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NEAR OLIVER, B.C. – Mount Baldy Ski Resort is likely to remain closed despite an announcement in October of a Christmas season re-opening.
“Unfortunately, none of the potential purchasers or operators has arranged financing needed to buy the resort or to operate it,” says G-Force Group in a press release sent to Global Okanagan News Thursday night. G-Force Group was appointed Receiver-Manager of Mount Baldy by the B.C. Supreme Court Dec 19, 2014.
On Oct 9th, Calgary based Baldy Capital Corporation announced it was the new owner and was going to prepare the hill for the ski season opening Dec 18th.
That announcement looks to have been premature with G-Force Real Estate Inc. stating the Receiver of the foreclosed ski hill, “has not received an offer from them or any other party which is acceptable either to the primary secured creditor or the Receiver, or is in a form that could be approved by the Court, which is required.”
“The main hurdle has been the inability by any of the potential buyers or operators to arrange sufficient financing to ensure that all creditors can be paid during the upcoming ski season.”
Mount Baldy Ski Resort remains for sale to “new serious enquiries or realistic options”, according to the release.


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Carlos Slim Skirts a Ban on TV Broadcasts
The world’s richest man just can’t take no for an answer. Banned by regulators from offering television service in his native country, Carlos Slim, the Mexican telecom billionaire, has started streaming shows, news, sports, and cultural programming for free on the Web.
Rivals are not taking it lightly. Mexico’s No. 2 broadcaster, TV Azteca, has sued Slim’s phone carriers—América Móvil and Teléfonos de México —for Web broadcasts such as last month’s airing of the Pan American Games. Telmex was a sponsor of the Games and had online rights for Mexico, while TV Azteca owned a portion of the TV broadcast rights. Luis Niño, a spokesman for TV Azteca and other companies controlled by billionaire Ricardo Salinas, compared it with taking away business from Slim’s Mixup Music Store chain, which sells CDs and DVDs. “It’s as if I went right outside a store and started selling pirated music and movies, and told them, ‘It’s O.K. I downloaded them from the Internet,’ ” he says. Emilio Azcárraga, chief executive officer of market leader Grupo Televisa, has called on Mexican regulators to scrutinize Slim’s moves.
Under the terms of his telecom license, Slim is barred from using his networks to offer TV service. Slim, 71, has tried unsuccessfully to reverse the ban, especially as Televisa has begun offering phone and Internet service to lure away his customers. “Streaming on the Internet isn’t TV,” Renato Flores, a Telmex spokesman, posted on his Twitter account. Flores, in an e-mail, declined to comment further.
For Slim, Mexico is the exception. América Móvil is already the biggest pay-TV provider across Latin America, with 12.5 million subscribers, mostly in Brazil, compared with DirecTV’s 10.3 million. Last month it acquired video distribution company DLA for an undisclosed fee, gaining a platform to offer pay-per-view and online streaming of movies. “Having content is going to be an important part of the future for all of América Móvil,” says Martin Lara, an analyst at Corp. Actinver, a Mexico City brokerage. “It makes sense to build up content and acquire content even though they don’t have a license.”
Mexico’s pay-TV business generates about $3 billion a year, so it’s not surprising that Azcárraga and Salinas, whose companies are also players in cable and satellite, are putting up a fight. Stay tuned to see how this battle of the billionaires turns out.

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Food truck operators hope city updates ordinance restricting their night hours
INDIANAPOLIS , IN – The popularity of gourmet food trucks is prompting city officials to rethink a 1975 law restricting the operating hours and other practices for such businesses.
The possible tweaking of the old law follows complaints by several food-truck operators that the restrictions — such as prohibiting them from operating on public streets from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. — are too severe.
“Lately,” said John Ban, owner of The NY Slice pizza truck, “we’ve been getting harassed by police officers Downtown and in the Broad Ripple area.”
Ban’s business has received two citations this month in the Broad Ripple area, confirmed Sgt. Linda Jackson, spokeswoman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. One was for selling after 10 p.m., and the other was for stopping to sell pizza along a street designated too busy for such activity by Marion County’s official thoroughfare plan.
City officials, however, want to keep such mobile food vendors unfettered by unnecessary rules, said a spokesman for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.
“If this language needs to be brought up to date a little bit,” said spokesman Marc Lotter, “we would welcome the City-County Council to look at it.”
The old ordinance includes language regulating fold-out stop signs and music from loudspeakers, Lotter said, leading him to speculate that it was written to provide governance of ice cream trucks.
Lotter also disputed rumors that the city wants to clamp down on the trucks because of their burgeoning popularity.
A recent post on West Coast Tacos’ Facebook page referred to a “new ordinance” that prevents the business from keeping late hours — indicating a lack of awareness that the applicable law is 36 years old.
“There is no new effort,” Lotter said, “to regulate food trucks.”
Approximately 25 licensed food trucks now roam Indianapolis’ streets, said Matt Kornmeyer, owner of Scratchtruck and an active promoter of the trend.
Different mobile food vendors offer a variety of specialties for time-challenged patrons with discriminating tastes: Asian dumplings, cheese steaks and Cajun fare, to name just a few.
The success of such businesses often depends on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, where owners can quickly inform customers about where the food truck will be parked next.
Lines of several dozen patrons had formed around 1 p.m. Tuesday at two food trucks parked near Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis — one operated by West Coast Tacos and another run by Scratchtruck, which offers burgers and “modern comfort food.”
Patrons expressed relief at hearing of city officials’ apparent interest in easing restrictions.
“We’re not telling restaurants with their own buildings they have to close down at 10 p.m.,” said Malinda English, 35, a criminal justice student. “Well, these trucks are their buildings.”
Find the entire article from indystar.com <here>


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Shopcade taps into social nature of shopping online
Social commerce site Shopcade was dreamed up by well known entrepreneur Nathalie Gaveau to help online shopping to evolve. Gaveau enjoyed the UK’s largest startup exit at roughly $250 million, after successfully building a French Ebay competitor, leading her to the launch of Shopcade which allows users to discover new products, list what they want, and get exclusive deals so that shoppers are more connected and more interactive.
“It can be lonely shopping online,” Gaveau told AGBeat, adding that it is akin to window shopping endlessly without anyone to banter with, and with the emergence of women shoppers online en masse, so comes the emergence of “screenshopping,” which Gaveau notes has been poorly facilitated up to this point. Shopcade answers the call by featuring over 100 million products from over 100,000 brands from fashion to home interiors to tech.
The evolution of e-commerce online is much like that in the brick and mortar world: competitors are popping up everywhere. Shopcade solves the problem of being in all places at once, giving shoppers a single location to browse. The company notes that graph technologies and natural language processing are at the heart of this “online shopping breakthrough.”
Enter discovery mode
One of the most fascinating parts of Shopcade is not that it gathers retailers, but that users can create saved lists of everything they want and see what others are saving as well, adding a discovery engine of sorts. Additionally, Shopcade picks out new products and notable products, making personal recommendations for users based on their saved preferences.
While the company does not go window shopping with you while sipping a latte and gossiping about your coworkers, it is the next best thing as it not only streamlines screen shopping, but discovers your likes and helps you to expand your shopping horizons.
Connecting retailers and shoppers
With the help of Shopcade, e-commerce is evolving to understand us as shoppers and by getting commerce to spread virally through users, which is far different than direct promotions that are tailored to groups rather than individuals.
Retailers of all size are connecting more fruitfully with consumers online now, and with new technologies like Shopcade, the connections are smarter and more productive.
Missing office culture while working remotely? This tool tries to recreate it
(BUSINESS NEWS) This startup just released new software to help you reproduce the best parts of in-person office interactions while you work from home.
Are you over working from home? Feeling disconnected from your co-workers? Well look no further: The startup Loop Team just released a tool that reproduces the office culture experience virtually.
“We’ve looked at a lot of the interactions that happen when you’re physically in an office — the visual communication, the background conversations, the hallway chatter,” said Loop Team’s founder and CEO Raj Singh in an interview with TechCrunch. “[W]e built an experience that effectively is a virtual office. And so it tries to represent the best parts of what a physical office experience might be like, but in a virtual form.”
Singh’s company, founded pre-COVID, is posed as a solution to feeling “out of the loop” while working remotely. During the pandemic, where virtually all of us are working from home, this technology is needed more than ever.
How it works is by essentially recreating an office experience on a virtual platform. Somewhere between Zoom and Slack with some added features, Loop Team lets you know who’s free to chat, who’s in meetings, and allows you to have private discussions using audio, video, and screen share. It’s ideal for working on projects together.
Loop’s layout is unique in the sense that it is designed to show you conversations in a clear, direct way – exposing relevant items and hiding the rest. Also, employees who miss meetings have the ability to review what they missed, making it perfect for companies that hire across time zones.
The platform was made available December 1st free of charge, but Singh is hoping to introduce a paid version next year. Pricing will likely reflect team size and should remain free for teams of 10 or less.
I’m a big fan of software that allows you to feel closer and more connected to your co-workers. Do I think anything will ever compare to a true, in-person office experience? Definitely not. That being said, I value this kind of progress, especially since I don’t think office culture en mass will make a return any time soon, regardless of vaccinations.
MIT report reveals serious flaws in US unemployment system
(BUSINESS NEWS) In the wake of COVID-19, the US unemployment system is floundering to cover all who need the aid but it comes with serious flaws.
Last week alone, nearly 1 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits. Now that it’s urgently needed, this safety net is full of holes, leaving many Americans in freefall.
A newspaper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has highlighted several of the critical weaknesses in our country’s unemployment social safety net.
The report outlines how benefits fall short in three major ways: Duration, eligibility, and payment amounts.
The historical purpose of the benefits system was to replace half of lost wages for 6 months while they looked for another job. (The MIT paper even suggests that a more appropriate “replacement rate” would be higher than that.)
As of 2018, unemployment payments only cover Americans for one-third of their lost wages on average.
The income caps for these benefits have stayed fixed while wages have increased over time. That’s bad enough without considering that wages haven’t nearly kept up with worker productivity in the US, meaning those caps haven’t kept up with the real worth of those workers at all.
Compared to other developed nations, the US has lagged behind in public benefits since well before the pandemic.
In 2014, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development compared the duration of unemployment payments around the world. Out of 34 developed countries, the US ranked 33rd— offering less than every country on the list but Hungary.
To quote the research brief for the paper: “Even aside from changes driven by technology and trade, employers’ increasing reliance on contract workers and on-demand scheduling rather than on permanent employees who work predictable schedules has added to the precariousness of many workers’ jobs.”
And those economically vulnerable groups who need the support most are more likely to have jobs that aren’t covered under federal unemployment eligibility.
This includes gig workers (thanks to prop 22), part time workers, and the self employed: People often work these jobs due to constraints like parenthood or disability.
The CARES Act, which passed in April, temporarily allowed certain groups who would usually be ineligible, like the self employed (who are poised to grow in numbers as the job shortage persists) to collect unemployment benefits.
But CARES and HEROES are going to end in December, taking the extensions to unemployment, the eviction moratorium and the COVID sick leave requirements with them.
And instead of extending them, Congress may soon be looking to cannibalize those programs and their unused funds for another round of corporate stimulus spending.
But if the coronavirus relief acts are allowed to expire, nearly 14 million Americans will lose the aid that they provide.
Tis the season for employment scams – here’s what to look out for
(BUSINESS NEWS) Fueled even further by COVID unemployment numbers, seasonal employment scams are back on the menu. Here’s how you can avoid them.
With the sheer amount of desperation people are feeling these days, it’s only fitting that employment scams would see a resurgence this holiday season. Thanks to the Better Business Bureau, there are some clear warning signs that can help you spot and avoid seasonal scams this year.
The typical crux of any employment scam revolves around a prospective employee’s willingness to pay for something upfront, be it training or some other kind of quasi-justifiable item (e.g., a uniform). However, other iterations of the scam actually involve an “employer” overpaying for something at the onset—albeit with a fake check—and then asking the recipient to wire “back” the extra money.
Either way, these scams can leave you jobless and with less money than you initially had, so here are some things for which you should watch out.
Firstly, employers shouldn’t ever charge you before hiring you. Some industries do require employees to make small purchases on their own dime (i.e., the aforementioned uniform), but payroll will usually deduct the cost of these materials from the employee’s first paycheck—not require payment upfront.
As a general rule, it’s probably best to avoid companies that charge you at all. Aramark, for example, is known for requiring employees to buy company clothes—and they’re no peach to work with. But desperate times may warrant an exception in this regard.
It’s also to your benefit to avoid postings that boast an “interview-free” experience. Put simply, no one is hiring sans an interview unless it’s nepotism or a scam. If you aren’t related to the poster, that doesn’t leave much up for interpretation. Similarly, advertising a large sum of money for disproportionately low amounts of work is a pretty big warning sign–again, in this economy, people aren’t shelling out for packing or wrapping jobs.
Finally, watch out for jobs that ask for a work sample before hiring. While this is common for internships, most entry-level positions aren’t going to require you to complete a project for free before determining whether or not you’re good for the job. At best, this is a tactic to get free work from you; at worst, your application information can be stolen.
It’s sad to think that people would stoop to the level of scamming others amidst the dumpster fire of a year it’s been, but if you avoid these red flags, you should be able to keep yourself safe during this holiday season.
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MaidPro opens in Mint Hill
Area residents have a new helper in house cleaning.
Kurt Van Horn recently opened MaidPro of East Charlotte in the B.G. Walters shopping center, 11300 Lawyers Road, suite D, in Mint Hill. The Wingate resident has spent the past seven years in the house-cleaning business as Clean Carolina. He joined the Boston-based MaidPro as a franchise owner after seeing his own business growth stall last year after years of steady growth. Van Horn has five full-time employees, including Office Manager Whitney Bivens, and expects to grow to about 20 employees within a year.
He’s eager to move to Mint Hill with his wife, Stephanie, and daughter, Camille, 10. Stephanie teaches kindergarten at Bain Elementary where Camille is in fourth grade.
“This is an awesome community. We love it,” Kurt Van Horn said. “I think there’s opportunity here for the business to grow. I think there’s a need for more professional cleaning services here.”
Van Horn said he was drawn to MaidPro because of the company’s strong customer service – something he wants to provide his own customers. The company is bonded and insured and all employees undergo criminal background checks.
“Customer service is a lost art,” he said. “Being pretty good is not enough for me. I really truly want my customers to be thrilled.”
MaidPro is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is offering $25 off for customers’ first, third and fifth cleanings.
For more information, including a cleaning estimate of your home, call 704-612-8120 or visit www.maidpro.com/
Mint Hill’s Providence Produce opens soon
Providence Produce will welcome customers back to its Mint Hill location March 1.
This year’s season will mean improved landscaping and new awnings at the business near the intersection of Lawyers and Matthews-Mint Hill roads, founder and owner David White said in an email.
“We look forward to continuing to provide the community with fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly from Florida in the early spring months, and working with local growers in the summer months,” he said.
The business is accepting applications now for six to eight open positions. Applications are available online at www.providenceproduce.com and can be emailed to email@example.com.
Providence produce will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
This year the business will open its fourth location – 1316 Providence Road in Waxhaw. The Waxhaw location will open April 1.
For more information about Providence Produce, call 704-821-6069
Starr & Dickens Orthodontics net award
Starr & Dickens Orthodontics in Matthews was recently awarded a 2012 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor awarded annually to about 5 percent of all the companies rated on Angie’s List, according to a news release.
Working with patients in Matthews, Mint Hill, Charlotte, Weddington and the surrounding areas since 1991, Dr. Starr, Dr. Dickens and their team are dedicated to providing a fun, comfortable orthodontic experience, according to the release.
Angie’s List Super Service Award 2012 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, including earning a minimum number of reports, an excellent rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. Members can find the 2012 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.
For more information, visit www.starrdickensortho.com.
JCPenney fundraising to benefit Dress for Success
Through the end of February, JCPenney customers can round up their purchases to the nearest whole dollar to benefit Charlotte’s Dress for Success chapter.
Dress for Success addresses every phase of a woman’s career — from being unemployed and searching, to recently employed and adjusting, to gainfully employed and succeeding, according to a news release.
For more information about Dress for Success, visit www.dressforsuccess.org/charlotte.


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Author: By James Thompson
The new consortium, led by the turnaround specialists Privet Capital and Paradigm, and Lombok’s management team, will take the retailer forward with 14 stores, but will shed 5 outlets. Lombok appointed the accountancy firm KPMG as administrator yesterday.
The deal secures 124 out of 161 jobs at the retailer ? and protects the deposits and delivery of all orders placed by customers. Pre-packaged administration allows a company to enter administration and then to be quickly bought by new owners with reduced liabilities. For retailers, this typically enables them to ditch unprofitable stores, a process that has generated anger among landlords.
Founded in 1998, Lombok has suffered during the slump in the housing market, as customers baulked at purchasing its mid-to-high-end furniture and homewares accessories. For the year to 30 June 2008, Lombok’s pre-tax profits tumbled by 63 per cent to £232,065.
Over the past year, MFI, Land of Leather, Sofa Workshop, Ilva, The Pier and Rosebys have fallen into administration. This month, Allied Carpets also collapsed shedding 166 out of 217 stores.
Privet Capital and Paradigm have taken a majority stake in Angora (2009), which has the right to trade under Lombok’s name. The retailer’s previous backer, PI Capital, has exited its investment.
William Landale, who will remain as chief executive of Lombok, said: “Whilst the recession has hit Lombok, as it has many other retailers, we have a great brand with significant opportunity to grow the business in the longer term. The existing management are fully behind the deal and we will now sit down with the new board to execute the strategy for the company.”
Lombok’s founder Alex Cresswell-Turner will remain at the business focused on product development as creative director. Steve Keating, a partner at Privet Capital and Lombok’s newly appointed chairman, said: “It is very much business as usual for Lombok. All existing orders will be fulfilled, day-to-day operations continue as normal, our excellent website remains fully functional and there will be no change to the trading name or store branding.”
View full article here
Author: Ezine Article BoardThis author has published 5774 articles so far.


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Talking Business – Europe: The Final Countdown
30 August 2017 | College News
Plymouth’s future post-Brexit will be open for discussion at City College Plymouth’s latest Talking Business @ PL1.
Run in partnership with the Herald, ‘Europe: The Final Countdown’ will examine the impact that Brexit is having on the region’s economy, local businesses and the supply of labour. With talks from guest speakers Tim Jones, Chairman of Devon & Cornwall Business Council, and Donna Barnes, Director at the Talem Group, the evening promises interesting debate and good food.
Pauline Hands, Director of Corporate Relations at City College, said: “Brexit is something which affects every one of us – whether they be big or small, locally-focused or a global trader, Plymouth’s businesses will all feel the effects of the deal that the Government negotiates with Europe. With so many unanswered questions across all areas of trade, regulation and the labour market, our Talking Business @ PL1 event will give businesses the opportunity to get the latest information from industry leaders on what Brexit could mean for Plymouth.
“Our dining events are invaluable for networking and we always have an interesting mix of businesses represented. So whether you were ‘leave’ or ‘remain’ or are currently supporting a hard or soft Brexit, please come and join us for what promises to be a lively debate.”
Hosted by the BBC’s David Fitzgerald, Talking Business @ PL1 is taking place on Thursday 21 September, 5.45pm to 9.00pm. The evening of questions and good food costs £17.50 per person, including a two-course meal with wine. Book and pay online at onlinestore.cityplym.ac.uk.


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Ministry of Trade Advises Public to Avoid Classy Bottled Water
By Staff Reporter
September 21, 2018 - The Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade has urged the public to avoid drinking bottled water branded Classy. Upon inspection, the Ministry of Trade has found Classy bottled water unfit for public consumption.
Belay Private Limited Company, which manufactures Classy bottled drinking water, has been ordered to collect its product from the market before it poses health problems to consumers, the Ministry’s Public Relations and Communications Director Wondimu Filate disclosed.
According to the director, the company once again failed to produce a product that meets the minimum quality set by the Ethiopian Standards Agency despite repeated warnings from the Ministry since it became operational in 2015.
The director said the product had been undergoing regular inspection and the company was suspended in 2016 for producing poor quality of water which lacks some of the desired ingredients.
“We bring forth vast industrial experience and expertise in this business, involved in offering a high-quality range of Packaged Drinking Water Bottle” read the description of Classy bottled drinking water.
The company was allowed to restart production last year after it came up with better quality product that met the agency’s requirements.
However, the ministry once again suspended the company in April this year after it proved that the quality of Classy bottled drinking water declinedonce again.
According to the director, the company is obligated to collect its products in the market based on the binding agreement it entered with the country’s Ministry of Trade.


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Google’s new Databoard tool isn’t perfect, but it puts a new spin on how people access, consume and use market research data.
A startup called Choose Energy is offering consumers a comparison shopping site for electricity in deregulated markets, and is building tools to help retail energy providers acquire customers. The company raised a series A round from Kleiner and Stephens Capital.
You say AC, I say DC, and several other ways that energy efficiency is remaking the data center, via GigaOM Pro.
You can count GigaOM Pro cleantech analyst Adam Lesser in the category that believes that SolarCity pricing at $8 rather than the $13 to $15 the company wanted was a major blessing. A blessing for all of cleantech.
The latest in cleantech from GigaOM Pro this week: advanced battery technologies, the fate of clean energy post election, and should the U.S. aggressively export natural gas?
What happened in cleantech on GigaOM Pro?: a hot new report on next-gen battery innovations, a column on why design matters for cleantech, and much more.
And things are even tougher for developers of advertising-supported apps.
Both iOS and Android use is growing, but app developers are adopting Android at a faster rate, according to a recent GigaOM Pro survey. See our chart for more details.
What’s going on in cleantech? Over on GigaOM Pro we have some excellent new research on grid batteries, the share economy and energy efficient data center innovation.
Apple seems to be increasingly willing to respond to negative publicity surrounding its sustainability practices, points out GigaOM Pro cleantech analyst Adam Lesser. Why?


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The high spot rates on a number of container trade routes between Southeast Asia and the US east coast are diving, according to analyst firm Xeneta.
Since the year’s start, spot rates on a forty-foot container (feu) from Southeast Asia to port terminals on the US east coast have decreased by 13.8% as per the end of May, writes Xeneta.
More from ShippingWatch
A VAT dispute in Latvia has now left ferry operator DFDS with millions of kroner in extra costs and a future of navigating a bureacratic minefield. However, the Danish carrier predicts challenges throughout the industry: ”It is only when it’s actually happening, that you realize it is a problem,” warns the company’s indirect tax manager.


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Walmart CEO gives $1M to University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas has received a $1 million gift from the CEO of Wal-Mart and his wife to benefit the school's business college.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon and his wife, Shelley, are establishing an endowed fund for the Sam M. Walton College of Business - which is named for Wal-Mart's founder.
The endowment will go toward a proposed School of Global Retail Operations and Innovation. Chancellor G. David Gearhart says the school would establish UA as a "premier location" in consumer research and retail education.
UA says the school would require approval from the university' Board of Trustees. The school would initially draw on expertise within the business college but would eventually include disciplines such as agriculture, architecture, engineering, psychology and sociology, among others.


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Coming to a car showroom near you: the Florid, the Hover 5, the Cool Bear, the Phenom i7 and the Wingle. Official imports of the first Chinese-branded cars to be sold in Britain have already begun, and these models – made by Great Wall Motors – will be in showrooms by the end of March.
And their value-for-money is bound to challenge established market leaders Ford and Vauxhall, as well as more budget-oriented marques such as Kia, Hyundai and Skoda.
In time, the arrival of Great Wall and others from China and India will be as revolutionary as the advent of the Japanese players. Once upon a time Toyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Daihatsu and Datsun/Nissan were also regarded as curiosities with comical, unpronounceable names.
A spokeswoman for IM Group, Great Wall's Birmingham-based importers, confirmed that the launch of the cars is "on track" for the first quarter of 2011 and that the Chinese cars had been made available to traders. Kate Bishop added: "We've been recruiting dealers and they were able to drive the cars at the Motor Trader Open Points Roadshow last month."
One dealer, Chathams of Edinburgh, has announced that it will be retailing Great Wall models next year. Campbell Chatham, managing director, told Motor Trader that his group was in advanced negotiations with Great Wall: "We're the preferred supplier for Edinburgh. We saw the cars and shook hands." He added: "We started with Honda in the 1960s when there was a reluctance to buy Japanese. We then started to sell Skodas. With Great Wall we'll do it again, only this time there's no negative image."
However, the general image of Chinese cars is that they are blatant "knock-offs" of Western designs and have poor safety standards. In one notorious German crash test, the Jiangling Landwind performed terribly and its styling bore a remarkable resemblance to a 1980s Vauxhall Frontera SUV. Fiat has even taken Great Wall to court over the similarity between the Great Wall Perry and the Fiat Panda and other Chinese makes have been involved in wrangles with American, European, Japanese and Korean companies.
Chinese cars also tend to suffer from the use of lower-grade plastics and inferior fit and finish. But while Chinese-branded cars are a novelty here, many of the world's largest car manufacturers have a substantial presence in China, which is now the world's biggest car market and its largest car producer – 14 million units last year – 10 times the UK output.
Volkswagen, General Motors, Peugeot-Citroen and others have been involved in China for years. Honda manufactures its small Jazz hatch there and, until production went to Swindon last year, some Chinese-built Jazz models were sold in Britain.
But in a further indication of how globalised the car industry is, some of the Great Wall cars to be sold in the UK may actually be built in Bulgaria.Reuse content


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-Chinese embassy denies any wrongdoings
A complaint of what seemed an abnormally large number of containers cleared by the Chinese embassy has sparked numerous calls for the tighter scrutiny when it comes to Customs checks on the local wharves.
A report carried in Kaieteur News yesterday immediately saw the Chinese embassy issuing a statement denying the contents of the story and even threatening legal action.
Several local businessmen have since insisted that there are major problems with clearing of containers of goods at the wharves with corruption creating an unfair playing field for them.
A number of businesses persons, who descended on Kaieteur News, insisted that the container racket has been a public secret in the commercial district of Georgetown.
“Frankly sir, we are afraid to talk as we had raised this in the past and were immediately targeted. We are checked almost 100 percent of the times but the same yardstick is not meted out to certain people.”
It was insisted that the fraud is complicated and goes to the top, including the quality section in the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) where decisions are made for random checking of containers to ensure that they have what is being declared.
“I can tell you that while we are targeted, it will be found easily that Chinese containers are almost never checked 100 percent when they come into the country. We are saying that they should be checked. Take one container and do a 100 percent check. It will take three days but it will tell what is happening.”
It was explained that in addition to some brokers being paid to fast-track containers and pay off Customs officers, there are other ways of defrauding the system.
“For example, VAT charges are not applied to containers under $15M. Guess what? There are several persons who are clearing containers on behalf of a particular customer so to avoid these VAT charges. GRA should check these people.”
Kaieteur News was told yesterday that it is a fact that while many businesses, especially Chinese-owned businesses are registered, most of them are not paying VAT.
“If you want to prove what we saying, ask GRA to provide a list of how many Chinese businesses are here and how many are registered and paying VAT. The list will give you the ammunition to make some further checks and you will find some startling answers.”
The businessmen insisted that Customs officers are experienced in checking and assessing boxes.
“There are standard ways how clothes like shirts are packed in a box. It could hold for example 72 shirts of various sizes and colours. Some smart importers, we have been told, are crooking the work by packing maybe 250 shirts in each box. But they declare 72. Guyana loses taxes.”
Another well-known way is that the goods are under-valued.
“We also know of cases of importers submitting fake invoices with fake addresses to GRA. Imagine also some containers holding televisions but being declared as clothes. There are indeed some clothes in front to fool the Customs officer who is not paying attention.”
The smuggling issue would raise deep worry for GRA which has been struggling to tackle corruption.
A new board is in place with Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia signalling last year that he was taking a zero-tolerance to corruption. A number of staffers have been sent home for being involved in corruption.
It was reported in Kaieteur News yesterday that GRA had reportedly complained to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the abnormally high number of containers that the Chinese embassy reportedly cleared last year.
However, the embassy yesterday denied any such thing.
This is their statement:
“Chinese Embassy Statement on Kaieteur News “Container” Report
Chinese Embassy in Guyana solemnly states that the report “Chinese Embassy container imports attract GRA’s attention” by Kaieteur News dated February 23, 2017 is baseless and unsubstantiated. The Chinese Embassy will further investigate this matter and reserves the right to take legal actions.”
Jun 26, 2019By Sean Devers Romrima Tennis Club’s Gavin Lewis and Afruica Gentle captured the Lion’s share of the prizes presented by the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) when the Awards Ceremony for the GBTI...
By Sir Ronald Sanders In what is increasingly becoming a pattern of ignoring established procedures and authority in the... more
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AWOL TV in partnership with Volkswagen America came up with this cool video showing what would it be like driving around Road America at 400 mph! The car is a VW Jetta pace car and it lapped the track at the 2012 SCCA with an average speed of 70 mph. They have increased the video speed accordingly, and believe they have arrived at a spot on showcase of a 400 mph run.
Well, in the straight line the video certainly looks good, but the problem is the car takes the corners at 400 mph as well. That is a bit disorientating, but all in all, good effort.


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SINGAPORE: Singapore's September non-oil domestic exports (NODX) rose 5.9 per cent from a year earlier, driven mainly by electronics shipments, official data showed on Friday (Oct 16), but were slower than forecasts.
That compared with a 7.7 per cent increase in August, and lower than the 10.8 per cent rise forecast by economists in a Reuters poll.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, exports contracted 11.3 per cent in September after a 10.5 per cent rise in the previous month, Enterprise Singapore said in a statement. The pace of drop was the steepest since March 2019.
Economists had forecast a 3 per cent shrinkage.
ELECTRONICS BOOST; SURGE FROM EU
Shipments of electronics jumped 21.4 per cent in September from a low base a year ago, extending the 5.7 per cent increase in August. Integrated circuits, disk media products and parts of personal computers contributed the most to the growth.
Non-electronic shipments edged up 1.8 per cent in September, slowing from the 8.3 per cent growth in August.
Across Singapore's top 10 markets, demand from the European Union surged the most in September, with export growth to the EU doubling to 60.5 per cent from 30.2 per cent in August. This was led by non-monetary gold, specialised machinery (+153.9 per cent) and parts of personal computers (+108.2 per cent).
Shipments to Malaysia grew by 28.8 per cent in September from -5.1 per cent in August on the back of demand for integrated circuits, diodes and transistors and specialised machinery.
In contrast, shipments to Hong Kong plunged the most, by 26.7 per cent in September, extending the 11.9 per cent decline in August. September's exports to Indonesia also fell by 16 per cent, while exports to Thailand fell 15.7 per cent.


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Indoor vertical farming is on the rise, if a recent funding round for San Francisco startup Plenty is any indication. The company just scored what they say is the largest agriculture technology investment in history. Plenty has attracted attention - and quite a lot of money - from well-known tech greats like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt.[...]
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos joined Facebook's photo sharing platform Instagram on Thursday. The 700m+ user strong service is used by a number of high profile tech figures such as Tesla's Elon Musk and T-Mobile's John Legere. Amazon's CEO isn't...Show More Summary
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is looking pretty jacked lately, and like so many other fitness buffs, Bezos decided to join Instagram to show off his assets — but his first post isn't quite what you might expect from a fitness guru. SEE ALSO:...Show More Summary
Tech CEOs used to be infamous for their lack of style. But a photo revealing how much Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has changed over the years shows that the stereotype is changing. Here are 12 photos that prove how time and success changed some of tech's most famous CEOs. Show More Summary
The idea for Amazon was born in 1994 in New York City, while Jeff Bezos was working in finance and realizing the internet was not something he could not let pass him by. Bezos put together a list of things he thought he could sell online...Show More Summary
An Amazonian tells us what it’s like interning for one of the hottest companies on the planet. It’s been 23 years since Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com and in that time the company has come to dominate almost every industry it’s dipped its toes in. Show More Summary
Most people know that online firearm sales create big loopholes that allow customers to bypass background checks—but who knew e-commerce pioneer Jeff Bezos was hawking guns like these?! The Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner showed up to an Idaho conference in a skintight T-shirt last week, displaying a set of arms most reasonable observers would classify as assault weapons.
Can Bezos destroy Blue Apron before Zuckerberg can kill Snapchat? Let's play!
Because it's one of the few areas Amazon has yet to conquer, the retail behemoth is now exploring the possibility of building its own messaging app, according to an AFTV report. SEE ALSO: A swole Jeff Bezos has become one jacked-up, Photoshopped meme STOCK PRICE FOR AMZN Full price information Read more... Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Read more... More about Amazon, Jeff Bezos, Messaging Apps, Tech, and Consumer Tech
How Jeff Bezos can save Whole Foods from itself.
JEFF BEZOS DOESN’T JUST SELL MARK RIPPETOE’S BOOK, he’s also looking as if he’s read it.
Last week, Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump were hobnobbing with technology titans and billionaires, including Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett, at an annual conference for the global elite put on by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in Sun Valley, Idaho. Show More Summary
Jeff Bezos is one of the richest people in the world and he’s probably the most buff guy on list of the world’s billionaires! The 53-year-old Amazon CEO, who has a net worth of $72.8 billion, was looking swole while arriving at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Thursday (July 13) in Sun [...]
Read more... More about Watercooler, Amazon, Photoshop, Jeff Bezos, and Photoshop Battle
Big news (literally): like J.K. Simmons before him, it appears that Jeff Bezos is jacked now. SEE ALSO: Donald Trump is going after Jeff Bezos but also seems a bit confused Read more...
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos thought it would be a good idea to bring these massive, loaded "firearms" to the Sun Valley conference in Idaho. People are taking notice, particularly on Twitter: "I do have are a very particular set of skills,...Show More Summary
Analyzing the photos of mingling tech and media moguls at the Allen & Co Sun Valley conference is a July ritual. After all, some of the biggest deals, such as Verizon's acquisition of AOL and Jeff Bezos' purchase of the Washington Post,...Show More Summary
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is putting a whole new meaning to being a hardcore nerd. The tech giant boss showed off his impressive biceps Thursday in a tight black polo and vest -- cool shades, bro! -- as he headed to the third day of the annual…
The Guardian reports: Just a few dollars more on the Amazon share price and the world will have a new richest man. Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder, is on the brink of overtaking Bill Gates to become the wealthiest person on the planet. Show More Summary


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Number of Russian tourists to Sanya expected to hit record 140,000 in 2010
Russia is one of the most important feeder markets for Sanya’s tourism industry, and the number of Russian tourists is expected to hit record high this year.
This year, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries have strengthened cooperation and promotion with Sanya toursim market, according to Mr Tang Sixian, deputy director of Sanya Tourism Bureau. Among them, the number of Russian tourists are expected to exceed 140,000 in 2010.
According to statistics, in 2007, the number of inbound tourists to Sanya reached 500,000 for the first time, and the number of Russian tourists hit 147,000. However, Sanya tourism market experienced slump due to the global financial crisis in 2008. The inbound visitors declined by nearly 40% in 2009.


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Apple AirTags are being used to steal cars: Here’s how to stay safe
AppleAirTags are used to locate any object that it is placed upon.
- AirTags are now being used by thieves to locate potential victims’ cars.
- Here’s how you can keep your cars safe from getting stolen.
AdvertisementApple’s tracking device, AirTag, which launched earlier this year is used to locate any object that it is placed upon. It has found its popularity with users as it helps locate their lost or stolen items.
To track, Apple uses millions of iPhones as the AirTag anonymously pings a nearby
On the downside, these secure tracking features are being used by criminals, specifically thieves, to steal cars from driveways. Here’s how thieves are using
Using AirTags to steal cars
The York police have released a press statement highlighting the issue as the cases involving Apple AirTags in stolen cars have increased over the past few months.
According to the statement, thieves use AirTags to target high-end vehicles they find in public spaces like malls and parking lots. They place the tag in out-of-sight locations so that the owner of the vehicle cannot find them. And then track the vehicle to the owner’s home and steal the car from their driveway.
However, Apple is said to prevent spying and sends a notification to the victim when a foreign AirTag is placed on an object. If acted upon the AirTag can be neutralised or else if the notifications are ignored, the victim plays into the criminals’ hands.
The Apple AirTags is primarily used to locate the car owner’s location and aides in the process of theft and not the actual theft. For the theft, the thieves use conventional methods such as using a screwdriver to get into the car. They then reprogram the onboard diagnostic ports to accept any key they have brought with them. And when the car starts, they drive away with the stolen car.
Here’s how you can stay safe
According to the York Police statement, there are a few pieces of advice that car owners should follow to prevent being duped by thieves who use AirTags for stealing. Here’s what you can do.
- Park your vehicle in a locked garage wherever possible as most vehicles are stolen from a driveway.
- You can also use a steering wheel lock to deter thieves from stealing your car.
- You can install a lock on the data port that will then block access to the computer port where the thieves gain access to reprogram the vehicle’s keys.
- You can buy security cameras for surveillance around your property. They should be placed in the right position and should be functional throughout day and night.
- You should inspect your vehicle regularly and inform the police if you notice any suspicious devices.
AdvertisementHowever, the thieves will be able to block the tracker when their iPhone informs them that they are travelling in a car with a foreign tracker, that of the car owner.
To stay protected you should learn more about how the trackers are being used for theft and look for any foreign objects that may have been placed on your car.
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Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, at the end of each week day, we’ll offer this wrap-up of news items you should check out.
Apple Pay has launched in Iceland. The mobile payment service is supported by the financial institutions Arion Banki and Landsbankinn.
Unitech Printed Circuit Board has been ramping up rigid-flex PCB shipments for Apple’s AirPods 2, according to DigiTimes. The next gen earbuds may feature a brand-new internal design adopting SiP (system in package) technology instead of rigid-flex board combination, the article adds.
A drone video shared by MacRumors shows an Apple Park event stage with a rainbow arch and multiple lights that’s located right in the middle of the campus.
A bill proposed by U.S. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri would prohibit game developers from selling loot boxes in Mac, iPhone, and iPad games played by people under 18, reports AppleInsider.
The latest “The Road to Macstock” episode of MacVoices offers a conversation with Brett Terpstra, to talk about how to be a more productive writer. Brett not only creates tools for various types of writing, but also delivers a ton of content himself. He discusses both the tools that are available as well as how to approach your project, from original idea to published piece, and all points in between.


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“Once again, people are speculating that RadioShack is the subject of an LBO”
– Reuters, December 2006
“In a recent report, Deutsche Bank Securities compiled a list of 25 companies whose options have been targeted by buyout speculators. It includes….RadioShack Corp.”
– Wall Street Journal, May 14, 2007
“In recent weeks, RadioShack has been the target of lots of speculation….A week ago, the stock shot up….on rumors about a private equity buyout…
– Nightly Business Report March 10, 2010
This could be the year.
Like diehard fans of a perennially losing team, investors have been holding out hope that Radioshack will be bought by a private equity firm. Those rumors have been stirred anew after the New York Post reported today that investment bankers are shopping the company to potential private-equity buyers.
What is it about the lower-end retailer of electronic equipment that attracts so much buyout talk?
Back in 2006 and 2007, buyout rumors were sparked by different reasons than today. Namely, the struggling company was cheap and in need of a turnaround. “A company in a virtual state of collapse,” is how a Credit Suisse analyst described it then. In late 2006, the CEO had been ousted after a newspaper revealed he had padded his resume, and its mobile phone sales were fizzling.
Of course, it was easier to get an LBO done two years ago, what with credit flowing more freely than it is today.
This time around, Radioshack presents less of a turnaround story. The company has solid profit margins and cash flow, which recently have been helped by strong sales of smart phones and by cost-cutting measures, including the layoffs of thousands of employees.
Still, some analysts are cautious. Goldman Sachs Group this week downgraded RadioShack to “buy” from “conviction buy” because the Wall Street firm said a buyout looked less likely. RadioShack’s “valuation and capital structure are such that operating improvement beyond our forecast would be necessary to drive a successful LBO.”
Ironically, analysts used to criticize RadioShack for not being enough like Circuit City and Best Buy, which were selling flat-screen televisions and stereos, while RadioShack was stuck selling gadgets to hobbyists. Today, the tables have turned. Best Buy is experimenting with smaller stores which it believes can help it sell smart phones. In fact, Best Buy is a possible buyer of RadioShack, according to today’s NY Post article. And Circuit City went bankrupt.
In retail, what is old is new, much like the RadioShack buyout rumors.
– With Stephen Grocer


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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Yesterday, Michael and Craig from Where I've Been had the fantastic opportunity of interviewing with Nick O'Neill from Social Times. In this interview, Michael and Craig highlight Where I've Been's previous goals and where they are planning to take the company. O'Neill poses the crucial question regarding W.I.B's future, comparing it to other travel apps on the web.
O'Neill: "There are a lot of social utilities... or social websites... like Where are you Now? ... that let you say where you are going on upcoming trips and it kind of notifies your friends of your location..."
Dalesandro: "Yes, and that's exactly what we're looking at... what we are trying to do besides that in the next generation, is really bring this local element into it... you'll be able to invite your friends to a restaurant on a Friday night."
Michael adds that Where I've Been is moving forward from what countries / cities / states users have previously visited, to what neighborhood / restaurant users would like to go to.
He also mentions WIB's position on the iPhone platform. Dalesandro states, "We have a business model. We have a community now, we just have to give the community what they want.... and bringing that to the mobile device, I think is .... we have to get there sooner than later." Since WIB has such an active user community, the application is in a great position to succeed for users who wish to access WIB on a mobile device.
O'Neill touches upon a few of the key topics from the F8 conference (see previous post 'F6? F7? No...no...no F8!'), such as the recently launched feature Facebook Connect, which allows any website to connect to facebook to get a user's information. Craig states that WIB will benefit from this new feature in various ways - it will allow users to post and tag images which will pop up in the Facebook news feed.
To see the interview in writing, click here
To listen to the audio version, click here
Posted by Where I've Been at 2:20 PM


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If you've had a keen eye while out and about in Hastings, you have probably glimpsed one of the United Way of Hastings' "Live United" banners. Prominently displayed around local businesses, the project is a testament to the bond between the community and the nonprofit organization.
The United Way of Hastings banner program was initiated in 2011. That first year, UWH only had three local businesses buy a banner - Regina Hospital, Smead and Hastings Automotive. Now in its eighth year, 51 businesses have purchased a banner. With a goal of 50 banners heading into the year, it goes to show how effective the community partnership presently is.
But what exactly is the purpose of the banner and why would a business want to buy one?
"It's an opportunity for businesses to market themselves while also knowing their money will be going for a great cause," said Mari Mellick, executive director of UWH.
There are five different levels of sponsorship available but if a business chooses one with a banner, it receives a 4-foot-by-12-foot banner that is posted at the UWH campaign kickoff as well as the business or other location from the beginning of September until the end of November.
Mellick said the idea behind the banners is more than a sponsorship opportunity however. It harkens back to the UWH motto, "Live United."
"Live United is something that they (United Way) developed a few years ago - that we're extending a hand to someone else," Mellick said. "When you reach out a hand to help someone else and lift them up, we all benefit from that."
UWH is an independent nonprofit that pays dues to the national organization but all of the funding that comes into the Hastings branch stays local. That's something Mellick and the rest of the UWH team prides itself in. And after 54 years in operation, it's something that UWH hopes to continue to provide the greater Hastings community.


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Moving to gain a foothold in an emerging segment of the telecommunications industry, PairGain Technologies Inc. on Wednesday agreed to buy a Connecticut developer of new networking technology for $94 million in stock.
AVIDIA Systems Inc., a leading developer of technology used to smooth the flow of data and voice traffic over phone lines, would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Tustin-based PairGain under terms of the acquisition.
Analysts said the deal broadens PairGain’s already commanding position in its corner of the telecommunications market. PairGain, one of the nation’s fastest growing high-tech companies in recent years, makes devices that improve the capacity of old-fashioned copper phone lines to handle voice and data traffic.
“PairGain is far and away the leader in the game of putting higher-speed data communications over existing copper wires,” said Joseph Noel, an analyst at Hambrecht & Quist in San Francisco. “This lengthens their lead.”
While the two companies’ products have different functions, they both help regional telephone companies and other customers handle more computer data and voice traffic at higher speeds.
AVIDIA is a developer of so-called ATM technology, which stands for asynchronous transfer mode. The company’s multiplexers and other products help bundle data and voice signals from disparate sources into an aggregate unit that can be shipped along at great speed. Noel compared the technology to a high-tech funnel.
“PairGain was providing the lines to get to the funnel,” Noel said. “Now they’re providing the funnel.”
Describing the deal as a “very important long-term move,” Chuck Strauch, chief executive at PairGain, said AVIDIA is a privately held company with about 25 employees, mostly engineers. He added that AVIDIA is barely a year old, and will have only a minimal contribution to PairGain’s overall revenues for the next few years.
PairGain has grown at a break-neck pace. The company’s 1996 sales totaled $205 million, nearly double the revenue of $107 million the prior year. Net income for 1996 shot up to $36.6 million, compared with $1.1 million in 1995.
Analysts said the acquisition of AVIDIA could eventually help PairGain maintain its blistering growth rate.
“When a customer goes to you for equipment, they’re more likely to take you if you have an end-to-end solution,” said Brad Peery of Brad Peery Capital in San Francisco.
But the deal also works to the advantage of AVIDIA, analysts said. The market for ATM technology is only beginning to emerge, with a number of companies scrambling for an early market share lead. PairGain already does business with all of the nation’s regional telephone companies, and could help AVIDIA grab market share quickly.
The announcement was made after the close of the stock market Wednesday. PairGain’s stock, which has undergone two splits in the past few years, closed at $40.25 per share, up 25 cents per share on the Nasdaq market.
The deal is expected to close this month.


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From plastic bottles to stone, the list of materials that can be processed and assembled using a 3D printer is expanding.
However such list does not include graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms whose unique strength, lightness, flexibility, and conductivity could revolutionize future technology.
Lots of studies are focusing on graphene in a broad variety of potential applications in the fields of electronics, biomedicine, and energy, as well as mobility and architecture. Examples include transparent roll-up displays, devices integrating perfectly into the human body, high-yield solar panels, stronger and lighter cars or airplanes.
However, shaping and assembling graphene is not an easy task: this is why producing pieces of graphene of any shape and thickness in a flexible, simple, and quick manner, for example using a 3D printer, would be a great achievement.
To fill this gap and thus speed up the development of innovative graphene-based devices, American Graphite Technologies, in partnership with the Kharkov Institute of Physics in Ukraine, decided to embark in the venture to adapt 3D printers to graphene.
After receiving the approval of the Ukrainian Centre for Science and Technology, the project was launched in early October, and will be followed up by a team of eight physicists.
The study is still at an early stage, but the team is confident: “We have some interesting ideas and, if we succeed, we trust our developments will result into the creation of new and innovative products for the market,” says CEO Rick Walchuk in a release.
The Editorial Staff
Published on Tuesday, November 12, 2013


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CHA is pleased to announce a 4 percent increase in overall attendees; an 8 percent increase in total buyers; a 23 percent increase in individual buying companies; and an 129 percent increase of international attendees at the 71st Annual CHA Winter Conference & Trade Show held Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, 2012 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
While CHA hosted a slightly smaller Show consisting of some 444 exhibiting companies including 62 new exhibitors, filling 158,356-square-feet of exhibit space, the real success was felt with increased attendees, and more domestic and international buyers on the Show floor.
The 2012 CHA Winter Show verified overall attendance is 5,439 representing a 4 percent increase over 2011. Total buyers were up 8 percent from 4,062 in 2011 to 4,385 in 2012 but most interestingly CHA attracted about 300 additional buying companies to the Show representing a 23 percent increase in unique buying companies over 2011.
The big story surrounds the surprising 1,660 international buyers from 53 different countries. This represents an incredible 129 percent increase in international buyers over the 2011 Winter Show and the highest internationally attended Winter Show since 2008.
“We expect to have a good show each year, but this year the Winter Show was the Best Winter Show in our company’s long history of attending (CHA) Winter Shows,” said Valerie Marderosian, Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Chief Creative Officer of iLoveToCreate. “We thoroughly enjoy building an incredibly creative booth and welcoming buyer after buyer into our booth to experience our world of creativity. The ability to reach so many buyers from so many different organizations within four days is unmatched.”
“The CHA Winter Show was the best thing we did to launch our new product,” said Andrea Atwater of Shoe Attitude/Kodak Shoe Art Film. ”Exhibiting here introduced our product into the Innovations Showcase and got us in front of key industry decision makers. We were incredibly busy in our booth each day meeting great buyers and making incredible contacts. The Show helped us have a better product launch than we had hoped for.”
“A combination of CHA’s eConnect exhibitor buyer invitation program; the new lower cost of admission to the Show for non-members; a recovering economy coupled with international initiatives in Canada and the United Kingdom have all resulted in stronger buyer participation at the Show,” explainedTony Lee, vice president of Meetings & Exhibitions at CHA. “Next year we anticipate an even stronger international contingent when we are off the competitive show cycle of other European trade shows.”
In 2013 the CHA Winter Conference & Trade Show will return to Anaheim, Calif. January 12-15 to celebrate the 72nd year of the Show.


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Hot off an appearance at the star-studded Stand Up to Cancer benefit in Los Angeles, Stacy Keibler was in New York this week, charming Vera Wang at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
Keibler had a front row seat for Vera Wang's runway show Tuesday. But the real highlight might have come just afterwards when Wang gave Keibler a warm shout-out on Twitter.
"Loved having you at the show Ms. Super Chic!" Wang Tweeted, posting the above picture of her and Keibler having a moment. "Xx Vera."
Keibler, clearly thrilled, immediately Tweeted back.
"Wow," she typed. "@VeraWangGang killed it on the runway! I was blown away and can't wait to get into some of those pieces!!! Vera, #youmademyday."
She included one of her trademark smiley faces.
Keibler was in good company at Wang's show, with Kim Kardashian, Anna Wintour, Actress Yao Chen and skater Michelle Kwan there, too.
And here's why Wang might have nicknamed Keibler "Ms. Super Chic." George Clooney's girlfriend wore a black and white shoulder-baring dress by the designer with black pointy-toed pumps and her demure pulled-back hair.
@BaltInsider on Twitter


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But the White House confirmed to CNN last week that the administration is weighing tariffs on at least $30 billion worth of other imports from China.
United States President Donald Trump is preparing to impose a package of Dollars 60 billion in annual tariffs against China, following through on a long-time threat, which according to him will punish China for intellectual property infringement and help create more American jobs.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that "We are very concerned about the actions taken by China and the dumping of steel and aluminum on the global market". The agency will consider information about product supply in other countries to determine whether national security considerations warrant a tariff exemption, it said.
The letter, sent by RILA and signed by a wide array of popular and well-known, leading usa retailers clearly shows the lack of support from the group of Trump's proposed tariffs on China imports into the country.
The Trump administration is said to be preparing tariffs against Chinese IT, telecoms and consumer products in an attempt to force changes in Beijing's intellectual property and investment practices.
"The imposition of sweeping tariffs would trigger a chain reaction of negative consequences for the USA economy, provoking retaliation; stifling United States agriculture, goods, and services exports; and raising costs for businesses and consumers", reads the letter, dated Sunday. "We agree it's time to address China's unfair trade practices, but we can do so in a way that doesn't destroy jobs, create uncertainty for businesses and increase every American's cost of living".
Russian Federation hopes ex-spy will recover, reveal truth about poison attack
On Thursday May visited Salisbury, meeting police and medics and viewing the site where the Skripals were found critically ill. In remarks carried by the RIA Novosti news agency, Lavrov said the move would come "soon".
Pakistan might skip WTO meet in New Delhi over "harassment" charges
Pakistan had also accused the Indian officials of intimidating the children of a senior diplomat while they were on their way to school.
30 civilians killed in Syrian airstrikes
On Saturday, rebel artillery fire killed one person in the capital, the Observatory said. Russian Federation said more than 12,000 people left on Thursday.
After Bloomberg News earlier this month reported the options being considered, Trump tweeted that "the U.S.is acting swiftly on intellectual property theft".
"These persistent problems jeopardize US global competitiveness, innovation, productivity, and cybersecurity", it said. "We must do right by American families while also addressing harmful technology practices".
"In the US, those who can afford less pay more because the USA levies the highest tariffs on basic consumer goods", the letter states.
"Imposition of unilateral tariffs by the administration would only serve to split the United States from its allies, hinder joint action to effectively address shared challenges", said the letter.
"The imposition of sweeping tariffs would trigger a chain reaction of negative consequences for the U.S. economy, provoking retaliation", the letter said.


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After years of allowing third parties to plunder precious publisher data, publishers are now starting to take control of their data.
It’s always best to own, not rent, your audience. Same is true with data. Publishers are realizing they should be in the driver’s seat. That can mean everything from installing data-management platforms, putting in place strict controls on what types of data advertisers can collect and coming up with their own data-centric ad products.
These moves, while far from universal, hold out hope that the data-driven ad world doesn’t have to function as a race to the bottom for publishers. And there’s little choice, as the desire from clients to efficiently reach specific audiences isn’t going away anytime soon. Having their own data allows publishers to go to market to sell the same story marketers are selling.
“Publishers are a lot more, what I call, data aware,” said Brian Fitzgerald, co-founder of Evolve Media. “They never were before. They’re trying to figure out what type of meaningful first-party data they have and are able to collect, and answering that question first.”
If that answer is they have meaningful first-party data, they’re now figuring out how to block people from accessing that data. It can use services like Evidon to do an audit on just who is dropping cookies or firing pixels. That’s the first step to getting the data house in order. While the perceived big threat is data-leakage, according to Business Insider’s Bridget Williams, the issue has more to do with publishers not knowing where their data is ending up.
“Publishers are looking for good tools to see in real time what is happening, from whom, why and, then, importantly, be able to respond,” Williams said. “Let’s understand it and put a value on it and judge accordingly.”
The next level is deploying a DMP like Krux to understand to figure out how to segment their own data. For publishers, this means getting a first-party data strategy beyond simple behavioral targeting. Last December, Hearst, through its agency iCrossing, picked up DMP Core Audience to blend first-party and second-party data.
“In some cases our advertisers are further along with their own data strategies, with their own consumer profiles,” said Kristine Welker, chief revenue officer at Hearst. “We have the ability to not just leverage our now consumer segments but set up through our exchange to work with marketing partners to bring data together.”
Forbes uses first- and third-party data to segment out its site, having all the channels pixeled so that it can overlay third-party data to get an understanding of the audience composition and reach to know what audience is going where.
“In the pre-sale, RFP process, we can say these are the audience members that go to these sections or channels,” said Meredith Levien, chief revenue officer at Forbes. “The second thing: Here’s how we reach a broader audience, and when a campaign runs, here’s who we actually reached and how it matches up. Sites weren’t doing that at the level of detail.”
This is a turnabout in a sense. The ad tech world, which runs on data, has developed with a distinct bias toward the buy side. Only recently have publishers gotten a similar array of tools to deploy to sell data-enhanced advertising of their own.
“Advertisers have been good at that data; publishers haven’t felt the need for that as much,” said Anke Audenaert, a vp at OpenX. “Publishers should be in the driver’s seat. They have the content. They should use and control those assets to control the revenue that comes out of that.”
However, for many digital publishers, there’s been a reluctance to understand the power of their data.
“I think it was driven by fear over audience-buying in advertising, because the power of publisher content and brand had been paramount,” Williams said. “And it was really the Wild West; it still sort of is. There are also more tools for publishers now as opposed to marketers.”
And that could be better off for everyone, middlemen excluded.
“If you can remove some of the intermediaries from you and the client, and you and the customer, there are more pennies left for every single dollar,” said Robyn Peterson, Mashable’s chief technology officer. “At a higher level, you strategically sell your inventory in ways better for the brand.”
Image via Shutterstock
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Even though subscription growth is declining year over year and churn rates are on the rise, this is likely more a story of returning to normalization than one of the economic downturn damaging yet another publisher business.


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Dane Co. adds $10 million to small business COVID-19 support program
Dane County is increasing its funding for small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic by $10 million and shop owners said the increase brings hope.
For 48 years, Borokhim's Oriental Rugs stood on the corner of Monroe Street.
"It's called functional art. It doesn’t breakdown in five or ten years it lasts for generations," Albert Borokhim, owner said.
He calls the rugs “art underneath your feet.”
"These are rugs that are heirloom quality people can pass them on to new generations," he said.
Borokhim said the shop offers more than just decor.
"Meeting people, this is really a place to come and socialize," he said.
He said the different shapes, sizes and patterns of the Persian rugs spark conversation.
"I love to schmooze with customers, socialize with them, talk to them get to know them," he said.
He explained the Coronavirus pandemic pulled the rug from under his feet. He said bills still have to be paid, but the revenue isn't the same.
"I’m anxious and really hopeful this period will end," he said.
Dane Co. Executive Joe Parisi announced the funding increase on Sunday.
“Small businesses throughout our community have taken a significant hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many to temporarily close their doors and question how they will stay afloat,” said Parisi.
The Small Business Pandemic Support Grant program was created on April 1 with $250,000 and increased
By adding $10 million to this program, Dane County and Dane Buy Local will be able to help local businesses stay afloat during COVID-19. It will help them with employee retention and mitigate losses during the pandemic.
“As local business owners are feeling more and more pressure as the struggle to stay in business grows, a grant can provide the glimmer of hope they need to remain positive about being able to reopen their doors when it’s safe,” said Colin Murray, Executive Director of Dane Buy Local.
Dane Buy Local has awarded $890,000 to 297 Dane County businesses so far. Grants as small as $1,000 are being awarded.
Dane Buy local is accepting applications through June 15.
A resolution to increase the Small Business Support Grant Program’s funding will be considered by the Dane County Personnel and Finance Committee Monday evening.
The County Board is expected to adopt the resolution at next Thursday’s meeting.


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Valve is still not paying Ukrainian game developers for their games' sales on Steam, but it is working to restore those payments as soon as possible.
About two weeks ago, Valve notified Ukrainian game developers that it had suspended payments to Russia and Belorussian developers due to sanctions. However, we were surprised when Valve also sent notifications to Ukrainian developers telling them that they too would also stop receiving payments for sold games on Steam. At the time, Valve said it was "due to the current environment," obviously referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war that has now been waging for over a month. The email asks Ukrainian devs to change their bank information in order to resume payments.
At the time, users speculated that this might have been due to Russian game devs looking to skirt sanctions by opening Ukrainian bank accounts, but that's not quite what's happening. Valve has since clarified the issue with Ukrainian game developers to say that payments will be restored once it has worked out some new requirements with its bank.
In an email posted to Twitter by Ukrainian dev Stas Shostak, Valve said that its bank had "notified us that they will begin requiring that we provide intermediary bank information for all wire payments to accounts in Russia and Ukraine."
Valve added it was "working to understand all the new requirements" and "create a path to collect this information" to resume payments. All outstanding account balances will be sent as soon as it receives that clarification.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Stas Shostak said that many Ukrainian game devs aren't taking any chances and have already swapped their bank info with accounts in neighboring countries. "All my Ukrainian gamedev friends report the same situation," he said. "Some (me included) are just waiting for the next month, some decided to open accounts in foreign banks to be completely sure they get the next payment."
Emails to Russian developers make similar promises to resume payments once it clarifies the required information with their bank. Belorussian accounts, however, are simply cut off from receiving payments from Steam.
Support for Ukraine is at least still coming in the form of donations. Humble recently raised $20 million for Ukrainian charities, while Fortnite raised a whopping $70 million. If you’d like to support Ukrainian game developers directly, check out our previous coverage here.
Source: Read Full Article


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Apple unveiled several new augmented reality tools and technologies for software vendors during its annual WWDC conference this week. These technologies could be crucial if Apple actually releases an augmented reality headset or glasses in the coming years.
Apple has never confirmed plans to release augmented reality hardware, but can reportedly announce a headset as soon as this year. Facebook, Snap and Microsoft also work with devices that can understand the world around them and display information in front of the user̵
To succeed with an augmented reality device, Apple must come up with strong reasons for people to use it – and it comes down to useful software, just as apps like Maps, Mail, YouTube and the mobile Safari browser helped spur the adoption of the original iPhone. Getting developers on board to build augmented reality software now increases the chance that one or more “killer apps” will be available at launch.
Apple did not spend much time on augmented reality on the WWDC launch key on Monday, but announced several updates during the conference’s more technical parts show that it is still an important long-term initiative for Apple. CEO Tim Cook has said that AR is the “next big thing.”
“From a high level, this year, and perhaps even next year’s WWDC event, will be a calm before an Apple innovation storm,” Loup Ventures founder and longtime Apple analyst Gene Munster wrote in an email this week. “At the moment, Apple’s intense ongoing development is related to new product categories around augmented reality and portability.”
What Apple announced
During this week’s long conference, Apple briefed developers on the rapidly improving tools that can create 3D models, use the device’s camera to understand hand gestures and body language, add fast AR experiences online, a heavily Apple-backed standard for 3D content , and an exciting new sound technology that is like surround sound for music or other sound.
Here are some of the AR announcements Apple has made, and how they are paving the way for their bigger ambitions:
Object capture. Apple has introduced application programming interfaces, or software tools, that allow apps to create 3D models. 3D models are crucial for AR, because they are what the software places in the real world. If an app does not have an exact detailed file for a shoe, it cannot use Apple’s machine vision software to place it on a table.
Object Capture is not an app. Instead, it is a technology that allows a camera, such as the iPhone camera, to take multiple photos of an object, and then sew them together into a 3D model that can be used in the software in minutes. Previously, precise and expensive camera layouts were required for detailed object scanning.
Finally, third-party developers such as Unity, a top AR engine manufacturer, will include it in the software. For now, it will probably be used heavily in e-commerce.
RealityKit 2. Object Capture is just one of a significant update to RealityKit, which is a set of software tools for creating AR experiences. Aside from Object Capture, there are many small enhancements to make app makers’ lives easier in RealityKit 2, including enhanced rendering options, a way to organize photos and other assets, and new tools for creating player-driven characters in augmented reality scenes. .
Apple’s new city navigation feature in Apple Maps.
ARKit 5. ARKit is another set of software tools for creating AR experiences, but is more focused on finding out where you can place digital objects in the real world. This is Apple’s fifth major version of the software since it first came out in 2017.
This year, it includes something called “location anchors”, which means software developers can program AR experiences related to map locations in London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and a few other US states. In a developer video session, Apple said it uses the tool to create AR direction overlays in Apple Maps – a potentially useful scenario for a head-mounted AR device.
AI to understand hands, people and faces. While Apple’s machine learning and artificial intelligence tools are not directly related to augmented reality, they represent capabilities that will be important to a computer interface that works in 3D space. Apple’s Vision framework software can be called by apps to detect people, faces and bags through the iPhone’s camera. Apple’s computer vision software can now identify objects inside images, including text on signs, as well as the ability to search for objects inside images – such as a dog or a friend.
Combined with Apple’s other tools, these AI tools may apply, affecting similar Snap filters. One session at this year’s WWDC even goes into how it can identify how a hand is posed or moves, which lays the foundation for advanced hand gestures, which are a big part of the interface of current AR headsets like Microsoft HoloLens.


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To celebrate its 40th birthday, Aqualisa gave installers the chance to win a new Renault Kangoo Business van worth nearly £15,000.
Entrants were asked to register the purchase of a qualifying Aqualisa smart shower product online and the winner has been announced as Paul Phillips, owner of I Do Plumbing.
A small family run business, I Do Plumbing was formed in 2006 by Paul who has over 25 years’ experience specialising in both domestic and industrial plumbing and heating.
Paul commented: “I often install Aqualisa showers, in particular the Quartz range which I have worked with a lot – I even have one in my own home. The after service at Aqualisa is great and the warrantees available are also excellent. Aqualisa showers are what we call ‘fit and forget’ products – they are never any trouble after installation.”
He added: “I never thought I would win something like this – it’s really exciting. I have two company vans at the moment but the lease on one is shortly coming to an end so this couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s great to have a new addition to the fleet.”
Diane Taylor, Customer Service Manager at Aqualisa, concluded: “The response to the ‘Win a Van’ competition has been fantastic. We were thrilled to give Paul his prize and a tour of our head office and factory. We hope that he can put the van to good use and that it will help his business prosper.”


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In the past 10 months, the Apple app store has been a tremendous success, helping to fuel the success of the iPhone. Now all the other platforms owners (Google, Microsoft, RIM) and operators are planning their own app stores.
There are some dubious assumptions that both app store owners and app developers are making about app stores.
- Early apps were successful so we can be too.
- Early apps were successful but it’s too late for us.
- App stores made Apple a success and will make our platform a success too
- All we need is the “killer app” to make our platform a smash hit.
All this is a preface to a discussion Wednesday in San Mateo by two Symbian Foundation executives — “catalyst” David Wood and interim marketing VP Ted Shelton — on their own planned app store.
The app store plan for Apple is pretty simple: Apple makes the phone, Apple makes the platform, and Apple strong-armed the carriers into providing (on-deck) access to App Store apps on any iPhone. For firms that license their OS (Google, Microsoft, Symbian) the story is quite a bit messier, since both the phone maker and the operator may want to get involved.
At the Nokia Developer Conference last month, Symbian Foundation head Lee Williams announced Symbian will be developing its own app store. It appears most analysts in the US missed the story, to the point that some (like my friend Matt Asay) are growing impatient.
Shelton and Wood talked about the app store Wednesday night to a small grouping of developers and analysts. The name is not settled, but the name I thought fit best was “Symbian App Warehouse.” Rather than sell to end users, they will certify applications and distribute them to all manner of application stores (e.g. Nokia Ovi) run by handset vendors, operators. The claim was that it would be without a fee, but I (like others) suspect in the long run they will need a minimal fee to cover operating costs; Mike Mace suggested 5-6%.
Symbian is shopping for lead ISVs: 5 developers in July, 100 in October for the 2009 Symbian Exchange and Exposition (“Come and SEE the future of mobile.”) The idea is to scale slowly to work out some of the kinks — not to impose some sort of limit as to the number of applications.
So the offer from Symbian was simple: do you want to be app # 45,678 at the Apple store or one of the first five at the Symbian store? As Shelton said, “the first movers have a greater opportunity to make money because there is a lower signal to noise ratio.” Palm has been making similar claims to prospective Pre developers (but with 0% share for its new platform vs. nearly 50% for Symbian).
Shelton had a point: ceteris paribus, later is worse. When I launched my Mac software company in July 1987 I had a far harder time getting carried by the channel and getting noticed than had Silicon Beach Software 3 years earlier. (I also had less money and less compelling applications). Of course, big companies with big budgets are better equipped to enter late than small self-funded (perhaps garage-dwelling) startups.
The iPhone App Store with its high visibility (and high download rate) would be very attractive if I had a narrow niche program, such as a virtual bass guitar. Unfortunately, PocketGuitar (99¢) already does that, and there are also other electronic guitars, several pianos, drum sets and even simulated sax, flute and bugle (blow on the mike). This is among more than 1300 applications listed under the “music” category.
So the Apple app market is heavily fragmented, and with a free online course being viewed by 100,000 developers, it will only get worse. Expectations for the Android Market mean that it is likely to head in the same direction. What should a developer do?
In the long run, developers will enter with one platform and then (if their app is hot) port to everything in sight; as with videogames, a platform will have only a temporary exclusive. The web-based apps (Facebook, MySpace, Google maps etc.) are already heading in this direction. A handful of companies (like Pangea Software on the iPhone) will figure out a way to come up with a string of hits.
In the short run, young developers need an open field market entry strategy: go where the competitors ain’t. Videogame developers have done this for more than a decade, just as companies choose geographic markets that are most promising. Once all the app stores have their initial launch ISVs, it will be up to developers to figure out a way to stand out of the clutter.


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Adobe To Double Local Operations In Next Two Years
Adobe has plans to double the size of its local workforce by the end of 2023.
Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Suzanne Steele, told AFR that she wants to double the 500-strong Australian-based team, with similar plans afoot in New Zealand.
“We’re looking for the best and brightest across these functions and our hybrid remote working policy means we are able to attract amazing talent, regardless of location,” she said.
“Australia is a pivotal market for Adobe and a significant market for Adobe’s international business outside of the United States,” she said.
“This is fuelled by Australian consumers and creatives being early adopters of technology, as well as many Australian brands being progressive on their digital transformation journeys – even pre-pandemic.
”When COVID hit, we saw digital transformation conversations peak. It was a shift from risk assessment and return on investment programs of work to ‘how do we stand up robust e-commerce and digital experience capabilities in a matter of weeks?’
“The economy has fundamentally changed. We’ve moved from a world with digital to a digital-first world – and there’s no going back.”


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At a time when the consumer appetite for beef is waning amid the economic downturn, the number of cattle going into feedlots in Kansas and across the nation also has taken a steep dive.
The latest cattle-on-feed statistics come at a time of high input costs for fattening the beef and deep losses for the nation's cattle-feeding industry.
On Monday, the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported that the state had 2.23 million head of cattle in its large feedyards as of Nov. 1. That number is down 8 percent from the same month a year ago, but up 3 percent from last month.
Cattlemen during October also placed 15 percent fewer cattle on feed, meaning the available slaughter supply will remain tight in the coming months. The number of animals leaving the feedyard for slaughter was down 12 percent in October, compared with the same month last year in Kansas.
At Hitch II feeders, assistant manager Dale Nicodemus said the feedyard near Garden City is running at less than three-fourths full. The feedyard has a capacity of 45,000 head.
"At this time of year that is significant. Most of the time we are jammed full at this time of the year," Nicodemus said.
Some of the smaller feedyards — those with a capacity of fewer than 1,000 head of cattle — are empty and for sale, he said.
"Normally we are very full this time of year. The fall run was very small this year — almost nonexistent," Nicodemus said.
He blamed the smaller numbers of cattle coming into the yard in part to a wetter year in Kansas that has allowed cattle to remain on grazing longer and to drought conditions elsewhere that have forced producers to cut the size of their herds.
The Kansas numbers were reflective of trends nationwide.
The U.S. inventory of cattle and calves on feed totaled 11 million head on Nov. 1, down 7 percent from the same month last year. Placements nationwide during October were down nearly 11 percent below 2007 to 2.44 million cattle, while the number of animals leaving the feedyard for slaughter were down 3 percent from last year to 1.81 million cattle.
While cattle supplies have tightened a little more than the industry was expecting before the report came out, the big story remains what is happening to the demand side, said James Mintert, a Kansas State University economist.
Industry experts say the economic downturn may continue to affect the demand for beef, particularly more expensive cuts such as tenderloin, as cash-strapped consumers turn to cheaper cuts or to chicken or pork.
Prices for tenderloin at the beginning of July were running about the same as a year ago. Two weeks ago, they were 28 percent to 32 percent below last year. They recovered slightly in the past week and are now running about 12 percent to 13 percent below a year ago.
"That is indicative at the wholesale level of buyers backing away from high-valued cuts because they were concerned about their ability to market to consumers in an environment where everybody is worried about their income, everybody is worried about what is happening to their asset values," Mintert said.
Those cattle industry concerns also are reflected in the futures market. Since Labor Day, live cattle futures have dropped $20 a hundredweight because of concerns about domestic and export demand, Mintert said.
"We hope that demand can rebound when the economy starts to grow again," said Todd Domer, spokesman for the Kansas Livestock Association. "Nobody knows when and if we've reached bottom yet."