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Mary Schlaff is on her own – and loving it!
The owner of the Village Wine Shop Aberdeen, Mary became sole owner of the store’s Pinehurst location in May. While Mary never dreamed of owning a wine store as a youngster, she did have aspirations involving something similar.
“I always wanted to open a coffee shop,” Mary, who graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in finance, said. “We’ve been open, in Aberdeen, about two weeks now.”
The Pinehurst shop opened in March 2021.
“I just took over total ownership today,” Mary said. “I like wearing different hats. I like creating relationships.”
She isn’t at all worried about having more to do than can be handled.
“I like to have a full plate,” Mary said. “It’s been fun.”
Originally from near Detroit, Mary thinks Moore County has the right mix for a small business to thrive. She was quick to note the strong sense of community.
“That’s one of my favorite things,” she said. “There’s a lot of caring about others. I think it’s really unique to the area. You have a lot of small businesses trying to lift each other up.”
The popularity of the business in Pinehurst, coupled with conclusions about Aberdeen, prompted Mary to add a second establishment.
“I recently bought a home in Aberdeen,” Mary said. “It seemed like a good fit. Hopefully, we’re just an addition to the improvements already made.”
Though the shop’s name suggests it’s a place to purchase wines, Mary envisions something more.
“It’s a gathering place,” she said. “We have a couple bottles, but it’s a place where people can meet.”
There’s hope the shop can be a backdrop for lasting memories.
“Life’s little moments make a difference,” Mary said. “We want to create those special moments.”
The Village Wine Shop Aberdeen has seating for about 30 customers to facilitate interaction. There’s also three tables in front of the store. Additional space is coming soon.
“In the next months, we’ll be opening a back patio,” Mary said.
The expansion will accommodate 25 people.
Along with creating a comfortable place to get together, Mary is committed to upgrading things beyond the shop.
“We lean heavily into the organic space,” she said. “We try to be on the healthier side.”
You’ll find the Village Wine Shop Aberdeen at 108 N. Poplar St.
Wine is obviously a main draw, but beer and coffee are also on the menu. Patrons can enjoy live music while talking and mingling.
Feature photo: Patrons visit the Village Wine Shop Aberdeen—contributed photo.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Dave Lukow.


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Renault supports its Chinese dealers
It already happened with BMW. The Renault's Chinese dealers (the French carmaker operates in the country in joint venture with Dongfeng) have criticized the French brand because of sales targets too ambitious in a general overview with a slowdown of the Chinese market.
But Renault has already responded to dealers offering help and support to local sellers and promising to make profitable their activities. 90 percent of the brand's local sales outlets were in the red in 2014.

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This Vauxhall Corsa burst into flames - nobody yet knows why.
Today there were calls for drastic changes in the way car fires are investigated.
Some drivers believe manufacturing faults that could lead to recalls are not been identified quickly enough.
The owner of this car told us the incident was terrifying and he is almost as worried by the fact that the manufacturer has still not done an inspection.
There are 18,000 vehicle fires a year across all car manufacturer types.
In April, Vauxhall recalled 2,767 Corsa D Black Edition models with 1.4 litre turbo engines due to a fire risk
But over 700,000 other Corsa D models were sold in the UK and some fear the recall should go further
The car maker says "Vauxhall is not aware of a fire risk to any other variant of Corsa D"
The Corsa is Britain's second most popular model and tens of thousands of owners could be worried by reports of fires.
Naturally they expect every unexplained incident to be carefully investigated to check whether their are any grounds for a recall.
But that doesn't always happen. Vauxhall says it needs permission from the owner and the insurer before it can inspect and it does not always get that.
Cars are often scrapped before checks can take place or the manufacturer told about a fire.
ITV News has reported on Vauxhall Zafira model B cars catching fire like this.
The car maker said it only found out about many incidents like this due to media reports.
There is no requirement on an insurance company to notify manufacturers of a fire when they deal with a claim.
Now there are calls for that to change and Dept Chief Officer Chris Blacksell from the Chief Fire Officers' Association has told ITV News he would like to see a better reporting system.
This Corsa was in the batch that has now been recalled by Vauxhall - but the fire here happened weeks before that action was taken.
Learning lessons from vehicle fires more rapidly is vital and many believe that requires urgent change.
Gareth Llewellyn, the chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, said: "DVSA’s first priority is to protect everyone from unsafe vehicles and drivers.
“We are investigating reported faults with Vauxhall Corsa D and E models. Anyone who finds a serious safety defect with their vehicle should report it to us.
“We’ve also made it clear that it’s vital that Vauxhall should be doing everything possible to ensure the safety of its customers and their families. We’re also working with the Department for Transport to consider further action.”
Customer advice on what to do if your car has been recalled:
Vauxhall announced in August a second recall of all Zafira B models to carry out "preventative action" to protect the vehicles from the risk of fire.
It followed an investigation which found that "improper repairs" of the blower motor resistor and its thermal fuse could lead to overheating of electrical components and potentially a fire.
The company says resistors should never been repaired and only be replaced.
The work is being carried out free of charge.
Until the second recall work has been carried out, the company advises customers should only use the blower motor fan speed setting 0 or 4.
If the blower motor fan is not operating in speed 4 it is recommended to set your fan speed to 0 in order to prevent the possibility of the fuse blowing.
Under these circumstances, customers are urged to contact their local Vauxhall retailer to arrange repairs.
Earlier this year, Vauxhall identified a "potential fire-related issue" with a specific Corsa D variant equipped with the 1.4 Turbo petrol engine.
The company issued a safety recall to address this issue in April 2016 for the 2,767 vehicles affected.
No other variants are affected.
The safety recall was subsequently revised in August, mandating the replacement of the Vacuum Pump Assembly.
All affected customers were written to using address data from the DVLA.
If customers want to check if their vehicle has had the Safety Recall completed they can contact Vauxhall Customer Care on 0800 026 0867 or they can access the Motorcodes website.
If you have a Corsa 1.4 and are not sure if it is a Corsa D 1.4 Turbo, the latter models were mainly produced as Black Edition models. They also feature a Turbo badge on the right hand side of the tailgate and unique bi-colour 5 spoke alloy wheels.
Just 46 1.4 Turbos were produced in SE and SRI variants. If you are still not clear if your vehicle is a Corsa D 1.4 Turbo you can contact Vauxhall Customer Care with your registration number.


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“The Devil” is the name of the official car of the US President Barack Obama. Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra stated that it can develop a similar car on the lines of “The Devil” for country’s political leadership, if facilities existed.
"I saw the diagram and it had complete details of President Obama's Cadillac limousine. If this facility exists then we would be proud to make such vehicle not just for the Prime Minister but for any VIP," Mahindra Group Vice Chairman and Managing Director Anand Mahindra told reporters after inaugurating the Special Military Vehicles (SMV) plant in Faridabad near here.
M&M has already developed armoured Scorpios for the VVIPs in India. It has also exported five armoured Scorpios to Sri Lanka as well which form a part of Presidential fleet in the country. Currently eight Chief Ministers in India also use the armoured Scorpios as their official vehicle. The company plans to expand its operations of manufacturing armoured vehicles for the neighbouring countries as well. "We are reaching out to friendly neighbours. We will be looking at them. In 8-10 years, we can set up similar facilities there. We are already looking at setting up similar facilities in some parts of Africa," said Mahindra Defence Systems Chief Executive Brigadier (Retd.) Khutub Hai.


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Latin Americans are spending more money on products and services for their pets despite the poor economy, according to an online article from The Independent.
A July 15 report from Euromonitor International indicated that Latin American and Caribbean pet owners are spending more money than previously on pet care goods and services, such as petfood, toys, fashion accessories, health care and grooming. This trend spreading in Latin America is driven by Americans, who treat their pets like children, and the "pet parents" who believe that animals have equal or almost equal rights to people, according to the report.
Euromonitor statistics reported spending on petfood and pet care products increased dramatically across Argentina and Chile from 2004 through 2009. In Argentina, spending increased from US$0.2 billion in 2004 to US$0.6 billion in 2009, and in Chile spending increased from US$0.3 billion to US$0.5 billion in the same period.
By Lindsay Beaton
As work continues on creating a new nutrition label that focuses on simplifying information for consumers, challenges remain.
By Tang Yu


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In June 2005, user interface experts at one of the world’s top design houses said Mac OS X 10.4 (“Tiger”) was the beginning of the end for the Mac Finder and that the era of organizing files in nested folders was over, reported Wired (the article is no longer online).
Experts at Silicon Valley’s frog design said new-at-the-time Tiger features, mainly the systemwide Spotlight search technology, were much better for locating information than the hierarchy of files and folders that underpins most current computing interfaces. The way Searchlight transforms the computing experience is akin to Google’s effect on the Web, they added.
“The Finder has been dying for a long time,” Cordell Ratzlaff, frog’s creative director at the time, who previously worked at Apple (where he directed human interface design for Mac OS 8 through Mac OS X) told Wired. “As hard drives have grown in size and the number of files people have on their computer has increased, the Finder has become less useful.”
“Spotlight changes the landscape fundamentally — how people manage and organize things on their computers,” added Mark Ligameri, also a frog creative director (who previously worked at Microsoft on the user interface of Windows XP and the upcoming Longhorn). “Spotlight is a good alternative to the hierarchical organization of information.”
However, Apple disagreed. Wiley Hodges, a senior product line manager for Mac OS X in 2005, told Wired: “The Finder is far from dead. It is still an extremely familiar metaphor that’s logical, putting related and relevant data into folders. Spotlight extends the Finder with queries for frequently used folders.”
And Mark Rolston, frog’s vice president of digital media, concurred. He told Wired that the problem is that “we tend to organize data by hierarchical folder. But we may want to view the data many different ways, organized by different criteria, often through ad-hoc searches … These new search tools offer multiple ways to find things according to changing context.”
Fifteen years later the Finder is still going strong and shows no signs of vanishing anytime soon.


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Bitcoin (BTC) is up 15% today, surpassing $38,500 in a strong bounce, bringing the total market capitalization of Bitcoin close to $1 trillion.
Alternative currencies, for their part, reacted to the rise in the price of Bitcoin as well and rose in varying proportions, bringing the total market value of the crypto market in general by 10% and exceeding $ 1.5 trillion.
Why is Bitcoin (BTC) price up 15%?
News has spread like wildfire that e-commerce company Amazon is working to integrate Bitcoin payments.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $38,715, and following the rapid rise in the price of Bitcoin over $640 million short positions were liquidated in just an hour.
Citing data from “Bybt.com”, he said Chinese journalist , “Colin Wu” by saying:
Today’s liquidation volume exceeded $800 million, and orders for short positions were liquidated.
The one-hour short liquidation volume reached $640 million, the largest one-day liquidation volume in more than two months.
Insider sources that Amazon is working on integrating Bitcoin payments:
In another development, an Amazon source told the news agency City AM that Amazon is looking to launch and unlock payments in bitcoin and cryptocurrency by the end of this year.
What was stated in the “City AM” report also included the following:
This is not just about suggestions for setting up cryptocurrency payment solutions sometime in the future, this is a whole and good part of the discussion and an integral part of the future mechanism of how Amazon will operate.
According to the aforementioned source, “Jeff Bezos” himself supports innovation, and Amazon is pursuing any path that leads to that.
The same spokesperson added that the project is fully operational, but it will not be limited to Bitcoin only.
Amazon executives are currently exploring the possibility of integrating payments for some of the top 10 cryptocurrencies.
Ethereum, Cardano, and Bitcoin Cash will be next in line, followed by eight of the most popular online cryptocurrencies.
It won’t take long because the plans are already in place, and they’ve been working on them since 2019, according to the same source.
He added that in the final phase of the project, Amazon will launch its own digital currency.
In a move towards “tokenization,” Amazon will test cryptocurrency payments on its platform.
The source stated:
This then becomes a multi-tiered infrastructure where you can pay for goods and services or earn cryptocurrency in a loyalty scheme.
The news affected the crypto market positively and made Bitcoin jump and approach the $40K level.


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General Motors’ Chairman and Chief Executive G. Richard Wagoner Jr. announced the company’s plans to undergo some structural changes, BusinessWeek reports.
Wagoner said the changes include shutting four truck plants, eliminating 10,000 jobs, plans to introduce a new line of compacts for North America and increasing the production of cars like the electric Chevy Volt that the company will begin marketing in 2010. Wagoner also said GM is considering everything from repositioning or selling the Hummer brand.
The company, according to BusinessWeek, is also keeping the consumer trend toward more fuel efficient vehicles in mind:
GM plans to introduce a new compact car that will be better equipped than today’s compacts, with more amenities and also a 9-mpg boost over today’s 27-mpg Chevrolet Cobalt. An all-new version of GM’s Korean-made Chevy Aveo subcompact is coming, Wagoner said. GM will also build an all-new 1.4-liter turbo engine for its new compact cars.
At the Beijing Auto Show in May, GM displayed a hybrid version of its Buick LaCrosse sedan, which it is assembling in China and launching there this summer. GM is running “down to the wire” as it readies its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt for a planned launch in 2010, GM CEO Rick Wagoner told reporters at the Auto Show.
GM is not the only automaker seeing a change in the market. Nissan’s Chief Executive said that company company expects to sell a broad range of electric vehicles globally by 2012.


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Charter boat relocates to Bundy
THERE is much to be positive about right now in Bundaberg.
A new charter boat service, which has chosen to relocate from neighbouring Hervey Bay to our city and river, will add to the region's growing reputation for boating tourism and is a welcome addition to the recent return of Lady Musgrave tours.
Regardless of whether the MV DayTripper's major clientele is local or from out of town, it still presents an opportunity for people to spend money with Bundaberg businesses.
A different kind of tourism is also on the up.
Bundaberg's cafe culture is booming and a diverse range of coffee shops and eateries is opening up in all corners of town, catering to different kinds of customers and tastes.
Add to that the month-long Crush Festival that is almost upon us, showcasing the best we have to offer in arts, culture and food, and it's hard not to feel positive about the region and its future right now.
Having just moved back to Bundaberg after 18 months on the Sunshine Coast, I can see why confidence is high. It's great to be back.


text: White, black, pink, or purple just not your thing? Need a case that will survive everything short of a nuclear disaster? Need a case that won’t put an huge bulge in your pants that will be the butt of any is that an iPhone in your pocket jokes? LifeProof has your iPhone 4/4s covered! Today, LifeProof announced the introduction of five new vibrant colours to their legendary LifeProof line. Green, blue, aqua, orange and red will be joining the four classic colours soon. LifeProof cases are MIL-STD-810F-516.5 compliant, a military standard for shock and impact survival while maintaining a thin profile. No price or date of availability has been announced by LifeProof.


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November 1 2022
Only dedicated biometric verification provider featured in Leadership Compass for Providers of Verified Identity 2022
iProov, the world leader in face biometric authentication technology, announced today that it has been named an Innovation Leader for its best-of-breed biometric verification solutions in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Providers of Verified Identity 2022.
iProov was rated five out of five in the categories of Security and Usability and four out of five for Functionality, Deployment, and Interoperability. The report highlights a number of iProov’s strengths, including:
“We’ve achieved industry leadership by delivering the market’s highest performance in online security and user experience,” said Andrew Bud, founder and CEO of iProov. “This leadership has already been recognized by the governments, banks, and other organizations that are using iProov, so to have it also recognized by one of the identity industry’s leading analysts is very rewarding.
“In such a respected list of identity industry leaders, it’s great to be the only biometrics-focused vendor included. This is testament to the success of our unique best-of-breed technology. That critical step of bridging a live human being with an online identity is difficult, complex, and subject to ever-evolving criminal attacks. It can only be delivered with specialist technology and threat management.”
As iProov continues to grow its global market share and expand the regions in which it serves clients and partners, the organization was also rated as a top challenger in the Overall Leadership category that incorporates Product Leadership, Innovation Leadership, and Market Leadership rankings.
The KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Providers of Verified Identity 2022 compares verified identity providers or vendors that conduct digital identity verification. This encompasses vetting/proofing, registration, authentication delivered through services such as document verification, biometric verification, video verification, fraud reduction, electronic signing, attribute verification, and orchestration.
iProov is one of 15 global identity vendors recognized in the report, alongside Microsoft, Experian, IDEMIA, and PingID. The report is one of the first to provide a deep dive into the fast-growing digital identity verification market and an overview of the leading identity vendors.
iProov’s patented face biometric verification and authentication technology is used by organizations globally to confirm that an online user is the right person, a real person, and that they are authenticating right now. Its Genuine Presence Assurance® and Liveness Assurance™ technologies deliver an effortless user experience with the highest levels of security to help prevent fraud, identity theft, and other cybercrime during online onboarding, authentication, and identity recovery.
Download the Leadership Compass for Providers of Verified Identity 2022 from KuppingerCole Analysts AG here.


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Like skating without the skates
U.S. News - Nov 9, 1998
Sliding down railings on shoes with an attitude–but how safe can it be?
BY MINDY CHARSKI
Are handrails just for holding? Not in the world of alternative sports, where tradition dictates that feet can get you down rails just as well, and even faster. First it was in-line skates and skateboards. Now it's a new kind of sneaker that lets young daredevils seek thrills (and tempt injury) in ever more inventive ways.
Normal sneakers don't allow you to slide because rubber soles create too much resistance. But Soaps, manufactured by a footwear company called Soap based in Torrance, Calif., have a smooth, plastic, concave frame under the arch of the shoe known as a "grindplate" that allows users to slide down surfaces like rails, steps, and ledges because the plastic greatly reduces friction. The plate is easily removable (it's also replaceable), and you don't feel it when you're just walking in the shoes. And because the plates are not obvious, Soaps aren't generally banned in school–unlike skateboards or in-line skates.
Company founder Chris Morris, 35, is a former Rollerblade sales representative who thought the fun of subcultures like skateboarding and in-line skating was being sacrificed as the sports grew more competitive. He sees Soaps as a tool for the casual "grind"–skater slang for sliding down angled objects with defined edges. Rather than something you go out to do, "Soaping" (as devotees call it) is more like something you do when you're out, as Soap spokesman Pat Parnell puts it–a view shared by Mike Matason, 17, of Fairfax, Va. "I'm spontaneous, and if I see something that looks kind of fun, I'll do it," he says.
Sole food. The company launched Soaps a year ago in several markets, including New York and Los Angeles. They cost $80 to $110 a pair and attract kids as young as 8 and as old as the high teens. Soap says it has already sold 220,000 pairs; by the end of the year, it plans to have its nine shoe models in about 1,000 stores across the country–mostly in skate shops that cater to the extreme-sports enthusiast. (Hint: These are the kinds of stores that don't sell Air Jordans.)
Because the shoes are geared toward casual use, medical experts fear injuries among those using them without proper precautions; few kids are likely to have kneepads and helmets handy if they get the whim to slide down the steps at school. Doctors are worried about injuries similar to those from skateboarding and in-line skating, like sprains, fractures, bruises, and cuts, particularly to the wrist and lower arm, elbow, ankle, and head.
And because the shoes are so rigid from the arch to the heel, walking in them regularly could lead to arch, ankle, and knee injuries, says Arnold Ravick, a Washington, D.C., podiatrist. The company says it hasn't heard of any serious injuries, but the shoes come with a sticker saying that peeling it off releases the company from liability for injury or property damage.
In the extreme-sports mainstream, many view the new pursuit with skepticism. "I personally think [Soaping] is going to sort of die out," says Kenny Oyedeji, 19, who publishes 817, an online skating magazine. "There's a lot of criticism, with people saying 'freestyle walking' is kind of pointless–like if skaters are going to skate, they should just get skates."
Matason has run into some other critics as well: Sliding down rails causes skid marks and has earned him reprimands. "Older people will yell at you about it because basically you're destroying property," he says. As for little kids? "They kind of look up to you."
|copyright © 2000-2006 Broox Productions|


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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Tesla Chief Government Workplace Elon Musk speaks at his firm’s manufacturing unit in Fremont, California, June 22, 2012, because the automobile firm started delivering its Mannequin S electrical sedan. REUTERS/Noah Berger/File Picture
By Hyunjoo Jin
San Francisco (Reuters) – Tesla (NASDAQ:) CEO Elon Musk mentioned he had offered “sufficient inventory” to succeed in his plan to promote 10% of his shares on the earth’s most precious automobile firm, in response to an interview launched on Tuesday.
The billionaire, who moved the corporate’s headquarters from California to Texas this month after his private transfer final yr, additionally slammed California for “overtaxation.”
Tesla shares, which had hovered close to record-highs, misplaced a few quarter of their worth after Musk mentioned on Nov. 6 he would promote 10% of his stake if Twitter (NYSE:) customers agreed.
On Tuesday, Musk offered one other 583,611 shares, bringing the overall variety of shares he has offloaded to 13.5 million – about 80% of what he had deliberate to promote.
“I offered sufficient inventory to get to round 10% plus the choice train stuff and I attempted to be extraordinarily literal right here,” he mentioned within the interview with satirical web site Babylon Bee.
When requested whether or not he offered the inventory due to the Twitter ballot, he mentioned he wanted to train inventory choices which can be expiring subsequent yr “it doesn’t matter what.” He additionally added that he offered a further “incremental inventory” to get close to 10%.
Out of the 13.5 million shares offered, 8.06 million have been offered to pay taxes associated to his choices train.
Musk mentioned on Sunday on Twitter that he would pay greater than $11 billion in taxes this yr.
“California was once the land of alternative and now it’s… changing into extra so the land of kind of overregulation, overlitigation, overtaxation,” he mentioned, including that it’s “more and more tough to get issues achieved” in California.
Fusion Media or anybody concerned with Fusion Media is not going to settle for any legal responsibility for loss or harm because of reliance on the data together with information, quotes, charts and purchase/promote indicators contained inside this web site. Please be absolutely knowledgeable concerning the dangers and prices related to buying and selling the monetary markets, it is among the riskiest funding varieties attainable.


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LONDON, Sept. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — HH Global has released its first annual sustainability report, detailing its sustainability strategy, achievements, and alignment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals – 17 goals to tackle poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030.
The ‘Innovation with Purpose’ report can be viewed on the HH Global website (www.hhglobal.com) and illustrates how the company has helped their clients make more sustainable choices by redesigning products. In FY19 (ended March 31, 2019) HH Global helped save 28,000 trees, 130 million litres of water, 9,246 MWh of energy, and 8,903 tonnes of carbon. In real-world examples, these statistics represent enough trees to cover 14 football pitches, enough water to fill 52 Olympic swimming pools, enough energy to power 786 average homes and the equivalent of taking 1,895 average cars off the road.
Robert MacMillan, HH Global Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m proud that HH Global is helping to tackle these issues. Our business purchases hundreds of thousands of tonnes of material on behalf of the world’s leading brands, and we’re doing great things to make sure that this is produced and consumed responsibly.”
The ‘Innovation with Purpose’ report also formalises HH Global’s sustainability targets for 2020, which are to save 38,000 trees, 120 million litres of water, 10,000 MWh of energy, and 11,000 tonnes of carbon.
Kevin Dunckley, HH Global Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, added: “It is more important than ever that we are transparent and committed to sustainability. Recent events around the world, including the UN Climate Action Summit and climate strike protests, are encouraging businesses to act responsibly and deliver positive change. We have a responsibility to take action – this report illustrates the progress we are making and shows how serious we are about driving sustainable initiatives in our industry.”
HH Global’s commitment to sustainability was reinforced further by the recent EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Gold renewal and score improvement. The EcoVadis assessment is an evaluation of how well a company has integrated the principles of CSR into their business and management system.
About HH Global
HH Global Ltd., founded in 1991, is a leading, strategic marketing execution partner to prominent brands in 44 countries. The company uses people, data and technology to provide customer experience, content development, and outsourced procurement services across multiple marketing delivery channels globally. Every HH Global solution brings deep expertise of over 1300 employees direct to clients by embedding a team on-site in their marketing departments. HHub, a best-in-class marketing technology platform, data analytics capabilities, and an expansive list of suppliers help HH Global teams drive down cost, time to market, improve quality and increase sustainability for its clients. The company also operates HH Labs, the center of its innovation programme, that brings fresh, new ideas to clients. With over $500M of spend under management, HH Global maintains a razor-sharp focus on cost and quality, combined with an industry-leading sustainability program, offering improvements that provide both fiscal and environmental value. For more information, visit www.hhglobal.com.
For media enquiries:
HH Global – EMEA
+44 7957 355 361
The content is by PR NewsWire. DKODING Media is not responsible for the content provided or any links related to this content. DKODING Media is not responsible for the correctness, topicality or the quality of the content.


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The leading outsourced product development company GoodWorkLabs was featured in the anchor story in The Telegraph, the largest newspaper of the Eastern India. Here are excerpts from the story –
Start young, take risks and break out of the rut! Vishwas Mudagal did just that to have his share of ups and downs before tasting sweet success. Now, the 32-year-old entrepreneur-writer-motivation speaker wants the younger generation in the Northeast to dream big and follow its passion from college itself.
“The idea behind GoodWorkLabs was to provide high-end technology solutions to other companies. Today, we have 20 clients, including Flipkart and Samsung. About 80 per cent of our clients are based outside the country,” he said.
On what makes his firm acceptable in the global market, Mudagal said, “It’s about aesthetic sense, scalability, innovation and the ability to build a product incrementally. We believe we have acquired these traits and our clients have responded well. Not many IT service companies have in-depth knowledge of building a product, as doing that requires going through a gamut of services over a period of time.
The Northeast, he said, has a huge potential for entrepreneurship but needs to have the right momentum. “The impetus on entrepreneurship as of now is not there. There is the need for developing infrastructure and building a marketing campaign. Having said that, the region has abundant human resources. A lot of young people from the Northeast have done well in cities outside the region,” he said.
Read the complete story “Breaking Out Of The Rut Mantra For Success” Story here.


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Cabinet relaxes FDI norms, approves 100% FDI in single-brand retail & construction
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a number of amendments in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy, liberalising FDI in key sectors, approving 100 percent foreign investment in single-brand retail trading (SBRT) & construction development, and opening up Air India for FDI up to 49 percent.
The government also decided that foreign institution investors and portfolio investors be allowed to invest in power exchanges through primary market and amended the definition of medical devices in its FDI policy.
The decisions, taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were intended to liberalize and simplify the FDI policy to provide ease of doing business.
“In turn, it will lead to larger FDI inflows contributing to growth of investment, income and employment,” an official statement said.
The present FDI policy on single-brand retail trading allows 49 percent FDI under automatic route and FDI beyond 49 percent and up to 100 percent through government approval route.
“It has now been decided to permit 100 percent FDI under automatic route.
It has been decided to permit single brand retail trading entity to set off its incremental sourcing of goods from India for global operations during initial five years, beginning April 1 of the year of the opening of first store against the mandatory sourcing requirement of 30 percent of purchases from India,” the statement said.
For this purpose, it said, incremental sourcing would mean the increase in terms of value of such global sourcing from India for that single brand (in Indian rupee terms) in a particular financial year over the preceding financial year, by the non-resident entities undertaking single brand retail trading entity, either directly or through their group companies.
After completion of the five-year period, the SBRT entity shall be required to meet the 30 percent sourcing norms directly towards its India’s operation, on an annual basis.
The Cabinet also decided to allow 100 percent FDI in construction development relating to building townships, housing, infrastructure and real estate broking services.
“It has been decided to clarify that real estate broking service does not amount to real estate business and is therefore eligible for 100 percent FDI under automatic route.”
Under the present policy, foreign airlines are allowed to invest under government approval route in the capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, up to the limit of 49 percent of their paid-up capital.
However, this was not applicable to Air India, thereby implying that foreign airlines could not invest in the national carrier owned fully by the government.
“It has now been decided to do away with this restriction and allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49 percent under approval route in Air India subject to the conditions that foreign investments in Air India including that of foreign airlines shall not exceed 49 percent either directly or indirectly.”
Making changes in the sector relating to power exchanges, the government removed the restrictions on investment by foreign institute investors and portfolio investors to invest in power exchanges through primary market as well.
Under the present policy, FII and FPI purchases were restricted to secondary market only.
In the pharma sector, the Cabinet decided to amend the definition of medical devices in the FDI policy.
“At present, the FDI policy in the pharma sector inter-alia provides that definition of medical device as contained in the FDI Policy would be subject to amendment in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. As the definition as contained in the policy is complete in itself, it has been decided to drop the reference to Drugs and Cosmetics Act from FDI policy.”
The Cabinet also decided to make changes relating to competent authority for examining FDI proposals from countries of concern.
As per the existing procedures, FDI applications involving investments from countries of concern requiring security clearance are to be processed by the Home Ministry for investments falling under automatic route sectors and activities.
“It has now been decided that for investments in automatic route sectors, requiring approval only on the matter of investment being from country of concern, FDI applications would be processed by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) for government approval.
“Cases under the government approval route, also requiring security clearance with respect to countries of concern, will continue to be processed by concerned administrative department or ministry.”
In another change, it has now been decided that issue of shares against non-cash considerations like pre-incorporation expenses, import of machinery etc shall be permitted under automatic route in the case of sectors under automatic route.
With IANS inputs


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Oslo, Norway — Kappa Bioscience has launched a free vitamin K2 MK-7 quality testing program, which it announced at CPhI India. This will allow for testing and verification of any finished K2 product’s K2 label claim.
A goal of this program is to educate markets about K2 stability and how unprotected K2 is unstable in mineral formulations, the company said.
Test results will only be reported to the test requester after being conducted using USP methods. Stakeholders for vitamin K2 products are invited to send samples for this free assessment.
‘‘We view independently-validated testing programs as an innovative way to address quality issues in the K2 market, if not the supplements industry as a whole,’’ said Egil Greve, CEO of Kappa Bioscience in a press release. He goes on to explain “this program says, ‘don’t trust our data, or anyone else’s. Trust your own data for your own products.’ We hope to make this easier to do.’’
The program is managed by the independent group Kappa Chemistry with validation conducted by globally recognized third-party laboratories in Europe, USA and Australia. As results will remain confidential to the requester, general results excluding brand identifiers will be included in Kappa’s annual K2 Market Study.
For more information on how to participate in the K2 testing program visit www.Kappabio.com.


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Influencer marketing platform Partipost raised USD 5 million in a Series A funding round led by Quest Ventures, with participation from existing investor SPH Ventures, as well as new investors iGlobe Partners and XA Network. Following the investment, Jeffrey Seah, partner at Quest Ventures, will join Partipost’s board as director. Part of the fresh funds will be for Partipost’s entry to Vietnam.
“Since our initial investment, Jon, Ben, and Tony have demonstrated their business acumen and operating verve,” said Jeffrey Seah in a statement. “They have balanced the need to recruit brand-safe nano-influencers that resonate with commercial partners, and simultaneously pitch to and onboard business partners looking for authentic direct-to-customer relationships as social commerce notches increasing contribution to sales.”
The global influencer marketing industry is set to grow to USD 13.8 billion this year, according to a report by Influencer Marketing Hub. Southeast Asia’s young demographics and high degree of social media usage make the region a breeding ground for influencers and online celebrities. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have the most influencers on Instagram in Southeast Asia. The top industries that advertise with influencers are fashion, travel, beauty, food, fitness, and parenting. Besides Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are also popular channels for influencer marketing.


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Jun 16, 2020 The free Amazon Fire TV mobile app for iOS/Android/Fire OS enhances your Fire TV experience with simple navigation, a keyboard for easy text entry (no more hunting and pecking), and quick access to your favorite apps and games. It features: Voice search (not available in all countries) Simple navigation Playback controls Keyboard for simple text entry Quick access to your apps. Amazon fire tv utility app free download - Amazon Fire TV Remote App, Guide For Amazon Fire TV, Remote for Amazon Fire TV Stick, and many more programs. Oct 24, 2019 Amazon and Apple have reached a deal to bring the Apple TV app to Amazon Fire TV devices ahead of the Apple TV+ subscription service launch on Nov.
Drag the app to the Trash, or select the app and choose File Move to Trash. Or to find the app, then press and hold the Command (⌘) key while double-clicking the app in Spotlight. This is probably the name and password you use to log in to your Mac. Most apps are in your Applications folder, which you can open by clicking Applications in the sidebar of any Finder window. If you're asked for a user name and password, enter the name and password of an administrator account on your Mac.
- Amazon Fire Tv App Installer
- Amazon Fire Tv Utility App Mac Pro
- Amazon Fire Tv Utility App Mac Free
- Amazon Fire Free Tv App
Amazon Fire Tv App Installer
Apr 25, 2017 Amazon Fire TV Remote App is a Tools App, Download Amazon Fire TV Remote App For PC from the direct download link on PC Grim. The Fire TV Remote App enhances the Fire TV experience with simple navigation, a keyboard for easy text entry (no more hunting and pecking), quick access to your apps and games, plus voice search.
Amazon Fire Tv Utility App Mac Pro
The streaming wars are bolstering some curious strategic alliances.
Apple, which has historically been reluctant to offer its software on other tech companies' devices, is bringing its Apple TV app to Amazon Fire TV devices. The rapprochement comes just over a week before the arrival of the new Apple TV+ subscription streaming video service.
The Apple TV app is available today if you have a second-generation Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Stick 4K in the U.S., Canada and several other countries, Amazon announced on its Fire TV blog. The app is coming soon to Fire TV Cubes and the third-gen pendant Fire TV devices, Fire TV Edition smart TVs, and Nebula sound bar.
Sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on both devices. Connect your devices to the same Wi-Fi network. Select Accessibility. If you want to control a Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences on your computer. App to control apple tv my mac free.
In addition to being able to subscribe to Apple TV+, when it hits Nov. 1, you can also access your entire iTunes library of movies and TV episodes you have bought or rented.
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare': New game, out Friday, ramps up realism, so it's not just all fun and video games
Amazon Fire Tv Utility App Mac Free
Tired of too many subscriptions?: Apple TV+, Disney+ streaming launches add to overload
Amazon and Apple have a complicated history in which they often tried to create hurdles for consumers to use the others' services. Just two years ago, Amazon agreed to begin selling Apple TV devices in its online store after halting the sale of them for two years.
That led to Apple making Amazon's Prime Video app available on Apple TV.
Amazon Fire Free Tv App
But it's been tough for consumers to watch content bought from Apple including iTunes movies and music on Amazon devices.
However, as Apple looks to increase revenue from its services, the iPhone and iPad maker has moved to make its app more accessible. Earlier this month, the Apple TV app became available on Roku devices.
The Apple TV app on Roku devices has a bit more functionality, allowing you to rent or buy movies and episodes, whereas the Amazon Fire TV version of the app lets you access previously rented or purchased content.
Roku remains the leader in Net TV devices, with more than 41 million devices in use in the first quarter of 2019, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. But Amazon's Fire TV platform is gaining momentum.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.


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Just weeks after he quit as executive chef of pricey Vancouver restaurants Lumiere and Feenie's, Rob Feenie is back in the spotlight. One of Canada's best known chefs is taking on a new role as "food concept architect," for the Cactus Club restaurant chain.
Feenie said the trend in restaurant culture is moving toward more casual dining and he's already shown his affinity for that with his ads for the kind of Whitespot Ltd.-style fast food that he grew up eating in Burnaby, B.C.
The Cactus Club is known for trendy but casual dining at its 17 restaurants across British Columbia and Alberta.
Feenie has taken on the Cactus Club role just two months after claiming that he was forced out of Lumiere and the adjacent Feenie's — restaurants he founded — by business partners, David and Manjy Sidoo.
-- Celebrity chef Feenie joins Cactus Club on cbc.ca, Tuesday February 5th 2008
Why is the used when the writer is referring to the chain of restaurants, not a specific location. If it really was The Cactus Club (which it isn't), wouldn't the subsequent sentence read, Feenie has taken on the The Cactus Club role... Do you think CBC - or anyone - would ever write, The Starbucks is known for (fill in the blank), when not talking about a specific location?
Being to feel
1 day ago


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The Huawei Watch GT2 has now been equipped with a new feature. With a new firmware update, Huawei Watch GT2 now comes with a SpO2 monitoring system which essentially helps users detect oxygen saturation levels in the blood. The firmware update version 188.8.131.52 has been released for Huawei Watch GT2 for installation in the watches from the series. The SpO2 feature will be inbuilt in the Huawei Watch GT2e variant.
Once installed successfully, the update would add a feature of measuring SpO2 levels through the health app, apart from improving system stability, says Huawei.
SpO2 represents an estimate of the oxygen levels in a person’s bloodstream. A healthy person should have an SpO2 level between 90 and 100. Low levels of oxygen in the blood can cause hypoxemia, which can have severe impact on health. The elderly, people with certain heart and lung-related diseases and snoring issues, those having a hectic schedule, or those living at higher altitude are the usual victims of low oxygen levels in the blood.
Huawei Watch GT2 users can just now install the update and keep track of the oxygen levels in blood. The users can run the test anytime and anywhere without bringing extra medical equipment with them. The feature will also be handy for sports person, gym, and fitness enthusiast for monitoring oxygen levels during hectic workout sessions, says the company.
Huawei Watch GT2 comes powered with Kirin A1, claimed by the company to be the world’s first chipset exclusively launched for wearables. The smartwatch promises a battery life of about two weeks in a single charge. The Bluetooth connectivity is said to work for a range of upto 150 metres. The watch also comes equipped with TruSeen 3.5 heart rate monitoring technology. There are 15 professional workout modes.


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Last Updated Jun 9, 2010 6:31 AM EDT
While it's long been known that scarcity can boost demand -- consider the pre-launch, limited-quantity hype surrounding the iPhone -- Khan says her research breaks ground regarding the downstream consequences of out-of-stock situations, whether strategic or inadvertent. She says that, as a manager, you must consider your long-term goals should you choose to create a false scarcity. If you're looking to boost short-term sales, an inventory reduction may do the trick. But if you seek long-term customer satisfaction, that strategy may backfire.
In the case of an unintentional stockout -- perhaps due to production or distribution problems -- Khan says managers must also be aware of the impact on customers likely to feel jilted. "You may need to put more effort into post-sales customer service," she says.
She also notes that inventory management is crucial when it comes to keeping your retail channels happy. "If Walmart is out of Pantene, the customer will go to Target," Khan says. Any possible short-term benefit created by the scarcity at Walmart will adhere to manufacturer P&G, and not to the store.


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Ah, BlackBerry keeps defying the odds and is still alive with its Priv its likely final stab at being relevant again. Celcom has added the device to its First Gold and First Blue offerings, giving subscribers a modest discount on the device's hefty RM3,559 price.
For the First Gold plan that is RM100 per month, it's RM2,508 for the phone and RM450 upfront payment. While in the case of the First Blue plan (RM45 a month) it's RM2,768 for the Priv and RM250 upfront. Both come with 24 month contracts.
You can't order it online though; you'll still have to go to the nearest Celcom Blue Cube outlet to purchase the plan and phone.
More details can be found on Celcom's website.


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Leave Me Alone With the Recipes: The Life, Art and Cookbook of Cipe Pineles, an exhibit featuring high quality digital prints of the famed designer and illustrator’s long-lost cookbook project, will be on display through Jan. 21, 2018.
In the 1940s, the Austrian-born graphic designer became the first female art director for Condé Nast and helped launch Seventeen Magazine, thus creating a new media category dedicated to young women. Andy Warhol once called her his favorite art director.
But unbeknownst to many, she was also privately painting vibrant gouache illustrations, in the pages of a sketchbook she kept at home, for her mother’s Eastern European Jewish recipes.
For reasons that are not clear it was never published, said the show’s curator Abby Goldstein. But writer Sarah Rich and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton found the sketchbook for sale through an antiquarian book seller. They teamed up with Maria Popova of the blog Brain Pickings and Debbie Millman of the podcast Design Matters to co-edit the book and get it published this month from Bloomsbury press.
When Goldstein, an associate professor of visual arts and a professional acquaintance of Millman, got wind of the project, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I said ‘Anything with Cipe Pineles, I want to be involved in,’” she said.
“Even as late as the 70s, women just didn’t have roles that were top tier. It’s not like today, where you have a woman in charge of The New York Times’ art department.”
Pineles has a compelling personal story, having immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1921 when she was 13. As such, Leave Me Alone With the Recipes also features notable biographical moments—from her 1942 marriage to William Golden, a designer most famous for creating the CBS eye logo, to her branding and design work for Lincoln Center to her influential teaching positions at Parsons School of Design, The Cooper Union, and Harvard University.
Her hand-drawn illustrations have a playful, personal feel to them that make them “just sing,” said Goldstein.
“They bring to mind home cooking and a real sense of nostalgia of family and history. The colors are just so inviting that they draw you in,” she said.
“Very few people will realize that it’s not computerized, but if you look closely at it, you can tell. There are typefaces that have been made based on this, but this type is just beautifully handwritten. The illustrations are all done from scratch, just like the cooking.”
For more information, visit fordhamuniversitygalleries.com


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Have you ever heard of B.J. Fogg? He is a pioneer in the field of “captology”, better known as the study of the persuasive power that computers have over humans. This concept may have sounded far-fetched back in 1993, but now it’s a reality we all know too well.
Mobile phones have long been used just to talk to other people. Mr. Fogg was ahead of his time when he predicted that they would become a powerful marketing tool that any business should consider utilising.
Now we talk, get informed, connect and purchase via our smartphones – exactly the prediction Fogg made. A Stanford news article from 2007 cites the following:
“Fogg, who directs the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab at the Center for the Study of Language and Information, says that in a decade, mobile phones and other portable devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs) will become a more important platform for persuasion than television is right now.”
A decade has passed, and it turns out he was right. Businesses have gone mobile and will continue to do so in the following years, because they have recognised that that way they can reach a much broader audience.
The advantage these mobile devices have is a practical one. Fogg said:
“It has to be a device you can carry with you without inconveniencing yourself; something like a laptop is portable, but not mobile. You can’t really carry your laptop with you anywhere, whereas a mobile phone you can put it in your pocket and forget it’s there.”
The best part about our relationship with smartphones is that it’s almost like a marriage.
We don’t go anywhere without them and rely on them to make our life easier. And the best part about marketing via smartphones is that we have no limitations regarding topics and audiences.
So, if your business has a mobile app, then it also has an efficient marketing tool ready to be utilised. The big players are already on board, and so should you.
The estimated number of apps downloaded in 2017 is nearly 197 billion, which means that apps aren’t going anywhere. But they are evolving, and so are mobile app trends.


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Federal Student Aid’s new mobile app for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, myStudentAid, has simplified and streamlined the FAFSA application process for OSU Institute of Technology students.
In October 2018, FSA launched a mobile app to complete and submit the FAFSA, virtually anywhere, beginning for the 2019-2020 FAFSA cycle. Students and parents are both able to electronically sign and submit the application from their cellular device.
“The app aims to speed up the financial aid process,” said Chi Dungee, assistant director of financial aid & scholarships. “The convenience of the FAFSA mobile app encourages student and families to complete FAFSA’s in a more timely fashion.”
The 2019-2020 FAFSA became available via the mobile app October 1, 2018, and closes June 2020. The earlier the FAFSA’s are submitted, the sooner the financial aid office is able to package the student aid and begin the verification process for the selected students.
“We have already had several students submit their FAFSA’s via the mobile app,” said Dungee.
Zoee Lovett, an OSUIT student submitted her FAFSA through the mobile app this year. “It was super easy to use and it took a lot less time through the app then on the actual website. After I used the app I called my best friend who has also had problems with filling it out online and told him how easy it was to use.”
In addition to the convenience factor of the mobile app, the number of questions has been reduced and a skip logic technology has been implemented so only questions that are relevant to the submitter are displayed.
FSA also launched a mobile-friendly version of their website for those who prefer to use their internet browser on their phone, versus the app.
“Getting the application on mobile devices will boost FAFSA filing numbers,” said Dungee. “Some families may not have access to a PC or laptop, but someone or everyone in the family has access to a smartphone.”
Internet access was the deciding factor for Lovett, “I chose to use the mobile app because the house my mom lives in does not have internet so we were never able to be near a computer at the same time,” said Lovett. “I am excited to use the app again.”
The myStudentAid Mobile App is available for download in the Apple App Store(IOS) or Google Play(Android). For more information on the mobile app or mobile-friendly version of the FAFSA, please visit the myStudentAid website or reach out to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships.


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Tuesday April 25th 2023
Orocco has appointed Aaron Bolton as its first brand manager.
Dalkeith-based construction firm Orocco has appointed Aaron Bolton as its first brand manager as it targets sustained growth in the next 12 months.
The company has established itself as one of the sector’s most forward-thinking businesses since its formation in 2012.
From the introduction of a four-day working week two years ago to accepting cryptocurrency as payment for projects, Orocco has been pushing industry barriers.
The recruitment of Bolton, most recently with Bauer Media as part of Forth 1’s content team, is another ambitious move for the firm which specialises in high-end building and renovation work.
“We have worked hard to establish the Orocco brand over the years and are well known for our quality of craftsmanship,” said managing director Jonny Blurton.
“We have brought Aaron in to help take us to the next level. He has done some work for us before and has some great ideas. He will be a key member of the team at an important period for the business as we strive to
keep making an impression in the sector in the coming year.”
Bolton said: “I’m excited to help showcase the inspiring builds and renovations Orocco continue to deliver across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“We have an incredibly talented team producing beautiful projects. Orocco is known for its high quality, and I’m delighted to help share the team’s outstanding work.”Tweet Share on Facebook


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US Federal Reserve Bank To Consider Earlier Interest Rate Hikes In 2022
- US Fed meeting minutes from December published this week
- Reveals consideration to hike up interest rates sooner, while shrinking balance sheet
- US Fed update seen bring S&P500 and ASX indexes lower by up to 1.9 and 0.3 per cent
Indications that the US Federal Reserve Bank could possibly raise their interest rate policy sooner than later in 2022 have freshly surfaced upon the publishing of its December meeting’s minutes just this week. Within the meeting minutes published on Wednesday, analysts note a mounting eagerness among US Federal Reserve officials to hasten a raised cash rate in light of additional inflation risk.
While the central bank had earlier in September maintained its commitment to low interest rates at 0.15 per cent, this latest decision to raise short-term rates sees the Fed maintaining a cautious balancing act of addressing mounting inflation without causing needless strain on still-recovering business activity. At its highest level in 39 years, US inflation rates are tracked at 6.9 per cent since November 2021, with domestic producer prices expected to rise sharply, following suit.
The Fed’s major shift in attitude towards bringing interest rate hikes forward mirrors its commitment to address inflation as a priority concern ahead of 2022. The sentiment arises from inflation not as a transitory economic effect, but the direct result of supply chain problems and correlating consumer demand brought about from global bottlenecks and other disruption caused by the pandemic. Strengthening employment figures and economic activity are also among indicators noted during the meeting, as reasons to warrant an earlier interest rate hike.
Fed officials additionally signalled the consideration of shrinking its US $8.67 trillion balance sheet along with the proposed raising of interest rates. As the Fed is scheduled to meet once more at the end of January, and later in March, speculation holds that the first interest rate hike of 2022 could possibly be instated as early as in March. Reasonably, inflation fears stimulated discussion and the growing inclination towards an earlier raising of interest rates. However, potential risks brought about by the continuing spread of the Omicron variant were also a prominent theme during the meeting, despite most officials not anticipating any drastic effects it could produce upon the economy.
The rapid rise of Omicron transmissions throughout the US have sparked fresh concerns on increasing inflation risks, especially with rising housing prices and potentially prolonged global supply bottlenecks already threatening to impede global and domestic economic recovery. While economists are on the fence about its ability to significantly derail retail recovery, its effects undoubtedly present lingering uncertainty for the US market at-large.
Fed Meeting Minutes Produce Correlating Dips to US and Australian Indexes
Once published, the latest Fed meeting minutes saw the S&P 500 index tracking lower by up to 1.9 per cent — noted as its biggest loss since November. Further to the market development, analysts read an 80 per cent chance of a 25 basis-point hike to come with the Fed’s planned meeting in March.
Market effects were similarly seen with Australian shares expected to open lower following the Fed update. The ASX futures market saw a dip by 0.8 per cent, while the Australian dollar likewise tracked lower by 0.3 per cent.


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‘To ensure a stable recovery, the hospitality and retail sectors—which historically employ high numbers of people of color, young adults, immigrants and entry-level workers—must find creative solutions to rebuild their workforces.‘
The holiday season normally means economic booms for New York City’s retail and hospitality sectors. The COVID-19 landscape, however, is unrecognizable. New York City may receive only one-third of the visitors it did in 2019, leaving hotel rooms, shopping centers and restaurants virtually empty. This could deal yet another blow to already suffering industries.
Nearly one-third of all New York City workers are now receiving unemployment, many of them retail and hospitality workers. While the retail and hospitality sectors have begun to bounce back, recovery has been uneven and does not always benefit the low-income workers who most need relief.
To ensure a stable recovery, the hospitality and retail sectors, which historically employ high numbers of people of color, young adults, immigrants and entry-level workers, must find creative solutions to rebuild their workforces. The nonprofit I lead, Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI), works to increase the effectiveness of people and programs that build pathways out of poverty through programs that provide job placement training, assistance and support.
We recently hosted two employer symposiums focused on these sectors. Workforce development professionals in New York City heard directly from employers about the pandemic’s impact on their businesses, what roles they’re hiring for now and how they see their sectors adapting and innovating going forward. Their recommendations can help guide the city to a robust—and equitable—economic recovery.
- Embrace “non-traditional” roles: When people think of retail and hospitality jobs, they usually picture sales associates, cashiers, line cooks, concierges, and servers. It’s true that these jobs have taken a hit, but many retailers have seen a big increase in e-commerce sales since March and have since moved traditional retail workers to manage inventory or maintain online orders.
Organizations have had to adapt their business models to meet the needs and challenges of the current moment, and with that comes new employment opportunities. Companies that can afford to pivot and hire workers who may have been displaced from their original jobs should do so.
- Anticipate areas of new demand: CVS, one of the employers represented in our retail employer symposium, has pivoted as demand for pharmaceutical care grows. CVS plans to hire 15,000 workers to prepare for expected increases in coronavirus and flu cases in the United States during the fall and winter months. This follows the most ambitious hiring drive in the company’s history in March.
As flu season converged with an impending second wave of COVID-19 cases, the company knew that the demand on CVS’ pharmaceutical services would be more intense this year. Anticipating an unprecedented upswing, leadership employed a wave of full-time and part-time licensed pharmacy technicians at CVS Pharmacy locations to help administer COVID-19 tests, process prescriptions and dispense medications. The retail industry can learn from CVS’ example by anticipating potential market shifts and hiring accordingly.
- Help employees see the career potential in retail and hospitality jobs: Many hospitality and retail roles attract entry-level workers because they offer some of the best paying jobs for people without college degrees. At the same time, these industries historically have extremely high turnover, which can disincentivize employers from investing in job training. Employers need to help entry-level employees see potential career paths they may not know exist, like inventory management and e-commerce website development, and encourage them to take advantage of educational or managerial advancement opportunities.
- Soft skills remain critical: Strong interpersonal and customer service skills can play a huge role in setting applicants and employees up for success. The ability to maintain a positive and empathetic attitude, communicate well, think critically and present creative ideas is more valuable than ever as these industries innovate in real time. Millions of people who lost their jobs during the pandemic need to get back to work. Applicants who can show they have passion and drive in addition to technical skills stand out most.
- Partner with the workforce development sector: Rebuilding the workforce in New York City and nationally will require the coordinated efforts of many sectors, including workforce development. Workforce training organizations provide low-income and marginalized communities with the skills, knowledge and employer networks needed to connect employers looking for skilled workers with applicants looking for well-paying careers with growth potential. By connecting employers to candidates with sufficient technical and soft skills, workforce development professionals can help organizations rebuild their workforces and fill the new kinds of roles the pandemic created.
The pandemic exacerbated many social inequities, including access to employment opportunities. In addition to encouraging public officials to enact fiscal and economic policies that ensure the dignity of those whose jobs were lost, we need to provide jobseekers with the training and upskilling needed to meet changing demands. With thoughtful coordination between the public, private and nonprofit sectors, we can create a more sustainable and equitable workforce system that supports the retail and hospitality sectors on which New York City depends.
Sharon Sewell-Fairman is the executive director of the New York City Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI).


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By Kari Williamson
The loss came as sales dropped 5% to €921m, hit by project postponements in Southern Europe.
Furthermore, Nordex was hit by an 80% tumble in orders from China over the course of the year, leading to a 57% drop in Asian sales. Although US sales doubled, this was not enough to cancel out the negative effect.
Nordex has already started a cost-cutting programme, aiming to bring down costs by 15% by the end of 2012. As part of the cuts, the wind turbine maker has laid off 253 full-time employees.
The company is also in talks with potential partners for a joint venture for its offshore wind turbine business.
Fairer wind in 2012
On a more positive note, the order intake for the year reached €1.1 billion, up 32% from 2010, and the value of firm orders jumped 70% to €698m. This has led the Nordex board to issue an outlook for 2012 expecting sales of €1-1.1bn and an EBIT margin of 1-3%.


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PUBG 2.5 Update Release Date & Time
The PUBG 2.5 update release date and time is almost upon us, and it will bring with it the much-anticipated 5th Anniversary event. So, naturally, players want to know when the new content is coming out and when they can begin playing it. Well, that’s what we’ll be talking about in this article, so let’s dive in!
PUBG Mobile 2.5 Update Release Date and Time
The release date and time of PUBG Mobile update 2.5, aka the 5th Anniversary update, is March 14th, 2023 at 11 AM (UTC+0). Or, at least, that’s when the developers will begin pushing the update according to the official announcement. The exact launch dates and times will actually differ depending on where you live. It seems that the new content will come out on March 14th at 11 AM in Vietnam, March 15th at 2 AM in Japan and Korea, March 15th at 9 AM in Taiwan, and March 16th globally. That’s on the Google Play Store. As for the App Store, the update should release globally on March 16th as well, though we don’t know the exact times for either global launch. If you know the precise hours, let us know in the comments.
So, that’s the release date and time of the PUBG Mobile 2.5 5th Anniversary update. As for what the developers have cooked up for you, there’s a full list in the post we’ve linked above. The “key updates” include, of course, the 5th Anniversary themed gameplay, the new World of Wonder mode, updates to Gear Fronts (supported maps are Erangel and Livik) and updates to firearms, such as new tactical attachments and slots and more. One thing that does bear mentioning is that the 5th Anniversary event will kick off on March 18th at 2 AM (UTC+0) and end at April 14th at 11:59 PM (UTC+0). Make the most of the month-long event!


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Epic Games have announced the time and date for the v10.10 Fortnite patch update.
UPDATE: The update has been delayed and no new time has been announced as yet. We will update this article once a time has been confirmed by Epic Games.
Epic Games have announced the time and date for the v10.10 Fortnite patch update. This will be the first major update for Fortnite Season X with Epic releasing the v10.00 content update that introduced the automatic sniper rifle.
The v10.10 patch update will release tomorrow, August 13th and the Fortnite server downtime will begin at 4 AM ET (8 AM UTC).
Epic usually update the MOTD (message of the day) in-game before announcing the time and date of the update to let players know what the next item will be in Fortnite Battle Royale, however, the feed has yet to be updated. It’s likely the we’ll know the item after the item shop updates tonight at 1 AM BST.
Last week, Epic announced the content update before the in-game news feed update, but they dropped a hint at what the next item would be, which was the automatic sniper rifle. As you can see from the announcement tweet below, no hint was provided as to what the new item will be.
Patch v10.10 is almost here!
Downtime begins tomorrow, August 13 at 4 AM ET (0800 UTC).
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 12, 2019
As the v10.10 update is a major patch update, we’ll likely see a number of new files in the update including upcoming skins, emotes and other cosmetics, the item that’ll be available in next week’s content update and more.
Be sure to follow us over on Twitter @Fortnite_BR and turn on website notifications so you don’t miss any of the latest Fortnite news and leaks.


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MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- More than 200 cars -- from speedsters to
classics -- will be on display Sunday during the Burbank Kiwanis for Fun
Club's car show to benefit the Burbank Temporary Aid Center.
Admission is free but organizers are asking those who come bring a can
or two of food for the aid center's food pantry.
As part of the event, a pancake breakfast will be served from 7:30 to
9:30 a.m. Food and drink will be available during the show, which will
include music, opportunity drawings, a bake sale and more than 70
The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Johnny Carson
Park, Bob Hope Drive at Parkside Avenue. For information, call 848-7576


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Scott Legato / Getty Images
Rapper Eminem’s pivotal song “Lose Yourself” from the 2002 film 8 miles, has probably inspired many listeners and artists with his Urgent and motivational letters.
And now it is also inspired a pasta restaurant, thanks to this memorable line:
“His palms are sweaty, his knees are weak, his arms are heavy / There is already vomit on his sweater, mom’s spaghetti …”
A new restaurant called “Mom’s Spaghetti” opened Wednesday in the artist’s hometown of Detroit.
The restaurant concept is actually the result of a partnership between the Eminem team and a local restaurant group, and began as a pop-up store in 2017.
“Mom’s Spaghetti” has appeared at several Eminem live festivals since then and delivered food to frontline hospital workers and COVID-19 vaccinators in Detroit during the pandemic. according to a press release.
Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s manager, said in a statement that fan response has been “overwhelmingly positive,” calling the above pop-ups “really a test so that we can determine if there was enthusiasm for a Mom’s Spaghetti spot that occurs regularly. . be open all year round “.
The physical space consists of a restaurant window without an elevator and a store of articles and objects of interest on the upper floor called “The Trailer” (in another nod to 8 miles). It is small and “limited to eight Stans” at a time, the statement said.
The restaurants the menu is simple, which offers spaghetti (plain, with meatballs or vegan “rabbit balls”) and ‘sghetti sandwiches, all for under $ 15.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we created a scratching sauce that tastes like straight out of the jar, and cooking the noodles in a wok gives you that leftover pasta snap,” said Curt Catallo, co-owner of Union Joints Restaurant Group. “The direct access window and the small dining area for people to eat add to the feeling that this is a DIY home experience.”
A local commercial helped spread the word ahead of the restaurant’s grand opening Wednesday night. the Detroit Free Press reports that many fans camped out all day for a spot in line, which then spread across blocks.
And some lucky fans got more than just a box of spaghetti to go. Eminem made a surprise appearance, serving the top 10 fans online both food and selfies. The usually lonely rapper and his entourage piled into a pair of SUVs and sped away. Detroit Free Press he observed, “persecuted in the Beatlemania style by Woodward by groups of fanatics.”
This story originally published on the Morning edition live blog.


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DREAM SCENE: NASA has awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation funding to help in developing its Dream Chaser spacecraft. The craft is a small shuttle that could carry seven people and some cargo to and from the International Space Station. It'll be launched on top of a rocket and after its visit to the ISS will fly to a landing on a conventional runway. Leaving the planet it almost becoming routine, it seems. DVICE has further info.
HEALING HEAT: If you have a wound stitched up you have to keep looking at it to see how things are going. But what say the sutures themselves could report back on progress? US researchers have developed a new suture that contains ultrathin silicon sensors integrated on polymer or silk strips. They can precisely measure temperature that could indicate infection, and deliver heat to help with healing. The sutures can even be knotted without degrading the device. Delivering healing heat too is a nice touch. Technology Review has more.
COOL CAMO: Bomb blasts release intense heat, and that heat may burn the faces of soldiers or firefighters. If the soldiers are wearing camouflage face paint the burns may be made worse as the paint is often based on oils and waxes. Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi have come up with a camouflage face paint based on silicone that could protect its wearer for a vital few extra seconds.
Silicone absorbs heat outside of the spectrum produced by the intense flames of a bomb blast. The paint could also be further developed to help fireproof clothing and other fabrics. New Scientist details. Check out the video.
THE KEY TO CLEAN: Dropped half your lunch on the keyboard again? Logitech's Washable Keyboard K310 is what you need. It's designed to be dumped into a sink full of cool water if you spill food or drink on it. Then give it a bit of a wash by hand. Drainage holes at the back help it dry off quickly too. Or just eat your lunch elsewhere. Logitech explains. Video here.
AIR CAR: The tiny three-wheeled two-door AirPod car from MDI in France runs on compressed air rather than on electricity or conventional fuels.
The car can travel at up to 80 Kph and run for 150 to 200 Km, at a cost of only 1 Euro for fuel. The car itself produces no pollution, but compressing the air in the first place relies on power whose generation may create carbon emissions. It also doesn't have a steering wheel. Instead it uses a joystick. Yes, the car does run on air. MDI elaborates. Here's the vid.
Miraz Jordan, knowit.co.nz


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Zopper, a Noida, India-based SaaS Insurtech firm that offers corporate, motor, life, and health insurance through its SaaS platforms, announced that it raised $75 million in its series C funding.
Bengaluru-based venture capital firm Creaegis led the round with participation from ICICI Venture and Bessemer Venture Partners. Existing investor Blume Ventures also participated in the round.
The company plans to develop its SaaS platform with more hires in its data and research teams.
Zopper plans to use the fund raised to bolster its SaaS platform and data analytics capabilities, build a next-generation data engineering team, fuel business development initiatives, undertake inorganic growth, and explore opportunities in the international market.
The funding comes almost eight years after its last round from Tiger Global in 2015, where it raised around $20 million. In fact, in 2018, payments company PhonePe bought the point-of-sale (PoS) business of Zopper, which then shifted its focus to insurance SaaS development.
"We aim to touch $500 million of gross premiums by 2024, and we are also very excited to get into partnerships to expand our operations in other geographies," said Surjendu Kuila, Co-Founder and CEO of Zopper to Moneycontrol, in an interaction. The firm is also planning to hire more than 200 employees, especially in the data engineering and software development teams, by the end of the next year."
Company: Solvy Tech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Round: Series C
Funding Month: September 2022
Lead Investors: Creaegis
Additional Investors: ICICI Venture, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures
Company Website: https://www.zopper.com/
Software Category: Embedded Insurtech platform
About the Company: Founded in 2011 by Surjendu Kuila, Neeraj Jain, and Mayank Gupta, Zopper is an embedded insurtech platform that aims to revolutionize insurance distribution via its SaaS platform, deep integration layer, and data analytics capabilities. Zopper currently has a presence in over 1,200 Indian cities and has partnered with over 150 players in the industry, including retail group Amazon, ride-hailing startup Ola, retail chain Croma, phonemaker Xiaomi, Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, and Equitas Small Finance Bank. Zopper helps B2B and B2C organizations to offer various insurance products and provides end-to-end technology and service offerings to insurers. The company offers corporate, motor, life, and health insurance through its SaaS platforms.


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The COVID-19 crisis caught everyone off guard, and that includes the luxury industry. But little by little we saw brands adapt, moving their marketing efforts online in order to better serve their consumers at a time when most of us were required to stay at home. L’Oréal was one of the first companies to pioneer this, stopping all offline advertising back in February and using the extra budget to invest in campaigns that actually helped it surpass its typical sales, despite the crisis.
How was this possible? Well, Coronavirus devastated and changed our world to the extent that it actually offered a chance for brands to reinvent themselves as leaders in digital luxury, especially if, like L’Oréal, they moved fast. It also gave a more urgent incentive for luxury brands to experiment with digital marketing ideas they may have put on the backburner, which were suddenly required in order to keep their business afloat.
Now that the world is tentatively emerging from the era of Coronavirus, digital marketing cannot simply revert to normal, with the crisis triggering a revolution in what consumers expect from their online experience.
If you’re looking for new, exciting ideas to elevate your luxury brand, look no further than Relevance’s advice on how to adapt in the current climate.
Don’t get left behind: Fresh digital marketing ideas for luxury brands
Digital shops and shows
If your brand had any big events planned which you have simply postponed ‘until further notice’, think again. Granted, it may be necessary for some events to be moved to next year – for example, a charitable bike ride or a culinary tasting fair – but many just require a little out-of-the-box thinking to take them into the online space. If these events are important to driving business – and if they aren’t, perhaps ask yourself why you are hosting them anyway – find a way to make them happen.
Leading the charge in China, luxury brands have been using digital marketing platforms to engage with their clients for some time, with online estimated to account for 14% of luxury spending in this vast country. This has meant that brands in China have been quick to make up for missed in-person events online. For example, on February 25, Dior live-streamed the catwalk show for its 2020 A/W women’s collection in Paris on chat platform Weibo.
Louis Vuitton also launched an exclusive pop-up store for Valentine’s Day via a WeChat mini-program that allowed customers to place orders online. Store associates were able to share exclusive offline promotions to customers via QR code, with pre-sale consultations and post-sale customer services offered digitally, and the brand partnered with SF Express to ensure all orders were delivered in plenty of time. This saw Louis Vuitton double its online sales compared to Valentine’s season 2019, despite the lack of in-person shopping.
Other luxury brands around the world have also adapted to this new way of hosting clients, with luxury digital launches by the likes of Bentley providing a new way of keeping the momentum going for new products released in these strange times, when hosting a large launch event in-person is sadly not feasible. Invitations to these events can either be discreetly shared with fans via email or shared on Instagram for a way of building excitement worldwide, as we can see with Bentley’s 2021 Bentayga launch.
Move to e-commerce
The move towards e-commerce – and generally towards digital marketing by luxury brands – has been slow, with the belief that consumers struggle to make expensive purchases online permeating the industry. However, here change has been born out of necessity – with no stores to go to during the pandemic, luxury retailers have had no choice but to sell their products online. This report by the HUB Institute recently predicted that the luxury sector would grow from 5-10% of sales taking place online – the current stats – to 20-25% of digital sales, although the timeframe on this is unclear.
When we consider comparisons with other industries such as electronics, which is currently hitting around the 45% mark of products sold online, the disparity in luxury sales becomes clear. Pandemic or not, the fact is that luxury consumers are now online, and brands need to be able to offer online shopping as an option. Brands such as Gucci and Hermès have embraced this, with Gucci opening themed temporary stores called ‘Pin’ which feature interactive and immersive digital experiences, and Hermès opening up limited sales from their Spring/Summer collection on WeChat despite its reputation for avoiding digital sales. Going forward, exciting experiential concepts will be the key to ensuring luxury online stores are set apart from the mass-market retailers.
However, for some luxury retailers this change is very much temporary. Patek Philippe allegedly noted that once the pandemic is over, the brand will “return to selling things the old way: In-store.” It will be interesting to see how this plays out post-COVID-19, and whether this decision sees the luxury watch brand lose out on sales.
Virtual, more personalised experiences
Virtual experiences such as those delivered by 3D, VR and AR technology are the main ways for brands to distinguish themselves online, becoming an essential part of many digital marketing strategies during the Coronavirus crisis. These tactics have been used by both luxury and mass-consumer brands, but typically luxury brands will take extra care to offer a smooth, high-quality and ultra-personal experience.
3D has been found to create a better UX for digital shoppers, with one Haptic Media study concluding that on average, companies which replace 2D product displays with 3D ones achieve 40% higher conversion rates and average a 30% sales increase. The beauty industry has been fast to pick up on this trend, with Guerlain offering customers the option to view its Rouge G Range in 3D, and to customise the lipstick in a vast number of ways personal to them. As a result, the webpage for this lipstick line enjoyed twice the conversion rate of any other page on Guerlain’s website.
Augmented reality was arguably first introduced to the luxury industry through beauty, with apps such as ModiFace – which has just been acquired by L’Oréal for use in its stores – scanning the user’s face and allowing them to try on makeup, new eye colours, new hairstyles and more. A study by Gartner has revealed that 100 million consumers were expected to shop in Augmented Reality online and in-store by 2020.
In the yachting landscape, there are several companies at the forefront of delivering Virtual Reality, used to better convey a designer’s visions before a yacht is completed or even as a first tour for an interested buyer. Meanwhile, many luxury real estate agents and yacht brokers now offer 360-degree tours of their properties, some of which were introduced in the COVID-19 crisis but will continue to be offered to those who are not able to make an in-person viewing. Relevance has been working with its clients to ensure they can offer these 360-degree videos to entice customers.
Increasing brand affinity with cause marketing
Coronavirus is a worldwide crisis that has seen so many in need of help. As such, as the virus began to spread, many luxury brands saw it fit to support their communities in any way they could. Supporting this cause generally led to higher brand publicity and ultimately affinity amongst consumers, with people typically having a high level of respect for companies that behave charitably towards causes they believe in.
Luxury multinational brand LVMH was one of the first fashion companies to join the fight against Coronavirus, using the production lines of its perfume and cosmetic brands to instead manufacture hand sanitiser, which would be delivered for free to health authorities. World-famous sports car brand Ferrari also donated €10 million to help tackle Coronavirus. The money went to the Italian Civil Protection Department, as well as Specchio dei Tempi/La Stampa, an Italian social assistance organisation working in some of the hardest-hit areas of Italy. This is just a very small selection of luxury brands who were a force for good during the pandemic – to see more luxury businesses who helped, click here.
Although we are now moving into a post-Coronavirus society, digital marketing efforts going forward should be careful to not simply forget the crisis and act insensitively. The aim of cause marketing is to show social responsibility and help to better society, and consumers will be turned off by brands who instantly return to ‘normal’. Brands should also continue to support more causes that line up with their brand values, using their voices for good.
The Black Lives Matter movement saw businesses like the Kering conglomerate, which owns Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Bottega Veneta, and which also committed €2 million to the Hubei Red Cross Foundation, donate an undisclosed amount of money to the NAACP civil rights organisation. Luxury brands can seem like an unnecessary entity in times of crisis, so use cause marketing to show your social worth.
More relevant influencer marketing
Influencer marketing was already a popular method of digital marketing for luxury brands, but a worldwide quarantine saw influencers take on a whole new status, becoming even more relevant as the entire world found itself largely stuck at home and desperately looking for entertainment. However, the content they posted was not the aspirational imagery that we may have been used to pre-pandemic. Instead, it was adapted to quarantine life, with highlights on lifestyle content such as home workouts, home spa sessions, and delicious recipes.
A number of luxury brands, such as Gucci, handed their Instagram profiles over to influencers, who shared fragments of their lives, musical performances, readings and beauty advice. This allowed Gucci to provide a more useful voice during this difficult time, offering relatable content that was less ball gown and more down to earth. Gucci has also taken to TikTok to promote wellbeing and self-care to the platform’s primarily Gen Z audience. During lockdown, videos showing home make-up tutorials and illustrated stories showed viewers that Gucci understood the unique position they were in.
We also saw newer luxury brands such as Parisian designer Jacquemus making their mark on the platform, with Jacquemus posting dance challenge videos showcasing its clothing and funny excerpts displaying its range of other products. Of course, TikTok itself saw an incredible uptick in users during quarantine, with March this year seeing 75.5 million new downloads, a growth of around 25% compared to February, making it something that luxury brands could no longer ignore.
As the world slowly returns to normal, luxury brands should continue to act outside of their comfort zone in an effort to reflect the experiences of their customers, working with influencers who are able to authentically speak to their audience. They should not be afraid to allow influencers to offer more creative input, remembering that this is ultimately more likely to resonate with their followers and ultimately encourage a more natural appreciation of your brand.
Digital marketing ideas post-pandemic
This article has covered just some of the marketing ideas that we have seen flourish during the pandemic that are set to stay with us as we adjust to our post-COVID-19 world. If you would like to find out more about how to keep your luxury brand fresh and exciting, please get in touch with a member of our team.


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The Australian economy is likely to perform slightly worse than that of the United States over the next six to 12 months according to the managing director of $3.5 billion packaging giant Orora, despite uncertainty caused by the US presidential election.
Nigel Garrard says rising power costs in Australia are becoming an increasing issue and are one of the factors behind the more subdued local economic conditions.
Orora's gas and electricity costs in Australia were about $15 million higher in 2015-16 than the previous year.
"It's a big issue for us," Mr Garrard said on Monday. "Inevitably those costs need to be passed through to our customers, and to their customers."
Orora, which was split off from Amcor in a $2 billion de-merger in late 2013, runs 31 packaging and glass plants in Australia along with a large North American business. It delivered a better-than-expected 28 per cent rise in net profit after tax to $169 million for 2015-16. The shares soared more than 11 per cent by noon on Monday to $3.06. They were sitting at $2.06 in mid-December, 2015.
Mr Garrard said tight cost controls and the benefits of acquisitions helped underpin the strong result, with sales revenue rising by 13 per cent to $3.85 billion.
When one-off gains from the sale of land in Queensland were stripped out, underlying earnings growth was up 20.9 per cent. He said profits would be higher in 2016-17 than in 2015-16, but didn't give a specific forecast.
The packaging sector is widely regarded as an important bellwether for the health of a broader economy and Mr Garrard says the United States is faring "slightly better" at the moment, and this trend is likely to continue in the short term. This is despite the uncertainty of the looming United States presidential election.
"Our view is that we will see that continue for the next six to 12 months," Mr Garrard told reporters on a conference call on Monday.
Orora acquired the Texas-based IntegraColor point-of-sale packaging solutions business in March this year for $107 million. Mr Garrard said Orora was on the lookout for extra acquisitions, and was leaning more toward North America in its hunt to expand further.
"We will have a focus more on North America," he said.
Orora's total sales from North America in 2015-16 were up 29 per cent to $1.89 billion, and make up about 49 per cent of Orora's total sales. Australasian sales at Orora were up 1.1 per cent to $1.96 billion, with higher agricultural and grocery volumes in Australia, and a buoyant kiwi-fruit and apple season in New Zealand the bright spots.
Orora also snared extra market share in the beer industry and experienced higher levels of demand for its wine bottles. It is part way through a $42 million expansion of a wine bottle plant in South Australia.
Mr Garrard said rising electricity costs were a bigger impediment that rising gas costs. Electricity costs had risen by more than 20 per cent in 2015-16, and were set to go higher still, while gas price costs were up by more than 10 per cent, although he declined to give a specific number.
"We're a big user of electricity," he said adding that the power price spikes in South Australia in July were a serious concern.
Orora will pay a partially franked final dividend of 5¢ per share on October 17. The full-year payout of 9.5¢ is up 27 per cent on a year ago.
Orora's return on funds employed lifted to 12.7 per cent compared with 10.6 per cent a year earlier. Orora shares
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• China’s economic data releases surprise on the upside
• “Hard Brexit” concerns dominated markets through October
• Possible Fed hike in December coupled with ECB QE tightening concerns and revised inflation expectations saw global financial assets sell-off
• Renminbi added to IMF SDR basket; PBoC continue to maintain currency stability against CFETS basket
China’s data releases for September surprised on the upside; retail sales and industrial production were in-line with expectations and CPI beat the market consensus at 1.9%yoy with PPI bouncing into positive territory. The Q3’16 GDP reading matched market expectations at an annualised 6.7%yoy, unchanged from the previous quarter and on track to meet the government’s 6.5-7% target. The services sector once again expanded at a faster rate than the rest of the economy, contributing over 50% to growth. The Purchasing Managers releases for October remained supportive with the official manufacturing print bouncing to a 26 month high and in-line with the private Caixin reading, at 51.2. New orders, employment and raw materials all increased; this has seen some market makers bearish on China rethinking their forecasts and strategies. The non-manufacturing reading also surprised at 51.2, bouncing 1.1 points.


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Zephrex-D Solo Show In W.Va. Could Move Tamper-Resistant PSE To Starring Role
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
With CVS selling only Zephrex-D at its W.Va. stores, Walgreens planning to make a similar change and pseudoephedrine diversion to make meth also a problem in other states, other manufacturers of single-ingredient PSE products could feel pressure to start using tamper-resistant formulations.
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Westport Pharmaceuticals says a claim of being “highly” resistant to PSE-extraction distinguishes Zephrex-D from the competition, but the distinction alone is not adding up to market-share gains in the nonprescription nasal decongestant space.
Ohio and West Virginia chain Fruth Pharmacy begins replacing the 30 mg PSE products available in its stores with Acura Pharmaceuticals’ Nexafed product. Meanwhile, DEA says Westport Pharmaceuticals should not make an extraction-proof claim for its Zephrex-D PSE product.
Failing to qualify suppliers “one of the more common citations” FDA inspectors find at supplement facilities, says ORA deputy director Michael Dutcher. “If you're not sort of reconfirming once in a while it could lead to a problem with your products that you weren't even expecting.”


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KBC bucks trend with new branch
KBC Bank Ireland opens a new retail branch in Dublin today, bucking a trend that has seen most banks shrinking their business.
The new branch is at 142 Lower Baggot Street.
KBC Bank Ireland chief executive John Reynolds said that the opening of the Dublin office is the first phase of an expansion by the bank that will see it invest in new retail locations in a number of cities in Ireland.
"We have ambitious plans to grow our business and the opening of our new Dublin retail office is an exciting and important step in our drive to offer real choice to customers," Mr Reynolds said.


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2022 Hyundai Tucson: the official US version…
No surprises here. The new 2022 Hyundai Tucson for the US market looks the same as what we saw a few weeks ago. (Except a few details)
A 2.5 Liter engine with 187Hp is standard. While the familiar 1.6 Liter Turbo comes with the Hybrid and Plug-in hybrid versions.
The plug-in hybrid is expected to get 28 miles of EV range. Which isn’t much. And much less than the much more useful 42 miles of the Toyota RAV-4 Prime.
I have also read a few road tests of the new Sonata Hybrid, where most reviewers were complaining of a rough transition from electric to gas. Something Honda and Toyota have mostly fixed by now…
Pricing will be announded soon.