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The Mamaplugs Leaked: Understanding the Impact and Implications
Table of Contents
- The Mamaplugs Leaked: Understanding the Impact and Implications
- The Mamaplugs Leaked: What Happened?
- The Scale of the Breach
- The Impact on Individuals
- The Impact on Businesses
- Preventing and Mitigating Data Breaches
- For Individuals:
- For Businesses:
- 1. How did the Mamaplugs Leaked data breach occur?
- 2. What should individuals do if they suspect their data was leaked in the Mamaplugs breach?
- 3. Can businesses recover from the reputational damage caused by a data breach?
Over the past few years, the internet has become an integral part of our lives, connecting people from all corners of the world. However, this increased connectivity also brings with it a heightened risk of data breaches and leaks. One such incident that has recently come to light is the “Mamaplugs Leaked” scandal. In this article, we will delve into the details of this leak, its impact on individuals and businesses, and the steps that can be taken to mitigate such risks.
The Mamaplugs Leaked: What Happened?
The Mamaplugs Leaked refers to a data breach that occurred on the popular e-commerce platform, Mamaplugs. The breach resulted in the exposure of sensitive customer information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and even credit card details. The leaked data was made available on various online forums and dark web marketplaces, leaving millions of users vulnerable to identity theft and other cybercrimes.
The Scale of the Breach
The Mamaplugs Leaked is one of the largest data breaches in recent history, affecting an estimated 50 million users. This staggering number highlights the severity of the incident and the potential consequences for those affected. The leaked data not only compromises the privacy and security of individuals but also poses significant risks to businesses associated with Mamaplugs.
The Impact on Individuals
The Mamaplugs Leaked has far-reaching implications for the individuals whose data has been exposed. Here are some of the key impacts:
- Identity Theft: With access to personal information such as names, addresses, and social security numbers, cybercriminals can easily impersonate individuals and carry out fraudulent activities.
- Financial Loss: The leaked credit card details can be used to make unauthorized transactions, leading to significant financial losses for the affected individuals.
- Reputation Damage: The exposure of personal information can tarnish an individual’s reputation, especially if the leaked data includes sensitive or embarrassing details.
- Phishing Attacks: Cybercriminals can use the leaked data to craft convincing phishing emails or messages, tricking individuals into revealing more personal information or downloading malware.
The Impact on Businesses
The Mamaplugs Leaked not only affects individuals but also has serious consequences for businesses associated with Mamaplugs. Here are some of the key impacts:
- Loss of Customer Trust: Data breaches erode customer trust, and the Mamaplugs Leaked is no exception. Customers may lose confidence in the platform’s ability to protect their data, leading to a decline in sales and customer loyalty.
- Legal and Regulatory Consequences: Data breaches often attract legal and regulatory scrutiny. Businesses associated with Mamaplugs may face fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage as a result of the leak.
- Operational Disruption: Dealing with the aftermath of a data breach can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Businesses may need to allocate significant resources to investigate the breach, enhance security measures, and communicate with affected customers.
Preventing and Mitigating Data Breaches
While data breaches like the Mamaplugs Leaked are alarming, there are steps that individuals and businesses can take to prevent and mitigate such incidents:
- Use Strong and Unique Passwords: Avoid using common or easily guessable passwords. Instead, use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. Additionally, ensure that you use a unique password for each online account.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your mobile device, in addition to your password.
- Regularly Monitor Financial Statements: Keep a close eye on your financial statements for any suspicious transactions. Report any unauthorized activity to your bank or credit card provider immediately.
- Be Cautious of Phishing Attempts: Be wary of unsolicited emails, messages, or phone calls asking for personal information. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
- Implement Robust Security Measures: Invest in state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions to protect customer data. This includes firewalls, encryption, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits.
- Train Employees on Security Best Practices: Educate your employees about the importance of data security and train them on how to identify and respond to potential threats, such as phishing attempts or suspicious network activity.
- Regularly Update and Patch Systems: Keep your software and systems up to date with the latest security patches. Outdated software can have vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.
- Have an Incident Response Plan: Develop a comprehensive incident response plan that outlines the steps to be taken in the event of a data breach. This will help minimize the impact and ensure a swift and effective response.
The Mamaplugs Leaked serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with data breaches and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. Individuals must remain vigilant and take steps to protect their personal information, while businesses must prioritize data security to maintain customer trust and avoid legal and reputational consequences. By implementing preventive measures and having a well-defined incident response plan, both individuals and businesses can mitigate the risks posed by data breaches and safeguard their digital lives.
1. How did the Mamaplugs Leaked data breach occur?
The exact details of how the Mamaplugs Leaked data breach occurred have not been publicly disclosed. However, data breaches often occur due to vulnerabilities in a company’s security infrastructure, such as weak passwords, outdated software, or social engineering attacks.
2. What should individuals do if they suspect their data was leaked in the Mamaplugs breach?
If individuals suspect their data was leaked in the Mamaplugs breach, they should take immediate action to protect themselves. This includes changing passwords for all online accounts, monitoring financial statements for any unauthorized activity, and being cautious of phishing attempts.
3. Can businesses recover from the reputational damage caused by a data breach?
Recovering from the reputational damage caused by a data breach can be challenging for businesses. However, by taking swift and transparent action, implementing stronger security measures, and prioritizing customer trust, businesses can gradually rebuild their reputation over time.</p


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With hype these days focusing primarily around Apple's iPhone 6S Duo launches for this September, news about other devices that should be joining the iPhone is scarce. While we've been hearing some news about Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge Plus that's expected to come later this year, and Xiaomi's Mi5 , which should be one of the first devices to come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820, Google's Nexus has stopped appearing in the leaks chain over the past couple of months. The device, which has been rumored to be manufactured by Chinese OEM Huawei until now, is starting to see somewhat of a twist in its manufacturer, if today's information turns out to be true.
LG's Now Rumored To Be Manufacturing Google's 2015 Nexus Smartphone
Google's Nexus smartphones, which have gained popularity amongst users over the past couple of years due to their compact size, stock Android and reasonable performance specifications saw somewhat of a setback amongst fans last year. The Nexus 6, manufactured by Motorola was a top-tier device and came with some pretty good specifications, but showed both the companies' intent of aiming at the top tier market this time around with the Nexus.
But, if today's news is to be believed, courtesy of folks over at AndroidPit, things might change on the 2015 Nexus. Not only will the device be smaller than the Nexus 6, but it'll also be cheaper, which might help it win back some of the loyal fans that Google lost with the launch of the Nexus 6. In addition, the next Nexus is now rumored to be build by LG, rather than Huawei, as had been rumored so far. In addition, it won't be based on any current LG device, such as the company's LG G4, but will come with an entirely new design, which will be based on an unreleased prototype.
For all of you hoping for a Huawei Nexus, you might still get to see one, since some quarters believe that we might get to see two Nexus smarpthone launches this year. If correct, this would mean that even Google has started to follow on a trend of releasing two devices, in order to cater for all segments of the market. Thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comments section below and stay tuned.

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Anyone who has searched high and low for their dream wedding gown knows they don't come cheap.
Our lucky TODAY bride has her wedding covered, but for just about everyone else, sticking to their wedding budget often starts with keeping tabs on wedding dress prices.
On Thursday, H&M unveiled a new, sustainable collection that features wedding gowns that won't break the bank and will still make any bride look beautiful.
The line, which features just three wedding gowns, is called the Conscious Exclusive collection, and the designers drew inspiration from the last 300 years of fashion, in order to create, according to a press release, "a contemporary and artistic collection that is soulful, progressive, conscious and truly unique."
Adding to the appeal of the affordable (they sell for around $550) dresses is that they are made from sustainable materials.
The face of the campaign, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, said, "I love the mix of a conscious, sustainable fabric and an old painting. It's great to be able to have sustainable clothes that still look red carpet-ready."
The dresses are made from "organic silk, hemp, recycled linen and Tencel® blends as well as new innovative materials such as beads and rhinestones made from recycled glass and Denimite — a material made out of recycled worn-out denim, which H&M is the first fashion company to use."
H&M has sold an affordable wedding dress in the past and decided to reintroduce wedding dresses due to popular demand. Creative adviser for H&M Ann-Sofie Johansson told Refinery 29, "It was actually a request from the customers, asking us, 'Why don’t you do bridal dresses or wedding gowns?'
"We thought," she said, "Why don’t we do it now?"
We're sure brides-to-be everywhere are glad they did.
According to WWD, the collection will be available in select stores and online April 7.


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For industry insiders, style icons, and fashion devotees, FIT is synonymous with fashion education. The college's distinctive brand of teaching centers on creativity, innovation, and career success, and the renowned Fashion Design programs prepare students to become tomorrow's trailblazers at every level and in every category of the global. The key word for Vogue's January 2020 issue is values. Interpret that as you may: monetary, ethical, sentimental. Every definition relates to the big picture: that fashion needs to reassess its. . The prevailing mood among respondents to our executive survey is one of anxiety and concern. In contrast to last year, when there were pockets of optimism in North America and within the luxury segment, we now see pessimism across all geographies and price points
The rest of 2020 looks pretty somber for the fashion industry, already hit hard by a contracted demand for non-essential goods thanks to months of people quarantining, but not all hope is lost What Is the Future of the Fashion Show? By Steff Yotk a February 4, 2020 Jacquemus's spring 2020 show was off-everything, according to producer Alexandre de Betak, but thanks to a dedicated fan.. Sep. 4, 2020 10:01 AM PT Given the chaos and uncertainty wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to pin down the top fashion and beauty trends of a year hence feels as futile as trying to pick a.. Published May 2, 2020 Updated May 7, 2020. The next round of fashion shows will be virtual fashion shows. This is not in doubt. The British Fashion Council announced at the end of April that it.
Why Couture May Be The Future Of Fashion. When we initially launched our brand in 2010, many people thought that couture was a dying industry, says designer Tamara Ralph, days before her label Ralph & Russo's Spring/Summer 2020 Couture collection. Clearly, that's not the case. Since the first haute couture house was founded in 1858. Vogue Forces of Fashion 2021: Fashion Goes Forward. As the world starts to reemerge, Vogue 's Forces of Fashion returns as a fully virtual event for its fifth year on July 7 and 8—again with scores of entertaining and thought-provoking conversations and experiences with designers, industry insiders, and cultural figures, and more opportunities than ever before to connect with your fellow. FoF Collection 2020 Thank you for joining us in recognizing the extraordinary achievements of the Fashion Design class of 2020. The FOF Graduates Collection is an exhibition and film featuring five areas of specialization: sportswear, special occasion, knitwear, intimate apparel, and children's wear April 29, 2020 Jump to comments section Print this page. Be the first to know about every new Coronavirus story. Light after the lockdown — the future of fashion According to the April 15 Census Bureau release, total clothing and accessories sales (which include retail purchases both in stores and online) in March were down a whopping 50.5 percent from the..
Last Updated April 1, 2020, 12:11 PM Ever since the coronavirus outbreak became a global pandemic, we've seen fashion companies and retailers laying off employees, furloughing others, and closing.. . New technologies like Heuritech define audience panels on social media. To predict future trends, it applies image recognition technology to social media pictures to access shapes, prints, colors and attributes to fabrics July 13, 2020 — 4 Minute Read With clothing stores closed, factories shut or repurposed to make protective gear, and many fashion weeks cancelled, everyone is wondering: What's next for the fashion industry
The answer depends on who you ask. McKinsey & Company's report The State of Fashion 2020 warns, The year ahead will open with the industry in a state of high nervousness and uncertainty, with most executives across fashion and the wider business world bracing for a slowdown in growth in the global economy . - The zebras are the new unicorns. Small and medium-sized companies are the backbone, lungs and heart of the European economy and they will rise in 2020 The FIT Future of Fashion 2020 Showcase, presented as a dedicated hub within COTERIE and CHILDREN's CLUB's digital marketplaces, will feature collections from 75 student designers across five areas of specialization: sportswear, special occasion, knitwear, intimate apparel, and children's wear Designer Bingyao Cheng: FIT Future of Fashion 2020, Knitwear. July 3, 2020. by knitGrandeur. comment 1. Mood Board . Look 1 & 2 Illustrations | Model Fitting Images. Silver evening gown, with pewter metallic gored inset details, and hand-beaded pearl embellishment. Hand-beaded bodice & pearl strap
There is hope that the future of fashion might be more sophisticated, says Mobo. The Supreme Court is planning to open at least 25 testing sites nationwide for the 2020-2021 Bar. Why hardware stores might be the future of fashion . Tue August 25, 2020 . JUST WATCHED In the midst of the pandemic, a Mongolian cashmere brand opens its first storefront. Replay For her Spring-Summer 2020 collection, shown in New York in September 2019, Gabriela Hearst produced the first ever carbon-neutral runway show. In 2020, Hearst won the American Womenswear Designer of the Year Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards. In December 2020, Gabriela Hearst was appointed creative director of Chloé Is this the future of the fashion show? by Vanessa Friedman The New York Times | May 10, 2020 at 1:50 a.m. The next round of fashion shows will be virtual fashion shows
The Future of Fashion . Documentary, Short | 3 April 2020 (USA) Add a Plot » Writer: Misha Kaura. Star: Misha Kaura. Added to Watchlist. Add to Watchlist 3 April 2020 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Why Fashion See more » Filming Locations: London, England, UK. Edit Box Office. Budget: $. Tech shapes the future of fashion. By Zoe Mutter in Technology August 27, 2020 0. The fashion world is increasingly relying on virtual solutions to design and showcase creations in an immersive and sustainable way. And with shop windows out of action and fashion weeks cancelled due to the pandemic, extended realities allow engagement between. 8 Predictions for the Future of Fashion Expect sci-fi diamonds, AI-enhanced skin care, bridesmaids in suits and more advancements beyond the Jetsons' wildest dreams Jan. 17, 2020 3:41 pm ET. Trista Roland, founder of San Diego pattern company Sugardale, discusses fashion's post-pandemic future Wednesday, April 22, 2020 By Julia Dixon Evan The future of fashion 1 July 2020. Sally Wijers. Sally Wijers. 1 July 2020. If there is one truth to be spoken about fashion it's that it is constantly changing - year on year, from season.
The future of eCommerce is tightly bound to technology and design, both of which are already an integral part of eCommerce's DNA. Staying up-to-date with current industry trends will help your business stay in front of the line. Don't let your competitors outpace you. Stay connected, stay informed, and stay busy Contributors; Data; Fashion Tech News; Insights; Retail Tech; Whats New; Opening The Unknown Door to the Future of Fashion. This article is a continued explanation of how and why the current fashion business model is going to fail and an exploration of how the pandemic has rewritten the rules of retail Industry veterans and fashion insiders extensively discussed the state of the industry — and how it's likely to continue adapting in the future. The ball is definitely in motion Genderless fashion designers and global retailers discuss the segment predicted to be the future of the industry. By Obi Anyanwu on January 8, 2020 Share This Articl
How fashion is adapting in 2020 and what the pandemic means for the future September 2020 _ How fashion is adapting to the pandemic Covid-19 has well and truly thrown the industry into a state of disruption and Fashion has never looked so different Live From Space, It's the Future of Fashion Shows. By Matthew Schneier. Photo: Jonathon Zadrzynski (Thom Browne Inc) Thom Browne has seemed to be from the moon for so long now that a lunar fashion show feels like a homecoming. We're a long way from Paris, where Browne usually presents his collections, in shows that are famously baroque Envisioning the future of fashion. Fashion is an ever-evolving experience. Meet innovative partners—rag & bone, Eon, Bode, More or Less, the Fashion Innovation Agency, and beyond—who are using technology to reimagine a future for fashion that's more creative, productive, and sustainable than ever. Follow In Culture. slide 1 to 3 of 5 After the expected shift in consumer spending to more basic items, and the recent decline in fashion products, sales volume is expected to increase from the middle of the second quarter of 2020, largely driven by online consumer spending. European citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic turned to online shopping Fashion education has a huge huge huge impact on the industry. It is a mirror of the future. Who is in your classrooms and who isn't. What is being spoken about and what isn't. You look at this and you will see the shape of the industry in the next 4-5 years; Simple. The fashion industry is missing accountability and action
We imagine a more circular future for fashion. The fashion industry's linear take-make-dispose model has led to one of the most environmentally damaging sectors in the global economy. Fashion accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is on track to consume 26% of the world's carbon budget by 2050 The future of fashion and apparel Jul 17, 2020. Image: Yasir Iqbal. The fashion and apparel industry is one of the most important consumer-facing industries. Globally estimated to be upwards of $2.5 trillion (nearly the size of the Indian economy), the industry is expected to decline by 20% this year due to the impact of Coronavirus. Create tailored job alerts and have the career opportunities relevant to you emailed immediately to your inbox.. LONDON, United Kingdom — The class of 2020 has been dealt a difficult-to-imagine hand. With degree shows cancelled and internships largely on hold because of the pandemic, fashion graduates are entering an increasingly unpredictable job market; 23 percent of entry-level jobs in. Aje opening Australian fashion week in 2019. Simon Lock, who founded Australian fashion week a quarter of a century ago, says the industry must accelerate change with the climate crisis in mind
That there is an interest in the search for sustainable materials is demonstrated by the fact that the fast-fashion pioneers such as H&M and Zara are promoting the use of recycled polyester in the windows of the main stores. Therefore, the careers related to the development of new materials and textile fibers is certainly one to consider for 2020 The latest from the Met invites viewers to reflect on fashion's relationship with the past, and also has some important things to say about where the industry is headed in the future
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FIRST, here is the article Larry Elder referenced in the audio above regarding the Chicago fire: “Lessons from the Chicago Fire.” WALTER WILLIAMS gives an excellent example of the benefits of price “gouging” (supply and demand) in helping families:
…Here’s a which-is-better question for you. Suppose a hotel room rented for $79 a night prior to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. Based on that price, an evacuating family of four might rent two adjoining rooms. When they arrive at the hotel, they find the rooms rent for $200; they decide to make do with one room. In my book, that’s wonderful. The family voluntarily opted to make a room available for another family who had to evacuate or whose home was destroyed. Demagogues will call this price-gouging, but I ask you, which is preferable: a room available at $200 or a room unavailable at $79? Rising prices get people to voluntarily economize on goods and services rendered scarcer by the disaster.
After Hurricane Katrina struck, gasoline prices shot up almost a dollar nearly overnight. Some people have been quick to call this price-gouging, particularly since wholesalers and retailers were charging the higher price for gasoline already purchased and in their tanks prior to the hurricane. The fact of business is that what a seller paid for something doesn’t necessarily determine its selling price. Put in a bit more sophisticated way: Historical costs have nothing to do with selling price. For example, suppose you maintained a 10-pound inventory of coffee in your cupboard. When I ran out, you’d occasionally sell me a pound for $2. Suppose there’s a freeze in Brazil destroying much of the coffee crop, driving coffee prices to $5 a pound. Then I come around to purchase coffee. Are you going to charge me $2 a pound, what you paid for it, or $5, what it’s going to cost you to restock your coffee inventory?
Politicians of both parties have rushed in to exploit public ignorance and emotion. Last week Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Democrat) threatened to prosecute gas companies. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (Republican) is threatening legal action against what he called “unconscionable pricing” by hotels. Alabama Attorney General Troy King (Republican) promises to vigorously prosecute businesses that significantly increase prices during the state of emergency. The Bush administration has called for the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to look for evidence of price-gouging, and Congress plans to hold hearings on oil company “price-gouging.”
There’s an important downside to these political attacks on producers. What about the next disaster? How much sense does it make for producers to make the extra effort to provide goods and services if they know they risk prosecution for charging what might be seen as “unconscionable prices”? Politicians would serve us better by focusing their energies on tax-gouging.
(You have to know a little bit about the furor over Katrina and Bush hatred to get the following.)
I received an email a many years ago noting that because of the Federal Governments response to Katrina in New Orleans… then President Bush showed his dislike for black people. In other words, he is racist.
Following through with that line of thinking then, can we conclude — then — that because Des Moines was flooded and Obama lagged in getting help to the flooded portion of this state… does Obama dislike white people, thus, being racist himself?
Where are the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and North Dakota and helping the folks affected by the floods? Where is good old Michael Moore?
Why is the media NOT asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn’t solved this problem? ….
….Asking where the FEMA trucks and trailers and food services are?
Why isn’t the Federal government moving Iowa people into free hotels in Chicago and Minneapolis ?
When will Spike Lee say that the Federal government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines?
Where are Sean Penn, Bono, and the Dixie Chicks?
Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes, cases of beer and television sets?
When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a “vanilla” Iowa like Mayor Ray Nagin wanted to rebuild “chocolate” New Orleans… because that’s what God wants? [As Nagin said]
Where is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete with reports of shootings at rescuers, of rapes and murder?
Where are all the people screaming that Barack Obama hates white, rural people? My God, where are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Oprah, and Ray Coniff Jr?
How come you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again? Where are the gov’t. bail out vouchers? The government debit cards?


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Owners of non-Apple smartphones have noticed a dearth of quality media managers, at least those on par with the ubiquitous iTunes. One notable challenger, however, is making a name for itself through a new partnership with T-mobile.
doubleTwist is a media manager that looks and acts like iTunes, but embraces all smartphones with a user-friendly interface. According to TechCrunch, the T-Mobile partnership means doubleTwist will start coming pre-installed on some of their Android phones and show up in stores. But unlike the downloadable version of doubleTwist (currently in public beta) T-mobile's version doesn't come with Amazon MP3 store integration.
If the program's popularity keeps growing, and providers can re-integrate a music store, it's likely we'll see it pre-loaded on more and more phones until, eventually, it takes over the world...and our hearts.


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Tues, June 30 at 11am ET / 8am PTSponsored in part by: Cvent and The Inception Company
Mon, June 29 at 12pm ET / 9am PTSponsored By: American Express Global Business Travel, Lyft, Southwest Airlines
Thurs, June 25 at 11:00 AM ETSponsored By: RoomIt by CWT
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Filter in or out as many as 200 cities, as well as hotel and car rental class and meals of the day and watch as the per-diem calculator automatically adjusts per diems to your program. Drill down into cost breakdowns and export the results.
The group of airlines commonly called "low-cost carriers" continues to grow at a healthy clip in several regions around the world. Though their service and product offerings, limited distribution and traditional slant away from negotiating discounts for high-volume customers have kept them off the radar of many multinational companies, that is changing--rapidly, in some areas.
Low-cost carriers typically aim to price below incumbent carriers by maintaining simple--and therefore lower-cost--operations. They often use a single fleet type, focus on point-to-point flying (rather than busy hub-based networks) and offer few amenities. But today, some LCCs in Asia, Europe and the Americas are crafting corporate deals, participating in global distribution systems and offering products that stray from their no-frills roots. Those attributes, when combined with expanding networks, provide new air transport options for price-sensitive managed travel programs.
Even so, LCCs typically are not supplanting the more familiar airlines as primary corporate travel suppliers. Instead, they generally serve to fill gaps, give travelers additional options on certain city pairs and act as pricing foils to the bigger airlines. Yet, they appear to be taking advantage of opportunities to compete more effectively for intra-regional business.
Low-cost carrier growth will continue to be particularly dramatic in Asia. "Government moves to liberalize aviation access in Asia have been catalyzed by the emerging LCC sector, as they seek new routes to grow their businesses," according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Noting that LCCs as a group plan to expand capacity by 250 percent and triple their combined fleet to 900 aircraft by 2012, CAPA expects "an unprecedented period of international route development in the region."
At the same time, more "budget carriers" are shifting away from the no-frills model toward a hybrid low fares-some service approach, according to a recent report from CWT Travel Management Institute. The reasons for that change, CWT wrote, include cultural aspects and the "sheer geographical size" of the region, both of which warrant inflight traveler comforts (premium seating and meals) and other business traveler conveniences (priority check in and airport lounges). For managed travel programs, some of these "new world" airlines also may participate in GDSs and strike corporate deals.
"According to Carlson Wagonlit Travel data, budget carriers already represent 20 percent of client air transactions in Asia Pacific," according to the CWT report.
In Australia, "Virgin Blue offers volume-based pricing, combined with a range of 'soft' benefits for companies," CWT wrote. The airline also is bringing low-fare competition on more routes, which has fueled the trend toward "best-buy" policies. According to CWT, such policies now account for "60 percent of companies' domestic transactions in Australia."
This week, Virgin Blue began eight daily flights between Canberra and Sydney, "specifically to cater to corporate and government high flyers," according to an airline announcement. It also opened an airport lounge in Canberra and is poised to introduce a "premium economy" product across its fleet.
In India, Kingfisher Airlines claims that 750 corporations have selected it as a "preferred" airline. Kingfisher offers "volume-driven discounts" and corporate account management. Combined with Air Deccan Group, in which Kingfisher has invested, the airline operates to 69 cities with 570 daily flights.
Corporate deals in India now are "commonplace," according to CWT. "Kingfisher has attracted nearly one-third of the business travel market only 18 months after adopting the new world model."
Elsewhere, Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia markets a corporate travel program including "savings," data tracking and other services. Companies must spend at least RM120,000 (US$37,000) annually to qualify.
AirAsia offers extra-large seats--with a 52-inch pitch compared to the 32-inch pitch on standard economy seats--for "about twice the average economy fare." The airline also offers charter services from Kuala Lumpur "catered to a group of business travelers for the purpose of meeting, incentives, conventions and exhibitions."
The rise of these and other carriers may help the Asia Pacific air industry weather the next economic downturn. "A decade ago, in the Asian financial crisis, the outcome was simple: People stopped flying, and airlines lost money. This time around, things could be very different," said CAPA executive chairman Peter Harbison. "We are entering a tunnel--economically--and we don't know how long or how deep it will go. However, this is the first time that the Asia Pacific region will have faced these conditions with a full armory of low-cost/low-fare airline options."
In Europe, low-fare competition from LCCs has popularized spot-buy strategies among corporate travel programs. Those strategies stem from the nature of corporate discounting in the region.
"In the United States, the majority of airlines offer systemic discounts; whereas in Europe, most offer route deals only," explained Mitch Cwanger, air practice leader for American Express Advisory Services. "For many clients, a contracted airline is only considered preferred in those routes where there is a discount. Elsewhere, the playing field is level because the contracted airline offers no incentive."
"Spot buying always is preferred on domestic and regional routes," said Yves Galimidi, Ikea global travel purchaser, speaking in Munich at the October Association of Corporate Travel Executives conference. "That is a trend that came out with the emergence of LCCs."
"You start with spot buying, then we have global contracts, regional contracts and local contracts [with preferred airlines], and then the airlines say, 'Let's stop that and that route. It is not interesting for us,' " added Huub van Rumund, business travel purchaser for Oce Technologies. "Then I am back to spot buying again. Especially in Europe, you can live with spot buying and not contracting."
Of European low-cost carriers, easyJet is among the largest. The airline "is the most successful and has approximately 5 percent of the European business market on the routes they operate,'' said Mike Platt, HRG group industry affairs director. "They have been growing fast in the last year and, interestingly, their fares have gone up by 10 percent, as well; whereas the mainstream airlines have reduced their competing fares by 5 percent over the same period."
EasyJet's business-to-business portal includes access to all the carrier's fares and tracking of monthly data. Beyond its Web site, easyJet now participates in the Amadeus and Galileo GDSs. Bookings through those channels, however, incur an extra fee.
Meanwhile, easyJet last week completed its acquisition of GB Airways, a move that allows it to begin service from Manchester, U.K., and "carry more passengers from [London] Gatwick than any other airline."
Europe's other big low-cost carriers also continue rapid expansion. Ryanair--a carrier that has done nothing to specifically court business travelers--in January 2008 increased year-over-year passenger traffic 17 percent. In the 12 months to 31 January 2008, it carried nearly 50 million customers. Air Berlin, meanwhile, carried nearly 28 million passengers in 2007, up 11 percent from 2006.
Speaking generally about Europe's LCCs, HRG's Platt said, "I see these carriers continuing to pursue the business market but having to compromise their business model in the process."
To some degree, that has happened in the United States. Southwest Airlines by late last year had introduced a new fare category designed for business travelers, tripled its corporate sales force and started listing its fares and inventory in the Galileo and Worldspan GDSs. JetBlue Airways began offering refundable faresfor an extra $50 to $100 after testing the concept with corporate accounts and hinted at "an enhanced front-cabin product" now in development. AirTran Airways, which has come farthest among U.S. low-cost carriers in negotiating volume discounts, introduced optional advance seat assignments, allowing passengers to pay more for sitting in a roomier exit row, for example.
AirTran, JetBlue and Southwest together in 2007 accounted for more than 22 percent of the combined domestic U.S. traffic operated by the 10 largest carriers. They also are likely to grow more quickly in 2008 than the U.S. legacy airlines.
Whether in the United States, Europe or Asia, "corporate customers are more aware that LCCs are out there," said Brent Eisenach, CWT regional project manager for air solutions. "They have to balance that with legacy carriers in their portfolio" and weigh the risks of not meeting contractual commitments in competitive markets that would jeopardize discounts on international routes, where low-cost carriers do not operate.
About a decade after founding and leading flight shopping information hub Routehappy, Bob Albert is...
Ticketing and distribution supplier Hahn Air has signed agreements to expand distribution and...
Travel technology provider Accelya has reached an agreement to acquire Farelogix, less than two months...


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Top fintech stories this week – 10 August 2018
Catch up on FinTech Futures’ top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Regulator syndicate unleashes Global Financial Innovation Network
12 regulators on the quest for a global sandbox.
China crypto company ACChain goes off the grid
A real China hustle.
Facebook wants your bank data
Facebook being naughty again?
US Bank to sell card processor Elan
Finastra, FIS and Fiserv believed to be in the final bid.
Varo Money selects Temenos for core banking
Exclusive coverage of the US-based challenger bank.
The Banking Technology magazine July/August 2018 issue is out and about! Click here to read the free digital edition.
The Banking Technology Awards 2018 are now open to entries! Click here to apply.


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Updated January 17, 2018: Google has since updated its support site to announce that it's found a fix for this Wi-Fi bug and will be releasing an update via Google Play Services on January 18 that fixes it.
Google's been trying its hand at connected home gadgets for a few years now, and now that it has devices like the Chromecast, Google Home, and soon Smart Displays, it's clear now more than ever that this is a market it wants to dominate. Before that happens, however, Google needs to issue a fix to a bug that's recently caused Wi-Fi networks to go dark when using these gadgets.
According to the folks at Android Police, the issue first appeared with the Google Home Max and TP-Link Archer C7 router. Users reported that the router would go offline and be inaccessible as soon as the Home Max was added to their network, and shortly after this, TP-Link issued a software update through its beta channel that supposedly fixed the issue.
However, after this update was released, more and more complaints appeared. More people were quick to report that other Home devices, Chromecast/Cast-enabled products, and even other routers were exhibiting the same problem.
If this sounds familiar, that's because users of the Nexus Player ran into a similar roadblock last September. MDNS packets are used to keep products with Cast technology online and available to use, but rather than sending these packets at a steady rate every 20 seconds, the Home Max and other gadgets are doing so at a much faster rate and causing routers to overload and shutdown.
Google has since responded and said that it's actively looking into a fix, and considering just how many Google Homes were sold this holiday season, the sooner the better.
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One UI 2.5 tracker: When will my Samsung Galaxy be updated?
Samsung's next update for One UI is rolling out. Find out which phones are getting it and when!
What do you think about the leaked Galaxy S21 renders?
Thanks to a massive leak over the weekend, we now know what the Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra look like. What's your take on how the phones are shaping up?
OnePlus has lost the one thing that made it unique — and that's a problem
The new OnePlus 8T looks like a great phone — but not a unique one. With fierce competition from Samsung, Google, and others, OnePlus is losing its one unique edge that it used to rely on.
These are the best smart LED light bulbs that work with Google Home
Here's a bright idea — connect these LED smart bulbs to your Google Home control it all with your voice. Whether you want to outfit your whole home or you just need a single replacement, here are our top recommendations.


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By: Pamela Woods
Royal Farms kept its proposal for a downtown Annapolis store alive following a hearing before the city's Board of Appeals Tuesday night.
Royal Farms had applied for a special zoning exception to allow a deli in the former home of Stevens Hardware at 142 Dock St., but city planners declined to forward the application to the appeals board.
In a letter sent to the company last month, Acting Planning Director Sally Nash said the proposed Royal Farms is a convenience store — which is not allowed in the historic district — rather than a deli, which is allowed with a special zoning exception.
Click on the above image to read more.


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Millions across the country plan to camp this Memorial Day weekend
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is advising people to book reservations for camping at state parks this Memorial Day weekend.
With this weekend being the unofficial kickoff to summer, millions across the country are expected to camp this weekend.
According to officials, it’s easy to make a reservation on the DNR’s website, and they’re offering new features to make booking even simpler.
“We also have a great new feature on the website where you can sign up for email alerts, so if you’re looking for a date or a park to camp in, you can sign up for it, and it will then send you an email if anything becomes available,” State Parks Business Operations Chief Chris Pedretti said.
Pedretti said people should buy their admission passes online before heading to the parks.
A 2022 camping report said camping accounts for 40% of all leisure travel trips taken in 2021.
Copyright 2022 WMTV. All rights reserved.


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Digital technology is disrupting traditional financial services in India by expanding access and putting customer centricity and convenience at the fore. Innovative digital solutions are successfully starting to address the challenges with which traditional financial service delivery processes have been afflicted. A total of 15,129 million transactions were carried out electronically in 2015-2016, a 29% jump from the previous year (Source: RBI 2016).
Savings and Investment
offered e.g. by Paytm and Mobikwik or those linked with mobile service providers, like Airtel or Vodafone are gaining traction, business solution start-ups are now following suit. Budipay, a Unified Payments Interface based app (yet to launch in India) aims to work to digitally facilitate bulk transfer payments and is focusing its efforts on enabling wage payments and pension. Novopay, another wallet is currently expanding its network of retailers who accept payments through their wallet product. Eko has innovated a semi-closed wallet for rural-urban migrants who earn a monthly income of 10,000 to 15,000 in cash and are economically active. The wallet enables the users to remit money back home, using their mobile phones. The wallet also enables basic bill payments and is piloting payments at stores that have an established POS payment mechanism, like chemists and organized retail of groceries.


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Energy price cap set to keep inflation low in February
INFLATION is expected to have held steady below the Bank of England's target in February, thanks to the cap on energy prices.
Consensus estimates predict Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures will reveal on Wednesday that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of inflation was flat at 1.8 per cent last month.
It is set to match January's rate, which fell after the introduction of a cap on standard variable tariffs by energy watchdog Ofgem at the start of the year.
This is likely to continue to be the main factor keeping inflation low in February, putting it below the Bank of England's 2 per cent target.
But some factors could cause a surprise in February's rate, according to Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.
"The upside risk partly reflects the fact that January's rate was just 0.002pp from rounding up to 1.9 per cent," he said.
"Inflation also likely will come under upward pressure in February from the food component, which we expect to rise to 1.2 per cent, from 0.9 per cent in January."
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), food shop price inflation in February was 1.6 per cent, up slightly from January's 1.5 per cent.
Falling petrol prices have also been holding inflation back in recent months, with the trend set to continue in February.
But Victoria Clarke, an economist at investment firm Investec, said this was unlikely to have a major effect.
"While this trend continued in February, it did so at a more modest pace and will therefore have a marginal effect on overall CPI when set against a similarly small decrease a year earlier," she said.
"In fact, its impact ought to be neutralised by the uprating of duty rates on both wine and high-strength cider by RPI that was announced in the Autumn Budget."
Services inflation is expected to be steady at 2.5 per cent, without its usual boost from the half-term holidays.


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Albemarle profit drops 15 percent on weak catalyst sales
Oct 17 (Reuters) - Chemicals maker Albemarle Corp posted a 15 percent drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday due to weak sales of catalysts used by petroleum refiners.
For the third quarter ended Sept. 30, the company posted net income of $99.3 million, or $1.10 per share, compared with $116.1 million, or $1.28 per share, in the year-ago period.
Revenue fell 9 percent to $661.2 million.
- China food scandal spreads, drags in Starbucks, Burger King and McNuggets in Japan |
- U.S. court rulings create new uncertainty over Obamacare
- Israel pounds Gaza despite international peace efforts |
- EU readies possible capital, tech sanctions on Russia
- Islamic State crushes and coerces on march towards Baghdad


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Ever since our early ancestors left the fertile sauna of Africa and headed North, we humans have been searching for ways to fend off sleet and snow and rain and cold. The Inuit once relied on seal and whale intestines to get the job done. Nowadays, we rely on waterproof synthetics.
These modern fabrics represent a certain kind of progress, but they also have a worrisome downside. Some of the fluorocarbon chemicals used in their manufacture are dangerous for our health, and are so stable that their residues will persist in the environment, quite literally, until the next Ice Age. What’s more, there’s no guarantee that the industry’s latest alternatives, which are marketed as safer, are much of an improvement.
To make their fabrics repel water—causing it to bead up and fall away rather than penetrate the material—most manufacturers rely on perfluorocarbons (PFCs), the same chemicals used to make nonstick cookware and cupcake wrappers. Some PFCs escape into the atmosphere and into wastewater during production—and small amounts can turn up as residue on the clothing itself.
PFCs have been around since the 1950s, but we didn’t know a lot about their effects until the early 2000s, when scientists began releasing data on PFC toxicity and their persistence in the environment. A particularly troublesome PFC is perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, a suspected human carcinogen that has been linked to cancer, kidney damage, and reproductive problems in rats. It may also pose human health risks if it accumulates in drinking water at levels as miniscule as one part per trillion—the equivalent of less than one teaspoon in 1,000 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water. One study also associated elevated exposure to PFCs, including PFOA, with weakened immune responses in children.
The makers of PFCs have been the subject of several blockbuster exposés—PFOA most recently made headlines as the culprit poisoning residents of Parkersberg, West Virginia. These compounds have a very long biological half-life—specifically, it takes our bodies more than four years to flush out half of the PFCs currently residing in our tissues. As such, the US Environmental Protection Agency warns that “it can reasonably be anticipated that continued exposure could increase body burdens to levels that would result in adverse outcomes.”
Because PFOA and its precursors virtually never go away, they accumulate in nature and eventually find their way back to us. Researchers have found the chemical in remote parts of the Arctic, in soil and dust, in fish and meat, in human tissue, and in drinking water throughout the United States. (To find out if your county’s water has tested positive for the chemical, see this map).
In 2006, the EPA asked major chemical manufacturers, including DuPont and 3M, to set a goal of eliminating PFOA and its precursors from both emissions and products by January 31, 2015—their final reports are due by the end of this month. The European Union has also proposed restrictions on the substance. So problem solved, right? You no longer need to fret about the chemicals used to make your sweet new neon ski parka?
Well, not exactly. There are reasons to stay worried. For one, the EPA’s phaseout program was voluntary, and it includes no mandate that clothing manufacturers must also remove PFCs from their supply chains. (The EPA does say it is working on a rule that would require clothing companies that import fabrics made with PFOA to subject themselves to the agency’s review.) Greenpeace tested 40 pieces of outdoor clothing and gear it had purchased in late 2015 and reported that PFOA is “still widely present” in name-brand products, including items from the North Face, Patagonia, and Mammut.
Patagonia calls Greenpeace’s assessment “not accurate” and says it has mostly phased out PFOA. Mammut says it has eliminated the chemical entirely—as does North Face, starting with its spring 2015 line. Some of the products Greenpeace tested may have been manufactured before phaseout efforts were complete.
Most of the sportswear manufacturers have replaced PFOA, which has an eight-carbon backbone, with six-carbon (C6) PFCs. Mammut, for example, says it is provisionally using a “responsible” and “PFOA-free” C6 chemistry, while Marmot, another outdoor clothing brand, argues that C6 “is the safest alternative for the environment.”
It’s true that these shorter PFCs don’t remain in our bodies as long as PFOA does. Still, “the C6 chemicals don’t seem to be the magic coating for your clothing that you’re looking for,” says Environmental Working Group senior scientist David Andrews. Like PFOA, the shorter compounds persist in the environment, which is one reason why Greenpeace, EWG, and plenty of other scientists around the globe don’t consider them safe alternatives. In addition, as Patagonia explains, “the shorter-chain structure also tends to perform less effectively in repellency tests,” which means a larger quantity may be needed to achieve the same result.
Manufacturers in the United States are not required to test chemicals for safety before using them in products, and the health effects of the shorter-chain PFCs are as yet a mystery. But “the short-chain chemicals show a lot of the same characteristics as their longer predecessors,” EWG’s Andrews told me.
Indeed, as a class, PFCs raise all sorts of red flags. In 2014, 200 scientists from around the world signed the “Madrid Statement,” a document calling for more research on PFC toxicology and urging governments around the world to restrict their use for nonessential purposes. “We should probably have more oversight into this whole class of chemicals,” Andrews says. “It took decades to show how bad PFOA is.”
Outdoor clothing makers acknowledge these concerns—”it may be preferable to search for fluorocarbon-free water repellent as a long term solution,” notes Patagonia—but they insist their hands are tied. The North Face’s “chemical responsibility” web page assures that the company hopes to phase out “fluorinated DWR” (that’s durable water repellent) by 2020, but notes that “short-chain DWR is currently the best available viable alternative.”
Several clothing companies say the durability of their products—made possible by PFC chemistry—is key to their environmental friendliness. As Patagonia’s spokesman put it, “abandoning PFCs and moving to currently available alternatives would have an even greater negative impact on the environment because the lifespan of our gear would be greatly reduced, requiring replacement far more quickly, which of course carries significant costs—carbon emissions, water usage, waste output, bigger landfills, and more.” He added that the company is still committed to finding an alternative, and that it has partnered with a Swiss firm working at the “cutting edge of chemical treatments that don’t harm the planet.”
There is at least one safer option currently floating around. A company called Nikwax sells a PFC-free waterproofing product akin to the rubber in the soles of your shoes: You cover your jacket with the Nikwax gel, toss it in the wash, and presto—it’s coated with a network of elastic water-repellent molecules. The problem is that Nikwax is a direct-to-consumer product, meant to go on the jacket you’ve already bought. In that sense, it doesn’t help solve the PFC conundrum.
But that could change. In January, Páramo, a small British brand partnering with Nikwax, became the first company in the outdoor industry to completely eliminate PFCs from its manufacturing process. Italian climber David Bacci wore Páramo’s threads as he scaled the Patagonian peaks Fitz Roy and Cerro Torres, and he wrote that the clothing “worked perfectly” and kept him “dry and warm in extreme conditions.”
Nikwax North America president Rick Meade says he thinks the publicity around fluorinated chemicals will lead to some “dramatic shifts of interests to consumers in the next one to three years.” For now, until more clothing companies commit to ditching PFCs, your snow outfit will most likely be made with a PFOA cousin that’s coated in mystery.


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Check out these 10 gems that stood out from the crowd of 700,000 Android apps.
2 of 11
Google's latest mobile helper is an extension of Android's Google Search app. Google Now expands the personal assistant concept popularized by Apple's Siri by anticipating your needs and providing useful information at the right time. It does so by automatically displaying "cards" that contain location- and time-relevant details. When you're at the airport, for instance, Google Now will find your boarding pass in an email and post it on your smartphone's screen. (As of mid-December, this feature works with only a limited number of airlines.) Google Now debuted in June 2012 at Google I/O, and is currently limited to Android 4.1 and up. It shows great potential to make mobile devices much more intelligent and useful.
Building A Mobile Business MindsetAmong 688 respondents, 46% have deployed mobile apps, with an additional 24% planning to in the next year. Soon all apps will look like mobile apps – and it's past time for those with no plans to get cracking.


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15 April 2016, 01:23
Truly a big hats off to YouTuber EverythingApplePro, who has compared every single iPad ever made in a variety of tests – everything from heat generation to camera quality. Included is the new iPad Pro 9.7in.
The results aren’t as straight forward as you might think, and if you own an iPad 3rd Generation then – well, just take a look.
Leave a comment...


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An increasing number of consumers are buying goods online, as Indians grow more comfortable about conducting financial transactions over the Internet.
This is evident by the rising intent to purchase, defined as an explicit interest shown by a potential buyer towards an online product, according to a report by OfferGrid Networks Pvt. Ltd, a start-up firm that provides business solutions to online merchants. For shopping needs, Indian consumers are accessing various websites through computers, mobile phones and social media networks.
Also See | Online Interests (PDF)
Graphics by Sandeep Bhatnagar/Mint


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anitques: Brave new world; Christopher Proudlove on how internet bidding is set to trans salerooms.
One has only to look at the success of eBay to know this is so. But today the industry stands on the verge of an internet revolution of its own, bidding by computer in auctions as they happen, wherever they - or you - might be in the world.
Already, a number of auctioneers and their clients are benefiting from this so-called global real-time virtual auctioneering, but the arrival on the scene of Christie's - one of the two biggest auctioneers in the world - means things are about to get serious.
As reported here last week, the defining feature of Christie'sLIVE is the facility for bidders to both hear and see a sale in progress while sitting at their computers. It is a facility other providers have been trialling with mixed success - if it works, it puts Christie's ahead of the pack.
For years, auctioneers have sought the next Big Thing to enhance their business and drive revenue. This is it says Christopher Ewbank, chairman of the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers and himself an early pioneer of the service.
His first sale taking bids online was exactly a year ago this month with the software and support provided by LiveAuctioneers.com, a New York-based company which works in association with eBay Live Auctions.
Mr Ewbank said: "Bidding via the internet, using your computer at home or in the office, has to make buying at auction a much more attractive proposition, particularly for bidders in other countries and time zones, or those who simply don't have the time to attend our sales and sit through the auction to bid on a single lot."
He was right. I logged onto that auction, broadcast over the internet from the saleroom in Surrey, and it was clearly a success. One lot - a Lalique vase - was sold to a collector in Texas.
But sitting watching scrolling numbers on a computer screen gets a bit dull after a while.
Live Auctioneers experimented with providing sound of the auctioneer's voice but found the results disappointing. The feature is not presently included.
Chief executive Julian Ellison told me even with broadband the delay between the sound leaving the auctioneer's mouth and it reaching a computer elsewhere in the world was sufficient to create problems for a bidder who might find himself pushing the button to bid, only to find the lot had already been sold.
Another pioneer of real-time bidding is the-saleroom.com, sister company of the antiques dealers' bible the Antiques Trade Gazette. In contrast it does provide a sound feed from auctions using software provided by Bidspotter.com, another US company. Among a growing band of UK companies who have signed up with the-saleroom.com are Chester's Byrne's auctioneers, which most recently offered the service at its June fine art sale held at the city's racecourse.
One auctioneer I spoke to said he felt being able to hear a sale in progress gave his clients a feel of the atmosphere of the saleroom and held their attention. He advised me to turn off the sound whenever I wanted to bid on a particular lot so as not to be affected by any possible delay.
It is for this reason Christie'sLIVE plan to include both sound and vision in its venture is particularly interesting. The demonstration videos running on Christie's website are convincing, but the proof of the pudding will be when the service goes live.
The facility was tested publicly for the first time on July 12 with a selected group of 20 clients invited to bid for low value lots in a New York sale. A total of 11 lots were sold online, the first being a late 19th century upholstered seat which sold for $1,400.
On Tuesday this week, Christie's South Kensington outpost gave the system its first airing in the UK and 18 clients registered from Europe (including the UK), the US and Hong Kong. Eight lots were bought by internet bidders, the history-making first one being a pair of Italian terracotta seat supports which sold for pounds 456, a somewhat inauspicious launch of a potential blockbuster facility.
Prior to that, the system had been tested internally and auctioneers trained to use it for several months.
Christie's joined the internet race somewhat late in the day, but its caution might have paid dividends. Competitor Sotheby's was much more willing to embrace new technology and got its fingers burned.
Joint ventures first with Amazon and then with eBay both foundered and an attempt to put low-end value lots in online sales also ended in tears.
However, it continues to hold around four online real-time sales a year in conjunction with eBay Live Auctions.
Christie's, on the other hand, prevented its brand name from being watered down by association with third party service providers. The new software has been developed for Christie's by Floridabased Auction Management Solutions and unlike competitors, users will sign up and register to bid in Christie'sLIVE sales on Christie's own website.
Going it alone also means neither Christie's nor its online buyers need pay any extra fees. The first real test of whether Christie'sLIVE actually works will be in October this year when the company stages an auction of Star Trek memorabilia in New York, with potential buyers all wanting to boldly go where previously they could only sit at home and dream.
There was a garden party atmosphere at the Gyrn Castle house sale, featured here last week, the perfect weather and setting overlooking the Dee estuary near Prestatyn encouraging buyers to spend freely. The sale raised at total of pounds 1.7m, the surprise of the two days being the price paid forthe head of a rhinoceros preserved and mounted as a wall trophy. Estimated at pounds 500-1,000, it sold for pounds 20,400
Start the bidding... eBay (top) and Christie's (above) internet salerooms allow you to buy antiques from the comfort of your home
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|Publication:||Daily Post (Liverpool, England)|
|Date:||Jul 22, 2006|
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Restarting Hotels and Resorts after massive Pandemic Losses
The hospitality industry has been one of the worst affected because of covid-19. Strategies to flatten the covid-19 curve like community lockdowns, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions have closed down many hospitality businesses and significantly decreased the demand. 2020 has been the worst year for hotel occupancy. It has been worse than the Great Depression years.
Many hotels have been surviving by serving as quarantine centers in key markets, with some of them providing rooms for the “Vande Bharat Mission”.
The Worst Is Far from over for the Industry
Unfortunately, with the second wave of Covid with India being the hardest hit, the worst is far from over. After the first wave, the reopening process has started slowly. The authorities had started to ease restrictions, allowing dine-in restaurants to reopen at a reduced capacity with strict social distancing guidelines, and gradually reduce restrictions on domestic and international travel.
Contact Ideazfirst for restructuring your property inventory of rooms and banquets to align with the changing demands and requirements of corporates and individual clients.
The focus will be on reducing costs, and improving revenues to make it sustainable.


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More and more IPS monitors are hitting the market, but more importantly, the prices are tumbling down. The e-IPS panels on the cheaper monitors may not be as good as what you’ll find on professional setups, but they’re still head and shoulders above TN. LG has today announced a new line of IPS monitors, the IPS4 series, aimed at being “affordable” and noting how much better they are than TN panels.
LG quickly lays out how IPS panels deliver superior color fidelity, wide viewing angles, and great picture quality. LG has added some of their own tech into the mix too, with a feature called “Smooth Color Change” designed to eliminate motion blur that you’ll find with fast moving action in sports and video games.
Executive Vice President, J.J. Lee, believes that the new IPS4 line will deliver a “huge step in making IPS monitors ubiquitous in every room.” Whether it’s LG’s product or another manufacturer, that’s definitely something we agree with. If you haven’t had the pleasure of owning an IPS monitor the falling prices mark a good time for you to try one out.
The IPS4 series will be shipping throughout Asia in May, then hit Europe and the United States “in the coming weeks.” No word on pricing, but expect it to fall in line with other cheap IPS monitors that have been popping up as of late.


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Research in Motion: Investors Get the Message
Blackberrys are hotter than ever -- and so are shares of their manufacturer.
Here's something worth texting: On Sept. 28 the maker of the Blackberry announced it beat analysts' second-quarter expectations and would whip forecasts for the third quarter. Propelled by that news, Research in Motion's stock surged 19%, to close at $103 on Sept. 29.
RIM shares (symbol RIMM) have been climbing since early August as investors looked for signs that the company's new products would catch on. Now they have it. RIM says second-quarter profits hit $140.8 million, or 74 cents per share, above the average estimate of 71 cents among Wall Street analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. Revenue was $658.5 million, up 34% from the year-ago period and also above expectations. The firm says it should earn revenues from $780 million to $820 million in the third quarter, and that it expects to add 800,000 new subscribers to its exiting 6.2 million base.
The firm's growth has traditionally come from sales to big businesses and government institutions that issue RIM devices to employees. But growth in this market can't go full speed ahead forever. So the Ontario, Canada, firm is turning to the consumer market, and apparently has a winner in products such as the BlackBerry Pearl, launched earlier this month.
The Pearl and forthcoming devices are for small business owners and others who buy them at retailers, and who use them for both personal and work reasons. The Pearl (now sold by T-Mobile in the U.S.) makes calls and does e-mail, but also has a camera and music player and a other features. Though hard sales figures aren't yet available, the device "appears to be exceeding its lofty expectations," John Lynch, an analyst at Needham Co.
Several moves, including cheaper service plans and more marketing, will keep subscriptions growing. But just as important are existing subscribers trading up to latest models with the new features. Lynch says that, overall, the company expects the number of handsets sold to be double the number of subscribers added. Handsets account for about 70% of the company's sales, with subscription fees and software accounting for most of the rest.
Of course, RIM is not the only game in town. Motorola, Nokia and Palm are grabbing big chunks of the smart phone market. But there's plenty of opportunity to go around: Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt says the market is growing at least 40% a year.
The biggest risk to all smart phone makers is keeping up with the competition. Making devices that are ever more useful is the key for corporate customers. But consumers add a layer of complication, McCourt notes. Winning over consumers means offering more style and cool features -- which in turn means constantly coming up with new products. "It's almost like the fashion industry," he says. Today's headline-making smart phone can quickly become old news.
So, is RIM still a good buy after a 20% jump? Sell and collect your profits, says Citigroup analyst Daryl Armstrong. And even McCourt thinks the stock will likely dip from today's high. But he thinks the long-term potential is there. It's a risky stock, he says, but RIM is a "very small player in the wireless industry," with a lot of room for growth.


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Apple told its Chinese employees that although it would be working on reopening its corporate offices and contact centers in the country next week, retail stores would remain closed until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The announcement, reported by MacGeneration, was made by Deidre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president for retail and people. In a note to employees, O’Brien said that Apple had been in “constant consultation” with public health experts, government authorities and its teams and leaders in China. She stated Apple would begin reopening its corporate offices and contact centers next week, which is in line with the company’s first announcement issued at the beginning of the month. In that statement, Apple announced that it would close its offices, contact centers and stores until Feb. 9.
Nonetheless, O’Brien said that Apple’s retail stores would not open, and that a later reopening date would be determined next week.
“Additional cleaning, health protocols and local restrictions around public spaces will factor into this decision,” O’Brien said in the note. “Retail teams will receive updates from their managers on the opening date for their store and on other supportive steps we are taking.”
You can read O’Brien’s full note to employees below, per Apple Insider.
Team, I want to thank every one of you for the care, flexibility and spirit you have shown over the past few weeks. Around the world, the entire Apple family stands committed to helping our colleagues, communities, suppliers, partners and customers in China as they care for their health and return to daily life. Apple’s support for the global coronavirus response is broad and ongoing, including our donation to the public health effort.
Since my last note, we have been in constant consultation with public health experts, government authorities and our teams and leaders in China. In light of those conversations, I want to share new information about Apple’s workplaces.
We are working toward reopening Apple’s Corporate Offices and Contact Centers in China next week. We recognize that personal movement and travel restrictions are ongoing and schools are closed in many places, and managers will be working with their teams to offer additional support. You will receive a follow up communication shortly with more information.
Apple’s Retail Stores are actively working to reopen at a date that will be determined next week. Additional cleaning, health protocols and local restrictions around public spaces will factor into this decision. Retail teams will receive updates from their managers on the opening date for their store and on other supportive steps we are taking.
Individual business leaders will be reaching out to you soon with more information relevant to your work. In addition to your manager, your People Business Partner and People Support are your resource for any questions you may have. To stay up to date with Apple’s efforts, please continue to check the dedicated coronavirus page we’ve created on the People site.
As we work together to gradually resume work over the next few weeks, your well-being is our first priority. We are deeply grateful to everyone for facing this challenging period with the utmost empathy and understanding.
Apple began taking major measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak in January. That month, CEO Tim Cook announced that the company had limited employee travel to China to “business critical” matters” and had closed or reduced operating hours at its stores. Apple also began deep cleaning its stores on a frequent basis and checking the temperatures of the employees that worked there.
Cook has stated that Apple is preparing for its production and revenues to be affected by the outbreak. On Saturday, the Nikkei business daily reported that China had blocked a plan by Apple supplier Foxconn to resume production at its factories on Feb. 10 because they had “high risk of coronavirus infection,” which made them unsuitable to restart production.
As of Feb. 8, there were 34,886 cases of coronavirus worldwide, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Situation Report. Of those cases, 34,598 were in China, and 288 were in 24 countries outside of China. There have been 723 deaths from coronavirus in China and one death outside of the country.


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Apple iPad with mini-LED display and AirPods 3 could arrive in first half of 2021
The latest news for 2021 Apple products has come reporting that an iPad with mini-LED display and AirPods 3 will be launched in the first half of the year. According to the reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a Chinese manufacturer Jialianyi with soft board technology will be in-charge of mass-producing the said products.
Jialianyi is said to be one of the key partners in the supply chain for Apple's products in 2021. The manufacturer has the LCP (liquid crystal polymer) soft boards that will offer a flexible way to connect components together while facilitating high-speed and low-latency data transfer. Their soft board is said to be destined for the mini-LED iPad and the mass production will start in the first half of next year.
Other than that, the analyst has also offered some information regarding AirPods 3. The upcoming pair of truly wireless earbuds are expected to sport the System-in-Package used for the AirPods Pro, replacing the rigid-flex PCB+SMT design of the second-generation AirPods, and allowing for a form factor similar to the AirPods Pro. Furthermore, we could also see improved battery life, a new wireless chip, and a more affordable price.
Let us know what you think about the news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest Apple product updates.


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When GTA IV was delayed last year, neither investors nor gamers were happy. And many of us pointed the finger at the PS3 for the reported “technical” problems during Rockstar’s joint PS3/Xbox 360 development process. According to Rockstar’s VP of Product Development Jeronimo Barrera, we weren’t so crazy.
It’s really no surprise to anybody that the PS3 was definitely a contributing factor to [the delay] .
Now, we’re neck and neck. That’s not an issue anymore. But back then that was something we were taking into account. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with the PS3 version. It’s awesome. They’re both identical.
Oh, I’m sure that the internet will find something wrong with the PS3 version and something wrong with the 360 version. But it’s good to hear that both versions of the game are on track now.


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John Sculley might have been the former CEO of Apple, but now he has helped to put together a low-cost smartphone replica that is a cost effective alternative to iPhone and Android devices. The cellphone is known as the Obi Worldphone MV1, and it costs about one fifth of the competitor products.
The Obi Worldphone MV1 is an Android model that has a similar aesthetic and functionality as other smartphones on the market. The difference is in the price tag, costing $130 which is less than half of an iPhone or a higher end Android. Despite the shift in cost, the smartphone offers 16GB of storage, a five inch screen display and an eight megapixel back camera and two megapixel front. With comparable features, the device is much more affordable to the average consumer.


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As the November 4th release of Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy-branded RTS, EndWar, nears, the push towards making sure that date is pounded into the heads of war junkies worldwide has begun. Leading up to the game’s release, Ubisoft will release a series of eight videos detailing the World War III-themed game, the first two of which — titled “Combat Chain” and “Voice Command” — have already been released.
While the “Combat Chain” video (above) shows off and details the game’s seven classes — riflemen, combat engineers, tanks, gunships, transports, artillery, and command vehicles — it’s the “Voice Command” one that presents the game’s strongest and most talked about selling point — the voice controls that allow the player to control everything on the battlefield verbally. I imagine there’s nothing like putting on a military cap, lighting up a cigar and confidently pacing back and forth while yelling orders at your TV. As it happens, that’s exactly what you might get the chance to do even before the game hits store shelves as we’ve been promised some tokens for the EndWar VIP demo (as well as some very limited EndWar swag) that we’ll be giving away soon, so stay tuned.


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Mumbai: As the middle class witnesses rise in purchasing power, foreign accessory makers are coming to the country in a big way, the latest being Switzerland-based Hanowa which has tied up with Network Ltd to sell watches here.
The agreement got commenced on 1 May and is initially for one year, which would be further changed into an ‘exclusive agency contract’ based on minimum turnover guarantee for a period of three years, as per the terms of the agreement signed between the two.
The contract would enhance Network’s existing lifestyle products in terms of variety, design innovation and price structure with the inclusion of Hanowa offerings like Swiss Military, Alpine Club and Wenger, Network said in a communique to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The Swiss watches are highly fashionable, sporty and affordable. All watches are waterproof and are fitted with a special scratch-proof sapphire glass or mineral crystal glass, it added.
Watch makers TAG Heuer and Omega already have sales network in the country.
Network’s shares were trading at Rs 30.25, up 4.85 per cent, in the late session on the BSE.


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Earlier today Hivelocity Hosting announced it was already taking pre-orders for their new Intel E5-2600 Romley Xeon server line. These new processors are Intel’s latest server processor built on the Sandy Bridge platform and are the newest edition to the higher end Xeon family of chips. With hardware suppliers like Dell and Supermicro just making these systems available on Tuesday of this week, Hivelocity has estimated a lead-time of 1 week on all new orders.
“Our customers are increasingly utilizing our dedicated servers for virtualization and cloud environments. The new Romley processors were built with virtualization and cloud in mind and we know our customers are going to love them,” says Hivelocity’s General Manager Steve Eschweiler. “More cores, more power and more efficiency, it is a win win situation. We gain power and efficiency in the data center and our customers get more bang for their buck. We have been anticipating the launch of the E5 for a long time and are thrilled the day has finally come to get one fired up in our data center.”
Intel claims the new Romleys will improve performance by 80% over the previous generation of Nehalem and Westmere processors. Romley Processor are dual socket chips that have either 4, 6 or 8 cores per processor. Hivelocity offers these new systems in both single processor or dual processor configurations, giving its customers the ability to purchase up to 16 physical cores of processing power. Just like its predecessor, the Romley processors will allow a system to go online with just 1 processor socket populated and scale to a 2nd processor with only a new chip being added and a reboot required.


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NASCAR fans sure love their beer. From the beer-swilling folks in the infield to the beer sponsorships emblazoned on the cars, brands like Coors Light, Budweiser and Miller Lite are all over the racetrack.
Look out Oct. 11 at the Dollar General 300 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. A little liquid refinement is coming to town.
Longmont-based Oskar Blues is set to become the first craft brewery to be featured in a NASCAR race, when its logo appears on the car and racing suit of driver Landon Cassill during the Oct. 11 race.
“It’s so cool to have a craft beer sponsor, especially Oskar Blues Brewery. Craft beer fits so well with our sport, which is casual and accessible,” said Cassill in a news release. “This feels like a great partnership because our team is a lot like this brewery—we’re a homegrown race team working really hard to break through.”
The brewery’s Dale’s Pale Ale and Mama’s Little Yellow Pils will be the only craft beers for sale during the race. I wonder how they will sell among a crowd that seems to prefer to buy beers that come in suitcase sizes.
It’s too bad they couldn’t get the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., to sport the Dale’s Pale Ale logo.


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For instance, Vietnam is the world’s largest cashew nut exporter but has not yet benefited from exporting processed cashew to the EU market. Despite the advantage of a quota of 20,000 tons, the cane sugar industry has not had any optimistic signals yet. Honey exports to the US are the highest, followed by China and Japan, but honey exports to the EU remain modest. The addition of the EU market will diversify markets and prevent breakages of the supply chain. Moreover, exporters will not be on the back foot, looking for new markets.
Under the EVFTA, deeply-processed products from cashew nuts, with a tax rate of 7-12 percent, will be reduced to zero percent. According to the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), although Vietnam is the world’s largest nut exporter, processing companies still import about 80 percent of the raw cashew. African countries specializing in exporting raw cashew have also started building processing plants to produce cashew nuts for export.
African countries will increase the prices of raw cashew. The cashew industry of Vietnam is forecasted to be at risk of losing its position as the No.1 cashew nut exporter. At the conference to summarize the cashew industry in 2020, Vinacas emphasized that enterprises must move to the second revolution, which is to build factories to produce processed and seasoned roasted cashew nuts to increase the global value chain.
EU sugar & honey market
In a recent conference of the cane sugar industry, an expert said that despite the EVFTA with a quota of 20,000 tons of sugar, no enterprises had taken advantage of this quota to export. Similarly, Mr. Le Thanh Van, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Beekeepers Association, said that Vietnam companies had shipped honey to the US, Japan, and the EU since 1991. Of which, honey exports to the US accounted for 80 percent. After the EU has built up strict technical barriers, tight control, and high tax rates, honey exports become extremely limited. With the EVFTA, honey receives tax exemption, but Vietnam has not increased honey exports to the EU market.
With many years of experience exporting sugar to the EU, Mr. Pham Hong Duong, Vice Chairman of Thanh Thanh Cong-Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company, said that the company exports about 30,000 tons of organic and yellow sugar annually. At the same time, products must meet strict standards, including traceability, environment, labor, and genetic modification. To export to the EU, enterprises need to develop these standards soon and head towards deep processing because deep processing will increase the value and profit of products.
According to experts, honey products must meet technical standards to be exported to the EU market, receive international certificates, and establish a local distribution chain in the short term.
Similarly, the cashew industry needs to build raw material growing areas to meet the technical requirements. Mr. Vu Thai Son, Chairman of Long Son Joint Stock Company, shared that Vietnamese enterprises could not export processed cashew nuts to the EU due to high import tariffs. After the EVFTA took effect, the company contacted supermarkets for distribution.
How to maximize the benefits from EVFTA
It was challenging to build a brand in foreign countries, so Vietnamese enterprises could process cashew nuts for supermarkets to develop in the short term. Shortly after putting the products on the shelves of supermarkets and ensuring food safety, supermarkets would immediately actively negotiate with the processing companies, Mr. Vu Thai Son said. By outsourcing to supermarkets, revenues will surge because people fully trust the brands of supermarkets.
To develop the product mentioned in earlier categories with great potential, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Toan suggested that associations need to build cooperation plans with enterprises to connect the distribution and consumption chains from importers and supermarkets to e-commerce channels. Product categories must develop synchronously, instead of sparsely, and change production methods to meet modern technical requirements.
Moreover, it is essential to identify objects and products to meet the technical standards of each market. Associations must coordinate with regulatory agencies to protect products and create export advantages. If Vietnamese companies cannot develop the supermarket chain yet, the MARD can connect with commercial counselors to advertise and introduce products. Regarding management, the MARD needs to implement the codes of growing areas, geographical indications, traceability, quality, and food safety following the EU regulations.
Other articles of EVFTA:


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Marketing industry census reveals virtually everyone ignores ‘Priority inbox’
A survey of the marketing industry has discovered that a near unanimous 97% of companies completely ignore their ‘priority inbox’, bad news for email marketers who rely on the channel.
Compiled by Adestra/Econsultancy the annual survey confirms that email currently provides a high ROI for firms across the board but the reports authors argue that a tailored ‘best practice’ approach offers a clearer route ahead.
This includes adopting basic segmentation and testing of emails, as well as well integrated sales and conversion data.
Henry Hyder-Smith, Managing Director at Adestra, comments: “… more segmentation, more testing, and integrating email with CRM/web analytics/sales data, results in significant revenue growth. Get the basics right and you will sell more.”
Econsultancy Research Director, Linus Gregoriadis adds: “… we hope that this research prompts more companies to invest more effort in a marketing discipline which is often neglected, despite its effectiveness. Put simply, those simply performing ‘batch and blast’ techniques are less likely to see ROI benefits.”


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WhatsApp, with more than one billion monthly users, had earlier announced that it was phasing out compatibility with older phones.
Hemanth Joseph, who works out of Kerala exploited a weakness in the iOS device setup process.
Altough there is no fixed dates of when they will be available, but it is on the cards.
Apple iPhone sales in India up by 50% for fiscal ending September 2016, Tim Cook highlights Jio tie-up
The top boss of the Cupertino-based smartphone maker said it was ‘excited’ about investments going towards building 4G networks in India.
Ola is in fighting an intense battle with San Francisco-based rival Uber, which is sharpening its focus on India after it sold its China business to Didi Chuxing
Search giant Google is rolling out a new update to its Chrome browser and Hangouts instant messaging service.
Autism could be diagnosed by allowing children to play smartphones and tablet games by tracking players' hand movements that helps in identifying the genetic disorder, a new study has found.
The upcoming iPad models will include software upgrades including wider support for the stylus accessory – Apple Pencil.
For Apple, which is struggling to reverse declining sales of its iPhones and Macs and has seen overall revenues drop for two quarters in a row, the corporate market is a surprising bright spot.
Apple didn't have very good news for the users of its older iPad models at the recent WWDC event.
The new feature will enable iPhone users to connect with non-Apple services to send messages, make payments and search photos, for example.
Tech giant Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook is scheduled to meet Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and its Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao during his Hyderabad visit today.
Worldwide PC shipments (desktops, notebooks, two-in-ones and tablets) totaled 101 million units in Q1 2016, as total volumes dipped by 13% year-on-year to their lowest point since Q2 2011, according to latest Canalys study.
As sales of the iPhone start to flatten out, Apple is working around the clock to push a new narrative for the company as a services business.
Govt has sounded out Apple that it is in-principle against allowing import and sale of second-hand phones in India to prevent dumping of hazardous e-waste.
The government’s views come as a dampener for Apple which has aggressive expansion plans in the fastest growing smartphone market in the world.
Singapore is the second country in Asia after China to get the digital payment service.


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- CEO, PARMINDER VIR TO SPEAK ON THE HOW TEF IS CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS AFRICA
- TEF TO HOST ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS IN BOTSWANA
Lagos, Nigeria, October 26, 2017 – The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) today announced its Chief Executive Officer Ms. Parminder Vir OBE speak at the De Beers Diamond Conference to be held in Gaborone, Botswana on November 7-9.
Joining other business leaders on a panel, she will speak on how entrepreneurship can serve as a catalyst for Africa’s development while also highlighting the role of women as drivers of the economy in Africa.
The conference, themed Building a sustainable business model, will cover a selection of topics including gender equity and diversity, entrepreneurship and partnership for business success and will have in attendance Government Officials, Diamond Industry leaders, private sector, and media.
In line with the Foundation’s mission to catalyse economic and social development in Africa through advocacy and creation of an integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem that promotes African entrepreneurship, TEF while in Botswana will convene entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in the SME ecosystem to discuss bridging the gap between the disparate startup communities across Africa as well as addressing the challenges of entrepreneurs within Botswana. This event will also include a screening of the TEF documentary which was recently premiered at the TEF Forum 13-14 October in Lagos, Nigeria.
About The Tony Elumelu Foundation
Established in 2010, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is the leading philanthropy in Africa championing entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs across the continent. The Foundation’s long-term investment in empowering African entrepreneurs is emblematic of Tony Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions Africa’s private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the continent. The Foundation’s flagship initiative, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs, capable of changing the face of business across Africa. www.tonyelumelufoundation.org


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WASHINGTON -- Investors on Wall Street are breathing a sigh of relief after the Dow Jones Industrial average broke 10,000 Wednesday.
It's an important indicator all Americans can celebrate.
After months of gloom, Wall Street is jubilant once again.
The news came as a relief since the last time the Dow saw the 10,000 mark it was on the way down.
The milestone represents a 53 percent comeback for the Dow since March when stocks were at their lowest levels in more than 10 years.
"Well, 10,000, let's face it, it's basically a psychological barrier," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard and Poor's.
It's also the best barometer of the stock market and indicates investors believe the economy is bouncing back after the worst recession since the Great Depression.
"We are seeing that earnings are profitable, they're going to continue to be profitable, and the outlook is good," said Jonathan Corpina with Meridian Equity Partners.
And it's not just stocks -- the outlook is also good for gold, which hit a record high -- more than $1,070 an ounce Wednesday.
But while stocks and gold rise -- the dollar keeps falling, hitting its lowest level against the Euro in more than a year.
The lower dollar does help American business overseas by making products cheaper.
And that helps boost stocks.
In a recent meeting, the Federal Reserve estimated the economy has picked up and Wall Street is reacting to companies like JP Morgan, Chase and Intel posting better-than-expected third quarter profits.
Although many on main street are still hurting, cheers on Wall Street are good sign. While unemployment is a lagging indicator of the economy's health, the stock market is a leading indicator.
"We are very happy with what we're seeing and investors are feeling we are moving in the right direction toward economic recovery," Corpina said.
Confidence is just what retailers want consumers to have as they approach the holiday buying season.