out its Safari webpage translation to more countries. According to 9to5Mac, users in Brazil and Germany have reported gaining access to the feature for the first time.
Apple introduced Safari's machine translation earlier this year when it debuted iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur at WWDC in June.
The feature allows users to translate the language of websites viewed in Apple's native browser; it can translate Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Article Link: Safari Webpage Translation Feature Reportedly Working in More Countries


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Xinhua News Agency, Nairobi, September 25 (International Observation) Digital economy has become a new highlight of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation under the epidemic
Xinhua News Agency reporter
Affected by the new crown epidemic, African countries are eager to accelerate digital transformation, ease the impact of the epidemic, and provide impetus to economic recovery.
Some experts and business representatives believe that as China-Africa cooperation continues to escalate and more and more Chinese companies take root in Africa, China-Africa digital economic cooperation will blossom in more areas, which will help the rapid development of Africa's Internet economy.
PayFast, the largest local online payment platform in South Africa, said that during the epidemic, South Africans' mobile phone online shopping orders increased significantly. From March 2020 to February 2021, the volume of mobile payment transactions processed by PayFast increased by 143% year-on-year.
Kenyan telecom operator Safali Communications said that during the epidemic, the demand for online office, online classroom and online entertainment increased, and the amount of information related to the epidemic on the Internet increased.
From April 2020 to March 2021, the company's 4G mobile phone and fiber-to-the-home subscribers both increased by more than 40% year-on-year.
The digital economy has penetrated into the daily lives of many African residents.
A recent survey of 2,456 residents of Kenya by an international consulting company found that 84% of the respondents said that digital devices and digital services have made their lives better, and nearly one-third said that the digital economy has helped them increase their incomes.
The "2020 Africa Digital Economy Report" jointly released by the World Bank Group's IFC and Google Inc. predicts that by 2025, the African Internet economy is expected to reach 180 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 5.2% of the African continent's gross domestic product (GDP) .
The report said that although the epidemic will put pressure on Africa's development in the next five years, the robust Internet economy will promote economic growth in Africa.
In recent years, the digital economy has become a new direction for China to help Africa develop.
Under the epidemic, e-commerce and financial technology supported by Chinese companies with technology and experience have become important tools to promote the economic recovery of African countries.
In June of this year, Cainiao, a logistics company under the Alibaba Group, opened the first China-Africa cross-border parcel line, which greatly improved the timeliness of China-Africa cross-border parcel logistics.
Xiong Wei, general manager of the export logistics division of Cainiao, said that China-Africa cross-border e-commerce and cross-border trade are growing rapidly, and the logistics market has huge potential.
Kilimall, the e-commerce platform of Changsha Feituo Information Technology Co., Ltd., was established in 2014 and is one of the major e-commerce companies in East Africa.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Kilimall e-commerce transactions have shown rapid growth.
Kilimall Marketing Manager Lu Xiaoyong said that many African countries produce high-quality agricultural products, which will be sold to the Chinese market through China-Africa e-commerce "reverse trade" in the future, which will mutually benefit the people of both sides. There is huge potential for China-Africa agricultural cooperation.
Huang Meibo, dean of the Institute of International Development Cooperation of Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told Xinhua News Agency that in the field of digital economy in Africa, Chinese companies occupy a considerable market share.
China-Africa cooperation in the digital economy has entered all aspects and plays an important role in Africa's connectivity.
Observers generally believe that, relying on the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Zone, the China-Africa Cooperation Forum and the “Belt and Road” construction, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation will reach a new level, and China-Africa digital cooperation will take advantage of the momentum.
African Union Infrastructure and Energy Commissioner Abu-Zaid Amani said that Africa looks forward to strengthening digital economic cooperation with China, helping interconnection and promoting African economic integration.
In an exclusive interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency, a person in charge of an African financial technology company said: "From the perspective of the digital economy, especially in terms of payment and related technologies, China is leading the way. We can learn a lot from China. It is of vital importance to Africa. The digital economy is a great opportunity for cooperation."
Huang Meibo suggested that the future development of Africa's digital economy should focus on promoting the digital transformation of industries, improving Africa's digital technology capabilities, and cultivating Africa's digital innovation ecosystem.
She said that China-Africa digital economic cooperation as a whole presents complementary advantages, with wide cooperation space and great potential.
In the long run, Africa is expected to become one of the most attractive digital markets in the world.
Yao Guimei, a researcher at the China African Research Institute, wrote a few days ago that the free trade zone on the African continent officially launched this year covers a wide range, and African countries are also vigorously expanding new industries and new fields such as mobile communications, digital economy, finance, and smart cities. This is relevant for China. Enterprises bring new opportunities.
In the future, the digital economy will surely become a new highlight of China-Africa cooperation.
(Notewriter: Ding Lei; Participating reporters: Guo Jun, Jing Jing, Wang Ping, Lu Tianran)Keywords: