text:
Having sold 40 per cent of her business to ‘Dragons’ Gavin Duffy and Niall O’Farrell, the Ardkeen resident spoke her delight to The Munster Express following last Thursday night’s show.
“It might have been edited down to 10 minutes on television, but you’re standing there for an hour and a half with no script, nothing up your sleeve that you can avail of, nothing,” said Kate, who hails from Crosshaven in County Cork.
“It’s just you in a room with five strangers and your idea. It was very intensive and I was exhausted by the end of it. But thankfully it all went well!”
With her inbox inundated with emails of congratulations and her phone ringing off the hook since Thursday last, Kate has been taken aback by the reaction to her TV appearance.
“Nothing could have prepared me for what the past few days have been like. It’s been great. To have so many people contacting me the way they have has been unbelievable.
“It’s been an incredibly positive experience and a huge step forward for me in terms of developing the business.”
The business in question – www.henparty.ie – is an information portal for those planning hen parties, a sector which has proven well worth exploring from Kate’s perspective.
“I got it off the ground last February, literally in my bedroom,” the UCC graduate added.
“I was still working for Pims Business Systems in Dunhill at the time but as the interest in the site picked up; I branched out on my own, took the plunge and have got it to this point, which is great.”
The site acts as an online store for hen party paraphernalia and also provides an advertising medium for the hospitality trade seeking ‘hens’ with cash.
“I’m now attracting advertising from four star hotels, which was pretty unthinkable at the onset of putting all this together,” said Kate.
“But given the altered state of the economy, hotels are now opting to advertise on the site because they themselves need to explore every avenue they can when it comes to ensuring income streams, which is obviously good news for me.”
So did the old chestnut about a recession being a good time to start up a business certainly ring true from Kate’s experience? “Absolutely,” she added.
Some would say that for €30,000, she has given away a chunk of her business for a song. Kate begs to differ. “The 60 per cent I’ve got now is worth more to me already than what the 100 per cent was prior to Dragon’s Den,” she explained.
“You just couldn’t buy the sort of publicity I’ve enjoyed since last Thursday. The brand recognition which henparty.ie has had in the past few days is so important in terms of future development and expansion. I’ve just taken on my first employee so it’s a very exciting time for me.”
Congratulations to Kate Hyde, who has turned a good idea into an even better niche business. Her future looks assuredly bright.


text:
How Amazon thinks inside (and outside) the box
This article is drawn from the Circular Weekly newsletter from GreenBiz.
Have you ever resorted to aggressively using a kitchen knife or other tools, in a state of frustration, to open a stubborn package? You’re not alone. The experience of packaging-induced anger is known as "wrap rage," a term coined by Jeff Bezos, according to Amazon’s global head of sustainability, Kara Hurst.
For those of us attuned to environmental footprints and material flows, wrap rage also refers to the moral outrage spurred by the unnecessary packaging around purchases — the packaging equivalent of Russian nesting dolls, where boxes are shipped inside other boxes.
What’s the antidote to wrap rage? Amazon has been working for 10 years to figure it out. By partnering with brands and manufacturers, the retail giant aims to both improve customer experience while cutting down on material use through a Frustration-Free Packaging program. This means packaging is easier to open (no more tools!) and made of 100 percent recyclable materials. In many cases, products are designed to ship in their original boxes, with no additional packaging.
In practice, Amazon suppliers must go through a certification process that includes a performance test simulating the journey of a parcel through its fulfillment network, complete with predictable drops, compressions and other physical stresses. But for larger brands with complex packaging and diverse product offerings, collaboration is key.
In July, for example, Amazon highlighted a partnership with Hasbro, the toy and game company of Mr. Potato Head and Play-Doh fame — and, for some, intricate packaging annoyance. Hasbro offers a "Frustration Free" option for 100 products.
To solve this design challenge, consider the purpose of packaging in its context. For brick-and-mortar retail, the primary purpose of a box is to market, communicate and entice a customer to choose between one of many options. It all but says, "Buy me!" But when online shopping, consumers already have purchased an item once it arrives. Accordingly, its packaging serves to ship and protect, not sell.
"Fundamentally, the experience around packaging is changing," said Hurst during a presentation at GreenBiz 17. "This drives a better customer experience, it drives cost out of the business and has massive potential for positive sustainability impacts."
Having grown from offering 19 bestselling products from Microsoft, Fisher-Price and others to a catalog of nearly 2 million items (out of roughly 562 million sold on Amazon as of January) and more than 1,000 corporate partners, Amazon said the initiative has eliminated more than 244,000 tons of packaging materials and avoided 500 million shipping boxes to date.
Despite Amazon’s packaging improvements, there’s no silver bullet for cleaning up the environmental impact of e-commerce. Online retail creates a web of sustainability challenges, from increased urban congestion (PDF) and emissions to "recyclable" packaging that is never actually recycled.
While I typically focus on corporate and city-level decision-making, I can’t help but also notice an irony in corporate circular economy strategies that fundamentally encourage (and profit from) overconsumption. In 2017, Americans spent $240 billion — twice as much as they spent in 2002 — on goods such as jewelry, watches, books, luggage, telephones and related communication equipment, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which adjusted the numbers for inflation. The convenience and affordability of online shopping are compounding American consumer culture, encouraging hyperconsumption and leading to more waste.
It’s a problem that I doubt Amazon or most other retailers will tackle any time soon (Patagonia is the exception to the rule) and speaks to a systemic challenge of driving circularity through corporate commitments. But people will always need "stuff" and Amazon is helping us get it as efficiently, sustainably and frustration-free as possible.
Want to hear more about the future of Amazon’s circular economy strategy? A representative will be speaking in October at VERGE in Oakland, and you can register here using the code V18CW for a 10 percent discount.

domain: news


text:
Google is reportedly making progress towards a settlement with the EU in its search and advertising antitrust case.
The New York Times quoted a European Commission (EC) spokesperson in saying that recently-submitted proposals from Google were "a good basis for further talks" on settling the ongoing anti-trust case.
Google earlier this month introduced a proposal to the EC for a possible settlement in the case, though officials had not previously provided any comment on the proposal.
Google had been given until the end of July to submit a proposed settlement in the case. Joaquin Almunia, competition commissioner for the EC, had asked the company to hand over a list of proposals in order to expedite the case and "avoid lengthy proceedings in the matter."
Earlier this year, the EC began its proceedings against Google over possible anti-trust violations in the search and search advertising spaces.
The Commission had expressed concern that Google had taken advantage of its near-monopoly in the search market in order to drive out competitors and provide favourable results for its own services.
While the EC has laid out its case against Google, Almunia has long-favoured reaching a settlement with Google rather than undertaking a formal anti-trust case.
The report comes just hours after the EC announced that it would launching a separate anti-trust investigation targeting possible bid-fixing the optical drives market.
AMD's Ryzen roadmap on track
Celebrate your ability to use both legs with this low-cost but sturdy entry to the standing world
The framework has suffered from security flaws, including being used to create false clicks
An official announcement is expected soon


text:
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Apple (Still) Not Attending Macworld Expo Boston
In a statement provided to MacMinute on Friday, Apple reiterated that it will not participate in Macworld Expo Boston.
Macworld Expo To Take Place In Boston Next Year
IDG World Expo today confirmed that the East Coast Macworld Conference & Expo will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) July 12-15, 2004
I've finally made good on my promise to myself to switch back to a Mac after five years on PC's.
There is only one issue that I have about this product — I am 6'5", and even sitting at the desk it does not quite reach eye level for me, though it is a much needed improvement from sitting on the desktop.
JUST A QUICK NOTE, dear readers, to tell you that I am reinstalling Jaguar on my Pismo right now. Updates will be minimal for the time being.
'Longhorn' Rollout Slips
Microsoft Corp. has once again shifted the schedule for the release of "Longhorn," the company's next major version of Windows, leaving some users up in the air about an upgrade path.


text:
There’s no question the Delta variant is a troubling new development in the COVID-19 crisis. But after nearly a year and a half of pandemic, it looks like the global economy has built up a fair amount of immunity.
The rollout of vaccines, along with significant adjustments by businesses, consumers and policy makers, has meant the economic impact of each wave of the virus has been softer than the last. While it’s still early, there are hopeful signs this trend will continue as we navigate the Delta wave.
Certainly, the infection statistics in many parts of the world are unnerving. The global rate of daily new cases has almost doubled in the past six weeks. Even in countries with relatively high vaccination rates – such as Britain and the United States – the Delta variant has spread rapidly. Canada may soon be headed down the same path, which could lead to a retightening of requirements for physical distancing and wearing masks – or, at least, a delay in easing them further.
But while the infection charts have looked worrisome, the economic charts, so far, have not.
On Wednesday, the latest JPMorgan Global Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) – an important gauge of worldwide business activity – showed only a modest dip in July from the recent booming levels fuelled by widespread reopenings in the spring. Financial research firm Morningstar Inc. noted that another key bellwether of the global economy, the price of oil, has remained near multiyear highs despite the rise of the Delta threat, implying that global demand has been unshaken.
In the United States, where the seven-day average new case count has soared from 12,000 a day to 85,000 in the past month, the PMIs for the manufacturing and services industries continued to increase from already historically high levels.
Of course, there’s always a bit of a time lag in economic data; even the relatively timely PMI reports are somewhat backward looking. That makes interpreting them somewhat problematic in fast-changing conditions such as those we have today with the Delta variant. Nevertheless, there has so far been little evidence of a serious dent in demand.
The worst you can say is that Delta, on a global scale, has fed a modest slowdown in an economic pace that would be fairly described as unsustainably booming. Given that the surge in demand in this spring’s reopening had severely strained global supplies for a wide range of goods, a bit of a pause – for whatever reason – is not the worst thing that could have happened, from a strictly economic perspective. A temporary cooling of demand amid Delta concerns could give strained supply chains time to catch up.
As to whether this pause might quickly balloon into something bigger, the experience of Britain – where Delta-fuelled case counts peaked in mid-July, and are on the decline again – may be instructive. British retail sales remained strong through June and July, barely missing a beat despite the rising health concerns.
A key reason for that may be the very different overall health implications of the Delta wave compared with earlier waves, especially those that predated mass vaccinations.
In a report this week, RBC Capital Markets chief currency strategist Adam Cole noted that even when Britain’s Delta surge was at its worst, the rate of hospitalizations had only risen modestly, and was about 80 per cent lower than during the similarly big wave of infections in December and January.
“As a test case of how a highly vaccinated country stands up to the Delta variant becoming the dominant strain, the U.K. data are very encouraging,” Mr. Cole said.
One implication for Canada, a country with even higher full-vaccination rates than Britain, is that a rise in Delta-variant cases may not place the same strain on the health care system – and therefore may not require anything like the restrictions we saw in previous waves of the pandemic. Thus, the impact on economic activity stands to be more muted.
That said, one big economic implication of the Delta wave is that those segments of the economy that have borne the brunt of the pandemic may have to suffer a little longer. Specifically, the variant threatens to keep a lid on international travel and tourism, as border restrictions will likely remain in place longer than travellers and business operators had hoped. Other businesses dependent on hospitality and entertainment may face further delays in returning to normal.
For Canada, that suggests prospects for a full return of employment – a critical element in the economic recovery – will be on hold a little longer. Statistics Canada data indicate that these hard-hit sectors alone account for more than 300,000 jobs lost to the pandemic, or more than half the country’s total employment losses versus prepandemic levels.
The labour market can’t possibly recover until pandemic impediments are largely cleared from these sectors. Which means, by extension, the Delta variant could push back the economic recovery by at least a few weeks, possibly a few months.
But the evidence suggests this need not be a major setback to the recovery. We’re probably talking about a tapping of the economic brakes, not a slamming of them.
Your time is valuable. Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. Sign up today.


text:
Guangzhou Commerce Agency recently released a work plan to develop the live-streaming e-commerce, given the rapid development of live-streaming e-commerce nationwide.
The plan says that Guangzhou would build an industry complex
for live-streaming e-commerce, support 10 leading live-streaming companies, foster 100 influential MCN companies, and 1000 popular brands, including corporate, industry and product brands.
The plan aims to build Guangzhou China’s capital of live-streaming e-commerce industry. (Source: 163.com)


text:
In recent years, a seemingly unending procession of direct-to-consumer companies that make and sell everything from men’s pants to eyeglasses to snack foods has sprung up and nabbed venture capital. Think Bonobos,Warby Parker, and HelloFresh, among many others.
In fact, based on venture cycles, one might be inclined to think that it’s time for investors to move on to the next thing. But Neil Sequeira, a managing director at General Catalyst Partners, heartily disagrees. Sequeira, who sits on the boards of NatureBox (healthy snacks) and the Honest Company (environmentally friendly products), cites startups’ ability to reach customers more quickly, easily, and cheaply as just a few reasons why he thinks the trend of new brands selling directly to shoppers is “endless.”
Sequeira told us more last week at General Catalyst’s new Palo Alto office, a traditional pale yellow home that features whiteboard walls and polished concrete floors (a “home away from home” for founders, says the firm).
You’re very bullish on so-called alternative commerce. What does that mean exactly?
Historically, e-commerce has been defined by the Amazons of the world, where they take a product and resell it via the Web to a consumer. But the reality is that commerce – through online, mobile, and multichannel – is changing. It’s no longer about selling a product and taking a thin margin. It’s about creating your own products and brands and selling them on a subscription basis via [multiple] channels, so you’re mobile, you’re online, [and] you’re opening stores.
Wasn’t the idea to not open stores to keep costs down? And is there a danger that consumers can only absorb so many new brands?
These are multichannel businesses. The stores of Warby Parker [which General Catalyst has backed] do incredibly well. The company started online and created a brand. Now, its stores probably perform better than any optical store in the world.
[As for your second question], I think historical big box retailers are in a heap of trouble. Their infrastructure and distribution systems can’t keep up with what consumers want. They have to make deals with manufacturers, their products go through a distribution facility, then to a store. If the products don’t sell, they have to be sent back. They have to do big-brand advertising and marketing. That’s why you’re seeing a lot of these places struggle. Consumers want their specific needs addressed, versus [the old model of] Proctor & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark and those companies doing things on a macro basis. There’s a lot that incumbents can’t do because of their legacy infrastructure.
How big do you think the opportunity is?
I think the trend is endless. It’s a trillion dollar industry. Of course, it means you have to do things differently – acquire customers differently, market differently, build brand differently – but that’s what great companies will do.
How do you, as an investor, sort through what’s great in a market that’s attracting so many startups?
It has to start with a mission — that can’t be manufactured. NatureBox’s CEO was an obese young man who started eating healthier and who wanted to create something to help kids like him. When [actress] Jessica [Alba] started Honest Company, she had already campaigned on Washington for three years to try to change what goes into kids’ clothing and food. Nobody listened . . .so she started a company. I think consumers hear authenticity.
You also have to find creative acquisition channels. Banner ads and Google clicks aren’t going to work. If [my colleague] tells me to buy something, that’s how you sell it. Beyond social, I think mobile is the next real killer. Having that [purchasing power] in [a consumer’s] pocket and figuring out what they really want will be [increasingly powerful].
How so, outside of a retailers’ ability to send a customer information or a discount based on their location?
There are just so many more applications and data on mobile, and those will continue to proliferate, whereas online [retailers are limited to] a certain amount of traditional marketing channels. Then there’s ease and convenience; you don’t have to sit in front of a computer; you can just “one click” from your mobile. So there’s traditional, there’s social, there’s mobile, there’s on-demand. Meanwhile, the incumbents have to go to buy pre-roll on TV. They aren’t going to be able to change fast enough.
Are there any businesses or segments you might avoid at this point because they seem saturated?
Is there a lot of room for another Warby Parker? I don’t think so. But consumer products that are serving niches? Probably. Maybe you don’t want to compete with Google on last-mile delivery. When you have folks who have unending resources and they’re going after a market hard, it can be a challenge. But I don’t worry about the retailers. I don’t think there are that many areas that are shut off.
Sign up for our morning missive, StrictlyVC, featuring all the venture-related news you need to start you day.


text:
IAG Cargo has welcomed China back to its network with the restart of services between London Heathrow and Shanghai, and will soon be resuming flights
How we moved the world’s largest known dinosaur
What does it take to transport a 101-million-year-old titanosaur? Here’s everything you need to know. At IAG Cargo, we’re experts in moving freight of all
IAG Cargo’s key moments of 2022
Last year, our network was back into full force since the challenges of the pandemic, and we’re continuing to shape the future of airfreight with
IAG Cargo’s most interesting and unique movements in 2022
This year has been a busy one for us. We’ve helped people celebrate traditions across the globe, from moving whiskey for Saint Patricks Day to
How supply chains are accommodating the electric car revolution
We speak to Greg Slawson, Senior Vice President, Global Vertical Lead of Automotive at DSV, about the shift to battery-powered vehicles within supply chains and the
The rise of e-commerce in airfreight: behind the scenes
As we gear up for the busy Q4 season with events including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles Day, we sat down with Ashwani Nath,
Australia Restart: How’s It Going for IAG Cargo?
After a two-year pause, we’re excited Australia is back on our network. To find out how the restart is going, why our London-Sydney route is
IAG Cargo and DHL: Moving Film Productions Around the World
What does it take to fly production props across the globe for location shoots? Find out how IAG Cargo supports our partner DHL in bringing
Cargo Live 5: Expert Insights into the Airfreight Market
Our fifth Cargo Live episode and first one of 2022 uncovered the latest insights and trends in the logistics industry, the power of digitalisation, and
The Digitisation of Air Cargo
Airfreight may have been late to join the party of digitisation, but now that we’ve started, our industry is making great strides. Discover IAG Cargo
IAG Cargo’s 2021 year in review
From flying essential COVID-19 vaccines to tonnes of wine, and even a rescued SEA LIFE turtle from the Maldives, 2021 has been quite a year
10 minutes with… JCS Livestock
We speak to General Manager Philip Knowles of live animals agent JCS Livestock about shipping everything from anteaters to zebra, working with major zoos worldwide, and ensuring the ethical treatment of animals during transit
10 minutes with…Customer Service and Recovery Lead Steven Ellis
In this interview, he talks to us about being the Critical team’s first hire, 24/7 customer service and last-minute must-fly cargo.
Animal crossings: Flying animals with IAG Cargo
From lions to lorises, we uncover which animals we’ve transported through our Live Animals service over the years
Journey into the cold chain at Madrid Barajas
What happens when you book shipments with IAG Cargo’s Constant Climate product from our Spanish hub?
Supporting UNICEF to transport Covid-19 vaccines globally
With the agreement, UNICEF will benefit from access to one of the largest aircraft fleets in the world supported by five airlines, including British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
IAG CARGO HAS TRANSPORTED NEARLY 450 TONNES OF CUT FLOWERS ACROSS ITS NETWORK IN TIME FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Helping to keep the magic alive this Valentine’s Day, IAG Cargo has carried nearly 450 tonnes of flowers across its network, equating to nearly 18,000,000
FLying freight? Here’s all you need to know
From free cargo credits to seamless online bookings, it’s worth investing in a reliable cargo partner that gives great mileage for your spend
Re-pet-riation: Keeping Families Together
Between repatriating citizens stranded abroad, delivering important medical equipment to hospitals and ensuring supermarket shelves stay stocked, COVID-19 has meant that airlines have had to
Mail flies in passenger cabins with IAG Cargo
Working with British Airways, collaboration across the group saw the first ever mail loaded into the cabin of a BA passenger aircraft on 8th April from London to Toronto.
Valentine’s Day – Where do your flowers come from?
For centuries, people have been gifting flowers as a token of their affection on Valentine’s Day – in the UK, for example, almost half of
Embracing new starts: minimise stress when moving cities
It is widely acknowledged that moving home is stressful: sorting through possessions, packing, and getting all the paperwork sorted is just the start of what feels like a never-ending to-do list.
Is India’s mango market ripe for export expansion?
The start of the mango season is here, but could it also be the start of something bigger for India?
5 of the best jazz bars in the world
This International Jazz Day, we’re looking at the top spots in the world to catch some standards, swinging rhythms and solos
The future of immunisation
We take a look at the future of vaccines and the novel developments that might keep populations alive for years to come
How big data is solving problems across the airport landscape
One of the start-ups selected for this year’s Hangar 51 accelerator, Emu Analytics’ data visualisation platform has been able to identify airside problem areas that prevent cargo getting on a flight on time. CEO Richard Vilton explains how the tech works
In Ghana, fresh fruit and veg exports are booming
We take a deep dive into Ghana’s thriving export market and the fresh produce that’s driving it
10 tips for travelling with your pet
For animal lovers looking to move their four legged friends overseas, we’ve curated a fail-safe guide that answers all of your questions about shipping pets
Why start-ups are the jumpstart that the air cargo sector needs
IAG is investing heavily in innovation – we take a look at this year’s Hangar 51 finalists from the Accelerator’s Cargo category
What’s in the box? Our top beauty shipments
Mint oil, botox and weight loss pills were some of our largest shipments last month


text:
Cartons for Good project wins SAVE FOOD competition
The meals inside the SIG carton packages are distribute to local schools which can then offer a hot meal to children every day. Image: SIG
Cartons for Good project wins SAVE FOOD competition
The SAVE FOOD Initiative, founded in 2011 by Messe Düsseldorf, interpack and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), works for reducing the enormous amounts of food that are either lost or wasted globally each year. This year, a competition was looking for projects which contribute to reducing these losses. There is now a definite winner who was given an award at the interpack alliance trade fair pacprocess MEA in Cairo.
Among many nominations, the jury members from the FAO, the WPO and interpack/Messe Düsseldorf first selected the the three most promising projects, and then chose one of them as the winner. The project Cartons for Good by the SIG Foundation won with the idea to use the SIG know-how in bottling to help communities in poorer countries to locally turn their food into meals and extend their shelf life. The Swiss manufacturer of carton packaging and bottling technology developed a specialised bottling solution for this purpose. A smaller version of the industrialised SIG bottling plants can be easily put on a truck and transported even to remote rural areas, where fresh vegetables and fruit can then be preserved locally. Because every day, a third of all food produced all over the world is lost. Often, farmers cannot sell all their harvest on local markets, but also do not have any way to preserve their products.
The mobile bottling system can be put on a truck and transported even to remote rural areas. Image: SIG
In 2018, SIG engineers therefore developed a system that utilises the company’s boil-down technology to preserve food in SIG SafeBloc carton packaging. Vegetables and fruit without any added preservatives are used to prepare tasty meals which are filled into carton packaging. This way, the meals can be stored without refrigeration for up to nine months at the usual environmental conditions. This way, the Cartons for Good Initiative brings SIG food preservation and packaging technology to regions which sorely need innovative solutions to fight food loss and malnutrition. Surplus food is preserved and the livelihood of farmers is secured.
And this is how the system works: Farmers receive money for their surplus vegetables which means additional income from harvests they would otherwise not be able to sell. The communities use the vegetables to cook meals and use the SIG Foundation bottling system to preserve them in carton packaging. The food packets are then distributed to local schools, which then can offer a hot meal to children every day. After eating the meals, the packaging is collected for recycling by a local institution, so that the materials can be reused.
Vegetables and fruit are used to prepare meals without added preservatives. Image: SIG
Pilot project in Bangladesh
Since 2019, the Cartons for Good Initiative has been involved in a pilot project in the Region of Balia in Bangladesh and is offering underprivileged children a regular lunch throughout the year. And more than that: As the children receive food, they can continue to go to school. The SIG Foundation team is working locally with BRAC, the world’s largest NGO with headquarters in Bangladesh. In the year 2022 alone, 20 tonnes of vegetables were saved, 15 permanent jobs were created and 24,600 meals were distributed to 180 schoolchildren. In addition, 3,000 packages were distributed among families and people affected by the heavy floods in Bangladesh.
Inside the carton package, the meals can be stored without refrigeration for up to nine months under the usual ambient conditions. Image: SIG
Efforts in Egypt
Currently, the SIG Foundation is planning to bring Cartons for Good to Egypt, too. There, 50 percent of all fruit and vegetables grown is wasted – approximately 73 kilograms of food waste per person each year. At the same time, more than 30 percent of Egyptians are living beneath the poverty line and one in five children is suffering from poor development. Cartons for Good has plans to use the prize of 20,000 Euro for a comprehensive study to find out where the project would have the greatest impact on the country. For example, there is a desire to identify the most important region in Egypt where freshly produced food is regularly lost in large quantities because it cannot be sold to consumers through the established commercial delivery chain. The next step is to establish a local project, lead by the local partner for implementation, the Natural Resources & Climate Protection Foundation (NCRP). For SIG, social activism and sustainability in Egypt are nothing new: In the year 2022, a project called “Recycle for Good” has already started. The project aims to introduce a change in behaviour and to encourage people to contribute their recyclable waste and thus strengthen the circular economy.
About the SAVE FOOD Initiative
The SAVE FOOD Initiative was founded in 2011 by Messe Düsseldorf and interpack, the world’s largest trade fair for the packaging sector and the related processing industry, and has since cooperated with, for example, FAO and the UN Environment programme. As a global alliance, it follows UN SDG 12.3, fighting for a reduction of food loss and waste. After a hiatus due to COVID-19, interpack has been involved in new projects since 2022. The goal is to create public awareness for the issue and to develop counterstrategies and even solutions in cooperation with the economy, politics, society and industry. A special focus is put on innovations from the packaging industry.


text:
A Bpost worker uses a magnifier to check the quality of newly printed chocolate stamps at the Bpost (belgian post) stamp press in Mechelen, Belgium on Wednesday Feb. 6, 2013. Bpost today began production of chocolate postage stamps.
The Belgian post office released 538,000 stamps on Monday that have pictures of chocolate on the front but the essence of cacao oil in the glue at the back for taste and in the ink for smell.
Belgian stamp collector Marie-Claire Verstichel said while the taste was a bit disappointing, “they smell good.”
The five postage stamps depict chocolate in various forms: sprinkles, pralines, chocolate spread, pieces of raw chocolate and bars.
- The U.S. government is investigating possible unlawful coordination by some airlines to keep prices high ✈
- Leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church, which appointed an out gay bishop in 2003, have voted to let clergy perform religious same-sex marriages.
- The Women's World Cup final is set: Team USA and Japan will play on Sunday ⚽


text:
Swan Hellenic has stated that it would expand its fleet with one new expedition ship in 2023.
Minerva and Vega were launched in November 2021 and July 2022, respectively. Diana is scheduled to launch in early 2023.
Diana, which will be run by 140 crew members, can fit 192 passengers into 96 staterooms and suites.
The ship has two tenders, which can be used instead of Zodiacs for expedition landings, a multipurpose area next to an observation lounge, and a private dining room.
In addition to several new itineraries to New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, and Southwest Africa, the line’s three expedition ships will travel across the Arctic and Antarctic during 2023.
Book by: Dec 15th 2023
Book by: Dec 30th 2023
Rock on in Cancun & New York!
Please welcome to the stage New York City’s newest and brightest star, Hard Rock Hotel New York! Located between the Theatre District and Radio City Music Hall! After exploring the Big Apple, he ...
7th Oct 2024 - 21st Oct 2024


text:
A ban on women wearing glasses in companies across Japan has sparked outrage after the practice emerged.
The reasons for the rule differ from industry to industry, according to local media, but some retailers reportedly said shop workers in glasses left customers with a “cold impression”.
While traditional restaurants argued that spectacles do not suit old-fashioned styles of Japanese clothing, employers in the beauty sector argued customers would not be able to see female worker’s makeup clearly enough beneath glasses.
Safety issues were cited as the reason behind the spectacles ban in the airline sector.
It remains to be seen if rules barring workers from wearing glasses are enforced by formal company regulations or are instead imposed via culturally established norms.
Anger in the country surfaced after Japanese network Nippon TV ran a story about firms that make female workers wear contact lenses instead of glasses.
The hashtag “glasses ban” has gained increasing traction on Twitter since Wednesday – with one woman saying she was forced to put lenses in when she had an eye infection and subsequently suffered pain and discomfort.
Some women in Japan condemned the measures by tweeting images of their glasses.
Uma Mishra-Newbery, executive director of Women’s March Global, hit out at the bans.
“The policing of women’s bodies and what we wear continues to be a tool to enforce patriarchy,” the campaigner told The Independent. “It’s 2019 and still women are fighting to be seen for our value and work.”
Critics have compared the prohibition of glasses to stringent rules in some Japanese schools that make children with lighter hair dye their hair black so they fit in with their fellow pupils.
The country saw another recent backlash over firms forcing women to wear heels in offices. More than 31,000 have signed a petition calling for the requirement to be banned.
The hashtag #KuToo – echoing the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment – has been widely disseminated on social media. The phrase is a play on the Japanese words for shoes “kutsu” and pain “kutsuu”.
The issue of sexual harassment continues to be prevalent in the country that has the poorest gender equality among the G7 nations. A recent survey of 1,000 working women found that 43 per cent had experienced sexual harassment, and more than 60 per cent of them did not report it.
Join our new commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies


text:
1:20 p.m. IST: Event concludes.
1:15 p.m. IST: The first sale for Le 1s Eco's 100,000 units will begin on May 12 at 2 p.m.
1:13 p.m. IST: Le 1s Eco is priced at Rs. 9,999 with 1 year LeEco Membership worth Rs. 4,900 free.
1:00 p.m. IST: Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez launch Le 1s Eco.
12:50 p.m. IST: Le 1s Eco is the first made for India smartphones. It comes with LeTouch, Supercharge, USB Type C port, 13MP primary camera + 5MP front camera and Supertainment integration.
12:48 p.m. IST: Following the success of Le 1s, Jain announces Le 1s Eco.
12:42 p.m. IST: LeEco COO Atul Jain comes on stage to talk about the new smartphones for Indian market. Jain boasts Le 1s success and all major milestones it achieved.
12:40 p.m. IST: LeEco Membership pricing in India is Rs. 490 for a month or 4900 for a year.
12:39 p.m. IST: Lee announces the launch dates for the new services. Le Vidi and Le Live will launch on 24 May, while Le Music and LeEco Drive will launch in Q3.
12:37 p.m. IST: After talking about content, Lee talks about offreing special services to its users. He introduces LeEco Drive to store photos, music and videos on cloud storage. LeEco Drive comes with 5TB of cloud storage for free.
12:34 p.m. IST: Lee announces Live Concerts on Le Superphones. He also demonstrated how live concerts from diffrent genres would look like on its smartphones. Users can stream concerts from around the world in real time.
12:28 p.m. IST: Lee introduced music streaming, searching hight definition music videos and offline listening all without advertisements. LeEco has partnered with Hungama for its music streaming services.
12:24 p.m. IST: William Lee takes the stage once again to talk about Live Channels for news and sports. He demonstrates live channels on superphones. LeEco has partnered with YuppTv for live content streaming.
12:22 p.m. IST: Kumar Abuja talks about Eros partnership with LeEco. Plans to launch Eros with more than 2,000 films.
12:20 p.m. IST: Lee hands over the stage to Kumar Abuja, President of Business Development for Eros.
12:18 p.m. IST: William Lee talks about content. He announces Eros Now will be integrated into Le Vidi app, which is available in Le phones.
12:12 p.m. IST: William Lee, VP of content APAC at LeEco, takes the stage. He annonces LeEco membership program, which will launch in India this year.
12:10 p.m. IST: LeEco COO Atul Jain talks about bringing all entertainment content to mobile screens.
12:05 p.m. IST: LeEco COO Atul Jain takes the stage.
12:00 p.m. IST: LeEco Supertainment event kicks off with a performance by dance group "Illuminati".
11:55 a.m. IST: The event has begun.
11:45 a.m. IST: Sources tell IBTimes, India that there will be new smartphones along with content related announcements at the LeEco Supertainment event. The company will announce new partners for its content ecosystem. The event is expected to begin shortly.
11:40 a.m. IST: The venue is packed with guests, media and LeEco fans. The event is being attended by more than 300 people from around India.
LeEco is gearing up for its event in Mumbai, which is themed "Supertainment," where new smartphones and content-related services are likely to be announced. The event, which is being held at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, is set to begin soon and we will bring you live coverage of the LeEco's Supertainment announcements.
From what we have learnt so far, at least one smartphone will be launched on Tuesday. The Chinese internet conglomerate is expected to make some major announcements around content streaming services, something for which it is well known in its home country.
LeEco is planning to replicate its successful ecosystem in India. The company has already revealed its plans to invest $10 million in setting up in-house cloud and content delivery networks (CDNs) across the country by the end of this year. The new infrastructure would strengthen its content delivery capabilities in both mobile and TV segments.
Besides content and services, LeEco is expected to launch a new smartphone. Sources have informed International Business Times India, that the new smartphone will be disruptive in terms of pricing and that it would cost cheaper than the popular Le 1s. In terms of specs, the handset will retain most of the premium specs of the Le 1s.
If the rumours are to be believed, LeEco might also launch three new smartphones, Le 2, Le 2 Pro and Le Max 2, at the event on Tuesday, which were unveiled in China last month.
Live updates will appear on the top of the story.


text:
Amazon India stops selling hunting equipment
In a surprising announcement, Amazon India has revealed that it has stopped selling animal specimens and hunting and trapping equipment due to a petition organized by New Delhi-based NGO Wildlife SOS. The petition has gathered over 9,500 signatures in just two months, prompting the corporation to respond. The petition wanted Amazon to stop selling snares, leghold traps, and books that teach people to make their own traps.
"We had taken down over 400 products that could be used by the poachers. We wanted to ensure that our platform is not misused," says Rakesh Bakshi, legal head of Amazon India.
The removal of these items is currently limited to the Amazon India website. Bakshi says that “countries have different laws on the same matter,” which means that the products may still be part of the global site offerings.
Wildlife SOS believes the decision to remove these items will help stop poaching within the country. The organization is working with Amazon India officials to identify which items should be removed from the site.
Amazon operates separate retail sites for the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, India and Mexico. In 2015, it became the largest most valuable retail corporation in America. While this decision seems to be aimed at curbing illegal hunting activities, should it filter through to other countries, it may become a problem.


text:
A direct mail distributor that announced it would close a Vermont plant and eliminate more than 200 jobs in Rutland is expanding in Iowa.
MetroGroup Marketing Services Inc. is going to expand its southeast Iowa operation by up to 80 jobs.
In addition to closing the Rutland plant the Lincoln, Nebraska-based company is consolidating jobs in Iowa and Nebraska.
MetroGroup Vice President Mike Shea says a plant in Seward, Nebraska, will add fewer new jobs.
MetroGroup Marketing provides direct mail production, printing, and packaging.


text:
The London Wine Competition 2020 is now into its third year and can still claim to be the only major international wine event that looks to reward wines that everyday wine drinkers can relate to as they are assessed not just on their quality, but what they look like, how much they cost, and what value they offer. Here’s how to enter the 2020 competition.
The London Wine Competition claims to be the word’s most relevant wine competition, at least for consumers, as it tries to assess and reward wines based on how consumers judge them. What they look like, what they taste like, how much they cost, and do I want to have another glass. Simple as that. Here’s how to enter the 2020 competition.
How do you judge how good a wine is? Anyone who has a WSET qualification to their name will be very familiar with the systematic approach to wine tasting that is all about assessing the colour, the appearance, the legs, nose, taste and balance of a wine. But rarely does a professional examination take into account what sort of label a wine has, be it the design the overall look, feel and packaging. Which, after, all, is all that the average customer has to go on when deciding which wine to pick off a shelf.
Which is what makes the London Wine Competition such an event. Now entering its third year it claims to be the only global wine competition that judges wines both on what they taste like, and what they look like and what value they offer. Quality, value and packaging. That’s why design and packaging is such an important part of the overall offer that a wine has.
Those are arguably the wines that professional wine buyers and sommeliers need to have on their lists. They keep the cash flowing going, they keep the wine stocks flowing and ultimately they bring in the much needed revenues and margins for the restaurant.
The London Wine Competition was launched in 2017 by the Beverage Trade Network, the US drinks events, services, business and publishing group. It is now back for its third year of competition with entries open now and up to January 31, 2020.
Sid Patel, founder of the LWC and chief executive of the Beverage Trade Network, explained what he wanted to achieve with the new event: “At all the major competitions, wines are judged solely on the quality of what’s in the bottle. We wanted to take a different approach, by asking our judges to look at wines the way wine drinkers do, adding appearance and value for money into the mix.”
The average wine drinker, he added, is not interested or qualified to go through all the quality tests, they just want a wine they can trust, suits their palate and makes them want to order another glass.
“People buy wines with their eyes first, and that puts a real premium on wines that are able to offer an attractive presentation, everything from the label to the brand perception. Including all three factors into the judging process produces results that are closer to the reality of the way consumers purchase wines and gives winemakers better feedback on how their wines are perceived by wine drinkers,” said Patel.
To ensure each of these elements are carefully considered during the judging process, the point scores are broken down in this way.
• Quality Score: marked out of 50
• Value Score: marked out of 25
• Packaging/Design Score: marked out of 25
Wines that score 90+ points are awarded Gold medals, while wines that score 76 to 89 points were awarded Silver medals.
The results of the second London Wine Competition that took place earlier this year also reflected the quality and innovation that is taking place all over the world.
Australia was the standout performer taking away 11 Gold medals and scooping up 31% of the medals awarded. But there was also a long tail of countries that also picked up a share of the spoils with France, Italy through to Portugal, New Zealand, Austria, Spain, the US and England all being awarded category medals.
Kellermeister’s Wild Witch Shiraz seized the top Gold medal, scoring 98 points, and also securing ‘Wine of the Year’ and Best Wine By Quality. Situated in the Barossa Valley Australia’s classic region for top quality Shiraz growing and producing, the Wild Witch is not produced in every vintage.
The second highest score was for 97 points shared between Guinevere 2016, from Gusbourne in the UK, Fink & Kotzian Weinbau OG 2017, from Fink & Kotzian Weinbau OG in Austria; Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva, 2013 from Tenuta Santa Maria di Gaetano Bertani in Italy.
The judges for this year’s competition included 11 Masters of Wine, a Master Sommelier, and buyers from key retail operators, wine distributors as well as senior sommeliers from London’s fine premium on-trade. It included a number of new MWs who joined the panel including Rebecca Gibb MW, Philip Harden MW, Robin Kick MW, Joanne Ahearne MW, Barbera Drew MW and David Forer MW.
Other judges included:
* Anna Botting, head sommelier
• Stefano Pasqual, head sommelier, Gordon Ramsay
• Piotr Pietras, head sommelier
• Matteo Furlon, deputy head sommelier, The Ritz
• Julien Sarrasin, head sommelier, Hide Above
• Greg Sherwood MW, Handford Wines
• David Vareille, head sommelier, The Arts Club
A full list of judges can be found here.
How to enter
If you are looking to enter the LWC then the cost is £125.
Judging for the 2020 competition will take place on March 24 and 25, 2020 with winners announced on April 30, 2020.
- For more information on the London Wine Competition 2020 go to its main website here.


text:
BlackBerry's unconventional smartphone will cost less than other high-end devices like the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6.
The Chinese phone maker is ready to start selling its distinctive flagship smartphone -- the camera is on a pivot. The N1 also has a 5.9-inch screen, but no LTE support.
The carrier has started preorders for Samsung's new phablet and smartwatch.
The glossy black version of the Sonos subwoofer costs $699, but you can now get the matte version for $100 less.
Apple's Mac Mini becomes faster and more capable. The tiny desktop computer, last updated over a year ago, will have three USB 3 ports while retaining HDMI and Thunderbolt connections.
After travelling 4 billion miles, the European Space Agency's lander has touched down on a comet and is taking pictures.
Pioneer's new super-solid PLX-1000 turntable shakes up the Audiophiliac.
Everything you need to know about picking up Google's new smartphone and tablet.
The Wi-Fi-only version is available, but you'll have to wait if you'd rather own the LTE edition.
Sure, Apple's iPad Air starts at $499. But here's why Apple really wants you to pay $599.


text:
Hewlett-Packard shares soared 14% Tuesday, leading a tech sector rally, after the No. 1 PC-maker announced better-than-expected earnings six days early.
But technology analysts warned that the industry still might be slipping into its worst downturn since the dotcom bust of 2001. "Things are tough out there," says equity analyst Brent Bracelin with Pacific Crest Securities. HP's results "were not as bad as feared…(but) this certainly isn't anything to jump up and down about."
HP HPQ reported revenue of $33.6 billion in the quarter ended Oct. 31, a 19% increase from a year ago. But much of the gain came from its recent acquisition of consulting giant Electronic Data Systems. Growth of existing businesses was closer to 5%.
In the current fiscal year, HP expects revenue from $127.5 billion to $130 billion, which is also a healthy gain. Most of the gain comes from EDS, Bracelin says. The numbers imply that HP's core business — PCs, printers, and other computer hardware and software — will decline 5 to 7% next year, he says.
But it could be worse. HP's worldwide reach, broad product line, and ability to gain market share makes it better able to weather the storm than other tech companies, says tech analyst Stephen Baker with researcher NPD. More troubling signs are everywhere.
Cisco, Intel and Sun are among big tech suppliers who have trimmed revenue and earnings projections for the coming year in anticipation of major cuts in corporate spending on tech infrastructure.
What's more, Circuit City's bankruptcy and recent cautionary guidance by Best Buy signal that the coming holiday shopping season could be a brutal one for makers of high-tech gadgetry aimed at the consumer market, says Charles King, principal analyst at IT Pund Research.
Fearing the worst
How bad could it get? Nowhere near as bad as 2001, according to three major tech research firms.
Gartner and IDC both recently projected worst case scenarios of slightly less that 3% growth rate in global tech spending for 2009, down from earlier estimates of about 6% growth.
ISI is a bit more bearish. "My view is that tech cannot fight the downward tug of economic gravity," says Bill Whyman, head of ISI's tech strategy research group. He predicts 2009 growth in global tech spending in the "mid-single digit negative." Historical evidence shows that business and consumer tech spending always go negative in recessions, he says.
"Computer hardware spending falls the most but is the first to bounce back," says Whyman. "Software spending is the most stable, and communication equipment spending often lags the recovery."
But some troubled companies may be unable to weather the downturn, says IDC tech analyst Richard Shim. Although unit sales of many tech products are expected to remain steady, prices are expected to plummet — especially for some consumer goods. "The guys who are weak are going to get nailed," he says. "There is nothing on the horizon that they can use as a lifesaver."
A wave of tech consolidation may be the result, Shim says. HP's EDS acquisition may be an early sign. So might Microsoft's attempt to buy search giant Yahoo earlier this year. Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, who was widely criticized for not closing the Microsoft deal, said Monday that he plans to relinquish his post. (He will remain with the company he co-founded in a supporting role.)
Pockets of growth


text:
Nvidia and AMD are in an arms race and this is just the beginning
When you think of PC performance, you think of graphics cards. These components are the tractor pulling the performance plow across fields of pixels, to use a clunky specific analogy, and that won’t change anytime soon. While there are some arguments for scaling up tech as another way to supercharge your PC, we’re just getting started.
At CES 2022, we saw AMD and Nvidia go head-to-head in mobile graphics and budget GPUs, but what’s new there? These two are always at each other’s throats for graphic dominance on PC. What struck me, however, was how AMD built Radeon Super Resolution (RSR), its offshoot of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) that runs on almost enough every game ever made, and made it into one. much larger part of his show. than you might expect.
RSR is a more generalized approach to scaling that AMD says will work on “almost any game you own.” It’s driver side, which means you’ll need an AMD graphics card to use it, but it’s as easy as enabling it in the drivers to enable it. It’s not for us to test it yet, but it’s coming very soon with the brand new Adrenalin package, so we’ll see how it performs then. I suspect this won’t be as effective as the game-optimized and implemented FSR, but it’s best to see it work before we decide.
Still, I think a lot of the reason this was a talking point for AMD at CES 2022 is due to the increased competition. Nvidia has Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), so AMD has FSR. Nvidia is re-releasing its pilot-side Nvidia Image Scaling at the end of last year, and it’s making a big deal out of it, you don’t know, and AMD is reacting with RSR. Nvidia even released a tool specifically for comparing upscaling technologies called ICAT.
There can be a lot of crossovers with development timelines and everything in between, but the competitive nature of these companies leading the way will be a huge boon to us PC gamers.
The impact of upscaling is not going to diminish, it will only play an increasingly important role in PC performance from here on out. And if I think about it, the Nvidia and AMD HQ boffins are sure to be three steps ahead with something even better than what we currently have. As Nvidia has proven, AI is a real helping hand in this sort of thing, and its development is advancing in leaps and bounds by the calendar month.
And this arms race for the rise of supremacy will only be made even more competitive by the entry of Intel into space. Death Stranding’s Director’s Cut was announced for PC this week, and we already know that it will use Intel’s upcoming XeSS upscaling technology. And there are sure to be more games on the way that make the most of this technology that has yet to be released.
Then there’s Unreal Engine 5 with Temporal Super Resolution, and Microsoft’s own vision, and probably a lot of other options out there all competing to take your low-res images and make them look like 1440p, or 4K, or even 8K. This is an industry-wide effort, and it’s clear that every tech-conscious company wants to stay on top of developments and offer a solution for scaling.
DLSS has most certainly been the eureka moment for AI-based scaling technology in games, but until 2022 we expect to see many other new and improved formulas trying to do what. they can, but better. I’d say scaling technologies already have as much of an impact on PC performance as some component upgrades, but over the next five years we could see it doing a lot more.


text:
Scenes featuring tycoon Donald Trump blow-drying his hair and domestic entrepreneur Martha Stewart constantly rearranging her products are part of a celebrity-studded advertising campaign that Macy's Inc. hopes will help build its image as a national brand.
The Cincinnati-based retailer, which reported a 77 percent drop in its second-quarter earnings this month, continues to struggle to create a strong national brand and integrate the stores gained in its $11 billion acquisition of former competitor May Department Stores Co. in 2005.
The television campaign beginning next month will feature celebrities, such as Trump and Stewart, who sell their own branded products at Macy's. They are seen in the ads primping their departments as if preparing for customers.
In addition to Trump and Stewart, other celebrities include singer and actress Jessica Simpson, designers Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole and music producer and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs.
"This advertising campaign is really about showcasing all of these great celebrity name brands that fit under this one big roof," Martine Reardon, executive vice president of corporate marketing for Macy's, said Thursday.
Reardon said the commercials have a humorous, whimsical slant, focusing on each celebrity's personality and public image.
Martha Stewart's image as a perfectionist is captured in a scene where she can be seen folding and refolding her products, and Trump is seen in front of a mirror blow-drying his hair into his signature style.


text:
On the strength of Microsoft Office and Windows Server sales, Microsoft today reported "record [quarterly] revenue of $17.37 billion" and profits of about $6 billion, but the gap between Microsoft and Apple continued to grow in Apple's favor.
Just two days ago, Apple reported quarterly revenue of $28.57 billion, or $11 billion more than Microsoft. Last quarter, the gap was about $8 billion, and even that was impressive after many years in a row of Microsoft trouncing Apple in revenue and profit.
In today's earnings, Microsoft reported $6.17 billion in operating income and $5.87 billion in net income. Apple, meanwhile, reported net profit of $7.31 billion, again widening the gap between the two tech companies.
Microsoft's results are for the fourth quarter of Redmond's 2011 fiscal year. Year-end numbers for the company include $69.94 billion revenue, $27.16 billion operating income and $23.15 billion net income. Apple still has one fiscal quarter to go before it reports year-end earnings.
Microsoft can still boast more cash-making ability than rival Google, whose most recent quarter featured $9.03 billion in revenue and $2.88 billion in operating income.
"Throughout fiscal 2011, we delivered to market a strong lineup of products and services which translated into double-digit revenue growth, and operating margin expansion," Microsoft CFO Peter Klein said in the company's earnings release. "Our platform and cloud investments position us for long-term growth."
The Microsoft Business Division grew revenue 7% in the quarter and 16% for the full year on the strength of Office 2010, which has sold more than 100 million licenses.
Server & Tools grew 12% in the quarter and 11% for the year, driven by Windows Server, System Center and SQL Server.
The Windows and Windows Live division saw revenue decline 1% for the quarter and 2% for the full year. That's likely due to slowing Windows 7 sales, but next year's expected launch of Windows 8 could boost the desktop OS division once again.
"Excluding the impact of the prior year Windows 7 launch and revenue deferral, we estimate full-year revenue growth was in line with PC market growth of 2% to 4%," Microsoft said.
The PC market, of course, has been affected slightly by the success of Apple's iPad, with even Apple admitting that iPad sales are cutting into Mac sales.
Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices division is continuing to get stronger, with 30% quarterly growth and 45% yearly growth, because of the Xbox 360, Kinect and Xbox Live. For the full year, Entertainment & Devices pulled in about $9 billion in revenue, compared with $22 billion for the Microsoft Business Division, $19 billion for Windows and $17 billion for Server & Tools.
Once again, the Online Services division is the only one to lose money, posting a $728 million quarterly loss and $2.6 billion yearly loss.


text:
The blockbuster Tollywood movie ’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘will soon be released on OTT. Here are the updates to the movie’s OTT release date, time, and more.
’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘starring Tollywood superstar Pradeep Machiraju and Amritha Aiyer, is gearing up for the launch of OTT. The film made its big-screen debut in 2021 and received incredible response from fans. With a mind-boggling box office collection, the film is one of the most successful Telugu films of 2021. Now fans are wondering about the OTT release of the film, and here’s an update.
’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘OTT release date
According to the latest news, the streaming giant Amazon Prime & Aha has picked up the digital rights of ’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘. The film is expected to be broadcast on May 28, 2021. However, the makers have not yet verified the news. Therefore, the creators will soon issue an official statement regarding the release date of ’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘.
’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘OTT release on Amazon Prime and Aha
The streaming giant Amazon Prime Video has taken the digital rights to the highly anticipated film ’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘. After the pandemic, tons of movies stormed Amazon Prime Videos as well as Aha. ’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘is the next movie to hit the platforms to win the hearts of the audience. So make sure to subscribe to the platforms to enjoy ’30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela ‘.
Stay connected with us to receive the latest updates on the upcoming movies.
Filmy One (FilmyOne.com) – Exclusive Entertainment Site


text:
Wow that didn’t take long. Powermat today announced side by side availability with the MyTouch 4G Slide to bring their Powermat solution to new customers of T-Mobile’s latest device. Powermat has released a Powermat backing for the new MyTouch 4G Slide that allows the Android powered phone to charge with any of PowerMat’s charging solutions.
It’s easy to sit back and complain about the rush of iAccessories and very little Android coverage by comparison. The simple truth is it is way easier to make things for one device that sells, versus 50 devices that sell combined. It does stand to reason, however, that with the growing popularity of the brand as


text:
Ohio fans near and far can now enjoy a monthly box of local-made goodies sent straight to their door.
Modest Box is a new subscription service that sends different types of packages to subscribers, all featuring products from local, “modest” companies.
“When I was thinking of names for the box, I wanted it to be something that stands for the opposite of ‘big box’ because we’re not a big box retailer,” founder Andrea Archibald said.
Archibald and her husband, Nate, fostered a love for locally made goods by going to local farmers’ markets, meeting local producers and sampling their products.
The couple owns the shops Simply Vague, located in Polaris Fashion Place and The Mall at Tuttle Crossing, and Devoted, in the South Campus Gateway.
Modest Box is a way for those Ohio-themed retailers and other local producers to make their products more widely available.
“Often people ask us if we can put our products online,” Andrea Archibald said. “We decided to make this box because our products are so unique and they’re done in small runs so it can be hard to sell them online because we’re not sure if things will sell out at the store at the same time.”
Modest Box customers can customize the service by size, type and subscription duration.
The three types of boxes — called “local love box,” “T-shirt box” and “the big box” — are offered monthly as a one-time purchase or three-, six-, or 12-month duration.
The “T-shirt box” will send out two shirts each month at a price of $56. The “local love box” costs $39 and “the big box” costs $89. Rates cheapen with longer subscriptions and the service will donation $5 to various nonprofits when customers enter coupon codes listed on the website. Certain boxes can be personalized to gender-targeted items and T-shirt size.
Orders received by Jan. 31 will ship out on Feb. 12, the service’s inaugural distribution. Andrea Archibald said they are receiving orders from across the country.
“We’ve been surprised,” Andrea Archibald said. “There’s lots of people locally here buying them and I would say there’s just as many buying them from out of state. A lot of people are buying them as Valentine’s Day gifts right now. I think they’re going to do really well for any sort of holiday, like Mother’s Day.”
Andrea Archibald said there’s lots of flexibility with order — for example, a customer can get the local box one month and the T-shirt box the next.
One T-shirt company featured is Ohio-themed Where I’m From, based in Columbus and a top seller at Andrea Archibald’s stores.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea to spread all different kinds of local businesses all over the state and country,” said Where I’m From co-owner Andrew VanderLind.
VanderLind said there are advantages to buying locally made T-shirts, including more creative designs driven by passion and a more unique product than something bought at a big box store.
“This box allows for people both outside and in the state to promote local businesses and share that pride,” VanderLind said. “Plus find out about a lot of cool products you never even knew existed, and hopefully fall in love with them.”


text:
KARACHI: National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NiFT), one of the largest payment processors in Pakistan, for strengthening the controls on its digital commerce payments under the brand name 'NiFT ePay', entered into an agreement with Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan (D&B), the world's leading source of business information and insights. Under the agreement, D&B will perform business verification of the merchants being on boarded on the 'NIFT ePay' platform.
'NiFT ePay' is a convenient& secure digital commerce payments platform which consumers can use via any bank account they have in Pakistan to conduct e-commerce transactions. The Platform will also allow transactions using other digital payment instruments available in Pakistan such as debit/credit cards and digital wallets to pay for their e-commerce purchases or against their business invoices through a growing network or merchants, businesses, participating banks and other financial institutions.
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), with presence for over 178 years& operating in over 200 countries, is a global Information Services and Risk Management Company. D&B, which possesses over 355 million business records worldwide, provides robust data and compliance solutions to millions of businesses including over 90% of fortune 500 companies.
Speaking on the occasion, Haider Wahab, CEO-NIFT said, "I am very pleased for the initiative taken by the NIFT Digital Financial Services team which provides confidence to the customers using our digital payment gateway to securely pay online established and validated merchants. We are pleased to sign up with Dun & Bradstreet which brings experience of evaluating businesses both locally and internationally. We are confident that this would benefit the initiative."
Nauman Lakhani, County Head for Dun & Bradstreet in Pakistan, said, "We are excited to work with NIFT as their compliance& data partner for merchant on boarding on NIFT ePay Platform. Through this collaboration, merchants will be independently verified through D&B's on-field due diligence process that is trusted by a number of financial institutions worldwide. This initiative by NIFT will pave the way for increasing customer confidence in the digital payment services in Pakistan."-PR
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020


text:
Want to stay current on all the vegan news? Check out this roundup!
PLANTA Opens New Locations in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
PLANTA is a vegan restaurant group that has opened more than 10 restaurants in North America since its inception in 2016. This year, PLANTA is adding three more locations to its repertoire. PLANTA Queen—the brand’s Asian-inspired concept—opened in Washington D.C. last month. This month, the West Coast will be getting its first PLANTA concept when PLANTA Cocina opens in Marina Del Rey. The brand has also announced a second LA location opening this summer in Brentwood.
Vegan Vitamin Brand Future Kind Now Carried at The Vitamin Shoppe
Future Kind—an Australian plant-based vitamin brand founded by vegan nutritionists—announced a massive deal earlier this month with The Vitamin Shoppe. The eco-friendly vegan brand can now be found at 500 The Vitamin Shoppe locations across the United States. Future Kind offers everything from vegan gummy vitamins and multivitamins to vegan collagen.
Whole Foods Co-Founder Opens Nutrition-Backed Vegan Restaurant in Culver City
Another vegan restaurant opened in LA this month, but this one is a little different than the rest. Love.Life was created by Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey, who brought in medical professionals, nutritionists, and human performance specialists to help him create the fully vegan menu. Guests will be able to scan QR codes on the menu to receive a wealth of information on each dish, such as the complete nutrition profile and functional benefits of the ingredients. Like Whole Foods, Love.Life’s kitchen is free from artificial ingredients and uses minimal hydrogenated fats, sugar, and salt.
Beyond Steak Lands Certification from the American Heart Association
This month, Beyond Meat became the first plant-based meat company to meet the American Heart Association’s criteria for heart-healthy nutrition by becoming certified by the association’s Heart-Check Food Certification Program. Moving forward, Beyond Steak products will feature a heart checkmark on its packaging, indicating to consumers that the product contains reduced cholesterol and sodium, low saturated and trans fat, and more than 10% of the daily value of essential nutrients. Beyond Steak packs a heart-healthy ratio of 21g of plant protein to only 1g of saturated fat per serving.
Walmart Brings in Vegan Cheese Brand Misha’s
Black-owned and small-batch vegan cheese company Misha’s is undergoing its first major retail expansion. The brand has partnered with Walmart to bring its creative and soft vegan cheeses to the masses. This month, Walmart shoppers in California, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Washington will be able to purchase Misha’s vegan cheese in-store. Four flavors from Misha’s extensive product line will be available initially, including the popular flavor of Black Truffle. Further expansion plans to more states are in progress, so stay tuned!
Kevin Hart’s Vegan Fast-Food Chain to Open Two More LA Locations
Hart House has been making waves this past year as the vegan fast-food chain has begun to open locations in and around Los Angeles. Founded on the principles of accessibility and affordability, Hart House is bringing vegan options to Angelenos that won’t break the bank (seriously, a vegan burger for $6!). Hart House already has two locations in Monrovia and Westchester and announced this week plans to open two more LA locations. The Hollywood location will open at the end of this month on Sunset Boulevard and will feature a drive-thru and both indoor and outdoor seating. The chain has also announced plans to open a fourth location on the USC campus, though the date for opening has yet to be determined.
Vegan Donut and Scoop Shop Opens in Fort Worth, Texas
Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops recently opened in Forth Worth, Texas as a fully vegan donut and ice cream shop. From the minds behind Spiral Diner—a small Texan diner chain serving up vegan comfort food—Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops is bringing more vegan dessert options to Forth Worth. Dreamboat features homemade vegan donuts (including some gluten-free options!) as well as eight rotating flavors of homemade vegan ice cream. Donut options will include classic flavors like traditional glaze and maple frosted, as well as some seasonal and unique flavors like Earl Grey Lavender and Blueberry Orange. And if you’re wondering if you can order a scoop of ice cream to go on top of your donut … the answer is a resounding yes!
New Rotating Vegan Concept & Beer Opens in New York’s East Village
& Beer is the latest innovative restaurant concept to come out of New York. This concept features a focused and rotating selection of vegan food paired with a curated beer menu. First up is Mushrooms & Beer: a menu in which each dish is inspired by mushrooms. Menu highlights include Lion’s Mane dumplings and chocolate and truffle ravioli. Mushrooms & Beer will call & Beer home for the next few months, but expect to see new pop-up concepts come out of the restaurant as the seasons change. & Beer has plans to feature Egyptian cuisine, BBQ, and sushi in the future. And of course, the beer menu will be curated to fit each concept!


text:
The Grateful Dead has become the target of a lot of criticism after many are calling out the poor timing of the band's recently released "Idaho is Dead" shirts in light of the 4 college students murdered in the state.
The band just posted new shirts on their official IG account. The caption read, "Check out the new Idaho United States Of Dead T-Shirt with artwork designed by @dreyfus.art. Available now at dead.net!"
As you might imagine, some folks immediately called out GD for being insensitive ... pointing to the fact that 4 college students from the University of Idaho were brutally murdered at an off-campus house, last month. Of course, that case remains unsolved.
One user wrote, "With the recent Idaho tragedy the first shirt is totally insensitive" ... another said, "Weird timing of a play on words considering the idiho4 😢🥺".
Grateful dead is selling similar shirts for other respective states on their website. For example, they are already selling "California Dead" shirts on their site.
So, It seems as though it may have been an innocent mistake ... considering the artist who they credit with designing the shirts is from Boise, Idaho. Nonetheless, people are still letting them have it.


text:
Sleeping with a knife under her pillow wasn't enough anymore. Denise Barra needed a gun for protection.
Fearing more stringent gun laws could soon be enacted after the re-election of President Barack Obama, Barra, a single mother of two, stopped by a gun shop to get educated and maybe purchase a new weapon for her bedside table.
"This is a right I have in this country," said Barra, 34, who lives in Naples, Fla. "Why not take advantage of it and be safe and secure in my own home and not rely on calling 911 or the police if God forbid something should happen?"
Government officials say that gun sales and background checks have spiked nationwide since Obama's re-election on Nov. 6. And gun shop owners say they've noticed more women like Barra are purchasing firearms for protection.
"There's quite a big jump from two weeks before versus two weeks after the election," said Eric Sandberg, owner of Centennial Arms in Naples.
"When background checks go up, it's an indicator that sales are going up," said Bill Dunn, managing director of marketing communications at the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
According to the sports foundation, the single biggest day of firearm background checks nationwide was Black Friday last year.
"We would not be surprised if Black Friday (this) week eclipsed that record," Dunn said. "Interestingly, the third most active day was Black Friday of 2008, which was just weeks after Barack Obama was first elected president."
Nationally, there were 1.6 million background checks conducted in October initiated through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, according to the sports foundation. That was up from 1.3 million background checks in October 2011.
"Both the sales surge in late 2008 and post-2012 election were the result of fears that the president would seek, and Congress would pass, new restrictions on certain types of semi-automatic firearms," Dunn said.


text:
Yard sale supports Suffolk Humane Society
Published 7:42 pm Saturday, July 31, 2010
Just exactly what do you do after you hold a benefit yard sale that goes to help the Suffolk Humane Society? Well, for organizer Fran Duman and her crew of volunteers, it’s go to lunch where you can enjoy good iced tea and plenty of air conditioning.
Not only did this group have fellowship, tea and air conditioning to enjoy, but also they had the satisfaction of knowing they had pulled off a successful yard sale that more than doubled the proceeds from last year’s event.
“It was big and it was great,” Duman said Saturday afternoon. “We were completely inundated with customers all the way up until 1 p.m.”
Email newsletter signup
This marked the second year for the Suffolk Humane Society Yard Sale, an event that sees all of the proceeds go to benefit the local humane society’s programs.
“We had so many people give us items for the sale. I’ve been collecting things for the past six months,” Duman said.
The event, which was held at the Sherwin Williams location on Pruden Boulevard, brought in over $1,700 to go to the programs.
Duman also pointed out the sale greatly benefited from a donation of items from Ashby Deshields, who gave three pick-up loads of fishing related items.
“That was so generous of her to do that,” Duman said.
In addition to recognizing the volunteers who helped, which included: Patricia Hundley, Becky Duman, Rhonda Jones, Reba Kincaid, Marilyn Peebles, Toni Taylor, and Fran’s husband Mike, she also thanked the many who turned out to buy items Saturday morning.
“We just had a great turnout,” Duman said. “And many of them gave donations in addition to buying items, because they knew it was going to the Suffolk Humane Society.”


text:
Bitcoin was launched in January of 2009. It introduced a novel idea set out in a white paper by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto—bitcoin offers the promise of an online currency that is secured without any central authority, unlike government-issued currencies. There are no physical bitcoins, only balances associated with a cryptographically secured public ledger. Although bitcoin was not the first attempts at an online currency of this type, it was the most successful in its early efforts, and it has come to be known as a predecessor in some way to virtually all cryptocurrencies which have been developed over the past decade.
The latest saga in the cryptocurrency market and especially that related to the Ethereum is that the leading internet giant Google could have blacklisted “Ethereum” keyword from the company’s Ads platform. This comes after a Serbia –based blockchain startup, Decenter realized that the keyword ‘Ethereum’ can no longer be found on the Google Ads platform. The startup moved swiftly and made an announcement via Twitter where Google responded to the allegations almost instantly:
That network now sustains its financial system, a decentralized microcosm of the massive traditional one. It takes tokenized versions of the underlying currencies that users most value (whether bitcoin or fiat) and provides disintermediated mechanisms for lending or borrowing them or for creating decentralized derivative or insurance contracts. What’s emerging, albeit in a form too volatile for traditional institutions, is a multifaceted, market for managing and trading in risk.
You earn free Ethereum by spinning a wheel of fortune wheel. The number of spins that you can have is determined by the “energy” that you have in reserve. Energy regenerates itself slowly, or you can watch videos to top up your energy faster. You need to accumulate 10,000 Gwei before you can withdraw your winnings. But, that doesn’t take as long to do as you have thought.


text:
The Coast Guard is investigating the grounding of the 575-ft motor vessel Pollux, which ran aground two miles east of Gadsden Point in Hillsborough Bay, Fla., on Jan. 2. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a call at 11:15 p.m., from the Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service that the Pollux had run aground and could not move under its own power. The Pollux, a Malta flagged freight vessel carrying a load of fertilizer, was inbound to Tampa Bay from Galveston, Texas. Members from Sector St. Petersburg are investigating the incident and are working with the vessel's crew and representatives to safely remove the vessel. Vessel traffic has not been affected, but all vessel operators are urged to use caution when transiting the area. No report of injuries or pollution has been received at this time.
Certain freight vessels and self-propelled mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) to which the ISM Code does not currently apply will come within its ambit on 1 July 2002. The U.S. Coast Guard will require, commencing January 15, 2002, that such vessels include in their advance notice of arrival to the United States a statement regarding their status under the ISM Code. At the same time, the Coast Guard will commence a pre-enforcement campaign to verify ISM Code compliance and issue letters to
On Tuesday, September 24th, 2002 California State Senator Tom Torlakson honored Titan Maritime, its subcontractors, the USCG, and the California Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) for their success with the underwater oil cleanup of the freighter SS “Jacob Luckenbach”. Senator Torlakson presented Titan with a plaque in recognition for their successful efforts in protecting the sensitive California coastline and the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary from further oil pollution
Crowley announced its plans to construct two double-hulled, combination deck cargo and tank barges for service in Western Alaska. The vessels, named DBL 165-1 and DBL 165-2, are scheduled to be delivered in April and May of 2011, and will be home ported in Nome, Alaska. The double-hull barges will be used for shallow draft operations and beach landings for the delivery of fuel and cargo to the remote communities of Western Alaska.
BBC launches new heavy-lift cargo service between Europe and Asia. On 26 March 2012, the BBC KARAN was the first vessel in the new Europe-Asia service of the multi-purpose and heavy-lift cargo shipping company BBC Chartering to berth at C. Steinweg (Süd West Terminal) in the Port of Hamburg. In Hamburg, the new “BBC Euro-Asia Express Line” service will be offering bi-weekly eastward sailings to Asia
Green Award, the quality mark for ships that meet the above-industry standards, expands to a new ship type. From 1st of January 2017 the Green Award certificate is available for inland passenger vessels. Green Award certifies sea-going and inland navigation ships that go beyond the industry required standards. Established in 1994 as a certification scheme for sea-going oil tankers, Green Award has grown to a world-wide recognized quality assessment organization accepting 5 types of
Drewry's latest 'LNG Insight' saw heating demand subside in major importing regions in February & cargo availablilty also tightened. Regarding cargo availability, a few unplanned shutdowns, caused a 4% decline in the LNG Freight Index. LNG shipping enjoyed a dream run during 2011 and 2012, owing largely to increasing tonne-mile demand and an almost stagnant fleet. Freight market prospects would be even brighter if fleet supply were to remain at current levels
CaroTrans, a leading global NVOCC (non-vessel operating common carrier) and ocean freight consolidator, today announces their U.S. West Coast port readiness program to address potential supply chain disruptions. Congestion and current labor issues are impacting the flow of cargo at U.S. West Coast ports and there is the likelihood of further instability. To address this infrastructure challenge, CaroTrans has developed alternative routing solutions to lessen the impact on supply
Shipping freight rates for transporting containers from ports in Asia to Northern Europe fell by 26.7 percent to $469 per 20-foot container (TEU) in the week ended on Friday, one source with access to data from the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index told Reuters. It was the third consecutive week of falling freight rates on the world's busiest route and rates are now nearly 60 percent lower than three weeks ago.
BG Freight Line, a fully owned subsidiary of Peel Ports Group, is to receive new tailor-made short sea container feeder vessels optimized for the company’s Irish Sea Hub services. The new class of ‘green’ vessels has been developed by BG Freight Line operation with ARKON Shipping as project initiator/commercial manager, technical managers Jüngerhans Maritime Services and designers CIMC ORIC.
Color Line and Ulstein sign a firm contract on construction of the world’s largest plug-in hybrid vessel. Ulstein said it has won a contract to build Color Line’s new hybrid passenger vessel to service Sandefjord – Strømstad from summer 2019
The Asian Aframax market is currently stable but seems to be facing a more positive outlook on the back of short-term time charters as well as an increase in third decade cargoes. Rates for an Indonesia/Japan run basis 80 kt are hovering around w100 to w102
It has now been decided that Ulstein Verft will be constructing Color Line’s new hybrid vessel. The environmentally sound ship will be servicing Sandefjord – Strømstad from summer 2019. Ulstein won the contract in competition with several other yards.
EU antitrust regulators will decide by March 27 whether to clear world No. 1 shipping company Maersk Line's bid for German rival Hamburg Sud, its first major deal for more than a decade. The deal, one of several in a sector seeking consolidation to offset low freight rates and oversupply
Robert Joore, the new General Manager of marine lubricants supplier Total Lubmarine, has laid out his vision for the company, focusing on developing a range of innovative solutions for ship operators operating in poor freight markets in a low-sulphur era.
The cargo handled by 12 major Indian ports in November and December (Post demonetisation period)has witnessed a significant growth by registering an increase of 11.2 per cent and 12.7 per cent, respectively, reports PTI. The Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh L
South Korea's largest deep sea carrier Hyundai Merchant Marine expects to post losses through the first half of next year due to poor market conditions, reports Bloomberg quoting its CEO Yoo Chang-keun. “This year will be the year to strengthen our financials
The Long Range (LR) 2 tanker market in the East of Suez has been languishing in the doldrums for almost two weeks. LR2 rates on the AG/Japan route, basis 75 kt, nosedived from w120 at the beginning of January to current levels of w80. Earnings for a round voyage on the benchmark route are hovering
Maersk Line reported a 2016 result that is USD 1,679 million lower than the 2015 result (USD 1,303 million). The overriding reason for the loss is a 19% decline in freight rates compared to 2015. Revenue was USD 20.7 billion, which is 13% lower than 2015 (USD 23.7bn).
Australia-China rates could climb on improved weather. Brazil-China rates to hold steady, fall on lack of charters. Freight rates for large capesize dry cargo vessels on key Asian routes could diverge next week with rates from Australia to China rebounding on improved weather
Severe winter weather has slowed rail deliveries of crops to shippers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, sending freight rates soaring and prompting Asian buyers to seek fill-in loads as they wait for the backlog at ports to clear. Blizzards
The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI) has reported a net profit of Rs.7.25 crores for the financial quarter ended 31st December 2016 (Q3 FY16-17) as compared to a loss of Rs. 20 crores reported during the quarter ended 30th September 2016 (Q2 FY16-17)
The Intermodal Association of North America has created a resource center, available on its website, to provide a wide range of information for prospective intermodal users and those who are new to the industry. The Intermodal Freight Resource Center offers educational tools
Bloomberg quoted Robbert van Trooijen, APAC CEO of Maersk Line, saying that the current year (2017) will be more profitable than the last. Post-Hanjin, ocean freight customers now stressing stability and avoiding risk to supply chains, not just rates, he said.
Two container shipping lines, France's CMA CGM and Israel's Zim, have signed up with Alibaba to allow customers to book space on their vessels through the Chinese e-commerce giant, in a bid to boost sales as the sector battles a severe downturn.


text:
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Sep 17, 2012
Almost 300 textile workers were killed in a fire at a factory in Pakistan. Many who tried to escape were trapped because the plant managers ordered the factory’s main sliding doors locked so workers could not leave without permission. Workers were kept in the plant to help save stocks of stonewashed jeans manufactured there for stores in Europe.
“They prevented people from leaving, so they could save the clothes,” said one worker.
Those who tried to leave found only one exit available. Others took the only other route out, jumping from the few windows in the plant with no bars on them because they were on floors considered too high for people to leave from.
This workplace disaster was not an isolated incident in Pakistan. Twenty-five additional workers were killed in a fire earlier that same day at a shoe factory in another suburb of the same city, Lahore.
“Accidents” like these are hardly surprising. They are a predictable outcome of the drive for profit in a poor country that produces goods like fashionable jeans for richer countries using cheap labor. The textile industry accounts for 7.4% of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product and employs 38% of its manufacturing workers.
Many workers at the Ali Enterprises jeans factory where the fire occurred worked 12 hour days for as little as $58 a month. That’s one-third less than Pakistan’s minimum wage. One worker who survived the fire said she was forced to lie about the number of hours she worked and how much she was paid under threat of losing her job.
Pakistan’s Constitution supposedly guarantees workplace safety, but it’s common knowledge that companies get around the laws by bribing officials. “The state inspectors can make a lot of extra money. They have lifestyles that go beyond their wages,” says Sharafat Ali of the Pakistan Institute of Labor and Research.
The high death toll from the fires produced an angry response from people in the area. It was enough to force the provincial labor minister to resign and the government to promise an investigation, for whatever that’s worth. The owners of the factory immediately went into hiding.
Unfortunately, “accidents” like these will continue as long as we live in a society that puts profits before human life and poorer countries remain under the thumb of the big imperialist powers.


text:
LottoGo launches The Vault
13th February 2019
LottoGo.com launches new online scratchcard game with a record breaking £20m jackpot prize – a never seen before scratchcard jackpot.
Only available at LottoGo.com and developed by the innovated game developer, Probability Jones, ‘The Vault’ scratchcard is now live in the UK. As the latest addition to the instant win games available at LottoGo, this new, vibrant scratchcard optimises the chances of LottoGo customers having the opportunity to win millions in cash prizes. The top jackpot prize of £20 million is five times more than the biggest ever scratchcard jackpot win of £4 million - won back in 2016.
In addition, to the top prize of £20 million (tier 1), there are 11 different prize tiers available, offering customers the possibility to win a variety of cash prizes ranging from £1 million to £10.
LottoGo.com, claims “the demand for instant win games and scratchcards is increasing and we’re keen to deliver the biggest and best products to our customers.
The massive jackpot prize is up there amongst some of the biggest lottery jackpot prizes available. Even better, customers don’t have to wait for the next big lotto jackpot to bet on, they can win £20 million in an instant”.


text:
Ed Tech Trends
Global Personal Computing in K-12 Market Expected to Slow in 2016
Google Chrome OS and Microsoft Windows devices experienced growth in the first quarter of the year as Apple devices continue to slide.
Unstable economic conditions internationally are putting the brakes on the global personal computing market in the K-12 sector; meanwhile, in the United States, growth is expected to be strong this year, though not in the double digits as it had been the previous year, according to a recent report by London-based research firm Futuresource Consulting.
The Futuresource report tracked global device sales over the past several years and compared them to the first quarter of 2016. While sales and shipments were strong in 2015, with double-digit growth in shipments compared to 2014, the first quarter of 2016 saw shipments drop by more than 15 percent to 4.8 million units, compared to the same period in 2015. The largest declines have been taking place in Latin America.
“Projects in Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina all slowed significantly during the first quarter, while those in Venezuela are under threat for the rest of the year due to the difficult economic conditions within the country caused by the fall in oil prices,” said Philip Maddocks, market analyst for Futuresource, in a prepared statement.
“The outlook for the rest of the year also remains bleak, with a number of projects canceled or postponed in Latin America, while in the rest of the world traditional large scale projects in Turkey and India also look unlikely to see activity during 2016,” Maddocks said.
The report also looked at shipments at the local level, and indicated that within the U.S., growth has also slowed following three years of exceptional sales which saw more than 26 million devices sold into the K-12 education sector. During the first quarter of 2016, shipments reached 2.04 million units, which equated to 9.5 percent growth year over year, representing a slowdown from robust, double-digit growth of 2014-2015.
Despite this slowdown, both Chromebook and Windows devices experienced unit growth during the first quarter, while Apple continued to see both MacBook and iPad volumes decline year over year.
In terms of market share, Chromebooks maintained their popularity during the first quarter, accounting for more than 50 percent of education sales in the United States in the three-month period ended March 31, while Windows saw its share of the market decrease year over year within the U.S. to less than 25 percent of all shipments, the report said.
Globally, Windows maintained its dominant position as the No. 1 operating system during the first quarter, gaining more than 6 percent year over year to reach 46.1 percent of shipments. Windows has been gaining ground on Android, especially in emerging markets, while Chrome continues to sell predominantly in the U.S. — 90 percent of Chromebook sales remain in this country.
The report indicated that major tech companies continue to make new products and updates to their operating systems; however, educators and administrators seem to have difficulties keeping up and making choices.
“Whilst the supply side of the industry continues to make technology advances at a rapid pace, in many instances educators are being overwhelmed by the complex speed of development and the dizzying array of solutions and providers on the market,” Futuresource said in a prepared statement. “The OS battle for the education market is reaching a new level of complexity. Whilst device choices will remain a key battleground, developments in provider ecosystems will likely become the major talking point in the next 12 months.”
The report is available for a fee on the firm’s website.
Richard Chang is associate editor of THE Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].


text:
EMCS are delighted to announce that they will be exhibiting at the NSI Installer Summit on 20th March 2014. The event which is to be held at the Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham and is sponsored by CSL Dualcom & IFSEC Global is shaping up to be "the" industry event for NSI installers.
Key industry partners (EMCS included) will be exhibiting their latest offerings, there will also be a Learning Zone with technical experts providing free workshops and advice on subjects such as: Employment Law, Health & Safety, Industry standard changes and Business finance.
The EMCS team look forward to seeing some familiar faces on the day and hopefully some new ones too, come and say "hello" we will be on Stand 29.
More information is available here: - http://www.nsi.org.uk/information-centre/nsi-events/nsi-installer-summit-new/