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Tag: frozen foods
CPG Trends on Display at Natural Products Expo West 2022
See some of the top trends from the Natural Products Expo West 2022 show that we believe will gain the most momentum this year and beyond.
Desiree Rosete / March 18, 2022
A Look at the CPG Industry One Year Later
It’s been over a year since the pandemic struck the CPG industry. See what strategies and product trends emerged and are here to stay.
Isabel Ramirez / May 13, 2021

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AM3 is now scheduled for the second half of 2008. AMD claims that it has delayed the AM3 plans as the cross over to DDR 3 won't happen until the middle of 2009 while AM3 "will be on time" before the big crossover happens. This also squares with AMD's planned 45 nanometre production. It is safe to claim that at least some of AM3 CPUs will be 45 nanometre.More details over here.
AM2+ and the 2007 cores will introduce TSI for fan control. TSI, which stands for "Thermal Sense Interface", is much more accurate than the current thermal diode and will ultimately save costs. It will be part of future south bridges and Super I/O..
AMD Socket AM3 to support DDR3
Posted on Friday, October 20 2006 @ 0:37 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck


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Attorneys general from eight states, including Massachusetts and New York, and the District of Columbia, announced in December that six major retailers—Aeropostale, Carter’s, David’s Tea, Disney, PacSun, and Zumiez—have agreed to stop scheduling employees for on-call shifts. The retailers agreed to end the practice after receiving letters from the AGs last April that sought information about the companies’ utilization of on-call shifts and expressed concern about the negative effects the practice has on employees. Following discussions with the AGs’ offices, all of the retailers that reported using on-call shifts agreed to substitute alternative staffing methods, and four additionally agreed to provide employees with their schedules at least one week in advance of the start of the work week.
Copyright © 2023, Foley Hoag LLP. All rights reserved.


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Arlington Toyota hosts Clearbrook charity food-tasting event in Palatine
PALATINE, Ill., Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- For the ninth year in a row, Clearbrook – an Arlington Heights, Illinois non-profit organization that looks to create opportunities for people with disabilities – will be hosting its Around the World Food Tasting charity event. This year, the event will take place on October 17th from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and be hosted by Arlington Toyota, a local-area automotive dealership.
The Around the World Food Tasting event gives attendees a chance to sample the delicious foods that are normally available at some of the most popular local restaurants in the Chicagoland area. Of course, food won't be the only activity available at this event, as there will also be a raffle and plenty of fun games for the whole family.
The raffle includes a grand prize that will give one lucky winner two tickets to the organization's popular Friends of Clearbrook Wine and Craft Beer Tasting Event this February, as well as round-trip transportation for the event from M&M Limousine Services.
In addition to Arlington Toyota, Around the World has a number of powerful sponsors that are sure to help this event be a great success. Residents of the area that are interested in tickets and registration can find information on the host's website, www.toyotaarlington.com. Ticket prices range from $30-40 depending on when and how many tickets are being purchased. Arlington Toyota is located at 2095 N. Rand Rd. in Palatine, Illinois. Questions can be directed to the dealership's sales staff at 888-474-5287.
Media Contact:Sandra Pierce, Arlington Toyota, 800-947-7898, email@example.com
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More Fortnite Spooky Skins Leaked In Update 6.10
More creepy and crawly skins join the Fortnite rotation.
Fortnite's version 6.10 update is now available, adding tournaments and a new vehicle alongside some bug fixes. As has become customary, though, Epic also used the opportunity to add some new skins that we'll be seeing in the store, and they fit this month's spooky Halloween theme nicely.
Fortnite Insider reports that the update added the Arachne and Spider Knight Legendary skins, Guan Yu Epic skin, and Onesie Rare skin. On top of that, it adds the Moonrise, Webbreaker, and Guandao pickaxes, Hatchling and Divine Dragon gliders, and the Long Legs, Spider Shield, and Loyal Shield back bling.
The update also adds the in-game tournaments feature, the first of which is going on now. It's a Solo tourney appropriately named the Alpha Tournament, and lasts through October 21. A separate Friday Night Fortnite squad tournament will be going on this and every Friday through the end of November. Tournaments can earn you pins to show off your skills, and sometime in the future your pins could act as qualifiers for higher-tier tournaments.
The update also adds a new Quadcrusher vehicle, which comes with a snowplow-like attachment and a special boost ability. It's a pretty hefty piece of machinery that seems engineered to cause destruction on the battlefield.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.


text: Mary Meeker’s 2017 Internet Trends Report – Slashdot Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker delivered her annual rapid-fire internet trends report at Code Conference. Here’s the summary: 1. Global smartphone growth is slowing: Smartphone shipments grew 3 percent year over year last year, versus 10 percent the year before. 2. Voice i….


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Apple Daily, a Hong-Kong based blog site, claims that the larger 5.5inch iPhone will be called the iPhone 6L. Few weeks after the arrival of the iPhone 5S, rumours about Apple working on a larger edition of iPhone started gaining momentum.
Even though major smartphone brands like Samsung, LG, Sony and even lesser known brands running on Android OS have been selling large-sized smartphones, Apple has been offering 'pocket-friendly' iPhones of less than 5inches for several years. Last year's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C features 4.7inch display screen.
In the coming month, Apple is heavily reported to reveal not one but two variants of iPhone 6. The first one is going to be a regular sized (4.7inch) iPhone 6 and there will be larger iPhone sporting a 5.5inch which will be named as iPhone 6L where L would probably mean large.
iPhone 6L to Arrive Next Year or This Fall?
The iPhone 6L would certainly be Apple's first 'phablet' smartphone venture. Speculations have it that even the iPhone 6L will be announced in the coming month, but it won't be available for purchase until the end of this year or even at the beginning of next year. So, it may so happen that only the regular sized iPhone 6 may come out in the market by this fall.
Another talk about the new iPhone models coming from Taiwan's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission indicates that both the handsets are slated to arrive soon in the market. NBTC has approved both the variants of iPhones with model numbers A1586 (4.7inch iPhone 6) and A1524 (5.5inch iPhone 6L) on August 8.
According to BGR, the Cupertino company wanted the news about the two iPhone 6 models to be kept secret. However, according to the regulations set by the government, the information about the two iPhone 6 had to be disclosed to the world.
According to fresh speculations, the iPhone 6L edition will be packed with a larger capacity battery of 2915mAh. The 4.7inch edition will be powered by a 1810mAh battery. Both iPhone 6 models will be running on the all new A8 processor delivering a fast speed of 2.0GHz.
Both the new editions of iPhone 6 are expected to come housed with numerous features like NFC, Touch ID, new redesigned chassis and enhanced camera. Apple is heavily suspected to unveil the next iPhone during a press event that will be held on September 9.


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Take-Two Interactive has filed a lawsuit to end the Re3 project, which uses reverse engineering to target source code GTA III I GTA Vice City And offer these games on more platforms – where they haven’t been officially released.
In fact, there’s a lot you can do with a game’s source code, especially for the gaming community. modern manufacturerBut bringing these classic games to consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PS Vita has been the biggest issue for Take-Two.
Source: Rock Star
This further fuels rumors that we should be seeing a trilogy of classic series titles GTA being released by the end of the year. It seems that the developer is concerned about restricting unofficial access to these games on the platforms where they will be released, such as the Nintendo Switch itself.
This concern is also reflected in the legal documents of the process. In the complaint, Take Two’s lawyers make the following statement:
“The defendants, perhaps most notably, allege that their source code GTA Allows players to install and play the game on multiple platforms, including those where the game has never been released, such as PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch.”
Take-Two Re3 seeks a preliminary injunction to stop the project’s activity immediately while proceedings are ongoing, even before the judge makes any decision.


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The Green Grid continues to develop and release useful metrics for datacenter evaluation
Five Nines: The Next Gen Datacenter
David Chernicoff looks at technologies that impact data center users and operators, including server consolidation and virtualization, green IT, and the latest hardware advances.
With more than 20 years of published writings about tech, as well as industry stints as everything from a database developer to CTO, David Chernicoff has earned the term "veteran" in the technology world.
Xserve administrators are now looking to Apple for systems management and services for their Mac clients, but Windows and Linux to handle file and web services.
eBay's latest datacenter is only the fourth in the country to achieve LEED Gold certification
The US hosting market is an attractive one to providers from other countries looking to globalize their operations.
Dell's pre-packaged cloud back-end solutions look to solve problems quickly.
Market growth has been slowed not just by the economy but also by the need to find new ways to consistently evaluate infrastructure hardware.
Facebook makes a $450 million dollar investment in their second, wholly-owned datacenter.
With mainstream users buying into the containerized datacenter model, the market gets a shot in the arm
OS X Server may be a great product, but Apple releasing it into the wild just doesn't seem to be in the cards, despite the wishful thinking of its supporters.
Apple quietly drops their datacenter server hardware.


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Global air travel: Complete revival not possible before 2025, Indians flocking to Southeast Asia, says IATA
As more and more South East Asian countries open international boundaries and ease restrictions, even with varying Covid-19 testing norms, the travel industry is set for a revival. Indians in significant numbers are choosing South East Asian regions for luxury vacations.
The overall air traffic on February 2022 including both domestic and international flights was up by 115.9 per cent compared to February 2021 according to data tracked by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The improvement is by large margins compared to January and February travel figures. Compared to pre-COVID February 2019, however, traffic was down 45.5 per cent.
Domestic air travel saw a more significant upswing than international travel. It was up by 60.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2021 but is 21.8 per cent low compared to the pre-pandemic era, latest in 2019.
In domestic markets, U.S has seen a significant revival but countries like Japan, and Australia is still down by more than50 per cent compared to February 2019 travel traffic. China which already has lower by 35.3 per cent domestic travel traffic still under strict lockdown and travel restrictions are expected to witness further deterioration in March. Russia too is expected to witness a sharp fall in international travel in March for sanctions and war with Ukraine.
International travel levels overall are 59.6 per cent down compared to February 2019, however, when compared with other months or a year ago, there is a market uptrend. There is a year-on-year improvement of165.5 per cent. All regions improved their performance from last few months as upto February 2022 figures.
The patchy border reopening in the two largest markets of Asia, Japan, and China led to the lowest air traffic rise in Asia-Pacific airlines. While China is. still hanging to its zero Covid policy, being largely shut to the rest of the world, Japan is still allowed foreigners who are students or business travelers.
Hence with North Asia remaining close, southeast Asian countries are leading the way in cross-border travel. Even then the traffic is just 10 per cent of 2019 levels at the start of the year and by late March it reached 38 per cent of the pre-pandemic level, a significant surge said a Reuters report.
Singapore and the Philippines with the most relaxed Covid norms for tourists had the largest uptick in bookings, up to 72 percent that of 2019 levels. Thailand, however, with its on arrival OCR test and institutional isolation requirements just picked up 24 percent of its booking level from pre-pandemic levels.
Singapore had the highest uptick in travelers witnessed had 67,760 arrivals in February 2022, according to its tourism board data, 18.5 per cent higher than the previous month. Indians represent the largest group of travelers to Singapore in January and February this year with over 27,000 visitors arriving. Indonesians and Malaysians from the next largest groups.
IATA expects that air traffic within the Asia Pacific will not entirely bounce back to the pre-pandemic levels before 2025, considering there no major epidemic breaks out again calling for restrictions and China, the largest source of tourists in the region opening to overseas travel.


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Technicolor has appointed Richard Moat as CEO, replacing Frédéric Rose.
Moat most recently held the position of CEO at Eir Limited, before which he served as Deputy CEO and CFO of Everything Everywhere Limited, and CEO of Orange Romania, Denmark and Thailand.
As Technicolor CEO, Moat will be based in Paris, playing a key role in accelerating the company’s path towards growth, value creation and financial sustainability.
Technicolor recently saw its financial rating downgraded by Moody’s.
“I am very pleased to be joining Technicolor,” he said. “With its wealth of creative talent, its technology and know-how, the company has the key strengths to extend its leadership across its business sectors. I look forward to leading the team in the achievement of long-term sustainability.”
“I would like to thank Frédéric Rose for his contribution and dedication to Technicolor,” added Anne Bouverot, chairperson of the Board. “Since joining the company in 2008, Frédéric restructured its portfolio, focusing the company on its current market leading businesses and successfully rebranding the company into Technicolor.”


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A huge new retail park is under way in Yorkshire. Axiom is the largest retail, leisure and sports development to be built on an out of town site in England for 20 years. Located just off the M62 in the middle of Yorkshire, it will cover an enormous 106 acres of land once complete. If work is finished on time, the complex will open in 2021.
Described by the developers as a fully covered retail and leisure destination, it will comprise of more than 75 retail, leisure and restaurant units. Amongst those already signed up are big high street names such as Boots, M&S, Next and Primark. It is estimated that the retail park will create 2,000 new FTE jobs once it is open to the public. 2.2 million people live within a 30 minute drive time of the development and an estimated 90,000 cars will pass the site each day whilst travelling on the M62.
According to Axiom’s official website, there will be £39million of private sector investment into nearby facilities including a new Community Stadium for Castleford Tigers Rugby League Club too. Andy Wallhead, Corporate Director of Regeneration and Economic Growth at Wakefield Metropolitan District Council has spoken positively about the benefits the park will bring stating: “Wakefield are proud to be working in partnership with the Axiom team to deliver this significant development including a new home for Castleford Tigers. As a local authority, we have a track record for being forward thinking and innovative. Axiom shares these same values and will become a flagship regeneration project that communities in Wakefield and the Five Towns can be proud of.”
Joaple have been established for more than 30 years and during this time have built up a reputation for providing high quality shopfitting equipment as competitive prices. We supply a wide range of products including baskets, shelf dividers and leaflet displays both nationally and internationally. For more information please get in touch today by calling +44 01924 468940 .


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Registration is now closed but don't worry, you will still have an opportunity to watch the webinar. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the website-
Join the RLA on February 3, 2021, 2 PM-3 PM ET. Special guest speaker Sayon Deb, Manager, Market Research of CTA.
CES®, owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, is the most influential tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. Join us as Sayon shares the highlights from the just-completed event, held digitally in January. He will also present trends emanating from the show.


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By striving to meet our commitments on packaging, water, energy and carbon reduction, we aim to leave a positive legacy and ensure minimal impact on the environment.
The world has a packaging problem and like all companies, we have a responsibility to help solve it. By investing in our planet and our packaging, we can help make the world’s packaging problem a thing of the past. We’re committed to waste reduction, recycling, collection and innovation of packaging that are focused on where we can make the most difference.
07 September 2020
Coca-Cola Oceania and Coca-Cola Amatil reach ambitious recycled plastic goal
24 September 2019
Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) has welcomed the Government’s announcement that work has begun to develop a beverage Container Return Scheme (CRS) for New Zealand.
30 July 2019
Coca-Cola Oceania and Coca-Cola Amatil Jointly Announce a Major Increase in Recycled Plastic


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From November 26th to November 30th, AWS re:Invent, Amazon’s signature cloud technology conference for the global cloud computing community, was held in Las Vegas. As the AWS global partner, and the operator of International Incubator of Qingdao-Amazon AWS Joint Innovation Center, the first joint innovation center licensed by Amazon Headquarters, United Innovation Services was invited by AWS to participate in the event. More than 50,000 people made their way to Las Vegas to join over 2,100 sessions and hear from AWS CEO Andy Jassy and key strategic leaders about the advancements AWS is making to its cloud platform and insights into how to get the most value from using those capabilities.
AWS looms large among public cloud service providers, with double the share of its next nine largest competitors in the important infrastructure as a service market. During AWS re:Invent, AWS CEO Andy Jassy revealed the pubic cloud giant’s new products, partnerships and technology initiatives. After announcing a partnership with VMware two years ago, and unveiling VMware Cloud on AWS earlier this year, Amazon Web Services will be launching its own datacenter hardware, AWS Outposts. This new offering expands the partnership AWS has with VMware. Andy said AWS Outposts provides a way to run AWS infrastructure on premises for a ‘truly consistent’ hybrid experience. AWS will advance machine learning with new chip, Elastic Inference. To address the high cost of inference, AWS introduced Amazon Elastic Inference and a new processor called AWS Inferentia. Also, AWS launched the AWS DeepRacer, a four-wheel drive mini-race car. Andy explained that the AWS DeepRacer is a fully autonomous race car designed to get customers to adopt reinforcement learning. AWS VP of Global Infrastructure Peter DeSantis made an announcement that AWS makes Arm processors available in the cloud with new Graviton processor.
Apart from keynote speeches, United Innovation Services has also proactively participated in AWS re:Invent Expo. With hundreds of exhibitors, the expo brought various technical demonstrations which showcased the breadth and depth of market leaders’ cloud services. AWS customers, partners, industry experts and thought-leaders have attended the Expo. United Innovation Services is a part of AWS Partner Network (APN), which helps APN Partners build successful AWS-based business practices and solutions. Yang Zhong, General Manager of United Innovation Services North America Innovation Center, had an in-depth conversation with Shane Day, Director of APN Ambassador Program, talking about United Innovation Services' experience in operating International Incubator of Qingdao-Amazon AWS Joint Innovation Center, which provides incubator for startups, accelerator for enterprise transformation, cloud innovation school and international startup program. Aidar Kussainov, Business Development Manager of United Innovation Services North America Innovation Center, talked to representatives of a number of feature companies, such as VMware, MongoDB and 2nd Watch, and engaged in AWS Village, Developer Lounge, Sponsor booths, Content Theater, Partner Theaters, Builders Fair, and Lounges to learn about the latest technologies and premium products.
The International Incubator of Qingdao-Amazon AWS Joint Innovation Center focuses on incubating outstanding projects in cloud service, big data, Internet of Things, AI, smart manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, new finance, new energy and new materials. As China’s first incubation operator on the industrial chain, United Innovation Services is committed to building a platform for global innovation and ecological development, and focuses on the operation of science and technology parks and incubators, fund management and post-investment service.
AWS re:Invent serves as a great platform for technology learning. United Innovation Services will leverage the concepts learned from AWS re:Invent to innovation. At the event, many companies expressed strong demand for landing in China and expanding the Chinese market.


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Propel partner Jay Reinemann shares his advice for fintech entrepreneurs
Fintech founder- After the last financial crisis, many people lost trust in the institutions that had failed them. This helped give rise to the booming fintech scene today, according to Jay Reinemann, a partner at venture capital firm Propel: those who felt let down by the traditional financial industry started to look for different products and services.
Reinemann says a good fintech founder creates a business to solve a problem, not to make money. That could be preventing customers from being punished with fees when they go into overdraft, or finding a way to better inform them on the financial services they sign up for. “What makes a great founder is that they have found something that they’re super-passionate about, and it drives them to try to understand the problem better than anybody else, or to see it in a different light,” Reinemann says.
He looks for entrepreneurs who can identify where traditional business models have failed customers. Good fintech startups, he says, should give users an incentive to do the right thing in a way that benefits both the customer and the startup – by convincing people to save more money or get better insurance, for example. Building trust is imperative.
Finally, anyone looking to start a successful fintech company has to expect some risk, and must be patient. “Unfortunately, in financial services, as a startup you don’t necessarily know how well you’re doing until your customers have to start paying you back the loans,” he says.
Over the next few years, Reinemann predicts that fintech will revolutionise industry supply chains where paper processes are still being used, such as in the restaurant industry where orders are made manually.


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Shop Maryland Energy Tax Free Weekend: Feb. 18-20 (VIDEO)
Need a new appliance? You can save money and help the environment by taking part in Shop Maryland Energy Tax Free Weekend from Feb. 18 – 20.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot has been traveling across the state of Maryland to kick off his statewide promotional tour to encourage Marylanders to go green.
During the weekend of February 18th, Maryland residents will get a break from the state’s six-percent sales tax on Energy Star products that qualify.
You can find more information, here.
Shop Maryland Energy Tax Free Weekend for ENERGY STAR Products
Save money on ENERGY STAR Appliances President’s Day Weekend, Feb.18-20 pic.twitter.com/5iMc3ZP6Kl
— Montgomery County MD (@MontgomeryCoMD) February 13, 2017


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Ford reported increased US quarterly sales Wednesday, rounding out a series of upbeat performance updates in a still-robust auto market that has yet to feel significant pain from a labor strike.
Ford, one of three US car giants contending with a United Auto Workers strike, reported an eight percent jump in third-quarter US sales, pointing to substantial increases in truck sales -- including for the best-selling F-150 pickup line.
The impressive sales reflect the benefit of much-improved vehicle availability after carmakers were stymied in the year-ago period by shortages of semiconductors and other supply chain issues.
But auto industry watchers are girding for a more difficult fourth quarter in light of a strike that shows no sign of resolution any time soon. On Wednesday, the UAW released a hard-hitting new ad blasting Detroit's "Big Three" automakers, General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.
Increased borrowing costs are also expected to drag down consumer interest.
While tighter inventories in light of the UAW strike could weigh on sales, "faltering demand" will be a bigger reason for a drop in the sales rate, said a note from Oxford Economics.
"Interest rates to finance new vehicles are still increasing and banks are still tightening lending conditions on auto loans," Oxford Economics said. "We also expect the unemployment rate to rise modestly over the coming quarters, which will contribute to softening demand."
Ford's sales increase was roughly in line with analyst expectations, better than the one percent drop seen by Stellantis, but lagging General Motors' 21 percent surge during the period.
Besides those three companies, a series of foreign producers also scored big sales increases, including Toyota (+12 percent), Honda (+52.7 percent) and Nissan (+40.8 percent).
Ford's overall truck sales surged more than 15 percent, with the F-series up more than 13 percent.
Ford also saw sales gains in its electric vehicles and hybrids, which together comprised about 12 percent of total volume.
"The pace of this year's sales recovery continues to exceed expectations," said a note from JPMorgan Chase, which pointed to "continued improvements in inventory availability" as a driver.
As with GM and Stellantis, Ford's press release made no mention of the UAW strike.
The UAW launched a targeted strike on September 15 on the Detroit Three, calling for stoppages at a handful of plants, while leaving most of the union's 146,000 US hourly auto workers on the job.
On Friday, the UAW expanded the strike for the second time, ordering additional stoppages at GM and Ford plants but sparing Stellantis due to progress in the talks.
The new union ad features footage of President Biden's visit to a Michigan picket line last week and GM Chief Executive Mary Barra fielding a question in a broadcast interview about her nearly $30 million salary.
The ad, titled "broken promises," also shows workers recounting the effects of significant pay and benefit concessions connected to the 2008 federal bailouts and slamming the "billionaire's economy."
While the strike has yet to significantly affect the car market, analysts say a prolonged stoppage could cause vehicle inventories to plummet, damaging the Detroit companies' profitability and likely boosting auto prices.
Ford said its inventories at the end of September stood at 424,400, above the level at the end of 2022 but well below the pre-pandemic scale of 657,651 in December 2018.
The 120-year-old company, which is credited with starting the moving assembly line that enabled automobile mass production, announced late Tuesday that it had made another "comprehensive offer" to resolve the UAW impasse.
"Ford appears to be at its wits' end," said a note from CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson.
"It is unclear if it will appease the UAW, but if not, we think if the union could potentially opt to expand its strike to high-margin pickup truck plants, such as Ford's F-150 plants ... which would represent a major escalation."
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Kroger Names Josh Harpole as New VP of Merchandising for Louisville Division
LOUISVILLE, KY - Kroger has recently announced the appointment of a new Vice President of Merchandising for its Louisville Division. Josh Harpole, former District Manager within Kroger’s King Soopers Division, has been tapped to fill the role, overseeing merchandising for 116 stores and over 17,000 employees throughout Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and Southern Indiana.
"His knowledge in both operations and merchandising will help our teams deliver a great experience as we work to serve America through food inspiration and uplift," Ann Reed, Louisville Division President, said in a statement reported by Louisville Courier Journal.
Harpole joined the King Soopers Division in 1994 as a courtesy clerk and continued to hold a variety of leadership roles. In 2006, he was named Operations Coordinator, and then, in 2008, was promoted to Assistant Merchandiser for Deli/Bakery, and later, Merchandiser for the same department.
The most recent position Harpole has held is that of District Manager, a role he was appointed to in 2017. Not only experienced, but well educated, Harpole earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Regis University as well as a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado.
"Louisville is an exciting, growing division and I can’t wait to get started,” Harpole said in a release.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for all the latest in retail news.


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SaKong Il, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, will not seek a second term despite his upbeat reappointment prospects, the state-run trade body said Tuesday.
SaKong, 73, has been overseeing the association’s operations, including supporting small- and mid-size firms and improving the domestic business environment over the past three years. His term is to expire Feb. 22.
“I wish to contribute to the development of the national economy and trade industry as a Korean citizen without being attached to the position,” SaKong was quoted as saying by KITA officials.
SaKong’s second term was widely expected by industry observers who credit him with successfully spearheading the preparations for the 2010 G20 summit in Seoul and pushing for the ratification of free trade pacts with the European Union and the U.S.
In the wake of a global financial meltdown in 2009, he took the helm at KITA and contributed to the robust rebound of Asia’s fourth-largest economy by boosting exports. Korea became the ninth country to hit the $1 trillion trade milestone last year, after the U.S., Germany, China, Japan, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the U.K.
By Shin Hyon-hee


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CDL Hospitality Trusts' Q1 DPS down 9%
CDL Hospitality Trusts (CDLHT) posted a 9 per cent drop in distribution per stapled security (DPS) to 2.22 Singapore cents for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, due to a challenging operating environment and leaner corporate travel budgets.
CDLHT, which is a stapled
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new York The dwindling prospect of a swift trade agreement with China scares US investors. The Dow Jones index lost one percent to 27,503 points in New York on Tuesday. The broader S & P 500 returned 0.7 percent to 3093 meters. The technology exchange Nasdaq noted 0.6 percent easier at 8521 posts. On Monday, Wall Street had already paused because of the announcement of punitive tariffs on aluminum and steel from Argentina and Brazil.
Triggering the recent sales was the statement by US President Donald Trump, he could imagine that a trade agreement with China will also be closed only after the US presidential election in November 2020. "The sudden new saber-rattling has taken the markets on the wrong foot," said investment strategist Michael Hewson from broker CMC Markets.
The hope that both sides will develop a so-called "phase one" trade agreement had led the US markets to peak levels last month. Recent news dampened expectations, fueling renewed concerns about a global slowdown and a decline in corporate earnings.
Investors wondered if it would even come to an agreement, said Randy Frederick broker Charles Schwab. In addition, a tightening of US punitive tariffs on Chinese goods is planned for 15 December. "These are on consumer goods that have not been affected so far."
For additional unrest caused Trump with new tirades against Europe, which fueled the fear of the flaring up of a trade dispute with the EU. The stumbling block is a digital tax decided by France that would hit US companies like Facebook, Apple and Amazon.
Single values in focus
Their papers were down to 1.8 percent weaker in New York. By contrast, Google shares gained almost 0.5 percent. The losers on Wall Street included chip companies like NVidia, whose business relies heavily on trade with China. The share fell just under 0.8 percent.
Shares in General Electric (GE) also fell short of 1.5 percent, following a fund investor's day spent in the health care industry. JPMorgan analyst Stephen Tusa was disappointed with GE's guidance for this business, which was among the lowest market expectations.
In the US bond market, trend-setting ten-year government bonds rose sharply by 30/32 points to 100 10/32 points, yielding 1.72 percent. The euro barely moved in US trade. At the close on Wall Street, the common currency cost $ 1.1081. The European Central Bank had previously set the reference price at 1.1071 (Monday: 1.1023) dollars. The dollar had cost 0.9032 (0.9071) euros.
More: Be it gold, bitcoins or sophisticated legal constructions: those looking for alternatives to the major capital markets face their own risks.
(t) Wall Street (t) Stock Exchange (t) Trading Dispute (t) China (t) Stock Market (t) Investment (t) Share (t) Investment Tip Stock (t) Standard & Poor's (t) Apple (t) CMC Markets (t) Charles Schwab (t) Nvidia (t) Astellas Pharma (t) Caterpillar (t) AK Steel (t) Advanced Micro Devices Inc (t) Amazon (t) Donald Trump


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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) Acting Director Mick Mulvaney issued the following statement regarding actions by the Department of the Treasury and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to promote innovation in the financial services marketplace:
“We welcome the important steps taken by our fellow agencies to promote innovation. Success will be determined by how well U.S. regulators coordinate their efforts. We look forward to working with our State and Federal partners to ensure American global leadership in the FinTech space for years to come.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that implements and enforces Federal consumer financial law and ensures that markets for consumer financial products are fair, transparent, and competitive. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov.


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It's official! After weeks of unfounded rumors surrounding Nicolas Ghesquiere's replacement at Balenciaga, Alexander Wang was finally confirmed as the Parisian label's new creative director this morning.
Wang's new role comes on the heels of Ghesquiere's sudden departure from Balenciaga last month after a 15-year stint at the helm of the fashion house. According to a press release from Balenciaga's parent company PPR, "Alexander Wang has responsibility for designing the brand's women's and men's ready-to-wear and accessories collections, as well as for Balenciaga's image." But have no fear, Wang fans: The designer will continue to have a heavy hand in his New York-based eponymous label.
In less than a decade, Wang has built a multi-million dollar business in downtown New York — as well as an impressive international following. His collections of ready-to-wear and accessories are some of the most coveted pieces to come out of Fashion Week each season (complete with the most buzzed-about after parties) and he's had incredible success with his diffusion line, T by Alexander Wang. Wang is known for his cool, commercial streetwear — as opposed to Ghesquiere's artful, couture-inspired designs — so we're very curious to see what he brings for his first collection at Balenciaga for Fall/Winter 2013.
Are you excited to see what the American designer will bring to Paris?


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RESORTS ADD ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS
SAM Magazine—Windham, N.Y. Jan. 24, 2013—Electric vehicle drivers can now charge up at three ski resorts across the U.S. Windham Mountain, N.Y., and Mount Abram, Me., have joined first-mover Stevens Pass, Wash., by adding charging stations.
Windham unveiled its new ChargePoint charging station last weekend. It is the only one in Greene County, N.Y. As such it fills a large geographic gap in charging services, which are confined to more urban areas an hour from the resort. Windham offers the service free of, er, charge.
Windham Mountain participated in a New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) program to become a ChargePoint location.
Stevens Pass, like Windham, is also a ChargePoint site. Stevens received a federal grant to buy its two stations, but paid for installation itself. Each station can provide a trickle charge (120Volt) and a quick charge (240Volt) to two separate electric vehicles simultaneously, allowing a total of four electric vehicles to charge at the same time. The chargers are available 24/7, at an average fee of $5.
Mount Abram has installed a pair of 220-volt charging centers located close to the main lodge, and they are available to guests who drive electric or hybrid vehicles. Drivers can even reserve charging times. Along those same lines, Stevens says it will set up a reservation system if that becomes necessary in the future.


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A collection of news and information related to Market Research published by this site and its partners.
Displaying items 1-12 of 122 » View wsbt.com items only1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >
NEW YORK (AP) — Russians prefer their Lay's potato chips dusted in caviar and crab flavors. The Chinese like their Oreos stuffed with mango and orange cream. And in Spain, Kellogg's All-Bran cereal is served floating in hot coffee instead of cold...
BOYNE CITY — Imagine waking up, looking out the window at the sun rising over Lake Charlevoix, then walking out the door to a bustling sidewalk. A short stroll from one end of town to the other reveals multiple coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants,...
Reuters* Ethylene prices tumbled as U.S. uses shale gas to up output * Europe petchems cushioned from low ethylene price by propylene * U.S. players now widening use of shale gas to make propylene * Propylene prices set to fall in line with higher output...
ReutersFRANKFURT (Reuters) - The oil-dependent European petrochemicals industry could be in for a body blow as U.S. rivals seek to get a wider range of raw materials out of cheap shale gas to make more plastics, coatings and adhesives. U.S. players including...
ReutersJun 03 (TheWrap.com) - MTV's hit cult series "Teen Wolf" returns to the cable airwaves for its season 3 premiere on Monday evening at 10 p.m. Though to super fans, the show never really went on hiatus 10 months ago. It just moved to different platforms....
ReutersBy Marcy Nicholson NEW YORK, June 3 (Reuters) - In an increasingly diet-conscious nation where the amount of chocolate candy sold has tumbled in recent years, a niche segment of the U.S. market is taking off: so-called "healthier" chocolate. Studies...
Tags: Global Expansion, Nestle SA, Consumers, New Products, Chocolates
Going beyond previous estimates, market research firm IDC said it expects that tablet computers will outsell laptops this year. Tablets were already on pace to beat sales of desktop computers: By 2015, IDC said, tablets will have more market share...
Tags: Google+, Apple iPad, Marketing, Consumers, Corporate Performance
ReutersJun 06 (TheWrap.com) - Google data about searches for movies, especially trailers, is an increasingly accurate predictor of box-office performance, a new study from the search giant found. Movie studios and market researchers already turn to Google to...
Tags: Entertainment, Marketing, Movies, Google Inc.
A local marketing consulting firm announced the addition of two new members. Brittany Shaffer and Scott George joined Proximo Marketing Strategies in May. The company’s staff doubled from three in January. Shaffer, from Knoxville, Tenn., is...
ReutersMay 29 (TheWrap.com) - From "Iron Man 3" to "Gangnam Style," films, YouTube clips, music and television shows are breaking through cultural and language barriers in unprecendented fashion. Fueled by the growth of social media platforms, entertainment is...
AMELIA ISLAND — The ACC is at a pivotal point in its history. So crucial is this particular moment in the conference's 60-year life span that its leaders believe new, fresh and unconventional ideas are needed to help bolster its national...
Tags: Marketing, Syracuse Orange, Jimbo Fisher, NFL Pro Bowl, Sports
ReutersBy Adam Jourdan SHANGHAI, May 23 (Reuters) - The rolling green hills and gurgling blonde toddlers in the ads for Yashili International Holdings Ltd underscore how keen China's biggest milk powder producers are to appear global to emerge from the shadow...
Tags: Beijing (China), Ai Weiwei, Standards, Marketing, Consumers
May 6, 2012 |Story| WSBT-TV
Jun 17, 2013 |Story| Petoskey News
Jun 14, 2013 |Story| Reuters
Jun 14, 2013 |Story| Reuters
Jun 3, 2013 |Story| Wrap
Jun 3, 2013 |Story| Reuters
May 28, 2013 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Jun 6, 2013 |Story| Wrap
Jun 4, 2013 |Story| Daily Press
May 29, 2013 |Story| Wrap
May 23, 2013 |Story| Orlando Sentinel
May 22, 2013 |Story| Reuters
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A NUMBER of food and drink businesses in North Somerset have been shortlisted for awards.
A RESTAURANT chain has become the latest business to sign up to the £45million Dolphin Square scheme.
WITH days to go until the start of National Stationery Week, one village gift company is hosting a competition for local children.
FOR the past eight-and-a-half years, a brewery in Cheddar has been growing by around 10 per cent a year.
A BEAUTY salon has unveiled its new premises.
WESTON has been hailed as one of the country’s best destinations for coach visitors after multiple businesses from the town were nominated for tourism awards.
A WASTE management company in Weston has continued its expansion by offering new services.
Europe’s biggest shoe retailer has opened its doors in Weston.
ARROW Cars has been handed a five-year contract to provide taxis for passengers to and from Bristol Airport.
A TOTAL of 244 businesses based in North Somerset have signed up to be partners for the Hinkley Point C project – something which could be a ‘huge benefit’ to the district’s economy.
A CARE home in Weston has been named as the seventh best in the whole of the UK.
A FAMILY-RUN jewellers in Weston is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month.
MAYFAIR Town & Country has given Bone Cancer Research a financial boost.
THE first phase of the Tropicana makeover is now complete, with the inside stripped to its bare bones, and the building is on track to open before the summer.
The number of empty shops in Weston town centre has been a cause for concern on Streetlife this week.
max temp: 12°C
min temp: 11°C


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Climate change: what consumers can do, what governments need to do
Consumers hear a lot about how to fight climate change, but what can they actually do? A new report reveals what individuals can do to save the planet, and what governments need to do to help them.
Finally, some good news about climate change. In a report called Climate Change: the role of consumers, researchers from the Quebec consumer rights group Union des consommateurs note that most consumers are willing to change their lifestyle to reduce their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Among other studies, the authors quote an OECD survey of 12,000 respondents in 11 countries that found 80% of Canadians were willing to make sacrifices to save the planet.
The positive findings were the starting point for a study looking at what consumers can actually do to reduce their GHG emissions. “We looked at the information consumers are getting in the media, and from there, we evaluated what consumers can actually do in their daily lives,” says Élisabeth Gibeau, a social policy and fiscal analyst and co-author of the study.
Climate Change: the role of consumers reveals that household consumption accounts for between 60 and 75% of planetary GHG emissions. After reviewing an array of studies by environmental groups, universities and governments, Gibeau and co-authors Catherine Brown and Nikolas Barry-Shaw concluded that individual consumers’ largest carbon footprint lies in three sectors: food, transport and housing.
Within these categories, the three most effective actions consumers can take to reduce GHG emissions are: stop driving cars, forego air travel and reduce meat consumption by eating a diet based on vegetable proteins.
The case against meat
As the report shows, the case for reducing meat consumption is clear. Among many studies, the authors quote one from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stating that raising livestock accounts for 14.5% of all GHG emissions generated by humans (food production generates 26% of emissions overall). No less than 61% of livestock emissions come from raising cattle, including 20% for milk. (Pork accounts for 9% and chicken and eggs for 8% of GHG emissions for livestock.)
The message for consumers is clear. A study from Johns Hopkins University reports that consumers could reduce their GHG emissions by 7.4 gigatonnes by 2050 by eating 75% less meat and dairy. That amount is the equivalent of all GHG emissions from transportation (7 gigatonnes).
Yet the study’s authors discovered that governments are doing little, if anything, to encourage consumers to forego meat.
We didn’t find a single government policy encouraging consumers to eat vegetable proteins instead of animal proteins.”
Elisabeth Gibeau, analyst at Union des consommateurs who cl-authored the study
Among other recommendations, the authors endorse those made by Oxford University environmental researcher Joseph Poore, who argues that foods should have obligatory labels indicating their environmental footprint.
New Transportation Habits
GHG emissions from the transport sector are the second highest source of GHG emissions in Canada, accounting for 24% of total emissions in 2017, and that figure is rising: between 1990 and 2017, emissions from transport increased by 43%, a jump explained largely by growing sales of transport trucks as well as light trucks and SUVs. “The principal recommendation we saw in all sources was for people to use public transport,” says Gibeau. Research shows that by using public transport instead of a car to commute (an average of 32 kilometres per day, five days a week) households can reduce their carbon footprint by 8.1% (compared to, say, 1.2% for insulating an attic).
Reducing air traffic is also within consumers’ reach. Climate Change quotes predictions by the European Commission that if the current momentum continues, distances travelled by air will increase 222% by 2035. GHG emissions associated with air travel will increase by 152%. The authors found that environmental groups unanimously agreed on a simple solution: people should take holidays closer to home. One research source concluded that the environmental impact of choosing the train could be 45 times smaller than air travel.
Yet again, the report’s authors argue that consumers need more support from governments to reduce GHG emissions from transport.
Governments are responsible for most of the actions that give consumers choice, like increasing public transport and controlling urban sprawl.”
Governments need to get serious
At the moment, Canada’s federal and provincial governments have a poor record when it comes to helping consumers fight climate change. The authors quote an international report showing that Canadians make the most car trips per inhabitant in urban areas on the planet. In Quebec, only 14% of those who commuted to work five days a week used public transport in 2016, with the vast majority of workers in the province (78%) still using individual cars.
The report criticizes governments at all levels for not doing enough to reduce the number of cars on the roads or the distances people drive, beyond passing laws on fuel efficiency. The authors note that in the 2019 budgets of Canada’s provincial and federal governments, funding for public transport is stagnant.
The federal government is also failing to help consumers reduce air travel. While different environmental experts have suggested imposing carbon taxes on flights, or penalties after a certain number of flights, the Canadian government is encouraging tourism and the emergence of an industry offering low-cost flights. Only two G7 countries lack a national high-speed train system: Canada and the United States.
As the report shows, consumers’ ability to reduce their carbon footprint in areas like housing and investment is even more limited. Consumers could theoretically switch to a renewable heating source, have an energy efficiency evaluation of their home done, put in new insulation or install a better furnace or air-conditioning system, but these actions are too costly for most Canadians. The federal government offers no support programs for consumers who want to retrofit or use renewable energy in homes. Doug Ford’s government in Ontario has cancelled most of the province’s energy efficiency programs. The Quebec government also offers little to consumers: the cost of retrofitting can be as high as $14,500, but the maximum financial aid available for a bungalow is $1,925.
When it comes to making environmentally responsible investments – another field where consumers could theoretically make a difference – the authors conclude that it’s not easy for consumers. Information about environmentally responsible investments on the websites of financial institutions fails to inform potential investors what the real content of the funds actually is.
In a 2015 survey, the Union des consommateurs found that 48% of Canadians believed the government was the most important actor in the fight against climate change and felt the government should pass new regulations and set new standards to fight climate change. “Governments still have a lot to do to make it possible for individual consumers to take effective action against climate change,” says Gibeau.
The Union des consommateurs recommends that the Canadian government create an independent institute that can provide clear, neutral information on the carbon footprint and environmental impact of household items. “At the moment, consumers hear about best practices from different lobbies. The information is contradictory and leaves people confused and sceptical,” says Gibeau.
Affluent consumers bear more responsibility
Yet government inaction is not the only obstacle to consumer action. The authors of the report conclude that Canada’s most affluent consumers bear extra responsibility in the fight against climate change.
Higher-income households spend extra income on activities that contribute to global warming, like air travel, while average- and low-income households spend their money on essential goods.”
UN studies show that when household revenue doubles, GHG emissions rise by 81%.
So there’s good news and bad news: consumers can play an important role in reducing Canada’s GHG emissions. But for that to happen, both the government and the country’s big spenders have to take the challenge seriously.
The Climate Change: the role of consumers (Union des consommateurs, June 2019) study looks at what individual consumers can do to fight climate change and the role governments need to play to help consumers. “It’s in the interest of all Canadian citizens to help reduce GHG emissions. As consumers, we have an important role to play,” says report co-author Élisabeth Gibeau.
The authors consulted research by environmental groups, including the David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence, Équiterre and Greenpeace, as well as government and university research from North America and Europe. The sources showed households have the biggest carbon footprint in the areas of food consumption, transportation and housing.
They proposed concrete actions consumers can take in these fields, as well as housing and investment. The study found that while consumers were willing to make changes, their choices were hampered by government inaction in legislation, regulation and investment.


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01/08/2014, The folks at Canonical are working hard to bring Ubuntu to smartphones. They have already released a beta build of the firmware for supported Android devices, while the company is actively working to bring OEMs on board who will partner up to release Ubuntu OS powered smartphones. Canonical tried getting in on the manufacturing game itself with the crowdfunded Ubuntu Edge smartphone, however it wasn’t able to reach its $32 […]
02/20/2013, Canonical has just introduced a spanking new tablet model that will run on its hugely popular Linux-based Ubuntu operating system, where it will target the mid-range and high-end ARM and Intel-based tablet market. Most of the interface will be gesture-based, which is not too far from how the BlackBerry 10 platform relies on the outside edges of the display as well as bezel to initiate user actions. Canonical claims that […]
10/18/2012, This is good timing–as the computing world braces for the wide release of Windows 8 next week, the Linux evangalists at Canonical have released a new version of Ubuntu. The version is numbered 12.10, and in line with Ubuntu’s naming convention, it’s called Quantal Quetzal. For those wondering, yes, a Quetzal is a bird native to Mexico and central America.
02/21/2012, If you liked the concept of the Motorola Atrix’s docking feature which let you turn the smartphone into a mini-computer when plugged into a dock and an external display, you’re going to be excited at Canonical’s recent announcement. Canonical recently revealed Ubuntu for Android: a solution for bringing the desktop computing functionality to your Android smartphone. How it works is simple: when a device is undocked, it functions just like […]
01/09/2012, [CES 2012] While Google TV and Apple TV haven’t really been finding their way into the living room of consumers, there is still room in the market for an alternative smart TV platform. Could Canonical’s Ubuntu TV be the answer? Last year the company revealed its plans to break into the smart TV sector, and at CES this year it demonstrated Ubuntu TV for the very first time. Unlike Linux […]
10/31/2011, If you think Android, iOS, Windows Phone, MeeGo or even Symbian is not for you – there’s going to be an alternative for you in the future. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux recently mentioned in an interview with ZDNet that it will be announcing its plans to enter the mobile space at the Ubuntu Developer Summit this week in Orlando, Florida. While no specific details about the company’s plans […]
10/04/2010, Seems like even Ubuntu wants to get in on the Android fun as Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) has launched Ubuntu One Music for Android, an app that allows the streaming and playback of any MP3 stored in your Ubuntu One account, not just the ones that were purchased through the associated music store. Of course, the downside is that the free Ubuntu One service only offers 2GB of storage, […]
04/06/2010, Word is out that the Ubuntu One cloud service will soon be getting support for mobile contact synchronization, and it’s a feature that will be available to users who are paying for the higher tier of the Ubuntu One service. The mobile synchronization will be powered by Funambol, a mobile push synchronization platform, and will work on a wide range of devices that are supported by Funambol’s client software. Despite […]


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Apple pushes back its return-to-office indefinitely, temporarily closes 3 stores over Omicron variant: reports
Applestaff were set to return to the office in February but are now returning at a "date yet to be determined."
- CEO Tim Cook said the move is due to a global rise in COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Omicron variant.
Apple is pushing back its return-to-office date indefinitely, Bloomberg and The New York Times reported, citing an internal memo from CEO Tim Cook.
Cook said the move is due to a global increase in COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Omicron variant, according to the reports. Apple staff were set to return to the office in February but Cook said it's now on a "date yet to be determined," according to the reports.
Cook also announced a $1,000 bonus in the memo for employees for work-from-home needs, according to the reports. Retail workers will get the bonus as well, Bloomberg added.
Apple's delay of its back-to-office plan follows those at other major tech companies — including Google and Facebook parent company Meta — due to uncertainty over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Apple has also temporarily closed three stores, in Miami, Annapolis, and Ottawa amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. According to its website, the Miami store is set to reopen on Friday and the Ottawa and Annapolis stores will resume operations on Saturday.
Earlier this week, Apple reinstated a mask mandate for customers and employees at all US stores.
Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
- Billionaire investor Mark Mobius says he's been able to get his money out of China, but investing in the country is still a 'dilemma' amid national security laws
- The Carnival cruise passenger who went overboard and remains missing was on his first cruise and it became his 'happy place,' his fiancée said
- The new Barbie movie used so much pink paint on set that it caused an international shortage, according to its production designer
- Manoj Bajpayee joins the league of on-screen lawyers like Pankaj Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar & more
- List of famous things to buy in Lonavala
- Attractiveness of gold depends on US Fed's moves, say analysts
- Coal India’s ₹4,000 crore offer for sale subscribed 4x times
- Nvidia's Jensen Huang started with a $10 million failure before shifting gears to become a $1 trillion company


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Communication today is faster and more ephemeral than ever. We fire off emails, skip the punctuation in our texts, and watch our photos and messages vanish in seconds on Snapchat.
Digital tools have made communicating with others easier but not necessarily more thoughtful, and this bothered Sonny Caberwal, an entrepreneur. “We’re in a rush to make everything disappear,” he said.
Receiving a physical, handwritten thank-you note or letter these days feels special, but it also requires some work. “You have to assemble all the pieces,” Mr. Caberwal said — including paper, a pen, the recipient’s address, an envelope and a stamp — and then the note has to be written and mailed, all of which is time-consuming. He wanted to enable people to do that more easily, by harnessing technology to create a product that still felt very personal and worth keeping.
His company, Bond, harks back to a time of fountain pens, creamy sheets of writing paper and wax-sealed envelopes. Mr. Caberwal, founder and chief executive of the New York City start-up, describes it as “the opposite of Snapchat.” Bond was started in 2013, and has about 50 full-time employees and several high-profile backers, like Gary D. Cohn, the president of Goldman Sachs, and the rapper Nasir Jones (known as Nas).
Although handwritten notes and cards may seem like artifacts of the 20th century, greeting cards are still a strong business. According to the Greeting Card Association, Americans purchase about 6.5 billion cards a year and annual sales are estimated to be $7 billion to $8 billion. Despite a culture awash in digital communications, the greeting card and stationery industries have not declined precipitously but have remained largely flat, said Patti Stracher, director of the National Stationery Show, an annual trade show and business event for stationery, greeting card and gift companies.
“One could say the digital age has grown connectivity and expanded the reasons for other forms of personal communication, for a tangible, experiential connection,” she said
At the Greeting Card Association’s annual convention in October, nearly every presentation included a discussion of the intersection of digital technology and traditional greeting cards, said Carlos LLansó, the organization’s president. “We’re actually finding that social media gives people another opportunity to identify card-worthy occasions,” he said. “You can’t save a Facebook birthday message and put it in a drawer.”
That overlap of digital and traditional is where Bond lives. The company built its own writing machine, which can produce personalized notes for every customer. Designed by the company’s chief technology officer, Kenji Larsen, the machines have robotic arms that can hold a pen, a paintbrush or a marker. The paper is moved around using static electricity — rather than a roller — so it stays pristine, with no wrinkles or marks. Bond also seals each envelope with wax, adds postage and mails it.
Customers can choose from a variety of handwriting styles, or they can have their own handwriting copied and digitized for $500. Each customer’s original signature is uploaded to Bond via smartphone, to be used on cards and notes. Customers also upload recipients’ addresses. If an address is unknown, the service will send an email or text message to the recipient asking for it. An invitation-only premium service, Bond Black, costs $1,200 a year and provides clients with a personalized mobile app to send notes in their own handwriting on custom stationery.
Many of Bond’s biggest customers are commercial, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and small independent businesses like professional services firms and real estate brokers. “Companies spend $23 billion on customer relationship management tools to understand and have a more personal relationship with their customers. We are the physical implementation of that,” Mr. Caberwal said. One Bond client, a Fortune 500 retailer, tested the service by sending personalized thank-you notes to some of its best customers. Those customers, Mr. Caberwal said, ended up spending, on average, $16 more each month after receiving the thank-you note and returned 33 percent less merchandise.
Mr. Caberwal followed an unusual path on his way to starting Bond. He was a corporate lawyer, played percussion with the band Thievery Corporation, founded a tea store,modeled for Kenneth Cole and, with his wife, started the online fashion company Exclusively.com in India. That company was ultimately acquired by the Indian e-commerce marketplace Flipkart. By that time he, his wife and their young daughter were back in New York, and Mr. Caberwal was looking to start another company. “That’s really what I know how to do best,” he said, “build e-commerce companies.”
Bond now has 200 robotic writing machines in its Manhattan facilities (although the machines are manufactured at a plant it owns in Rhinebeck, N.Y.), and it also produces its own stationery. The company raised “a few million” in seed funding, Mr. Caberwal said, and is in the midst of an effort to raise $3 million. By the end of the year, Bond expects to have about $500,000 a month in sales, he said, adding that revenue has been growing from 30 to 50 percent a month. Mr. Caberwal said he expected Bond to be profitable by the second quarter of 2016. A single card costs $3.50, but for corporate customers with larger orders, the price ranges from $2 to $2.50 a card.
Jason Hirschhorn, founder and chief executive of the New York start-up Redef, which provides curated information streams, began using Bond’s services this summer. “They are using robotics in a very clever way,” Mr. Hirschhorn said. “I don’t have a lot of time, but I like the idea of being able to use personalized stationery in my own hand, using my own words, all done remotely for me. And it’s all in my computer, so I can track what I’ve done.”
Saneel Radia, founder and president of Finch15, a New York firm that helps companies develop new products and services, uses Bond’s service early in his relationships with customers and business partners. At first Mr. Radia had his own handwriting duplicated but then switched to one of the styles offered by Bond. “I hate what my handwriting looks like, so I upgraded it,” he said. “Now it’s an odd mix of creative and energetic, handwriting I wish I had.” Mr. Radia said people often thanked him for the notes they received, and he readily admitted that a robot had written them. “People hire us because we are at the intersection of service and technology. Bond, like us, is also at that intersection, so using the service shows that our company has its finger on the pulse of what is new and useful in this space.”
Mr. Radia said although the cards created by Bond are not actually handwritten, they are still a far cry from an email or a mass-produced thank-you note. “You’re giving someone something that took time and is work — not the same amount of work as mailing a letter you wrote yourself, but more than a text message that says, ‘Thanks for the meeting,’” Mr. Radia said. “It’s thoughtful, and it is my sentiments. And it comes in an envelope with a wax seal, which certainly helps.”


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Link Net has launched First Warriors, a special in-house esports channel on the First Media cable TV service, set to start airing in October. (B1 Photo/Emral Firdiansyah)
First Media Launches Gaming Competition to Promote Indonesia's First Esport TV Channel
BY :NUR YASMIN
AUGUST 22, 2019
Jakarta. Cable television and internet service providers First Media and Link Net launched a gaming competition on Thursday to promote First Warriors, Indonesia's first TV channel dedicated to esports.
The companies are collaborating with the Indonesia Esports Association (IESPA) to establish an esports ecosystem. There will be auditions in Jakarta, Medan, Batam, Surabaya, Semarang and Bandung for players to compete in Free Fire, a game that is currently trending.
The companies expect to produce young esport talent for the global stage.
"We see mobile gaming is trending worldwide and in Indonesia, and Free Fire is currently popular. So we are partnering with Free Fire for this first season," said Ferliana Suminto, content and esports director at Link Net.
"We will also launch an in-house special esports channel called First Warriors on channel #999 on the First Media cable-TV service, which will start airing in October. This channel will bring more than 1,000 hours of gaming and esports content. This is also aimed at supporting the game ecosystem in Indonesia," Felina said.
"First Warriors will be the main platform for an esport competition. There is a lot of undiscovered talent and we are looking for them. We will coach the finalists and provide them with psychological support," said Victor Indajang, deputy chief executive of Link Net.
To support the competition, First Media has included a First Warriors channel in its POP Game Xpert cable-TV and broadband internet package for gamers. The cost of the internet bundle, which includes merchandise, starts from Rp 300,000 ($21).
"The concept is very fresh, and we are fully supporting First Media in rolling out this program; we hope they can provide esport gamers with facilities to develop them," said William Cahyadi, deputy chairman of IESPA.
Registration for the competition is already open and auditions will take place during September and October, with about 15,000 players expected to participate. Forty-eight finalists will be selected and coached to form a professional team that will compete for a total prize of Rp 1.3 billion in the grand finale. There will also be an opportunity for the eight best players to join First Raiders, the official esports team.
Gamers interested in auditioning for the competition can apply here.
The Jakarta Globe, First Media and Link Net are all affiliated with the Lippo Group.


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The next time you "direct message" a company on Twitter, the reply could be so instantaneous it doesn't even seem human. Maybe, that's because it's not.
On Tuesday, Twitter said it was rolling out the ability for companies to set up automated customer service messages in DMs, like welcome greetings and replies meant to direct you to a quick solution.
In April, Facebook unveiled a big bet on bots, which are software powered by artificial intelligence that can perform simple tasks, like routine customer service queries. Facebook's bot army is mostly focused on its Messenger app.
Twitter's initiative isn't nearly on the same scale. The company doesn't mention the word bot once, for example. But its new features -- automated welcome messages and quick replies -- replicate the basic effects of Facebook's strategy, even if they don't employ the same technology.
The automated welcome messages let businesses greet people and "set expectations as they enter a Direct Message," without requiring people to send the first message, Twitter said in a blog post. Companies can set multiple welcome messages and link directly to a specific greeting from Tweets, websites or apps.
Quick replies let businesses prompt people with the ways to reply to a DM, whether by choosing from a list of options or prompting users to enter specific text values. Twitter said the tools can reduce wait times.
If you use the latest version of Twitter's app, you can test out the automated interactions in DMs with companies like @EvernoteHelps, @PizzaHut, @AirbnbHelp and @SpotifyCares. Twitter's own @Gov account is participating, too.


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Hotels in Langkawi have taken steps to remedy the shortfall of inbound tourists caused by the COVID-19 outbreak
The discount will last indefinitely until a date is announced
New Straits Times reported that hotels in Langkawi are severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak as many tourists, especially those from China, have cancelled their trips to the island.
"The discount is offered by three-star hotels and above. People can check their websites or social media to know more about it," said MAH's Perlis/Kedah branch vice president Razmi Rahmat yesterday, 16 February.
"For example, a three-star hotel will have an attractive deal starting [at] RM150 and not more than RM250 per night."
A quick search by SAYS found that a few four-star hotels are indeed priced below RM250 a night
Razmi added that Langkawi is safe to visit, citing recently concluded Le Tour de Langkawi 2020 as an example
Earlier this month, an empty carpark in Genting Highlands prompted netizens to say it is the best time to visit the chilly mountain:


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The White House has made arrangements with United Airlines to transport the third shipment of infant formula to the U.S.
This round of formula shipments from overseas will begin next week, this time from producer Kendamil.
United Airlines will transport the formula free of charge from Heathrow Airport in London over the course of a three-week period, according to a White House statement.
The latest shipment will contain about 3.2 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil Classic Stage 1 and 540,000 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil Organic.
Families will be able to buy the formula in stores and online.
This is the first time an airline carrier donates a flight as part of Operation Fly Formula.
Just last week, the U.S. received its second shipment of infant formula.
During that week, the country received what’s equivalent to about 1 million 8-ounce bottles of formula.
The first shipment included about 500,000 8-ounce bottles of formula.


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Restaurants come and restaurants go with increasing regularity—I’m personally still mourning the loss of Lomzynianka. And 2016 didn’t go out without a few shocks to our neighborhood restaurant scene. Some beloved spots quietly served their last meals and closed up shop while we were all busy celebrating the holidays. On the bright side, more than a few new places have opened last year like Greenpoint Avenue’s Hail Mary, Cherry Point with its excellent charcuterie, high-end Leuca in the William Vale, River Styx transformed into 21 Greenpoint, and now we have two fried chicken joints with Brooklyn Star in the Brooklyn Night Bazaar and Pretty Southern on Bedford Ave. Plus at least one big one, A/D/O, is on the way, and they are all ready to comfort our souls over the losses. Continue reading
Behind the unassuming street front of Tørst bar, is Greenpoint’s most famous culinary secret, Luksus. This is one of North Brooklyn’s highest acclaimed eateries, yet humbly tucked away behind the beer bar, you may not know it is there. For two years running, it has held the only Michelin star status in the neighborhood, an honor it hopes to continue into 2017 after the New York City recipients are announced on November 17th. Even those who have ordered from the Tørst menu may not know that the dishes were created by world-renowned chef Daniel Burns, previously of Momofuku, The Fat Duck in the UK, and Noma in Copenhagen. The understated presence of Luksus in Brooklyn is void of pretension and reflects the persona of Burns and the cuisine. Continue reading
Last year, a small restaurant hidden behind a bar on Manhattan Avenue was awarded a Michelin star, the first one ever to be granted in Greenpoint. The recipient of this accolade was Luksus, a relatively new restaurant headed up by chef and partner Daniel Burns, whose resume reads like a shortlist of the world’s finest eateries. After working at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in the UK, Daniel spent three years running the pastry department at Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant frequently voted the best in the world. In 2010 he moved to NYC and opened the Momofuku test kitchen for David Chang. Having worked alongside so many iconic chefs, it’s little surprise that his first solo enterprise was an instant success.
Luksus was launched in July 2013, just months after the opening of Tørst, the artfully designed beer bar situated in front of the restaurant, of which Daniel is also a partner. Tørst is a collaboration with Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, gypsy brewer and founder of Evil Twin Brewing, who curates the beer program for the bar and also creates the beer pairing menu for Luksus
Last week Daniel and Jeppe celebrated Tørst’s two-year anniversary, and were greeted by lines around the block of ale aficionados hoping to join the party. We caught up with Daniel to hear about his Michelin star, cooking ‘Greenpoint food’ and his dreams of selling ice cream from a bicycle in McCarren park. Continue reading
Brunch at Five Leaves? Pierogi at Lomzynianka? A Mediterranean feast at Glasserie? Let’s face it, we have a lot of amazing options to choose from.
Mega congrats are in order for Luksus who received their first Michelin Star on Tuesday, after being open for only a year. Not only is it the first place in Greenpoint to ever receive this honor, but it’s the first beer-only restaurant in THE WORLD to be awarded a star. The Scandinavian-influenced restaurant, situated behind Tørst (615 Manhattan Avenue) offers only a tasting menu and focuses on beer pairings instead of wine and liquor.
“We are cooking seasonal food that celebrates the ingredients. To be recognized in this way by the Michelin Guide is simply outstanding and I am incredibly happy,” says chef and owner Daniel Burns. Continue reading


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Radioshack dealer earns franchisee of the year award [UPDATED]Published 6:28am Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Updated 8:32am Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Steve Andres, along with his parents Jim and Carol Andres, was recognized recently with RadioShack’s 2012 Franchisee of the Year award during RadioShack’s annual business summit in Fort Worth.
“We honored Steve and his family as our Franchisee of the Year to celebrate that the way they do business truly reflects and embodies RadioShack’s core values,” said Martin Amschler, vice president of franchise for RadioShack Corp. “Steve and his team understand the value of providing great customer service and how that can set you apart from your local competitors. It starts with knowing your customers and what they want, and then getting the right merchandise and services in place to deliver on those customers’ needs.
The family together owns seven total Design Electronics stores, with Minnesota locations in Little Falls, Long Prairie, Fergus Falls, Morris, Alexandria and Ortonville, and an additional location in Milbank, S.D.


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Google is partnering with DonorsChoose.org, a Kickstarter-like funding platform for public schools, to offer the Chromebook Series 5 to full-time teachers for just $99 this holiday season. Rather than pay for the notebooks themselves, teachers must post a project to DonorsChoose and raise money to purchase up to 30 discounted Chromebooks.
According to Google, Chromebooks are already used in over 1,000 schools, bringing Internet connectivity and the Internet's numerous educational resources directly into the classroom. The Chromebook Series 5, which was first released in 2011, is the most widely adopted model in the educational space.
Chromebooks have been getting more and more affordable recently, first with the release of the $249 Samsung Chromebook Series 3 and then with the $199 Acer Chromebook C7. The Samsung Series 5, which still retails for $429, will undercut both of these newer low-priced notebooks.
Teachers who want to take advantage of this offer need to act fast to put apply and submit their funding campaign, as the offer is only valid through December 21st, 2012. Once posted, anyone can make a donation to help each campaign reach their goal, allowing teachers to elicit the help of their communities to fill their classrooms with Chromebooks.
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The USADA has taken the fight against doping to a whole new level. With most positive tests explained away these days by “supplements,” the governing body for drugs in the United States has put together a website that lays out the risks and warnings of certain supplements; as well as a guide for athletes to test supplements in independent 3rd-party labs.
The site is useful for all, but is aimed at elite athletes. Still it is a great site for parents to look at with their kids in the event that their highschool-aged athletes are looking to begin a supplement routine.
Check out Supplement411.org here.
This is something that the swimming community has needed for a long time. They steered clear of saying any supplement was a “good choice” or of certifying anything as steroid-free, but they did give big red flags about which ones athletes should saty away from.
This certainly won’t help catch those who do cheat, and it probably won’t prevent the legal challenges for accidental ingestions. What it will do, however, is help honest athletes ensure that they don’t have years of reputation ruined by a lack of information. The other side of the coin is that it chips away at the veil of true cheaters, and makes it harder for them to hide behind an explanantion of “I didn’t know that supplement had a banned substance in it – it’s legal afterall.”


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Mindful eating workshop slated for Aug. 31
VERO BEACH -- The Alzheimer & Parkinson Association of Indian River County will host a “Mindful Eating for Better Health” workshop on Aug. 30 from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the association offices, 2300 5th Avenue.
The workshop will also be offered on Thursday, Aug. 31 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the same location.
The workshop will be led by Colleen Symanski who is a registered nurse, national diabetes and prevention lifestyle coach and certified diabetes educator. She will lead a discussion on the ways people of all ages can take a healthier direction in their daily meal choices, and how those choices can impact one’s overall physical health.
Symanski will cover related topics such as smart shopping and creative prepping for the novice or seasoned cook. The workshop will be interactive and includes a food tasting.
Her philosophy is that healthy eating isn’t as confusing or restrictive as many people imagine. Sometimes the essential steps are right in front of us.
“I have a passion to help others make eating easy and stress-free,” Symanski said, adding that “healthy eating involves giving your body the nutrients it needs to thrive.”
This workshop is part of the Alzheimer & Parkinson Association’s “Brain Health & Wellness Initiative” that will offer several nutritional and healthy living workshops throughout the year.
The workshops are open to the public and free of charge. Reservations are required for the “Mindful Eating for Better Health” workshop.
Contact Erin Montegut, Director of Programs, at 772-563-0505 or firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.


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The biggest joke in the basketball world, LaVar Ball, continues to torment his son’s NBA career before it even began, as the meme makers ripped the new signature shoes of the BBB (Big Baller Brand) to shreds, for their look and for their price.
The patriarch Ball doesn’t seem to be moved by the criticism and the backlash to his words and actions, as he takes a front seat to his son’s career, which for now looks like it could do with a little piece and quiet. Ball is still projected to be an early lottery pick, probably in the top 10 and even top 5, but in terms of marketability and franchises wanting to deal with him? His dad isn’t helping the cause.
The two worst things about the new Big Baller Brand shoes? They look a lot like the Kobe Bryant 10’s only with a different logo, and they cost a whopping $495, which is twice as expensive as the latest LeBron James basketball shoes. While Ball may end up being the star of the future, this feels less like his father and brand trying to forge their own way in a market dominated by big names, and more of a simple money grab that’s actually hurting the brand.
The joke going around the web is that these shoes are going to end up being placed on the clearance rack for around $4.95 pretty soon, as it is difficult to imagine who would pay so much money for a player many doubt can have a long NBA career as a star in the league. LaVar Ball says anyone who can’t afford the shoes isn’t a big baller. Sometimes, it’s difficult to understand how his son doesn’t simply tell him to shut up.


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Nintendo has announced that Splatoon has sold over one million copies since it came to Wii U last month.
The sales breakdown has over 476,000 units sold in the Americas, 368,000 sold in Japan, and an additional 20,000 sold in New Zealand and Australia.
Ever since Splatoon launched on May 29 in the United States, we’ve seen thousands of people go online to have fun in this colorful, chaotic competition,” said Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime in a statement. “This milestone puts us in a nice position as we prepare to launch 11 more exclusive Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games before the end of the year, plus amiibo, digital offerings and games from our third-party partners.”
For more on Splatoon, check out Gaming Trend’s review.


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Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 3:47 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 3:47 p.m.
TNT Smoke Shop owner Ann Yountz has opened a new business within her store called TNT Coffee Café.
The café opened April 4.
The menu features brewed coffee, lattes, chai tea, cappuccino, fruit smoothies, 20 Below Frozen Hot Chocolate, frappes, hand-dipped ice cream, milkshakes and assorted pastries. The coffee will be a house blend and flavor of the day. Sugar-free and signature frappes are available. Edy's ice cream comes in 12 flavors.
"We actually expanded last year to a sweepstakes," Yountz said.
With the expansion, Yountz purchased a 900-square-foot store next to her smoke shop and tore down a wall to adjoin the smoke shop and sweepstakes businesses. She still had room for something else in the back of the store, she explained, and decided to make it a coffee café.
Yountz purchased the equipment used by the former Muddy Cups coffee shop on N.C. Highway 8 when it closed. The coffee café is located behind the sweepstakes portion of the business.
The café and smoke shop are located on N.C. Highway 8 in the High Rock Landing shopping center. The store's phone number is 357-0573. The store opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
- Jill Doss-Raines
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The online progam at UIS is integral to the university. Beginning with the first online classes offered in fall 1998, the initiative has experienced twenty straight semesters and ten straight summer sessions, of growth in online enrollments. No exceptions. Now with 17 online degree and degree completion programs, there are 1,365 online majors at UIS. More than half of all of the students are taking at least one online class, and a number of innovative inter-institutional initiatives are underway.
Posted by Ray at 12:00 PM


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August 11, 2016 | Chemicals
Petrochemical producers across Asia are preparing themselves for competition with a new wave of material from the Middle East that is expected to hit the Asian shore soon. As new Middle East production is targeted towards Asian buyers, Asian producers are investigating a range of feedstock and technology options to help them compete in terms of cost and to maintain a strong foothold in the already crowded global market.
Petrochemical producers across Asia (and in China and India, specifically) are exploring a number of options for future production. In China, this includes investing in propane dehydrogenation projects and coal to olefins/methanol. In India, there are investments in ethane imports and even naphtha.
The major reason for the Asian producers’ concern is Abu Dhabi-based Borouge and its large-scale ethane crackers and polyolefin complex that have been built with Asia targeted as the key export market. The project kicked off in 2014 and is expected to begin commercial production and exporting this year. Nearly 1.5 MMT of PE (all grades) and almost 1 MMT of PP is expected to be exported to Asia by the end of 2016. This is just one of the many projects that are expected to come online in the Middle East in the years to come.
To combat the cheap material influx from the Middle East, many Chinese producers have started employing unconventional methods to produce polymers. Coal/methanol to olefins along with propane dehydrogenation are among the major on-purpose technologies that have proven to be successful in China, and new projects are being initiated by producers to stay strong on margins and low on cost. With its abundance of coal reserves, China is making full use by employing unconventional methods of producing ethylene and propylene. Since 2013, more than 4 PDH units have started operations and this has been extremely cost competitive against traditional routes.
Indian producers aren’t too far behind in innovating with available options. India’s Reliance Industries is expected to begin importing U.S. ethane to feed its crackers across Western India by early 2017. Also, RIL might be looking at importing propane from the U.S. or using propane from Reliance’s refinery complex in Jamnagar to set up its first PDH unit. Another major company that will use ethane imports will be GAIL for its new $5 billion petrochemical plant in Andhra Pradesh, India. With U.S. ethane and propane exports increasing exponentially, India is expected to take full advantage of the situation. It is estimated that Reliance can save up INR 1,000 crore a year if it sources 1.5 MMT of ethane from the U.S. Domestic U.S. ethane is priced at around $4 to $6 per mmBtu and the landed cost of imports comes to around $12 to $14 per mmBtu; still far less than the domestic price of propane, which is estimated around $16 to $18/mmbtu.
This is very good news for consumers, as buying power will increase significantly. Not only does the domestic market serve well in terms of supply and pricing, buyers can always look at attractive arbitrage opportunities from the Middle East. The cheap feedstock and an estimated oversupply situation in the petrochemicals market will definitely take a toll on prices. It will be interesting to see which company stands tall amidst all of this market turmoil.


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- The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing up to €20 million in financing to Finnish virtual and mixed reality company Varjo.
- The EIB financing falls under the venture debt window of the European Guarantee Fund, part of the €540 billion COVID-package agreed by EU Member States in spring 2020.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a quasi-equity agreement worth €20 million with Finnish metaverse technology company Varjo. The Helsinki-based, industry-leading developer of virtual and mixed reality software and hardware will use the financing to increase its investments in research and development for creating a reality-based metaverse of the future, as well as to capture the strong tailwinds following the coronavirus pandemic. The financing was made available under the European Guarantee Fund (EGF), a pan-European programme to help companies to grow amidst the global uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The EIB’s venture debt finance supports innovative growth companies with long-term financing and limited dilution.
EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros stated: “Varjo invests heavily in research and development, even at a globally difficult moment such as the current challenging times. The EGF’s venture debt programme gives the EIB the possibility to directly support innovative companies in strategically important sectors for the future of Europe. In supporting Varjo’s growth, we not only sustain and create jobs within a highly innovative industry, but we also put ourselves squarely behind European technological know-how.”
“Varjo is extremely proud to be a VR/XR company headquartered in Europe but operating globally, offering our customers around the world the most advanced immersive technology in the market,”addedTimo Toikkanen, Varjo CEO. “As we scale and develop the next computing paradigm for human communication, we are pleased about the continued encouragement of the European tech ecosystem.”
Varjo delivers a unique VR/XR (virtual- and extended reality) hardware and software proposition which is cutting-edge in terms of making virtual experiences look and feel as real as the real world. Varjo provides the highest-resolution VR/XR in the market, and allows for mixing photorealistic virtual content with our physical reality for a true-to-life metaverse.
In 2020, the EIB made in excess of €676 million in loans available for Finnish projects. The EIB borrows money on capital markets and lends it to projects that support EU objectives, with about 90% of all loans being granted within the European Union.
TheEuropean Guarantee Fund(EGF) was set up by the EIB Group with contributions from Finland and other EU Member States to shield companies suffering from the COVID-19 crisis. Using nearly €25 billion in guarantees, the EGF allows the EIB and the EIF to quickly make loans, guarantees, asset-backed securities, equity and other financial instruments available to mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. The EGF is part of the European Union’s recovery package aiming to provide a total of €540 billion to boost those parts of the EU economy that have been hit the worst.
Varjo(pronounced var-yo) makes revolutionary VR/XR hardware and software that together allow you to see and experience virtual and augmented content just as clearly as you see the analogue world around us. Its virtual and mixed reality technology takes you to another level of performance and emotional immersion — recreating the exact feeling and conditions of real life, allowing you to perform better and learn faster.


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The Brazilian Soy Moratorium is credited with reducing deforestation from soybean production within the Amazon forest by as much as 80 percent in some states, and it worked by getting soybean traders like Bunge, Cargill, ADM, Amaggi, and Louis Dreyfus to stop buying from farmers who clear forested land to grow soybeans. Unfortunately, the same […]
The Brazilian Soy Moratorium is credited with reducing deforestation from soybean production within the Amazon forest by as much as 80 percent in some states, and it worked by getting soybean traders like Bunge, Cargill, ADM, Amaggi, and Louis Dreyfus to stop buying from farmers who clear forested land to grow soybeans.
Unfortunately, the same progress is yet to be seen among companies operating in and/or sourcing from the Cerrado, Brazil’s vast tropical savannah – a region that’s even more biologically diverse than the Amazon is, but that’s seen an 87-percent surge in agriculture activity, with more than a quarter of this expansion coming at the expense of native vegetation.
New analysis of the five companies mentioned above – which together accounted for 60 percent of the soy exported from the Cerrado in 2015 – gives all five low grades for approaching deforestation in the Cerrado, and it shows that none are among the dozens of companies that had signed onto the Cerrado Manifesto Statement of Support, which is a pledge that was launched in October 2017 to halt deforestation and native vegetation loss in this ecologically critical region. Indeed, two of the “big five” – Bunge and Cargill – were fined for activities linked to illegal deforestation in the Cerrado.
This analysis is featured in nonprofit research organization Global Canopy’s latest report, “Trading soy from the Cerrado – an assessment of the big five”, which utilized an online tool called “Company action on deforestation” to assess the self-reported pledges and progress, as well as the relative power, of 137 companies sourcing soy and cattle from Latin America.
While all five companies have made deforestation commitments, the report points out, those commitments are narrowly focused on the Amazon and don’t extend far enough to sub-suppliers – although as the report was going to press, Louis Dreyfus, the smallest of “big five”, became the first – and so far, only – to commit to eliminating deforestation throughout their supply chain and conserve ecologically valuable biomes.
“All of the five traders’ commitments fail to fully preclude unsustainable soy production practices because they are all limited in their scope, largely focusing exclusively on the Amazon and on forests, and excluding the Cerrado and native vegetation,” the report concludes, stressing that it does not include the latest commitments from Louis Dreyfus. “Additionally, three of the five traders’ policies are limited to only a subset of their suppliers.”
The analysis comes at a time when agribusiness is ascendant in Brazilian politics, but conservationists argue that food expansion can be increased without destroying native vegetation simply by better managing land that has already been degraded.
Over the past two years, the National Wildlife Federation has been collaborating with The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and other groups to demonstrate the value to companies to help protect this valuable habitat, and also the opportunity for already-to-use land that doesn’t require additional deforestation and land degradation.
“With millions of hectares of suitable land, that has already been cleared, available for expansion, the soy sector does not need to rely on converting forests and native vegetation,” says Barbara Bramble of the National Wildlife Federation. “The companies that produce, trade, finance and use soy in their products need to recognize this and take immediate steps to ensure that their supply chains protect forests and native vegetation.”
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