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With Prop 22, Uber and Lyft Successfully Bought the Vote in California. Uber to pay $4.4 million to end federal sex harassment probe. SAN FRANCISCO — Uber Technologies Inc. will establish a $4.4 million fund to settle a federal investigation into allegations that the San Francisco company allowed a rampant culture of sexual harassment, the U.S.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Wednesday. The agreement ends an investigation launched in 2017 in which the commission found reasonable cause to believe the ride-hailing tech company “permitted a culture of sexual harassment and retaliation against individuals who complained about such harassment.” A claims administrator will send notices to women who worked at Uber between Jan. 1, 2014, and June 30, 2019. The commission will determine which claimants may be eligible for money from the $4.4 million fund.
The company has also agreed to create a system to identify serial offenders and managers who fail to respond to concerns about sexual harassment in a timely manner. The company fired 20 people, including some managers, after an investigation by former U.S. 9 Secrets of Uber Drivers. Tattoos have gone mainstream: what was once considered a mark of rebellion abhorred by grandparents has become more like a rite of passage.
Today, about 30 percent of American adults have at least one tattoo, and among millennials the number jumps to almost 50 percent. Lyft IPO Rush Cashes In on Legally Precarious Labor Model. Gig economy companies Lyft, Uber, and Postmates are racing to file initial public offerings this year, a mad dash replete with ever-increasing multibillion-dollar valuations.
But is the rush to start trading on the public markets also a sprint to evade compliance with current labor law? Recent financial and lobbyist filings suggest that the gig economy giants are hoping to get ahead of a wave of enforcement actions, new legislation, regulatory requirements, and lawsuits that could force these companies to finally and formally classify full-time workers as employees. Virtually every major gig economy company — whether its focus is ride-sharing or grocery delivery — has fought to treat on-demand workers as independent contractors regardless of the amount of time they work.
Despite promises of high pay with flexible hours, ride-share workers have found that they often earn less than $10 an hour after vehicle expenses. Avoiding Labor Compliance. Uber's next big idea is self-driving scooters and bikes. Uber Hires Marketing Firm To Help Decrease Brand Awareness. SAN FRANCISCO—In an effort to simultaneously improve and diminish public perception of the ride-sharing company, Uber announced the hiring of a top marketing and consulting firm Tuesday to help decrease awareness of their brand.
“We’re poised on the cusp of a major IPO, so the last thing we need is our remarkably troubled name on people’s lips. By working with some of the world’s sharpest marketing minds, we’re confident we can make people less aware of our business practices, disappear from the news cycle, and completely tamp down on word of mouth,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in what industry observers say may have been a counterproductive public statement. Creepy New Uber Algorithm Knows When You're Drunk. Ride-hailing services like Uber have transformed nightlife in car-centric cities, ditching the need for designated drivers and limiting intake of alcohol.
But that may soon change, as Uber has filed a patent for technology that can detect if its users are drunk while using the app. “The system uses a computer model to identify user and trip characteristics indicative of the uncharacteristic user states,” says the patent application. “The system uses the data about past trips to train a computer model to predict a user state of a user submitting a trip request.” The spooky new algorithm will take various factors into consideration, including typos made while requesting a ride, the time taken by a user to interact with notifications, their travel speed, and even the angle at which the device is being held.
An ex-Uber employee raised over $100 million to fill the streets of San Francisco with scooters that people can rent and toss anywhere — here’s how they work. Uber Refuses To Refund Passenger Who Got Cheated By The Driver, So He Shares His Shocking Photos Online. Uber has become a phenomenon is the last few years, revolutionizing the ways many of us travel and shaking up the entire local transport industry.
However despite its conveniences there are inevitably drawbacks, as this passenger found out to their cost. Show Full Text Taking an Uber ride in Las Vegas, things turned from bad to worse for the user, who later uploaded snippets of a conversation with the company on Imgur. The incident shows that while Uber is great for quick and easy trips around town at an unbeatable price, it does seem quite easy for drivers to charge a cleaning fee on their word and a blurry photo or two.
Theconversation. Following TfL’s decision to withdraw Uber’s license to operate in London, there has been a widespread picking over of the ride-hailing app’s recent history – and speculation about its future.
A fairly common conclusion is that Uber needs to become more ethical if it is to survive. I want to suggest that this may not be possible. After the calamitous year Uber has had, it should not be difficult for the company to improve its reputation – simply by avoiding many of the unnecessary embarrassments heaped upon itself in 2017. However, merely improving its PR will not get Uber out of the hole it has now dug for itself. It is looking as though, in many territories such as London, Uber’s survival will rely on concrete measures to better care for both its drivers and customers.
Herein lies the problem. The Rise and Fall of Uber's Travis Kalanick - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world. Someone Copied The Wrong Person On An Email, And It Just Might Destroy Uber. How to See Your Rating. How to See Your Uber Passenger Rating. In Video, Uber CEO Argues With Driver Over Falling Fares - Bloomberg. When Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick takes an Uber, he prefers a black car, the high-end service his company introduced in 2010.
On this particular night in early February—Super Bowl Sunday—Kalanick is perched in the middle seat, flanked by two female friends. Maroon 5’s “Don’t Wanna Know” plays, and Kalanick shimmies. He clutches his smartphone as the three make awkward conversation. The two women ask when his birthday is, and marvel that he’s a Leo.
Log In - New York Times. How Uber Drivers Decide How Long to Work. (The hourly wage of cabdrivers typically reflects how busy they are; the rate they can charge doesn’t change unexpectedly.
For Uber drivers, the hourly wage reflects both busyness and rates, since Uber can increase prices when demand is high.) Photo “A substantial, although not most, fraction of partners do in fact come into the market with income targeting behavior,” the paper’s author, Michael Sheldon, an Uber data scientist, wrote. The behavior is then “rather quickly learned away in favor of more optimal decision making.” In effect, Mr. Pando. Pando. With another mega-round in progress, Airbnb has achieved something Uber hasn’t. You gotta know when to fold ‘em: Uber and Didi call a truce in China with a $35 billion deal - Recode. Revealed in court: 100% cast iron evidence of how Uber lies to secretly investigate and smear its critics. Uber in Europe: back to the future. Where will Uber stop?
After the news that the Saudi’s have decided to invest $3.5bn in the company, came details of a further $2bn Uber wants to raise from financial markets using tecniques never deployed before by a start-up. Uber already has a war-chest of $14 bn. to spend in expanding its role in the Middle East, Africa, India and China, as well as to develop new services like driverless cars and car-pooling. But it’s in Europe that the company has encountered the greatest opposition to its presence and its methods, confirming the Old World’s status as the place where America’s tech giants find their toughest official critics and most militant opponents in local business. Uber’s urge to simply ignore local regulations and apply the same aggressive drive to attract drivers and customers that worked so well in the US has backfired in Europe, as it has in nations as far apart as Indonesia, South Africa and Chile. How Uber and Lyft lost Austin. This story is part of a series of features, The Future of Ride-Hailing.
The project is intended to show how the taxicab industry, with varying degrees of success, is pushing back against the existential threat posed by the rise of ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber. It’s election day in Austin, Texas, and the campaign that funneled more than $8 million to secure the future of Uber and Lyft in the city didn’t bother to throw an official party to watch results.
An afternoon text from Ridesharing Works for Austin Deputy Outreach Director Huey Rey Fischer reads like resigned contempt for the process. Uber vs. Lyft vs. the taxi industry: How they stack up. This story is part of a series of features, The Future of Ride-Hailing. The project is intended to show how the taxicab industry, with varying degrees of success, is pushing back against the existential threat posed by the rise of ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber.
To get a license as a taxi driver in Chicago, you have to be current on all child support payments and have paid off all your parkings tickets. D.C. cab drivers must turn in three letters of recommendation and undergo a drug test. San Francisco requires prospective cabbies to pass taxi training school and submit a 10-year print out of their driving record. All three cities also require cab drivers to pass fingerprint background checks. In Seattle, taxi drivers can only wear shorts on in the summer months and, even then, only bermuda shorts. The unexpected perks of Lyft and Uber’s random encounters. This story is part of a series of features, The Future of Ride-Hailing. The project is intended to show how the taxicab industry, with varying degrees of success, is pushing back against the existential threat posed by the rise of ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber. The first time I met Wesley, I tried to explain the cloud. His red mini-SUV had a spotless yet well-loved interior.
Pando. Kalamazoo Killer Jason Dalton Was an Uber Driver Who Took Passengers For a Terrifying Ride During Spree. Kalamazoo police claim the 45-year-old man who went on a shooting spree Saturday night, killing six, was an Uber driver who dropped off passengers between shootings. According to WOOD-TV, authorities are investigating reports that the suspected gunman, Jason Dalton, dropped off a group of people at a Fairfield Inn before going next door to the Cracker Barrel and opening fire on two vehicles, killing four people. People staying at the hotel claimed the passengers dropped off there were interviewed by police following the shootings. FOX17 is investigating an online posting that claimed Dalton had been reported earlier to 911 for driving erratically and scaring customers who escaped from the car when the driver slowed down. Uber and Lyft’s big new lie: Their excuse for avoiding regulation is finally falling apart. Recently Lyft and General Motors made a grand announcement, with all the hoopla meant to convey that this announcement is a really big deal: ta-daaaa, a joint partnership in which Lyft will develop self-driving cars with GM.
GM is going to invest $500 million in Lyft, and GM president Daniel Ammann will join the board of Lyft. Never mind that self-driving cars (beyond test cars) will not appear on the streets anytime soon – and possibly never, due to the severe regulatory and insurance hurdles involved in letting a 3,000-pound machine steer itself with no human at the controls. Nevertheless, that big headline dominated the news cycle, which is so titillated by anything Uber or Donald Trump. Yet the media missed the really big news. Travis Shrugged: The creepy, dangerous ideology behind Silicon Valley's Cult of Disruption. "On bad days, I look at our revenue graph. " - Travis Kalanick When Uber was forced to shut down its yellow cab hailing service in New York last week, founder Travis Kalanick threw a fit that PandoDaily's Nathaniel Mott described as "downright adolescent... just short of [Kalanick] stamping his feet.
" In fact, as Mott explains (and as sources close to the negotiations have independently confirmed), there was precisely one reason why UberTaxi failed to take Manhattan: Travis Kalanick himself. For one thing, the TLC is bound by contracts with existing vendors not to allow any other credit card processing in NY cabs until next February.
Likewise, changing laws on handheld devices and pre-booked pickups cannot happen overnight. Pando. Uk.businessinsider. More States Just Dealt A Blow To Uber Drivers Seeking Benefits. Uber Is Taking Millions Of Manhattan Rides Away From Taxis. Capital - Is this the end of tipping? Uber Drivers' Labor Lawsuit Granted Class Action Status In California. Enter the Wasteland. Tin Foil Hats. High noon: I’m coming up on a red at 7th, heading west on Market. The Tenderloin. There’s an empty Yellow just ahead of me at the light and an historic F line street car just letting off on the platform to our left. As the passengers pour out onto the island dividing the two westbound lanes here, I note one dude – a bit frantic – check out Yellow, and then come running back to me.
Dunno why dude would be getting off a train and then immediately try to hail a cab, or why he didn’t go for the empty Yellow in front, but I wave him in… Although a bit edgy, a skinny 30-ish Pryor is wearing a clean white T nicely tucked-in that complements his chocolate skin, stylish jeans, and a large diamond earring in his left ear – presumably fake, he seems like he may be rational. When You Drive A Taxi, You See All Kinds Of Fares - The Onion - America's Finest News Source. I love being a cabbie. A lot of jobs are pretty much the same thing day in, day out, but in my line of work, every day brings something new.
I’ve been in the business more than 20 years now, and I can tell you from experience that no two shifts are alike. What keeps it interesting? Uber Launches Quarterly Print Magazine For Drivers. New Premium Uber Service Lets Users Commandeer Any Car. The Rideshare Paradox. Friends with Benefits. Uber’s System for Screening Drivers Draws Scrutiny. Photo Uber champions its “industry-leading standards” for vetting its drivers. On its website, it describes its background checks as “often more rigorous” than those in the traditional taxi industry. The Uber You Reap Is The Uber You Sow. I never thought it would happen, but I’m officially sick of reading about Uber. Dear Travis: A Miami Uber driver takes exception to the company’s rate cuts. My Uber Breaking Point. 8 Unbelievable Uber Stories. Black Friday 2014: Best Deals & Bargains. Uber Receives ‘F’ Grade From Better Business Bureau.
The Sharing Economy’s ‘First Strike’: Uber Drivers Turn Off the App. I quit: Miseries of an Uber driver. Behind the Wheel 2: Notes from an Uber/Lyft – The New Zine. Uber's Fight Of California Data-Sharing Rule Highlights Its Bumpy Road.


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Researchers have discovered a new malware that has greatly affected Android smartphones. The malware is named “Agent Smith”. It replaces parts of the application with its own code. The malware has affected 25 million Android devices globally, of which 15 million devices have been affected in India alone. While 300,000 devices have been affected in the US.
Agent Smith malware was discovered by researchers at a security firm check point. In which they found that, it used vulnerabilities in the Android operating system to replace applications that were legitimately installed on devices with malicious versions without user intervention. For information, let us tell you that malware does not steal your data, it only forces the hacked application to show more ads (advertisements) and takes credit for the ads that the apps are already showing. , So that the malware operator can benefit from fraudulent views.
According to the checkpoint, the malware looks for such known applications on smartphones as WhatsApp, Flipkart, Opera Mini, etc. and replaces parts of their code and then prevents them from being updated. The third party app was detected on malware by 9 apps. This can also happen in any apps such as games, photos, or sex-related apps that start the process of changing the code on legitimate apps on the device by disguising the name of the Google updater in the respective app.
Researchers have also reported malware in the distribution of smartphone brands in India, of which 26 percent of Samsung's phones were the most affected in the country, besides 6.1 percent of Xiaomi phones, 5.5 percent of Vivo phones, and 5 percent of Micromax phones. Happened. Reportedly, Agent Smith malware also made its way to the Google Play store with 11 apps on its platform, although now Google has removed all the malicious apps it has discovered.

domain: news


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MyBit Partners with Arabco Smart Technology.
If you have been keeping up to date with MyBit’s activity since our ICO in August, you will already know that our team was in Dubai in October attending Startup bootcamp’s Smart City Dubai event. We are now happy to formally announce that one of these partnerships was with Arabco Smart Technology.
Arabco currently has a deal in place with the Government of Dubai and the Smart City Initiative backed by the Sheikh. This deal will ensure Steora smart benches are installed by Arabco throughout Dubai, as the city undergoes an enormous technological transformation over the next few years.
The Steora smart bench is beautifully simplistic, but within its sleek design it hosts numerous revenue generating features. Its in-built flat screen, used for advertising, provides its largest revenue stream. However, additional revenue is generated from its superfast 4G mobile router, a wireless device charger, two smart USB connectors and in-built sensors which gather different sorts of information, including atmospheric conditions, number of users and component functionality. All these help the smart bench achieving a full ROI/cost of goods in under 1 year and it’s powered entirely by integrated solar panels, meaning it costs nothing to run and once installed it is virtually maintenance free.
From next year on, users of the MyBit platform will be able to crowdfund and invest in Steora smart benches worldwide. It is incredible to think that people from all around the world will soon be able to profit from something as simple as residents sitting on a bench drinking coffee. It is a testament to the truly global scale of the burgeoning IoT economy and reminds us of the necessity of our work here at MyBit, to unlock billions of dollars in investment opportunities to those who would otherwise be economically disempowered.
The great news is that with Steora, Arabco are only just getting started. They plan to add many more revenue generating machines to their roster and MyBit users will be among the first people able to benefit financially from these new additions to Dubai’s machine economy.
MyBit takes their time choosing only the best partners that fit three main criteria: Sustainable, Innovative, and profitable. By adhering to our strict listing criteria we offer investors on our platform unparalleled access to IoT assets.
For more information on Arabco and the Steora smart bench, visit https://www.arabcosmartech.com
Stay tuned as we prepare to announce more partnerships before the launch of the MyBit platform next year.
The latest Tweets from MyBit (@MyBit_DApp). MyBit is the world's most advanced IoT investment Ecosystem. Join us on…twitter.com


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Today in 29th GST Council meeting acting Finance Minister CA. Piyush Goyal ji, proposed Pilot Project to promote Digital Payments through cash back of GST.
GST Council gave approval for pilot project of incentives on Digital Payments.
1. 20% cash back of GST paid to be proposed. Subject to maximum Rs. 100/-.
2. Cash Back applicable on payments through RuPay Debit Card, Bhim, USSD etc.
3. It’s on wish of States to launch this incentive scheme or not.
West Bengal opposes idea of Digital incentivization of GST!!
1. West Bengal Finance Minister Mr. Amit Mitra opposes the idea of Digital incentivization.
2. He said that these incentives will come from the GST’s revenue that was collected dearly.
3. He also says that total revenue loss in Q1 has been Rs 43,000 cr.
To know about GST Council 29th Meeting CLICK HERE.


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Smart toys such as Furby Connect and My Friend Cayla may be on your kid’s holiday gift list. But such toys also are on the FBI’s warning list.
Interactive, internet-connected toys are outfitted with microphones, cameras, data storage components, and similar features. That means these too-smart toys “could put the privacy and safety of children at risk due to the large amount of personal information that may be unwittingly disclosed,” the FBI warns.
As your youngster chats with the toys, those with microphones could collect such information as your child’s name, address, school and favorite activities, according to the FBI. If the information is hacked, it could open the door to cyberthieves stealing your child’s identity.
The crackdown on too-smart toys
In December 2016, four consumer groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), alleging My Friend Cayla and i-Que robot are outfitted with unsecured Bluetooth connections and violate consumer protection and privacy laws. The groups want the toys pulled from store shelves.
In Germany this year, the Federal Network Agency, which regulates telecommunications, banned My Friend Cayla in that country, classifying it as an espionage device, and recommending that parents destroy the dolls.
In the United States, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires the FTC to issue and enforce regulations related to children’s online privacy. The aim is to ensure that parents have control over what information is collected online from children who are under the age of 13.
The law is directed at websites and online services such as mobile apps directed at children under the age of 13 that collect, use or disclose kids’ personal information.
In response to the era of internet-connected toys, the FTC updated its guidance on COPPA this summer. The law requires that companies:
- Notify parents directly about policies before collecting information.
- Obtain parents’ consent before collecting information.
- Respect parents’ rights to review and revoke access to the information.
- Implement security measures to protect kids’ personal information.
Those who violate the rule can be held liable for civil penalties of up to $40,654 per violation.
What you can do to protect your child
If you’re thinking of buying a too-smart toy this holiday season, the FBI recommends that you:
- Research security issues involving the toys you’re considering.
- Research the toy’s security measures.
- Read disclosures and privacy policies.
- Only connect the toys using secure internet connections.
- Use a PIN or password when pairing the toy with Bluetooth.
- Use encryption to transmit data from the toy.
- Keep the toy updated with the most recent security patches and software updates.
- Turn off the toy when it’s not being used.
- Use strong passwords when creating user accounts.
If you’re concerned the toy might have been compromised, you can file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
While your child’s toy might be smart, you need to be smarter.
See related: Holiday gift ideas: 5 money-smart toys, Synthetic identity theft crimes growing fast, targeting kids, Guard the last 4 digits of your Social Security number – they are all ID thieves need


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Ever since Jaguar started making cars like the Jaguar XFR-S and the XKR-S, an R-S version of the sublime F-Type was a bit of an inevitability. Now the people at Touriclips captured one pounding around the Nurburgring (of course), and it looks like Jag's trying to glue it to the road. With air.»6/13/14 10:47am6/13/14 10:47am
Kinja is in read-only mode. We are working to restore service.


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In 2018, the eSports industry is projected to reach $905 million in revenue Image: REUTERS/Tom Jacobs
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This sport will soon be a 1 billion dollar business with a global audience of over 300 million fans. But it doesn’t involve a ball, stadiums or grass pitches.
Welcome to the world of eSports.
eSports (short for Electronic Sports) is the name given to professional competitive gaming. In a nutshell, competitors play video games, while being watched by a live audience. Millions more watch the games online.
League of Legends is a hugely popular fast-paced action strategy game. Gamers battle to be crowned the best in the world, competing to earn $1 million in prize money.
In fact, winning eSports tournaments can net participants up to $25 million when winnings, sponsorship and appearance fees are taken into account.
The highest earning player, German Kuro Takhasomi, has earned almost $3.5 million to date.
Fans watch on YouTube’s gaming channel or on Twitch, a dedicated gaming channel on the web. eSports viewers spent 17.9 million hours watching their gaming heroes on those channels in the first quarter of 2018. The most popular game to watch is Dota 2, followed by League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.
The global eSports audience will reach 380 million this year, made up of 165 million dedicated eSports fans and 215 million occasional viewers.
In 2018, the eSports industry is projected to generate $905 million in revenue, reaching over $1 billion over the next two years.
China and North America will generate over half of that sum.
Fans buying tickets and merchandise will contribute $96 million.
Is it sport?
Just like traditional sport, eSports has its fair share of professionals, commentators and celebrities.
Prize money is certainly comparable to more traditional sports. The National Basketball Association prize pool is $13 million, the Golf Masters is $11 million and the Confederations Cup is $20 million. eSports exceeds each of them with a total prize pool of $24.7 million.
In fact, FIFA has its own eWorld Cup, where the 32 best FIFA18 Xbox and PlayStation players will compete for the title of FIFA eWorld Cup Champion.
eSports has become so popular, that even the International Olympic committee is trying to understand it better. The IOC and the Global Association of International Sports Federations are jointly hosting an eSports Forum at the Olympic Museum in France.
“The aim of the Forum is to explore synergies, build joint understanding and set a platform for future engagement between the eSports and gaming industries and the Olympic Movement,” they say.
The IOC isn’t the only organisation taking eSports seriously.
The US government has recognised full-time League of Legends players as professional athletes.
But detractors scoff at the idea of calling gaming a real sport. After all, gamers sit still in a chair for hours on end showing only agility and dexterity in their hands, they argue.
But those who play eSports would counter argue that it takes a great deal of skill and strategy to win games. They also point out that they practice for hours a day just like any other sports player, and that physical exertion isn’t the marker of sport. Darts players and snooker players don’t have to move much either.
It may be a moot point. An industry that is projected to make $1.4 billion by 2020 is unlikely to require the approval of naysayers.
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Your “my day” tab is where you’ll find disney genie recommendations and plans you’ve made, including dining reservations and disneyland resort hotel reservations. Disneyland has not announced a date yet for the launch for their disney+ but we were told by disney that a date is coming soon!
Disney genie+ service will be available for $20 per guest per day.
Disney genie plus start date disneyland. The disney genie and disney genie+ services launched dec. Stay tuned to kenny the pirate for more info! Disneyland sets launch date, prices for genie+ replacement for free fastpass the new disney genie service will debut wednesday, dec.
The launch date for the genie system at disneyland is december 8, 2021. Entertainment janeen christoff december 06, 2021. We frogs hopped right on it and tested these services out in florida.
The launch date for the genie system at disneyland is december 8, 2021. The new disney genie+ program is the paid aspect of the disney genie program at walt disney world. While mickey mouse and his pals have not released any information at this time, i am certain the launch date for the genie to come out of his lamp will be real soon!
The new service will be available to parkgoers within the existing disneyland app beginning on december 8, 2021. Disney genie and genie+ have now officially launched at walt disney world — a launch date has not yet been announced for disneyland resort — and guests visiting the most magical place on earth. The new disney genie app and genie+ service will launch this fall 2021 for both disneyland.
Disney genie is a new service that started at the disneyland resort on december 8, 2021.when we say disney genie, we’re typically talking about three different things; These are the lanes that the disney genie+ program will utilize throughout the parks. We recently reported here that the debut date of genie+ at disney world will be october 19th.
This new paid program includes over 40 of your favorite walt disney world attractions across all four theme parks. Disneyland has no official launch date yet but we were told their launch will be announced soon. Disney has today announced that disney genie, genie+, and lightning lane will launch at walt disney world on october 19 2021.
Disney has not announced the start date at disneyland yet but hopefully they will only be a little behind disneyworld. Unfortunately, there’s no date as to when disney genie service will be joining the disneyland resort, fingers crossed it’s soon! Here is a brief definition of each of these new terms:
Disneyland launch date disneyland disney genie+ is part of the new app interface called disney genie service which is available to all guests within the disneyland app. Starting at 7 am, guests that have purchased disney. Disney genie service (photo via walt disney world news) disneyland resort has announced the date that it will launch disney genie and disney genie+.
Disney genie service will launch on october 19, 2021, at the walt disney world resort. This is where any new information will be shared about disney genie services and when it will begin at the disneyland resort. It will begin populating at 7:00 am on the day of your visit.
Disney genie, disney genie+ and lightning lanes. Disney parks blog when will genie+ debut at disneyland? Purchasing genie+ early has no bearing on attraction.
Disney genie+ will launch at walt disney world on october 19th! And, all you’ll need to access it is the my disney experience app installed on your phone! Today, disney announced that disney genie will be debuting in walt disney world on october 19th, 2021.
Disney genie is a new planning tool which allows guests to customize their day by picking a specific character theme for a prebuilt disney touring plan or picking their own. Disney genie+ service will be available for $20 per guest per day. The disney parks blog has given us a debut date of december 8, 2021 for the start of genie+ at disneyland resort.
Here’s how the itinerary planning app works the disney genie app will debut on oct. It will launch at a “later date” for disneyland resort. Springing forth from the magic lamp, walt disney world theme park guests can expect to have disney genie appearing in their my disney.
When is the disney genie launch date? Disneyland reveals new disney genie+ details: It will not include photopass ar filters like at walt disney world.
And, i can tell you that the start date of the disney genie service is a question many guests are asking right now! We recently reported here that the debut date of genie+ at disney world will be october 19th. Starting at 7 am, guests that have purchased disney genie can secure their first.
Disney has not announced the start date at disneyland yet but hopefully they will only be a little behind disneyworld. You’ll also be able to chat with a cast member who can answer questions you have along the way. 8, 2021, at disneyland (and had already been let out of the bottle at walt disney world resort several weeks ahead).
8 as part of the disneyland mobile app.


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icorn” was first used by venture capitalist Aileen Lee six years ago to describe a privately held startups valued at $1 billio
n or more, the number of companies matching this label has mushroomed to 326, according to a report.
The United States is home to 156 unicorns, nearly half of the world’s total, followed by China with 94 unicorns, Jeff Desj
ardins, editor-in-chief of media site Visual Capitalist, said in a report called Visualizing the Unicorn Landscape in 2019.
The total valuation of the 326 unicorns has been raised to $1.1 trillio
n by investors, of which almost 30 percent is made up by the top seven unicorns with hig
hest valuation, including Bytedance, Uber, Didi Chuxing and WeWork, the report citing data from CB Insights said.
urity”, signed an executive order on May 15 that led the US Department of Commerce to put Huawei and its affilia
tes on an Entity List, which would restrict the sale or transfer of US technologies to the company.
Craig Allen, president of the council, said many of its members are suppliers to Huaw
ei, and all of them have been impacted by the Department of Commerce’s move.
Founded in 1973, the council represents around 200 US companie
s doing business with China, including Apple and Microsoft. It also includes chipmakers Inte
l and Qualcomm, which have said they would stop offering supplies to Huawei until further notice.
The members will follow US law, but there is a cost associated with that, Allen told China Daily.
Chinese romance which opened across the country on April 19, has some scenes shot in Paris, including the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The film, directed by Huo Jianqi, a renowned figure among China’s “Fifth Gene
ration” directors, features supermodel-turned actress Du Juan and actor Chen Xiao.
During a recently promotional screening, director Huo says the film examines the meaning of love and marriage.
In the movie, there are several scenes featuring the lovebirds shown against the backg
round of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was damaged in a fire on April 15.
The film, based on a short story penned by journalist An Dun, the features a violinis
t and an interior designer, who encounter each other in a museum in Paris and soon fall in love.
followed by Baidu and ByteDance, according to the employment-oriented social networking platform LinkedIn.
The ranking list is based on feedback from LinkedIn’s more than 40 million users in China, taking fo
ur aspects into consideration — interest in the company, engagement with employees, job demands and employee retention.
Qualified companies must have had at least 500 employees as of Feb 1, 2018, and demonst
rate flat or positive employee growth over the following 12 months, based on LinkedIn’s data.
Among the top 25 companies to work for in 2019, 15 of them are technology companies, as the results showed.
Here is the top 10 list for best employers in China.
A traditional craft maker in Qinzhou, a city in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous
region, found a clue to boost popularity of its more-than-1,300-year-old workmanship. That is tourism.
Long Shaorong, vice-general manager with Qinzhou Nixing Pottery Arts Co Ltd, bets big on
tourism to beef up sales of Nixing pottery, one of the top four potteries in China, which originates from Tang Dynasty.
Canalys, said it is possible for Huawei to achieve its ambitious revenue target if it can maintain its current growth rate and everything goes well.
“Huawei is also increasing the average selling price of its smartphones and expan
ding its presence in the premium segment, which will significantly boost revenue,” Jia said.
But the global smartphone market is reaching saturation point, so Huawei has to encroa
ch on other smartphone vendors’ market share to maintain a good momentum, Jia added.
On Thursday, Yu also unveiled the P30 smartphone series in Shanghai. Priced from 3,988 yuan ($594) in China, the P30 Pro co
mes with optimized photo-shooting capabilities. By leveraging artificial intelligence and a new light sensor, th
e new model would significantly boost light absorption to create better photos, even in near darkness.


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US makes biggest interest rate rise in almost 30 years
The US central bank has announced its biggest interest rate rise in nearly 30 years as it ramps up its fight to rein in soaring consumer prices.
The Federal Reserve said it would increase its key interest rate by three quarters of a percentage point to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%.
The rise, the third since March, comes after inflation in the US surged unexpectedly last month.
More hikes are expected, adding to the uncertainty facing the economy.
Forecasts released after the meeting showed officials expect the rate the Fed charges banks to borrow could reach 3.4% by the end of the year, the moves rippling out to the public in the form of higher borrowing costs for mortgages, credit cards and other loans.
As central banks around the world take similar steps, it marks a massive change for the global economy, where businesses and households have enjoyed years of low borrowing costs.
"Most advanced economy central banks and some emerging market central banks are tightening policy in sync," said Gregory Daco, chief economist at strategy consulting firm EY-Parthenon.
"That is a global environment that we've not been accustomed to in the past few decades, and that will represent ramifications for the business sector and for consumers throughout the world."
In the UK, where consumer prices jumped 9% in April, the Bank of England is expected to announce its fifth rate rise since December on Thursday, pushing its benchmark rate above 1% for the first time since 2009.
Brazil, Canada and Australia have also raised rates, while the European Central Bank has outlined plans to do so later this summer.
In the US, which slashed rates to support the economy when the pandemic hit in 2020, the Fed has already raised rates twice this year, by 0.25 percentage points in March and another half point in May.
At the time, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said officials were not considering sharper rises.
But figures on Friday, which showed US inflation rising to 8.6% in May - the fastest pace since 1981 - pushed officials to move more aggressively, Mr Powell said at a press conference following this week's meeting.
"It is essential that we bring inflation down," he said, acknowledging that a 0.75 percentage point rise was "unusually large".
"Inflation has obviously surprised to the upside over the past year and further surprises could be in store," he said. "We therefore will need to be nimble."
Playing catch up
Many analysts say the Fed is struggling to catch up, after Mr Powell and others last year dismissed price rises as a temporary problem related to supply chain issues.
Since then, inflation has sharpened due to factors like the war in Ukraine and ongoing Covid-19 shutdowns in China.
Recent surveys suggest the public expects the problem will continue to worsen, despite the Fed's vows to act.
"The Fed is under the gun and facing an inflation credibility test," said economist David Beckworth, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
Ignacio Lopez is eager to see inflation brought under control.
For the last 18 months, the Boston-based chef has been watching food prices climb as he stocks up for his restaurant. Prices for items with complicated supply chains, like packaged goods and imported cheese, are particularly under pressure, he says.
"It's crazy and it doesn't stop," he says. "Every week things go up."
The business has raised its own prices to offset the costs, but he says he can't go too far without losing customers. So his profits are still taking a hit.
He is worried that the rate increases won't help, noting that demand remains weak due to Covid, which has cut into the after-work gatherings that used to drive his business.
"We're just going to keep managing it as tight as we can, trying not to increase our prices beyond our market and hope things calm down," he says.
The last time the Fed announced a rate hike of this size was 1994.
The move, which makes borrowing more expensive, is expected to cool demand and slow economic activity - in theory, easing price pressures.
But by acting late, and now moving more aggressively to compensate, policymakers face a greater chance that their actions will induce an economic downturn, Mr Daco said.
"I'm increasingly worried," he added. "I wouldn't be surprised that around the turn of the year we face an environment where growth is stalling and we're pretty close to a recessionary environment, with the unemployment rate on the rise and no longer declining."
Mr Powell said the US is well poised to handle higher rates, pointing to still robust job growth.
But projections released by the Fed show officials expect economic growth to slow to about 1.7% this year, a full percentage point lower than they forecast in March.
Unemployment, now at 3.6%, is expected to rise to 3.7% and reach 4.1% by 2024.
Officials also removed a line from their end of meeting statement - which typically shows little change - saying the labour market would remain strong as the Fed raised rates.
Mr Powell said the omission reflected the fact that many forces driving inflation - like the war in Ukraine - are out of the bank's control.
"So much of it is really not down to monetary policy," he said. "That just didn't seem appropriate anymore so we took it out."
With Wednesday's rise, the rate the Fed charges banks to borrow will return to where it was before the pandemic hit in 2020, remaining relatively low by historic standards.
But the increases are already having an impact.
Higher rates have helped to boost demand for dollars, sending the currency up 10% since the start of the year and putting other countries, especially emerging markets with large amounts of debt in dollars, under pressure.
In the US, financial markets have slipped, with the S&P 500, which tracks hundreds of America's biggest companies, losing a fifth of its value since the start of the year, as multinationals warn that inflation and the rise in the dollar is hurting their profits.
Home sales have also slowed precipitously as mortgage rates follow the Fed rate higher.
Data on Wednesday also showed retail sales slipped last month, as people spent more at the pump due to rising petrol costs and deferred purchases of big ticket items like cars.
Mr Powell said gaining control of the price increases was essential to economic stability and progress would take time.
"At the end of the day, the outlook is very uncertain," Mr Beckworth said. "The Fed has to be at some level, lucky."
Credit: The BBC


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TV Advertising Gets Microsoft Backing Amid ‘Web Guerrilla’
WPP Plc (WPP) and Publicis Groupe SA (PUB) are racing to expand their Web and mobile-phone advertising businesses to catch consumers’ attention. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) says they shouldn’t forget a much more traditional route: television.
There has “never been a better time for TV advertising to seize the moment,” Microsoft Advertising and BBDO Worldwide, a unit of the world’s second-biggest ad company Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC), said in a study released today. The survey among 1,500 consumers in the U.S., China, Russia, the U.K. and Saudi Arabia shows that “TV is a rich, powerful medium and advertisers should continue to be making great ads for it.”
The call by the world’s biggest software maker, which spent $1.6 billion on advertising last year, is targeted at top marketing executives gathering this week along the Cote d’Azur in Cannes as they find the right balance between traditional print and TV advertising and newer platforms such as computers, tablets and mobile phones.
While digital advertising has the fastest growth rate, TV is able to stay relevant because of new technology such as digital video recorders and surround sound, as well as rising viewership in developing markets, says ZenithOptimedia, the research unit of the world’s third-biggest ad company Publicis.
“TV is by far and away the largest advertising medium,” Jonathan Barnard, ZenithOptimedia’s head of forecasting, said in an interview. “It has strengthened and is continuing to do so.” He estimates that TV ads will account for 42 percent of the $216 billion ad market by 2013, up from 37 percent in 2005.
TV is especially powerful in countries such as Spain and Italy that have been slower to adopt Web technologies, said Marc Bresseel, vice-president for global marketing at Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft’s advertising unit.
The annual Lions advertising festival in Cannes, which started yesterday, is the industry’s largest gathering. At lavish parties, ad agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi will schmooze with the marketers such as consumer-goods companies Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), Unilever and Coca-Cola Inc.
Speakers in Cannes this year include Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google Inc. (GOOG), whose Android operating system is the fastest-growing platform for smartphones that allow users to surf the Web and download music and videos. Also present are Martin Sorrell, CEO of the world’s biggest advertising company WPP, Publicis CEO Maurice Levy, Time Warner Inc. (TWX) CEO Jeffrey Bewkes, AOL Inc. (AOL) CEO Tim Armstrong and Nestle SA CEO Paul Bulcke.
Marketers are increasingly using the Web for campaigns such as German health insurer DKV’s “hotel check web guerrilla.” Created by WPP, it embeds videos of vacation disasters on a travel website to convince consumers to take out a policy.
Contactless payments and coupon services such as those provided by Groupon Inc. are also helping advertisers to lure consumers are adding a new layer of targeting to mobile advertising, which is growing faster in some emerging markets than in the U.S. and Europe. Mobile advertising in China will more than double to $1.16 billion in the next three years, according to EMarketer Inc.
With television defending its place and Internet and mobile-phone marketing campaigns on the rise, the loser is likely to be print advertising, analysts say.
Digital Spending Spree
Online advertising will replace print ads as the second most popular form of advertising by 2013, ZenithOptimedia’s Barnard said. Web-based ads will be worth $94 billion by 2013, compared with $91 billion for print.
WPP will spend more than 200 million pounds ($324 million) this year on acquisitions, double its typical annual budget, to expand in digital and emerging markets, CEO Sorrell said in an interview last week. Dublin-based WPP is owner of ad agencies including Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy & Mather and the Grey Group.
Publicis said today it agreed to acquire Genedigi Group in China in a deal that would make the French company the largest public relations agency in China.
Last month, the owner of the Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi ad agencies agreed to buy Rosetta Marketing Group LLC for an initial $575 million in cash to broaden its digital operations. Rosetta will join the French company’s digital- oriented brands such as Digitas and Razorfish, part of a strategy of expanding that segment to 35 percent of revenue in 2013 from 28 percent last year.
Advertising companies are bolstering spending as they’re benefiting from increased investments by companies and consumers following the economic slowdown. Still, worldwide ad revenue may be recovering more slowly than previously forecast, as sales at U.S. retailers missed analysts’ expectations and, in Europe, industrial output in Germany slowed, MagnaGlobal, a unit of U.S. advertiser Interpublic Group of Cos., said June 16.
TV advertising will still grow an average of 8.3 percent through 2016, according to MagnaGlobal.
Microsoft and BBDO say the effectiveness of TV advertising is not only backed up by quantitative research and numbers. For their survey, the two companies analyzed consumers’ “emotional” connections with TV, personal computers and mobile devices.
While wireless gadgets are the “most personal device and something users feel close to,” TV has the advantage that its audience is receptive and “waiting to be entertained and humored,” the two companies said.
Even some of digital advertising’s most fervent advocates are convinced of TV’s permanence as a key marketing channel. In a speech in Cannes today about the changing online media scene, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington paused to refer to an ad for Chivas whisky she had seen recently and admired.
“I was sitting in a hotel room watching TV,” she said. “Even I still do that.”
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at email@example.com


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The S&P 500 index is set to be the latest to form one of the more dreaded chart patterns on Wall Street. See full story.
Trade deficit hits 10-year high as Americans snap up imports and China shuns soybeans
The trade deficit rose 1.7% in October to a 10-year high amid a record shortfall with China, keeping the U.S. on pace to record the largest gap in a decade. See full story.
U.S. adds 179,000 private-sector jobs in November: ADP
Private-sector employment rose 179,000 in November, Automatic Data Processing Inc. reported Thursday. See full story.
This stable value stock is built to weather market storms
Drug distributor McKesson has a wide moat, writes Vitaliy Katsenelson. See full story.
Why pro athletes may lose a fortune because of the new tax law
CPAs who work with athletes say they can no longer get full deductions for state and local taxes — or for itemizing. See full story.
Consumers will be handsomely rewarded for following a smart credit card strategy. See full story.


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Monster Hunter Rise’s Sunbreak expansion will add a variety of new monsters, pieces of equipment, and hunts, similar to Monster Hunter World’s major expansion, Iceborne. Thankfully, fans of the series won’t have to wait too long to jump into it, as Capcom has confirmed the expansion will launch on June 30.
During a digital event for the expansion, Capcom confirmed the release date, and also gave a preview of what the expansion would entail. The company showed off a few of the new monsters that you can expect to find in Sunbreak, such as Lunagaron and Astalos. A fresh set of Monster Hunter amiibos were also announced, which can be used to unlock the Formal Dragon set of layered armor for your hunter, your Palico, and your Palamute.
Capcom previously debuted a trailer that revealed the expansion’s setting to be the island of Elgado, which the company described as “a land of perilous adventure.”
Monster Hunter Rise was released in early 2021 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. The game was ported to PC in January featuring a variety of enhancements, such as an uncapped framerate, and higher quality textures. The Sunbreak expansion will hit both platforms at once when it drops in June.


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Used car values hit record high in April
17 May 2016
The value of used cars rose across the board last month, hitting record levels, according to auction service BCA. Values for fleet and lease and part-exchange sectors reached new highs as wholesale buyer demand "increased significantly".
This means that the average value of a used car rose by £317 to £8155 - an increase of 4.0%, while the year-on-year figure jumped by £283, equivalent to 3.6%. The average age of all cars fell from 60.5 months in April 2015 to 58.7 this year, while average mileage dropped from 54,713 to 52,460. Similar trends can be seen in fleet and lease car values with average age falling from 39.7 months to 39.2 months, mileage dropping from 46,044 to 43,847 miles and values increasing from £9700 to £9899.
According to Simon Henstock, BCA chief operating officer, UK remarketing: "Despite the Easter bank holidays typically heralding a slowing in the marketplace, buyer demand was strong across the range of vehicles on offer at BCA in April, reflecting an underlying confidence from the trade to acquire stock".
Henstock predicts that this may not continue into May, however: "We are expecting seasonal pressures to make themselves felt during May as volumes rise and demand typically softens. This is very likely to put pressure on price and conversion rates for volume vendors and means sellers should pay attention to remarketing processes and disciplines in the weeks ahead".
Consequently, Henstock warns that "unless sellers are pricing in line with condition and market sentiment, we may start to see a build-up of unsold stock across the remarketing sector".
Top performers in April were hatchbacks, which jumped 5.6% in value compared with the previous month and MPVs, which increased by 3.4%. Coupes and roadsters, however, fell by 0.8% and 0.2% respectively.


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Target Accused of Failing to Pay Overtime to Warehouse Group Leaders, According to Outten & Golden LLP and Louis Ginsberg Law Offices, P.C.
A new federal class action lawsuit accuses retail giant Target Corp. of violating employment laws by failing to pay overtime compensation to group leaders in the company’s warehouses, according to the law firms of Outten & Golden LLP and Louis Ginsberg Law Offices, P.C. According to the lawsuit, Target misclassifies group leaders in its warehouses as exempt from overtime pay requirements, and fails to pay them for all hours worked. The legal team will seek to have the lawsuit certified as a class action to recover unpaid overtime, liquidated damages and penalties. The lawsuit – LaPointe v...Read more


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Yesterday, Mashable posted a phenomenal info-graphic that I thought I’d share with you. What’s fascinating to me isn’t just the statistics about users who have profiles on Facebook. The more exciting information has to do with what we’re doing with Facebook, and just how ingrained into our society the site has become. I’ve mentioned in the past how exciting it is that there are 500million Facebook users globally, but the real key to why Facebook has such an astronomical valuation deals with the idea that of those 500 million 250million log in each day. Facebook has become as much of our daily lives as checking our email.
Yesterday I read on Mashable that the new Facebook Profiles was launched. I immediately decided I would give it a try. I also noticed yesterday via my Facebook Newsfeed that our friends over at Likeable Media conducted an impromptu survey of their over 14k followers regarding the new profiles. It seemed that the majority of the comments were negative, and I’ll admit that I wasn’t surprised. Partially because every time Facebook rolls out a new release the Facebook faithful tend to grumble. But mostly I realize that most people think about how these changes effect themselves, and not how they effect the manner in which brands engage with their fans on Facebook. Obviously the Facebook team is trying to enhance the user experience, and I think they accomplish that with new Facebook Profiles, but the real story here, in my opinion is what the new Facebook Profiles does for brands engaging in Facebook.
Last week I “liked” a network news Facebook page. Very soon afterward, I received what seemed to be an auto generated email via Facebook from “Joey”. He was pleasant, engaging and fully transparent that he was working with a weatherman at this network. He asked that since I had recently liked the network page, if I could “like” weather man’s page. I thought this is fantastic, someone that “gets it”. personal branding drive action digital chris dessi So I went for it. Why not, this was a great way to get fans to engage with the weatherman – I was already a fan of the network, so why not?
Let’s face it Facebook has won. It’s been over for a while, but last week MySpace announced that it was going to integrateFacebook Connect to enhance the ailing social network. This is the final nail in the coffin for MySpace, but just another triumphant step in Facebook’s inevitable world domination.
esterday was perhaps the best work day I’ve had in my entire career. I started the day at the office with my business partner, and founder of Drive Action Digital, Anthony Zarro. We had just recieved our new laptops in the mail. Like two little kids on Christmas morning, we busily set up our laptops, and started to get our desks in order. After working for a few hours, we headed down to the city together to meet with one of our most exciting clients – Lifesta. I’m going to tell you more about Lifesta soon enough, but you should know this – they are going to be huge. They’re changing the game of online couponing as we know it. Stay tuned for more! Finally, yesterday evening I was lucky enough to appear again on Fox TV. I was asked to come in to chat about Facebook’s new messaging platform. We chatted, and had a great time. It’s funny that I had no idea we were broadcasting live. In hindesight, it’s better that I didn’t know, I think I would have been more nervous!
his past Wednesday I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
At 2pm I received a call from producer, Jason Hartelius at Fox. He was producing a story, and was interested in getting my opinion regarding social media – wow. “Chris, can you be here by 6:30pm”…uhm, yes, of course.
The perfect storm of social media engagement entails having an appropriate brand presence on Facebook. There’s no way to avoid 500million active users. So before we delve into our seven steps, you must first take the plunge and create a Facebook Page for your brand.
Now that you have a page, and perhaps a few fans. What’s the next step?
Here are seven that will guide you to success:


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The latest market report published by Credence Research, Inc. “Global Luxury Condoms Market: Growth, Future Prospects, and Competitive Analysis, 2015 – 2027”. The Global Luxury Condoms Market generated revenue of around USD 405 million in 2020 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 8.35% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2027 to reach around USD 710 million in 2027. While, cumulative growth opportunity presented by the global Luxury Condoms is around USD 3,384 million during 2021 to 2027.
Global Luxury Condoms Market, 2020 – 2027 (USD Million)
Luxury condoms are growing in demand from higher income group. The higher income people are looking at condoms as more than just a contraceptive product. In response to consumer’s demand condom manufacturers are focusing on to develop and offer innovative condoms which are technologically advanced, made of vegan or ecofriendly materials, and enhance pleasure than just acting as a contraceptive tool. For instance, MyONE launched a luxury more personalized condom which is available in over 50 sizes. While, Lelo launched a revolutionary condom with hexagonal design.
Female Luxury Condoms to Dominate
Female and male are tow different types of Luxury Condoms available in the market. Although male Luxury Condoms dominate the market with over 65% share in 2020, female Luxury Condoms are likely to grow at an attractive CAGR over the forecast period. This can be attributed to increased awareness among women regarding their needs and wants. Suffice it to say, condom companies are attempting to address this change of perception. Modern, luxury prophyalctics are more appealing to look at, as well as ethically-sourced, pleasure-oriented and individualized to fulfill requirements of women.
Supermarkets & Hypermarkets to Stay as a Major Point of Purchase
Luxury Condoms are distributed through distribution channels such as Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Retail Stores, Pharmacy Stores and Others. Among al, supermarket & hypermarkets are still ruling the Luxury Condoms market sales. However, online distribution is gaining traction at quite a rapid pace. Online channels have ability to reach customers located at last mile and hence growing in popularity among end-users.
Paradigm Shift in Condom Manufacturers Strategies
Need of higher income groups were neglected by the Condom manufacturers till beginning of last decade. However, over the past few years, key players such as Hanx, Lelo, Unique, MyONE and Naked have shifted their focus from offer just contraceptive tools to offering a personalized product that fulfill requirements of higher income group male and female. To address their need, major players are developing condoms that are designed to personalized, luxurious and vegan condoms. Regular condoms may irritate genitals and hence Hanx launched ultra-thin lubricated and transparent condoms.
Global Luxury Condoms Market by Type, 2015 – 2027
Global Luxury Condoms Market by Distribution Channel, 2015 – 2027
- Retail Stores
- Pharmacy Stores
Global Luxury Condoms Market by Company, 2015 – 2027


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We are getting closer to the next generation Xiaomi phone, so it is no surprise that alleged leaks of the Xiaomi Mi4 have been posted online.
Before we go in to the details, I am a little dubious about this ‘leak’. At the time of writing this Xiaomi have been very very careful with their flagships and many of the previous leaks for the Xiaomi Mi2 and Mi3 were later discovered to be fake.
So now that we have our pinch of salt ready lets take a look at leak. According to sources the Xiaomi Mi4 will have a 5-inch display, the same as the Mi3, but with a narrower border. Sources also say the Xiaomi Mi4 will have a one piece metal design, a unannounced quad-core processor, 16 mega-pixel main camera and 4G LTE.
Reports also claim that MIUI will be significantly updated to improve the camera app, samples of which can be seen in an early post from yesterday.


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“Prices should be going down right now, that is right. But to think that this fall will continue all the time and we will be living again in the utopia that preceded this great climb … It will not. It just isn't possible anymore. Many cost components have grown and will not decrease," said Ingūna Gulbe, head of the Institute for AgroResources and Economics, Head of Agricultural Market Promotion.
Noris Krūzītis, executive director of the Association of Food Traders, said that food price inflation will continue to fall by three or four percentage points in the coming months. He also expressed, though the trend is common, figures may differ.
On the other hand, Guntis Gūtmanis, Chairman of the Board of Cooperation of Agricultural Organizations, stressed that we live in a global world. Therefore, the war in Ukraine, the weather and what is happening on world markets will have a major impact on food prices.
He stressed that forecasts are always just forecasts. “If we remember what happened with Covid-19, when we simply closed the borders and could not bring in anything, if we look at the war in Ukraine, then I think economic analysts may soon have no job because their forecasts can either come true or not,” said Gūtmanis.
He also expressed that agriculture needed to do everything so that Latvia could feed itself. “We need to provide the most agricultural production so that we can supply ourselves because it is a matter of national security. We see what Ukraine is experiencing at the moment, and that is what we should focus on primarily,” said Gūtmanis.
Central Statistical Bureay data shows that since May, food prices have had the biggest impact on total inflation in Latvia. If overall inflation fell below 10% in June, then in the food and nonalcoholic beverage group, prices were still 14.4% higher than a year ago at that time. In June, food prices fell by 0.1% compared to May.


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Ford remains optimistic about Europe turnaround
- Staff Louisville Business First
Tomorrow's fourth-quarter earnings report is likely to show Ford's lowest operating profit for the year, according to the report, and a loss of more than $1.5 billion for the full year in Europe.
But Ford CFO Bob Shanks told Bloomberg that the losses will begin to disappear in about two years.
The company is modeling its efforts in Europe on its turnaround in North America, where the company has posted record profits.
Ford (NYSE: F) operates the Louisville Assembly Plant and the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.
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Hargreaves Logistics former MD Andrew Wolrich is to work with Ian Elliott, head of Hargreaves’ subsidiary Halcyon Tankers, as a consultant. Wolrich, who launched consultancy business WCL after leaving Hargreaves Logistics last month, will help Elliott develop the business that was launched in July last year. Wolrich said: “We started Halcyon Tankers in July 2017 and it has gone from nothing to running 26 tankers and an annual turnover of £3m.” Elliott is the former MD of Imperial Tankers, which […]
GV Group (Gate Ventures), which owns several brands offering logistics services within the foodservice sector, has appointed Darren Weeks as its group business director.
Ian Chisholm has been appointed as MD of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE) after 14 years with the society.
Skills for Logistics MD David Coombes writes that while there is a huge push at the age of 16-18 on what they are going to do after they complete their time at school/college, a lot of people are not aware that apprenticeships are for people of all ages.


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Every New Orleans neighborhood has something worth seeing. Whether its the compact French Quarter or the lower 9th Ward, the city has monuments worth visiting and streets worth taking leisurely strolls.
New Orleans has several beautiful homes on the market. Some date back to the 18th century, while other have beautiful stories behind their constructions. Here’s a list of five exceptional homes you shouldn’t miss this weekend.
Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a semi-regular column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various New Orleans neighborhoods. Is one man's studio another man's townhouse? Let's find out! Today, we're looking at apartments renting around $1,100.
For the past month, our friends at NeighborhoodX have evaluated home prices in New Orleans. This time around, the analytics and research firm is taking a global look at fifteen neighborhoods in the city.
A CVS pharmacy opened in the Lower 9th Ward today, making it the first national retailer to open in the area since Hurricane Katrina. The 13,000 square-foot store is on the corner of North Claiborne Avenue and Forstall Street.


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WELSH food campaigners say children should be banned from bringing crisps and chocolate into school to tackle an alarming rise in obesity.
The non-profit Welsh Food Alliance (WFA) has urged the Government to tell headteachers which types of food and drink are "acceptable" to carry into school.
The proposal goes much further than the call by other health campaigners for schools to simply ban snack machines from their corridors.
And it raises the prospect of pupils being ordered to replace fatty snacks in their lunch boxes with fruit and other healthy choices.
However, it will be condemned as an example of the "nanny state" and teachers are also likely to resent being asked to tell youngsters what they can or cannot bring to school.
The WFA made the proposal in evidence to the Commons health select committee which has recently carried out an inquiry into obesity.
The group demanded a ban on the promotion of food and drinks "high in salt, sugar and fat" and clear guidance on the use of vending machines.
Its evidence added: "The Government should specify the acceptability of food and drink that may be brought into school".
In its report, published last month, the health committee identified chocolate bars, crisps, sweets and biscuits as the snacks causing a weight explosion, particularly in children.
In contrast, apples, other fruit and healthier drinks such as milk, water and fruit juices were increasingly neglected, it said.
The Alliance also called for the school day to be extended to allow pupils to take part in more physical exercise, alongside their lessons.
And it attacked the "serious decline" in the number of schools teaching pupils about healthy food as part of their design and technology classes.
Teachers in Wales were falling behind their counterparts in England in advising pupils about health eating because of "inadequate attention given to training".
Any decision to outlaw snack machines in Welsh schools - or to restrict fatty foods in lunch boxes - would be taken by the Assembly government, in Cardiff.
The WFA has contributed to numerous consultations on healthy eating in both Wales and England.
* ANTI-OBESITY campaigners last night branded school trips to one of the world's largest chocolate theme parks "inappropriate".
Hundreds of school parties from around the UK flock to Cadbury World each year. But nutritionists fear the trips will not help the rising rate of obesity among young people.
Seventeen per cent of children under 11 are now rated as obese, and numbers have risen by a quarter since 1995.
Last month, a Commons Health Committee report warned that today's obese youngsters could become the first generation to die before their parents.
The #6m Cadbury World centre near Birmingham is described as "The only purpose-built visitor centre in the UK dedicated to chocolate".
Tony Bilsborough, spokesman for Cadbury World, said anyone worried about school groups visiting the centre had "fundamentally misunderstood" its role.
He said Cadbury had worked closely with schools to provide material that fitted in with the national curriculum.
NORTH Wales mum Karen Rowley packs a balanced healthy lunch for her eight-year-old daughter Amy.
Well aware of the dangers of sugary and fatty food, Mrs Rowley, 41, from Garden City, Deeside, ensures if Amy has any "sins" they are just once a day.
Mrs Rowley, whose daughter goes to Sealand CP School, supports the Welsh Food Alliance's campaign for healthier diets.
"Amy has sandwiches for lunch. She has a ham or turkey sandwich, an apple and a pear and a yoghurt," said Mrs Rowley.
"Her only sin is a packet of crisps. But if she does have a packet of crisps for lunch, then we make sure she does not have any more - it is just once a day.
"After tea she will have a pudding but we make sure it is with grapes or strawberries.
"We don't buy any fizzy drinks. We have diluted pop drinks.
"I don't think vending machines are a good idea in school. The older ones are not going to buy the things that are good for them."
But a National Association of Headteachers spokesman said taking vending machines out of schools will not solve the problem.
"Schools cannot do this alone," said NAHT Cymru director, Anna Brychan.
"This is something that needs all agencies and businesses to be involved in to provide healthier options from vending machines."
Experts say a perfect lunch box involves low fat foods with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Coleg Menai catering assessor and chef, Gerallt Williams, said: "I have a young boy and I send him to school with a lunch box.
"It usually has a brown roll with a light filling of fish or chicken, but I stay away from processed foods."
Newi College food specialist, Prof Mike Thomas gave a similar verdict .
He added: "Carbonated drinks and crisps, sweets, in fact anything which is termed snacks are usually bad."


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'GoldenEye 007' makes unexpected, illegal return to gaming
My college years were a great time for gaming. The mid- to late-90s brought the birth of the PlayStation, and it along with the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64 marked the arrival of 3D gaming to the masses.
While nowhere near as advanced as today's systems, the Nintendo 64 in particular was the perfect system for me at the time. It allowed you to plug in four controllers at a time when most systems limited you to just two. In the dorm rooms of Ball State University, my friends and I would play countless matches of "WCW/nWo Revenge" and "GoldenEye 007."
"GoldenEye 007" in particular is looked back on as a landmark title in video game history. While not the first first-person shooter released on a home console, it is often credited as the first game to get the genre right on a home console.
"GoldenEye 007" actually has been in the news a lot this year for an almost 25-year-old title. A full playthrough video of a previously unannounced remaster of the game that had been in development for the Xbox 360 and almost completed was posted to YouTube last month.
The N64 game was originally developed by the British studio Rare, which in 1997 was partly owned by Nintendo. In 2002, the studio was purchased entirely by Microsoft and began making games exclusively for the Xbox platforms.
Around late 2006/early 2007, a team at Rare started developing a remaster of "GoldenEye 007" for the Xbox 360 without getting approval from Microsoft to do so. Ross Bury and Mark Edmonds, who worked on the remaster at Rare, spoke with Ars Technica recently and said the team was eventually given the go-ahead to continue development on the game after receiving approvals from EON, which owns the James Bond character, and Nintendo, whicpublished the original game.
Unfortunately, not everyone at Nintendo had approved the project. When development of the game was mostly complete and the team was doing the final bug fixes, it was informed that title had been canceled.
That was the end of the game's story until gameplay of the near-finished build of the game leaked on YouTube. Soon after that happened, the files for the game were leaked online and the game is playable through the Xbox 360 emulator Xenia. Doing so is technically illegal, so do so at your own risk.
Now that the remaster is kind of out in the wild, it would be great if Microsoft, Nintendo and EON could get together and work out the rights to get the game officially released. There's definitely a better chance of that happening now than 15 years ago, as Microsoft and Nintendo actually collaborate quite a bit nowadays with several Xbox games released on the Switch and "Minecraft" characters added to "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate."
If a remastered version of "GoldenEye 007" is released on the Switch with updated graphics and controls, that would be an easy purchase for me.
Dusty Ricketts can be reached at email@example.com. He is currently playing "Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury" and "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order." You can find him to play online through his PlayStation Network ID: DustRAG316.


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Pastry chef Laura Pyles has been running her wildly popular Parchment pop-up out of Brimmer & Heeltap since last April, but she's moved on to other ventures as of this past weekend.
Pyles says she's teaching more classes at The Pantry and Culinary Essentials, so her method of "overnight, full-on blitzkrieg baking" the night before the pop-up was too exhausting to continue.
But that isn't the end of Parchment altogether; Pyles says she's been "setting up a smaller version of the bakery inside Culinary Essentials kitchen shop most Sundays during the Ballard Farmers Market. I've been doing it for the last three months or so on the Sundays opposite to the Brimmer pop-up and it has been a lot of fun over there," she says. "One of the other teachers, Kirke, sells Italian sausage and pepper heros and we're thinking about adding some more food options as we move into the fall and winter."
Pyles says the best way to keep up with Parchment is to follow the bakery's Facebook page.


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Over the weekend, Tesla founder and SpaceX chief Elon Musk changed the name on his Twitter account to “Lorde Edge,” while his location was “Trollheim”. This prompted a flurry of speculation as to the reason for that change, something the billionaire did not provide. He currently has 62.8 million followers on Twitter.
Nevertheless, the so-called Lorde Edge coin, which was launched last Sunday, began trading on Monday and generated trading volume valued at nearly $27 million, even though Musk himself is not associated with the cryptocurrency at all.
The price reached a high of $0.00002954, representing an 825% increase from the opening price of $0.000003192 and the token has already appeared on more than 1,500 watchlists on CoinMarketCap. Lorde Edge’s price then dropped to touch lows of 0, 000002724, but has since risen 178%. Besides, an update on the website after 24-hours of the token going live, announced that Edgelon had a total of 1000 holders.
On the token’s website, which was designed in a single day, it has been mentioned that Edgelon is “the first cryptocurrency to praise the Dogefather and the CEO of the crypto sector, Elon Musk.” The developers behind the new token seem to be thoroughly accelerating its promotion across the network. A community on Telegram and a great marketing plan implemented seem to be the two weapons under which this new launch pivots. Memes, sweepstakes and NFTs are part of the plan.


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Despite receiving the biggest portion of Volkswagen’s limited-run two-seat hot hatch, UK order books have closed after being open for just a couple of months. In total, just 400 examples of the GTI Clubsport S are being sold worldwide. The first cars are expected to arrive on British roads this October.
Volkswagen’s 306bhp two-seater model can lay claim to being the fastest production front-wheel-drive car to lap the Nürbgurgring. It snatched the title from the Honda Civic Type R back in May after racing driver Benny Leuchter hustled an unmodified car around the 12.9-mile lap in 7min 49.21sec, 1.4sec faster than the Civic (watch the onboard here).


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Ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight, Beth Phillips visited a cocoa co-operative in Ghana and Sarah Butler met coffee farmers in Uganda to find out
I’m sitting in 36C heat on a rickety bench in Bayerebon No.3, a small village in the Ashanti region of South West Ghana, surrounded by what appears to be its entire population.
I’ve travelled for more than three hours, first through the bustling streets of Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city, and then along deep red dusty tracks winding through thick jungle to reach the village and find out what difference Fairtrade has made to this rural community.
Among the welcoming committee, there isn’t a child in sight. That’s because Bayerebon No.3 boasts a school attended by 600 local kids one that was built by Ghanaian cocoa co-op Kuapa Kokoo in 2000. It is a sad fact of life that child labour is a major problem in the African cocoa industry and the school is one of many ways the co-op is hoping to stamp it out.
That hasn’t stopped it coming under scrutiny. Fairtrade has been investigated a number of times in the past few years and Kuapa Kokoo, which makes Divine chocolate and also supplies cocoa to Cadbury and own label, was thrust under the spotlight last March. A Panorama documentary claimed it had found evidence of child labour within the co-operative and that Kuapa Kokoo had been forced to suspend a number of its village ‘societies’.
At Kuapa Kokoo’s HQ in Kumasi, the co-operative’s new president Christiana Agyare tells me the society was “gutted” about the revelations because it had been working so hard to tackle child labour.
Having put in place a remedial plan for the affected societies, which were reinstated last January, it is now hoping to put the past behind it by continuing the roll out of a new Child Labour programme.
Last June, a taskforce made up of community members and representatives from Kuapa Kokoo toured villages in the western region of Ghana to identify children at risk from exploitation and stop it happening. The taskforce did not identify any children at risk within Kuapa Kokoo (although it did highlight a number of children who were not part of the co-op). To prevent problems occurring within Kuapa Kokoo’s 1,300 societies, it decided to roll the pilot out.
The taskforce has now visited 28 of them and last month the International Labour Organisation donated $100,000 to enable them to assess a further 15. The hope is that eventually the scheme will be extended to all districts in western Ghana, which is particularly susceptible to child labour because it produces 50% of Ghana’s cocoa.
There is a palpable desire to get rid of such abuses and improve children’s lives. Back at Bayerebon No.3, the school is clearly central to the local community. Kids travel from six neighbouring villages to attend. As well as educating them, the school is also giving them hope for the future.
When I ask them what they want to be, tellingly none of them reply “cocoa farmer”. They all want to be doctors and teachers. Elias Mohammed, who as the Bayerebon No.3 recorder is responsible for weighing and checking the cocoa, tells me that thanks to Kuapa Kokoo he was able to send his five children to the school. Two are now at secondary school.
It’s not just kids who are benefiting. In the same village, I meet a woman busy raking the thousands of cocoa beans that lie drying on long wooden racks. As she works, she tells me that women have also been “empowered”. “We can earn our own living and not be so dependent on our men,” she says.
In another Kuapa Kokoo village, Awaham, I meet Juliet, a cocoa farmer with a machete in her handbag. She tells me that through Kuapa Kokoo the village applied for a grant to buy a corn-milling machine. It was successful and the machine, installed last July, has turned what would have been a couple of hours’ work for the women of the village into a five-minute task.
These aren’t isolated examples. There’s evidence of female empowerment all over Ghana ads for a government campaign are displayed on the streets of Kumasi and in my hotel I pick up a leaflet urging women to marry for love, not money.
Kuapa Kokoo is trying to lead by example. The split between men and women on its 12-strong National Executive Council is 50:50 and in August the co-op elected its first woman president.
“We seek to promote the participation of women in our activities,” says Agyare, who joined the co-operative back in 1998 as a member.
Of course, there’s still a long way to go. It’s apparent that the villagers rarely get a chance to try or even see the final product they work so hard to create.
Everywhere I go, people describe the cocoa beans as “your cocoa beans” and when Divine representatives offer chocolate from the UK to pupils at Bayerbon No.3, it’s gone in seconds. Indeed, I have to stop some children from eating it before they have removed the wrapper.
The Fairtrade Foundation is working hard to address the issue, says executive director Harriet Lamb. “The next stage is to change the nature of Fairtrade so the farmers feel it is theirs,” she says. “One way forward is for farmers to create their own brands and to market them in their own countries. It’s already taking off in South Africa. They don’t have to export it to the other side of the world!”
It’s an ambitious plan, but Lamb believes that by targeting tourists, expats and then the burgeoning middle classes, Fairtrade can grow in Africa. Hopefully, one day the villagers of Bayerbon No.3 too will be able to eat the chocolate made using their cocoa beans.
Kuapa Kokoo – the lowdown Kuapa Kokoo was launched in 1993 after the IMF made moves to liberalise the corrupt, government-controlled Ghanaian cocoa industry.
Its aim is to ensure a fair price for its 45,000 members cocoa farmers in more than 1,300 village societies. Each society appoints a recorder to weigh and check each 64kg sack of cocoa, which is then marked with the village’s unique ID number and sent to one of the many district depots.
There it is checked for quality and moisture content and sent on to a ports to make its way to Europe. Today 61% of Kuapa Kokoo’s sales are Fairtrade, a figure that’s shot up in recent years thanks to companies like Cadbury.
Each society receives a premium from Kuapa Kokoo Fairtrade activities, which have funded 302 wells, 34 milling machines and seven schools. Farmers also receive machetes and healthcare.
Instant coffee has not been an instant hit for Fairtrade, reports Sarah Butler from Mbale, UgandaMost of the world may be fretting about rising food inflation, but not George Kusolo. He is a coffee farmer and he’s delighted with the soaring prices commanded by the organic beans he grows on his modest hillside plot close to Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda.As a Fairtrade grower, he’s also pleased Fairtrade coffee has gone so mainstream. Fairtrade-certifi ed coffee was one of the fi rst three Fairtrade products launched by the foundation and is now the third biggest selling Fairtrade category, behind bananas and sugar.Having started out very much as a niche proposition 16 years ago when the Fairtrade Foundation was launched, it now accounts for 12.2% of the UK coffee market and the own-labelling offerings from Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, The Co-op and Morrisons are all Fairtrade.The foundation has set out its stall to nearly double its share of the overall coffee market to 20% by next year, increasing household penetration from 20% to 50% in the process. But there’s a fl y in the ointment, in the form of instant coffee.Fairtrade-certified coffee currently only accounts for 2.5% of instant coffee sales and there is little sign that the situation is about to improve.The fledgling sub-category has endured decidedly mixed fortunes of late. Last year, Asda shook up its Fairtrade hot beverages line-up, delisting instant coffees from Café Direct and Clipper. Elsewhere the picture looks equally depressing for the organisation, with the dominant players in the instant coffee category shunning the Fairtrade mark in favour of rival ethical label Rainforest Alliance.Kenco, which represents about 19% of UK instant coffee sales according to SymphonyIRI, already partners with the Rainforest Alliance. And Nestlé, which looked to Fairtrade when sourcing cocoa for its Kit Kat brand and for the launch of its specialist Partners’ Blend Nescafé Fairtrade coffee, announced this summer its intention to source 90,000 tonnes of Nescafé coffee according to Rainforest Alliance and Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) principles by 2020.Fairtrade acknowledges that it faces a problem. It admits that the highly commodotised and competitive nature of the instant coffee sector has made it difficult to persuade brands to pay the extra for Fairtrade-sourced beans.
The problem has been further exacerbated by the soaring price of mild Arabica coffee beans, which this month hit a high of $2.78 a pound.To address the issue, Fairtrade plans to court more major supermarkets and major household brands in the months ahead, according to Richard Anstead, head of grocery product management at Fairtrade. He points to Kenco’s tie-up with the Rainforest Alliance as evidence of “growing awareness of sustainability and ethical issues in the coffee sector” and that “brands are waking up to the fact that ethical sourcing is not just the right thing to do but is an important part of their business plan to keep coffee coming in”.As a result, he believes there are plenty of growth opportunities for the organisation to exploit. “Our producers are only selling an average 10% to 15% of their yield to Fairtrade. Even if we could raise Fairtrade’s share of the instant coffee market to 6% it would double the amount of coffee producers are selling into that market,” he says. While two or three retailers continue to lead the market, an opportunity remains for those who have so far been less committed to going down the Fairtrade route.“Supermarkets could do more to close the gap on what we think consumer demand is for own label and what consumers see in stores,” he says.Tesco, for example, has historically shied away from Fairtrade coffee. Despite being the UK’s largest supermarket, its own-label Fairtrade coffee accounts for just 0.7% of the roast and ground market by value against 8.6% for its ordinary own-label and 12.9% for Sainsbury’s Fairtrade products, according to SymphonyIRI.Sainsbury’s heads the way when it comes to Fairtrade coffee sales and intends to bolster its offer through the introduction of a Fairtrade product sourced from the confl ict-affected Congo as part of a Comic Relief-backed project during Fairtrade Fortnight, which kicks off on Monday.Even Asda launched an own-label Extra Special Fairtrade instant coffee recently and announced plans to increase its Café Direct range with five roast and ground SKUs.So while the outlook could be better it’s not all doom and gloom. Fairtrade’s aim to wave its flag over a fifth of the UK coffee market may be ambitious, but the need to invest in a sustainable supply chain could ultimately help to swing the argument.If the organisation achieves its target of a 20% share of the UK coffee market it would be good news for farmers like George Kusolo. He’s put the extra money that he’s already earned from growing Fairtrade beans to good use, installing a new metal roof on his house and sending his youngest child to school.The extra 6,257 tonnes of coffee per annum that Fairtrade requires smallholders to generate to hit its target will help to sustain generations of Kusolos for years to come.
No mountain too high for UK food
It towers nearly 6,000m above the East African savanna, climbs through several ecosystems and is the world’s tallest free standing mountain rise. Now Mt Kilimanjaro is set to be tackled by British food and drink’s leading lights. The intrepid team of 12 – led by former NFU director general Richard MacDonald and including Sainsbury’s commercial director Mike Coupe, FSA CEO Tim Smith and The Grocer’s publisher Charles Reed – are lacing up their boots for charity FARM-Africa in September.FARM-Africa improves the livelihoods of East African farmers by providing strategic training to help them manage and sustain their resources and allowing them to go beyond subsistence farming and making a living through their land and livestock.“This is a chance to show that the food industry cares about more than just the bottom line,” says MacDonald. “We want to raise a decent sum of money for FARMAfrica – a very worthy charity that’s closely linked to us in the food industry.”Fundraising will be chiefly through corporate sponsorship packages, which will include invitations to an exclusive pre-expedition dinner. Sponsors will also feature in campaign ads in The Grocer and other William Reed titles. “This is about UK Food plc supporting and raising money for a very important charity that supports African farmers,” says Reed. “It’s as much about raising awareness as it is money.”Contact 0207 430 0440 or firstname.lastname@example.org to sponsor.


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Business Travel Show has appointed its first advisory board in a bid to
add weight to its buyer offering and to ensure topical content for its
The committee will provide comment and advice on plans for the exhibition on industry trends, issues and key topics facing UK and European travel buyers.
will include advice on conference content and relevant ideas for
research studies for the Centaur Exhibitions-organised show on 5 and 6
February 2013 at Earls Court.
The board members are Alison Churchill, Christian Martin, Simon Andrews and Jef Robinson from the UK, Anton Goth and Ruediger Bruss from Germany and Soraya Wongatsoi.
“Going forward, the board will be our eyes and ears in the industry and at the show,” said Business Travel Show Event Director David Chapple.
“They will attend and experience the event as hosted buyers, providing us with valuable first-hand feedback that will be used to refine our offering to the buying community year-on-year, ensuring we continue to provide them with the ultimate learning, networking and sourcing opportunities.”
Alison Churchill was delighted to be a part of the advisory board for 2013’s Business Travel Show.
“This is one of the biggest shows for the business travel community and provides a huge insight into the marketplace for new and experienced travelbuyers/managers alike,” she commented.
“I’m looking forward to helping shape the content of 2013’s show and making this one of the best yet.”
Got a story for Conference News? Email us: firstname.lastname@example.org
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CHICAGO - The new mayor of Chicago has more on his mind than municipal issues. Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to fix the problem of the cityï¿½ï¿½s so-called "food deserts," Huffington Post Chicago reports. For a large number of city residents, fresh fruit and vegetables are out of reach because of the physical distance to the nearest grocery store.
Food deserts ï¿½" so-called the areas are located far away from the closets fresh foods ï¿½" have become a serious health crisis, contributing to diet-related diseases and illnesses. The mayorï¿½ï¿½s "Food Desert Summit" strove to fix the problem by asking large supermarkets to open stores in underserved areas.
However, a trio of entrepreneurs had another idea: bring the produce to the residents. Sheelah Muhammad, Steven Casey and Jeff Pinzino run Fresh Moves, a mobile grocery store housed in a bus.
"We talked to a couple of grocers, and realized that bricks and mortar wasn't the quickest solution, that the barriers to entry were too great," said Muhammad, board secretary at Fresh Moves. "We wanted a solution that was more flexible, that met the needs of more residents in more communities."
The three had assistance from the Chicago Transit Authority (donated a bus), Architecture for Humanity (converted the bus) and EPIC (built the website). Last month, the bus started its routes that ran twice a week with three stops each day. The demand quickly outstripped their expectations. The bus served more than 600 customers its first five days in operation.
"The first day, it was pouring raining, and we sold out of organic collard greens the first hour," said Dara Cooper, project manager. "We sold out of mangoes, cherry tomatoes, it was amazing."
What doesnï¿½ï¿½t sell is donated to homeless shelters, but thus far, there hasnï¿½ï¿½t been many leftovers. Much of the produce is locally sourced and organic, but emphasis is also placed on price. "When you talk about access [to fresh food], part of it is geographic," said Cooper, "but a big part of it is monetary, too."


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The German annual producer price inflation stood at 2.6 percent in February 2019, the same as the previous month and lower than market expectations of 2.9 percent. Inflation was unchanged for both durable consumer and capital goods (at 1.6 percent, respectively), while eased slightly for intermediate goods (1.1 percent vs 1.2 percent). Meantime, cost rose faster for both energy (7.5 percent vs 7.2 percent) and non-durable consumer goods (0.8 percent vs 0.6 percent).
Excluding energy, producer inflation edged up to 1.3 percent in February from 1.2 percent in January. On a monthly basis, producer prices fell 0.1 percent in February, after a 0.4 percent gain in a month earlier and against consensus of a 0.2 percent rise. Producer Prices Change in Germany averaged 2.05 percent from 1950 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 22.40 percent in June of 1951 and a record low of -7.80 percent in July of 2009.
Producer Prices Change in Germany is expected to be 2.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Producer Prices Change in Germany to stand at 2.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Germany Producer Prices Change is projected to trend around 2.00 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.