text:
After selling their real estate agency, Martin Blencowe and Rebecca Cribbin were looking for a new challenge. That's when they noticed a gap in the holiday rental management market.
In three years, Martin Blencowe and Rebecca Cribbin have gone from managing twenty holiday rental properties, to nearly 300 in the NSW Southern Highlands and South Coast.
"We look after the advertising, the marketing, the bookings, the guests, the cleaning, the maintenance," Rebecca explains.
Its a big change from her previous business, a real estate agency. "It's not selling now, it's hospitality."
She says when she and her partner started in the holiday home sector, it was a fledgling industry. That's no longer the case.
"Holiday rentals are set to grow 28 per cent over the next 12 months. That's massive growth."
Sixty per cent of the bookings for properties managed by her business come through sites like Airbnb and booking.com, while the other 40 per cent comes directly from her website.
But she says the biggest challenge her business faces are the various regulatory rules that need to be adhered to.
"So is the property approved to be a holiday rental?
"I think the rules need to be the same for an owner managing the property for themselves, as they are for a manager. But they're not at the moment."
For now, Rebecca is focused on growing the business. "We have a clear strategy of how we're going to and that's been through natural growth, organic growth - but also also through acquisition."


text:
ATP Platinum Partner FedEx is playing a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19, leveraging its unique air and road networks and infrastructure to help communities and frontline healthcare workers.
Being at the heart of efforts to keep trade flowing across Europe and around the world, FedEx continues to deliver goods, including personal protection equipment (PPE), clinical trials, medical supplies and medical equipment. Since 1 Feb 2020, FedEx Express has globally transported more than 27.8 kilotons of PPE to help combat the COVID-19 virus, with masks accounting for 47 per cent (or 13 kilotons) of those shipments.
“In these unprecedented times, we have collaborated with governments, charities and NGOs to bring critical supplies where they are most needed,” said Karen Reddington, President FedEx Express Europe and CEO of TNT. “We are keenly aware of the role we play, and we view it as our duty to support our customers and communities safely and effectively.”
FedEx activations in Europe include:
- Poland: In collaboration with IKEA, FedEx team members in Poland delivered 231 beds with mattresses, bedding, pillows and towels. In total, over 2,500 items have been transported to 34 Regional Quarantine Centers across the country;
- France: FedEx Express responded to the call from the French authorities to ship medical equipment and materials to France, including 9 million masks for French SMEs activities.
- The COVID-19 situation has generated an unprecedented demand for air freight transport from Asia to Europe. In April 2020, FedEx increased flights between Asia and Europe by almost 50 per cent with its Charles de Gaulle hub in Paris playing a vital part.
- Spain: FedEx team members worked with the Spanish army to deliver 300,000 face masks to a temporary field hospital in Madrid.
- Italy: FedEx Express delivered breathing equipment from the Netherlands to eight hospitals in Northern Italy.
- FedEx delivered 5 million face masks from China to Belgium to support those in urgent need.
- UK: Across the country, FedEx team members delivered ventilators, testing kits, respiratory parts and PPE gowns from China. They also shipped protective screens to stores and delivered urgent medical supplies to temporary field hospitals.
FedEx continues to support customers in Europe and around the world who are relying on the flow of goods and commerce.

domain: news


text:
In a story about why American consumers have been slow to buy into the notion of the "digital home," a conference speaker said it has to do with the complexity involved in setting up a home network. The average person has to be an IT expert, said Don Norman, a co-founder of design consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group.
"I have a degree from MIT. I'm an engineer and was an executive at Apple," said Norman, speaking about his own home network on a panel at the Digital Living Room conference in San Francisco on Monday. "And I hired someone to hook it up." Clickfor the full story.


text:
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks fell sharply Friday and were on track for their worst week since October 2008 as the spreading coronavirus threatens to derail the global economy.
The virus outbreak has been shutting down industrial centers, emptying shops and severely crimping travel all over the world. More companies are warning investors that their finances will take a hit because of disruptions to supply chains and sales. Governments are taking increasingly drastic measures as they scramble to contain the virus.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 650 points, or 2.5%, to 25,038 as of 11:48 a.m. It was down as many as 1,085 points earlier.
The S&P 500 lost 2.1% and the Nasdaq fell 1.4%. China’s benchmark index fell 3.7% and Germany’s DAX fell 3.9%.
Stock market charts are seen during the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on February 28, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City. - Losses on Wall Street deepened following a bruising open, as global markets were poised to conclude the
The benchmark S&P 500 index has now lost 14% since hitting a record high just 10 days ago. The rout has knocked every major index into what market watchers call a “correction,” or a fall of 10% or more from a peak. The last time that occurred was in late 2018, as a tariff war with China was escalating. Market watchers have said for months that stocks were heavily overpriced and long overdue for another pullback.
Bond prices soared again as investors sought safety and became more pessimistic about the economy's prospects. That pushed yields to more record lows. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell sharply, to 1.16% from 1.30% late Thursday. That yield is a benchmark for home mortgages and many other kinds of loans.
Crude oil prices slumped 5.1% over worries that global travel and shipping will be severely crimped and hurt demand for energy. The price of benchmark U.S. crude has now fallen 16% this week.
“All this says to us is that there are still a lot of worries in the market,” said Gene Goldman, chief investment officer at Cetera Financial Group. “We need the Fed to come out and say basically guys, we got your back.”
Traders have been growing increasingly certain that the Federal Reserve will be forced to cut interest rates to protect the economy, and soon. Goldman said the Fed’s current lack of action amounts to a tightening of rates compared with other nations and their actions to offset the impact of the coronavirus.
The weeklong market sell-off follows months of uncertainty about the spread of the virus, which hit China in December and shut down large swaths of that nation by January. China is still the hardest hit country and has most of the 83,000 cases worldwide and related deaths.
Uncertainty turned into fear as the virus started jumping to places outside of the epicenter and dashed hopes for containment.
Airlines and cruise operators have suffered some of the worst hits as flight routes are cancelled, along with travel plans. Big names like Apple and Budweiser brewer AB InBev are part of a growing list of companies expecting financial pain from the virus. Dell and athletic-wear company Columbia Sportswear are the latest companies expecting an impact to their bottom lines.
A big concern investors have is that the stock market rout could have a psychological effect on consumers, making them reluctant to spend money and go to crowded places like stores, restaurants and movie theaters.
The late-2018 stock market plunge, for instance, derailed holiday sales that year. Now, analysts are worried that the latest stock swoon could cause consumer spending — which makes up some 70% of the economy and has played a huge role in keeping the U.S. expansion going — to contract again.
Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a consumer consultancy, says he had expected annual retail sales to be up 4.1%, but he now says it could increase just 2.2% if the impact of the new virus in China persists beyond April.
‘’This is a moving target right now,”’ he said. ‘’There is a lot of uncertainty.’’
Nitin Jain, managing director of the retail practice at AlixPartners, said that while sales of everyday items like canned goods and medical supplies could increase in the short term, sales of luxury goods could tail off as high-end shoppers become nervous.
Many companies face the prospect of crimped financial results with their stocks already trading at high levels relative to their earnings. Before the virus worries exploded, investors had been pushing stocks higher on expectations that strong profit growth was set to resume for companies after declining for most of 2019. If profit growth doesn’t ramp up this year, that makes a highly priced stock market even more vulnerable.
Nearly 60 nations representing every continent, except Antarctica, have confirmed cases. The virus outbreak has prompted a wide range of reactions from nations hoping to contain its spread and economic impact.
The Geneva auto show was cancelled as Swiss authorities banned large events of more than 1,000 people. Parts of Italy’s northern industrial and financial center remain under quarantine. Japan is preparing to close schools nationwide. The U.S. is preparing for the virus after a case unrelated to travel was confirmed in California.
AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio contributed.


text:
The three things you need to know this week: Fed's Beige Book is out, the ECB ponders moving its inflation goalposts and S&P 500 earnings start trickling in
Fed Beige Book: The report noted continued modest economic expansion with a generally positive outlook despite widespread concern about trade-related uncertainty. Many districts saw slight increases to retail sales and expect employment to continue to grow, although at a more modest pace. Inflation pressures appear to remain contained. Despite continued labor market strength, companies are still struggling to pass on higher wages and new tariffs to customers. The report noted the ability to pass on these cost increases to final prices was restrained by brisk competition.
ECB Moving Inflation Goalposts?: Reports suggest the ECB is studying a potential change to its inflation target. The current mandate of targeting inflation “below, but close to 2%” is being analyzed to determine if it is still appropriate. The goal would be to transition to a more symmetrical approach to allow flexibility above or below the 2% target level. This would enable the ECB to remain lower for longer in an effort to boost inflation beyond 2% and remain above that level for a time to ensure the 2% target becomes entrenched.
Earnings Update: Bloomberg data shows 13% of the S&P 500 reported earnings with revenues up 2% Y/Y and earnings .7% higher Y/Y. Relative to expectations, sales are in line while earnings have surprised to the upside by 4.1%. 15% of the companies that report in the current season for the Stoxx 600 have announced results, with sales up 6.4% Y/Y and earnings up 7.8% Y/Y. So far, sales are 7.7% below expectations and earnings are 3% above.


text:
August 16, 2017
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “IoT Device Management Market by Solution, Service, Application Area, Deployment Model, and Organization Size – Global Forecast to 2022” report to their offering.
The market size is expected to grow from US$693.4 million in 2017 to US$2.6 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 29.8% from 2017 to 2022. The report notes that “growing penetration of heterogeneous smart devices and IoT sensors mandates the critical need for reliable IoT device management platforms or solutions for device remote activation and provisioning, configuration and control, and its management.
“Converged device management platform offers a single platform to manage devices across multitude of domains and protocols for communication. IoT devices include heterogeneous stand-alone internet connected devices that need to be monitored and controlled from a remote location. As a result, this drives the need for reliable IoT device management platforms and solutions for properly monitoring and managing these smart devices.”
Integration services among the professional services segment is expected to gain maximum traction during the forecast period Installation and integration services are considered very important, as a typical IoT ecosystem consists of thousands of IoT devices and are connected through complex wireless network, such as ZigBee, z-Wave, LTE-advanced, and Wi-Fi direct.
For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9mz5q2/iot_device


text:
Company recognized for its corporate launch campaign, reflecting the spirit of New York media regional and national leadership
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, February 22, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — New York Interconnect (NYI) – a joint venture between Altice USA, Charter and Comcast – has been awarded BizBash’s “Best Corporate Event Concept,” within the prestigious Best Events of the Decade category at their 2020 Event Style Awards. The company, frequently recognized for its media leadership in and around the greater New York area, has previously received accolades for its 2018 “Greater Together” event, which showcased the launch of the “new” NYI. NYI won two awards for this event for “Best Event Décor” and “Best Staging and Set Design.”
The BizBash Event Style Awards, which honor the best meeting and event ideas, strategies, products, and technology, are given to entries that demonstrate innovation and creativity, quality of execution, effectiveness, and an influential impact on the industry. For these most recent accolades, in a category designated for budgets over $500,000, NYI was recognized alongside brands such as Google, HBO, Nike and others.
“As we work and do business year in and year out with our clients who deeply appreciate the power of New York media, we’re thrilled to have this particular campaign recognized,” said Dâna Barakat, NYI’s Vice President of Marketing. “The campaign captures the heart and soul of New York, and at the same time, our unique business and corporate identity that is deeply rooted here. We are New York.”
The award-winning NYI campaign – which celebrated the partnership of Altice, Charter and Comcast – playfully compared its new partnership to other favorite combos that are also “greater together” like Rock & Roll, Bacon, Egg & Cheese, and Kim, Khloe and Kourtney. The NYI Marketing team extends a special “thank you” to their event production company, Twenty Three Layers, and to their design partner, The Nation, for their contributions in making this campaign a success.
For more information about NY Interconnect, its solutions and services, please contact email@example.com.
New York Interconnect (NYI) has been an industry leader for over three decades. A joint venture among Altice USA, Charter Communications, and Comcast, NYI continues to pave the way for the future of TV media buying across all screens in the nation’s largest, most diverse, and most affluent market. Targeting over 20 million consumers in the market through TV, OTT, and Live Streaming content providers, NYI delivers the most comprehensive, innovative, advanced capabilities through a multi-screen approach that continues to prove a brand’s ROI. NYI successfully delivers it all with one simple media buy in the nation’s #1 market.


text:
Prices of used cars have reached their peak and are set to fall from October onwards, according to experts.
A shortage of used-cars meant values had been increasing, but a surge of nearly new models is set to hit the market after the introduction of the new 59-registrations next month, said valuation expert Glass's.
Managing editor at Glass's, Adrian Rushmore, said: "The improvement in prices this year was largely due to the much lower level of used-car supply."
He explained that prices are levelling out now as the "correction is complete", and said the "trade price of a car, plus a dealer margin, now equals the retail price that customers are willing to pay".
Mr Rushmore said prices will start to fall as some dealers make their margins smaller in a bid to attract buyers.
Glass's predicts there will be fewer vehicles coming onto the market compared with previous years, but prices will be affected.
Copyright © Press Association 2009


text:
We've got the latest version of Madden in this week's update. We've also got better ways to read comic books and listen to music. Read on.
You use your Apple ID to buy music, movies, apps, and more from the iTunes Store. But Senior Contributor Kirk McElhearn says that Apple IDs are significantly flawed, and have been for a long while. Here's what he says Apple needs to fix.
Apple on Thursday seemingly unintentionally released an update to the Find My iPhone app that requires a developer account.
This week's roundup of new apps lets users put Disney characters in their home movies. Also: Offerings in comics, games, travel, and search.
A dual iPhone launch in September is looking like a lock, the story of how Steve Jobs browbeat AT&T, and getting an evil app into the App Store isn't as hard as you might think.
Did Apple buy a company because of *math*? And speaking of math, when it comes to the App Store, the house always wins. Finally, Beijing and Cupertino may have at long last come to an understanding.
This week's roundup of apps brings all the benefits of working in a coffee shop to your home office. Well, except for the coffee.
If you're new to the Mac or just haven't bought much software, you may not know your way around the Mac App Store yet. Here's a quick guided tour.
We've got a whole range of new ways to help you make better images on your iPhone and iPad. And if you're looking for work? We've got suggestions there, too.
After a recent update, the company is now using its online shopping app to promote content across its various properties -- including, of course, the App Store.
We have two apps this week that take the words you write and make them more beautiful. Also, there's a vampire game, so there's that.


text:
Bitcoin is improved the notion that money is any kind of item, or any type of type of document, approved as repayment for products as well as solutions as well as settlement of debts in a offered country or socio-economic group. Bitcoin uses cryptography, or mathematical formulas, to regulate the development and also transfer of money, as opposed to depending on federal governments and main financial authorities. Transfers for lendings, sales, acquisitions or any other approaches of payment can be refined by any person, using a desktop computer, smart phone, tablet, or laptop computer. This is all possible without the requirement for a financial institution to function as an intermediary or videotaping representative.
Created in 2009, Bitcoin is a digital currency introduced as open source software application by an MIT student named Satoshi Nakamoto. There is much conjecture as to whether Satoshi is an actual individual, or a collection of people making use of a pseudonym. Bitcoin are produced by a process called mining, in which specialized computer hardware total complex mathematic formulas and also are rewarded with a block of bitcoins. This procedure takes around 10 minutes as well as the current block incentives 25 bitcoins. The block reward will certainly be halved to 12.5 bitcoins in 2017 as well as once more about every four years thereafter. By 2140 there will be about 21 million bitcoins in existence.
This week has shown a whirlwind of task with entrepreneur of all red stripes hopping on track with Bitcoin. From small companies in New Orleans, to the Sacramento Kings of the NBA accepting Bitcoin for ticket sales and team paraphernalia, to gambling enterprises in Las Vegas, Bitcoin is turning up almost everywhere. Venture Capitalist Chris Dixon believes Bitcoin may get to $100,000 if it comes to be the key means of ecommerce (Wired ). The CEO of a significant online merchant was priced estimate as claiming ” Various other sellers will not want to miss out, Bitcoin market is expanding by 30% per month.” This exact same store saw a 5% boost in sales the very first day it accepted Bitcoin. Zynga Games, among the biggest on the internet pc gaming business, in charge of Farmville, Castleville, and also a host of others also began approving Bitcoin for in video game economic deals. After the 5 Large Financial institutions said no to cash from cannabis dispensaries and also growers, Colorado’s lawful cannabis dispensary sector turned to Bitcoin (ZeroHedge ). The Internal Revenue Service has additionally just recently released a project that permits taxes to be paid with Bitcoin. There has been Bitcoin ATM’s turning up in cities such as Vancouver, Ottawa, and also a Bratislava Slovakia shopping mall. Just recently, the New York City City Bitcoin ATM MACHINE was put on hold up until a public hearing under the jurisdiction of the New York State Division of Financial Providers can be held.
After flirting with the $1,000 value just after the New Year, Bitcoin has actually been gradually trading at around $950 on the Mt. Gox exchange over the last fortnight and also is being perfectly sustained by the 50 day relocating average suggesting Bitcoin is still distinctly favorable. This was shocking to the majority of experts that believed the governing news appearing of China, India, and also Russia would burst Bitcoins bubble. Nevertheless, Michael Robinson, with over 30 years of experience in market evaluation, thinks most experts are wrong. He suggests that the solid improvement we saw in early December, paired with the consistent assistance of the 50 day relocating standard, suggests Bitcoin is an extremely healthy and balanced market, and also ought to only remain to raise in value.
know more about bitcoin revolution reviews here.


text:
The California Redwood Co. completed the acquisition of the assets of Siskiyou Lumber Products, a California-based company specializing in remanufacturing and wholesale lumber distribution.
Siskiyou's Woodland, Calif., operations and its Ukiah, Calif., fence plant will now operate as part of The California Redwood Co., distributing redwood lumber products, Douglas fir lumber and treated lumber.
"A year ago, we announced a long-term marketing strategy of working with retailers to better understand and serve the needs of consumers," said Carl Schoenhofer, VP and general manager for The California Redwood Co., based in Eureka, Calif. "The acquisition of Siskiyou Lumber Products provides us the opportunity to get closer to consumers and allows us to offer a full range of premium redwood products directly to retail."
The products include decking, railing, fencing and garden accessories.
"We also plan to expand our product development efforts and value-added applications for redwood," Schoenhofer said.


text:
Specialist divers spent two years extracting the perfectly preserved pewter plates and bowls from beneath the waves of the Caribbean.
Now more than 1,200 items of the finest quality English pewter will go on sale in the UK later this month.
The haul was recovered from the wreck of an unnamed galleon, which is thought to have sunk around 1540.
They have been so well preserved in the seabed that they are said to be as historically valuable as those raised from the wreck of the Mary Rose.
It is believed the ship was transporting the incoming Spanish ambassador from Seville to his new colonial home on the island of Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Onboard were thousands of pieces of top quality dining crockery.
But disaster struck when the ship sunk after hitting rocks. The ambassador survived but his possessions could not be rescued and went down with the ship.
The wreck was only discovered in 2011 and the excavation process is still ongoing. The majority of the pieces will stay in the Dominican Republic but around 200 have made it back to Britain and will now go under the hammer in Doncaster.
The salvage team had to chisel through several inches of rock to uncover the stunning artefacts. Some pieces are said to be in as good a condition as when they were made.
Around a third of the pewter bears the mark of Sir Thomas Curtis, regarded as the most important London pewterer of the 16th Century.
Sir Thomas was Mayor of London in 1557 and his mark also appears on much of the pewter from the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship, lost in the Solent in 1545.
The collection is tipped to fetch £200,000 when it goes under the hammer.
Among the highlights are a pair of 16-inch plates made by London pewterer Edward Cacher worth £15,000.
A pair of octagonal plates made by Sir Thomas could fetch £5,000.
Yorkshire-based Wilkinson's Auctioneers has been chosen to sell the treasure trove due to its reputation for dealing in pewter.
Auctioneer Sid Wilkinson said: "The story behind these items is fantastic.
"In 2011 the wreck of a Tudor ship was discovered off Punta Cana, the easternmost point of Hispaniola, an island in the Dominican Republic.
"Divers found, to their amazement, hundreds of items of pewter tableware buried within the wreckage and incredibly many of them had been perfectly preserved.
"They spent the next two years excavating items from the shipwreck and found more than 1,200 items.
"It turned out the ship had been transporting the new Spanish ambassador to the island, which at the time was a Spanish colony.
"The pewter was of the finest quality, much of it made in England, and was destined for his mansion.
"The story goes that when the ship went down, the ambassador was the only one to survive but he had to swim to shore leaving behind his treasures.
"These items are as good if not better than the pewter found in the wreck of the Mary Rose.
"The majority of the pewter will stay in the Dominican Republic but around 200 items have come to us and will be sold in 85 lots.
"Some of the pieces are in remarkable condition given that they're 500 years old.
"It is a very significant and exciting find."
The pewter trove will be sold at Wilkinson's in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on November 24.


text:
Today on The Country, Jamie Mackay took a look at the latest GDT result, along with Beef + Lamb NZ's just-released New Season Outlook.
On with the show:
In the absence of Jacinda and Winston we ask a farming leader to step up to the plate to analyse the election and comment on the economics of sheep and beef farming and the impending big dry.
Rabobank's dairy analyst comments on a "steady as she goes" GDT auction overnight plus she says she doesn't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas ahead of her bank's December update to the forecast milk price payout!
The Chairman of Beef + Lamb NZ looks for the positives out of his organisation's just-released New Season Outlook, saying the projected 26 per cent drop in farm profitability needs to be put in historic perspective, with the past decade being the most profitable in 60 years.
NIWA's weather forecaster takes a look at what's in store for the week to come.
Fonterra's head of Co-op Affairs comments on the GDT auction, milk volumes, the rise in the forecast milk price but has a firm "no comment" when it comes to the Shareholders Council.
Volkswagen's Commercial Manager talks about a couple exciting new 4WD releases to the market and why double-cab all-wheel drive utes are all the go in the southern hemisphere.


text:
More in Cigars
Two new Trinidad cigars from Cuban monopoly Habanos S.A. have arrived in cigar shops all over the world.
Matilde Cigars has updated the packaging on its Renacer line.
There’s a new Regional Edition San Cristobal de La Habana and it was made exclusively for Cuba.
La Coalicion, a collaboration project between Crowned Heads and Drew Estate, began shipping to retailers earlier this week.
The newest iteration of Alec Bradley Fine & Rare, a cigar that honors the father of company founder Alan Rubin, is now being sent to retailers around the world.
The NFL season is heading into Week 10 and while the Super Bowl is still months away, La Flor Dominicana already knows what cigar they’ll be sending to Florida retailers to …
In an unusual move for Habanos S.A., the Cuban cigar monopoly has announced another limited production run of the Cohiba Talismán, the Edición Limitada from 2017.
Tiger Sharks, Forbidden X Belicosos and King Powers are just part of the quirky collection of rare, aged Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars on their way to retailers now, but fair …
For the first time in the history of either company, General Cigar Co. and Espinosa Cigars have joined forces to create a new cigar brand called Warzone.


text:
The same week researchers reported that the National Security Agency had been embedding surveillance tools in the guts of thousands of machines in Iran, Russia and other countries, it was revealed that the world’s largest personal computer company had been doing something similar to its customers.
The Chinese computer-making giant Lenovo was inserting spyware — its defenders would call it adware — in its PCs. This software could track customers’ every online move, intercept secure web sessions and render their computers vulnerable to hackers.
The company buried its software in the lowest level of a PC’s operating system, precisely where customers and antivirus products would never detect it, and had been siphoning data back to servers belonging to Superfish, an Israeli software company headquartered in Silicon Valley that markets itself as a visual search company.
The discoveries are the latest in a string of revelations that indicate that as traditional security defenses have begun fully to surround the outer layers of our devices, criminals, nation-states’ hackers and apparently advertisers have turned their focus inward, to the very heart of the machine, where their code is easily concealed.
Before this week’s discoveries, there have been only two known cases of malicious code attacking the lowest level of a machine. The first was a 1998 computer virus, called CIH, for the initials of its author, Chen Ing-Hau, then a 24-year-old college student in Taiwan.
The virus was dubbed Chernobyl because it was timed to strike on April 26, 1999, the 13th anniversary of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. Though it was designed to prove that a concept would work in the real world, it quickly spread beyond Taipei’s Tatung Institute of Technology to millions of computers around the world.
The incident was a wake-up call to computer security experts, who for years had been developing antivirus products for the outer layers of a computer’s operating system, but not the lowest levels of a machine. Security experts started to talk about there being “a race to the bare metal” of a machine.
Their fears were realized in September 2011, after security researchers discovered Mebromi, a second virus. The virus modified the first software that runs on a machine — the basic-input-output-system, or BIOS — in such a way that any attempt to clean it from the computer would be futile because the BIOS would just continue to reinfect it. But Mebromi affected only a small set of Chinese users.
What makes the latest discoveries so disconcerting is that if a government or company can plant spyware in the lowest level of a machine, it can steal your passwords, serve up any web page, steal your encryption keys and control your entire digital experience, undetected.
“If they can do that, they can do anything,” said Peter Horne, the technology expert who first discovered the spyware in Lenovo’s products.
Mr. Horne, a 25-year veteran of the financial services technology industry, was the first to discover Superfish early last month in a new Lenovo Yoga 2 Notepad he bought in Sydney, Australia.
Even though the PC came with McAfee antivirus software, Mr. Horne said, he installed antivirus software made by Trend Micro. Neither virus scanner picked up adware on the machine. But Mr. Horne noted that traffic from the PC was being redirected to a website called best-deals-products.com. When he dug further, he found that website’s server was making calls to Superfish adware.
Superfish’s “visual discovery” adware, Mr. Horne and others now say, is far more intrusive than typical adware. It not only drops ads into a user’s web browser sessions, it hijacks a secure browsing session and scoops up data as users enter it into secure websites. In the process, it makes it easy for hackers to intercept communications.
Mr. Horne returned his PC and went on to test Lenovo’s demonstration machines at Best Buy stores in New York and Boston and at other retailers in Sydney and Perth. He found Superfish adware on other Lenovo Yoga 2 models and the Lenovo Edge 15.
Superfish’s co-founder, Adi Pinhas, did not return requests for comment.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Lenovo said it had included Superfish in some consumer notebooks shipped between September and December “to help customers potentially discover interesting products while shopping.”
Citing bad user reviews, the company said it had stopped including the adware in January, the same month Mr. Horne brought the issue to the company’s attention (and never received a response).
By partnering with Superfish, Mr. Horne said, “Lenovo is either extraordinarily stupid or covering up. Either is an offense to me.”
As news of the Lenovo issue began circulating on Thursday, security researchers developed online tools for users to figure out whether Superfish was installed on their machines, and Microsoft began rooting out Superfish with its Windows Defender antivirus software.
“The problem is: What can we trust?” Mr. Horne said. “People trust software, then learn it gets compromised. We trust hardware and firmware, until you learn it’s been compromised with adware. We trust the actual box, until we learn it’s been taken into a little room somewhere.”


text:
International Reggae Fest in Riviera Nayarit
From May 17th to 19th, 2019, Riviera Nayarit will be the scenario of the International Reggae Fest first edition, a Bob Marley’s tribute, one of the most emblematic figures of this musical genre.
In a press conference headed by the Organizing Committee of the Festival, the Bahía de Banderas Hotels and Motels Association and Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau; they revealed that the line-up will be composed by Quique Neira, Nateesha Stream, Teacha Dee, Kass Smith, Jade 420, DJ Natty Congo Crew, Goade Band and Jah Wiz.
Alex Pace, the Jamaican’s representative in Mexico said that “Reggae unites the world and it has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage. For this reason, Jamaica and Mexico joined to make this event that will bring visitors from both countries to the destination.”
They have the support and sponsorship of the Riviera Nayarit brand, the Visitors and Conventions Office, the Embassy of Jamaica in Mexico, The Tourism Directorate of Jamaica and the Tourism Promotion Office of the Americas and the Caribbean, the Municipality of Bahía de Banderas, and Riviera Nayarit brand, as well as commercial brands such as Coca Cola, Copa Airlines, among others
The International Reggae Fest will be held at San Pancho, Nayarit, and the tickets presale ($350 pesos) has just begun and can be acquired on taquillacero.com. The organizers also confirmed that there would be general ($450 pesos) and VIP ($1,000 pesos) access.
The purpose of this event is to unite the two nations by sharing the best of both cultures, so don’t loose the opportunity to enjoy this tribute.


text:
* NEW BUSINESS
Brokerage firm opens branch
Commodity Research Institute, a brokerage service firm based in Atlanta, Ga., has opened its first Northwest branch in Port Orchard.
The firm has named Christopher Reilly as its branch manager and will begin local trading operations on Jan. 1.
Commodity Research is a retail and discount commodities broker. The Port Orchard office can be reached at (360) 895-1498.
PSNS announces contract winners
Praxair Distribution Inc. of Tacoma has won a $126,137 contract from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Fleet & Industrial Supply Center to supply chemicals and chemical products.
In addition, Oxygen Sales and Service of Tacoma won a $98,235 contract from Fleet and Industrial Supply Center to supply feeder wire.
Seminar on exporting offered
The Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development and the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle are offering a seminar on marketing processed food to Japan.
The event takes place from 10 a.m. until noon Monday at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce board room at 600 University St. in Seattle.
Japan is the largest market for U.S. food and beverage products, buying more than $13 billion worth each year.
Expected new markets include health foods and pre-cooked foods.
The seminar costs $5; for more information and to register, call (206) 464-7143.
Record fall crop forecast
Washington's 1996 potato production is forecast at a record level of more than 9 billion pounds, far above the 1994 and 1995 crops.
The increase in production is attributed to increases in acreage and yield.
Harvested acreage this year was 161,000 compared with 147,000 last year. Yields per acre were also up substantially.
Production is also up in Idaho by 5 percent and a whopping 29 percent in Oregon.
Poulsbo firm takes part in custom builder symposium
Joe and Judy Gates of Poulsbo's Joe Gates Construction Inc., participated in the eighth annual National Home Builders Symposium in Scottsdale, Ariz., earlier this month.
The pair took part in more than two days of programs on the latest in design and construction techniques.
Organic certification rules changing
The Washington State Department of Agriculture is conducting a public hearing Dec. 11 to clarify and strengthen certification requirements for organic food producers.
The department is proposing the first changes since 1992. Under consideration are amendments to clarify conditions granting certification, record-keeping requirements and how licensing fees are calculated.
The number of certified commercial organic food producers has grown to 273 farms around the state producing an estimated $25 million worth of organic fruit, vegetables, grain, milk, eggs and other agricultural products.
The hearing starts at 1 p.m. in room 259 of the Natural Resources Building at 1111 Washington St., Olympia.
For more information, call (360) 902-1924.


text:
Wednesday 23rd May 2012
|Text too small?|
Honey products company Comvita's annual net profit surged to a record as its growth strategy finally started to pay off, apparently vindicating its defence against last year's hostile takeover offer from multinational Cerebos Greggs.
Net profit for the year ended March 31 jumped to $8.2 million, at the top end of the company's November forecast of between $7.3 million and $8.2 million, compared with $0.5 million the previous year. Normalised profit the previous year was $3.6 million.
The full-year result is also a leap from the $2.2 million first-half net profit.
Sales for the year rose 17 percent to $95.9 million, just beating the $91 million to $95 million forecast, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose to $15.5 million from $6.3 million the previous year.
Chief executive Brett Hewlett said the stronger second half mainly reflects the seasonality of the company's sales when it benefits from the Northern Hemisphere's winter combined with the increase in tourism to Australasia.
Reflecting the strength of the result, as well as the directors' confidence in future earnings, the final dividend was increased to 10 cents per share from 3 cents the previous year, taking the full-year payout to 14 cents from 3 cents. The payout ratio rose to 50% from the 40% historical level.
The company said the results "demonstrate Comvita is reaping the rewards of a growth strategy build on product innovation, an enhanced supply chain, control of channels to market and investment in research and development."
Chairman Neil Craig said the result was pleasing, given the company also fended off an unwelcome takeover offer from multi-national Cerebos Greggs - the $2.50 per share offer lapsed after Cerebos baulked at the $3.40 to $4 per share independent valuation which was based on forecast earnings.
The 17 percent sales growth "is a clear demonstration of the productivity gains possible from our business model, based on control of our channels from raw supply through to the marketplace," Craig said.
As well as increasing dividends, the company will continue to spend on capital projects to improve security of supply of raw materials and increase profitability further, Craig said.
The company's return on capital employed rose to 14.4 percent in the latest year from a poor 4.3 percent the previous year.
Hewlett said all markets performed well, most notably Australia and New Zealand, where sales rose 13 percent, and Asia, up 31 percent while markets such as Britain and Europe were impacted by continuing economic uncertainty.
Changes in Comvita's distribution model in Australia, where it now deals directly with its customers rather than being dependent on intermediaries, are delivering higher margins, he said. Sales in Hong Kong, where the company owns 54 retail outlets, were strong.
"Demand for medical honey-based products continues to growth. Globally, Medihoney sales are currently growing at an annual rate of approximately 40 percent," Hewlett said.
As for the outlook, "Comvita is on a solid growth trajectory that shows no sign of slowing. Our local presence-in-market, our reputation for quality and success in expanding our product range is ensuring strong brand awareness and loyalty," he said.
"We have demonstrated we can sustain this level of growth and that we can continue to achieve operating leverage gains provided by the scale and scope of our local and global operations. These all point to a continuing improvement in net earnings and growth in shareholder value."
Comvita shares are up 10 cents to $3, equal to the November high after the company released its full-year forecast and otherwise their highest level since 2007.
The shares troughed at 73 cents in May 2009.
No comments yet
Comvita may not increase earnings in 2014 as higher honey prices bite, Craigs says
Comvita turned to a loss in first half, remains confident of increasing annual profit
Nasdaq-listed Derma Sciences takes 7.3 percent stake in Comvita in discounted placement
Comvita FY profit falls 10 percent , beating guidance, on honey shortage, rising costs
Comvita flags 15 percent fall in FY profit as expensive honey, supply shortages prompt downgrade
Comvita buys Aussie groves to expand olive extract output
Comvita first-half earnings fall 7.4% amid short supply
Comvita buys Whanganui-based Kiwi Honey for undisclosed sum
Comvita hits 5-yr high on early results from diabetes trial
Comvita to seek deeper pool for directors' fees at AGM


text:
Some lines from Earnings Call Transcrip.
Elop once again confirms that Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 will come to the market November, phones itself are ready. Elop also confirms that more money is out to the marketing of Windows Phone 8 by all of the companies involved, including Nokia.
Of course Nokia isn’t going to sit silently next year and confirms new Lumia models will be brought out next year.
Next year we will bring new models in a different price brackets.
Nokia will accelerate Nokia Maps licensing and keep improving it. Something we have already seen past 6 months in a scale never seen before by Nokia as likes of Amazon, Yahoo, Microsoft, Oracle etc have picked Nokia as the map provider.
Elop was also asked about the possibility of Surface phone by Microsoft and not surprisingly Elop would welcome them to Windows Phone market. Nokia expects it’s major R&D investments to make the difference.


text:
McDonald Volkswagen has recently announced their Volkswagen Conquest Cash Program which gives consumers up to $1000 to trade in their current vehicle
Online PR News – 22-June-2012 – Parker, Colorado – Denver area Volkswagen Dealership, McDonald Volkswagen, has recently announced the Conquest Cash program in which buyers get $500 from Volkswagen USA which McDonald Volkswagen will match when consumers trade in their current vehicle for a new VW.
Going on now through July 2nd, 2012 Current vehicle owners of 2004 + Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai or Kia will receive a special bonus of $500 plus an additional $500 from McDonald Volkswagen towards the purchase or lease of any new 2012 or 2013 Volkswagen models when they trade in their existing eligible vehicle.
McDonald Volkswagen encourages customers interested in the Volkswagen Conquest Event or those who simply want to learn more about the 2012 Volkswagen models to stop by their dealership located just south of Denver in Littleton.
McDonald VW is known for being the premier Volkswagen dealership for Colorado car customers due to their great selection of new and used VW models and their log-standing reputation for outstanding customer service. Buyers are sure to find exactly what they are looking and the customer service they deserve when they visit the McDonald Volkswagen lot.
For more complete information about the Volkswagen Conquest Event, the 2012 VW Beetle, the 2012 VW Jetta, the 2012 VW Passat, or any other new Volkswagen model, please contact your Colorado Volkswagen dealer, McDonald VW, at 6000 S. Broadway in Littleton or online at www.mcdonaldvw.com.
About McDonald VW:
The McDonald family has been selling and servicing vehicles from the Littleton location since 1965. Today, with three sons by his side, Douglas McDonald and his family own and operate some of the largest and fastest growing dealerships in the United States. In addition, Douglas McDonald has served as chairman, vice-chairman and district director for the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association and chairman of the National Volkswagen Dealer Council. In 1991, Time Magazine, in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association, honored him with the Quality Dealer Award. McDonald Automotive Group shares their success with the community by supporting many charities and clubs, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with an annual golf tournament. (www.mcdonaldvw.com)


text:
Mass Effect: Andromeda Will Arrive in Q1 2017
Cernescu Andrei / 5 years ago
Even though there’s still no official release date confirmed for Mass Effect: Andromeda, at least now we have a ballpark date regarding the game’s release. Unfortunately, the new Mass Effect game won’t be arriving in 2016 at all, as Electronic Arts has recently revealed during an investor call that it plans to launch it during its Q4 2016 fiscal year. What this means is that Mass Effect: Andromeda will arrive sometime between January and March 2017. As far as Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 5 are concerned, EA has stated that these titles will be released during its Q3 2016 fiscal year, and so we still have quite a bit of waiting time ahead of us.
Blake Jorgensen, the chief financial officer over at EA has stated the following:
“We’ve got our Battlefield first-person shooter coming in the third quarter, and our third party title that Respawn built… it’s called Titanfall… it’s the second title they brought out under that brand. Both those are first-person shooter and will be targeted around both fast action-driven shooter market as well as the strategy driven market in the quarter. We have all our sports games, we have Mirror’s Edge, a runner game coming out in the first quarter, and then we have Mass Effect, which is a sci-fi action game, in our fourth quarter. So big year ahead and we’re pretty excited.”
As long as the aforementioned games turn out to be polished and optimized properly for various platforms, I think that a bit of waiting time is certainly worth it. Let’s just hope that they won’t be delayed, though.


text:
Force Touch and pink color for the next iPhone 6s, and the WSJ says so
WSJ confirms plans to bring Force Touch technology to iPhone 6s and reveals new possible color: pink
Once the keynote storm has been overcome, it is time to continue with Apple’s day-to-day life and its endless rumor mill. On this occasion, it is the prestigious WSJ who reveals new information about the next generation of the apple smartphone, the iPhone 6s. As previous rumors have already revealed, the publication points out that the device will feature the new Force Touch technology, which we can already find on the Apple Watch and on the trackpad of the new MacBook.
Although it is not the first medium that points to the possibility that the next iPhone 6s has the pressure recognition technology, yes it is the first major source to do so. In addition, considering that the technology is already found even in the trackpad of the new MacBook, it is logical that Apple wants to extend it to the rest of its product lines.
Along with this new information, the WSJ also reveals that the company is testing with a new color for the iPhone 6s, pink. At this time there would still be no decision made on its incorporation or not, so it could finally be suppressed. With this new color, the iPhone 6s would be available in four versions: space gray, white / silver, gold and pink. In addition, in the absence of design novelties, it would be a differentiating aspect with respect to the iPhone 6 as it happened with the iPhone 5s and its golden color.
Furthermore, this could also be an important clue pointing to discontinuation of iPhone 5c, the colorful apple smartphone that had a short life of just one generation. Currently, the iPhone 5c is the entry model to the iPhone line starting at 400 euros, since it could happen to occupy the iPhone 5s in the next generation.
Other iPhone 6s rumors point to 2GB of RAM and Apple SIM
As you recall in 9to5Mac, recent rumors have also appeared that suggest that the iPhone 6s will finally make the jump to 2 GB of RAM and that the device could incorporate the Apple SIM by default. As you will remember, the Apple SIM It allows us to change the operator virtually without having to have a physical SIM card from the operator we are with at all times. Basically, it would be a multi-carrier “blank” SIM.
What do you think of the possibility of seeing a pink iPhone 6s?


text:
For a company making transformative changes to services and fees, Patreon's main message to its current creators seems counterintuitive: Almost nothing is changing for you.
Tuesday, membership site Patreon announced a major revamping of the services it offers creators who use its platform to build their own subscription membership businesses -- as well as the commissions it takes from every sale. But people who already use Patreon will pay the same 5 percent cut they always have, with options for more perks, as the company grandfathers in existing users.
Founded by a YouTuber, Patreon feeds off a internet-fandom trend, where people open their wallets for their favorite creators in return for a diversity of rewards. Patreon has 3 million fan "patrons" supporting more than 100,000 creators, and the company expects this year to surpass $1 billion total paid out to creators. The latest changes, in theory, are supposed to make it easier for that podcaster or artist you love to build a business, while putting Patreon on track to make more money itself.
Patreon said it has done all it can to ensure it's being fair, but it expects some people to be unhappy.
"There's always somebody who has an allergic reaction to anything that changes the prices. Some of it is this natural tension between art and capitalism," Wyatt Jenkins, Patreon's senior vice president of product, said in an interview last week. "My aspiration is that a creator can...see that there is a path for them from 'Hey, I have some fans' to 'Hey, I have a business' to 'Hey, I have a company.'"
Patreon is introducing three levels of service for creators, after operating with only one -- a single one-size-fits-all model -- for years.
Its coming Lite and Pro tiers will continue all the features creators already have on Patreon (plus a few more in the case of Pro), and current creators will be charged the same 5 percent cut from their monthly sales, which is the current standard. In two months, anyone who opens a new Patreon account and wants the more robust tier will be charged an 8 percent fee. New Patreon creators will also have the option of a bare-bones service with the entry-level 5-percent fee with Lite.
(Upshot: If you've been meaning to open a Patreon account, now would be the time to do it if you want to lock in the 5 percent fee rate for the more robust level of service.)
For current creators, Patreon's intention is to maintain the grandfathered rates for as long as this service structure exists.
A new Premium tier will introduce a higher fee than Patreon has exacted before: an 9 percent charge for existing creators and a 12 percent rate for anyone who signs up after May, with a $300 minimum fee monthly. This is a new a high-touch level of service that is designed for people who earn $5,000 a month on Patreon.
Patreon is also standardizing its payment processing fee, which was the source of a backlash in 2017. Essentially, the new fees are designed so that creators with really low-priced memberships don't see as much of that money get siphoned off to cover things like credit-card processing.
Right now, Patreon users give up a slice of their sales to cover credit-card process and other costs, but the rate that is charged varies. Under the new scheme, any subscriptions priced at $3 or below will have a 5% plus 10 cent fee -- so if a fan signs up for $1 membership, each month the creator hands over 15 cents of it to cover payment processing. Any memberships that are price above $3 will be charged 2.9 percent plus 30 cents.
"At the end of the day, I'm not ashamed of the fact that Patreon will be a better business because of these moves," Jenkins said. "It means Patreon will be around for a while."
Originally published at 9 a.m. PT.
Updated at 9:49 a.m. PT: with more details and quotes.


text:
The 80th Geneva Motor Show will open this year with good news for the world ecology. One of that news comes from Opel, which are going to open the show presenting their new eco-model Flextreme GT/E concept car.
The show, which will be hosted in Geneva on 4-14 March this year will shows one of the most innovative vehicle models, created with one aim- transition to eco-mode and elimination of gas emissions, which are serious threat nowadays.
Opel will reveal the brand new electric vehicle technology, known as E-REV. This technology allows producing compact cars with maximum speed.
The Flextreme GT/E has a battery-powered system of up to 37 miles (60 km) and the absolute range of 311 miles (500 km). CO2 emissions of the new Opel concept car are reduced to 40 g/km.
The car elements, which stay all the time on electricity power, are the wheels, and for the average 60 km, the supplies of energy necessary from battery set is of 16 kWh, placed under the seats and the ground.
The exceptional design of the Flextreme GT/E allows compatibility and pledges on more effective airflow control. Apart from those facts, the new model of Opel guarantees 40 percent less weight, which helps reducing the energy usage, increasing the driving scale.


text:
Thinking beyond standard banner ads and microsites, niche career site Dice.com and agency Publicis tapped media companies Federated Media and Next New Networks to launch an original video series. The Web hub and video series, "Best Job Ever," chronicles the workday lives and personal stories of high-tech employees.
To date, videos in the series have chronicled tech positions at Facebook, blogger service Tumblr, and online classifieds site Oodle, while future videos will spotlight NASA, and Sun Microsystems. Designed to better engage Dice's target audience, the vignettes are designed to "give tech professionals inspiration and solid career advice," according to Tom Silver, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Dice Holdings.
To achieve profitability, Dice Holdings -- which operates several employment sites -- was recently forced to cut marketing expenses. "We moderated job seeker marketing as the recruitment needs of our customers declined," Scot Melland, Dice's chairman, president and chief executive, said in an earnings statement last month.
For Federated Media, however, industrywide marketing cutbacks have actually stimulated business, according to its marketing manager, Matthew DiPietro.
Marketers " are moving away from traditional channels and towards new ones," said DiPietro. For instance, he added, "we've seen lots of brands cut back, but increase when it comes to social media."
Scheduled to run through June, neither Federated or Dice would discuss the financial terms around the "Best Job Ever." Broadly speaking, the budget is estimated to be in the six-figure range.
The highly collaborative campaign illustrates the evolution of Federated Media, which launched four years ago as a syndicated ad network for popular blogs like Boing Boing, Digg, and Dooce.
"We're very consultative," said Mallary Weintraub, strategy programs manager at Federated Media. "We co-hold the reins with agencies."
Along with Dice, Federated now supports "conversational marketing strategies" for brands like BMW, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Honda and McDonald's. Earlier this year, it helped AT&T sponsor MarchTweetness, which combined Twitter's functionality with NCAA Basketball's March Madness audience; and Microsoft's ExecTweets, a collection of tweets from executives.
Based in Sausalito, Calif., Federated has worked with New York-based Web TV company Next New Networks on several occasions, most recently in February on $99 Music Videos -- an online network for musical artists and groups to showcase videos created on a shoestring budget.
Federated previously partnered with Dice on a rich banner ad campaign, which encourages Web users to "rant" about their jobs within banner units themselves.
The history of Dice Holdings is a tumultuous one. The New York-based company first went public back in 1998 followed by bankruptcy in 2004, and then a second IPO in early 2007.
Dice Holdings reported revenues down 25% year-over-year to $29.6 million in the first quarter of 2009, along with cash flow from operations of $6.8 million. "The recruitment advertising market continues to suffer substantial declines which has greatly impacted our revenue performance," Melland added. During the first quarter of the year, traffic to Dice.com increased 16%, according to Melland.


text:
In honor of the Super Bowl, here are our favorite times when games and sports worked together. Here are our favorite Sports Games ever!
One year after launch, we're still playing Destiny. While we've enjoyed the game this last year, we couldn't help but notice that Destiny seems to have attracted more than its fair share of negative headlines. Here are five of the biggest controversies from Destiny's first year.


text:
There are many who take advantage of a solution VPN which they trust to protect themselves from the many pitfalls found on the Internet (including scams, malware and privacy risks, you will be spoiled for choice) and among the various services available there is also Google One VPN.
In the past few hours, the Mountain View giant, through a post on the official blog, announced that it has decided to make its VPN service available to a wider number of users, bringing this solution both on iOS devices than in new countries.
The VPN solution will be available to Google One members with Premium plans (2TB and above) via the official application also on iOS and users will be able to share their plan and VPN with up to five family members at no additional cost. Basically, everyone will be able to take advantage of the VPN, regardless of whether they are using an Android or iOS phone.
In addition, Google has announced that it has extended the support of its VPN to another 10 countries, promising to expand its availability further in the coming months. As of today, the Google One VPN is available in the following countries:
- United Kingdom
- United States
Three new features for Google One VPN on Android
Finally, the Google team recalls that three features have been introduced on Android devices that should help users make the most of the potential of this solution: we refer to the option by virtue of which the device use the internet only when the VPN is turned onto the possibility of allow specific apps to use a standard connection instead of the VPN and the possibility of temporarily disable the VPN.
The Google One app for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play Store:


text:
The littlest cogs in the Kardashian Media Machine have turned their notoriety into a new gig as fashion columnists.
Teen models Kendall Jenner, 16, and Kylie Jenner, 14, have just been appointed Seventeen magazine’s newest West Coast fashion contributors.
Kendall & Kylie’s Fashion Journal will debut on the pages of the mag’s June/July issue and will feature the latest fashion and beauty tips for young adults. The Sisters Jenner will also appear in a series of twice-a-month style videos featured on Seventeen.com.
Look for Kendall and Kylie’s latest endeavor will be chronicled on the upcoming seventh season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The show premieres May 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on E!


text:
Unsplash have just raised $7.25 million US
Unsplash, the free photo sharing platform, has announced it has raised $7.25 million US to help fund the development of cryptocurrency and “build a new economy around photography.”
Since launching in 2013, the company, which provides a platform for photographers to upload their images which can then be used for free by anyone, for any purpose and without credit, has grown exponentially.
Although the Unsplash photo library contains only 400,000 photos (compared to the 150 million on Shutterstock), the company says it’s had more than 48 billion photo views and 310 million photo downloads since launch, and is currently seeing 10 photo downloads per second.
Mikael Cho, CEO of Unsplash, has argued that the traditional stock photography model has helped contribute to falling prices, a trend that will only continue as “everybody is able to be a photographer.” Unsplash is built on a model whereby photographers don't receive payments, but “downloads, attention and distribution.”
Writing on Medium about the investment, Cho said that Unsplash will be partnering with Simple Token, a blockchain-payment company (his emphasis below):
“The funds being invested today will be going toward defining a new economic model around photography. It won’t be a model where photos are going to be paid for with cryptocurrency. It will be a model that leverages the unprecedented distribution Unsplash photos gain to bring as many opportunities to contributors as possible while maintaining the open, free-to-use principles of the community.“
The platform has been criticised heavily in photographic circles for devaluing photography, most vocally by photographer Zach Arias, who interviewed Cho late last year. You can watch the interview below, and read about one users experience sharing their work on Unsplash here.


text:
GREENBELT, MD. (CN) – Man & Machine claims it owns the “Mighty Mouse” trademark for a waterproof computer mouse, and now Apple and CBS are diluting the mark to compete unfairly with similar products. Plaintiff claims that though CBS owns the trademark for the cartoon character, who came to save the day, M&M owns it for the computer tool.
- Decision Makes History for Transsexual Rights
- Shareholder Class Action


text:
Target Corp has agreed to review its policies for screening job applicants and pay $3.74 million to settle a lawsuit claiming its use of background checks kept thousands of blacks and Hispanics from obtaining employment.
Virgil Abloh's Off-White has sued e-commerce marketplace Wish.com for selling counterfeit Off-White goods. Off-White is suing the site for lost profits and $2 million per infringement which could total $300 million.
Retailers are under increasing pressure to slash prices to keep up with competition and lure shoppers, but this practice is bringing more drawbacks than benefits, according to new research from Klarna.
Australian retail sales rebounded in February as shoppers spent on cafes, clothing and household goods, a tentative sign that consumers may be coming out of the doldrums and contribute to economic growth.
Apparel and footwear products do not feature on the proposed list of 1,300 Chinese imports marked for additional US tariffs published by the USTR on Tuesday. Textile machinery, however, is slated for further duties.
Snow drove shoppers away from UK stores last month with footfall down nearly 12% and close to 29% in the first week of the month. The new report from Ipsos Retail Performance also said London/South East suffered most.
Asos could save money on photographing its goods as a new tech deal allows it to 'dress' models and create images of them digitally. It speeds up the process and also offers future personalisation potential.


text:
Online video streaming service to launch in Germany, Austria, France and other countries "in late 2014", following successful UK introductionWed, 21 May 2014, 11:44am
Sony has announced a new 4K Media Player, the FMP-X5, which will go on sale for £350 in August and supports the HEVC codec for streaming Ultra HDWed, 23 Apr 2014, 06:08pm
Netflix has begun streaming 4K video in the UK, but the amount of Ultra HD content, and the number of compatible TVs, remains limitedMon, 07 Apr 2014, 03:14pm
Reed Hastings hits out against "interconnection fees" charged by internet service providers to ensure high quality video streamingFri, 21 Mar 2014, 03:45pm
Netflix app is available from today on Samsung's D7000 and D8000 Smart TVs, and will be added to new 2012 modelsThu, 12 Jan 2012, 05:55pm
Netflix TVs news
We found 5 news for '


text:
Press releasesNovember 20, 2015
Stingray (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B), a leading business-to-business multi-platform music and in-store media solutions provider, today announced that is has completed the pioneering project of converting a Sports Experts store in Laval, Quebec and another in Ste-Foy, Quebec into hubs of digital innovations.
Stingray, through Stingray Business, its in-store media solutions division, was given the mandate of transforming the customer experience in both Sports Experts locations with cutting-edge content and technologies including:
“We are excited to reach another milestone in our plan to become the leader in the field of in-store music and digital experiences for businesses,” said Pierre Gendron, Stingray Business, Digital Experience Group Vice-President . “The objective of this digital makeover is to evoke the same powerful emotions customers get from sports and outdoor activities. It was a pleasure working closely with the Sports Experts team, finding ways to engage customers through the use of innovative technologies and original content.The end result truly represents our vision for the store of the future.”
“Thanks to leading digital technologies, an unrivaled line-up of premiere brands and a personalized shopping experience that connects customers to the sports they love, our Carrefour Laval and Ste-Foy Sports Experts stores are amongst of the most innovative retail spaces in Quebec,” said Jean-Stéphane Tremblay, Executive Vice-President of FGL Sports.
With the acquisition in February 2015 of Groupe Viva, a key player in digital signage solutions for businesses throughout Canada, Stingray has added a range of digital signage solutions for businesses to its offering, which now includes LCD, LED, projection, transparent LCDs, interactive or static screens, mobile devices and more.
Stingray Business’ recent projects span a range of industries such as retail, restaurants and hospitality. Stingray Business has recently complete digital signage projects for Olivier Ford, Videotron and Molson Coors. For more information: http://business.stingray.com/digital-experiences


text:
The opening up of iOS starts off with a bang as Epic and Apple are at each other’s throats again
- Epic v Apple 2 is already kicking off as Epic Sweden's iOS dev account was axed
- But what does their tiff have to do with wider implications about how iOS is changing?
- And what's it meant for the average player?
So you may remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about how Apple may be forced to open up their iOS ecosystem, and how important that was for mobile gaming. The changes to anti-steering meant we might soon be able to take advantage of cheaper in-app purchases, and third-party app stores could be a major new way to discover great new games.
I also noted that this would essentially open the way for Fortnite to return to iOS. And if you’re not familiar with the Epic v Apple case and all the repercussions it’s had, well we can’t exactly cover that in detail here. All you need to know is that they might as well be mortal enemies at this point, but I digress.
You may also remember me saying that there was a huge hill to climb when it came to implementing things like the EU’s Digital Markets Act and the results of the Epic v Apple trial. Arguably, this should’ve indicated a massive sea change for Apple. But instead, it appears the company has pulled out all the stops to slow adoption to a crawl.
Whether that be more generally, with anti-steering violations relating to Spotify earning them a $2bn fine from the EU, or more specifically with their old nemesis Epic Games. Yes, you may have heard that Epic Games was going to take advantage of the new EU DMA rules in order to bring a third-party storefront to iOS, at least in Europe, via their subsidiary Epic Games Sweden. But there’s a problem.
Which is that rather abruptly - according to Epic - Apple terminated their developer account. According to Apple, this is because they were granted carte blanche to terminate games from Epic in the wake of recent court rulings (as can be seen in statements given to the Verge in their article). While Epic argued that they had acted in good faith and even communicated frankly with Apple and pledged to adhere to any future requirements.
Now, I’m no lover of big corporations, and I’m not about to shed tears of rage in Epic’s favour. However, I would say if they do it with someone like Epic, wouldn’t they with smaller developers? And for Apple - innovators as they are - what sense does it make to push back so hard against legislation they arguably tempted to happen in the first place?
Apple has terminated our developer account and now we cannot develop the Epic Games Store for iOS. This is a serious violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. We will continue to fight to get back on iOS!https://t.co/BmqFxG26ul — Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) March 6, 2024
For years now, Apple has positioned itself as consumer-friendly, and dedicated to providing a great experience for Apple fanatics. But it seems that comes at the cost of the rest of us. For those who aren’t really concerned about stuff like the Vision Pro, or Apple’s own professed concerns about security that third-party storefronts bring, it might seem an awful lot like they're overreacting to this new legislation.
Personally, I think there's a bat precedent being set by challenging Epic on these grounds, especially after already receiving assurances they could be legally held to. As much as people praise them for having tight controls on the apps that are in their ecosystem - which is not in itself a bad thing - anyone can tell you that hasn’t stopped some rubbish from filtering through.
However, I do think at least some of the blame lies at Epic’s doorstep. After all, it’s likely that when they brought third-party purchase options to Fortnite all those moons ago they knew it would prompt a sharp crackdown from the company. And it’s no surprise then that Apple is sceptical they’d adhere to any rules put down when bringing their own storefront to their devices.
Like always, it's a complex web of motivations, technicalities and sticky legal manouvering. Given the Spotify fine it seems Apple is no stranger to standing its ground, and with mobile gaming being so massively profitable - especially for Apple, who take a 30% cut of in-app purchases - they're going to be motivated to cling on. Meanwhile, Epic may be reaping what they sowed when they laid down the gauntlet years ago.
Ultimately, as average gamers, we don’t necessarily need to worry. Fortnite can still come to EU storefronts, that’s pretty much confirmed, it’ll just be through another storefront. But it’s a reminder that the one thing being forgotten about in this war between big corporations is the average player. And whether that’s Apple moving at a glacial pace to enact these changes or Epic running to hold them over the coals in public again, it’s us who are losing out.


text:
Under ceo Fabian Garcia, Revlon plans to grow into a $5 billion company in five years.
Lagerfeld likely will join Lauren in dressing the incoming First Lady.
We headed to H&M’s Times Square location to scope out the scene at the store launch of Kenzo x H&M. Here’s what one girl in line had to say about it.
Sienna Miller, Rashida Jones and Katie Holmes attended the luncheon at Locanda Verde.


text:
The latest thrust on expansion comes at a time when the group is betting on community retailing as the new business model for Big Bazaar. It has also created a sub-brand Big Bazaar Family Centre that is completely focused on community retailing and is spread over 60,000 to 70,000 sq. ft. as compared to a Big Bazaar store spread over 35,000 to 40,000 sq. ft.
The Future Group also plans to reorient all the existing Big Bazaar stores in the region as per this new business model. It has plans to convert two existing Big Bazaar stores, in Ranchi and Guwahati, into Big Bazaar Family Centers.
At present, Big Bazaar is spread over 10 lakh sq. ft. in the east. The company will add another 6 lakh sq. ft. as a part of the expansion process. As part of the expansion plan, Future Group will also enter into several newer markets in the east. While the group already operates seven Big Bazaar stores in Kolkata, it plans to add another seven by October.


text:
Most medical devices distributed in the United States will have to carry a unique device identifier (UDI), according to a proposed rule issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 3. The reaction from industry observers has been generally positive.
A UDI is a unique numeric or alphanumeric code that includes a device identifier, which is specific to a device model, and a production identifier, which includes the current production information for that specific device, such as the lot or batch number, the serial number and/or expiration date.
Congress passed legislation in 2007 directing the FDA to develop regulations establishing a UDI system for medical devices.
The system has the potential to improve the quality of information in medical device adverse event reports, which will help the FDA identify product problems more quickly, better target recalls and improve patient safety, according to the proposed rule.
The FDA is also creating a database that will include a standard set of basic identifying elements for each UDI, and will make most of it available to the public so that users of a medical device can easily look up information about the device. The UDI does not indicate, and FDA’s database will not contain, any information about who uses a device, including personal privacy information.
When fully implemented, the UDI system may:
- Allow more accurate reporting, reviewing and analyzing of adverse event reports so that problem devices can be identified and corrected more quickly.
- Reduce medical errors by enabling health care professionals and others to more rapidly and precisely identify a device and obtain important information concerning the characteristics of the device.
- Enhance analysis of devices on the market by providing a standard and clear way to document device use in electronic health records, clinical information systems, claim data sources and registries. A more robust post-market surveillance system can also be leveraged to support pre-market approval or clearance of new devices and new uses of currently marketed devices.
- Provide a standardized identifier that will allow manufacturers, distributors and healthcare facilities to more effectively manage medical device recalls.
- Provide a foundation for a global, secure distribution chain, helping to address counterfeiting and diversion as well as preparation for medical emergencies.
- Lead to the development of a medical device identification system that is recognized around the world.
“A robust UDI system will significantly enhance product identification, improve the device recall process and ensure the integrity of the product throughout the transportation process, and most importantly, advance and improve patient safety,” said Dan Sweeney, senior vice president of information and data services at Irving, Texas-based supply contracting firm Novation, in a written statement. “A UDI system also has the potential to generate significant savings for the healthcare industry through improved efficiencies and automated processes.”
Joe Pleasant, CIO of Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier healthcare alliance, told Healthcare Finance News that their members are excited that the proposed rule has been issued but most are disappointed by the seven-year timeframe for implementation.
“I think it’s too long,” said Pleasant. “We’ve been talking about this for five years.”
“I would say while I’ve been very disappointed in FDA taking as long as they have to make the ruling available, they have done a lot in last 3-5 years to talk to manufacturers, distributors and hospitals about what is needed…They should be applauded for the fact that they have done enough pilots and testing,” he said.
Pleasant expects the introduction of the UDI system to improve patient safety, noting it will make it easier to recall high-risk products, identify patients who are using recalled products and compile electronic medical records for clinicians to know what devices patients have used or are currently using.
“It will also help reduce errors,” said Pleasant.
Additionally, the UDI system will create supply chain efficiencies, he said, adding, “If (providers) can depend upon the coding on the package, they can begin to eliminate internal barcoding and labeling and the costs associated with them.”
The FDA will accept comments on the rule for 120 days after it is published in the Federal Register.


text:
Publicans are warning that the move to level three restrictions will see 50,000 job losses in the sector.
Only outdoor sittings of 15 people will be allowed as part of the measures.
No indoor service being allowed will mean many pubs across Mayo and the West will not be able to operate.
The wet pubs were only allowed to reopen two weeks ago after a 6-month closure.
Padraig Cribben from the Vintners Federation says that while Level 3 restrictions refer to pubs remaining open, the reality is that the majority will close as outdoor service limited to 15 customers is not viable for many pubs:


text:
SMALL CAP MOVERS: Junior market outshines FTSE 100 with 18% gains in 2013
This time next year you might be able to get more than just two front teeth for Christmas if all goes to plan at Tissue Regenix.
That’s because the AIM-listed company will soon be serving up spare tissue to fix damaged skin in the US.
Tissue Regenix estimates that 6.5million American patients are currently suffering from chronic wounds, such as leg ulcers, and it hopes its dCell technology, under the brand name DermaPure, can address part of this huge market.
Strong gains: The Alternative Investment Market has outperformed the FTSE 100 by almost 50 per cent this year
DermaPure will be launched in US hospitals next year and 40 sales representatives were signed up this week as part of that push.
The seven sales distribution agreements will mean the technology could be launched across half of US states from New Mexico in the south-west to New Hampshire in the north-east.
More deals are planned to target all 50 states, with salesmen and women selling the treatment in every US city by the end of 2014.
Tissue Regenix established its US subsidiary Tissue Regenix Wound Care in November 2012 and an agreement to supply the human tissue with tissue bank Community Tissue Services signed in June opened the door to a market worth $1.4billion (£860milion).
Its washing process removes existing cells and DNA from donor human tissue, but leaves it in a condition where the patient’s own cells can re-populate it, effectively eliminating the risk of rejection and speeding up the healing process.
The first product will be DermaPure, a skin replacement for repairing serious external wounds.
The share price jumped 57 per cent this week to an all-time high of 23.5p, valuing the company at over £150million.
Once again, it was the junior market which outshone the main market, with the FTSE AIM index gaining more ground in the run up to Christmas.
It rose 15 points to 3,748 and over the year to date the index has now notched up a handy 18% per cent gain, more than double the rise of the blue chip FTSE 100.
Another eye-catching tiddler was Fox Marble, which has chosen to delay the development of its quarry in Kosovo by up to six months to focus on sales of marble.
The news was well received by investors, sending the shares up 30 per cent to 22p.
Medtech specialist ANGLE made a strong finish to the week after agreeing to sell its 31 per cent stake in computer games graphics business to iPad chip designer ARM Holdings for £6.2million.
Geomerics, which is behind the lighting in video games such as Battlefield 4 and Need for Speed: The Run, was recently made available to developers for the new PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
ANGLE will be using the funds from the sale to develop its Parsortix cancer diagnostics business, the market for which is estimated to be worth more than £6billion a year. The shares were up 10 per cent at 79p.
It was a case of heads we win-tails you lose for Victoria Oil & Gas in its court ruling over ownership of Cameroon’s Logbaba gas field.
The Secretariat of the International Chamber of Commerce decided that plaintiff RSM Production Corporation did not automatically forfeit its 38 per cent interest in the licence as Victoria had argued.
But it means Victoria is entitled to recoup around $65million in past drilling costs before RSM can claim its share of the profits, as well as two cash calls totalling $24million.
The stock gushed 7 per cent higher to 1.1p.
Embattled pawnbroker Albemarle & Bond, a victim of the gold price slump, revealed it is in talks with a number of interested parties about a sale of the business.
The company confirmed it was speaking to Better Capital, as well as other groups, before unveiling an offer from an unnamed bidder, prompting a 57 per cent increase in the share price.
A resource upgrade from North River Resources surprised even the management as total resources at the Namib lead, zinc and silver project in Namibia jumped by 129 per cent to 1.53million tonnes.
Investors responded by sending the stock up 16 per cent to 0.66p.
Double glazing specialist Safestyle made a premium start to life on AIM. Fans of new listings would have made a 30 per cent profit if they had invested in the shares before Wednesday’s debut.
The biggest fallers included Stratmin Global Resources, down 13 per cent at 11p despite completing its first order of graphite.
Oil minnow Brady Exploration was the junior market’s biggest faller, sliding 57 per cent after takeover talks ended with Energy Equity Resources.
Most watched Money videos
- Take a look at clutter-free EV chargers trialled in London
- 'Like buying it brand new': picking up a bargain at auction
- Cinematic video of Lamborghini Countach with a top speed of 221mph
- £2M 1980s Lamborghini Countach is back with a top speed of 221mph
- Britain's Garage of the Year 2021 nominee's incredible construction
- Taking a look at the Jaguar XJ220 from all angles on a test drive
- A 'mortgage-free' way for first-time buyers to own their home
- The Mini Moke: The cute utility vehicle without windows or doors
- Dacia unveil the Jogger: the UK's least expensive seven-seat car
- Which? finds out if an electric car runs out of battery in traffic
- Rolls-Royce plans to mine on the moon
- Futuristic zero-emissions electric Ioniq 5 from Hyundai
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
We are no longer accepting comments on this article.


text:
In February, Borders Group and its bookstores filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On July 19, 2011, Borders announced that Borders bookstores across the country will be liquidated, beginning as soon as Friday.
Earlier this year, we posted on our Blog a few ideas on how Borders could change its business model and be the bookstore & café we need downtown our cities.
The bookstore chain is now going to be sold off. Starting today, Borders will see much more customers than it has seen in a long time. Unfortunately only for a few weeks , in a last hurrah!
Although Borders’ final days will bring over $250 million, some of the nation’s biggest publishers will lose a lot as unsecured creditors, as you can see in the list provided by Borders.
The same week, Spotify is becoming available in the USA, offering music instantly and Kobo, who offers over 2.4 million e-books, newspapers, and magazines, one of the largest e-reading catalogues in the world, is already moving on from one of its earlier investors and partner, Borders… End of a chapter!


text:
The events of the past few days have shaken not only the retail world, but that of some Burnaby workers.
Last Saturday, nearby Coquitlam Centre served a notice of eviction to Hudson’s Bay Co. for defaulting on its rent, closing the store for five days until it was granted an interim order to re-enter the location. This follows multiple legal actions across Canada as malls says they haven’t been paid rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is stunning news for a company that has operated in Canada for 350 years.
The Bay operates two locations in Burnaby, one at Lougheed Town Centre and one at Metropolis at Metrotown.
The NOW spoke with workers at both Burnaby locations after the closure of the Coquitlam store, but before its reopening on Wednesday. They have been granted anonymity because staff fear for their jobs.
“We all just had our world rocked,” said one Burnaby worker. “We’ve been hearing all of this bad news, but when a store gets closed so close to us, it really hits home. I wonder how long I’m going to have a job.”
The NOW asked the Bay to comment on if it has paid its rent at the two Burnaby locations during the pandemic, but did not receive an answer by deadline.
“This is a good place to work,” said another worker. “I like our customers and my co-workers. It’s been a rough few months. We’re all just hoping things get better soon. All we can do is our best.”
“I try not to think about,” said another worker. “Just smile and keep moving, but when you hear the rent isn't being paid, you worry.”
The Coquitlam HBC location was only able to reopen following a ruling handed down by B.C.'s Supreme Court.
In her ruling, Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick ordered the iconic retailer to pay 50% of the rent it owed to the landlord and 50% of rent going forward. The other half of unpaid and future rent is to be placed in a trust fund held by HBC’s lawyers until the matter is resolved in the new year.“Hudson’s Bay is grateful that the Supreme Court of British Columbia has recognized the extraordinary challenges of the global pandemic and how the burden can be shared fairly and lawfully,” said HBC president and CEO Ian Putnam in a written statement. “The majority of Canada’s leading landlords share this view and have reached mutually acceptable agreements with us.”
Morguard Investment Inc., which runs the mall and its subsidiary Pensionfund Investment Ltd., was not immediately available for comment.
HBC has been at the Coquitlam Centre location since 1979, and in the last 41 years, it claims to never have missed a rent payment. But that all changed when the pandemic hit in March.
On March 17, HBC closed its 120 stores across Canada. Court documents show that the store's sales bottomed out in April to less than one per cent of 2019 levels. And while that improved slightly as the summer wore on, by October, sales remained roughly 42% below last year’s monthly total.
The retailer just celebrated its 350th anniversary, but despite its staying power, the pandemic has strained the company’s viability and this isn’t the first time HBC has refused to pay its rent.
Court records show the company has leases valued at $20 million a month and hasn’t paid any rent to eight landlords across Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Florida.
The legal wrangling highlights the challenges facing both commercial landlords and retailers as foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores continues to lag after widespread closures last spring.
How the termination of the lease in Coquitlam will play out is not yet clear.
In arguments that echo a similar case against another Toronto-area mall, HBC claims Coquitlam Centre has failed to maintain a “first class” shopping centre as stated in the lease.
That includes not upgrading the HVAC system to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, improving pedestrian control, upgrading washrooms and increasing the number of people responsible for health and safety at the mall, claims HBC.
HBC added that the landlord did not to provide “an environment that attracts substantial numbers of customers and encourages them to stay at the centre for an extended period of time” nor had it taken steps “to adequately market the shopping centre to respond to COVID-19.”
According to court documents, HBC claims that in terminating the lease agreement and seizing control of the Coquitlam Centre retail location, the landlord failed to give notice, putting 106 employees “at risk.”
“COVID-19 is a once-in-a-century-type event,” reads court documents filed this week. “It was as unexpected as it has been economically disruptive.”
HBC claims it shouldn’t have to pay rent until the landlord has resolved the alleged breaches, or that it should be compensated for its lost sales because of those breaches.
In the end, the Justice Fitzpatrick's interim order found both sides should bear a portion of the financial fallout until the case can be heard in full.
The interim order will expire Jan. 22, 2021, unless HBC gets a renewal of the order allowing further relief or a more permanent solution is found.
As the litigation moves forward, Putnam said the company “will continue to ask for a fair sharing of the burden of the pandemic with respect to this lease and each of our other leases across the country.”
- With files from Stefan Labbe, Tri-City News


text:
Official from Jilin province announces policies and measures to boost consumer spending and the culture and tourism sectors. [Photo/cnjiwang.com]
Northeast China’s Jilin province is rolling out 11 policies and measures designed to boost commercial consumption, and culture and tourism consumption, officials announced at a news conference in Changchun, capital city of the province, on Sept 21.
The measures would stimulate the vitality of the consumer market, promote its recovery and maintain stable growth.
Jilin province will raise another 50 million yuan ($7.37 million) to support a third series of consumer voucher promotion activities from Sept 26 to Oct 31.
A total 40 million yuan will go towards shopping and spending vouchers and 10 million yuan will be allocated to culture and tourism vouchers.
The province will also undertake various marketing drives and carry out promotions, aimed among other things at boosting sales in the auto sector, refined oil and household appliances.
In addition, the province plans to organize a series of culture and tourism festivals and activities.
In addition to the 50 million yuan in shopping vouchers, another 100 million yuan is being issued to local governments for their own consumer coupon promotions.
The province will also focus on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the National Day holiday and peak shopping seasons in September and October, carrying out promotions to support the steady growth of consumption throughout the year.
New measures come on the heels of other policies and initiatives are launched to promote consumption.


text:
Critics of Pendle retail guru Mary Portas claim schemes are 'too nostalgic' (From Lancashire Telegraph)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Critics of Pendle retail guru Mary Portas claim schemes are 'too nostalgic'
RETAIL guru Mary Portas defended her efforts to regenerate Britain’s high streets, including in Pendle and Hyndburn, when she appeared before MPs.
She told them she had ‘taken a battering’ from critics.
The businesswoman chose Nelson as one of her 12 ‘Portas Pilot’ towns to get £100,000 last year and has backed bids to revive Accrington and Oswaldtwistle shopping centres.
Appearing before the Communities and Local Government Committee, Ms Portas said sometimes she wished she had not put her name to the drive to boost 27 town centres.
She said it had put the issue on the public agenda and helped ‘create a sense of civic pride’.
Critics of the review said it was too ‘nostalgic’.
Ms Portas said high streets had been ‘in decline’ for 20 years and reversing it would take time. She said her report had been a ‘catalyst for change’ and kick-started ‘incredible work’. She said she was committed to the future of high streets and denied the report – for which she was not paid – was to boost her profile, adding: “I have taken a huge battering for work I have done for nothing. I am not the saviour of the High Street. I can not do this on my own.
“I am a champion of it.”
Rochdale Labour MP Simon Danczuk, a former Darwen councillor, said things had ‘got worse’ since the review, with more empty shops.
Oswaldtwistle Town Team received £1,000 of Portas funding and the Campaign for Accrington Town Centre’s Heart has Ms Portas’ backing.
Pendle borough’s assistant economic development officer Paul Collins said: “The Portas Pilot has been fantastic for Nelson. It’s really put the town in the spotlight.
“It’s helped us to make a big difference by bringing empty shops back into use and been the catalyst for many of our town centre events.
“We’ve made some strong links not only with our independent shops but with the high street chains too. It means we can get buy-in on a national level and hopefully attract more businesses.”
Comments are closed on this article.


text:
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has approved the RT-PCR coronavirus testing kit of OMC Healthcare for commercial production.
This is the first ever locally developed Covid-19 testing kit to get formal approval from the health authority.
The company received the approval on 3 January, but it disclosed the issue on Saturday through a press release.
However, a spokesperson of the DGDA, Ayub Hossain also confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.
Mezbahul Kabir, the chief executive officer of OMC HealthCare, said now they have the capacity to produce 40 to 50 thousand kits every day.
"We can expand the capacity as per requirement. To ensure the highest quality of our kit, we have used an automatic production line," he said, expressing optimism that the RT-PCR kit would play a significant role in the country's battle against covid-19.


text:
China expanding free-trade zones as part of opening up its economy
China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced plans to establish six new pilot free-trade zones (FTZs), as well as the expansion of the Shanghai free-trade zone.
The move will further optimize the country’s FTZ strategy, according to the ministry’s spokesperson Gao Feng. He said China has been opening up more sectors of the economy as it is committed to providing better services and environment for foreign investors. Authorities have been easing market access in agriculture, mining, manufacturing industries and services.
The improvement of the business environment will help further stimulate market innovation and drive economic growth, Gao said.Also on rt.com China’s offshore free trade zone to be launched in Hainan
China’s foreign direct investment surged four percent year-on-year to $139 billion in 2018.
“As China’s economy is transitioning to a phase of high-quality growth, the country needs to further open up its economy,” said Li Gang, director of the academic committee of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, as quoted by China Daily.
In March, the country revealed plans to set up a national offshore pilot trade area at the Yangpu economic development zone (EDZ) in South China’s Hainan Province. The new offshore area will promote investment-facilitation policies in areas such as trade, finance and local currency settlement.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section


text:
CHESHIRE trading standards is warning of the dangers of butane gas after an investigation revealed some retailers are selling it to underage consumers.
Three retailers out of five visited in the Ellesmere Port area were prepared to sell butane gas lighter refills to an underage 'customer'.
The exercise involved a 15-year-old volunteer accompanied by undercover trading standards officers.
It is illegal to sell butane gas to under-18s.
Recent research showed that gas fuel was associated with a high percentage of deaths from the deliberate inhalation of solvent and volatile substances.
Trading standards is now deciding what action to take over the three retailers.
'Selling butane gas to an underage person can bring serious consequences,' said county trading standards officer Paul McGreary.
'Our message to retailers is to insist on seeing proof of age. A person asking for age-restricted products who looks under 21 years of age must be challenged to prove they are 18.'
Penalties for retailers who break the law governing agerestricted sales include fines up to £5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.
The test was funded by the Home Office Blueprint scheme.