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Tomorrow, NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will reveal the long-awaited Joker gameplay trailer. However, before that happens, the PlayStation Store has revealed a new look at the DLC character and also revealed his official bio. And as you can see, NetherRealm Studios has made some changes to the Joker design since revealing the character. More specifically, the face looks different, and more specifically, older. Unfortunately though, the design is still missing a tie, but hey that's what costume DLC is for. Anyway, below you can check read the official description and check out the new look at the newest Mortal Kombat kombatant below, courtesy of Dynasty.
"Unpredictable, violent, and incredibly dangerous, The Joker, is chaos personified. He's killed Robin, crippled Batgirl, and tortured and murdered countless people throughout the DC Universe. And now, he's the latest Kombatant to join in Mortal Kombat."
For those that don't know: the Joker is set to arrive in the game -- via early access -- on January 28. He's the game's fourth DLC character and will be followed by Spawn, who is poised to hit sometime in March.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. For more news, rumors, leaks, media, and information on the best-selling and critically-acclaimed fighting game, be sure to peep all of our previous and extensive coverage of the title by clicking right here. Meanwhile, as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there.
"Mortal Kombat 11 is a blast from the past with its inclusion of seasoned characters and their former selves, while also being something for the modern age. Its stellar gameplay, both mechanically and graphically, is easily the best the franchise has ever seen," reads a snippet from our review of the game. "While there may be an issue when it comes to the Towers of Time, everything from its Story Mode and incredible Custom Character Variation System to the Klassic Towers and going toe-to-toe with players online provides a fighting experience that is unmatched and worthy of being picked up by any combatant, old and new alike."


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This new year is already halfway through, and it is time to think about all the new technologies that are available for improving manufacturing processes. New concepts such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and green practices are all at the forefront of a fascinating surge of technology that is constantly driving new innovations. Whether companies are positioned to take advantage of these ideas or not, they need to understand them and be able to act when the time is right.
Businesses are Opting to Reshoring Their Manufacturing
Reshoring is the term used to describe the process of bringing businesses back to the United States, as opposed to the trend over the last many decades of outsourcing manufacturing and supplies from other countries. This has become a sensitive subject lately and even more so after the 2016 election and because of many recent problems with the products and processes of suppliers from overseas. There have been several instances this past year of defective products and components manufactured in other countries, resulting in negative consequences for the companies involved and recalls of the offending products.
One company at the forefront of the recent wave of scandals is Kobe Steel, one of Japan’s largest steel manufacturers. The company admitted in October, 2017, that it had been providing falsified quality checks for a period of many years. Despite Kobe’s subsequent compensatory efforts directed toward their buyers, the fact remains that their possibly substandard products are being currently used in transportation, infrastructure, shipping and aviation, with incalculable consequences.
As a result of this and other like problems with overseas manufacturing, more companies in the United States are forging new relationships with domestic suppliers in order to be assured of receiving products that meet strict safety and quality standards as set by federal regulations. Using locally sourced suppliers also results in lower costs, better communication with the partnering companies and a closer relationship with the other sites, which provides faster solutions if needed for any problems that may arise.
Going Green is the Best Practice
Companies are increasingly lowering their environmental impact in so-called “green” manufacturing methods. The benefits of implementing methods that have a smaller impact on natural resources are becoming increasingly evident and result in lower costs and higher efficiency. The companies also reap the additional effects of public perception from their responsible business practices, drawing in today’s consumers who are more informed about taking care of the environment.
Besides the obvious and immediate effects of using cleaner manufacturing processes, companies are also becoming more efficient at using and reusing their resources. This is commonly referred to as the circular economy, a “take, make and dispose” method of utilizing resources by using them as long as possible, then recovering and recycling them into renewed purposes. This prevents waste and allows for a better direction of energy.
Regardless of the people in leadership positions in the future, the forward movement of this eco-friendly way of doing business will continue to increase in reach and progress. Tax and other types of incentives will proliferate, and companies will be required to meet more stringent laws.
Being hacked is a cost of doing business these days if a company is large and well-known. It has become such a problem that countries are moving to help protect companies in their jurisdiction. Data mining is rampant and industrial espionage uses technology to infiltrate the cyber systems of various companies. As a response, companies are combating cyber attacks with the use of cloud-based technologies.
This cloud-based solution is typically placed between the users and the websites and in front of the private backend of the network platforms. The cloud provider will monitor the network use and analyze it for patterns of suspicious use. This analysis will prevent attacks and allow for only safe traffic to occur. Not only will the companies gain security, they will also save money from a storage mechanism that uses less storage space and requires less maintenance.
Everyone and Everything is More Connected
Connected technology is not just present in home appliance, cars and mobile devices. It is imbedded in apparel, lawn care devices, furniture and a myriad of other items. These are all part of the “Internet of Things”. These things can communicate with each other and transfer data back and forth. Companies are using this technology to speed and streamline their equipment and purchases through the use of networks.
This smart technology is currently most often used in homes and on personal devices but is becoming more available in professional and workplace settings. Not only can this technology be used in assembly lines and with transportation units, but it has the potential to provide statistical analysis on data and proactive maintenance on buildings and products. Ultimately, artificial intelligence will be able to help with decision making, market evaluations and human resource tasks. It is predicted that by the year 2035, manufacturing concerns will have an additional combined gross value of four million.
These are exciting times to live in, and these trends are just the beginning of what is to come. Businesses will continue to grow, and everyone will prosper by the implementation of these practices and ideas. Manufacturers need to be ready to join their successful counterparts in the new deal.

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By Hayden Wright
When you’re a mega-famous boy bander (as Harry Styles was in 2012), you’re likely to get approached to promote some dodgy products. For example, Harry Styles as poster boy for SheWee, a urination funnel for women, doesn’t make a lot of sense. But that didn’t stop a marketing rep from trying to recruit Harry as their celebrity spokesperson.
“They sent me a bunch and I don’t know if I was supposed to do anything with them. I guess I was supposed to give them to my friends,” he told The Daily Star.
In 2012, Styles tweeted about the strange overture the company made, simply writing, “Just found a box of SheWee’s in my room…”
It was the endorsement that could have been and never was. But hey, Katy Perry has some thoughts on upright female urination, if the company is still looking for a celebrity to pitch their product.
Just found a box of SheWee's in my room..—
Harry Styles (@Harry_Styles) May 08, 2012


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May 10th Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate Immediate Access to Critical Pet Care
An increase in “furry kid” adoptions during COVID and a shortage of veterinarians has left many pet owners waiting weeks if not months for an appointment. While that might not be a problem for routine checkups, it could be a matter of life or death when immediate medical attention is required.
To address this concern, Royal Pets Market & Resort has opened the Royal Pets Urgent Care Center at its Midtown Tampa location. “If you feel your pet may be experiencing an urgent medical concern, our compassionate Royal Pets Team can provide same day medical service to meet your pet’s urgent care needs and have them feeling better quickly,” said Denise Wolin, CEO & President.
Royal Pets will celebrate its Urgent Care Center on Wednesday, May 10th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:00 pm followed by light refreshments and an opportunity to tour the Center. Royal Reward discounts will be provided and free “barkery treats” given to four-legged guests. Royal Pets Urgent Care Center is located at 1102 North Himes Avenue, Tampa.
Royal Pets Market & Resort caters exclusively to dogs and cats and has locations in Carrollwood, Palm Harbor, St. Petersburg, and Midtown Tampa. For more information, visit www.royalpetsmarket.com.


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CBD (cannabidiol) can now be found in Jelly Beans candies from the manufacturer Jelly Belly.
The presence of the chemical in candies has caused a lot of scrutiny with the public questioning if it can cause a high. David Klein, founder of Jelly Belly, which started its operations in 1976, however, assured the public that the amount of CBD in the classic sweet is just the ‘perfect dosage’ for its size.
“We are putting 10 ml in each. If people want a small dose, they eat one. If they want 20 ml, they can eat two,” he said in an interview.
This amount is said to have no effect with media outlets further clarifying that it is THC, not CBD that can give a person a high.
CBD may also be negligible since the jelly beans’ dominant ingredients are dextrose or
This new product can be seen in Spectrum Confection’s Instagram page with a catchy caption, ‘I love me some candy with CBD.’
The CBD-infused jelly beans are still patent-pending but have already been well received by the public as its regular, sugar-free and sour version have been sold out. Spectrum Confections has, however, made sure that only citizens who are 18 years old and above can purchase its CBD-infused jelly beans. The website also accepts direct transactions and may grant both bulk and smaller orders.
Klein has not announced any therapeutic claims of the CBD-infused jellies but this did not keep people from getting interested and wanting to try them. Some people claim it has helped them deal with chronic pain, anxiety among other discomforts.
CBD has also been infused in beer, coffee, gummies and soda, skin care, oils, and drops. The creation of the CBD-infused jelly beans proves that CBD has taken the public by storm.
In June, this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a purified form of the drug to treat conditions anxiety, seizures, insomnia and even cancer among other illnesses.
In a study, CBD was found to significantly help people who suffer from Lennox-Gastaut reduce seizures. The chemical also lowered seizures of children with Dravet syndrome. The 2017 study found that CBD caused a significant drop of seizures from 12.4 to 5.9 in a month.
CBD is still classified as a Schedule 1 substance. It is legal but should be grown and derived according to a list of restrictions and rules, including that of not having large amounts of THC.
Klein did not respond to media queestions but left a statement in the Spectrum Confections website that could explain why he produced the new line of gourmet.
“Is anybody doing a jelly bean with CBD? “I could not find any,” he said. “I love candy. Not a day goes by where not only do I eat candy in some form, but I think about new candy ideas.”
It can also be remembered that Vegan eatery ByChloe also surprised the public by adding CBD-infused baked goods to its London and New York restaurants in October last year.


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“It’s acts of God after other acts of God,” Jody Lurie, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Philadelphia, said in a phone interview. “If the U.S. automakers are doing some kind of voodoo to get Toyota out of the top spot, it’s definitely worked.”
Thailand’s floods exacerbated Toyota City, Japan-based Toyota’s struggles after Japan’s earthquake and tsunami in March and the surging yen. The reduced forecasts follow Ford Motor Co. on Dec. 8 declaring its first quarterly dividend since 2006 and precede the likely concession of its three-year reign as the world’s biggest carmaker to General Motors Co. (GM)
Component shortages caused by Thailand’s floods disrupted production for Japanese automakers worldwide, compounding the challenge from the record quake and the yen’s surge. Toyota said the Thai floods will cut earnings by 120 billion yen ($1.55 billion).
Net income will fall 56 percent to 180 billion yen in the 12 months ending March 31, the carmaker said in a statement. That’s less than half the profit projected by the average of 21 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
“It looks like Toyota’s recovery is going to be tougher and take longer than expected,” Satoru Takada, a Tokyo-based auto analyst at TIW Inc., said yesterday. “With the strong yen weighing heavily, it’s looking increasingly difficult for Toyota to make its comeback.”
GM has taken advantage of Toyota’s disruptions, gaining market share in the U.S. with the Chevrolet Cruze compact and in China with Buick Excelle sedans. The Detroit-based automaker boosted global sales 9.2 percent to 6.79 million through the year’s first three quarters.
Toyota fell 0.4 percent in Tokyo trading before the company released its forecasts. The stock has fallen 18 percent this year, underperforming Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average. (NKY) The company’s American depositary receipts gained 1.4 percent to $68.06 at 1:13 p.m. New York time.
In Thailand, the floods created a second wave of factory disruptions for Japanese carmakers such as Toyota, which had taken six months to restore production hobbled by Japan’s March 11 natural disaster.
Disruptions from the Thai floods will probably cause 260,000 vehicles in lost production, or 3.4 percent of the previous annual target, according to Toyota. By comparison, Nissan estimates lost production of 60,000 units, or 1.3 percent of its annual target.
Toyota probably lost more output than any other carmaker because of the floods, said Masatoshi Nishimoto, a Tokyo-based senior manager at research firm IHS Automotive. Toyota may not be able to make up for lost production of models such as the Vigo SUV until September because the company had procured about 90 percent of the vehicle’s parts from Thailand and won’t easily find alternate suppliers, Nishimoto said.
Toyota revised its outlook for the yen against the dollar to 78 from 80, and 109 from 116 versus the euro, meaning the company expects the stronger domestic currency to reduce operating income by 160 billion yen, it said. The yen, the best- performing major currency this year, forced the company to raise prices, Toyota said.
“We raised prices of some our models on the high yen, and this is very difficult for us to admit, but we expect a drop in sales from this,” Satoshi Ozawa, chief financial officer at Toyota, said at a press conference in Tokyo. “Still, the yen is too strong, and we had to sacrifice some unit sales.”
Toyota delayed the new projections by a month because of the floods. Honda Motor Co., which also pushed back its forecasts because of Thailand, aims to disclose them by the end of January, Chief Financial Officer Fumihiko Ike said last week.
By contrast, Nissan, Japan’s second-largest carmaker, last month raised its profit forecast after its vehicle sales in China rose and the company recovered faster than Toyota and Honda from the earthquake.
Toyota cut its forecast for operating income 56 percent to 200 billion yen, less than half the average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg. That means the company will probably earn less profit than Nissan for the third time in four years.
GM and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. (005380) have benefited as their Japanese rivals struggled. GM’s vehicle sales are poised to overtake Toyota’s this year and analysts estimate Hyundai will earn 7.07 trillion won ($6.2 billion) in profit during 2011, more than double Toyota’s.
President Akio Toyoda is aiming to regain lost market share. At the Tokyo Motor Show last week, the grandson of the founder showed off the company’s new 86 coupe, betting the car will widen Toyota’s appeal.
The automaker also displayed a plug-in version of its best- selling Prius hybrid that will go on sale from January. The Prius PHV will become a “winner” that will take sales from GM’s Chevrolet Volt, according to CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets analyst Chris Richter.
A recovery may already be under way in the U.S. Toyota’s November vehicle sales in the country rose for the first time in seven months as supply at dealers recovered and consumer confidence surged the most in more than eight years. The company plans to hire workers in Japan next quarter to increase production in the country, Toyota’s Ozawa said.


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Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo will open its largest store yet at the recently refurbished Mitsui Outlet Park in Japan on April 10.
Designed by architect Sosuku Fujimoto, the Uniqlo Park Yokohama store will combine retail space and amusement facilities, featuring slides, jungle gyms, interactive spaces and greenery for families to rest and play.
The space will host both Uniqlo and sister brand GU in the same location with Uniqlo’s sales area comprising 2182sqm and GU’s 1818 sqm.
Despite turbulent times amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the retailer will proceed with plans to open three large stores in Tokyo’s metropolitan area in April-May, originally aiming to strengthen its presence for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics 2020.
As of the end of February 2020, there were 811 Uniqlo stores in Japan with a strategic focus in China and other Asian countries.


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Global youth media company VICE is bringing what it describes as one of its “most loved verticals”, The Creators Project, to Australia.
The Creators Project, which was founded in a partnership between VICE and Intel, is designed to celebrate and support artists that use technology to “push the boundaries of creative experession”.
The first piece of content to feature on the new local site is called ‘Leviathan’ (below). It is a film the explores how emerging technology is shifting the future of storytelling.
The Creators Project Australia will feature global content while developing local editorial such as coverage of MONA’s Dark Mofo winter festival event in Hobart, Tasmania.
Sydney’s VIVID Festival and a kinetic sculpture by Melbourne design practice Eness for the Melbourne Museum will also be covered.
The launch of the vertical follows the push of its food channel MUNCHIES, created in partnership with FremantleMedia, and VICE News into Australia.
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Canteen’s latest campaign features the combined talents of Director Luna Laure and creative agency Crater. The campaign strives to raise awareness for young people affected by cancer. The awareness campaign centres around Harry Barentson, who at 12 years of age found out his pregnant mum had cancer. While his mother fortunately survived, he lost his […]
In partnership with storytelling agency Enthral, AFL star Kevin Sheedy has voiced a video ‘Love Letter to Victoria’ using visuals to showcase the state’s natural beauty and culture. Victoria has been hit with the worst of the coronavirus pandemic compared with any other Aussie state experiencing four lockdowns. Sheedy has partnered with Ethral to share […]
Telstra’s lower-cost telco, Belong, has awarded its strategy and creative account to Howatson + White, and has reappointed OMD to its media buying account, after a competitive pitch process. Howatson + White will handle strategy, planning, creative and CRM, while former agency Clemenger will continue to have a relationship with Belong, managing PR and retail activation. […]
Coca-Cola Australia has rolled out its new campaign ‘Turn Up Your Break’. The campaign will be led by a TVC that encourages people to truly pause with a Coke on their break so they can walk away feeling refreshed and uplifted. The TVC features two busy chefs stepping outside for a break, the bustling kitchen […]
Nova 919’s Ben & Liam breakfast show announced that they’ll be throwing their support behind and raising awareness for a cause very close to their hearts, mental health. On Monday 21 June Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton will be locked in a purpose-built glass structure, in the middle of Rundle Mall, for an entire week […]
TRENDii has announced TRENDii Ads, a new contextual advertising solution that leverages content and context to promote eCommerce products at scale around the world. TRENDii Ads is user privacy friendly and offers a new way for businesses and brands to target consumers at the moment that they are most inspired to shop. “We believe good […]
ARN and The New York Times have reached an agreement for ARN to become the advertising sales representative for The New York Times’s podcast portfolio in Australia. The deal will enable Australian brands to connect with Australian listeners to The New York Times’s most popular podcasts, such as The Daily, Serial and This American Life, […]
Verizon Media’s talent program has come to an end for the third year, closing with a hybrid pitch-off event for Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD). The Verizon Media Academy class of 2021, made up of 44 emerging leaders from across Australia and New Zealand media, advertising and marketing industry, were given just one hour to […]


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Heavy coffee drinking may cut your risk of liver cancer in half. A new study found that drinking three of more cups of coffee a day was associated with 55 per cent lower risk of liver cancer. Drinking less than three cups of coffee a day was associated with a 30 per cent lower risk.
In an analysis of 2, 260 cases of liver cancer, researchers from Japan showed that an increase of just one cup of coffee every day was associated with a 23 per cent decrease in liver cancer risk.
Previous studies have linked coffee to reduced risk of diabetes and colon cancer.
The mechanism by which coffee prevents cancer is still unknown. However, scientists suggest that coffee may act as a blocking agent by reacting with enzymes involved in cancerous growth. Caffeine may also have beneficial effects on liver enzymes.
Health Canada recommends an intake no more than 450 milligrams of caffeine per day for healthy adults. One cup (8 ounces) of brewed coffee contains 100 to 135 milligrams of caffeine.
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.


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Korean tech giant Samsung appears to be parting ways with the Symbian operating system for its mobile phones, and hitching its cart to a cybernetic Android horse instead »
The Samsung Wave is the first device device running Samsung’s own smartphone OS -- Bada, despite using Android on all its other handsets. How does it compare? »
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Children's soup may be the next target for BPA ban legislation.
'Cans Not Cancer'
The Breast Cancer Fund has announced 12 canned soups where bisphenol A, commonly called BPA, was found. Topping the list were Campbell's Toy Story and Disney Princess Cool Shapes soups. In response -- they have launched the "Cans Not Cancer" campaign to remove BPA from canned foods.
BPA lines the tin cans, extending their shelf life.
The Breast Cancer Fund argued in a statement that any level of BPA in children's products is unsafe, and no alternative currently exists for canned food.
BPA And Backlash
The BPA fight isn't over. The Washington D.C. group Competitive Enterprise Institute challenged the Fund's findings, calling their campaign "irrational."
Touting BPA's positives like its durability, the Institute argued BPA helps reduce food waste by extending the life of food packaged with it.
BPA has been linked to a range of hormonal issues. Infants are small children are most susceptible, and a bill that would ban BPA in baby bottles and children's toys recently cleared the California state Senate.
The World Health Organization has pointed out the long-term effects of exposure to BPA is unknown.
Experts like Dr. John Spangler of the Wake Forest School of Medicine believe prevention is still the best medicine.
"There are things we can do to minimize our exposure to BPA. We can use fresh or dried pasta and sauce in jars. We can eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer canned foods," he says.
- BPA in Canned Foods: Should You Worry? (ABC News)
- PICKET: Food and beverage industry regulations coming from Capitol Hill soon (Washington Times)


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Tech giant Google has announced employee layoffs across multiple corporate divisions, accompanied by a strategic shift in its organizational model.
The company is transitioning to a functional structure, consolidating responsibilities such as hardware engineering across Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit under a unified team and a leader who will oversee the aspect of products across Google’s hardware portfolio. As part of this transformation, Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, along with other Fitbit leaders, will be leaving Google as part of this reorganization. The decision to lay off staff has impacted over 1,000 employees across the organization.
“While we are making changes to our 1P(First-Party) Augmented Reality (AR)hardware team, Google continues to be deeply committed to other AR initiatives, such as AR experiences in our products, and product partnerships,” Google said in a statement, Google expressed.
Google has also initiated layoffs in its ad sales division, affecting hundreds of employees. The restructuring aims to better support small and medium businesses, with impacted employees having the opportunity to apply for open roles within the company. Other affected areas include Devices & Services, Google Assistant, and knowledge and information product teams. The layoffs have left many questioning the rationale behind such substantial workforce reductions at a highly profitable company.
Google’s Chief Business Officer, Philipp Schindler, has emphasized the necessity of the layoffs to align with the company’s business priorities.
“Sadly though, we will have to say goodbye to many highly talented and amazing sales colleagues,” he added, “while I’m confident we’re doing the right thing for our customers, partners, and ultimately for our business, this will be very hard for many, especially across our LCS (Large Customer Sales) teams.”
This downsizing suggests Google is no longer working on its own augmented Reality (AR) hardware and is fully committed to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) – partnership model, abandoning internal AR hardware development. Simultaneously, Google is restructuring the Google Assistant team to enhance its AI capabilities and broaden its scope beyond voice interactions.
The corporate layoffs are set to begin on March 10th and may continue until October.


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Beginning November 1, 2018, high-risk medicines sold in India will be required to carry warnings on the packaging, part of a series of moves by the country’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to toughen labeling norms on pharmaceuticals.
Under the new rules, the warnings must be printed in black ink within a red, rectangular box on the innermost container of high-risk or sensitive drugs.
The new restrictions are aimed at boosting consumer awareness, preventing the sale of prescription drugs over the counter, and ramping up pharmaceutical company accountability in a vast drug market that has been notoriously underregulated in the past.
The labelling rules apply to a broad array of drugs designed to be used under medical supervision or that have a high risk of side effects. They include some cancer drugs, analgesics, sedatives, narcotics, tranquilizers, antidepressants, and steroids. Warnings will also be required on some antimicrobials and anticoagulants.
India’s domestic pharmaceuticals market, already one of the largest in the world, is projected to exceed $100 billion by 2025.


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Flight Centre Travel Group has further strengthened its footprint in Europe, taking a minority interest in 3Mundi, a travel and technology company with operations in France, Switzerland and Spain.
The Australian company will initially invest in a 25% interest in the Paris-based business, with put and call agreements to allow Flight Centre to potentially increase its holding to 100%.
3Mundi, founded in 2006 by Jordy Staelen and Simon Renaud, has been the licensee in France and Switzerland for Flight Centre’s global corporate travel management network since 2015.
A short time ago, Flight centre shares were up 2.1% to $36.72.
“There is also opportunity to work with 3Mundi’s team to develop other new products and offerings in the future,” he says.
3Mundi operates a Barcelona-based business travel lab which is developing proprietary artificial intelligence technology and products for the travel industry.
The cost of the acquisition wasn’t announced. 3Mundi is expected to have a turnover Euro 100 million ($A147 million) this financial year.
The acquisition is expected to be formally completed in July.
Flight Centre has been on an acquisition spree, recently acquiring corporate businesses in Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
The latest investment will strengthening Flight Centre’s European presence, which now includes businesses in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France and Switzerland.
The Australian-based Flight Centre is already one of the world’s largest corporate travel managers with turnover of more than $6 billion in 2016.
The company’s current strategy is to expand internationally both organically and via strategic acquisitions.
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It was reported that Reliance Jio will end its Welcome Offer on Dec 3 after TRAI’s instructions. And that is still true. Its Welcome Offer is still going to end this December 3 but reports say that Reliance may figure out some way there is also a chance that Reliance may figure out some way to extend their free offer if they feel like it’s essential for the market situation demands.
A new report said that Reliance Jio has informed analysts that there is a chance it may extend free data and voice calls services till March 2017.
In a note, Motilal Oswal analysts said, “Mass scale free welcome offer could continue until March 2017 to attract subscriber growth towards the celebrated 100 million mark with RJio's indicative data pricing at Rs130-140 per GB,”
TRAI says that a telecom operator cannot offer a plan with free services for more than 90 days, which is why Reliance Jio’s Welcome offer has to end and will end on Dec 3. But then, there is no restriction on the number of promotional offers a company can launch according to what Reliance Industries’ management has told analysts at Citi Research.
Anshuman Thakur, the head of strategy and planning of Reliance Jio, shared that they have told the TRAI and the government that customers on their network are facing issues regarding the quality of service due to interconnection congestion. So the customers have not been able to enjoy the services fully. Reliance Jio is not in a position to deliver the quality of service that the Jio management has planned and therefore, it would be unfair to charge customers.
If the issue regarding interconnection is not solved, Reliance Jio may come up with an innovative plan so that the customers won’t have to pay for their services until the quality of service improves.
Reliance Jio might give another name to the offer to avoid the conflict with TRAI's guidelines and continue to offer free data and voice call services to its customers. This way it would stick to TRAI’s guidelines by not offering the same promotional plan for more than 90 days.


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Many American corporations are compiling record profits and generating record returns for their investors.
Yet, those healthy returns are, in most cases, not translating into business expansions or new jobs. Many companies are hoarding their cash, saying they are leery about the uncertain future and the threat of a double-dip recession.
By contrast, some companies are zagging while everyone else seems to be zigging. They are boldly going forth, daring to expand at a time when their peers are sitting on their hands.
Instead of battening down the hatches and waiting out the economic storm, Bradley Corp.’s leaders have decided to forge ahead.
Construction is underway on the company’s new 190,000-square-foot facility in Germantown, with enough space to add another 300,000 square feet in the future, said Bradley Corp. president Bryan Mullett.
Bradley Corp., a Menomonee Falls-based manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures and washroom accessories, is investing about $8 million in the expansion.
“As a company, one of our foundations is we don’t look to make changes on a quarterly basis, we look more towards a long-term vision,” Mullett said. “There’s no better time than now, than today, to build a new building.”
In an example of Bradley’s forward-looking investment plan, the company purchased the 32-acre property for its new lean manufacturing plant in 1997, knowing it would allow for flexible use in future expansions.
The facility will replace 119,000 square feet of leased space at 7020 W. Parkland Court in Milwaukee.
“We’ve been leasing the current building, and we’ve paid for that building twice,” Mullett said.
Bradley has about 600 employees nationwide. The company has two manufacturing facilities in Ohio and two other sales offices in the United States.
The company started by specializing in commercial wash fountains, which provided a communal hand-washing station in industrial settings. Its products now include washroom partitions, accessories, emergency fixtures and plastic lockers, which are distributed to the commercial, industrial, health care, recreation, education and corrections markets.
While it may seem counterintuitive to expand in uncertain times, Bradley’s strong financial picture has helped Mullett feel comfortable with the investment.
“I think with our solid financial foundation, we can take advantage of these opportunities,” he said. “We can’t dictate what other companies do, but we took advantage of expanding in a down economy.”
Mullett wanted to take advantage of the low construction costs to build the new Germantown plant to customized specifications, he said.
The building will be laid out in a lean operation format, with efficiencies realized through a custom floor plan.
“We’ll have opportunities to grow and expand and diversify our product offering,” Mullett said.
While he’s not sure yet if new employees will be hired for the Germantown facility, Mullett hopes about 100 workers can shift operations there starting in early 2012.
Looking ahead, Bradley is moving into new foreign markets and distribution channels in an effort to follow growth patterns in developing countries, he said. In addition, the company is releasing more green products in its new 40-product Diplomat line, that can be used in sustainable buildings.
The key to Bradley’s success, Mullett said, is a family focus on planning far ahead for growth. There are always five-year, three-year and current year plans in place.
“I’m the fifth generation here in the business, so I think that’s been distilled into our family,” he said. “It allows us to plan and be more effective in our business.”
Several other southeastern Wisconsin companies are joining Bradley Corp. by boldly expanding in a murky economy.
KLH Industries is expanding its square footage, and it’s doing so out of necessity, said company president and CEO Ken Heins.
The 31-employee precision machine shop, located at N117 W18607 Fulton Drive in Germantown, has been out of space and looking to expand since 2008, he said.
In fact, Heins put in an offer on a new building in 2008, right before the economic downturn started, and it was rejected. The rejection was a blessing in disguise, he said.
“Within 48 hours after my offer was declined, the markets crashed,” Heins said. “Immediately we saw the economy (declining), and our customers cancelling orders, so we’ve just been moving sideways for the last three years.”
Now, Heins has purchased a 15,000-square-foot building 120 yards from its existing 18,000-square-foot facility on Fulton Drive, for about $1.5 million.
CNC jobs and half of the company’s dimensional inspection work will shift to the new building soon.
Now seemed as good a time as ever to go forward with expansion plans, since it appears the real estate market had bottomed out, and the company didn’t want to get stuck in “survival mode,” Heins said.
“We’ve been through a number of different downturns in the economy, and I didn’t think real estate was going to get any lower,” Heins said. “If you have any optimism at all that someday things are going to get better, this just seemed like the right time to do something.”
Founded in 1987, KLH makes custom-fabricated products for the food processing, medical, automotive, electronics, aerospace and defense industries.
The company expanded its reach to keep afloat during the Great Recession and has only recently entered the aerospace market. The firm makes flight critical components for airplane manufacturers, which means an increased focus on quality, Heins said.
He hopes to add another one or two employees with the increased space, but wants to first get established in the building.
It’s a risk to almost double the size of the company’s physical space, but it’s one Heins believes he must take to move forward.
“I don’t know what the future’s going to hold, but I’m counting on the fact that things can’t get much worse,” Heins said. “I’m willing to gamble, but I want to gamble on myself.”
Steele Solutions in Franklin also is doubling its facility and adding 30 new employees, as demand has picked up for its products.
Steele started construction this month to add 36,000 square feet to its existing building of the same size, and president Mike Thelen hopes to complete the expansion by February.
The company, which manufactures steel structures like mezzanines, equipment platforms and catwalks, saw steady growth even during the recession, Thelen said. That could be due to customers using vertical space and Steele products to make business operations more efficient and keep costs low in the economic downturn.
“In this environment, even with high unemployment, companies are looking for ways of becoming more efficient,” he said. “We’re seeing that material handling equipment sales, which is the core of our market, has been pretty good and pretty steady throughout the last year.”
Steele has two other manufacturing facilities, one in Ohio and one in Pennsylvania, and also has sales offices in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Since it has a long lead cycle for projects and demand is picking up, Thelen hopes expanding Steele now will help convince large companies sitting on cash to do business with the company when they’re ready to spend again.
“With this addition, were going to help ourselves become more efficient and more productive with our existing facility,” he said.
Baptista’s Bakery in Franklin is expanding its existing facility by 120,000 square feet to meet projected customer demand. The move will allow Baptista’s to more than double its existing 160-employee workforce, adding 200 jobs.
The company, located at 4625 W. Oakwood Park Drive in Franklin, is hiring 75 new employees as soon as possible. The remaining 125 jobs will be added once the addition is completed.
Founded by the Gardetto family in 1999 after Gardetto’s Bakery was purchased by General Mills, Baptista’s makes a variety of potato, corn and wheat snack products.
The company is expanding to make space for 4-5 new product lines, which will bring the total to 11 or 12 lines, said CEO Nan Gardetto.
“We are out of capacity in our current building and need to add additional production capacity to be able to fulfill our customers’ current and forecasted needs,” she said.
The City of Franklin approved Baptista’s expansion in late September, and the company is moving forward with a groundbreaking this month, Gardetto said. She hopes to have the addition up and running by June 2012.
J.F. Ahern Co.
Meanwhile, Fond du Lac-based J.F. Ahern Co. will join a host of other businesses moving into the Menomonee Valley Industrial Center in Milwaukee.
The company plans to break ground next spring on a new 67,000-square-foot building, which is about double the size of its leased Menomonee Falls facility. The new plant will replace the existing space and allow the company’s fire extinguisher recharge business to be based in Milwaukee.
The new building, on a five-acre parcel at West Canal and West Roundhouse Streets, and new equipment will constitute a $7.5 million investment, said Bob Fischer, executive vice president.
“Despite the bad economy, we’re kind of busting at the seams for space,” Fischer said.
Ahern, a mechanical and fire protection contractor, has 65 office employees and 125 construction and service technicians. It has five other Milwaukee locations and seven offices in other states.
J.F. Ahern has the capability to provide HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and equipment maintenance for a business, which makes it an attractive contractor to businesses looking to reduce expenses and cut back on maintenance staff, Fischer said.
“Our ability to bundle multiple services for our customers (is driving growth),” he said. “We’re seeing a tendency that owners want single stop shopping and that’s helping us to effectively sell our services.”


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Despite the acceleration of inflation and rising interest rates on loans, the level of consumer sentiment in Russia, after a period of rapid growth in the first half of the year, remains high today. For example, Rosstat's consumer confidence index improved by 2 percentage points to -13% in the third quarter of this year. This is compared to an improvement of 3 p.p. In the second quarter, and 5 in the first quarter. These negative values indicate that the proportion of negative responses still exceeds the proportion of positive ones; this index has been in the negative zone for the past 10 years.
The August survey conducted by 'inFOM' also indicates an improvement in consumer sentiment. The composite value of the consumer sentiment index reached 106 points. This level was reached back in April, but it then slightly decreased due to the expectations sub-index. Meanwhile, respondents' assessments of the current situation of households have been rising all this time. Traditionally, sub-indices reflecting expectations are noticeably higher than assessments of the current situation. However, the widening gap between these indices may be a sign of a crisis, the experts from the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Forecasting (CMACF) warn in a report on income and consumption dynamics in 2022-2023: 'The gap between optimistic expectations for the future and the assessment of the current material situation... creates risks of a situation reversal in case of sharp shocks, as unfulfilled positive expectations and wasted credit of trust can lead to an increase in social tension.’
Consumption in Russia only began to actively grow in the second quarter of 2023. By the end of 2022, retail turnover had dropped below the level of 2018. This decline was particularly significant in non-food retail, but food retail was also affected. As Re:Russia has previously reported, the cause of this was not a decrease in income (which remained nearly unchanged) but the rise in consumer credit rates and changes in supply structures. Consumers needed time to adapt to unfamiliar new products and the increasing prices of familiar ones. 'Unfavourable economic conditions, high uncertainty, and negative consumer sentiments have increased the population's propensity to save, which can be characterised as a crisis,' the experts from the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Forecasting (CMACF) added. Sales of cars and spare parts decreased most significantly. According to the Central Bank's calculations, in the first two months of 2023, the physical volume of such sales lagged behind those of the same period in 2022 by 61.7%. Sales of household appliances dropped by 30-40%, computers and mobile phones by 16%, and clothing by 10%. The service sector was the only one that saw noticeable growth in 2022 and early 2023, predominantly due to Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as the country’s southern regions, according to the Central Bank's report on regional economics.
In the first half of 2023, real wages and lending, in the absence of new shocks such as the announcement of mobilisation at the beginning of September 2022, finally revived consumption. According to Rosstat data, real incomes increased by 4.4% in the first quarter compared to the same period of last year, and in the second quarter, they grew by 5.3%. The growth in the volume of consumer loans also accelerated significantly after interest rate cuts, the Central Bank noted in its reviews of the banking sector. In the first quarter of 2023, the portfolio growth rate reached 2.5% (compared to 1.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022), and in the second quarter, it reached 4.5%. As a result, the annual growth rate approached 12%. In May, banks issued 1.41 trillion rubles to citizens, setting a record, according to analysts at Frank RG. This exceeded figures from December 2022 (1.38 trillion rubles) and December 2021 (1.39 trillion rubles). However, these numbers continued to rise: in June – 1.47 trillion roubles were issued, in July – 1.53 trillion, and in August – 1.81 trillion. In total, over eight months, the lending volume exceeded the value of the same period in 2022 by 54%, according to calculations by Frank RG.
By the end of summer, consumption had generally stabilised, according to CMACF experts. In July, two out of three of the main components declined: food sales and the provision of services. Sales of non-food items were still growing at the end of summer due to last year's pent-up demand and increased consumer credit. The proportion of those surveyed by 'inFOM' who said they would prefer not to save their disposable income but to spend it on expensive goods increased to 32% in August (+2.3 p.p. compared to July). This growth was likely due to the sharp devaluation of the ruble, which made consumers eager to make large purchases before prices rose.
The rapid growth of consumption has led some economists to talk about possible new growth drivers for the Russian economy. However, Presidential Assistant Maxim Oreshkin cited the soft monetary policy of the Central Bank as the main cause of the ruble's devaluation. Indeed, the rapid recovery of consumer lending appears to have made a significant contribution to consumption growth. However, now, following the Central Bank’s sharp rise of the key rate, consumer lending rates are rising as well. Of the three factors that contributed to the sharp revival in consumption in the first half of this year – rising wages, low consumer loan rates, and pent-up demand – only the first will continue to work. Moreover, the exchange rate pass-through effect following the summer devaluation of the ruble has been delayed, so in the coming months, stagnation or even a contraction of consumption, as well as a decrease in consumer confidence, should be expected.


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Infibeam today announced the joining of Mr. Bharat Vijay as a Technical Advisor who has contributed to building Yahoo's first ad server and data analytics platform. Bharat is also credited with building the Amazon India product development centers and the most successful facebook bookshelf application with millions of users, which was later acquired by Lulu.com.
Online PR News – 17-December-2011 – – Ahmedabad, India; December 16th, 2011: Infibeam.com is one of the leading B2C ecommerce company in India. The company announced the joining of Mr.Bharat Vijay as a technical advisor to work on its fast growing cloud based ecommerce platform.
Commenting on joining Infibeam, Mr. Bharat Vijay said, "I am glad and honored to be a part of the Infibeam team. As a user, I love the site and the products and have great respect for the founding team. I consider myself an old timer, some may say a pioneer in the Internet space and I look forward to contribute the best of what I have to take Infibeam to a greater level."
A graduate from University of California with honors, Mr. Bharat Vijaykumar Subramanian was one of the early employees of Yahoo! Inc in California having built and participated in the technology and innovation that led to Yahoo! having millions of users per day. He built Yahoo's first ad server and their data analytics platform. Previously he was the founding CEO of Yahoo! and then Amazon India creating strong product development centers for both companies. Later, he became the CTO of UGenie which built the largest bookshelf application on Facebook with millions of users which was later acquired by Lulu.com.
Commenting on welcoming Mr. Bharat Vijay, Mr. Vijay Subramanian, CIO, Infibeam.com said, "We are honored to have Bharat Vijay onboard and look forward to having his skills and experience help us enhance our technology systems and take Infibeam to an entirely new level in the eCommerce industry."
Today, Infibeam.com offers its technology and supply chain infrastructure to some of the largest retailers and brands. Recently, the company opened up its ecommerce platform Buildabazaar (www.buildabazaar.com) for entrepreneurs to setup an online ecommerce store under their own brand name within a few minutes. Users can take any digital product catalog from Infibeam and also upload their own products. In less than ten weeks since the launch of Buildabazaar, the company announced a new store being created every ten minutes.
Infibeam.com is India's leading eCommerce platform with a selection of more than 120 Lac products across books, media, lifestyle, gifts, electronics and automobiles. Infibeam.com is known for its innovative navigation, lowest prices, free shipping and dedicated customer service.
Infibeam.com also offers its web-store technology and associated infrastructure as a service to well- known brands and retailers such as Crossword, NDTV, K Sera Sera, Hidesign, TTK Prestige etc.
Infibeam recently launched Buildabazaar.com a Do-it-yourself e-commerce platform for merchants and sellers. It provides the necessary e-commerce technology, payment and data infrastructure to create a store within minutes.
Infibeam.com was founded in 2007 by a group of ex-Amazon employees with expertise in e-commerce and technology. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, Infibeam has 350 employees based out of offices in Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The leadership team consists of MIT, IIM and IIT graduates amongst others with more than 100 years of combined experience in Retail and eCommerce.
For any queries please write to us at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Bremen’s Senate has given its go-ahead for bremenports to become a member of the Finnafjord Port Development company (FFPD).
Back in May 2016, the Icelandic government signed an agreement with the municipalities of Langanesbyggð and Vopnafjörður, the engineering company EFLA, and bremenports, aimed at constructing a multipurpose deep-sea (50+ m) port in North-East Iceland.
As such, the two Icelandic municipalities will form the Finnafjord Port Authority (FFPA), responsible, among many, for granting licences to terminal operators. Bremenports, in turn, will aid the project with its expertise on port development.
As a result, the business model behind the Finnafjord port, inclusive of franchise structure, will be developed by the FFPD for FFPA’s approval. Investors will be invited to take part in the port’s detailed planning process. The subsequent construction of the port facilities, as well as freight handling operations, will lie in the hands of the investors, too.
The FFPD will be officially founded in the first half of 2017, comprising the four abovementioned parties.
Since year 2004 an industrial site of 167 ha has been demarcated and outlined in the masterplan for the Finnafjord area. According to it, the Port of Finnafjord will offer 6.3 km of quays, partly with depths going beyond 50 m. The new Icelandic harbour will chiefly target transhipment-serving trade flows crossing the North Pole on their way between Asia and Europe.
“Both the Icelandic Government and the general public regard the Finnafjord Port Project as the country’s most important infrastructure project right now. Shipping and logistics will increase significantly in this part of the world in future. Iceland consequently wants to profit from this trend and establish a new port on the central Arctic shipping route,” Martin Günthner, Bremen’s Senator for Economic Affairs and Ports, commented.
The port authority Bremenports manages the German harbours in Bremerhaven and Bremen.
Photo: Finnafjord Port Project


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Bank deal 'could cut competition'
LLOYDS TSB's proposed £18bn acquisition of Abbey National would eliminate one of the most significant branch-based competitors to the largest four banks and might well reduce competition, particularly in the current account market. This was the conclusion of the Office of Fair Trading, which referred the deal late last month to the Competition Commission.
Publishing detailed reasons for the referral, the OFT said Lloyds TSB already has the largest share of the current account market and this would rise from about 23% to almost 30% if it bought Abbey National.
Director general John Vickers also alluded to the fact that customers tend not to move banks and even if they do, they are more likely to move within the big four. 'The limited share of the current account market secured by the former building societies, stand-alone internet banks and other entrants indicates the existence of substantial incumbent advantages in this market,' he said.
He also said there remains a substantial correlation between the number of branches and the number of customers, despite telephone and internet banking. Abbey has one of the largest branch networks outside the big four - Barclays, HSBC, Royal Bank and Lloyds.
Vickers was concerned about the impact of a takeover of Abbey on the small business market. Even though Abbey has only a 1% share of this sector it is keen to grow, so the OFT sees it as 'a significant potential competitor'.
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Devil’s Third is definitely one odd game. After Nintendo announced it had picked it up as a Wii U exclusive, back at E3 2014, the game basically disappeared, with a total lack of news for basically a full year. And then in June, Nintendo suddenly announced that it would come out on August 4th in Japan (August 28th in Europe).
It’s now August 4th, which means that Devil’s Third is finally available in Japan at retail (Amazon.co.jp only) and on the Nintendo eShop. The game will be showcased in a couple of hours, in a NicoNico livestream on the Weekly Famitsu Magazine channel. We will get to see actual gameplay footage from the final version of Devil’s Third, and Tomonobu Itagaki (Director) will be one of the guests.
The livestream will take place on NicoNico (account required), at:
– Europe: 1PM (2PM for the Devil’s Third segment)
– UK: 12PM (1PM for the Devil’s Third segment)
– North America (EDT): 7AM (8AM for the Devil’s Third segment)
– North America (PDT): 4AM (5AM for the Devil’s Third segment)
– Japan: 8PM (9PM for the Devil’s Third segment)
The first part of the livestream will consist in a preview of this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine.
Devil’s Third (Wii U) comes out on August 28th in Europe, and in Q4 2015 in North America.


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Sirivadhanabhakdi family-owned Asset World Corp PCL is planning to buy 12 hotels and mixed-use properties from TCC Group PLC for 26.23 billion Thai baht, The Bangkok Post reported Jan. 3.
The company's CEO and president, Wallapa Traisorat, said the potential purchase would add 989 rooms to Asset World's portfolio and more than 2,500 rooms to the pipeline together with retail developments.
Among the 12 properties are the 303-room Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse and the 184-room Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathorn in Thailand's capital, as well as the 180-room Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach and the 322-room Hua Hin Marriott Resort and Spa. The company is also looking to buy eight properties undergoing renovation, including the AWC Center Pattaya mixed-use project.
Following the proposed acquisition, Asset World will be Thailand's largest hotel owner for the midscale and higher segments based on the total number of rooms, operating 27 hotels and more than 8,500 units.
As of Jan. 3, US$1 was equivalent to 30.17 baht.


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Showing 76,058 results for: Target Corporation?rss=1
The retailer said it would revise how it uses criminal background checks, a step meant to quell complaints that it discriminates against black and Hispanic job applicants.
Companies often try to keep digital breaches quiet. That’s something the S.E.C. would like to end, but its guidance may not go very far in changing how companies deal with the issue.
Target, which plans to raise base pay to $15 an hour by 2020, aims to hire 100,000 seasonal workers during a tight labor market for retailers.
Despite bankruptcies and closures of some major retail stores, others, especially retailers like Target and the parent of T.J. Maxx, are expanding.
The agreement, which includes the District of Columbia, ends an investigation into how hackers obtained information about tens of millions of people in 2013.
Except for Amazon, most major retailers have scaled back plans for hiring temporary employees during the year’s biggest shopping season, and Walmart is adding almost none.
The new financing comes from Target and other investors, as the three-year-old company prepares to eventually pursue an initial public offering.
Hot toys like the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse quickly sold out online this year, then appeared on eBay and Amazon at inflated prices.
Manchester City emerged from a trough of despair to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 and move to within three points of the Premier League title at Wembley on Saturday.
Italy's Popolare di Bari has set an ambitious target to reduce its soured debt this year, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, in a move likely to heighten concerns it will need fresh capital.


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Labor woes hinder retailers' goal of challenging Amazon
Published 9:04 pm, Friday, December 8, 2017
Brick-and-mortar retailers hoping to fend off Amazon need to deploy the one weapon that could set them apart: top-notch customer service, provided by actual humans.
But making that goal a reality relies on something they've not really invested in - well-trained employees with the kinds of wages and regular hours that make them want to stick around.
This illustrates traditional retailers' dilemma. In the face of existential threats such as e-commerce and declining mall traffic, more generous pay might improve service. But it comes at the risk of spooking skeptical investors, who are already closely monitoring costs and margins.
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"It's obviously a delicate tightrope, where retailers that are watching their profit squeezed need to figure out where to cut," said Simeon Siegel, an analyst at Instinet. "Looking at the people who drive that business as an asset instead of a liability is difficult."
As they boost payrolls during the crucial holiday shopping season, chains are mostly sticking to low-wage and part-time positions.
With unemployment at a 17-year low and a broader shortage of workers, it's a tough time to change the long-established model.
While some major players, including Walmart and Target, have announced plans to increase pay, low wages persist. Workers say they can't get the flexible hours they want, and hiring part-timers remains a common way out to avoid spending more on benefits and perks.
"Retail is usually seen as being low on the food chain, so you're not going to see much pressure, even during the holidays," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James Financial.
The median U.S. retail sales employee salary was only $22,900 in 2016, according to figures from the Labor Department.


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Dogecoin skilled an 11% surge in worth following an announcement by Tesla CEO Elon Musk that the memecoin might probably be accepted as a fee technique for Tesla automobiles sooner or later.
The numerous worth improve occurred shortly after Musk, talking on the Berlin Gigafactory, responded affirmatively to an inquiry about buying Tesla vehicles with Dogecoin. “When can you purchase Tesla with Dogecoin? In some unspecified time in the future, I feel we must always allow that,” Musk said through the interplay, which was later shared on X by consumer @dogeofficialceo.
Following Musk’s remarks, Dogecoin skilled a major worth surge, leaping from $0.1712 to $0.191 inside half-hour of the announcement. This 11% improve mirrored the traders’ enthusiasm because the video circulated on X.
As of the most recent updates, Dogecoin’s buying and selling worth stands at $0.188, marking a 9% rise within the final 24 hours, based on CoinMarketCap knowledge.
Musk’s interplay additional reiterated his support for Dogecoin, highlighting the choice to buy Tesla merchandise utilizing the cryptocurrency. His advocacy for Dogecoin started after receiving recommendations from Tesla Gigafactory staff and SpaceX guests to undertake it as an official fee mode.
Musk has beforehand described Dogecoin as “the individuals’s crypto,” indicating his intention to help a cryptocurrency favored by the final populace over these backed by wealthier people.
Tesla formally started accepting Dogecoin for its merchandise on Jan. 14, 2022, emphasizing that solely Dogecoin funds could be processed, with no returns for transactions made in different digital property.
In the meantime, hypothesis surrounds the X app and its potential integration of cryptocurrencies following the institution of an ‘XPayments’ account for an upcoming fee characteristic. Anticipated by mid-2024, the specifics of whether or not this characteristic will embrace cryptocurrency funds stay unconfirmed.
Regardless of Musk’s latest help for Dogecoin, he has expressed a diminished curiosity in cryptocurrencies extra broadly, together with clarifying final yr that X wouldn’t launch its personal crypto token.


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US, Japan join nations urging delay to China food import rules
November 9, 2021
BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) – Several countries including Japan, Britain and the US are urging Chinese customs officials to pause the roll-out of regulations on food imports, arguing the measures risk further disrupting global supply chains.
Diplomats from seven economies, which also include Australia, Canada, the European Union and Switzerland, expressed their concerns in an Oct 27 letter to Customs Minister Ni Yuefeng, according to a copy seen by Bloomberg News.
They were objecting to a pair of decrees handed down in April that require food importers to meet sweeping new registration, inspection and labelling requirements by Jan 1.
“Despite significant outreach by our respective governments to the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), there remains a significant lack of clarity regarding GACC’s implementation of these decrees, including the products subject to these provisions and the specific actions requested of foreign authorities,” the diplomats wrote.
“Products for importation into China will soon be shipped, therefore decrees 248 and 249 risk disrupting global food supply chains and delaying food supply into China.”
The diplomats sought the agency to delay the food-import measures for “at least 18 months”.
Neither the GACC or the Foreign Ministry responded on Monday (Nov 8) to requests for comment.
The letter signals mounting frustrations among China’s foreign suppliers, as ships carrying food to the world’s second-largest economy prepare to leave port without knowing whether they will be able to offload their cargo.
The dispute comes at a time when the world is already experiencing massive shipping bottlenecks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and related swings in the global economy.
While President Xi Jinping’s government expressed its own concern this month about ensuring food supplies through winter, there has so far been no indication that it intends to suspend or soften the import measures.
The government has already been forced in recent days to step in to ensure energy supplies for factories after regulatory overhauls contributed to widespread power shortages.
The April decrees cover a broad range of products such as royal jelly, vegetable oil, infant food and wheat flour.
Producers of goods that belong to 18 specific categories would require recommendations by the authorities in their home countries, while others must self-register via an online platform that launched this month.
Once registered, companies will be given special codes that must be physically attached to packaging, a person familiar with the matter said.
Foreign food manufacturers and governments remain unsure of how to meet the requirements, such as who qualifies as a recommending authority, the person said.
There is also worry that failure to comply with registration rules could result in costly, last-minute logistics delays, as companies rush to label products that are already en route or in bonded warehouses awaiting entry.
The diplomats appealed for GACC to communicate with foreign governments and food manufacturers during the period of postponement.
“We also are seeking a commitment that trade will continue uninterrupted in the interim,” they said.
The letter was signed just days before Mr Xi addressed the opening of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, where he reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to opening its markets.
“Going forward, China will lay more emphasis on expanding import, and pursue balanced development of trade,” Mr Xi said.
The diplomats also said they were reiterating the group’s concerns that many of the requirements in the decrees “appear to be disproportionate” to the level of risk presented by the products affected by them.
“We strongly encourage the PRC to continue to engage in further discussions and consultations with trading partners prior to implementation of the decrees, through the World Trade Organisation and bilaterally,” the diplomats wrote, referring to China’s formal name.
“Further, we encourage the PRC to also consider collaborating with trading partners on the policies and approaches related to these decrees and consider less restrictive approaches to achieve GACC’s food safety goals.”


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Bristol Gases, part of the Concorde-Corodex Group, has recently unveiled its first-ever state-of-the-art production plant in Dubai, which manufactures non-refillable gas cylinders.
The move represents a huge expansion of the firm’s capabilities from stocking and trading the product into full-fledged production at its newly expanded laboratory and manufacturing facility based in Al Quoz. For many years, the company has been the key supplier to the laboratory, chemical, oil and gas, and marine industries locally and globally, supplying giant customers such as ENOC, ADNOC, Schlumberger and Baker Hughes.
In a huge development for the local sector, a product categorized as ‘dangerous goods’ is now manufactured locally, at the first of its kind advanced filling center and laboratory for disposable cylinders, reducing the need for a complex global logistics process.
According to Mohanned Awad, Regional Director of Business Development at Concorde – Corodex Group, they firmly believe the move would position Bristol Gases as one of the key suppliers of calibration gas mixtures and disposable calibration gas cylinders in the Middle East region. “The fact that this product is now made locally has major consequences for the industry. With our superior service and local stocking, the lead time for customers is dramatically reduced.”
In a statement, Mark McCann, Business Unit Manager, Bristol Gases, said that they made the decision to expand into production in Dubai due to its geographical location. He added that it positions Bristol Gases as a leading supplier in the entire region and beyond, expanding their capability to supply within the UAE, as well as GCC and Asian countries. “We’re proud to say that ours is the first state-of-the-art filling facility and laboratory for disposable cylinders. We also plan to have hubs in Singapore and Australia for global customers.”
Bristol Gases has an array of industrial and specialty gases for a huge number of industrial, automotive, marine, medical, R&D, and oil and gas applications. Apart from gases, the company also supplies gas-related equipment of the highest quality.
Hamid Moaref has always been fascinated by cars and the automotive industry. His family has a longstanding association with the industry and has been in the tire business for the past 35 years. Raised in Dubai, Hamid attended Capilano University in Vancouver where he graduated with a BBA in marketing before attending an intensive course in magazine publishing in 2005. He has been the publisher and chief editor of Tires & Parts magazine for the past ten years.
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Companies around the world are finally truly the coming dominance of mobile commerce over the retail market, according to the latest joint research study conducted by BuyDesire and Econsultancy. As many as 70% of retailers polled said that they would be increasing their budgets for mobile marketing over the coming year in order to cater to the advertising demand created by increasing mobile usage. At the moment, relatively few companies are actively advertising in the mobile space, but this is poised to change dramatically.
The slow adoption of mobile marketing is driven by several issues, namely that content providers have had difficulty finding useful and effective ways of incorporating advertising into the limited screen real estate offered by mobile devices. In some cases, such as those of Google and social media giant Facebook whose entire valuations are based on advertising, this was causing some concern among shareholders, as mobile usage grew without a corresponding ability to advertise to that user segment. However, the problem is being addressed in a number of different ways, and retailers are finally getting on board to help.
In addition to advertising on those popular channels, many companies are embracing the need for websites specially tailored for the mobile market. Almost a third of companies polled indicated that they will be deploying sites aimed specifically at tablet users, which are geared towards touchscreen with smaller screens that desktops and laptops. Additionally, companies are beginning to embrace location-based marketing for GPS enabled smartphone users, and mobile commerce in general, with 20% of companies deploying m-commerce solutions over the coming year.
Over the last year, we discussed the practice employed by some more tech-savvy consumers known as 'showrooming', in which consumers visit a brick and mortar store to actually see and use a product, but then wind up searching for a better price using their mobile phones, effectively relegating physical stores to product showrooms. However, this increase in awareness of the value of mobile commerce and the growing mobile market should encourage companies to invest the money in a viable mobile solution that will work to enhance the customer's in-store experience. If handled correctly, 'showrooming' can be made a thing of the past, with brick and mortar stores enjoying a channel crossover that will boost sales and encourage customers to visit physical locations.


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The report said Samsung, the world’s top smartphone maker, tested the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip and decided not to use it, without offering details. Samsung will use its own processors instead, the report said.
A Qualcomm spokesman declined to comment on the report. A Samsung spokeswoman said the company does not comment on rumours.
Earlier reports suggest that Samsung is working on a touch-based finger print scanner. This means, it will now function similar to the Touch ID on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that allows the entire fingerprint to be registered instead of just a partial one. You don’t need to swipe your finger on the sensor anymore.
The touch-based sensor will be built into the home button. However, it should be noted that the fingerprint scanner currently employed in Samsung devices already allows fingerprints to be registered at multiple angles.
Samsung Galaxy S6, code-named ‘Project Zero’, will most likely be announced at the Mobile World Congress 2015, which takes place in March this year.
With inputs from Reuters


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Uber is getting ready to bring UberEats to at least 22 new countries, according to a new report from Reuters.
That's a huge expansion for the food delivery service, which is only in six countries right now. Reuters determined the ride-hailing giant was launching an ambitious expansion for its food delivery platform through an analysis of its job postings.
UberEats has quickly snatched up a significant market share in the crowded field of food delivery. In the US, UberEats competes with Grubhub, Seamless and Postmates, while in a competitive market like London it's up against JustEat and Deliveroo. Even Amazon is entering the food delivery wars, offering restaurant delivery in 12 US cities and London.
Uber has open job listings for at least 150 roles in at least 22 new markets, Reuters said. The positions range from general managers and sales staff to couriers.
In response to a request for comment from Mashable, an Uber spokesperson said UberEats was now available in nine countries. The service is launching in Amsterdam, Dubai and Johannesburg on Thursday.
The company also said it was launching in Brussels, Stockholm and "a few more cities" later this year, but did not comment on any larger expansion plans.
"Today UberEATS announced its ambitious expansion plans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. UberEATS is already operational in London and Paris and today announced it will be launching in Amsterdam, Brussels, Dubai, Johannesburg and Stockholm before the end of the year," the company said in a statement. "UberEATS has proved hugely popular in Europe and we're excited about delivering food to people across the region as seamlessly as they can book a ride."
Ahead of Thursday's launches, UberEats was in 33 cities, 27 of which are in the US.


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Investing in the EV revolution
Investing in the EV revolution
The global push to reduce carbon emissions is disrupting entire industries, and the transportation sector is no exception. As the push to electrify vehicles steps up, demand for the minerals required to build them is set to intensify.
The decarbonisation imperative
The transportation sector accounts for approximately 16% of all global emissions, of which road transport is responsible for about three quarters1. It’s clear that the decarbonisation of cars, trucks and other road transportation is a global imperative. The days of the internal combustion engine in vehicles are numbered – and savvy investors are paying attention.
Chart 1: Electric vehicle sales projections
Insatiable demand for ‘green’ metals and minerals
As the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, so will demand for various minerals, metals and rare earth elements, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite. These are all raw materials used in the production of batteries, motors and other EV components.
In the case of lithium, a key component in EV batteries, production is forecast to expand by 20% a year2 – and this still might not be able to keep up with growing demand. It is expected that the lithium industry will need a minimum US$42 billion of investment between now and 2030 to avoid a supply crunch.3
Chart 2: Forecast lithium carbonate production
Source: Comisión Chilena del Cobre; Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (Chile); Benchmark Minerals, 2020. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
Supercharging the fundamentals
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, interest and demand for EVs has only strengthened. In 2020, the overall car market contracted, but the EV segment bucked this trend, with global sales increasing to 3 million, or 4.1% of total car sales. In 2021, EVs doubled to 6.6 million sales globally, representing almost 9% of the global car market.
- The global EV market is set to grow at a compounding annual growth rate of 33.6%, to reach US$2,495.4 billion by 2027.4
- In 2012, approximately 130,000 EVs were sold. Today, that many are sold within one week.5
- It’s estimated that the supply of critical minerals for EVs will need to rise 3000% by 2040 to meet climate goals.6
Unlimited investment potential spanning multiple industries
The outlook for the electrification of passenger and commercial transport vehicles is exceptionally strong, with individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide moving to support the transition. That’s fuelling unprecedented demand for the raw materials needed to keep pace. The investment required to drive this step-change in technology can’t be understated.
Invest in the transition to net zero
Our new active ETF, the Janus Henderson Net Zero Transition Resources Active ETF (Managed Fund) (ASX:JZRO) offers access to this multi-trillion dollar investment thematic. It can invest in companies worldwide that enable the transition to a net-zero carbon emission future, including EVs, low carbon transport and resource enablers.
1. Global Fuel Economy Initiative – International Energy Agency
2. Lithium Mining: How new production technologies could duel global EV revolution, McKinsey
3. Lithium industry needs $42 billion to meet 2030 demand – Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
4. EV market to Grow at CAGR 33.6% - Bloomberg
5. Global Fuel Economy Initiative – International Energy Agency
6. The role of critical minerals in clean energy transitions – International Energy Agency
For important product information and disclosures such as PDS and TMD, please visit: https://www.janushenderson.com/en-au/investor/product/net-zero-transition-resources-fund/


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Industry News – October 31, 2019
In a shocking move Jack Dorsey conveniently took to Twitter and announced that his company will no longer allow political and issue-based ads (click here to view the thread). My instant reaction was disappointment. I always had Twitter in my media plan for political and cause-based campaigns when the budget allowed.
What makes Twitter such a great platform for political and issue-based campaigns? The short bits of information Twitter was designed for is great for hot takes. If we know anything about political commentary today it’s all about the hot take. I understand Twitter doesn’t have the reach of other platforms, but nobody talks about “Trump Facebook Posts.” It’s the “Trump Tweet” because that’s the place to share hot takes and spark conversation.
In my opinion the timing of this announcement is nothing more than a PR stunt. Coming on the heels of Mark Zuckerberg vehemently defending Facebook’s stance on allowing political advertising on its platform Twitter is taking a shot at its much larger social media competitor. The question everyone in the political advertising space is asking themselves is whether or not Twitter’s stance will contribute enough additional pressure on Facebook to drastically limit or pull political ads from its platform altogether.
In the short term I believe Facebook will not bow to the pressure and continue to allow political and cause-based ads for the 2020 cycle. In the long term it may not be up to Facebook whether or not they continue this policy. We have already seen the first state take measures to effectively ban Facebook from running political ads. Many other politicians (both state and federal) have floated ideas of further regulating political ads.
I believe that Facebook is one more political ad scandal away from shuttering its political and issue-based ad business (either willingly or via regulation). One of three things will likely happen when the next scandal erupts:
Facebook will get ahead of the fallout by voluntarily shutting down their political and issue-based ad business.
Major brands will start pulling ads in protest (in the name of not wanting their brands associated with the offensive/false political content).
Government will force the issue.
So what does this mean for political and issue-based advertising going forward?
I think advertisers will be safe sticking with their plans to use Facebook (sans Washington) in the 2020 cycle. That said, as Elizabeth Warren’s campaign recently pointed out Facebook still makes it very easy to promote fake political news on its platform.
I believe the next major scandal with Facebook is inevitable and likely will occur during the 2020 cycle. Facebook is already not complying with their ban on these types of ads in the state of Washington. Political and issue-based advertisers should start testing other channels to reach their audience now. As Twitter has demonstrated Facebook could come out of nowhere and shut down their political and issue-based paid media business.


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Hamburger Hochbahn floats tender for purchase of 530 electric buses
German public transport provider Hamburger Hochbahn is planning to purchase 530 units of electric buses between 2021 and 2025. The purchase will mark the next generation of the electric buses to be used by the company which plans to order only emission-free vehicles from 2020 onwards.
For the purchase of the electric buses, Hamburger Hochbahn has launched a Europe-wide tender, seeking proposals from interested electric bus suppliers. The company has also announced the details related to the technical specifications of the electric buses it requires.
According to the tender published by Hamburger Hochbahn, one of the most crucial aspects affecting the selection of the new electric bus models is the expected driving range of the buses. The company is looking for a 200 km range, though it will initially consider a 150 km range for the first 50 articulated buses because of higher weight.
In its specifications for electric buses, Hamburger Hochbahn has left open the tactical option of procuring buses that are pure hydrogen vehicles or the buses with fuel cells as range extenders.
Nonetheless, in the invitation to the electric-bus tender, Hamburger Hochbahn has clearly specified that the electric buses should have the capability to avail overnight charging in the depot. The company has also added alongside that “offers are also welcome which, in addition to the depot shop, also allow ‘opportunity charging’ (charging at the terminal stops) in order to increase the range.”
United Kingdom News
- William Hill to merge online and retail divisions with Phil Walker in-charge
- BGC impressed by steps taken by UK casinos, disappointed by Government’s response
- Stephen Cohen reappointed as Commissioner of the Gambling Commission
- Online Sports Bettors don’t turn to Online Casinos during absence of sports: Research
- Blueprint Gaming launches Rhino Rampage video slot with new bonus feature concept


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Management consulting company Infosys Limited (NYSE: INFY) on Wednesday reported higher revenues and profit for the second quarter of 2022. Earnings matched the consensus estimates, while revenues beat.
The India-based tech firm reported net profit of $733 million or $0.17 per share for the September quarter, which is higher than $653 million or $0.15 per share reported in the prior-year quarter. Earnings matched Wall Street’s expectations.
The income growth was driven by a 21% increase in revenues to $3.99 billion, which marked a faster growth than what was widely expected.
“As we witness a strong market opportunity with global enterprises rapidly accelerating their digital journeys, our sustained investments in expanding capabilities, including the differentiated cloud play, Infosys Cobalt, has uniquely positioned us to continue serving our clients effectively, gain market share and emerge as the preferred cloud and digital transformation partner in the market,” said Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys.
In the past six months, Infosys’ stock gained about 19%, continuing the uptrend seen since the beginning of the year. The shares moved up early Wednesday following the earnings release, after closing the previous session higher.
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Shares of Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) were down over 1% on Wednesday, a day after the company reported earnings results for the third quarter of 2022. Revenue and earnings
Target Corporation (TGT): A look at how the retail giant is shaping up against an inflationary backdrop
Shares of Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) were up over 1% on Wednesday. The stock has dropped 30% year-to-date and 35% over the past 12 months. Last week the company reported
Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ: ZM) expanded its customer base at an accelerated pace during the COVID crisis and soon became the preferred video conferencing platform for businesses and millions of


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Missouri City tightens child-care facility zoning
Council tightens child-care facility zoning
Published 5:00 am, Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Child-care centers will find it more difficult to operate in Missouri City shopping centers, after City Council approved new zoning restrictions July 21.
Council members who support the new restrictions say child-care facilities hurt redevelopment plans for the Texas Parkway corridor. Business owners -- including restaurants that serve alcohol -- worry about the liability and danger of having children playing nearby, council members said.
Under the new ordinance, child-care centers choosing to locate in strip centers must go through a more rigorous review by the Zoning Commission and City Council. Those that wish to locate in stand-alone, commercially zoned property will face only a city staff review.
Twelve out of 34 child-care facilities in Missouri City are tenants in shopping centers, zoning officials said. They would be “grandfathered” under the new ordinance and would not be affected.
City Planning Director Ornita Green said research by the city’s economic development office and by consultants working on a Texas Parkway revitalization plan support the conclusion that child-care centers are bad for business.
“The information that they provided does strongly indicate that allowing those types of business does lead to the economic decline of those shopping centers,” Green said.
Mayor Pro Tem Eunice Reiter was the only official who voted against the zoning change. “I do not feel a shopping center location poses a danger to children. Our ordinance provides for securely fenced play areas, and kids are accompanied during pick-up and drop-off.”
Reiter dismissed complaints by other shopping center tenants as “based more on bias than on reality.”
Former City Councilman Don Smith spoke in support of the new restrictions, but urged the city staff to help day-care owners find suitable locations.
“Most of the time when one of these particular businesses takes a lease out in an underserved area, there is no hope of it being upgraded,” he said. “I just wouldn’t want my kids to play in a parking lot, even thought it’s fenced.”
The new zoning ordinance allows child-care facilities as a “use by right” in commercial and industrial zones, except when located in a “shopping center or integrated business development.”
To locate in a shopping center or business district, “an applicant would have to apply for a Specific Use Permit and go before the Planning and Zoning commission and City Council for approval,” Green said.
The ordinance also details requirements for all day-care centers that would be more difficult to meet in a strip center location, Green said. Those include a fully enclosed outdoor play area that is immediately adjacent to the center, with an 8-foot fence or wall. If the outdoor area is adjacent to a roadway or other area accessible by cars, the enclosure also must be reinforced with bollards.
No-wake rule OK’d
In other action, council gave final approval to a no-wake rule for motor boats on city park waters.
Motorized and other types of boats are now allowed on lakes in Buffalo Run and Independence parks. City officials say the no-wake rule will improve park safety and ensure that boat wakes do not cause lake-bank erosion.
The ordinance defines wake as “the track of waves left by a vessel moving through the water in excess of 5 mph,” and states, “It is unlawful for any vessel propelled by a motor to operate such motor within a no-wake zone so as to create a wake.”


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Celebrate NH Eat Local Month with Vital Communities
This August, Vital Communities joins more than 70 partners throughout the state to highlight NH Eat Local Month—a month-long celebration of local food and New Hampshire farmers and food producers. Find Upper Valley farms, farmers’ markets, and foods using Vital Communities’ Food & Farm Online Guide at vitalcommunities.org/guide, and join the celebration!
“New Hampshire residents and visitors, alike, are showing unprecedented interest in local food, and this month-long celebration offers a great opportunity to feature New Hampshire grown foods and farms,” said Gail McWilliam Jellie from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets& Food.
As part of the NH Eat Local Month festivities, stop by the historic town centers of Lebanon, Newport, Claremont, Wilmot, Canaan and Hanover during a weekly farmers’ market and taste the freshest, yummiest farm products. Pull over when you see a New Hampshire farm stand and find a treat for dinner. Keep an eye out for native-grown products at your local grocer. When you choose New Hampshire grown, you support a local family business. Increased interest in local food benefits us all by positively affecting the health of the economy, communities and environment.
“Nothing gives me the feeling of summer in New Hampshire like stopping at a market or farm stand to grab some fresh food for a picnic or fruit for the kids’ breakfast. Of course, sometimes the fruit doesn’t make it to breakfast!” said Beth Roy, Food & Farm program manager at Vital Communities. “I’m happy my family can support our local farms so easily.”
NH Eat Local Month also coincides with National Farmers’ Market Week, honoring farmers’ markets all across America. The celebration also includes a virtual scavenger hunt, buy local campaign, story sharing from farmers and businesses and events hosted by NH Eat Local Month partners. Find more information at nheatlocal.org and facebook.com/nheatlocal. To become a NH Eat Local Month partner, contact Samantha Cave at email@example.com.
Promotion of this year’s NH Eat Local Month is in collaboration with the NH Food Alliance, the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, Seacoast Eat Local and the Monadnock Food Co-op.


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Although it's been a while since Tales of Xillia has been announced for the west, it appears like localization has progressed quite far. Namco-Bandai released a new batch of screenshots on Facebook and it appears that there's English text in them. Although there isn't any UI translation or such, it's extremely reassuring knowing that the game is in glorious English. You don't believe me? Check them out yourself below!
[gallery title= "Tales of Xillia Screenshots"]


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Bleep UK PLC has made another stunning delivery at the All England Lawn Tennis Club with an installation of a complete event rental solution.
55 of our TS-915 EPOS Terminals and Integrated Ingencio iPP350 retail PIN pads have been deployed, providing retail outlets at the prestigious event with a fast, simple and secure EPOS and Payment solution.
We are supplying our award winning, world-renowned event system for the 10 retail stores at the Wimbledon Championships from the 3rd July to the 16th July. These pop up merchandise outlets sell a wide range of Wimbledon products, such as clothing, rackets, tennis shoes, balls and accessories, keyrings, bags, jewellery, gifts and souvenirs.
Currently we are also deploying a similar system for the Tour de France and just last month Bleep were at Glastonbury, Download Festival and the Champions League Final, highlighting our credentials as the supplier of event rental EPOS solutions for retail and hospitality operations.
Bleep UK PLC is an award winning designer and manufacturer of Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) systems and Payment solutions for retail and hospitality, including bars, nightclubs, pubs, restaurants, bakeries, fast food, stadia, arenas and world’s biggest and best events. We have over 30 years’ experience providing bespoke, innovative, flexible and reliable EPOS and Payment solutions for any business, for any requirement, in any industry, emphasised by over 25,000 installations worldwide.


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Beauty stores are poised for the highest growth in consumer spending.
Brands that measure the effect of their sponsorships are mostly focused on the upper parts of the purchase funnel.
A study found 8.5% of all paid traffic, and one in every 11.7 paid-traffic website visits, was invalid.
Convenience and cost trump values for many consumers in the United States.
Only lower-income households tend to prefer to shop on Black Friday instead of Cyber Monday for the holidays.
Advertisers are recommended to use an omniscreen strategy to reach and interact with holiday shoppers.
Latin America's strength in open programmatic ad spending on CTV offset weakness in other regions.
Effective ad-filtering also is beneficial for environmental sustainability, a key concern for the ad-tech industry.
More consumers this year said they like having an abundance of TV programming.
Misogyny is a common theme of real-world violence seen by teens on social media.


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- EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.
Diane Greene, executive VP of Google's cloud business, says the company will use massive scale to do what its customers can't do on their own.
Advance Auto Parts (AAP) reported lower-than-expected fiscal 2016 second quarter earnings this morning.
Advance Auto Parts (AAP) will report earnings and revenue for the 2016 second quarter before Tuesday's opening bell.