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No less than 85% of the world’s raw material for rattan comes from Indonesia. As rattan vines hung in the thick stands of forests. Because of its nature, rattan is an indicator of the ecological health of forests, it is not excessive if rattan is known as a green product.
For some tribes in Indonesia, such as the Dayaks, socio-cultural rattan cultivation is a part of daily life. For hundreds of years, rattan has been traditionally cultivated and maintained by the community.
From farmers or rattan seekers in the forest, rattan is then traded through intermediary traders. The end result of this trade flow, rattan is included in the production process of making furniture such as chairs and various other handicrafts.
“Rattan used to be the foundation of our lives, around the 1980s, by taking 1 quintal of rattan from the forest, I was able to pay tuition for one semester, but now the selling price of rattan cannot meet the cost of living, 1 kg of rattan is only valued at the most expensive 3,500 rupiahs, “Sarwepin from the Central Kalimantan Katingan Rattan Farmers Association (P2RK) revealed the problem of rattan prices in his village.
In Katingan Regency, it is estimated that there is a potential of 1,000 tons/month of rattan that can be harvested, from a total of approximately 325 thousand hectares of forest and rattan gardens cultivated by the community.
According to P2RK records, at least 61% of the total 44,000 households in Katingan have and or depend on rattan for their livelihood.
Darwin complained about the current low price of rattan. In addition to institutional issues at the farm level and handling of post-harvest rattan that has not been maximized, he specifically highlights government regulations that prohibit the sale of raw rattan for export purposes.
The regulation referred to Sarwepin is Minister of Trade Decree number 35/2011 concerning the prohibition of the export of raw and semi-finished rattan.
The reason behind the ban on rattan export itself for the Minister of Trade is to empower domestic industries. Before raw rattan was banned for export, most of the raw rattan material was exported to China and supported the furniture industry there.
It is rather ironic indeed, when China, which did not have rattan raw materials, was finally able to become the number one rattan furniture industry in the world.
Due to the rise of Chinese rattan furniture, the domestic rattan furniture industry, which is mostly located on the north coast of Java, has been hit and closed down. Furious to see this, the government also banned the export of raw rattan.
Data released by BPS, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Industry noted that after the closing of the raw rattan export tap, there was an increase in domestic production from USD 180 million in 2011 to USD 202 million in 2012. The biggest surge occurred in rattan furniture from USD 128 million to USD 151 million.
If the processed rattan industry surges, then what causes the price of rattan raw materials at the farm level outside Java to fall as complained by Sarwepin?
Shouldn’t it be when the industry is excited, as the government assumes it will attract demand for raw materials which will eventually increase the purchase price of rattan at the producer level?
The answer is too much supply (oversupply) at the farm level. With the closing of raw rattan export taps, rattan raw materials outside Java became abundant.
As revealed by Haryadi Himawan, Director of Social Forestry Development, the Ministry of Forestry, which states that the absorption capacity of the domestic rattan industry is only 20-30% of the total rattan raw material produced by farmers.


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The acquisition of the Swansea facility includes a 40-acre water source in the heart of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
The Highland Spring Group is the UK’s largest bottled water company and the Blaen Twyni site has serviced major UK supermarkets with still, sparkling and flavoured natural source water drinks for several years.
A key business priority for the independent, family-owned Radnor Hills has been to find an expansion opportunity in Wales that mirrors its other manufacturing base in Knighton, Powys.
Established in 1990, the Welsh drinks manufacturer has a turnover of £64.4m and produces over 400 million drinks every year. Its brands include a full range of Radnor Hills spring water, Heartsease Farm, Radnor Splash, and Radnor Fizz.
Commenting on the deal, William Watkins, founder and managing director of Radnor Hills said: “The Blaen Twyni site presented us with the ideal opportunity to expand our capacity with a plentiful source of pure natural Welsh spring water, which complements the supply of pure water we already have at our source in Heartsease.
“We’re excited to welcome the highly skilled and dedicated workforce from Blaen Twyni to our Radnor family. The opportunity for us to continue to safeguard jobs in Wales and to offer further employment opportunities to the local area in the fullness of time is extremely important to us.”
Simon Oldham, managing director of Highland Spring Group, said he was pleased to have agreed the deal and extended thanks to the operations team for their professionalism and support during the transition.
“We wish them and the team at Radnor the very best for the future,” he added.
In terms of Highland Spring's own future, Oldham said the business will be focused on driving its growth further, as the UK's leading plain bottled water brand, investing and developing in sustainable products which provide healthy hydration.

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Shoppers Drug Mart expands Wellwise concept
Shoppers Drug Mart is expanding its Wellwise concept, which is a resource aimed towards helping Canadians take charge of the way they age. The retailer announced that it will be offering the service to all those in Canada who are interested via wellwise.ca.
The e-commerce site features a broad selection of products and direct-to-home deliveries. Included offerings range from low-impact fitness to compression socks to physiotherapy products to support gadgets and mobility products.
“In creating Wellwise, we put the focus on wellness, not illness,” Theresa Firestone, SVP, healthcare businesses, Shoppers Drug Mart said. “Wellwise offers an enjoyable shopping experience that gives Canadians the tools and advice they need to age powerfully, not just comfortably.”
In addition to product purchases, the website also will offer subscription services to automatically ship frequently purchased items at regular intervals. Those who shop on the site get the added benefit of earning PC Optimum points on their purchases as well.
“At Wellwise, people can find everything from travel accessories to mobility products to help them stay in their homes longer,” Scott Wilks, vice president Shoppers Home Health Care and Wellwise said. “No matter what stage of life people are in, Wellwise will be an important resource for Canadians looking to take control of how they age.”
Back in September 2017, Shoppers Drug Mart launched the first pilot store of its Wellwise initiative, and now the company is looking to open a second location in April.
Rite Aid arms patients to help fight worst flu season in decade
In response to a flu season that health experts are calling one of the most severe in the past decade, Rite Aid is making sure its pharmacies are stocked with flu shots. The effort comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday the highest rate of influenza-like illnesses since 2009 and the highest flu hospitalization rate since 2010, when the agency began keeping such records.
The CDC also reported that between Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2018, flu and pneumonia accounted for 10% of deaths in the country.
“With the CDC reporting that we’ve not yet reached the peak of flu season and the potential for flu activity for several more weeks, we’re following the situation closely and making every effort to have flu shots available in all of our pharmacies,” Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid executive vice president of pharmacy, said. “We encourage anyone who hasn’t yet received a flu shot to get one today and protect themselves and those around them for the duration of the flu season.”
Flu shots are currently available at all Rite Aid pharmacies and are covered by most insurance plans with $0 co-pay, including Medicare Part B. Rite Aid certified immunizing pharmacists are able to administer flu shots, subject to state regulations, during pharmacy hours; no appointment is necessary.
Since pneumonia can be a serious and sometimes deadly complication of the flu, especially for older adults, the CDC also recommends the pneumococcal vaccine for those 65 and over. Rite Aid pharmacies also have supplies of pneumococcal shots, which can be administered at the same time as the flu shot, subject to state regulations. Like flu shots, pneumococcal shots are covered by many insurance plans and most customers with Medicare Part B will have $0 co-pay.
Rite Aid pharmacies also have supplies of the prescription medications Tamiflu and Relenza for those patients whose doctor has prescribed one of these medications. If necessary, Rite Aid pharmacists are trained to be able to compound Tamiflu for pediatric patients.
In addition, Rite Aid pharmacists are available to counsel customers on over-the-counter medicines, like pain relievers, cough and cold medicines and hydration products that can be used to help manage symptoms associated with the flu. To help prevent the spread of the flu, Rite Aid store shelves are also stocked with additional supplies of hand sanitizer and soaps, masks, gloves, tissues and household disinfectants.
Walmart reportedly pushing for higher online price points
A discount giant may be moving away from offering the lowest prices online.
Walmart is asking vendors to supply it with more merchandise priced at $10 and up. This is part of a major push to finally turn a profit at its online business, according to Reuters.
Sources told Reuters that Walmart is especially focused on dry grocery products, such as sauces, soaps and general merchandise items, including toys and home furnishings. Walmart’s goal is to see higher profit margins selling these more expensive items, given the built-in cost of delivering goods purchased online.
By offering the lowest prices online on every item, Walmart is incurring a shipping cost of $4 or $5. “It is not sustainable, and more importantly their shareholders won’t allow it,” one source said in the report.
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Geekay Group has announced its launch in the largest GCC market with a store in Riyadh Park Mall
Based in Dubai, Geekay Group has been operating in the Middle East since 1990 and today operates 35 stores in the region – Supplied
Geekay Group, an entertainment retailer and distributor in the Mena region, has announced its long-awaited entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with plans to open its first store at Riyadh Park Mall.
Elaborating further on the announcement, group officials said gamers will have a lot to look forward to when the new store opens this summer, offering a host of new experiences and access to global pop culture brands that have found themselves at home. among fans in the region. Dedicated to the development of the gaming industry in the GCC, the announcement of the new store in Saudi Arabia follows Geekay Group’s regional expansion campaign which now sees it operating 35 stores in the United Arab Emirates, Oman , Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. , in addition to an online e-commerce store.
“We are thrilled to finally announce our long-awaited entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our first store in Riyadh promises to bring our fans the very best in casual and professional level gaming and the latest in the world of gaming. pop culture and entertainment. Opening a new store is also an opportunity for us to get closer to our customers in Saudi Arabia and find new channels through which we can better serve them. We look forward to engaging with everyone who has long supported our vision in the GCC market, and together we hope to take our brand to even greater horizons,” said Kishan Palija, CEO of Geekay Group.
Saudi Arabia is currently home to 23.5 million gamers, or 67% of the national population. Studies from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reveal that if the popularity of gaming and esports continues to rise on its current trajectory, overall consumption in Saudi Arabia is expected to reach $6.8 billion by 2030 at a rate average compound annual growth (CAGR) of 22 percent – up from $959 million in 2020.
Additionally, BCG data also revealed that 21.1 million gamers in the country are already playing esports titles on a semi-professional or amateur basis. Additionally, hundreds of professional esports players pursue full-time careers.
Geekay Group COO, Nimit Palija, sees huge growth potential within the Kingdom’s gaming and esports community and says the current scenario will provide the group with rich opportunities to engage with active gamers and grow. other partners to advance the Kingdom on the world stage.
“We have watched over the years, and all the invaluable feedback we have received from our loyal customers points to a rich pool of talent in the Kingdom,” he said. “Gamers in Saudi Arabia are passionate and dedicated to their craft. We are happy to finally be on the same playing field as them and look forward to working together on many unforgettable experiences. At Geekay, we say there there is always more to come and it will always be exciting.


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American auto mainstay Ford has unveiled its long-awaited electric Ford F-150, dubbed Lightning, in an online event that represents its response to Tesla’s Cybertruck, and its first go at delivering a myth-busting, full-featured electric ute.
Executive chairman Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, introduced the launch from the automaker’s Dearborn factory in Michigan, describing the F-150 electric Lightning as the “smartest, cleanest F-150 ever” and just a “showcase of what’s to come from Ford”.
The launch made clear that this is a vehicle that is clearly aimed at tradespeople, and busting myths that electric vehicles are not suitable for anything but a short ride to the shops and back. If it were made in Australia it would be a clear dig at the misinformation perpetrated by the Morrison government, in particular Michaelia Cash’s comments in 2019 that being forced to buy electric vehicles would leave tradespeople without suitable transport.
In fact, it would seem that electric vehicles like the Ford F-150, which can supply power to devices (vehicle-to-load, or V2L) and homes (vehicle-to-home, or V2H) are even better suited to tradespeople.
The Ford F-150 “can help you build your house and if need be power that house,” said Ford during the launch.
And it won’t be a “six figure trophy truck” Ford CEO Jim Harley said in the launch today., but will compete directly with the Tesla Cybertruck with a starting price of under $US40,000, before US tax credits are applied.
However, what Farley didn’t mention is that this is for the as-yet-unveiled, stripped-down commercial version which will not be available until 2024. A “mid-series” model will cost from $US52,900 with a standard-range battery, and up to $US90,474 for the extended range model.
Specifications include a driving range of 370km for the base level F-150 Lightning, and 480km for the extended range option. Ford was coy about the battery capacity but indicated that the extended range battery is big enough to power a home for three days, based on 30kWh usage per day.
Always running on 4×4 and delivering a targeted 318kW power for the standard-range variant and 420kW for the extended-range, the Ford F-150 will have the fastest acceleration of any F-150 – 0-96.5km/hr in around 4.5 seconds. It will come with four selectable drive modes – normal, sport off-road and tow-haul.
With a considerable 1050 maximum torque, Ford says it will be able to tow up to 4.5 tonnes (3.5 tonnes for the standard-range model), and features like “smart hitch”, “hitch-assist” and “trailer reverse assist” will make towing a one person job, Ford CEO Jim Farley said during the launch: “It hauls ass and tows like a beast.”
Countering its massive pulling power and 900kg (816kg for the extended range) payload capability and with the inevitable drain on battery, the F-150 Lightning has on-board scales. It combines this data with factors such as weather, traffic, and towing to calculate the remaining driving range.
Powerhouse on wheels
Bidirectional charging capabilities will mean that the F-150 can “power an entire worksite” using up to 9.6kW of power at a time accessible through numerous outlets (enough to power an entire worksite, says Ford”.
These include eight 120-volt outlets (two in the cab, two in the bed and four in the “frunk”) on a 2.4kW “pro power” system for the standard-range variants. Upgrade to the extended-range variants and the top rate is upped to 9.6kW and a 240-volt outlet in the bed is thrown in.
This is complimented with V2H capabilities, hooking into memories of recent ice storms and lengthy power outages, able to power a home for three days.
The F-150 Lightning’s on-board charger has various options. Standard is the 11.3kW AC on-board charger that can recharge the battery in around 10 hours. The extended-range charges faster at a top rate of 19.2kW, topping up the battery to 100% from 15% in around 8 hours.
At a DC fast-charger the Lightning can charge at a maximum rate of 150kW from 15-80% in less than 45 minutes.
Inside, there is “plenty of room for five”, and connected intelligent features including zone lighting (including the ability to “light up your campsite”).
A 12-inch digital cluster and 15.5″ centre vertical screen allow access to various functions including the ability to map routes to chargers.
Let’s not forget the fact this is Ford’s first electric vehicle to feature “Bluecruise”, the carmaker’s semi-autonomous “hands-free” that can operate on pre-programmed 160,000km of US highways.
The Ford F-150 won’t be the only electric ute to bring high-end, off-road and tow-ready electric, but it may be the first to truly reach out to ute owners who aren’t disposed to make a leap to the more mould-breaking Cybertruck.
Now, if only it would make it to Australia (a spokesperson for Ford has confirmed there no plans as yet to bring it here). And if only our ministers could drive one, as President Biden did. See: “This sucker’s quick: Biden test-drives electric Ford ute, fleshes out EV plan
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.


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— Neustar Lisa Hook has been promoted to CEO from COO, while maintaining her post as president. She succeeds founding CEO Jeffrey Ganek who will remain chairman of the board. Prior to joining Neustar in 2008, Hook was president and CEO of Sunrocket, a consumer VOIP company.
— AT&T: App development veteran Peter Hill will lead AT&T’s innovation center initiative as VP of ecosystems and innovation. He previously led the technology behind the company’s U-verse TV service.
— Vibes Media: Julie Novack is joining as SVP of mobile solutions. She previously held a number of executive management positions at Razorfish, where she most recently was GM of digital experience and platforms.
— HipLogic: Two executives have been added to the management team: Jason Ling is now VP of product development and Stephanie Jorgl is head of marketing. Ling most recently headed mobile products and technology at MySpace (NSDQ: NWS), and Jorgl previously managed marketing for Opera.
— Where: Scott Hendrickson is now VP of ad sales. He comes from Sports Illustrated (NYSE: TWX), where he oversaw the youth portfolio as VP of sales and marketing.


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Student designers and models from schools all over Hong Kong gathered on March 25, in celebration of couture at Sha Tin College’s second annual charity fashion show, ‘Elysian’.
‘Elysian’ truly brought forth the innovativeness of Hong Kong’s youth. The fashion show allowed young designers to showcase their talents, as the unique garments seen on the runway were designed and created solely by students all over the city. ‘Elysian’ paraded a wonderful variety of personalities and every collection brought a new level of individuality to the stage. In between designs, student performers took center stage to show off their gifts for music and dance. It was, without a doubt, an eventful night.
Although the event sincerely displayed a great degree of professionalism, the behind-the-scenes proved to be a difficult task, everything from casting models to doing promotional photoshoots. “[The Elysian team] was separated into different departments, and throughout the organisation process, it was a gruelling challenge. But towards the end, everyone put their best efforts in”, shared student director Maja Chan of 12G1.
The team’s efforts did not go unrewarded. The night was a fantastic success; people from all corners of Hong Kong convened at the STC drama studio to watch the fashion show. In addition, major brands such as Topshop and Zalora sponsored the event; the audience even received coupons from a wide range of companies, and VIP ticket holders were additionally presented with exclusive gift bags.
As ‘Elysian’ came to a close, a raffle was drawn and several lucky audience members won prizes of all sorts.
All proceeds from the ‘Elysian’ fashion show will go to the ‘Girls Not Brides’ charity, an organisation committed to ending child marriage across the globe.
‘Elysian’ was indeed a glaring success. It was a true amalgamation of artistry and elegance, and we hope to see the show return again next year!
Serena Lung, 12G1


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📽 | Beating coronavirus one pint at a time. We talk to SwipeStation CEO Adam King about their pivot!
By Daniel Incandela, chief marketing officer, Conga Today, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an everyday marketing term and a buzzword. Besides blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT), it is probably one of the most referenced technologies amongst enterprises and their sales teams. Whilst it has the potential to transform everyday business, it is a […]
By Amy Robinson, senior brand development manager at Esendex Advancements in technology have drastically changed the way businesses communicate with their customers, and with more platforms available than ever before, firms are making the switch from sending physical mail, where only 2.5% receive replies, to methods like text messaging with 95% open rates. As technology has improved […]
By Elliot Maher, co-founder, Rising Tyde “Who is driving digital transformation in your business right now? Your CEO? Your CTO? Or Covid-19?” You’ve probably all seen this meme. It’s mildly amusing, but also true. The coronavirus outbreak has shifted the whole world pretty much entirely online, from working and learning to exercising and socialising. As […]
New figures released by the Office for National Statistics have revealed that investment in R&D in the UK has continued its long-term upward trend — reaching a new record of £37.1bn in 2018, an increase of 6.6 percent on the previous year.
By David Orme, Senior Vice President, IDEX Biometrics ASA How often has your workplace sanitised its fingerprint scanner, office door pin pad or access gates before now? I’d imagine the answer is: not very often. But as we all reassess everything that we touch amid the coronavirus pandemic, many organisations around the world are finding […]
The number of fraud professionals planning to use machine learning to tackle fraud in the next three years has doubled, finds research.
Voice is changing search marketing. Twenty per cent of mobile queries are voice searches, and ComScore believes at least 50% of all searches will be voice orientated by 2020. Unquestionably adoption of the technology is on the rise, and so it’s time for brands to begin optimizing for voice search. But voice search will not mimic […]
It is 44 years since the world’s first mobile phone call was made – and since then mobile telecoms have come a long way. But as technology improves are the mobile operators keeping up? Can they survive the future? Dave Millett of independent telecoms brokerage Equinox believes their future isn’t as rosy as it used […]
So that is three new phones, a watch, and a TV. Apple has been busy. Critics are legion, but they miss the point.
From pure-electric vehicles to hydrogen fuel-cell cars, plug-in hybrids and electric-range extenders, today’s automotive market boasts a number of alternative fuel options, making the petrol or diesel debate a thing of the past. In this article, we focus on the numerous advantages of Ultra-Low Emitting Vehicles (ULEVs) and how incorporating them into your fleet could […]


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The Internet’s effect on the brick-and-mortar economy gets more pronounced each year. With new restaurant delivery services flocking to the Twin Cities and Amazon continuing to grow, the way that consumers shop for their food is also changing. With a redesigned website, CobornsDelivers
is betting that now is the time to make its presence felt.
A subsidiary of Coborn’s Inc., the St. Cloud-based grocery store founded in 1921, CobornsDelivers began with the 2008 acquisition of SimonDelivers. With a name change and a connection to a Minnesota brick and mortar, the yellow CobornsDelivers trucks have been a regular site in the Twin Cities for the past 8 years.
“People come to us because they’re seeking convenience,” says e-commerce marketing manager Katie Boegel. “They stay with us because of our service.”
“We wanted to reintroduce ourselves to the Twin Cities market in a time when shopping online is more relevant than it was in 2008 when we first came here,” she further explains. The e-commerce company approached its web redesign the same way the company would remodel a physical store.
The emphasis was on mobile web use, and to make the process of buying groceries at home easier for both regular customers and first-time users by underscoring a navigation overhaul and better search and filtering options to speed up shopping. At the end, the checkout cart was a point of emphasis. Rolled out from May to September, the dividends already show. “Around 40 percent of our customers use their ‘Previously Purchased List,’” notes Boegel. The site is also seeing more mobile use.
Grocery delivery is popular for those with life changes: new disabilities, the elderly and new parents. But Coborn’s is hoping to extend its services all busy parents. Grocery delivery saves valuable time that can be reallocated to children or meeting other needs. It’s a new market and now is the time to forge those connections.
“The best practices that might work for the Amazons of the world aren’t always applicable to us,” Boegel stresses. There is a sensory and personal attachment to food. CobornsDelivers works hard to maintain that trust between computer, customer and neighborhood service reps (e.g. drivers).
“People have a tough time wrapping their mind around it: how fresh are your groceries really going to be; where are they coming from; and how are they getting to me? I think that’s easier for material goods like shoes or jeans,” she says of online shopping.
As a Minnesota based employee-owned company, she feels Coborns has a leg up on the competition. Drivers form bonds with customers through regular deliveries and "our warehouse model (which we call superstore) has real professional shoppers shopping for you very similarly to a grocery store," she adds. The company trains professional shoppers to pick out customer orders and select the freshest produce.
“They inspect your produce and we handpick every piece that goes in our orders,” she says. Though the process feels robotic to an online shopper, CobornsDelivers has over 200 employees, most of whom are on the delivery team or the shopping team. The company uses special internal software inside a superstore environment where employees fill multiple orders at once, before they are put into the big yellow delivery trucks.


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On its way to becoming a “unicorn?” Israeli open-source video platform Kaltura has raised a whopping $50 million from American investment bank Goldman Sachs, reportedly bringing its total capital to $165 million, and its valuation to $500 million.
Kaltura’s $50 million round is one of the largest financing rounds by an Israeli startup in recent months (mobile taxicab service Gett recently raised $300 million; and ride-sharing startup Via raised $100 million in May.)
Founded in 2006 , Kaltura’s open-source video platform enhances websites with customized video, and additional functionalities. Considered a mature startup, it has 1,000 paying corporate and educational customers – including Viacom, Vodafone, HBO, ABC, Turner, Warner Brothers and Paramount – whose Kaltura-powered video content is seen by 700 million people every month.
This is Kaltura’s “pre-IPO funding,” according to the company, which signals it plans to sell its shares to the public in an initial public offering (IPO) on the stock exchange, rather than sell to a bigger corporation through an ‘exit.’
Kaltura, which employs roughly 400 people in Israel and in offices around the world, says it will use the capital raised to extend its footprint around the world, and “to further its unique positioning as the ‘everything video’ company.”
“Video is booming,” Ron Yekutiel, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “It is the favorite data type for communication, collaboration, teaching and learning, marketing and entertainment.”
He added that Kaltura “is in a unique position to capitalize on this huge market opportunity since it provides the broadest set of video products and capabilities to customers across all industries.”
In other words, the company’s mission is to “’videofy’ companies and organizations all around the world,” he says.
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Engaging audiences across devices
Though we can no longer imagine the internet without video content, it’s still – perhaps surprisingly – a tricky medium for many. Different formats, large file sizes and a variety of operating systems and devices can make the use of video on the web difficult. Kaltura’s open-source video code allows its customers to easily manage their videos, including uploading, streaming and editing, as well as analyzing the content.
Basically, the system identifies which type of video input it receives and processes it in a way that enables different types of videos to be displayed through the same output method. Kaltura handles the various details involving the use of video online: copyright, information control, quality assurance, analytics system, moderation systems, etc.
Other Kaltura solutions include enterprise video solutions, such as webcasting for executive communications, and educational videos; Harvard, Yale and Stanford all use Kaltura for teaching purposes, according to the startup.
“Excellence, agility, and leadership”
Michal Tsur, one of Kaltura’s founders, previously sold Cyota, an online security firm to RSA Security for $145 million in 2005. Shortly after, she founded Kaltura.
“Kaltura has developed market-leading technology with a flexible architecture that stands out to us as a strong and sustainable advantage,” Hillel Moerman, co-head of Goldman Sachs’ private capital investing group, said in a statement. “Kaltura has an impressive roster of marquee customers across a large and diversified set of markets, and an experienced management team that has demonstrated excellence, agility, and leadership.”
Photos and video: Courtesy


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There is still one British Gas tariff that has not yet seen the massive 35 per cent price hike the company announced 10 days ago.
Energy experts have been recommending customers switch to fixed or capped tariffs as a means of controlling costs. But if you are prepared to shop around routinely to find cheapest prices, internet tariffs will be cheaper. The British Gas Click Energy 5 web-only tariff is still appearing in best-buy tables as the cheapest option for direct debit customers, costing a typical family in London around £832 a year or roughly £69 a month. But Mark Todd from utilities-switching website Energyhelpline.com says that customers on the internet tariff should still be prepared for their bills to go up too.
'We're expecting British Gas to raise its prices on Click Energy 5 by a similar amount as it did on other tariffs,' he says. 'But even once that tariff has also gone up, we still believe internet tariffs will be the cheapest option.'
According to Energyhelpline.com, at the moment it would be more than £500 cheaper to heat an average-sized two- or three-bedroom property in London on Click Energy 5 than on a standard British Gas tariff for gas and standard EDF tariff for electricity. Someone living in a one-bedroom flat in Manchester could save £258 on Click Energy 5, paying £474 a year. A British Gas spokesman admitted the tariff would rise, but was unable to say when.
After Click Energy 5, Npower's Sign Online 12 deal also offers considerable savings compared with standard tariffs. A family of four, living in a four-bedroom detached house, would pay approximately £1,096 a year on Sign Online 12, making a saving of £757.
Todd says: 'If you're on a fixed-price tariff, then stay put, as it's highly unlikely that you'll save any money if you switch. But to maximise savings, switch from a standard tariff to the cheapest online tariff instead.'
Customers who pay quarterly could save money by switching to a little-known and relatively small energy supplier, Ebico - Britain's only not-for-profit power company. Ebico is currently appearing as the second-cheapest provider, with the average household paying £962 a year in bills, and could suit consumers who don't want to stay with giant utilities firms.
Ebico uses Scottish and Southern as its supplier but works on the premise that every customer pays the same rate, regardless of whether they pay by direct debit, prepayment or quarterly.
'Other companies give direct-debit customers discounts, but we try to give everyone discounts,' says Phil Levermore, managing director of Ebico. 'Even if energy prices are rising, we will still treat customers in a fair way.'
Since other providers have pushed their prices up, Ebico has shot up the best-buy tables, according to Todd - but that too might not be for long.
'Scottish and Southern Energy is expected to be one of the last companies to raise prices, and while Ebico is a good company, they too will be raising prices later this year,' he says.
Levermore adds: 'With retail prices heading upwards, it's quite likely our prices will be rising too. That said, we're the only not-for-profit energy company and we believe in offering the fairest deal in the market.'


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Vivo Y73 (Symbol: Twitter / @stufflistings)
Vivo has teased its design throughout Vivo social media channels that displays the Vivo Y73 in two color choices – Red and Black.
The Vivo Y73 will debut in India on June 10, the corporate showed previous this week. The impending smartphone is being promoted by way of Vivo India’s new “Leader Taste icon” and Bollywood actor Sara Ali Khan who would even be doing a unique unboxing at the reputable release day. The Vivo Y73 is being touted as an ultra-slim software with simply 7.38mm in thickness. Particularly, the Chinese language tech corporate has introduced a few smartphones with equivalent measurements previously few months, such because the Vivo V20 from closing yr with 7.38mm thickness. The corporate has additional teased its design throughout Vivo social media channels that displays the telephone in two color choices – Red and Black. Particularly, OnePlus will even release the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and OnePlus TV Usaat the similar day.
The announcement from Vivo is in step with a fresh document that claimed the release of Vivo Y73 in India this week. It was once reported that the impending smartphone would no longer improve 5G connectivity, in contrast to its predecessor Vivo Y72 and sibling Vivo Y73s which might be these days to be had in Thailand and China, respectively. As in keeping with the previous document, the impending Vivo Y73 will game a 6.44-inch Complete-HD+ AMOLED show with 2400×1080 pixel solution, 408ppi pixel density, and HDR10 improve. The show may be mentioned to deal with an optical in-display fingerprint scanner and a waterdrop notch for the only selfie digital camera. Underneath the hood, it’s going to reportedly pack the octa-core MediaTek Helio G95 chipset paired with 8GB RAM, as much as 128GB garage (expandable by way of a microSD card), and built-in Mali-G76 GPU. Its triple rear digital camera setup might space a 64-megapixel number one digital camera setup with f/1.79 aperture, accompanied by way of a 2-megapixel macro digital camera and a 2-megapixel intensity sensor, each with f/2.four aperture. On the entrance, it will lift a 16-megapixel digital camera with f/2.zero aperture for selfies and video calls, the document provides. Different rumoured options come with 4G, dual-SIM improve, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth five.zero, and a four,000mAh battery with 33W fast-charging improve. Finally, the Vivo Y73 is alleged to weigh 170 grams and measure 7.38mm in thickness. The Vivo Y73 might lift a price ticket of round Rs 20,000 in India.
Learn the entire Newest Information, Breaking Information and Coronavirus Information right here


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A new survey has revealed that a large majority of region’s professional workforce think the current pandemic will change the way employers hire new recruits.
The survey by Bayt.com and YouGov shows 80 per cent of GCC professionals believe that the COVID-19 outbreak will affect employability and hiring across all industries.
Two-thirds of the survey’s 889 respondents believe that their own online and virtual job-seeking activities are likely to increase, compared to other traditional methods.
Thirty-eight per cent of employees believe that online and virtual hiring activities will increase in their companies.
The ‘Impact of Coronavirus in MENA Survey’ was run online between March 18-23.


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Manchester Christmas shoppers are set to spend an average of nearly £500 each on presents this festive season.
One in three Mancunians feel pressured to spend more than they can afford this Christmas, a survey has revealed.
Research conducted by online cash-for-goods company musicMagpie says that the average spend on presents is set to be at a whopping £436 in Manchester this year – £66 more than the national average.
Such is the pressure to spoil loved ones at this time of year, 15% of consumers in Manchester are resorting to additional credit such as bank loans, pay day loans and credit cards for financial support.
Selling unwanted items is also being used as a means of raising festive funds, with 14% of Mancunians employing this method.
According to musicMagpie and financial experts, selling unwanted goods is the most advisable way of increasing your festive budget.
Liam Howley, marketing director at musicMagpie, said: “Christmas shopping is a significant area of expenditure for customers at this time of year, so it’s no surprise people in Manchester are feeling the pressure to spend more than they can afford.
“It’s easy to get carried away buying presents. There’s the pressure of making sure the kids get the latest toys and gadgets and the pressure of making sure everyone gets a present.
“In the past few weeks, we’ve seen trade-ins rise significantly and they are continuing to increase as Christmas comes early.
“Selling unwanted items such as CDs, DVDs, games, mobiles and electronics is an easy way to make cash quickly, and is a much better alternative to borrow money.”
Personal finance commentator Felicity Hannah agrees with Liam – saying selling unwanted items has multiple benefits.
She said: “Selling off stuff you never use is not just good for your pocket it’s also good for the environment because it gives people more choice on the second-hand market and means they don’t have to buy new.
“And going into 2016 with a clutter-free home and no Christmas debt would be a great start to the New Year.”
The research found that the average Brit is sitting on £275 worth of clutter which could be used to raise Christmas funds.
Brits are also set to spend an average of £144 each on food and drink while one in five will blow more than £100 on nights out.


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Revolutionary Luton body set for Iconic truck status 30 March 2011
Bevan Group has launched a Luton body for 3.5-tonne vehicles that offers a market-leading payload of more than 1,200kg and improved fuel economy.
Dubbed the Icon, it will debut at the CV Show, on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis cab.
Bevan Group managing director Anthony Bevan explains the new Luton is aimed at the home delivery market. He also says it has been developed with aerodynamic experts so that the new body incorporates cutting-edge technology designed to increase productivity and reduce operating costs and environmental impact.
"The Icon's impressive carrying capacity of more than 1,200kg puts it comfortably ahead of other recently launched products," declares Bevan. "This will certainly be a big attraction to operators keen to squeeze as many deliveries from their vehicles as possible."
Interestingly, the modular body design was created by specialists employing 3D CFD (computational fluid dynamics) technology, able to simulate genuine road conditions, and then honed in a wind tunnel using a full-scale model.
Its body panels are manufactured from a lightweight and recyclable composite GRP material, with assembly at Bevan's production facility in Halesowen, West Midlands.
The body incorporates a rear frame that allows for the fitment of conventional hinged rear doors or lightweight shutters. Also, a wind diffuser can be fitted at the back of the vehicle to further improve aerodynamic efficiency.
Other options allow for the installation of load restraints, reversing cameras and Restfall 'working at height' safety equipment.
In addition to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the Icon is already compatible with VW's Crafter and Bevan says it will be adapted for other vehicle models, including the Ford Transit.
Bevan Group Bodies Ltd
Ford Motor Co Ltd
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd
Volkswagen Audi Group UK Ltd
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Bacardi avoids £51m claim in Brown-Forman lawsuit
Bacardi has escaped a £51.5 million (US$73 million) lawsuit raised by its former distribution partner Brown-Forman.
On Wednesday (19 May), a London court determined that Bacardi UK is not required to make payments its subsidiary allegedly owes Brown-Forman under a cost-sharing deal.
Bermuda-based Bacardi and American company Brown-Forman first formed a UK distribution alliance in 2002 and officially ended their relationship in April 2020, after 18 years.
The split severed the alignment between Bacardi’s brands – Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka and Patrón Tequila, among others – and Brown-Forman’s portfolio, which includes Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Slane Irish whiskey.
In a written argument to the court, Brown-Forman stated the companies decided to go their own ways after Bacardi brought on a new global chief executive who sought structural changes to the business’ Northern Europe operations.
Brown-Forman sued Bacardi earlier this year for the £51.5m sum in question, citing payments owed from a cost-sharing agreement inked with a Bacardi subsidiary in 2016.
The Bacardi subsidiary has put forward its own cross-claim against its former distribution partner, seeking remuneration for its work as a commercial agent for the Jack Daniel’s owner. Both Brown-Forman’s original claim and Bacardi’s counterclaim will move forward to arbitration.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson from Bacardi told The Spirits Business the company was “pleased” with the court’s decision.
“For 18 years, Bacardi’s sales and customer marketing teams built for Brown-Forman some of the UK’s most highly valued spirit brands,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s this extraordinary value which Brown-Forman continues to enjoy and benefit from in its own UK operations. The arbitration proceedings initiated by Bacardi regarding our right to compensation for our role as commercial agent for Brown-Forman are ongoing.
“The ruling demonstrates we have acted properly and with integrity. Doing the right thing is not always easy but its importance to Bacardi cannot be overstated.”
Brown-Forman declined to comment on the ruling.


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Against the backdrop of this year’s Cyber Monday generating record-shattering online sales estimated at $9.2 billion, commercial real estate experts envision e-commerce-fueled industrial REITs being a shining star of the REIT show in 2020. Meanwhile, in tandem with the e-commerce explosion, regional mall REITs will continue to face challenges next year, experts say.
“The e-commerce-driven demand … that has allowed industrial to stay in the sweet spot has pushed most retail into recession,” Green Street Advisors Inc., a Newport Beach, Calif.-based provider of real estate research and advisory services, noted in a November 2019 commercial real estate outlook. . . . more


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Flair for farmyard fashion
There are many challenges in taking everyday farm materials and transforming them into outfits for the runway: however, the result is a visual spectacle that is fast becoming a top attraction for people attending the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days.
As last year's winner of the Act Belong Commit Ag Art Wear Competition, Moora farmer Natalie Tonkin recently competed at the New Zealand National Agricultural Field Days, where her design placed second overall.
Official program and field day guide in the COUNTRYMAN newspaper, August 22, 2013
She said the chance of winning a trip to New Zealand was the main reason she entered the competition last year.
"New Zealand was beautiful. I have always wanted to go there and it was great to be able to see the designs on display at the field days in Mystery Creek and attend the gala dinner and awards night at Hamilton, " Natalie said.
"The Ag Art Wear Competition is very big in New Zealand. This year's winning design was a dried beef outfit; it was also inspiring to see the Maori women use traditional weaving techniques to make amazing garments."
In 2012, Natalie wowed the judges in Dowerin with her design, titled 'Me, the girl/artist who married the farmer'.
She said her design was symbolic of the commitment and sacrifices people made in farming.
Her design used fencing wire, tin, chain and wool pack materials and included a wire veil to encapsulate the wearer in partial isolation. Underneath the veil was a dress made of wool pack material that reflected her family's involvement in the wool industry.
The design was accessorised by some very impressive knee-high boots made of old shed tin, chain and railway nails.
Natalie also won the Landcare Awareness award with her design 'Let the birds sing', which was a traditional dress made of vine and birds' nests.
Natalie said having the opportunity to compete in New Zealand and see the country on an expenses-paid holiday was fantastic, and she encouraged people to support the competition at the Dowerin field days.
With Dowerin's inaugural Act Belong Commit Ag Art Wear Competition comprising seven entries in 2011, last year entries almost doubled to 13 and it is hoped the event will grow even more in 2013.
It is hoped the competition will continue to develop and more designers will be encouraged to enter, which puts a special spin on Australia's rural landscape.
Dowerin Events Management assistant event co-ordinator Sarah Symons said for the first time this year, entries would be judged in conjunction with Edith Cowan University.
In a bid to attract new competitors, she said invitations to compete had been sent to schools, TAFE Colleges and universities in WA, and advertisements had featured on the radio.
This year's designs will be on display at the fashion parade area at the Dowerin field days during daily showtimes.
Act Belong Commit Ag Art Wear Competition
The Act Belong Commit Ag Art Wear Competition awards will be presented at 2.30pm on August 29, with the overall winner receiving an expenses-paid trip to the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays to compete.
The Act Belong Commit Ag Art Wear Competition was created by the New Zealand National Agricultural Field Days, however, a deed of licence has been offered to Dowerin Events Management so WA designers can compete in the event.
The competition challenges designers to create a piece of farm art for the body using agricultural products, by-products or materials found or used on the farm.
There are four categories for designers to compete in, including Avant Garde, Traditional, Under 21 and Landcare Awareness.
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article Developers have been busy for the last year, working on iOS apps for the iPhone and iPad, but they’re still a relatively new technology to the tech world.
As part of the developer program at Apple, developers get paid a portion of the sales of apps, but many still work on apps that haven’t yet been released for iOS.
There’s still a long way to go before developers can begin creating apps for iOS devices, but the latest Apple app to launch, AppSync, has given developers the ability to sync their apps between iOS devices and a Mac.
That means that developers have the ability take advantage of the platform’s new iCloud sync capabilities, which lets them sync apps between their Mac and iOS devices.
It also means that iOS apps can now be developed on both platforms.
AppSync also allows developers to use a third-party app to make sure their apps are compatible with iOS devices — but Apple’s iCloud sync is still a major selling point for developers.
Here’s how to build a new app for iOS with AppSync in a few minutes.


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Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2319 will host its Fish-Fry Dinner 5-8 p.m. Jan. 13 at the post home, 45 Broad St., Milltown.
Meals will feature a choice of fresh cod ($10), fried shrimp ($15), fried clams ($13), combo platter ($15), or chicken tenders ($10); all dinners include fries, coleslaw, vegetable, salad, dessert, coffee and tea. Sides of fried shrimp ($5) and fried clams ($3) also will be available.
For more information, call the post home at 732-828-2221.


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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will sit down for a conversation with ESPN anchor Rachel Nichols at CES 2019. The session, ‘#NBATwitter: A Conversation with Adam Silver and Jack Dorsey’, will discuss their partnership and the NBA’s approach to sports technology with a spotlight on #NBATwitter. Owned and produced by Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CES 2019 will run through January 8-11, 2019, in Las Vegas.
“The partnership between Twitter and the NBA illustrates the ever-growing symbiotic relationship between sports and technology. We’re thrilled to welcome Jack Dorsey and Adam Silver to the CES stage to discuss the future of sports, entertainment and technology and its impact on fan engagement,” said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, CTA.
Returning to the CES for 2019, the CES Sports Zone will feature tech innovation impacting all facets of sports, from athletic performance to fan engagement and the business of sports on and off the field. In addition to exhibits, the Sports Zone conference program will feature athletes and industry experts as they explore the future of sports technology, including the quantified athlete, immersive fan experience, smart venues and eSports.
Another aspect is the CES Sports Zone Lounge hosted by Sports Innovation Lab and sponsored by the NFL Players Association.
CES attendees will be able to experience eSports firsthand as well. Featuring 10 gaming kiosks for both professional gamers and attendees to showcase their skills in Mario Kart and the newly released Super Smash Brothers, the truck will host a series of competitions and invite all to take part in periods of open play.


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Boot Dusseldorf – Day 2 PADI sponsors Mr-PD!20 Jan 2013
We have some great news! Today PADI announced that they would sponsor our Mr-PD competition, by donating a number of fantastic prizes.
As well as promoting some of the great diving available in the Maldives with Prodivers the PD team also took out Mr PD to explore some of the show. This included a a chance for us to catch up with Jean-Claude Monachon, Vice president of Sales, marketing and Market development for PADI Europe.
Jean-Claude has visited us in the Maldives in the past and has also been able to provide us all with the latest news coming out of PADI. Today he was able to support us in another way. As part of the Mr-PD competition PADI have kindly donated some fantastic prizes for the winners, including 3 e-learning packages (which can be used on any PAID course between Open Water and Rescue Diver, €100 voucher for the PADI sports line and 2 encyclopedias. As well as this all the end of year winners will receive a PADI goodie-bag.
Stay tuned all this week to see who else Mr PD visits at the show – and what other surprises we have for you.


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After having a bit of a rough patch with the online support in Police Stories, the team at Mighty Morgan and HypeTrain Digital have now rolled out the feature in the Linux version.
Category: Top-down shooter
Released earlier this month, Police Stories attempts to slow down the top-down shooter genre with a more tactical approach and most of the time it works quite well.
Police Stories from Mighty Morgan and HypeTrain Digital is officially out now and after a very short delay the Linux version has also been released too.
Nice to see more games blend entirely different genres together. Harvested has you build a city like a strategy game and become a soldier on the field in a top-down shooter style.
Even more news out of E3 as Police Stories, a top-down shooter with an emphasis on tactics and not just firing-first is going to release on September 19th with a new trailer.
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Remember that adage about the shoemaker’s children going barefoot? It’s an apt description of how many organizations manage their IT budgets—outfitting sales and operations leaders with increasingly sophisticated applications and data analysis software while leaving CIOs to track their own decisions with spreadsheets. Apparently, I’m not the only one who finds that a bit ironic, based on the market’s positive response last Friday to the public trading debut of a not-quite-unicorn company dedicated to breaking that cycle.
Apptio, which surged 40% after its initial public offering at $16 per share, sells software that help companies centralize information about what they spend on their other infrastructure—everything from their own data center equipment to cloud software application—and assess the impact of that spending alongside other business metrics. One of Apptio’s initial investors, Matt McIlwain, managing director of Madrona Venture Group, said these systems drive “fact-based dialogue with business and function unit leaders—marketing, sales, product, etc.—within their company about how to improve agility and manage costs as the enterprise transitions to software-as-a-service and cloud-based services.”
Today, Apptio (APTI) has more than 325 customers, including cable company Cox, digital media giant AOL, managed care provider Molina Healthcare (MOH), and software giant Microsoft (MSFT). Its business proposition is straightforward: Find places where companies can cut costs so they can divert more of their technology investment to places where it will influence new revenue streams, such as new customer service systems.
“Whether you are managing existing investments or creating new digital investments to increase shareholder value, you need to do that differently,” Apptio co-founder and CEO Sunny Gupta said after his company’s Nasdaq debut. Gupta cut his teeth in engineering roles at Mercury, Opsware, Rational Software, and IBM. He started two other companies before the idea for Apptio was born in August 2007.
Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter, where this essay originated.
Like many other companies born of the cloud software era, the newly public Apptio runs at a loss. As of the quarter ended June 30, it had an “accumulated deficit” of $183.7 million. Its IPO prospectus makes it clear that won’t change soon as the company builds visibility for its central mission.
But the management challenge it addresses is sizable and not exactly shrinking: Market research firm Gartner projects global IT spending will reach $2.7 trillion this year. In other words, there’s plenty of room for companies to trip up if they don’t tread carefully.


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This post looks into the innovative new payment methods, including the rise of contactless and the adoption of metal cards in Brazil and around the…
The majority of data breaches come from companies that don’t encrypt their data. Understanding the principles of encryption is vital for any IT team.
From February 1st 2018, companies are required to implement more robust measures to secure infrastructure and payment data.
Loyalty program points are pure gold in the hands of hackers. Travelers must be vigilant.
Fans and athletes embraced wearable tech in Rio, making the case for wide-scale global deployments in transport and retail
As more submissions for the IoT Maker challenge flood in from across the globe, we’ve sketched out an idea from Vinicius Senger who suggested a…


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The world has not yet recovered from the problems associated with the COVID-19 epidemic, and a worse nightmare has appeared on the horizon. War, because we are talking about it, is an absolute moral, social, political and business gamechanger. The current events will shake the whole world for a long time, from Spitzbergen to Cape of Good Hope. War and business often go hand in hand, but it may turn out that now the world will do everything to avoid it.
Economic pressures have always been circumvented. This was the case after most of Putin’s wars – sanctions included trifles, while technologies continued to go east, enriching the rich from Germany and France. War is a powerful business – journalists confirm the sale of weapons to Russia from both these countries. However, sanctions are currently the only weapons of distant destruction that can be used by the countries of the world.
Unfortunately, it is not without repercussions that the economic problems are growing every day, engulfing not only Russia, but also its neighbors and the largest economic partners. In addition, it is difficult to estimate the impact on global markets of unmet demand for oil, gas, rare earths, gold or palladium (used as a platinum replacement in microprocessors and car catalysts) will be.
New hands to work
We have become accustomed to the fact that Ukrainians work in Poland – in metropolises they already constitute a large percentage of residents. The current war has already caused more than 2 million people to cross our border. Most of them are children with moms, but they will still want to work. Some of the refugees will go further, some will return to Ukraine after the end of the war. The country will have to be rebuilt, so some of the men who left to fight will not return to Polish. However, new hands to work may run out, and then we will reach further east – to India, through Vietnam to China or Thailand.
The value chains that were temporarily patched after the pandemic have once again been broken. It is difficult to estimate how long it will take for a partial return to normality even if the war ends. The 3rd week of the war has passed, and automotive is closing factories due to the lack of parts imported from Ukraine. So what can you expect from such an unstable environment. Part of the investment will certainly be frozen. However, those implementations that have exceeded a certain budget threshold (e.g. significant purchases have already been made) will certainly continue, although with a correction of deadlines.
People or robots
Cheap labor and blocking investment outweigh the balance towards the lack of automation. Question- “people or robots?” it begins to have a slightly different dimension. Implementing innovations without components is very difficult, if not impossible. The turn of 2021 and 22 was clearly a boom in automation. Unfortunately, Putin’s war with Ukraine has destroyed many plans. The announced reliefs for robotization, innovation and innovative employees may not convince business owners, the more so because the supply of electronics or industrial automation increases from a few days to several months,
The coronavirus hasn’t said the last sentence yet either. Currently, the number of infections in China is increasing. How will war and business affect the modern world? For now, nothing is a foregone conclusion.
How to deal with the collapse in the industrial market :
– modifications of products so as to slightly reduce functionality and omit inaccessible components,
– extension of implementation projects,
– simplification of implemented projects while leaving “space” for upgrade
– refurbishment – buy used goods and products, renovate and re-circulate,
– minimization of functions – production of goods with basic functionality and temporary withdrawal from the offer.
V AiR Conference
The Automation and Robotization of Industry conference has already been held twice in the shadow of COVID. Although this technological event, we reacted to the needs of manufacturing companies on an ongoing basis. The current economic situation is unprecedented in the recent history of Polish. The V AiR Conference will certainly answer the question – how to deal with “today”, how to plan development for “tomorrow” so as not to lose potential.


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Wholesale inflation eased to 3.57 percent in September as food articles, led by vegetables, witnessed softening of prices.
The wholesale price-based inflation, reflecting the annual rate of price rise, in August stood at 3.74 percent.
Pulses inflation continued to rule high at 23.99 percent in September, according to the Commerce Ministry data. Potato, a daily consumable vegetable, witnessed maximum inflationary pressure at 73.31 percent. Inflation in fruits rose 14.10 percent during the month.
The WPI, which was in the negative zone from November 2014 to March 2016, had been rising for six months till August. In September, the inflation has slowed. The inflation print for manufactured articles read at 2.48 percent in September, as against 2.42 percent in August.
The rate of inflation in sugar was at 32.92 percent and that for petrol was 1.25 percent. The WPI inflation for July has been revised upwards at 3.72 percent, against provisional estimate of 3.55 percent.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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>>> Within 12 months, probably, you're going to be able to walk into a Starbucks and digitally be able to fill up your MP3 player with music," announced company Chairman Howard Schultz. (Seattle Times)
>>> The Euro branch of eMusic says that in February it will reduce the number of downloads on each of its subscription plans following similar reductions introduced in the US in November. (PC Pro). Is this part of an attempt to raise payments to disgruntled labels? Will it effect eMusic's subscriber numbers?
>>> HD radio is being rolled out too slowly to save broadcasters from new competitors like satellite radio, wireless internet and the iPod and iPhone. (BusinessWeek)
>>> Amanda Marks, who currently runs the Universal Music Group's new-media and technologies division eLabs, has been promoted to Executive VP Of Digital Distribution. (Variety)
>>> The digital music industry action heads west as Music 2.0 opens in LA on Wednesday and Thursday. (more)
>>> YouTube may share revenue with all content creators. "We are getting an audience that is large enough to give us an opportunity to support and foster creativity through sharing revenue with our users," he said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. (Spin)
>>> A good overview on optimizing your MySpace page to attract new visitors. (MusicDish)


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TOKYO -- The last Anna Miller's, once a 20-plus strong restaurant chain serving American food and pies, has been awash in customers since its June 14 announcement that it would shut down at the end of August.
The restaurant's parent company Imuraya Group Co. said customers at the Takanawa branch in Tokyo's Minato Ward waited as long as three hours for a seat on the weekend following the announcement. Maximum wait times before the news were about an hour.
In response, on June 17 Anna Miller's limited orders of their popular pies to six slices or one whole pie per customer, regardless of the day of the week. For the time being, pies will be sold from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and taken off the menu as soon as they sell out. In addition, the eatery has suspended seat bookings and its pie take-out reservation service.
"Although we are getting so many customers, we are very sorry that we can't meet their demand due to the limited number of pies we can make. Thank you for your kind understanding," a store representative commented.
Anna Miller's opened its first Japan store in Tokyo's Minami Aoyama district in June 1973. Stores continued to open in areas popular among young people, and at its peak in the 1990s the chain had 21 restaurants. The Takanawa branch is the only one left in Japan today.
Imuraya Group decided to close the restaurant after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism requested it be relocated to make way for a redevelopment project around JR Shinagawa Station's west exit.
(Japanese original by Hiroki Masuda, Digital News Center)


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SHANGHAI Stung by labor shortages and a rash of suicides this year at its large factories in southern China, Foxconn Technology said Wednesday that it would immediately raise the salaries of many of its Chinese workers by 33 percent.
The pay increase is the latest indication that labor costs are rising in China’s coastal manufacturing centers and that workers are demanding higher pay to offset an increase in inflation and soaring food and property prices.
On Wednesday, Honda Motor said it had resolved a strike in southern China and resumed operations at a transmission plant there after agreeing to give 1,900 Chinese workers a 24 percent pay raise.
The Honda strike, which lasted more than two weeks, was a rare show of power by Chinese workers, who are not commonly allowed by the government to publicly strike and walk off the job for higher wages.
At Foxconn, the basic salary for an assembly line worker in Shenzhen is expected to rise from 900 renminbi ($132) a month to 1,200 renminbi ($176). The minimum monthly wage in Shenzhen is 900 renminbi, about 83 cents an hour.
The announcement comes just a week after Foxconn’s chairman, Terry Gou, visited its factories in the southern city of Shenzhen and promised to do everything possible to halt a spate of worker suicides and improve conditions at Foxconn, which is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer.
The police say 10 Foxconn workers have committed suicide this year in Shenzhen.
The company, which is based in Taiwan and employs more than 800,000 workers in China, has denied that the suicides were work-related or above the national average, saying instead that they were the result of social ills and personal problems of young, migrant workers. Foxconn said Wednesday that the decision to raise salaries was not a direct response to the suicides.
But Foxconn, which produces electronics and computer components for Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Apple, has come under growing scrutiny in recent years because of recurring reports of harsh labor conditions at its factories, including long working hours and claims by labor rights activists that the company treats workers like machines.
Apple, Dell and H.P. each said last week that they were concerned about the recent suicides and were investigating the situation at Foxconn.
Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, said Tuesday during a technology conference in California that he was concerned about the deaths at Foxconn, but said that the factory was not a “sweatshop” and added that Apple was “over there trying to understand what is happening.”
Like most manufacturers in southern China, Foxconn is also struggling to hire thousands of workers at a time when the economy is booming and there is a shortage of unskilled migrant workers in many parts of coastal China.
Many migrant workers who typically move from inland provinces to coastal cities looking for factory work have complained that factory salaries have not kept pace with inflation. Many of them have decided to look for work closer to home.
Foxconn executives say the company’s factories in Shenzhen alone have hired more than 100,000 workers during the last year, and that labor rights groups have pressed the company to raise salaries.
“First, a pay raise will give our workers more leisure time,” said Arthur Huang, a Foxconn spokesman. “Second, such a huge pay raise will attract more qualified workers.”
Southern China’s manufacturing centers have been struggling with labor shortages since about 2003, and many coastal cities have raised the minimum wage in recent years.
Indeed, to help offset inflation and rising food, energy and housing costs and to spur domestic consumption among the lower classes Beijing urged local governments early this year to raise the minimum wage in the regions.
Many cities responded by raising the minimum wage by about 10 to 15 percent, to about 750 to 1,100 renminbi.
To cope with labor shortages and hold down costs, many factories in southern China expect employees to work a considerable amount of overtime. And often half of an employee’s wages come from overtime pay.
As a result, Foxconn’s 33 percent increase in wages could translate into even higher labor costs. Mr. Huang at Foxconn said the company had not yet calculated its impact on profitability.
But Debby Chan, project officer at Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior, a labor rights group based in Hong Kong, said the wage increases were insufficient.
“We’re advocating the living wage, and we think the standard should be between 1,700 to 2,100 renminbi a month,” Ms. Chan said Wednesday. “And we also have other demands, like Foxconn should look into the problems of their management methodology.”


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* Sees adj pretax profit in line with expectations
* Costs under control, trading rose across key products
* Says prospects for the new financial year look good
* Shares up 5.3 pct (Recasts, adds details)
March 25 (Reuters) - Britain’s Immunodiagnostic Systems Holdings Plc (IDH.L) forecast adjusted pretax profit in line with expectations for the current financial year and said it expects revenue to rise 43 percent from a year ago, helped by increased trading across the group’s key products.
“Costs remain under control and trading in all of the group’s main territories has increased year on year as well as across the group’s key products,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The producer of diagnostic testing kits said sales into the United States, France and Germany have seen significant growth this year.
The company said prospects for the new financial year look good as it builds upon the launch of fully-automated immunoanalyser - the IDSiSYS.
Revenue for the year ending March 31, 2008 was 18.7 million pounds. This implies that the company expects revenue of about 26.7 million pounds for the year ending March 31.
Analysts on average were expecting revenue of 25.6 million pounds, according to Reuters Estimates.
Shares of the company were up 5.3 percent at 159.5 pence on Wednesday. (Reporting by Purwa Naveen Raman in Bangalore; Editing by Himani Sarkar)


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Six metro delis bought
Ram-Z LLC has acquired six metropolitan area Schlotzsky's Deli store franchises, marketing director Patricia Mitchell said Monday.
Ram-Z, based in Tulsa, has acquired the Cal-Hi Inc. stores at 1505 SW 74, 3323 Northwest Expressway, and 8425 N Rockwell, all in Oklahoma City; and at 2030 W Lindsey in Norman; 909 S Air Depot, Midwest City, and 410A S Bryant, Edmond.
Financial details were not disclosed. The stores employ 150.
Bill and Kay Ramsey and their five children founded Ram-Z in 1994, Mitchell said. The Ramsey family restaurant chain now has 14 stores.
Archive ID: 830295


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The Wellington Rotary Club is excited to announce the inaugural Wellington Wine & Food Fest to benefit the charities of the Wellington Rotary Foundation.
The event, chaired by Carol O’Neil and Tim Chance, will take place Thursday, April 10 at the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club starting at 6:30 p.m. Food and wine from around the world will be served to the attendees.
Tickets range from $100 to $150 per person. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on fabulous auction items, with all proceeds to benefit the charities. Sponsorships are available.
For more about this event, ticket sales, or further information about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.wellingtonwineandfoodfest.com or call O’Neil at (561) 389-1227 or Chance at (561) 791-8585.
For more about the Wellington Rotary Club, or to become a member, visit www.wellingtonrotary.org or call Bob Salerno at (561) 512-8247.


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The SUV segment in India is on the boom. Mahindra is one of the largest and most popular manufacturers of SUVs in India. The company is set to launch many new products during 2021. The company has already been spotted testing new SUVs a couple of times now. While launch was expected in Q1 2021, … Continue reading Upcoming Mahindra XUV500- What we know so far?
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According to officials with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there's a new coronavirus-related scam making its rounds, and it's targeting small businesses.
As Lesley Fair, a Division of Consumer and Business Education Attorney with the FTC, explains, the scam starts with an email that claims to come from the "Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance."
Fair explains that the fraudulent email tells the recipient they're eligible to receive a loan of up to $250,000 and asks for personal information.
Here are some indicators outlined by the FTC that reveal the email as a fake:
- You were told that you’re automatically eligible for a big loan.
- According to the FTC, real lenders never do this.
- You’re asked to hand over your date of birth and Social Security number.
- This is a tip-off that the sender is trying to steal your personal information.
"Check out lenders before sharing personal information. Scammers who impersonate lenders have the perfect excuse to ask you for lots of personal information that can be used to steal your identity," Fair advises. "Don’t leave a trail of personal information exposed by filling out lots of applications online with lenders you don’t know. Investigate lenders first and if you spot something amiss, stop."
COVID-19 fraud, scams, or bad business practices can be reported to the FTC. File a report by clicking here.


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Vessels in port
Portsmouth hosts two ships from Noble Caledonia in one day
Two of Noble Caledonia’s luxury cruise ships called at Portsmouth International Port in the UK on 31 August. Sailing into Portsmouth from the Scilly Isles, Hebridean Sky and Serenissima arrived within two hours of each other. The recently refurbished Hebridean Sky (formerly Sea Explorer) docked for a turnaround call, disembarking around 116 passengers in the morning and departing with another set of guests on a private charter cruise to St Peter Port in Guernsey later that evening. Serenissima also made a turnaround visit, departing on an 11-day ‘Splendours of Normandy, Brittany & the Atlantic Edge’ cruise. “It’s always delightful to have these wonderful small vessels in port, so to have two on the same day is quite a treat,” said Rupert Taylor, harbour master at Portsmouth International Port.
Crystal Symphony makes records at Portsmouth International Port
Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony became the largest cruise ship to have ever called in Portsmouth International Port when she visited the UK city on 9 June 2017. Crystal Symphony, which is just under 240 metres long, brought around 800 passengers to Portsmouth at the end of her cruise around the British and Irish coastline. The visit marked the first time that Crystal has chosen Portsmouth International Port either as a port of call or as a turnaround facility. Guests spent their last night of the cruise alongside at Portsmouth International Port, before disembarking on 10 June. “I’m delighted that Crystal has chosen Portsmouth International Port,” said Rupert Taylor, harbour master at Portsmouth International Port. “We have worked hard to gain a reputation as a destination for small and medium-sized luxury liners, and Crystal Symphony is one of the most highly rated cruise ships in the world.
Brittany Ferries signs ten-year deal with Portsmouth International Port
Despite continuing uncertainty with some UK-based business with Brexit looming, leading French ferry operator Brittany Ferries doesn’t seem too concerned, having signed a ten-year deal with Portsmouth International Port (PIP) on May 17 to continue operating services from the south coast UK port, the country’s second busiest ferry port after Dover, to France and northern Spain until 2027.Upload News


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OpenLocker (OLKR) Tunes Up Its Fan Engagement Focus with Launch of Podcast, OpenLocker Network
Publicly traded OpenLocker Holdings, Inc. (OLKR) has announced the launch of its new podcast, Open Locker Network that is expected to kick-off this week. OpenLocker Network will be dedicated to fan engagement and community building. Each week listeners will hear from student-athletes, coaches and college sports analysts who will discuss their journey and answer questions submitted by fans. A series featuring educational information geared toward college students will cover the NIL market as well as other topical material.
As the NIL industry grows, OLKR is a “early-mover” in the emerging sports technology market through its NIL platform that utilizes Web 3.0 and boosts Fan Engagement. Additionally, OpenLocker has provided student-athletes revenue opportunities through its established university fan clubs.
OpenLocker’s fan communities include the Prowlerz Club at Florida Atlantic University, Gataverse at the University of Florida, Bone Yard Huskyz Club at the University of Connecticut, Lionz Club at Penn State University, Maddy Baddyz at University of Wisconsin, Rowdy Redz at Radford University and the 15 Blue Club at University of Kentucky.
OpenLocker continues to unlock value with its platform for increased fan engagement as they seek out support through digital channels to reach and grow their communities across the country. The OpenLocker Podcast Network will be available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
About OpenLocker Holdings, Inc.
Openlocker Holdings, Inc. operates a technology platform for athletes and brands to redefine and unlock consumer and fan value. OpenLocker builds highly engaged fan communities on the Blockchain primarily for colleges and universities using student-athletes Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opening the door to countless revenue opportunities that previously did not exist. OpenLocker increases engagement among fans, athletes and brands through digital and physical collectibles and provides unique user utility, perks and experiences. Openlocker is delivering digital loyalty and spearheading the future of marketing.


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If you are paying for paper bags, perhaps a change is coming. The consumer forum has just asked Bata to provide them for free to all customers, given that a carry bag is essential to the purchase of the product #ConsumerRights
Remember having to pay a few extra bucks, every time you ended up at a store without a carry bag? Well, that’s about to change.
In a bid to position themselves as ‘eco-friendly’ and responsible, or simply to comply with the plastic ban, many brands embraced carry bags made of paper and fabric. Unfortunately, the price of this bout of consciousness falls on the customers who are innocently asked, “Madam, carry bag?” and then are billed for it.
Putting an end to the practice, the Chandigarh Consumer Forum recently released a statement against Bata India, causing ripples in the retail industry.
Dinesh Prasad Raturi, a resident of Chandigarh, filed a complaint against Bata India on February 8. In the complaint lodged, he alleged that he had purchased a pair of shoes for Rs 399 and was charged Rs 402. The bill clearly stated extra charges for the paper bag. According to Dinesh, Bata was also using the paper bags to endorse their brand which was not justified.
According to reports, the complainant had bought a pair of shoes from a Bata store in Sector 22 D on February 5 and was charged a total bill of Rs 402, inclusive of the charges for the bag. Dinesh added that the bag which bore the store’s name was forced upon him though he had not opted for it.
His allegations were then investigated and once legitimised, the forum slammed Bata for the extra charges. In its judgement, the Consumer Forum stated that forcing a customer to pay for a paper bag is a clear deficiency in service as it’s the store’s duty to give environment-friendly free bags to the customers who purchase products from them.
“If Bata India is an environmental activist, it should have given the same to the complainant free of cost . . . . He never intended to purchase the carry bag and it was to be provided by the seller, Bata,” said the Forum.
“It was an essential item for sale of product. . . By employing unfair trade practice, opposite party [Bata] is minting a lot of money from all customers, read the statement released on April 12.
As a result, for charging Rs 3 for the carry bag, the company has been directed to not just refund the cost of the bag (Rs 3), but also pay litigation charges of Rs 1000, compensation of Rs 3000 for causing mental agony by deficiency in services, as well as deposit Rs 5,000 in the legal aid account of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, UT, Chandigarh. The company will also have to provide free carry bags to all its customers henceforth.
The judgement is expected to send out a larger message to all retail brands, and to consumers as well – to be aware and pay only for what you have bought.
(Edited Saiqua Sultan)


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Curation unveils new Eat Smart salad packaging at Fresh Summit
The brand has a refreshed logo and new packaging that will be appearing in stores in January, according to a news release.
The company will have the new look on display at booth No. 3284 Oct. 18-19 in Anaheim, Calif.
The new packaging features a logo on the upper left corner of the salad bags, an illustration on the right corner and a band in the middle of the package to highlight ingredients, according to the release.
The following collections will have the new design:
- Superfood Selections: Includes the popular Eat Smart Sweet Kale salad, each featuring “plant powered superfoods;”
- Chopped Colllection: Chopped greens and vegetables with toppings; and
- Vineyards Collection: Contain exclusive vinaigrette dressings made with O Olive Oil & Vinegar, a departure from heavier creamy dressings, according to the release.
Ilya Sokolov, vice president of marketing for Curation Foods, and Jenny Stornetta, senior brand manager, will be available during expo hours to talk about the new packaging.


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SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA-BORN FITNESS INDUSTRY PIONEER MARKS MAJOR MILESTONE
SAN RAMON, Calif. - July 11, 2007
24 Hour Fitness, the world's largest privately-owned U.S. fitness chain and a health club industry pioneer, has marked a significant milestone in its company history with the 24th anniversary of its first club opening.
24 Hour Fitness is widely credited with changing the landscape of the fitness industry by introducing a variety of innovations, including the first club chain to be open 24 hours a day and the first to introduce simple monthly memberships using automated electronic funds transfers. The company has built or opened more clubs in the United States than any other single operator and is currently the world’s largest in terms of revenue.
“24 Hour Fitness was founded with the mission of making fitness affordable and a way of life for everyone,” said Mark Mastrov, company founder and chairman. “We are extremely proud of the fact that our 24 Hour Fitness team members have impacted millions of lives around the world and we’re thrilled to celebrate this unique birthday.”
24 Hour Fitness has partnered with superstar athletes and celebrities like Lance Armstrong, Shaquille O’Neal, Andre Agassi, Magic Johnson, Jackie Chan, and Yao Ming to open co-branded clubs around the world. The company demonstrates its leadership through sponsorships like that of the U.S. Olympic Team and a commitment to the community through various charitable and in-kind donations. In addition, 24 Hour Fitness enjoys strategic partnerships with major consumer brands like Coca-Cola and Nike, and is now entering its fourth year as a partner with NBC’s popular reality TV show, The Biggest Loser.
“24 Hour Fitness is proud of its heritage as an innovator in the fitness industry and we have quickly grown into a well known and respected brand,” said Carl Liebert, chief executive officer. “We look forward to the next 24 years of providing outstanding service to our members by helping them live healthier lives.”
Mastrov borrowed $15,000 from his grandmother to open the very first 24 Hour Fitness in San Leandro, Calif. in June of 1983. Since then, 24 Hour Fitness has grown to more than 370 clubs in 14 states, with three million members and 20,000 employees. An aggressive east-coast club expansion will soon bring clubs to New York City, Washington D. C. and Baltimore markets. The company also operates 21 clubs throughout Asia.
In 2005, 24 Hour Fitness was sold to New York-based private equity firm, Forstmann Little & Co. for $1.6 billion. The company is headquartered in San Ramon, Calif. Over the next 12 months, 24 Hour Fitness will introduce a variety of promotions and programs to mark its 24th Anniversary. To kick off the celebration, 24 Hour Fitness is offering a special $24 initiation fee on any monthly payment membership during July 2007.
About 24 Hour Fitness
Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness, an innovative leader in the health and fitness industry, serves more than 3 million members in over 350 clubs across 16 different states and four countries in Asia. Founded in 1983 as a one-club operation by Chairman and Founder Mark S. Mastrov, 24 Hour Fitness pioneered the concept of making fitness accessible, affordable and a way of life for everyone. Supporting the communities it serves, 24 Hour Fitness sponsors many charitable events and organizations including the 2004 - 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams and the Magic Johnson, Andre Agassi and Lance Armstrong Foundations. For more information and to find the location nearest you, visit our contact us page.
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The classic cork, however, is a renewable product that can easily be recycled. Starting this month, Whole Foods Market has teamed up with Cork ReHarvest to collect used corks at all 292 of their stores in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
Cork’s fortunes have been sinking in recent years. Synthetic closures, glass tops and classic screw caps are sealing even high dollar bottles of wine. Unlike natural cork, these alternatives don’t run the risk of contaminating a bottle’s contents with TCA, which makes wine stink like a wet dog.
Cork is harvested by removing the bark from cork oaks every nine to 12 years. The trees can survive and continue to produce cork for up to three centuries. Each year, 13 billion natural corks are produced. Recycled corks have been used for floor tiles, bulletin boards and even the soles of shoes.
The local Whole Foods Markets kick off the recycling program on Saturday, April 10, at 2 p.m. with a tasting of wines from Portugal, which produces more than half the world’s cork.
Whole Food Markets are located in Uptown at 5600 Magazine St. and in Metairie at 3420 Veterans Blvd.
Todd A. Price is a contributor to The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com. He can be reached at email@example.com. To keep up with the latest in cocktail news, visit NOLA.com/drink. Check out The Times-Picayune bar guide at NOLA.com/bar-guide.


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Of the two images above, one of them is a computer render and one of them is an actual photograph. Can you tell which is which? If you can’t, why should IKEA?
The Wall Street Journal reports that IKEA is slowly moving away from using photography in its catalogs in favor of CGI for its online and print publications.
12% of the company’s images this year were created by a graphic artist rather than a photographer, and next year that figure is expected to grow to 25%. No, it’s not that the company’s 208 million catalogs look better with computer fabrications — they’re simply cheaper and easier to produce.
Using CGI instead of photos offers some attractive benefits. Instead of creating and discarding entire living spaces for photo shoots, graphic designers can simply whip one together on a screen. Instead of replacing entire sets of furniture to change the color, they can use a few simple clicks and keystrokes.
It’s all part of the Swedish furniture giant’s overarching plan of cutting costs and increasing productivity.
The company first began experimenting with CGI back in 2005, after three computer graphic interns succeeded in recreating the image of an IKEA chair digitally (the image was later included in that year’s catalog to test its believability). Fast forward seven years, and the company is now retraining photographers in its massive 285-man, 94,000-sq-ft photo studio to work with computer rendering.
Check out the story over at the Wall Street Journal for an interesting quiz that tests whether you can recognize renders from photos. As for the two images at the top of this post, the top one is the render. Could you tell?