text:
Medina Dairy is bullish about its prospects of landing liquid milk contracts with the mults after securing a toll-processing arrangement with Müller, and claims it is already talking to buyers about possible deals.
The milk supplier was this week approved as the purchaser of a toll-processing agreement offered by Müller to resolve competition concerns over its acquisition of Dairy Crest’s liquid milk business, which was given the green light by the Competition and Markets Authority on Monday (19 October).
The arangement will see Müller supply and process up to 100 million litres of fresh milk a year for Medina at the Severnside dairy in Gloucestershire for a period of up to eight years.
Medina CEO Sheazad Hussain told the Grocer this would boost Medina’s milk processing capacity by a third, making it a “major player” in UK dairy and putting it in prime position to target regional and national supermarket contracts.
Medina, which has two processing sites and draws milk from about 140 farms, currently supplies foodservice and convenience channels, with no significant supermarket contracts.
Hussain said the extra milk processing capacity would give the company a “strong base” to develop supply relationships with the mults and achieve its vision of becoming a credible alternative supplier of liquid milk to UK retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators.
“We have already had dialogue with the multiples, and some retailers are looking for different milk supply solutions,” he added. “Our existing experience of supplying dynamic and demanding customers, with highly complex needs, means that we are very well-positioned to develop sustainable and long-term relationships with national retailers.”
Medina is also targeting growth for its Watsons milk brand [ranked sixth in last year’s Grocer Top Products survey], and also planned to look at developing added-value products, said business development director Shelagh Hancock.
Under the terms of the deal, Müller will provide a £20,000 fund that Medina can use to hire independent dairy consultants to help develop its national multiple fresh milk business.
Medina will pay an upfront “rental” cost to Müller, as well as a per litre amount based on the variable costs of producing fresh liquid milk at Severnside.
The long-awaited sale of the Dairy Crest business to Müller will see it offload its doorstep delivery service, market-leading milkshake brand Frijj, and its entire liquid milk operation. The deal is expected to be completed by 26 December.


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Flame is designed to carry out cyber espionage and steal valuable information, including but not limited to computer display contents, information about targeted systems, stored files, contact data and audio conversations.
Israel is being blamed - or, perhaps, taking credit - for the creation of Flame, the sophisticated cyberspyware that has targeted organizations in the Middle East, especially its mortal enemy, the government of Iran.
One measure of an incident's impact is dollars lost of fraud. But the "soft" costs - loss of reputation and productivity - are the ones that most get the attention of Terry Austin of Guardian Analytics.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns of a scheme involving pop-up windows through which fraudsters trick travelers into installing bogus software updates. The "updates" are really malware installations.
"You need to educate people, and you need to have the right control procedures in place to ensure that people are aware of insider fraud," says Larry Ponemon, offering tips to reduce insider risks.
In an interview about the insider threat, Ponemon discusses:
Key findings from this new research;
What needs to be...

domain: news


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Accenture buys into Buytel
Accenture has led an $13.4m second round of funding for Buytel, a voice recognition company.
Digital Capital, the technology fund of WestLB Group, also contributed.
The company will spend the money on sales and marketing.
In February last year Buytel raised $2.3m from Trinity Venture Capital (part of the Reihill Venture Capital Group) and Flanders Language Valley Fund.
Evergreen invests in GalayOr
Evergreen Venture has led a seed round of $8m in GalayOr Networks, an optical firm.
Neurone Ventures and STI Ventures also put up money.
The Lod-based company will use the new funds to finance expansion.
GalayOr was founded in August last year by Noel Elman, Uri Geiger and Dan Haronian.
Nexus invests in Xchangepoint
Nexus Investments, a subsidiary of GMT Communications Partners, has invested £5.6m in Xchangepoint.
Xchangepoint is an ISP that aims to help big corporates exchange heavy internet traffic.
GE Equity takes a stake in Blaxxun
GE Equity, Kling Jelko, Konsortium and Venture Select have invested $5m in Blaxxun, a software company.
Blaxxun said the money would be reserved for growth.
Blaxxun was founded in 1995 and is based in Munich.
Big deal for HighDeal
HighDeal said has received an extra $3.6m to close its Newbury Ventures-led second round at $17.9m.
In January the e-commerce firm made a first closing of the round of $14.3m.
In addition to Newbury Ventures, previous investors Innovacom and CDC Innovation Partners and new investor 3i contributed capital.
The company said the financing would be used to continue its US expansion.
As part of the round, Charles-Antoine Morand of 3i joins HighDeal's board.
HighDeal has raised $22.4m over the two funding rounds and expects to reach profitability in the middle of 2002.
Siemens invests “several million Euros” in Webwasher.com
Siemens Venture Capital and Invision have led a round worth “several million Euros” in Webwasher.com, an internet filtering company.
New investor TecVenture Partners invested E1m.
Paderborn-based Webwasher.com previously raised $1.8m from Siemens and Invision.
The company will use the funds for product development.


text:
02 Aug 2016
In the final of a three-part series on banking and technology, Microsoft Australia MD Pip Marlow and ANZ MD Retail Distribution Australia Catriona Noble said the companies willing to walk a mile in customer shoes are the ones which come out on top.
" Diversity is at the core of everything."
Pip Marlow, Microsoft Australia MD
“It’s a lot easier to [appeal to more customers] when you’ve got a diverse group that have had a lot of those diverse experiences,” Noble said on video. “It’s then very intuitive.”
Marlow said it is vital for businesses to mirror the market they serve, saying diversity is “…at the core of everything.”
Using the example of early airbags failing for women and children because they were designed exclusively by men, Marlow said staff with different backgrounds offer valuable different thinking styles.
“Because they didn’t have diversity in the design… the product didn’t work for everyone,” she said.
“The biggest way to ensure you don’t miss out is to have people like your customers in your teams and really bringing that outside voice in.”
Renee Whitford is a contributing editor at BlueNotes
The views and opinions expressed in this communication are those of the author and may not necessarily state or reflect those of ANZ.
02 Aug 2016
28 Jul 2016
21 Jul 2016


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LG might use a notch on its next flagship as well.
When the South Korean company makes it official this fall, the V40 ThinQ should feature a design element that’s been controversial in the last year. But the decision won’t harm this high-end phone, anyway. Aside from competitors rolling out notches, LG’s already done so in the last few months.
The G7 ThinQ, which made its global debut in May, also has a notch. Its layout would be brought over to the V series. Based on the G7, the V40 should have a notch with a camera, ambient light sensor, and earpiece stored tightly to free up some screen real estate. Other companies, however, use the notch for complex cameras and sensors that enable facial recognition.
Yet there’s no doubt the V40 will be a dramatic upgrade over its predecessor. With the V series, LG often pushes better technologies. The V40 could have an upgraded display, chipset, and cameras.
The V40 looks like this, according to MySmartPrice:
The edge-to-edge screen matches what’s seen on the G7, but the V40 should trade up for an OLED panel.
LG Display, a subsidiary of the South Korean company, continues investing in OLED technology while LCD technology fades into the background. It already supplies the OLED panels for Apple’s and Google’s most recent flagships. Expect the V40’s display to benefit from enhanced depth and vibrancy.
Around the back, the V40 should have a triple-camera setup. LG, according to Android Police and ETNews, will put three cameras together for top-of-the-line photography. The triple-camera setup would feature a 20MP primary lens, a 16MP wide-angle lens, and a 13MP telephoto lens.
Other specifications remain unclear, but we suspect the V40 will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 running the show.
The V40 will make its global debut on Wednesday, October 3. LG confirmed the New York City-based event in an invite sent out to media outlets last week.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
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Win an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with the Reader's Choice giveaway!
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British parents are forgoing traditional pocket money in favor of paying their children in digital means, according to a survey conducted by Censuswide for financial technology firm Intelligent Environments.
As reported by The Telegraph, more than a quarter of 2,000 UK parents polled said they paid their kids in digital currency for use in gaming communities such as Moshi Monsters and Minecraft and online services like iTunes.
Separately, one-third of respondents now opt to transfer a weekly amount into their kids’ digital bank account.
The poll found that about four in 10 parents decide not to give their children any pocket money and instead prefer to transfer funds into a savings account in the kids’ names.
Gary Monaghan, a 42-year-old father in North London, told The Telegraph that he gives his children pocket money digitally.
“I give my son Noah pocket money by topping up his Xbox account, while my daughter Lola gets money put on her iTunes account to buy music,” said Monaghan. “They don’t really ask for toys, sweets and football sticker books the way I used to – what they really want is all online these days.”
David Webber, managing director at Intelligent Environments, said the increase in use of digital devices by youth has changed the way people handle money.
“Nothing has changed more than the way in which we manage our money; our research shows that in a world of apps, e-books, digital music, and online games, more children than ever are asking for their weekly allowance digitally to fuel modern-day spending such as in-app purchases, in-game currency and digital music downloads,” said Webber to The Telegraph.
Indeed, mobile payments are gaining traction in the UK, particularly among youth. A recent survey published by nVest Ventures observed growing interest in cashless transactions among British citizens, particularly when it comes to young people.
As reported by ITProPortal, the survey of approximately 5,000 UK citizens found that one in five said paying with cash was not convenient. That proportion rose to 26 percent among respondents between the ages of 16 and 24.
11 percent of respondents said they have already paid for a purchase in a store with their mobile phone or an app on their device, and 18 percent said they had not done so yet, but were interested. The latter figure rises to 41 percent among Millennials (those born after 1981).
ITProPortal reported that one in 10 respondents use their smartphone to record the amount they spend every day, and 35 percent said they would be interested in a service that projects their future finances based on their spending habits, with 58 percent of Millennials expressing a desire for such a service.


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Image via Shutterstock.
The next iPhone may have a back case made from a lightweight metal alloy that replaces the current glass back, according to a report from Korean news site ETNews. The new back would be based on metal technologies acquired by Apple in its purchase of Liquidmetal Technologies in 2010. The site also claims that this new iPhone will be unveiled at Apple’s WWDC event this June.
While the possibility of a Liquidmetal-sourced back for a future iPhone is not outrageous—Apple has done little publicly thus far with the assets and technologies it acquired from the company—the source of the rumor and the suggestion that the next iPhone will debut at WWDC gives us great pause.
ETNews has a very brief track record of reporting Apple news and its only recent report incorrectly stated that what would become the iPhone 4S would be launched in June of last year (the phone eventually launched in October).
In addition, the “late” launch of the iPhone 4S and multiple other rumors and leaks point to a Fall launch for the next iPhone, further undermining the credibility of the report’s claim that Apple will debut the device at WWDC.
Lastly, we should point out that Apple hasn’t yet announced WWDC 2012, and there’s no indication that the event will take place in June. The specificity of the rumor’s timeline is easy to overlook because Apple has often scheduled the developer conference in June, but it doesn’t inspire confidence at the water cooler in TMO Towers.
As a result, while this is hardly the most ridiculous rumor to get the Internet hopping, the story should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.


text: Now may seem to be a great time to purchase Apple products such as the iPhone 4 from Verizon, but it is actually probably the very worst time to be buying them. We all know that many devices come and go in popularity, but for Apple it can be argued that this happens much faster than with other devices. For example, now is probably the worst time to be an iPhone 4 user on Verizon because it is almost guaranteed that there will be an iPhone 5 released in a few months. In the same respect, buying an iPad now would be awful since Apple will be releasing the iPad 2 not in months but in a time frame of weeks. Another Apple product to avoid at the moment is the Macbook Pro, which will probably be receiving some new hardware within these upcoming months and it simply would not be worth spending the same amount of money for a device which is significantly weaker and less capable than the upcoming model. This will always happen with devices, but when there is bound to be major change in a device it is much better to wait and not simply go with the craze.


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Over the past two-and-a-half years Ontario has attracted over $25 billion in auto and EV battery related investments. PHOTO courtesy General Motors.
While employment in Ontario decreased in May 2023, the manufacturing sector saw an increase of 20,100 jobs, points out Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade for the province.
At a time when the country is still facing inflationary pressures, Fedeli boasted that Ontario’s economy is resilient and can weather any storm.
“We’re training a world-class workforce, cutting red tape and keeping taxes low, all of which are helping to attract new investments and jobs,” Fedeli said, pointing out that over the last two-and-a-half years alone, Ontario has attracted over $25 billion in auto and EV battery-related investments.
“We recently announced an investment of more than $4.7 million to help over 360 technicians and jobseekers gain the skills they need to transition and launch their careers in the automotive manufacturing sector and emerging EV field,” he added.


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"This tool allows the dealer to beat large used-vehicle operators like CarMax at their own game." - Bruce Thompson, Founder
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) January 09, 2014
CarOffer, LLC (http://www.caroffer.com) is a new company launched in Dallas, TX by industry entrepreneur Bruce Thompson. The CarOffer™ mobile app will give consumers the ability to scan, photo and submit vehicles they wish to sell in minutes. Dealers with the CarOffer™ tool will have the exclusive ability to bid and buy these units within certain exclusive market areas. The application will be launched by the RedBumper™ team at the upcoming 2014 NADA Convention in New Orleans in Booth #2461 (RedBumper™).
“Buying cars directly from consumers is the ‘holy grail’ in our industry”, said Bruce Thompson, CEO/Founder of CarOffer™, LLC. “However, dealers have been unable to gain significant traction due to large used-vehicle operators like CarMax dominating the market. Most people don’t realize that CarMax made approximately $86.5M in one quarter last year buying vehicles directly from consumers and wholesaling them at their own auctions. That’s nearly $400M per year and almost $250k per month per rooftop, said Thompson. “This tool allows the dealer to beat them at their own game.”
The new product will allow dealers to own specific territories exclusively. CarOffer™ will generate hundreds of monthly bid requests for its dealers with proprietary algorithms. Dealers will also be able to embed the CarOffer™ widget on their websites and advertise the CarOffer™ brand to its market. Dealers that subscribe to the product will own the license on the CarOffer™ brand and name within their market areas. All a user has to do is download the CarOffer™ app from the Apple or Android Marketplace. Based on the consumer’s location, the bid will be routed to the dealer owning the territory. Dealers can bid via a desktop portal or receive real-time bid notifications on their smartphone whereby they can also submit a bid.
The app is very user friendly and employs the latest mobile technology. “We’ve been testing iterations of the app under various private label partnerships,” said Ziad Chartouni, company CTO. “Our partners are processing thousands of monthly transactions. This is the real deal and it is the answer to acquiring needed inventory directly from the consumer.”
Testing has indicated that 60% of the customers desiring to sell their vehicle are interested in acquiring a replacement vehicle. Employing this technology will drive tremendous incremental business and traffic into the dealerships. “It’s no secret that the largest used car operator in the United States realizes tremendous profits by leveraging the consumer as its direct source of inventory; not the auction lanes. CarOffer™ will level the playing field by giving dealers a process that is much more streamlined and completely mobile," said Thompson.
Pricing will be based on performance. Dealers will be charged a small monthly fee to reserve a market. CarOffer™ will then charge by the number of bids processed through the system.
The product will be launched at the 2014 National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in New Orleans, LA in Booth #2461 (RedBumper™). Dealers will be allotted territories on a first-come-first-serve basis.
About CarOffer, LLC:
CarOffer™ is a firm founded in 2013 by Bruce Thompson (the founder of Redbumper, LLC, ) and is based in Dallas, TX. With an executive team with over 60 years of combined experience in all elements of the automotive industry, the company aims to provide unique and innovative software solutions that streamline and directly connect the consumer to the dealer across a wide spectrum of profit centers and technologies.
About RedBumper, LLC:
RedBumper™ is a firm founded in 2010 by Bruce Thompson (the founder of AAX) and is based in Dallas, TX. The RedBumper™ mission is to take a new approach, offering fresh and creative tools the industry has never seen while at the same time leveraging proven technology on a smart phone centric platform.
For more information, please visit: http://www.CarOffer.com.
Director of Marketing
Pearl Technology Holdings, LLC.


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Florida's citrus industry is facing extinction from a bacterial disease with no cure that has infected all 32 citrus-growing counties.
Although the disease, citrus greening, was first spotted in Florida in 2005, this year's losses from it are by far the worst. While the bacteria — which causes fruit to turn bitter and drop from the trees when still unripe — affects all citrus fruits, it has been most devastating to oranges, the largest crop. So many have been affected that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has downgraded its crop estimates five months in a row, an extraordinary move, analysts said.
With the harvest not yet over, orange production already has decreased 10 percent from the initial estimate, a major swing, they said.
"The long and short of it is that the industry that made Florida, that is synonymous with Florida, that is a staple on every American breakfast table, is totally threatened," said Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who helped obtain $11 million in federal money for research to fight the disease. "If we don't find a cure, it will eliminate the citrus industry."
The relentless migration of the disease from southern to northern Florida and beyond has deepened concerns this year among orange juice processors, investors, growers and lawmakers. Florida is the second-largest producer of orange juice in the world, behind Brazil, and the state's $9 billion citrus industry is a major economic force, contributing 76,000 jobs.
The industry, lashed over the years by canker disease, hard freezes and multiple hurricanes, is no stranger to hardship. But citrus greening is by far the most worrisome.
The disease, which can lie dormant for two to five years, is spread by an insect no larger than the head of a pin, the Asian citrus psyllid. It snacks on citrus trees, depositing bacteria that gradually starves trees of nutrients. Psyllids fly from tree to tree, leaving a trail of infection.
Concerted efforts by growers and millions of dollars spent on research to fight the disease have so far failed, growers and scientists said. The situation was worsened this season by an unusual weather pattern, including a dry winter, growers said.
"We have got a real big problem," said Vic Story, a lifelong citrus grower and the head of The Story Companies, which owns 2,000 acres of groves in Central Florida and manages an additional 3,000 acres, all of which are affected at varying levels. "It's definitely the biggest threat in my lifetime, and I'm 68. This is a tree killer."
Before this year, the losses and increased costs of fighting the disease had already taken a toll on Florida's citrus industry, which has been in decline for 15 years. In a 2012 report, University of Florida agricultural analysts concluded that between 2006 and 2012, citrus greening cost Florida's economy $4.5 billion and 8,000 jobs.
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Some orange packers and small and midsize growers have sold their groves, razed them for development or simply abandoned them. Others have postponed replanting lost trees, which take five years to mature, until they know whether a cure will be found. Many more, including the largest growers, are doing what they can to survive; they say they are optimistic they can hold on long enough for researchers to find a treatment.
"This year was a real kick in the gut," said Adam Putnam, Florida's agriculture commissioner, whose family owns citrus groves. "It is now everywhere, and it's just as bad as the doomsayers said it would be."
But there was good news this week, too. Coca-Cola announced it would spend $2 billion to plant 25,000 acres of new orange groves. The company, which owns Minute Maid and the Simply juice brands, will buy fruit from two growers in Florida — one local and the other a Brazilian company that has invested in the state.
"To see such a dominant player in the beverage market double down on the future of orange juice in Florida is a real morale boost to the industry and a sign they have confidence we will find a cure for greening," Putnam said.
"Now there is a real sense of urgency," said Michael W. Sparks, chief executive of Florida Citrus Mutual, a trade organization for growers. "We are not doing research to publish a paper but research we can get on the back of a tractor."


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I’m going to take some risk here and go on record stating that although I am 100% conviced that there is an “iPhone”, this ain’t it. I’ll even go further to say that the logical partner to build the iPhone is SONY/Ericsson, and not Motorola. Why? Bluetooth.
SONY/Ericsson support Bluetooth in their current round of phones, Apple has already demonstrated interoperability with them in shipping product, and Apple has mysteriously incorporated robust Bluetooth support into OSX Jaguar.
On Thursday, September 26, 2002, at 04:23 PM, Anson Lee wrote:
> And while we’re on the topic of the phone/pda
> An article that claims to have stumbled across the Apple hiPhone.
> Nice rendering, but what’s with that Apple logo?
> Apple, Motorola Avert Confirmation of Unannounced Cell Phone
> ePrairie has obtained these three photographs (dated September 2002)
> of an
> unannounced Apple cell phone called the Applele hiPhone R4 CHICAGO
> (Exclusive) â€“ A picture can tell a thousand words. Leaked to the right
> at the right time, some pictures of some products can even tell a
> story of a
> new venture by an unsuspecting company that has decided to silence the
> Well, at least for now.
> Such is the case with Apple Computer â€“ known usually for making
> and MP3 players and software â€“ regarding pictures of a new Apple cell
> that have been disclosed to ePrairie. As seen on the right, they sport
> grace and colorful styling you’re used to from Apple’s computers but
> in a
> decidely more mobile fashion.
> Upon confronting Apple with the discovery, Nathalie Welch, a
> spokeswoman for
> the company, wasn’t interested in revealing any details. In fact, she
> even interested in confirming its existence.
> “I can neither confirm nor deny the rumors that Apple is developing a
> phone or discuss unannounced products,” Welch said in an e-mail to
> Representatives from Motorola â€“ a local company that has been known for
> working closely with Apple â€“ also declined to confirm or deny whether
> or not
> the Schaumburg, Ill.-based powerhouse was or will be involved in
> the phone’s chipset. But several analysts, who say Motorola would be a
> logical partner, also say the release of a cell phone would make sense
> “It would fit with Apple’s whole digital universe strategy in which
> the PC
> is the hub of your digital universe and the iPod (Apple’s mobile MP3
> is a peripheral,” said Kevin Hunt, a research analyst at Thomas Weisel
> Partners who covers Apple but hadn’t heard of a cell phone in the
> He added: “Apple has been very vehement that they wouldn’t get into
> handhelds because they think handhelds will go away and blend into a
> phone, so it would make more sense to come out with a cell phone.” The
> phones look much like Apple’s older iMacs in terms of the vibrant
> prompting Hunt to say: “They do have some of the coolest-looking
> Other analysts, though, are less convinced: “I’ve talked to some
> manufacturers that say Apple’s going to do this and some that say they
> won’t,” said Dan Niles, an analyst that covers Apple at Lehman
> Brothers who
> has heard conversation of an Apple cell phone.
> He added: “I’m not sure how this fits in Apple’s current business
> I don’t view it as synergistic as the iPod. Yes, you can transfer your
> contact list [from your computer] with a cell phone, but it hasn’t
> necessarily been proven that people are using the data capabilities of
> phones anyway.”
> Hunt says that Motorola and IBM have banded together to develop chips
> Apple’s power PCs (the G4), and because Apple wouldn’t make its own
> phone chips, Motorola would be a likely vendor. He adds that the cell
> would probably be a combination device that has much of the same
> functionality as a handheld.
>> From Motorola’s vantage point, the sense is similar to what Apple is
> but with the added notion of a sensible synergy.
> “I can’t comment on rumors,” said Amy Halm, director of communications
> Motorola’s networking and computing group, “but I can say that Apple
> is one
> of Motorola’s most valued customers and has been for a very long time.
> Apple’s customers are some of the most passionate customers in the
> Every time Apple introduces a new product, they have the most loyal
> following of any company I’ve ever seen.”
> In terms of the chances for success in the marketplace, Hunt says this
> be a very new market for Apple that would complement its own product
> rather than try to compete with the big cell phone makers.
> He says Apple â€“ one of the most “tightlipped” companies he’s ever
> covered in
> terms of speaking about products before they’re ready to ship â€“ would
> begin talking about the phones in the middle of 2003 in anticipation
> for the
> next Macworld trade show. Hunt says the price point for the combination
> device might be between $300 and $500, or that of a higher-end phone.
> The pictures obtained by ePrairie named the phone the Applele hiPhone
> R4 and
> were dated with a September 2002 time stamp.
> By ADAM FENDELMAN
> Reporter’s Beat: Telecom
> adam [at] eprairie [dot] com


text:
When it comes to attracting quality talent from the younger generation of workers, it’s no longer possible for businesses to sneak past the “bullshit radar” undetected, says Simplicity founder Sam Stubbs.
Not even slick corporate PR campaigns will be enough to beguile younger, more socially conscious workers, which he says are no longer content with merely having a job and making a living, but want their work to be built on values.
“It's going to be extremely difficult for companies to hire and retain talent if they are not respecting things like gender and ethnicity. The work must reflect these things.”
“And an awful lot of that starts off with transparency.”
It’s a concept that has gradually permeated vast swathes of global industries in recent years. From fashion to agriculture to electronics manufacturing, entire sectors have squirmed under the scorching scrutiny of ethical consumers and rushed to make their practices more transparent. After all, if you do that then you've got nothing to hide.
But now, according to Stubbs, that demand for transparency is spreading from consumers to workers, who are scrutinising what was once the private domain of an employer: pay equity.
Over the last two years, a burgeoning movement of large companies has committed to investigating the pay discrepancies between their workers and regularly reporting the figures publicly. The idea is that, with the books open for prospective employees and shareholders, there is a real incentive to introduce policies to improve the gaps and fairness in the workplace.
And while this is still voluntary, Stubbs says the pressure on New Zealand businesses to begin reporting their gender and ethnic pay gaps will only grow. As difficult and as risky as that might seem, he says employers have more to fear from the shadows than they do the light.
“Pay gap reporting is sunlight. Very rarely in my life have I seen more sunlight be a bad thing for a company.”
There are two incentives for businesses to find their pay gaps and start reporting them publicly, he says.
First, any company that reports discrepancies – no matter how big – will be offsetting the discomfort with something that has an enormous market value in the current climate – honesty.
“If you report a big pay gap, what you are saying is ‘we are honest enough with ourselves to admit that there might be a problem here and that we need to justify or improve this’. The new generation of workers are always going to appreciate the honesty.”
“Upping the degree of truth and transparency in the workplace is inevitably going to attract the highest quality employee.”
That’s the carrot, he says.
The stick is that if businesses don’t start doing this soon and voluntarily, their brands and reputation will inevitably suffer.
“If you don’t do this, people are going to find out. You can't hire a PR firm now to manipulate your corporate image to the extent that you could in the past. Social media finds you out. The internet finds out.
“If you do it, you'll be rewarded. And if you don't do it, you’ll certainly be punished.”
The shift in the balance of power stands in stark contrast to the days when most employees accepted their lot without making a fuss. And while Stubbs agrees that it once wasn’t customary for workers to challenge the authority of bosses, businesses are now going to have to accept the fact the will of the labour force needs to be heeded.
It’s the same with shareholders, he says. Investors are becoming increasingly aware of the value of transparency in creating meaningful social impact, and it will inevitably dictate their choices.
Such has been the case overseas. In the face of climate change, a groundswell of activist investment has challenged a number of large fossil fuel companies on their dubious environmental track records and forced them to change direction and focus.
While the emphasis on pay equity hasn’t reached the same level of intensity, Stubbs says more shareholders are paying attention to the issue.
“I'm not pretending that we're all going to do this, but a certain number of shareholders are getting serious about this, including Simplicity.”
With NZ seeing an excess in capital and a severe talent shortage, people are becoming the most important asset in a successful company as a long-term investment, he says.
“The real differentiator in long term company performance is going to be the quality of talent. That’s what we’re interested in as long term investors.
“That’s why things like pay gap reporting matter to us.”


text:
Market Tech Holdings, the owner of the iconic Camden Market which is majority owned by Israeli entrepreneur Teddy Sagi, said it has added another property to its burgeoning north London empire and that trading was on track.
The company, which owns around 14 acres of land in and around Camden, said it has bought the freehold of 49 Chalk Farm Road, for £5.2m, which is home to music venue The Barfly.
In a trading update ahead of its interim results in December, the property firm said its Hawley Wharf development was on track, with demolition now completed on the majority of the site.
The market site is being turned into a new scheme called Camden Lock Village, that will incorporate commercial and retail space alongside modern housing and a new primary school.
The company, which is planning a move to the main market less than two years after floating on Aim, said it has also submitted plans to re-develop Camden Lock market and expects to hear whether or not they have been approved before the end of the year.
Market Tech wants want to link up its estate with a string of technology acquisitions it has made over the year to create a global online market place for Camden’s 1,000 independent retailers.
As well as launching new version of the website www.camdenmarket.com, the company has also converted underused space in Camden’s Stables market into co-working space for entrepreneurs and start-ups called The Interchange. It said the first of the three sites, called the Triangle was now majority let.


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OPPO Named First Global Smartphone Partner of League of Legends Esports
Global Smartphone Brand Expands into Esports Leagues with Unprecedented Multi-Year Agreement with Riot Games
LONDON, UK – Oct. 01, 2019 – Riot Games, the publisher of the most-played PC game in the world, today announced a multi-year partnership with OPPO to be the exclusive official global smartphone partner for League of LegendsⓇ esports international events: The World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational, and All-Star Event. The multi-year partnership through 2024 will begin at 2019 Worlds scheduled to start 2nd Oct in Berlin and conclude on 10th Nov in Paris.
This ground-breaking partnership marks OPPO’s first entry into esports, further diversifying the innovative tech giant’s expanding sports and entertainment sponsorship portfolio.
“Esports is a fast-growing sport globally, and League of Legends has become a lifestyle of many young people in recent years,” said Brian Shen, OPPO Vice President and President of Global Marketing. “As a consumer-centered brand, OPPO always seeks the right way to communicate with young people, our target audience. This is a great move for Riot and OPPO; the partnership will allow us to continue to strengthen our bond with the young as we join them in celebrating the victory of each game.”
“OPPO’s commitment to design and innovation are cornerstones in everything they do, and we are thrilled to have them bring their pioneering spirit to our global sport and fanbase,” said Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Business Development and Partnerships for Riot Games. “To be OPPO’s first esports league partner is a powerful testament to the resonance of League of Legends esports, and we look forward to collaborating together to celebrate the sport, our fans, and the love of the game.”
League of Legends joins OPPO’s roster of premier sport partners which includes Wimbledon, FC Barcelona, and the International Cricket Council, among others. This partnership puts OPPO at the center of the burgeoning global esports market, as they join League of Legends Esports best-in-class partners like Mastercard, State Farm, Alienware, Secretlab, and Louis Vuitton.
Through this partnership, League of Legends will look to further enhance fans’ live event and viewing experiences around its marquee global sporting events, while OPPO’s long-term commitment to the industry allows them to engage with the growing passionate player base of the world's top esport.
As the exclusive global smartphone partner for League of Legends esports, OPPO will have year-round activations centered around the sport’s three annual global tournaments: the Mid-Season Invitational, the All-Star Event, and the World Championship, which attracted 99.6 million unique viewers last season. Starting with the 2019 World Championship, OPPO will bring fans closer to the biggest esport events of the year through unique activations, including:
● MVP Presented by OPPO: As the first global presenting partner for the Most Valuable Player award at the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational, OPPO will celebrate the most winning performance for the most critical matches of the season.
● OPPO Cam: During the broadcasts of the World Championship, the OPPO Cam will bring millions of fans tuning in closer to the biggest competition of the esports season. From cosplay to behind-the-scenes look-ins, the OPPO Cam will allow fans watching from around the world to look in on the live event experience by leveraging OPPO’s unparalleled phone camera technology.
● Welcome to the Rift: OPPO will spotlight teams making their inaugural appearance at Worlds, allowing fans an inside look at the next League of Legend prodigies, the top underdog contenders, and the most dangerous dark horses.
OPPO also will activate a series of consumer promotions that give players a chance to win a trip with behind-the-scenes access to the World Championship, All-Star Event, or Mid-Season Invitational.
OPPO is dedicated to producing products infused with art and innovative technology. In less than a decade, the company has become one of the top four global smartphone brands and continues to lead the smartphone industry in 5G development. OPPO’s Game Center operation is unmatched with over 130 million active monthly game users across nine thousand games operated on their devices.
About League of Legends Esports Leagues
League of Legends Esports is a premier global sport that attracts the attention of millions of fans around the world. There are currently over 800 professional players on more than 100 professional LoL Esports teams competing across 13 leagues globally. Each regional league is comprised of approximately 10 teams that compete against one another year-round over the course of two seasonal splits. Teams earn championship points in order to qualify for the two major international competitions: the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship.
For further information, visit: www.lolesports.com
OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first smartphone - “Smiley Face” - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO operates in more than 40 countries and regions, with 6 Research Institutes and 4 R&D Centers worldwide, as well as an International Design Center in London. OPPO’s more than 40,000 employees are dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.
OPPO UK Press Office, Weber Shandwick
Tel: +44 207 067 0526


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Build-A-Bear Recalls Colorful Hearts Teddy Bear
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that on December 23, Build-A-Bear issues a massive voluntary recall of one of their teddy bears. There is a hazard of the eyes loosening and falling off the bear, which poses a choking hazard to children. The bear was available at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online from April of this year through December.
While there have not been any reports of injuries so far, consumers are being urged to stop using the toy immediately. Anyone with the colorful hearts teddy bear should return the product to any Build-A-Bear workshop and they will receive a coupon for any available stuffed toy from the store.
This has been a rough year for the toy retailer because this is the third recall they have issued in 2011. There was also an announcement made on December 12 that Build-A-Bear was to pay a $600,000 penalty for failing to immediately report a defect associated with its toy bear beach chair. The company recalled 260,000 of these chairs in May 2009. The chair product did cause some injuries and has a risk to pinch, lacerate, or amputate a child’s fingertip if it becomes caught where the chair folds.
The CPSC reported that manufacturers, retailers, and distributors are required by law to report any defect within 24 hours of finding reasonable information to support that there is a hazard.
St. Louis Today spoke with Ed Mierzwinski, consumer advocate for U.S. Public Interest Research Groups about the sting of Build-A-Bear recalls. He expressed that he was glad they issued the recall and that eyes falling off dolls and stuffed animals is a well-known problem, but he still was worried about the spiral this company is in.
“This company—its recent time line—gives me some concern that they really need to review their management and their risk analysis to make sure they are in compliance with the law to protect children,” he said.
The other recalls this year include a pink inner tube that poses a suffocation risk and a lapel pin that contained high levels of lead in the paint. For additional information on this recall, call (866) 236-5683, visit their website at www.buildabear.com, or email them at [email protected]
If you or someone you love has been injured because of a faulty or defective product you should contact a personal injury lawyer in New Jersey. Kids should be able to play with their toys without the risk of being harmed. Contact us today to learn your legal rights and options by calling (866) 778-5500.


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DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1.2 million Michigan residents will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, about one percent more than those who traveled last year. They join the 33 million Americans who will travel, a 2.9 percent increase from one year ago. This year's Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, August 30 to Monday, Sept. 3.
Most state travelers – an estimated 92 percent – will go by vehicle to enjoy "summer's last hurrah," with resort areas, campgrounds, and lakes among the popular destinations. They join the 85 percent of travelers nationally who will go by vehicle. Travelers will find higher gas prices this holiday -- in Michigan, gas averages $3.866 per gallon (as of Aug. 22), 21 cents more than last year.
"We are encouraged by all of the signs of a rebound in state travel this year," said Steve Wagner, AAA Michigan President. "There is a pent-up demand for travel and our economy is improving. We expect our summer tourism will be up over last year." Based on a survey of traveler intentions, the average distance traveled by Americans this holiday weekend is expected to be 626 miles, slightly more than last year's 608 miles. However, more travelers indicated they would take shorter trips this holiday, averaging between 100 and 400 round-trip miles.
Median spending is expected to be $749, a small increase over the $702 median spending of holiday travelers in 2011. Labor Day holiday rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase four percent from a year ago, $154 per night this year compared to $148 last year.
Air leisure travelers will account for some four percent of all travel in Michigan during the holiday weekend, up from one percent last year. Nationally, eight percent will travel by air. Trips by other modes, including rail, bus and watercraft, will be taken by the remaining four percent of Michigan travelers, and seven percent nationally.
Michigan State Police report during last year's Labor Day holiday period, 12 people died in 11 fatal crashes on roads across the state, down from 21 fatalities the previous year. Four of last year's deaths were alcohol-related.
To help make this year's Labor Day holiday period a safe one, AAA Michigan will again partner with Michigan State Police in supporting Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort). Bright banners will be posted at various rest areas statewide, with many sites offering complimentary coffee and refreshments. In addition, Operation C.A.R.E. volunteers will provide information about the causes of deadly crashes and how to avoid them.
AAA's projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades.The complete AAA/IHS Global Insight 2012 Labor Day holiday forecast can be found at NewsRoom.AAA.com.


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The Hydrogen project, which provides a blockchain with an emphasis on security and identity, has been featured as the cover story of the FinTech50 2018 yearbook. The FinTech50 2018 list includes prominent blockchain projects such as Ethereum and Everledger.
CEO Michael Kane said of the honor,
Hydrogen believes the fintech revolution has no geographic boundaries. There are amazing fintechs based in NYC, and we are proud that the Fintech 50 decided to spotlight it with the picture of us in the heart of Silicon Alley!
Hydrogen’s mission is to unify legacy systems of established enterprises with the rapidly developing technologies associated with blockchain. By offering ready-to-deploy technological solutions that avoid the need for expensive infrastructure and manpower, Hydrogen assists existing companies and new ones modernize their systems and processes.
Hydrogen currently offers 2 products to enterprises and consumers, free of charge, called Atom and Hydro blockchain. The latter is simply the public ledger that allows companies to integrate blockchain into their workflow, while the former lets companies build a financial decentralized application.
While the Hydro blockchain is free to use, Hydrogen offers custom pricing for small, medium and large enterprises. Developers may use atom to build dapps for free.
Hydrogen is headquartered in Manhattan, and the 20-strong team has won numerous awards for its work, including the at Fintech Breakthrough Awards, Fintech Awards Luxembourg and India Fintech Awards.
Hydrogen has steadily been developing a solid network of partners and interested entities. In August 2018, they unveiled 30 new partners during the month. The team also released the Hydro App last year.
The FinTech50 recognizes the best fintech companies and their innovative ideas, and highlights the achievements in this rapidly emerging sector. The group also hosts FinTech conferences, with Paris and Mumbai both scheduled to host a conference in January and February 2019 respectively.


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Arguably the most innovative piece of tech built into Apple's Watch Series 4, the ECG feature, is now finally available to users in Europe and the UK.
The electrocardiogram, or ECG, sensor was first activated via a watchOS update to compatible Watches in the US back in December. This gave those wearing a Series 4 the ability, as the device was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to take a reading of their heart rate, via electrodes on the rear of the wearable and the digital crown. The ECG app can then potentially reveal abnormal patterns, while a 30-second ECG recording can be presented to your doctor via a downloadable PDF.
Now, as a result of Apple gaining a CE mark for the ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications, a certificate applied to products intended for sale in the European Economic Area, UK users should be able to do the same. It also marks the latest move in the technology company's increasing interest in health apps and data. As you can now find quality heart rate sensors in a vast array of wearables, the inclusion of a proper ECG is a key differentiator for Apple's smartwatch, though even here others are offering now similar tech (most recently Withings's Move entered the ECG space, for example).
The good news for early adopters of the wearable is that the watchOS update will also allow those with older generation Apple Watches not sporting the new sensors to identify signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition identified by a rapid or irregular heartbeat that can lead to heart complications. The feature is available in 19 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as here in the UK.
The irregular rhythm notification feature also occasionally checks heart rhythms in the background and will send a message if an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be AFib is identified. When left untreated, AFib is one condition that can potentially result in stroke, the second most common cause in the world. The UK's Atrial Fibrillation Association estimates there are around 1.5 million people in the country living with AFib, the most common heart rhythm problem, but as many as a third may be unaware of this.
For those looking to their Apple Watch to replace a doctor's evaluation, take great care: the Watch cannot detect a heart attack, blood clots, a stroke or other heart-related conditions including high-blood pressure, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol or other forms of arrhythmia. The advice from Apple is firmly that the Watch is to be considered merely as an early-warning device supplying data to then give to your GP for a proper and reliable diagnosis.
That said, Apple has gone to lengths to test these heart features on the Watch. Testing against a professional 12-lead ECG, Apple's ECG app supposedly demonstrated a 98.3 per cent sensitivity in classifying AFib and 99.6 per cent specificity in classifying sinus rhythm in classifiable recordings compared to the 12-lead ECG.
A recent eight month study conducted by Stanford Medicine in the US – sponsored by Apple it should be noted – found that just 0.5 percent of the 400,000 participants received irregular pulse notifications, supposedly showing that those using the function should not expect to be bombarded with notifications due to any insufficient sensitivity on the watch's part. The study also revealed that comparisons between irregular pulse detection on the Apple Watch and simultaneous electrocardiography patch recordings found that 84 per cent of participants who received notifications were found to be in atrial fibrillation at the time of the message.
However, there are a few things to consider if you wish to use the ECG and irregular pulse notifications on the Watch. If you are super fit and have a resting heart rate below 50, the ECG app you will still be able to save an actual ECG but you won't get a specific classification for sinus rhythm or AFib. This also applies if you are super unfit and your resting heart-rate is above 120.
The best smartwatches for Android and iPhone
If you are hoping this tech can identify things such as heart murmurs, then you will be disappointed. Murmurs themselves don't often impact the actual heartbeat, and are in fact a change in the blood flow across the valves of the heart and so are often picked up through ultrasound and cannot actually be seen through ECG.
Also, to get a good reading on the Apple Watch that electrical heart sensor on the back that creates the ECG needs to be dry. If it's wet, it won't work properly.
Lastly, if you are one of the few to be identified by your Apple Watch as having AFib of some kind, the wearable is unable to learn this fact and adapt the functions of the device to disregard readings it has already issued notifications for. So, once the app has sent you a notification and your doctor has confirmed you have a condition, Apple suggest turning off the function on the Watch to prevent you getting repeated notifications thereafter.
More great stories from WIRED
– The games industry should be worried about Google Stadia
– How the petition to revoke Article 50 went viral
– I tried to keep my baby secret from Facebook and Google
– Care about online privacy? Then change your phone number


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Asia Bizz: KR Mangalam Group has recently launched its new Chaze C249 multimedia phone for the Indian market. The new Chaze phone comes with a 2.4 inch screen with an exclusive P.A system.
The features of the new Chaze C249 include a 1.3 MP camera with LED Torch , MP3 player, FM Radio, 3.5 mm audio jack, 8 GB memory, video recorder and 2030 box speaker with K Series amp. The device also has a 1600 MAH battery and the company claims that it has a stand by time of up to 25 days.
The other features of the phone include Bluetooth with A2DP support , mobile tracking, black list and answering machine, audio call recording. The Chaze also has plenty of apps like Yahoo Messenger, Facebook chat, Twitter and astro pack.
Keshav Arora, the CEO of Chaze Mobile said that the device inspires to be one of the leading mobile handset company by offering its valuable customers a fully loaded mobile phone at the most competitive price. Arora added that in return it also expects to generate tremendous value for its investors and stake holders. The Chaze C249 has been priced at Rs 2250.


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Huawei managed to sell 185 million smartphones this year, Reuters reports, which indicates a 29% growth in third quarter smartphone shipments. While down from the 39% increase in the first quarter, it still looks like Huawei is performing really well, despite the U.S. trade ban imposed in May.
While still under reprieve until mid-November, the company said its revenue for the first three quarters of the year grew 24.4% to 610.8 billion yuan. Third quarter revenue alone jumped 27%, and the reason behind this is the strong demand for Huawei smartphone models released prior to the U.S. ban.
Huawei’s overseas shipments bounced back quickly in the third quarter although they are yet to return to pre-US ban levels — Nicole Peng, Canalys
This basically includes all smartphones made by Huawei except the latest Mate 30-series, which launched without official Google support. Both Google and Huawei reassured customers that devices announced prior to the U.S. ban will not be affected in any way, and will continue to get updates and support until their end of life. The list of phones is exhaustive, and ends with the Mate 20-series and P30-series, which are still very capable smartphones, and one of the best shooters out there.
You can read more about the financial numbers at the source link.


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A federal judge Friday approved Planet Hollywood International Inc.'s reorganization plan, the final step needed to allow the movie-themed restaurant chain to emerge from bankruptcy.
Robert Earl, the company's co-founder and chief executive, said a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Delaware approved a plan that had been largely worked out with major creditors before the company filed its Chapter 11 petition in October.
"It's a very good day for us," Earl said. "We are back in the game."
The company, which is closing its Beverly Hills restaurant next month, will expand immediately in Los Angeles, most likely in Hollywood. The new store would bring the number of Planet Hollywood restaurants in the U.S. to 22.
"I'm very keen on Hollywood Boulevard," Earl said. "We are looking for a location that has pedestrian traffic, something we don't enjoy in Beverly Hills, where we were in isolation. Hollywood Boulevard would be a perfect fit."
He said his Orlando, Fla., company will make an announcement on the new site within two months. The company had closed its Santa Ana restaurant and eight others nationwide last fall as it went into bankruptcy.
The chain would like to open a restaurant in Anaheim, but Earl said no deals are in the works. "If we go into that market, you would expect us to be in Disneyland," he said.
The company's stock was removed from the New York Stock Exchange in August. It closed Friday at 16 cents a share, up 1 cent, on the OTC Bulletin Board.


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Sony has announced the name and new details of PlayStation 5's VR system, alongside a new Horizon game by Guerrilla and Firesprite.
PlayStation VR2 - shortened to PS VR2 - is the official name of the virtual reality system for PlayStation 5, and includes the new VR controllers previously revealed, now called the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.
PS VR2 features an OLED display with a resolution of 2000x2040 pixels per eye and supports 90Hz and 120Hz refresh rates. It supports a 110-degree field of view and has a six-axis motion sensor system and IR proximity sensor, headset vibration, and a built-in microphone and headset jack. It connects to the PS5 via USB Type-C.
Sony has also announced Horizon Call of the Mountain, a new experience designed for PS VR2 by Guerrilla and UK-based Firesprite. Little has been revealed outside of a short teaser trailer, but players will take on the role of a new protagonist and will meet new and returning characters - including Aloy - during the adventure.
No release date for PlayStation VR2 or Horizon Call of the Mountain has yet been announced.


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Of the three female craft sake brewers in the U.S., two make up the mother-daughter team at Sequoia Sake in San Francisco. Working with California rice farmers, they’re bringing the nearly 2,000-year-old national drink of Japan to more Americans.
May 27, 2014
Jeff Emtman opens the door of his freezer and one-by-one removes the contents. He pulls out several pounds of Brussels sprouts, loaves of artisan bread, cinnamon rolls, three-plus pounds of locally made chocolate. And there’s more.
Emtman, a Seattle resident deeply concerned about food waste, acquired his bittersweet collection in dumpsters located on FallingFruit.org, a long underground source for dumpster divers or “freegans” who dine on out-dated, over-stocked or overripe food tossed out by stores, restaurants, and bakeries. Now, the map is no longer a buried treasure.
In April, Caleb Phillips and Ethan Welty, FallingFruit’s founders, went public with the global dumpster map, which is just one of several options the site offers, including the location of fruit trees and other foraging opportunities. Recently, the pair has begun speaking at food justice conferences, contacting online freegan communities and handing out stickers, expanding the site’s fan base. Calling it the most extensive and diverse map of its kind, the pair’s ultimate goal is to shed a bright light on the enormous quantity of food that goes to waste–in this country and abroad.
Phillips and Welty are raising money to create a FallingFruit mobile app for foragers and divers through Barnraiser.us, a newly launched crowdfunding site specifically designed for food and sustainability projects. They hope to raise $10,000 by the end of May.
To create the dumpster map, men spent months combing the Internet for dumpster location information and painstakingly checking each entry before adding it to their site. Their hope is that other freegan sites such as trashwiki.org and freegan.info will embed the FallingFruit map.
To date, there are at least 2,500 bins on the map with up to five new ones added daily. Welty estimates that around 500 people are using the site every day and he expects the numbers to rise as summer kicks in. Along with most U.S. cities, map users have entered dumpsters in Antarctica, Jamaica, and even the North and South Pole, says Phillips.
“We wanted to take [dumpster diving] from being a secret hobby to something that illustrates first-hand how ubiquitous food waste is,” says Welty. Despite the fact that 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten, few people spend much time thinking about food waste. But, Welty adds, “You can only feel [the magnitude of] it when you open up a dumpster and see what’s in it.”
Considered an anti-consumerism movement, dumpster diving, bin raiding or “skipping” as it’s known in England, where dumpsters are called skips, is said to have its originated with the Diggers, a group of 1960s artists and activists who lived in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district and distributed rescued food on the streets.
Who are today’s divers? Meitar Moscovitz (screen name MayMay), a traveling software programmer, says he lives on the road and depends on FallingFruit for “literal sustenance.” His best find so far was around $100 worth of recently expired cheeses.
“It’s been amazing to realize that wherever I am, food is not far away,” says Moscovitz. “My situation may seem unusual at first, but a lot of people I’ve met dive.”
Is dumpster diving legal? According to Freegan.Info, a popular site for divers, “Dumpster diving is legal in the United States except where prohibited by local regulation.” In other words, legality varies place-by-place. (Here’s a rundown of the law in California, for instance). “Folks should use their own discretion and study the laws where they live,” says Phillips. And when it comes to food safety, most divers avoid meat and dairy, focusing instead on dry and canned goods (often with bent or torn packaging), baked goods and produce they can prepare later.
In Winterthur, Switzerland, 29-year-old Mylene Jacquemart came across a “green bin” flush with delicious apples and added it to the FallingFruit map. The apples became a pie and she’s now searching her neighborhood for more “mappable edibles.” The town also collects unsellable food from stores that is placed in a community fridge. “It’s not your classic dumpster, but check out www.restessbar.ch next time you’re in Switzerland,” she says.
Founder Phillips, who treasures brown bananas from dumpsters, believes everyone should try “diving” least once to experience a new awareness of what’s in the bins behind their local grocery store. “It’s a compelling thing to do and it changed my life,” he says.
By posting the dumpsters on the map, Phillips also hopes to highlight “serial wasters” and “cause them to do some rethinking.”
Don Rakow, a professor of horticulture at Cornell University believes the locavore movement has shed new light on urban foraging as well as the freegan movement. But more importantly, he says, it has empowered people with limited budgets, giving them more food choices. “They are taking control of local resources rather than relying on governmental largesse,” Rakow explains.
While most freegans enjoys the free food, Emtman says he hopes to one day find dumpsters with no food waste in them at all.
In the meantime, he says, the FallingFruit map has led him to discover Seattle’s neighborhoods. Emtman recently began dating a woman who lives near a bakery that throws out leftover loaves of bread in large flour sacks. “When I learned where she lived, I immediately checked out the map to see if was near any good dumpsters,” he recalls. “It makes dating her doubly good.”
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico chili farmers say it's hard to compete with chili producers in Mexico because Mexico has such cheap labor.
"That's where they have their biggest advantage over us," said Nick Carson, a red chili grower in Rincon and president of the New Mexico Chile Commission.
Carson's sales have declined about 40 percent in the past three years because of Mexican competition, he said.
This year, he said he plans to buy some red chili from Mexico to meet his commitments.
"I don't like it. I'd rather not," he said. "But I have commitments I have to meet."
Red and green chili imported between 1995 and 1997 through ports of entry in El Paso and Presidio, and Santa Teresa increased from 10.5 million kilograms to 17.2 million kilograms. Imports are expected to continue to grow.
Some imported chili goes directly to fresh markets, such as grocery stores. The rest is bought by New Mexico proces
"In the next few years, chili production will continue to go south, absolutely."
Cervantes Enterprises executive
sors who package sliced jalapenos or grind up cayennes for Louisiana-style hot sauces and canned chili.
"In the next few years, chili production will continue to go south, absolutely," said Dino Cervantes, an executive with the Vado-based Cervantes Enterprises, a Mesilla Valley grower and processor.
In 1992, Cervantes Enterprises began leasing land near Ascension, Mexico, about an hour south of Columbus, in partnership with Mexican farmers.
That year, only about 10 percent of the company's processed chili, mostly cayenne, came from Mexico. This year, about 75 percent of the company's processed
chili is from Mexico.
Cervantes estimated harvest costs are about 25 percent lower in Mexico.
Chili exports from Ascension are booming, and that means more than 5,000 farm workers pour into the area during harvest from August to November. Between 1994 and 1998, chili grown around the farming town of about 25,000 has increased more than fivefold to more than 15,700 acres, a little less than New Mexico's two largest chiliproducing counties, Luna and Dona Ana, combined.
Five years ago, Mexican jalapenos made up 5 percent of all the jalapenos processed by Deming-based Border Foods, the largest chili processor in southern New Mexico. Last year, 75 percent of its processed jalapenos came from Mexico, said Marvin Clary, agricultural products manager for the company.
To compete with Mexican processors and curb costs, all the New Mexico chili Border Foods obtains is harvested with mechanical pickers.
New Mexico farm workers complain about low wages, but in Mexico, their counterparts earn far less.
After mucking about in muddy fields in Ascension, picking cayenne peppers for about $5 a day, Andres Martinez, 21, said he wouldn't mind heading north. New Mexico farm workers are paid by the bucket of chili, while their Mexican counterparts - who often work with their children - are typically paid by weight - anywhere from 30 to 40 centavos per kilo, about 2.2 pounds.
Picking up to 500 kilos of peppers, a farm worker can earn up to $17.50 a day, good wages for blue-collar work, said farmer Jose Angel Lozano, president of the Ascension Chile Commission and one of the town's biggest growers. The same volume would fetch about $35 to $46 on the U.S. side.
Farm workers reported earning far less than Lozano mentioned.
Jose Genaro of Guanajuato said he made about $5 working eight hours.
"What a hamburger costs on the other side (of the border)," commented picker Rosendo Garcia.
Francisco Esiquio, a 38-year-old Mixtec Indian from Oaxaca, said he, his wife and two sons, ages 14 and 11, earned a total of about $31 working 12 hours one day in September. He said the pay - 40 centavos for a kilo of cayenne peppers - was better than in other parts of Mexico.
Another worker, Elena Lopez, said she, her husband and three young sons earned about $20 daily as a group the previous week.
"It's not enough," she said. "Food is expensive, and the pay isn't sufficient."
Some farm workers get free housing from farmers, but it's rudimentary at best. Genaro and Garcia were among 45 people from Guanajuato housed in a single house with four, large bedrooms.
The house had no beds, so workers slept on blankets or mats on the floor. The group shared a single bathroom - a dank cinderblock room also used to store sacks of cement and fencing. The toilet had no seat, and a hole in the floor a few feet away provided drainage for a cold-water shower. The kitchen was a narrow hallway where four electric hot plates sat on wooden crates along a wall.
Lozano, who grows chili under contract for Cervantes, said farmers are not responsible for the housing conditions.
"It's sad, but that's how they like to live," Lozano said.
But worker Fortino Hernandez Gonzales said, "Necessity makes us live this way. We don't have our own houses."
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Amazon Hemel Hempstead donates £1,000 to Young Lives vs Cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
The Amazon team at its fulfillment center in Hemel Hempstead made a donation of £1,000 to Young Lives vs Cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
The donation to the UK’s largest charity for children and young people with cancer was made in September as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign
#AmazonGoesGold, now in its fifth year, is a global initiative to highlight, support and amplify the incredible work of many organizations to increase survival through lifesaving treatments and research.
Amazon Hemel Hempstead to donate £1,000 to Young Lives vs Cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Every year Amazon supports and partners with childhood cancer organizations across Europe that make it possible for every child affected by cancer to fight for their future.
This year’s charitable partners include the Starlight Foundation, Together for Short Lives and the Children’s Cancer and Leukemia Group.
Young Lives vs Cancer plans to use Amazon’s donation in Hemel Hempstead to help young people find the strength to face cancer and everything it throws their way.
The charity’s social workers help with the impact a cancer diagnosis has on young people’s lives, such as not having to go to school, work or university and their friends and family while they go through treatment.
The donation was made as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign
The ten Homes from Home in the UK also offer families a free place to stay close to the hospital while their child is being treated so they can be together.
Amazon Goes Gold saw Amazon’s team in Hemel Hempstead hold a series of gold themed events for a month. The gold theme is a recognition of the international color for childhood cancer.
One of the events this year was a 48-hour PJammin’ party. The team in Hemel Hempstead joined colleagues across the UK in wearing pyjamas to work in honor of children who spend every day in their pyjamas during treatment.
Amazon Hemel Hempstead Site Leader, Imani Change, said: “It’s fantastic to be supporting Young Lives vs Cancer as part of this year’s Amazon Goes Gold campaign and we hope the donation will give a boost to the staff and volunteers who do so much for the children in our community.”
Young Lives vs Cancer plans to use the donation to help young people find the strength to face cancer and all that lies ahead
One of the Amazon fulfillment center employees who participated in Amazon Goes Gold is Paula Atanasoaie.
She added: “It’s great that Amazon continues to support children’s cancer organizations both here in Hemel Hempstead and around the world.
“I loved taking part in the activities on our site and I’m delighted to be able to make this donation to such a brilliant charity in our community.”
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Visitor arrivals in Singapore hit a record low of 330,000 in 2021 amid Covid-19 travel restrictions
SINGAPORE — Visitor arrivals to Singapore hit a historic low last year amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) chief executive Keith Tan said the tourism sector should not be expected to recover in a “predictable and linear fashion”.
- The total visitor arrivals in 2021 stood at 330,000 due to travel restrictions and border closures
- Correspondingly, preliminary estimates of tourism receipts amounted to S$1.9 billion
- STB said 2021's figures represent just a fraction of Singapore’s tourism performance before the pandemic
- STB CEO Keith Tan said the Covid-19 situation remains volatile, making it difficult to cast projections on tourism performance for 2022
SINGAPORE — Visitor arrivals to Singapore hit a historic low last year amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the tourism sector should be not be expected to recover in a "predictable and linear fashion" the chief executive officer of Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Tuesday (Jan 25).
Taking stock of the country's tourism performance at its annual review, STB said that total visitor arrivals stood at 330,000 and preliminary estimates of tourism receipts amounted to S$1.9 billion last year, due to travel restrictions and border closures.
This was a dip from 2.7 million visitor arrivals and S$4.8 billion tourism receipts in 2020, driven largely by the strong tourism performance in the first two months of the year, just before the Covid-19 pandemic started.
STB said that visitors from Singapore's traditionally strong markets — China, India and Indonesia — made up more than half of visitor arrivals last year.
They also contributed to about a third, or S$617 million, in tourism receipts between January and September last year. This amount takes into account retail spending, accommodation and food-and-beverage spending but does not include sightseeing, entertainment and gaming.
While last year’s figures represent only a fraction of Singapore’s tourism performance before the pandemic, STB said that there have been “encouraging signs of recovery” in the tourism sector.
This was brought by the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) arrangements with various countries that spurred the return of international travellers from these places from September 2021.
Domestic tourism has also been strong, especially after the introduction of initiatives such as the SingapoRediscovers vouchers scheme where each Singapore resident was given S$100 to spend on tours, attractions or stays here.
In an earlier media release, STB said that about 1.9 million Singaporeans have used their SingapoRediscovers vouchers at least once, amounting close to S$300 million in transactions as of Dec 31 last year.
STB's CEO Keith Tan said, however, that as the Covid-19 situation remains volatile, it is difficult to forecast tourism performance.
“We will not make any projections because we don't have confidence in the ability to predict since many markets are still uncertain. The situation is very uncertain," Mr Tan said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We should not expect tourism to recover in a predictable and linear fashion and we must be prepared for further surprises, good or bad. There will be developments that will cause accelerations, hopefully, and decelerations.
"And hopefully, no complete stops to the pace of border reopening and recovery of international travel.”
STRONG PERFORMANCE FROM TOURS, CRUISES
While the tourism sector remained muted overall last year, there were some bright spots in the form of domestic tours and cruises, STB said.
The tours industry saw close to 320,000 domestic participants and strong month-on-month growth for most of the year.
Several tours were also created last year, such as a tour of Kampong Lorong Buangkok, Singapore’s last surviving village and a series of sustainability and heritage-themed tours in Sentosa.
The cruise industry also “rebounded strongly”, with more than 400,000 domestic passengers setting sail on close to 300 sailings in 2021, STB said.
Notably, there have been no Covid-19 clusters on board the two cruise ships to date, it added.
Mr Tan said that Singapore is in a much stronger position than it was a year ago and “is able to make some very decisive moves” to reopen safely.
“We have been learning along the way. If we compare the construct of the VTLs now with when we started them last year, you’ll notice that they’ve become a lot easier, a lot simpler as well, making the overall travel experience less stressful, and this is a promising start,” he added.
“I believe we are also in a much better position compared to a year ago because our tourism sector has become a lot more creative, resilient, and it is well-positioned to capture the pent-up demand from international travellers.


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The Samsung Galaxy S9 is scheduled to be revealed at MWC on February 25th. That’s coming up quickly, but we don’t know everything about the device yet. That should change as leaks are starting to pop up more frequently. The latest leak shows us a slew of what appears to be official Samsung cases for the Galaxy S9.
The interesting thing about these cases is they are styles that Samsung has never offered. One of the cases is a woven fabric called “Hyperknit.” Fabric cases are all the rage these days, so it makes perfect sense that Samsung would hop on the trend. The second style features a ridged texture and a kickstand, which always comes in handy on larger phones.
These cases also confirm the design of the phone itself. We can clearly see the vertical placement of the camera and fingerprint sensor with the flash on the right side. The size of the camera cutout confirms that the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus will have two cameras, while the regular Galaxy S9 will only have one. Are you interested in either of these new cases?


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Good morning, Loveland! A brand-new boutique for dogs and the people who love them has opened downtown. Also, look for partly sunny skies the next couple of days before a chance of snow moves in.
Aneas Herrera graduated from Thompson Valley High School in May. Less than seven months later, he’s a business owner.
Herrera and his mother, Mindy Bodley, opened Buggabooge, a specialty dog shop, on Sunday. The pocket-sized business is at 443 E. Fourth St., Suite 100, on the street side of Sun Plaza.
Herrera’s family dog, a black and white Great Dane named Snoop, picked up the nickname Buggabooge, which stuck as the name for the store.
The shop carries high-end chew toys, organic treats, pet shampoos, food and water bowl sets and “stuff for dog moms and dog dads,” Herrera said, including mugs and T-shirts.
Because Snoop is so big, the family had a hard time finding a bandana to fit around his neck, Bodley said. So a friend of hers custom-made some bandanas, and now the super-sized neckwear, packaged with matching hair scrunchies for the “dog mom,” are best-sellers in the shop, she said.
The store is donating 20% of the proceeds from the sale of the bandana sets to Big Bones Canine Rescue in Windsor, where the family adopted Snoop in July. The rescue of choice will change every two months, Bodley said.
For downtown Loveland’s Night on the Town event this Friday, Buggabooge will have photographer Jaelene Trujillo taking free Christmas photos of dogs, with a donation to Big Bones Rescue, from 4 to 7 p.m., Herrera said. The photos will be posted on the shop’s Facebook page, facebook.com/buggabooge.
The shop also will have a donation box for Big Bones.
For more information, go to buggabooge.com.
The National Weather Service says we can expect partly sunny days today and Thursday, with highs in the mid-40s, but a slight chance of snow shows up on the forecast for Thursday night and doesn’t go away until Monday.
It’s not clear yet whether Loveland will get any measurable snow, but it does look like the days and nights will gradually cool down, with a high of 31 predicted for Sunday and a low of 14 that night.
The average price of a gallon of gas in Fort Collins has dropped from the previous week, after several weeks of increasing or holding steady. Monday’s average of $2.76 is a penny cheaper than last week’s level, according to Gasbuddy.com.
The national average on Monday, meanwhile, was $2.57, and the average in Denver was $2.71.
To find the cheapest gas in Loveland, drive to Murphy Express at 120 W. 64th St., which was selling it for $2.63 a gallon on Tuesday. Sam’s Club’s price for members, at 1200 E. Eisenhower Blvd., was $2.64, Sinclair at 5009 N. Garfield Ave. had it for $2.65 and U Pump It at 1125 E. Eisenhower had gas for $2.72 a gallon.
I get all sorts of press releases over the transom. One that caught my eye this week was an announcement from Swiffer — the product that “gives cleaning a whole new meaning — that it was launching a recycling program.
The company has teamed up with recycling company TerraCycle to allow consumers to recycle products such as Sweeper Dry Refills, Sweeper Wet Refills, Duster Refills and WetJet Refills.
You just save your used Swiffer products, box them up (after they’re dry, of course; UPS won’t accept dripping packages), print a mailing label from TerraCycle and send them off. The company will separate the components and recycle the plastics.
If you’re interested, go to terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/swiffer and sign up.
Swiffer and TerraCycle didn’t mention whether the carbon footprint of trucking or flying all that stuff across the country would negate any benefit gained by recycling the plastic.
During the Christmas season, the focus on gift-giving extends beyond family members and friends and includes nonprofits. The technology company SmartAsset, which likes to crunch numbers, tells us that the residents of Larimer County are among the most generous in Colorado.
According to its recent study, which looked at how much people donate as a percentage of their net income and the proportion of the people in the county who make charitable donations, Larimer County ranked as the 10th most generous of Colorado’s 64 counties.
Douglas and Pitkin counties, at Nos. 1 and 2, were well above the rest, and Boulder County was No. 4. The SmartAsset website doesn’t reveal which county contains the Scroogiest residents.
What’s that address again?
A reader has taken to the RH Line to try to educate us about a common error that many make regarding the name of a particular roadway in west Loveland:
“What wonderful pictures of the elk taking advantage of the Christmas display in the paper on Dec. 10, but it would really be appreciated if the paper as well as the city would get the area correct. The north side of West First Street is Namaqua Avenue, and the south side is Namaqua Road. The city changed this many years ago when the city subdivision was built. This discrepancy has caused the mail to be delivered incorrectly as well as a horrible emergency many years ago. We have lived on Namaqua Road for almost 50 years and know what we are talking about. Please see that this is changed. Thank you.”


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PPG conference tackles key issues
The worlds largest dedicated project forwarding organisation, and Global logistics solutions provider, Project Professionals Group, gathers in Aarhus, Denmark, in August, to discuss key issues impacting on the project cargo industry. PPG‘s General-Manager Kevin Stephens said today (15/2/08) 108 participants have already confirmed attendance at the conference held in association with DSV Air & Sea A/S Project Division, one of Europe’s leading project forwarding and logistics companies; Transgroup Worldwide Logistics, a leading project forwarder in USA; major multi-purpose shipper Rickmers-Linie GmbH; specialist heavy-lift project cargo carriers Beluga Chartering GmbH; Combi Lift and SAL; leading heavylift airline Ruslan International; The Aarhus Port Authority and The Port of Corpus Christie Authority.
Professional Logistics Group, Inc. (PLG); Siemens; and appointed Media Company, Sun Communications, Australia, will also present a keynote address on the challenges facing the industry and how to improve performance and improve profitability and marketing awareness. “PPG membership includes the opportunity to network during the annual conference with likeminded businesses who can deliver solutions on behalf of clients, particularly oversize, heavy lift, project cargo,” Mr Stephens said. Chair of the PPG Advisory Committee, Susan St. Germain, Director of Projects, Transgroup Worldwide Logistics, said the committee was developing a comprehensive conference agenda covering key global issues such as rising costs, limited capacity, and overcoming bottlenecks at key transport hubs.“Political and economic decisions around the world reverberate through the global logistics market, but as a group we are well placed to overcome these challenges,” Ms St. Germain said. “The committee sees the conference as an opportunity to promote competitive advantages such as leveraging collective buying power and the unique relationships with key partners in the shipping and heavy payload air charter sectors. The industry faces significant challenges that include ships and bunker at record high prices.” The PPG conference will be held from August 27-31, 2008 at the Helnan Marselis Hotel. For further information about PPG membership and conference sponsorship opportunities please contact Kevin Stephens at email@example.com, or visit www.wwproject.net.


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PMX2014: Sailor Moon Animation Director Guest of Honor, Hiromi Matsushita
LOS ANGELES, CA-- Pacific Media Expo is proud to announce that Hiromi Matsushita will be attending its annual convention as the Animation Director Guest of Honor. Mr. Matsushita will be participating in a GOH Panel on Saturday, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m., a joint Sailor Moon Panel with our Character Designer Guest of Honor Kazuko Tadano on Sunday, 12 p.m. - 1p.m., as well as an autograph session. *
We are very happy to welcome Mr. Hiromi Matsushita as Guest of Honor to the 11th Year at PMX.
* Dates and times are subject to change. For more up to date information, go to http://www.PacificMediaExpo.com.
About Pacific Media Expo:
As America's first major media trade show dedicated primarily to Asian-Pacific popular culture and entertainment, Pacific Media Expo (PMX) is a distinguished industry event sponsored by the Pacific Media Association. PMX strives to create an eclectic community where artists, industry, and fans can freely experience and express the very best of Asian-Pacific popular culture.


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For two generations, the lyric, “The touch, the feel of cotton,” has linked consumers to cotton. Cotton Incorporated has revived that memorable song with three new commercials that feature young vocalists: Miranda Lambert, Zooey Deschanel and Jazmine Sullivan.
The commercials, created by DDB Group of New York, began airing in early April as a part of a marketing strategy that also includes print, Internet and event marking components.
The new commercials present a day-in-the-life montage of the vocalists’ lives, paired with each artist’s unique interpretations of the celebrated tune.
Miranda Lambert, two-time Grammy nominee and Academy of Country Music’s Album of the Year recipient, delivers a country twist to the melody.
Jazmine Sullivan, five-time Grammy nominee, lends her rhythm-and-blues style to the song.
Actress/singer Zooey Deschanel provides a retro pop sensibility with her take on the tune.
The new commercials illustrate the versatility of cotton by showing how it fits into the lives and wardrobe styles of these three very different artists, whether they are walking the red carpet or simply engaging in their favorite everyday activities.
“People of all ages fondly remember the ‘cotton song,’” says Ric Hendee, vice president of consumer marketing at Cotton Incorporated. “With these new renditions, cotton gains a stylish youthful energy which will help demonstrate that cotton is in the full range of today’s fashion.”
“This is the right message at the right time,” says Glenn Sciachitano, director of consumer advertising at Cotton Incorporated. “Since 2001, cotton advertising has stressed the fashionability, versatility and easy care benefits of cotton — the new campaign retains that fresh, modern focus, while paying tribute to the brand’s rich heritage.”
To view the new commercials visit: Fabric of Our Lives.


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Today Ubisoft released Far Cry® New Dawn, the newest installment of the award-winning Far Cry franchise. Set in a breathtaking and colorful post-apocalyptic world, Far Cry New Dawn is now available for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC for $49.99 CAD/39.99 USD. Far Cry New Dawn is rated M for Mature.
In a new Nintendo Direct video presentation, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Maker 2, a sequel to the groundbreaking original game, and a stylish re-imagining of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening are both launching this year for the Nintendo Switch™ system. The video also revealed ASTRAL CHAIN, a new action game from PlatinumGames exclusive to Nintendo Switch.


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Jeff Cullen, president and CEO of Mississauga, Ontario-based Rodair/Bellville Rodair in Canada, has been elected president of board of directors of Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA). Gary Vince, district manager of DHL Global Forwarding (Canada) Inc, was elected as vice-president 1 and Dwayne Hihn of Manitoulin Global Forwarding has been chosen as vice-president 2. Marc Bibeau, president of OEC Overseas Express Consolidators (Canada) Inc, remains the ex-officio past-president and will continue to serve on the board.
Daiichi Sankyo Group, a Parsippany, New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company, has named Greg Barrett acting president of Daiichi Sankyo administrative and commercial operations. In this role, he will have responsibility for marketing, sales and supply chain operations in the US.
Exton, Pennsylvania-based Elemica, which offers businesses a supply chain operating network, has made a number of promotions to support the launch of its new QuickLink Network platform. Cindi Hane has been named the vice-president of the company’s newly created technical product management group and will focus on the development of the company’s cloud-based products. She will also continue in her current role as product manager for logistics and will manage relations with third-party partners. Gary Neights has been appointed director, QuickLink Network product management. Omar Nadi will move from Elemica’s professional services team and become product manager for the Supplier Management solution suite.
SERUS, a Santa Clara, California-based data company that provides warnings about upcoming and potential supply chain risks, has appointed Kwok Poon as head of product strategy and management.
Flash Global Logistics, a Mountain Lakes, New Jersey-based company that offers supply chain management solutions, including a suite of global aftermarket and reverse services, has hired Nora Becker as director of global trade and compliance.
Neil Vernon has been hired as the new regional vice-president of sales, Asia-Pacific region, for Ascot, UK-based Virgin Atlantic Cargo.
Michael Culme-Seymour, has been promoted to vice-president, Asia-Pacific region, for Marken, a pharmaceutical supply chain company based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He will be responsible for clinical logistics and Marken’s seven branches in the region, located in Singapore, Australia, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Korea.


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New research by the UK’s fastest growing online independent travel agent has revealed the extent to which pushy sales staff in overseas resorts grate on British holidaymakers, with two thirds claiming to have been faced with such staff on their last holiday.
Chris Brown, co-founder of online travel agency sunshine.co.uk, commented on the news that EasyJet has warned against a rise in Air Passenger Duty:
In response to the fact that the managing director of Hoseasons has hit back at a recent sunshine.co.uk survey – which found that more than half of people think UK breaks are not ‘proper holidays’ – claiming that the staycation is in fact alive and well, Chris Brown of sunshine.co.uk commented;
A new poll by the UK’s fastest growing online independent travel agent has revealed the misconceptions some British citizens have of the climate in popular holiday destinations and other overseas locations.
A new study by the UK’s fastest growing online independent travel agent has revealed that tourists are least likely to trust a pilot with a Birmingham accent and are put most at ease if the voice that comes over the tannoy speaks in Queen’s English. Less than 1 in 5 said they would feel at ease with a female pilot.
The UK’s fastest growing online independent travel agent can report a dramatic increase in people booking holidays following the festive comedown and freezing conditions, when compared to the same time last year.
Honeymoons are a £7billion industry, so with all this money being spent, sunshine.co.uk, the UK’s fastest growing independent online travel agent researched the top ten spots for newlyweds.