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Cable or Satellite? Please Stay Tuned
By SETH SCHIESEL
Published: July 31, 2003
MICHAEL G. MANSOUR, a 28-year-old Manhattan financial professional, used to watch television the way most people do. For his favorite shows, like ''The Sopranos,'' he would make a point of being home when they were scheduled. If the show was something he more or less liked, he would put up with the commercials. If he felt like watching a movie, he went to the video store.
''Basically, I would try to remember my shows and flip to them if I could remember,'' he recalled this week.
Things started to change in Mr. Mansour's television life last fall when his cable provider, Time Warner Cable, introduced video on demand, which allowed him to watch ''The Sopranos'' and dozens of other programs and movies whenever he wanted. Then, for Christmas, he received a TiVo digital video recorder -- ''the greatest gift ever,'' as he put it -- which lets him record his favorite shows effortlessly and even suggests new ones.
''Now, between TiVo and the on-demand, I don't watch anything live anymore,'' he said. He doesn't go to the video store, either. And he skips past most commercials.
So does he watch more or less television than he used to?
''I watch better television than I used to,'' was his reply.
Within the next five years or so, Mr. Mansour's new habits may become common as the cable and satellite television industries stake their competitive future on a panoply of services that go far beyond the daily program grid.
Even Mr. Mansour's seven-month-old TiVo recorder may soon face a new kind of competition. In September, Time Warner Cable is planning to introduce a new set-top box in New York City that will include a TiVo-like recorder fully integrated into the overall cable system. The service will cost $5 to $10 a month (compared with $13 for TiVo), with no charge for the box itself (TiVo charges $249 or more).
And this month the competition to offer new digital television services grew hotter when Cablevision, the big New York City area cable TV provider, launched a direct-broadcast television satellite from Cape Canaveral.
Phone companies, too, are getting into the act. Last week SBC Communications, the local-phone giant, announced that it would invest $500 million in EchoStar, the No.2 satellite television company in the nation after DirecTV, and try to sell packages of television, high-speed Internet access, and home and wireless phone service.
While many communications and media experts are skeptical about Cablevision's and SBC's plans, the moves underscore the frantic pace at which such companies are offering new TV services. The problem is figuring out what seems most worthwhile.
For potential customers, ''it's going to take a while to sort through all of these messages,'' Aditya Kishore, an analyst for the Yankee Group, a research firm in Boston, said in a telephone interview. ''From a consumer perspective, you really need to do your research and figure out what you're getting.''
Of course, the point of most new services is to allow more convenience, not confusion. Whether the product is video on demand or an integrated TiVo-like digital video recorder, the aim is to let viewers be the masters of their television rather than remain at the mercy of a network scheduler. ''The whole category has been about the customer being able to get control,'' said Chuck Ellis, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Time Warner Cable, the No.2 cable company after Comcast.
Many communications and media experts believe that in the end, consumers would prefer to buy as many services as possible from one company: a one-stop shop offering telephone, television and high-speed Internet service and perhaps even cellphone service, on one integrated bill.
Just as important, perhaps, in the rise of competition is the static or in some cases shrinking number of customers for many telephone and cable companies. To show improving financial results, the companies need more revenue from their remaining customers; hence the new services.
In much of Manhattan, for example, Time Warner's standard analog service, which includes more than 60 channels, is $44.54 a month. The basic digital package, with more than 150 channels of television, including high-definition programming, plus 45 channels of digital music, costs $49.95. The next tier, with three premium channels and associated video-on-demand services, is $69.95.
Each sector of competitors has built some advantages over the others. Cable companies have a leg up in offering video on demand; satellite rivals are countering with an emphasis on sophisticated video recorders. Cable companies have far outpaced phone companies in providing high-speed Internet service, an area in which the satellite companies are hardly even players. Satellite companies have the lead in delivering high-definition television programming, but cable companies are catching up.
Video on Demand
The most prominent addition to the panoply of digital services is video on demand. In such a system, a cable operator installs racks of hard drives in its offices, holding hundreds of hours of television programming and movies, all of it available to any subscriber at any time. Users can pause, rewind and fast-forward the programs just as if they were watching on a VCR. (The user generally cannot, however, skip ahead to certain scenes, as with a DVD.)


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The apps try to impersonate other apps, but they are riddled with Trojan horses that can hijack your information or start paid subscriptions without user’s asking
Three dangerous rip-off mobile apps have been banned by search engine Google as part of a crackdown on scammers.
However, experts fear more will soon be added to replace them.
The apps try to cheat users out of money by pretending to be similar to real apps, however, they are riddled with trojans that can hijack your information or start paid subscriptions without user’s asking.
One of them has a nasty bug that can bypass Google’s security detection.
The dangerous error was found in three apps: Style Message, Blood Pressure App and Camera PDF Scanner.
However, others are also imitated to gain user’s trust.
These reportedly include GameBeyond, Tubemate, Minecraft, GTA5, and Vidmate.
Apps that have trojans installed are regularly removed from the Store, but criminals are quick to replace them, impersonating popular brands and names.
Igor Golovin out Kaspersky called. “Most apps lack any legitimate functionality.
“They start subscribing right after launch while the user sees a loading window.
“They typically pay for legitimate services on behalf of a user, and scammers take a cut of the money being charged.
“These types of subscription fees are usually deducted from the phone balance.”
Cyber crooks download genuine apps and add malicious code before re-uploading them to the App Store under a pseudonym, experts say.
However, once the app is on your phone, it tries to access text messages or notifications to gather information.
Photo only via Getty Images)
Jocker victims were mainly Saudi Arabia (21.20%), Poland (8.98%) and Germany (6.01%).
Downloading apps from unofficial sources should be avoided.
“Read the reviews, find out about the developer, terms of service and payment.” Mr. Golovin devices.
“For messaging, choose a well-known app with positive reviews.
“Even if you trust an app, don’t give it too many permissions.
“Allow access to notifications only to apps that need it to fulfill their intended purposes – for example, to push notifications to wearable devices.
“Apps for themes like wallpapers or photo editing don’t need access to your notifications.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/google-bans-three-dangerous-rip-27000455 Google bans three dangerous rip-off mobile apps that can steal your money - World News

domain: news


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Existing homes continued to sell rapidly in central Indiana in May despite higher prices and fewer choices.
Completed sales of single-family homes in the 16-county area jumped from 2,770 in May 2020 to 3,386 last month—an increase of 22.2%, according to the latest data from the MIBOR Realtor Association.
The sales increase was the 10th in the past 11 months. On a year-to-date basis, closed sales are up 10.9% so far this year, to 13,666, compared with 12,320 in the first five months of 2020.
The median price for homes sold in the area last month rose 18.6%, to $255,000, compared with $215,000 in May 2020.
Homeowners in May, on average, got 101.5% of their asking prices, up from 100.6% in April and 97.9% in May 2020.
The active inventory in April dropped 52.6%, to 1,704 houses, on a year-over-year basis.
New listings were up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis, from 3,823 to 3,889, however, they fell 4.4% from April’s number.
The average number of days that homes spent on the market fell from 37 days in May 2020 to just 15 days last month, a decline of 59.5%.
In Marion County—the most active market in central Indiana—closed sales in May rose 21.7%, to 1,288.
The median sales price in the county rose 16%, to $210,000. New listings increased 9%, from 1,407 in May 2020 to 1,533 last month. The active inventory of available single-family homes plunged 39.7%, to 780.
Other area counties
In Hamilton County, sales were up 22.4%, to 667, in May. The median sales price rose 16.7%, to $370,000. The inventory of houses fell 72.7%, to 220.
In Hendricks County, sales rose 16.8%, to 271, and the median sales price increased 17.2%, to $280,000.
In Johnson County, sales increased 17.9%, to 263, and the median sales price rose 26.6%, to $272,190.
Sales in Boone County ticked down 4% last month, to 120, while the median price of a home escalated 1.4%, to $334,720.
Hancock County sales were up 52.5%, to 154, and the median price rose 24%, to $266,628.
Sales rose 35.2% in Madison County last month, to 165. The median sales price increased 21.2%, to $156,100.
Morgan County sales decrease 11.5%, to 85, and the median sales price rose 7.5%, to $215,000.
Shelby County saw 46 closed home sales last month, the same as in May 2020. The median price rose 15.2%, to $166,500.


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ETH 2.0’s beacon chain genesis has been confirmed for Dec. 1, following the switch of 524,288 Ether from 16,384 validators into the ETH 2.0 deposit contract because it went stay on Nov. 4.
Regardless of early issues stemming from low staking participation, transfers to the deposit contract quickly elevated over the previous day — with greater than 200,000 ETH being despatched to the contract up to now 14 hours.
Ether despatched to deposit contract over time: Dune Analytics
ETH 2.0’s beacon chain genesis is now set to happen on the earliest potential launch date of Dec. 1, with genesis going down seven days after the required deposit contract’s threshold was met.
Each single Etherean proper now pic.twitter.com/ACqF7laFfG
— Anthony Sassano | sassal.eth (@sassal0x) November 24, 2020
Whereas genesis individuals will be unable to withdraw their cash till ETH 2.0 reaches Section 1.5 — which can merge the Ethereum mainnet with ETH 2.0’s beacon chain and sharded atmosphere — many hodlers are ready for third-parties to launch withdrawal-enabled staking providers, regardless of the potential threat of exit scams.
The deposit contract’s threshold was met with roughly 9 hours to go till its deadline.
We did it! Ethereum’s proof of stake chain will launch on December 1st.
%. Now we have now reached the minimal needed for chain launch, together with the pending transactions pic.twitter.com/kPGNX6qqk6
— Evan Van Ness (@evan_van_ness) November 24, 2020


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Stormzy is not only basking in the glory of the brilliant #MerkyFest, having smashed through a headline set while watching England beat Columbia on penalties, the artist has now announced a brand new book as well ads a publishing venture #Merky Books.
The imprint on Penguin House will give opportunity to writers who have so far not had the chance to be seen by more established publishers. #Merky will begin taking submissions and offering paid internships in 2019.
“I know too many talented writers that don’t always have an outlet or a means to get their work seen,” he wrote in a statement. “Reading and writing as a kid was integral to where I am today and I from the bottom of my heart can not wait to hear your stories, your poems, your novels, your sci-fis and then getting them out into the big wide world.”
Stormzy will kick off the imprint with his new book, Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far, due out November 1st. According to Penguin the book will feature “never-before-seen photographs, annotated lyrics and contributions from those closest to him.”
It is available now via Amazon on pre-order.


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Hamburg-based distributor K.D. Feddersen and Aurora Kunststoffe, a manufacturer of high-quality technical recompounds based in Neuenstein, Germany, are expanding the scope of a collaboration that has been in place between the two companies since 2014.
In a legislative session full of plastics bills, Colorado wrapped up June 8 by banning plastic bags and EPS takeout containers, dropping an alternative pushed by industry, and giving cities the authority to go further.
Brightmark LLC said the facility will turn waste plastics into fuels, plastic feedstocks and waxes, and will be the largest such plant in the world. It did not provide a date for when the $680 million plant would start.
Monitoring Recyclates for Europe (MORE), the EU harmonised digital platform to monitor the uptake of recycled polymers into products, went back on line on 1 June, following its annual closure for maintenance and updates.
Technip Energies has signed an agreement with Agilyx Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS and pioneer in the advanced recycling of post-use plastics, under which it will market and license the integrated technologies of Agilyx depolymerisation and Technip Energies purification technology.


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The new kid on the block for a couple of years now, InsurTech is continuing to evolve and disrupt as it matures into its 'Toddler Phase'. In just 18 months, over 100 InsurTech startups have launched and investment deals of more than $2B have been agreed, demonstrating the allure and potential of this growing market.
Key trends include on-demand protection, AI powered customer engagement, peer-to-peer insurance and the Internet of Things.
It's exciting times and we're thrilled to have been picked by Hubio as an InsurTech 'Toddler to watch'.
To read the full article click here.
As mentioned in:
We've made buying insurance simple. Get started.
- 01 July 20201 minute read
COVID-19 has brought new challenges to the wellness industry. Find out how Urban is helping companies to set new standards.


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Following the global acceptance of cryptocurrencies, a new school in Dubai has revealed ambitions to accept the fledgling asset class as a means of tuition payment.
Parents and guardians will be able to pay tuition fees for their children in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum, according to local news site Zawya.
Citizens School, which is set to open in September 2022, has stated that parents and guardians will be able to pay tuition fees for their children in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
This is the first time that parents in the Middle East will be able to pay for education with digital currency.
Cryptocurrencies will revolutionize the educational sector
Citizens Schools established a cooperation with a cryptocurrency payment provider that would aid in the translation of all bitcoin and Ethereum payments to Dirhams, with the goal of providing more flexible payment options for parents.
Citizens School, which will open its doors in September 2022, will accept payments in the two major cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), giving parents a variety of payment alternatives.
Citizens School will also accept traditional means of payment as well as interest-free monthly payment alternatives.
Cryptocurrency payments are accepted through a partnership with a digital currency company that processes cryptocurrency payments and converts them to Dirhams immediately (AED).
“Introducing the possibility to pay tuition fees using cryptocurrency goes beyond merely giving another payment option,” said Hisham Hodroge, CEO of Citizens School.
“Its goal is to pique people’s interest in emerging trends and game-changing technology that will have a significant impact on the lives of future generations. It’s also a way to pique interest in blockchain technologies, which Citizens School plans to use in the future across numerous parts of its academic and administrative operations.”
Educational institution showing their drive towards the acceptance of cryptocurrencies is a big leap toward global adoption. Last month a South Korean university announced that it will be issuing NFT degrees to its students.
Global acceptance of crypto is nearing. Countries and institutions that fail to realize their true potential will fall behind.


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Why Toyota And Ford Hooked Up: It's The CAFE Credits, Stupid
Today’s announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Ford and Toyota, uniting the two firms’ pickup truck hybrid drivetrain efforts, took quite a few industry-watchers by surprise this morning. As the industry leader in hybrid technology, Toyota has limited past hybrid cooperation to licensing its drivetrain wholesale to Nissan and a patent-sharing agreement with Ford. Moreover, the last big alliance aimed at developing hybrid technology for full-sized pickups, the Two-Mode V8 hybrids developed jointly by GM, Chrysler, Mercedes and BMW, have been a huge flop on the market, with the German partners walking away from the technology after using it in only a single application each (X5/X6, and ML Hybrid). Though Toyota and Ford have worked together to prevent a messy patent war over hybrid technology, there was little to suggest that they would take the cooperation any further, let alone join forces to hybridize full-size pickups. But if you’re looking to the marketplace to explain the Ford-Toyota tie-up, you’re looking in the wrong place: this is all about the freshly-announced CAFE standard and its generous credit system.
Of course, that’s not how the move is being pitched… at least on the surface. But in his announcement of the deal, Toyota Executive VP Takeshi Uchiyamada makes it clear that the hybrid and telematics alliance is entirely focused on the US market, saying:
Our collaboration with Ford is a move to make hybrid technology more widely available in sport-utility vehicles and in trucks. Those kinds of models are indispensable to American customers. And providing them with our hybrid technology will help conserve energy and reduce output of greenhouse gas here in the United States. That was our thinking in considering the collaboration.
How does Uchiyamada-san know how “indispensable” full-sized pickups are to Americans? The issue of full-sized trucks has dominated the debate over 2017-2025 CAFE standards, with the industry and its allies intervening to lower truck standards and increase the credit loopholes that make it easier to keep pickups relatively thirsty. This had two effects: first, the lowering of truck standards confirmed that large pickups would be worth investing in over the long term, and second, one loophole in specific provides huge incentives to hybridize full-sized trucks.
I covered the rough outlines of this credit loophole in my write up of the proposed rule, but to refresh your memory, here’s what the rule itself [ PDF] says about its hybrid pickup credit
The agencies intend to solicit information on technologies that offer significant increases in fuel efficiency and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We intend to propose a credit for manufacturers that employ significant quantities of hybridization on full size pickup trucks, by including a per-vehicle credit available for mild and strong hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This provides the opportunity to begin to transform the most challenging category of vehicles in terms of the penetration of advanced technologies, allowing additional opportunities to successfully achieve the higher levels of truck stringencies in MY 2022-2025.
In other words, not only did the government reduce the required rate of efficiency improvement for trucks to nearly half what it is for cars, they also went a step further by giving credits for specific (i.e. hybrid) technology. Absent these credits, it’s highly likely that truck-dependent manufacturers would have looked to diesel power as a way to cheaply provide high-torque, high-efficiency truck powerplants, but with the feds placing their finger on the scale in favor of hybrids, Ford has no choice but to invest in the technology. And as the only Detroit-based (and therefore heavily truck-dependent) automaker to not have access to the Two-Mode technology, Ford had to move fast to find a partner. Though Chrysler and GM’s Two-Modes may not have been successful so far, they at least provide the building blocks for future development.
Besides, as we read more about the hybrid pickup credits, it’s clear that even if the 2017+ hybrid pickups aren’t super-efficient, the credits make them incredibly valuable.
The agencies intend that access to this credit is conditioned on a minimum penetration of the technology in a manufacturer’s full size pickup truck fleet, with defined criteria for a full size pickup truck (e.g., minimum bed size and minimum towing capability). The agencies intend to propose that mild HEV pickup trucks are eligible for a 10 g/mi12 credit during 2017-2021 if the technology is used on a minimum percentage of a company’s full size pickups, beginning with at least 30% of a company’s full size pickup production in 2017 and ramping up to at least 80% in 2021. Strong HEV pickup trucks would be eligible for a 20g/mi credit during 2017-2025 if the technology is used on at least 10% of the company’s full size pickups.
The agencies will propose specific definitions of mild and strong HEV pickup trucks, but expect to include stop/start, regenerative braking, minimum motor power, minimum battery voltage value and minimum energy storage capacity, or similar types of objective metrics. The agencies expect that a “mild” HEV will include moderate hybridization and not just start/stop, and that a “strong” HEV will include launch assist.
Let’s assume for the moment that the Ford-Toyota pickup drivetrain, which each company will integrate into future vehicles independently of one another, meets the government’s requirement for “strong” hybrids. If you look at the changes in maximum truck C02 targets from 2017-2025, they increase by the following amounts:
But under this credit system, if ten percent or more of your truck fleet have “strong hybrid” drivetrains, each truck earns a 20g/mile credit which can be applied to under-complying vehicles, “banked” for future under-compliance or “carried-back” for past under-compliance. In theory, this also means that a 2017 model-year pickup that exactly met the maximum CO2 target for that year would add 14.5g/mile to the automaker’s fleetwide efficiency rating in 2018, without improving its efficiency at all. In 2019, it would add 11.4g/mile in credits without improving efficiency, by 2020 the credit would shrink to 9.5 and in 2021 it would still be adding 7.6g/mile in credits despite not improving since 2017. If, for example, Ford had decided it could meet CAFE in that window with diesel technology alone, it would only receive additional credits if it “significantly” overcomplied with the standard, year-by-year. To wit:
The agencies also intend to propose a performance based incentive credit for full size pickup trucks which achieve a significant reduction below the applicable target. This credit could also be on the order of 10-20 gm/mile vehicle. The same vehicle would not receive credit under both the HEV and the performance based approaches.
Without a hybrid pickup drivetrain to build off of the way GM and Chrysler do, Ford has two choices for its truck strategy in 2017 and beyond: either keep costs as low as possible and hope it can undercomply with improved gas and diesel engines and improved aerodynamic efficiency and/or weight loss, or find a partner for hybrid technology and receive significant credits tied only to its use of hybrid technology rather than its actual efficiency. If that’s not a no-brainer, I don’t know what is.
But what does Toyota get out of the deal? Though it’s the clear leader in hybrid technology, its drivetrains have all been been based on transverse engines and front-wheel drive. Toyota’s expertise in full-sized, American-market trucks pales in comparison to Fords, and at this point it could even be said that Ford has the head-start on hybrid pickups, having begun joint development (with CCEFP and Folsom Technologies) on a hydraulic hybrid F-150. Autopacific analyst Dave Sullivan has another take, writing at vehiclevoice.com that
Based on the press conference today, it pretty much sounds like Toyota has a RWD hybrid system in development but they need Ford’s sales volume to make it work from a cost perspective.
Whether Toyota or Ford started development first almost doesn’t matter (the press release says “both companies have been working independently on their own future-generation rear-wheel drive hybrid systems”). For Ford, a hybrid pickup drivetrain is must-have technology, due to the CAFE loopholes. For Toyota, which is less dependent on full-sizers, the need isn’t quite as dire (as CAFE offers plenty of credit opportunities for plug-in cars), but Sullivan is absolutely right that having Ford as a partner will lower costs dramatically. All in all, the deal seems to be a win-win… if only because of the way future CAFE standards were written.
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- Jeff S No it should be based on the violation and the fine on speeding should be based on how much above the speed limit the violator is going. Anything 5 mph are below should not be ticketed.
- Lou_BC TTAC is once again light on details. Why let facts interfere with the news? "Wiklöf has a history of having a lead foot. He received a $106,000 (95,000 euros) fine in 2013 and a $68,000 (63,680 euros) citation in 2018, according to the newspaper.""Wiklöf controls 100 percent of the Wiklöf Holding company that runs over 20 businesses in the logistics, construction, helicopter services, real estate, trade, and tourism sectors. According to its website, the company had a turnover the equivalent of $264 million (247 million euros) in 2020 and an operating profit of $11.7 million (11 million euros)." No sympathy for this dude.
- Fahrvergnugen Internet says average age of cars in US is 12.5 years old. All of mine are older. Getting rid of emergency broadcasting is about as stupid as outlawing ICE.
- Wheatridger The AM radio in my 2017 Ford PHEV works just fine, BTW.
- KOKing This doesn't seem to make much sense, unless the intent is to replace the (ancient) 4Runner, as they're platform mates as it is, and both from a functional and market standpoint, the 4Runner and Prado seem to be the same thing tailored to the US vs ROW.
Sounds like Toyota throwing in the towel on the U.S. truck market to me. I think they've finally realized that they will never beat Detroit in the full-size market under normal conditions, so now they have to find a back door in; associating with Ford is how they will accomplish this. I think Toyota might swing to have a rebadged F-Series sold through Toyota dealerships with this new technology, but I highly doubt Ford would ever agree to that. With Toyota's share declining in the bread-and-butter compact and sedan markets, I see this as kind of a desperation play to open up new avenues for revenue. When the 2013 Camry doesn't reverse the trend, it will be even more obvious.
CAFE turned out to be a huge problem...it put all of us into "trucks" when what we really need is station wagons.


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Apple to seed beta version of OS X 10.8.3 after Thanksgiving weekendIn a note to developers on Friday, Apple revealed that it will be seeding one of the first beta builds of OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion sometime after Nov. 26.
People familiar with the upcoming beta told AppleInsider that the email was sent out to members of AppleSeed, the group of developers selected to test Apple's next Mac update, and said the invites the company sent out last month were "too early."
From the email:
Thanks for accepting our invitation to test OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3. The invites were sent out a little too early! We are working hard to provide you with a seed build soon, but we wanted to let you know that you have not missed any seed announcements. Please enjoy the USA Thanksgiving holiday! The Seed Team will be enjoying a break as well. Look for more information about the 10.8.3 seed during the week of November 26th.
Thanks for your patience!
AppleSeed participants began receiving invites on Oct. 31, signaling that a beta for the next version of Mountain Lion was nearing completion. In the past, AppleSeed members have receive builds of new Mac versions alongside registered OS X developers.
The most recent Mountain Lion update came in September when OS X 10.8.2 was released, bringing system-wide Facebook integration and other features.
On Topic: General
- Samsung unveils 512GB postage stamp-size NVMe SSD, could see use in MacBook
- No warrant needed to obtain location data held by cellphone carriers, US court rules
- Facebook working on optional end-to-end encryption for Messenger
- Square pushes Apple Pay contactless reader with new $1/week installment plan
- Prospect of Indian Apple Stores still on the table, minister says


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Premier Li Keqiang has attended an innovative auto exhibition in Belgian, hosted by Geely-Volvo, with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.
At the event, on June 2, Premier Li was introduced to new products jointly developed by Geely and Volvo.
The Premier spoke highly of their efficient cooperation, turning joint R&D into innovative results, and said he hoped the two carmakers could bring their comparative advantage in talent, funds, technology and market into full play internationally.
Premier Li, who was also able to get a close look at the new car on display at the event, checked the engine and design with his Belgian counterpart, and discussed the energy consumption of the car, as well as the materials used to build the model and sales details.
He then spoke to the enterprise about launching more products which suit consumer’s personal demand with a more personalized design.
Premier Li heard, since Volvo was acquired by Geely in 2010, the Geely-Volve Ghent assembly plant has had a stable growth in both exportation and production in Belgium, which has effectively driven up local employment rates.
The Premier said China was also carrying out the Made in China 2025 strategy to further promote opening-up, and encouraging more foreign investment and international cooperation.
“With craftsmanship spirit in mind, China will upgrade its manufacturing industry while reaching mutually beneficial results with other nations,” he said.


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39 days ago
Snapchat Plus unlocks new and exclusive features — here's how much it costs and how to sign up squib
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Big U.S. egg producers are raising prices in response to drought and avian flu. But small chicken farm operators in Oklahoma said they are bucking the trend and benefiting from an increase in consumer attention.
The industry nationwide typically produces enough eggs to meet domestic demand and still export more than 360 million eggs per month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But this spring, a virulent strain of the H5N2 virus spread through the heartland and killed more than 45 million birds, with more deaths expected.
Additionally, severe drought in California has driven up the cost of chicken feed and other operating expenses, compounding the effect on market prices, Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Derrell Peel said. Iowa is the top egg-production state, with 58.3 million laying hens; California is seventh with nearly 13 million, according to the United Egg Producers organization.
Oklahoma’s fowl production focuses on meat rather than eggs, which has helped the state avoid some of the economic impact. However, consumers will still suffer higher prices overall at grocery stores, said Tyler Norvell, Oklahoma representative of the Poultry Federation. Producers of both egg and poultry operations have lost product and spent more money on biosecurity to keep their flocks safe.
At 10 Acre Woods Farm in Norman, owner Dustin Green said he has tightened up security to minimize avian flu contamination to his flock, even to the point of disallowing visitor access to his vegetable crops. The lockdown hurt his bottom line more than egg sales, he said. He described his operation as a micro farm and a member of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative.
“We can still meet demand for customers who place orders with us – we can drive down the road to make the delivery,” he said. “But most people like to walk around and shop on their own. I can’t let them do that now.”
Green said his eggs are already more expensive than those from most captive chicken farms, citing prices of $5 for a dozen jumbo eggs and $7 per dozen organic eggs.
“It wouldn’t serve us well to try to undercut the industry,” he said.
Peel said small producers could justify their own price increases to match the industrywide trend. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently reported egg prices are expected to rise 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent for 2015. But Matthew Burch, owner of the Urban Agrarian grocery store in Oklahoma City, said he hasn’t seen that happen among his local suppliers.
“I’ve definitely heard a lot about this from the restaurants we deal with, those who are looking for egg and proteins,” Burch said. “But we haven’t seen any adjustment in prices from our producers in either our retail or wholesale operations. We’re not – and nor are the people we work with – operating off of some big global pricing matrix. The costs are the costs.”
“If anything, it’s making it easier to sell locally produced eggs to restaurants around town,” he said.


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Costa is the second largest chain of cafés in the world. It is also active in the Czech Republic, where it has 46 cafés.
The American liquor giant Coca-Cola, which has been buying since 2012, has decided to fight for coffee lovers. That is why, for $ 5.1 billion (about 112 billion kroner), it will take over the Costa Coffee chain, with more than 3,800 cafes in thirty-three countries.
It is the largest acquisition of Coca-Cola in the last eight years to enable it to acquire a strong position in the global coffee business. British Costa Coffee is the second largest coffee chain in the world, directly behind the Starbucks-American chain.
Acquisitions that pave the way for growth
Americans buy Costu from the British hotel and restaurant chain Whitbread, which wants to concentrate on its core business – the emerging hotel brand Premier Inn – notes the Financial Times.
dollars pay Coca-Cola for the British company Costa Coffee and will also become a major player in the market for hot drinks.
is the share of Nestlé & # 39; s Swiss company on the world market for consumer coffee and its production.
"For Coca-Cola, buying Costa Coffee is very useful, and the most visible benefit is the growth potential that the UK chain has on an international scale," said Jonathan Davison, who oversees the beverage market at GlobalData. Particularly valuable is the presence of Costa Coffee on the Chinese market, where the consumption of hot drinks has more than doubled in the past five years.
"The market for hot drinks is one of the few in the world of the beverage industry, where we are not represented by a global brand," said Coca-Coll James Quincey for Bloomberg. In addition to sweetened carbonated drinks, the company also includes drinks based on coffee or tea. For example, she sells coffee from Georgia in Japan.
Money by Leo Rousk
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Community, the text messaging platform that lets brands and celebrities message consumers and fans, has raised $40 million in investments from Salesforce, the company announced on Friday (April 9). This new round of funding brings the total amount raised to $90 million, with investments coming from companies such as Live Nation, Twilio, Sound Ventures and the Sony Innovation Fund.
Based in Los Angeles, Community lets businesses and individuals send group or one-to-one text messages to customers who sign up using their phone numbers. Since launching in 2019, more than three billion text messages have been exchanged between its “Leaders” — which include brands, businesses, musicians, pop culture figures, politicians and other high-profile people — and Community’s 26 million-plus members. Notable Community Leaders include Jennifer Lopez, actor Kerry Washington and NFL superstar Tom Brady, along with brands such as People magazine and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Messaging is the most direct and personal channel there is, and there’s a lot of value in that,” Matthew Peltier, founder and chief executive of Community, said in a Wall Street Journal interview. “On social media, you don’t own that relationship. You are limited by the algorithms and short attention spans, and you’re competing in feeds where there is a lot of noise.”
According to Community’s announcement, the platform records 60 percent click-through rates when Leaders send messages and open rates of 95 percent, suggesting “a new trend creating conversations at scale in a more personalized and direct manner.” As a result, the Leaders enjoy sales, revenue growth and interaction without a slowdown of communication due to algorithms or “the impersonal nature of shortcode texts.”
It’s not just high-profile brands and Superbowl champions using text to communicate with their followers. In an interview with PYMNTS last year, Chase Petrey of the customer messaging platform Podium spoke of “an expectation and a growing demand that consumers will be able to message with a local business.”


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Retail sales this Christmas won’t be very merry, according to analysts who spoke at “Christmas 2002, The Retail Forecast” on Oct. 23 at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. The half-day conference was presented by the Retail Marketing Society in partnership with The Retail Research Team, Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., at The FIT’s Center for Professional Studies.
Insight into consumer confidence figures started off the program. “There are no indications that consumers will go on a spending spree, [retail] growth will take off, or that we’ll retreat into a recession,” said Lynn Franco, head of the New York-based Conference Board. Supporting evidence lies in the Conference Board’s present situation index, which gauge’s consumers’ spending patterns, and the expectations index, a measure of gross domestic product growth. The economy is in a recovery trend right now, she added, so expect holiday sales to mirror last year’s levels.
Next, Daniel Barry, managing director and senior retail analyst, Merrill Lynch, New York, speculated about the holiday season’s retail sales. “We’re going to have a bad Christmas,” said Barry, urging attendees to look at recent U.S. Census Bureau general merchandise sales as proof. In particular, he noted four reasons for the anticipated weak sales: a slowdown in employment and real wages, a shorter holiday season (by six days), special factors such as high auto sales in 2002 (thus indicating fewer purchases at retail), and the post-9-11 sales surge, suggesting that consumers spent “inordinate amounts” on general merchandise last year during the holidays because the recession was bottoming out. Overall, Barry expects U.S. general merchandise sales for the November-December 2002 period to be 1.5% lower than last year. He mentioned that some in the industry were banking on mortgage refinancing to free up consumers’ discretionary income, but those few dollars historically offer very little comfort to retailers.
Merrill Lynch’s retail analyst and first vice president Mark Friedman, who covers specialty softline goods, including accessories, noted that opportunities abound for retailers this holiday season. In particular, the nation is experiencing a pent-up demand for novelty and fashion items, and retailers who offer well-priced unique merchandise will benefit. “There is continued strength in jewelry, scarves, and bags,” he says. “Many of our specialty retailers offer limited selections of jewelry because it’s easier to gift than clothes.”
Some insight into worldwide fashion trends came from Jamie Ross, creative director with the New York-based Doneger Creative Services. Her general message was that holiday shoppers want new looks. For jewelers, need-to-know accessory trends are novelty belt buckles featuring coins and semiprecious stones, novelty handbags with gold or metallic finishes, pendants—crosses, in particular—on leather cords, and chunky and/or charm bracelets.
For a peek into consumers’ store and product loyalty, Michael Hand with Cambridge, Mass.-based STS Market Research, took the floor. His research offers this advice to retailers: “Stop exanding [store operations] and gain more market share with existing customers and get higher margins.” Male and female consumers both find shopping to be a chore anymore, and because of frequent sales at many retailers, a sameness in much of the merchandise on the market, and little actual need for anything new, shoppers have only one good reason to buy anything: “Because they really want it,” Hand says. “You can’t do anything about the overall business environment, but you can build brand loyalty,” he says. To do so, you must sell more to your loyal customers, draw in your “almost-loyal” customers, and sell a higher percentage of goods at full price.
One strong category for the holiday season is home goods. According to Friedman, home products, including tableware, are still getting lots of attention in the marketplace, so adding non-apparel gift items to product and gift mixes is important. Ross’ research confirms this: “All of the global issues [in the world now] make [shoppers] think they want to stay home.” To appeal to these homebodies, offer collectible ornaments, glassware, and holiday-inspired tableware and novelty frames. Other hot products this year are electronics and video games, which Merrill Lynch’s vice president and retail analyst of hardlines, Doug Neviera, sees as a bright spot for retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City. “This will be one of the most promotional holidays in recent years, where consumers must see value, rebates, financing offers, and low prices in order to spend,” he said. On a final positive note for jewelers, Hand’s recent consumer research shows that men and women both are very likely to buy accessories this holiday season.
Some additional insights from the conference include:
* The luxury sector, including department stores, is doing a bit better than other retail outlets; Saks Fifth Ave and Neiman Marcus stores are among those benefiting from a slight increase in U.S. tourism this year.
* Poor sales in the general merchandise category will continue into 2003, but personal consumption expenditures overall could resist decline.
* A “defensive dozen” stocks that maintained good sales last year, including JC Penney, also should be reliable this year.
* After September 11, retailers had excess inventory; retailers need better gross margins to make this year count.
* Department stores will continue to lose ground to mass merchants, including Target and Kohls. Department stores may have a monopoly on brands, but department stores also have a consistently older population.
* Towards 2010, super-center growth will be noticeable.
* Traditional retailers have Web sites, but don’t put a lot of money into them because growth is slow. These same retailers spend about 2% of total sales on annual advertising ventures, and typically cut back on ads during recessions.
* Catalog and Internet vendors still could benefit from a continued nationwide nesting trend.
* The West Coast port strike could adversely affect retailers’ holiday shipments and ultimately hurt margins (though off-price retailers such as the TJX Company’s TJ Maxx and Ross could gain).


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Android 10 has lots of new features, but there are a few that Google is still working on.
Find out what other promotions cell phone carriers such as Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and others are offering besides cheap mobile phone services and discounts for mobile phones.
Explore this week’s top software for virus protection and device security. Take advantage of current offers on privacy control and cyberthreats for a stress free and safe life. PCWorld has the latest offers and coupons on electronics and services.
Which gaming laptop should you buy? From size, to performance, to budget, to features, this buyer's guide will help you find the right gaming laptop for your needs.
According to Net Applications, Microsoft's Windows 10 captured more than 50 percent of the world's PCs beginning in August.
The future is now as far as Netgear’s latest Wi-Fi mesh network system is concerned, with the Wi-Fi 6 Orbi RBK852 slated to land in stores next month.
In this episode of The Full Nerd, it's all CPUs and GPUs.
Today's show goes in-depth into Intel's breaking Cascade Lake-X news, AMD's problems with Ryzen 3000 boost mode, and the best GPU's to buy right now for every resolution.
One of Microsoft's first rebooted PowerTools is FancyZones, a cool app that allows you to design custom zones to snap windows to using Windows Snap.
A custom EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super is cheaper than most vanilla 2080 Super cards right now.
LG has unveiled the LG G8X ThinQ, which has an odd second screen attachment.
The revamped photo frame from Netgear-owned Meural promises better Wi-Fi, greater energy efficiency, and even an optional subscription service of digital masterpieces.
Grab the Ryzen 3 2200G for $60 at Amazon right now, and the Ryzen 7 2700X is just $200.
PCWorld graphics guru Brad Chacos explains the best graphics card you can buy for gaming at 1440p resolution.
HDHomeRun's whole-home DVR hardware, the Scribe and Servio, streams broadcasts in native quality on the cheap, but the software is still too crude.


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Ivory Harlow has been named executive director of the Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce where she will support, promote and advocate for area businesses, creating value for members. Ivory served four years in the United States Air Force before relocating to the area with her husband. As beginning farmers, they owned and operated a small […]
A collaboration with the Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce.
Hello and welcome back to the Chamber Corner! It is my hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving and took advantage of Small Business Saturday sales at your favorite local spot, I know I did. Many times I hear that people are not aware of what a Chamber of Commerce does and the benefits of […]
Fall is in full swing and Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here in Pickaway County before we know it! The Chamber has been very busy the last month doing what was possible to help raise funds to offset some of our loss in revenue. The Coronavirus Pandemic hit so many small businesses and organizations very […]
It is hard for us to believe that it is finally Fall here in Pickaway County. While this year has been strange it will be even stranger this year without the Circleville Pumpkin Show, but we are determined to keep on! It has been great to visit with our local business owners and see shops […]
What a whirlwind the past month has been for everyone. I hope our readers had a chance to get out this past month and shop and eat local and maybe find their own hidden treasures here in Pickaway County. The worldwide Coronavirus pandemic has made doing business difficult on everyone throughout our community and many […]
My name is Marlee Martin and I have been the Executive Director of the Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce for just over a year now. I am very excited to be a part of this collaboration and to share some chamber insight each month. The mission here at the Chamber is to “to support, promote […]


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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has sold over 1 million shares of the company he founded, raising over $500m.
The stock sale, which was reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, was part of a divestment plan. The stock was divested at weighted-average prices ranging from $529.91 to $539.81.
Bezos, who still holds about 83 million shares worth around $44.5bn, sells huge amounts of shares once a year.
In February last year, Bezos divested $351m worth of Amazon stock and in 2013, he sold $250m worth of stock. About 2 million shares were sold in May 2010, which was worth $265m.
Amazon has reported a surprise profit and better-than-expected sales in the second quarter ending 30 June 2015.
The e-commerce firm posted a $92m profit, compared to a $126m loss for the same period last year. Net sales rose 20% to $23.18bn in Q2, compared to $19.34bn in the year-ago period.
Bezos has already set up a aerospace manufacturing company called Blue Origin to develop technologies to enable private human access to space.
Blue Origin is developing aerospace technologies which include a rocket-powered Vertical Takeoff and Vertical Landing (VTVL) vehicles.


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Joseph C. Tsai named Chairman, Eddie Yongming Wu named Chief Executive Officer
Daniel Zhang will serve exclusively as Chairman and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group
Hangzhou, China, June 20, 2023 – Alibaba Group Holding Limited's (NYSE: BABA and HKEX: 9988, "Alibaba" or "Alibaba Group") board of directors today announced that Joseph C. Tsai, currently Executive Vice Chairman, will succeed Daniel Zhang as Chairman of the Company.Eddie Yongming Wu, Chairman of Taobao and Tmall Group, will succeed Mr. Zhang as Chief Executive Officer and replace Mr. Zhang on the Company's board of directors. Both appointments will take effect on September 10, 2023. Following this transition, Mr. Zhang will continue to lead Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
"It has been an incredible honor and privilege to lead Alibaba Group as CEO over the past eight years and Chairman over the past four years. This is the right time for me to make a transition, given the importance of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group as it progresses towards a full spin-off. I look forward to working closely with Joe and Eddie in the coming months to ensure a seamless transition," said Daniel Zhang, Chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group. "Looking ahead, I am committed to strengthening Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group's market leadership by making cloud computing and artificial intelligence more accessible for businesses of all sizes and industries as they continue their digital transformation. The emergence of generative AI has also opened up exciting new opportunities that Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group is well-positioned to capture."
"Daniel has made exceptional contributions to the development of Alibaba Group since joining the company in 2007, and he demonstrated extraordinary leadership in navigating unprecedented uncertainties affecting our business over the past few years. We believe there is no better leader than Daniel to steer Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group into the next chapter of its journey and future growth," said Joseph Tsai.
"As chief technology officer of key businesses including Taobao and Alipay during Alibaba's critical phases of development, Eddie was instrumental in architecting our technology platforms and guiding our strategic direction. He led the creation of our proprietary monetization platform on Taobao and Tmall, and drove the launch of the Mobile Taobao App to propel our company to the mobile-first era. I look forward to working with Eddie to spark our next phase of growth through technology and innovation," said Tsai.
"I am grateful for the trust of the Alibaba Group board of directors and am honored to succeed Daniel as Alibaba's CEO," said Eddie Yongming Wu, who in addition to taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer, will continue to serve as Chairman of wholly-owned subsidiary Taobao and Tmall Group. "Over the past 24 years, Alibaba has consistently innovated through evolution and breakthroughs from within, and each transformation has catalyzed new growth. While our current transformation brings in a new corporate organizational and governance structure, Alibaba's mission remains unchanged. We will continue to enable individuals and businesses to benefit from the digital economy and serve our customers with unique value proposition supported by innovation and our leading technology."
Eddie Yongming Wu is one of our co-founders, a member of the Alibaba Partnership and chairman of Taobao and Tmall Group since May 2023. Mr. Wu was technology director of Alibaba at the company's inception in 1999. He served as chief technology officer of Alipay from December 2004, and became business director of our monetization platform, Alimama, in November 2005 and was promoted to its general manager in December 2007. In September 2008, he became chief technology officer of Taobao , and in October 2011 he took on the role of head of Alibaba Group's search, advertising and mobile business. Mr. Wu served as director of Alibaba Health Information Technology Limited ("Alibaba Health"), a company listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, from April 2015 to October 2021 and chairman of Alibaba Health from April 2015 to March 2020. From September 2014 to September 2019, Mr. Wu was special assistant to Alibaba Group's board chairman. In August 2015, Mr. Wu founded Vision Plus Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing in advanced technologies, enterprise services and digital healthcare. He graduated from the College of Information Engineering of Zhejiang University of Technology in June 1996.
About Alibaba Group
Alibaba Group's mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live at Alibaba, and that it will be a good company that lasts for 102 years.


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Indian consumers have to shell out more for buying vehicles from April
Bengaluru, 26 March Indian consumers have to pay more for buying vehicles from April onwards as several automakers have decided to hike prices owing to rise in input costs.
As automakers deal with the ongoing global crises, a semiconductor scarcity is worsening in the coming months.
While Tata Motor's Nexon EV has announced price hike of Rs 25,000, Ola Electric has also announced an increase in the price of its scooter range for the next purchase window.
Similarly, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said on Saturday that it would increase prices of its entire model range by up to 4 per cent from April 1 to offset the impact of rising input costs. The company, which sells models like Fortuner and Innova Crysta, noted that prices are being hiked due to the rising input cost, including raw materials.
Luxury carmaker BMW India on Friday has said it will increase prices of its entire model range by up to 3.5 per cent from April 1 to offset the impact of rise in input costs.
Most automakers raised prices in January 2022, and the entire last year saw price hikes by automakers. Not only new vehicles, the demand for used vehicles has also increased dramatically because of the rising costs of new vehicles.
While the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has worsened the semiconductor crisis, automakers are also staring at rise in steel prices. Even supply chain issues have led to rise in overall production costs of many automakers.


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By Adam Smith
The North Jefferson News
“Black Friday” took on another meaning Friday for shoppers in Fultondale as a brief power outage in the city left the Colonial Promenade shopping center in the dark.
Those looking to take advantage of sales at the center’s 17 stores were, in some cases, turned away by store managers while others continued to shop in dimly lit stores. Power was finally returned to the shopping center shortly before 10 a.m., after being off for about an hour.
“The power did go off momentarily, but we got it back on at the shopping center,” said Mayor Jim Lowery. “We’re just glad Alabama Power responded quickly.”
With the absence of traffic signals, public safety officials manned intersections to keep traffic moving smoothly, Lowery said.
Alabama Power Spokesperson Carrie Kurlander said the outage was the result of a breaker that failed at the Fulton Springs substation at about 9 a.m. She said power was fully restored to the shopping center within 40 minutes and power was restored to the city within an hour and 15 minutes. She said about 1,300 customers were affected.
At Maurices, shoppers continued to browse for clothes in the dark. Store manager Susan Aaron said her store’s backup system enabled customers to still pay for merchandise.
“It’s happened to me plenty of times in retail, but it’s never happened on ‘Black Friday,’” Aaron said of the outage. “But everyone’s full of the Christmas spirit and we’ve had really happy customers.”
Despite the outage, the shopping center’s parking lot was full and some shoppers turned out before daylight to take advantage of sales at the center’s anchor stores, Best Buy and Target.
Aaron, who opened her store at 8 a.m., said she had people knocking on her door at 7 a.m. “When I pulled up at 6:45 this morning, the entire shopping center was full,” she said.
Shoe Department manager Veronica Groce said her store opened at 7 a.m. and had also seen steady business. She feared the power outage would affect sales at the shopping center.
“This is definitely ‘Black Friday,’” said said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Donny Headley of Gardendale said Best Buy was the first stop of the day for him and his family. They had come to the electronics retailer in search of a Nintendo Wii. He said he was “disappointed” the power was out, but added, “We love coming to Fultondale to shop.”
Other shoppers, like Laura Washington and Samantha Crocker of Gardendale, shopped at other locations before coming to Fultondale.
“We’ve been out since 4 a.m.,” Washington said. “We were at Wal-Mart. ... It was crazy.” However, they said despite the large crowds, the day-after Thanksgiving deals were worth the trouble.
An estimated 55.1 million shoppers were expected to take advantage of day-after Thanksgiving sales, according to figures from the National Retail Federation (NRF). Other figures indicate that many of this year’s post-Thanksgiving shoppers will be young adults, aged 18-24.
“Though some people incorporate holiday shopping into their Thanksgiving traditions, others wait to see how good the deals are before they set their alarm clocks for Friday morning,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin in a press release. “Retailers know that customers are looking for good values this holiday season and many will be offering prices and promotions that are too good to pass up.”
The NRF’s “Black Friday” numbers were expected to be released on Sunday.
By Adam Smith


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Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) through Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN) initiative has developed COVID-19 Adopt and Adhere Guidelines (Garis Panduan Patuh dan Amal COVID-19) for tourism industry players in restarting and continuing their business operations and tourism activities in the face of the new normal. The Guidelines were launched by the Director General of MPC on 14 July 2020 through a webinar series on government issued standard operating procedures (SOP) related to COVID-19 in creating awareness and disseminating information related to COVID-19 SOP compliance.
The Guidelines were piloted at the end of 2020 and 88 companies and homestays have been successfully certified with Certificate of Compliance COVID-19 Adopt and Adhere Guidelines and Relevant Government SOP on COVID-19. To be certified with the Certificate of Compliance, each company went through the certification process comprising self-declaration on compliance and online site assessment.
Dato’ Abdul Latif Haji Abu Seman, MPC Director General said, “The Guidelines were developed to support the government’s efforts in ensuring that businesses comply with the SOP in preventing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Business activities need to be balanced with the measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic in safeguarding the economic sustainability and maintaining productivity. Compliance with COVID-19 SOP is the only way to achieve this balance. The pilot project has also proven that businesses are still able to remain productive by complying with the SOP. MPC hopes that this Certificate of Compliance can help tourism businesses in convincing tourists that the activities and services provided are safe.”
Among the 88 certified companies in the categories of travel agencies, adventure tourism operators, event management companies, MICE and event venues, homestays and kampungstays, and tourism products/sites are Hotel Seri Malaysia Genting, Boraombak, Gopeng Glamping Park, Amanjaya TT5, River Explorer, Satisfly, Taman Rama-Rama and Reptilia Ayer Keroh, Travels Sixty Six Sdn. Bhd., Suria Excellence Travel and Tour Sdn. Bhd., Villa Istana Melaka, and GH Gunung Hub.
Uzaidi Udanis, TPN Champion said, “The main criterion of COVID-19 Adopt and Adhere Guidelines is the compliance with the government issued SOP related to the company’s tourism business activities. River Explorer for example fully complies with Sports and Recreation SOP issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), Hotel Seri Malaysia Genting complies with the SOP for hotel and tourist accommodation issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MoTAC), tourism products and attraction sites such as Amanjaya TT5 and Ayer Keroh Butterfly and Reptilia Park comply with the SOP for tourism sites/products operators issued by MoTAC. Other criteria include ensuring the readiness to restart or resume business operations as well as the readiness of the employees; ensuring health, safety, and hygiene aspects are emphasized; enhancing tourists’ confidence; and maximizing the use of technology and digitalisation.”
Mohd. Syamsul Mokti, of adventure tourism operator River Explorer said, “The Certificate of Compliance is an evidence that River Explorer complies with the prescribed SOP in conducting water-based activities. We adhere to the SOP issued by KBS and in addition, we also refer to the relevant SOP at the international level to ensure that the compliance is in line with other countries. This is also a proof that adventure tourism activities can still continue even by complying with strict SOP.”


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It’s pumpkin time!
Area fall traditions are a go
For many in the Fort Dodge area, a trip to Community Orchard, 2237 160th St., is an autumn tradition. From picking apples in the orchard to selecting that perfect orange pumpkin in the pumpkin patch to laughing and having fun on the Back 40 playground, there’s something for the whole family.
The orchard is preparing for its annual Apple Fest celebration, which will be held the weekends of Oct. 3-4, Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Owners Greg and Bev Baedke have had at least part ownership of the orchard since the 1980s and obtained full ownership in 1990. According to Greg Baedke, Apple Fest has been a fall staple for the orchard for decades.
“I think it’s a kind of drawing card for the community,” Greg Baedke said. “We’re pretty diversified — we have the apples, we also do lunches, the bakery, the gift shop and then the Back 40 playground. There’s pretty much always something for somebody to do.”
The visitors are Greg Baedke’s favorite part of Apple Fest every year.
“Just to see the kids and parents go out and find that pumpkin or play here in the Back 40, just having a good time with a smile on their face and just having fun,” he said. “That’s what we’re here for.”
The orchard will remain open through Dec. 22. The Back 40 playground remains open through Oct. 31 and rides to the pumpkin patch will still be available on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of October.
Twin Lakes Bible Camp’s Pumpkinfest
For the next five weekends, families and visitors from all over the area are invited to Pumpkinfest at Twin Lakes Bible Camp, 7718 Twin Lakes Road, Manson.
The annual event started several years ago as a Halloween alternative for kids, camp executive director Scott Larsen said.
“The first couple years were really, really modest and people responded with, ‘Wow this is awesome, our kids love it,'” he said. “So every year we just add stuff and it’s kind of gotten to be a pretty big deal.”
Pumpkinfest will run today and Sunday and continue Oct. 3-4, Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $5 per person.
Kids and adults of all ages can enjoy a wide variety of games and activities, including a corn maze, the
pumpkinpatch, kiddy zipline, a barrel train, pumpkin cannon, ninja obstacle course and more.
New this year, Larsen said, is a “pumpkin run.”
“Basically it’s a human-sized hamster wheel,” he explained.
There will be a 5K and 10K race on Oct. 10 at 8 a.m.
“I think the thing that people love the most about (Pumpkinfest) is the experiential, homemade ice cream and making apple cider with the old fashioned apple grinder,” Larsen said. “I think for families, it’s just a slower pace, lots of activities that create an experience and make memories.”
Last year, about 1,400 people attended the Pumpkinfest.
There will be a Pumpkinfest special needs event today, where children with disabilities and their families can enjoy the festivities when the area is quieter and much less crowded. The special needs event will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Concessions and a gift shop where visitors can purchase pumpkins and more will also be available.
Pumpkins and Ponies
The 15th annual Pumpkins and Ponies will be Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 at SpringVale Farm, 2603 Lone Tree Road outside Humboldt. On Saturday, the hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Farm owner Lonnie Larson said she and her husband have offered pony rides on their farm for many years. One year, when Larson’s husband was experimenting with raising pumpkins, the couple set aside land for a pumpkin patch and “they were very prolific,” she said.
“That fall we thought what will we do with all these pumpkins?” she said. That’s when the idea to host an event to offer wagon rides to the pumpkin patch and pony rides was born.
“The first year was pretty simple, but we had a pretty big crowd and they seemed to enjoy themselves,” Larson said. From there, the event grew to include other activities throughout the day, and eventually Pumpkins and Ponies spread into a two-day event.
The farm will offer wagon rides to the pumpkin patch and pumpkins of all sizes will be available for purchase.
“We do a variety of all kinds of pumpkins, colors and sizes, but they’re very reasonably priced,” Larson said. “We want people to not have to worry about what they can afford to get and what they can’t.”
There will be a petting zoo and pony rides.
The Des Moines River Valley Antique Tractor and Engine Club will host a plowing contest, weather permitting.
Dragon Fire Dancing Horses will be performing throughout both days. Live music will be by the Nedd Freeley Funn Band.
There will be vendors offering a variety of items from baked goods to honey to kettle corn to caramel apples and more.
The Larsons encourage attendees to follow CDC guidelines and follow social distancing to help lower the risk of COVID-19 spread.
Admission to the event and parking are both free.


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The giant Anthem Of The Seas is first of 50 arrivals this year at Greenock Ocean Terminal
The first cruise ship to call at Greenock since the Covid crisis effectively closed down the cruise industry was warmly welcomed this morning.
The giant 169,000-tonne Anthem of the Seas, capable of carrying 5,000 passengers and 1,500 crew on its 16 decks, arrived just days after the Scottish Government relaxed pandemic rules.
Its arrival heralds a busy late cruising season this year at Greenock, with 50 ships booked into the Inverclyde town’s new cruise terminal by mid-November.
The new terminal is part of a £19m-plus berthing and visitor centre development funded by Glasgow City Region City Deal, Peel Ports, Inverclyde Council and the George Wyllie Foundation.
Before the arrival of Covid, it was estimated that 150,000 cruise passengers per annum could pass through Greenock after the new terminal completion - delivering £26 million in annual visitor and crew spend to the Inverclyde and Scottish economy.
Peel Ports Clydeport director Jim McSporran said:
It was exciting to see Anthem of The Seas sail into Greenock today. It’s a symbol that the gradual removal of Covid restrictions which is taking place will soon see the cruise industry return to its pre-pandemic scale of operations and more.
We’ve a very busy period coming up this year with 50 bookings at the new cruise terminal, and I’m looking forward to welcoming well in excess of 100 cruise arrivals next year.
Peel Ports Clydeport is ready to play its part in boosting the tourism industry both locally and nationwide as passengers go on to visit tourist destinations throughout Central Scotland.


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KATHMANDU, April 9: Nepal is going to take part in Vietnam International Trade Fair – VIETNAMEXPO to be held under the assignment of the government of Vietnam and collaborations of Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Trade Promotion), relevant ministries, sectors, localities, trade promotion organizations and Vinexad Company.
A 15- member delegation led by Nepal Chamber of Commerce chair Rajesh Kaji Shrestha has left for Vietnam today. The Lumbini House, Mandala House, Yala Handicraft, Pioneer Art Enterprises, Lapis Thanka Gallery among other business house are participating the expo with their installs to promote Nepali products among the business community there.
It is stated that the VIETNAM EXPO has become one of the largest and most important trade promotion activities of the sector, bringing in economic values, realistic opportunities for local enterprises to further exports, expand domestic market, contributing to realization of the Government’s commitment to the world economic integration.
The Expo will begin on 11th April and conclude on 14th April.


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One of the richest men in Poland – industrialist Michael Sołowow, whose fortune is estimated at PLN 7.7 billion (over $2 billion) – has invested in 3DGence, a well-known Polish manufacturer of 3D printers. This is the biggest investment in a 3D printing industry company in Poland (and propably one of the biggest in Europe as well).
3DGence entered the market just a year ago, however, thanks to its high quality products, the company has already built a solid customer base and form an excellent reputation at home and abroad. Its flagship printer 3DGence ONE has been recognized as the second best new 3D printer in a 2014 poll made by polish website CD3D, as well as won the main prize in the best new company of 2014. 3DGence works for many different companies, in the medical industry, automotive, and architectural. 3DGence company has its head office at Silesian University of Technology and has worked closely together with this respected university. Since early 2015, its 3D printers are also in the offer one of the largest distributors of electronic equipment in Europe – ABC Data.
Under the wings of Michael Sołowow, 3DGence has ambitions to become one of the leaders on the global market of 3D printers. In addition to the production of 3D printers, the company offers a constantly growing amount of 3D printing materials, as well as advice in terms of technology. 3DGence will soon open it’s own 3D printers point at the Silesian University of Technology.
Sołowow comments: “The main condition for good investment is knowledge of the industry and the companies in which to invest. In 3DGence I see a company with a lot of potential.” Via the Ipopema 112 FIZ AN fund, Solowow became shareholder of the company, and is now the largest co-owner. Sołowow currently holds 49 percent of the shares, while the rest belong to the three founders of the company – Roman Foltyn, Patryk Kadlec and Grzegorz Kowalczyk.
The transaction value was not disclosed, but it is counted in millions PLN. Presence of Michael Sołowow shows that opportunities for its companies are virtually limitless.


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CEO and Director of Human Resources share their feedback on the recent tax bill
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV -- April 6th, 2018 -- Yesterday, Worldwide Equipment (WE) CEO, Terry Dotson, and Director of Human Resources, Carla Stapleton, were honored to be invited to a Presidential Roundtable on the recent GOP tax reform bill. Dotson and Stapleton were given the opportunity to show their appreciation to President Trump for the positive changes enabled by the tax reform.
During the roundtable, Terry Dotson expressed to President Trump, “Your tax cuts have made a difference and I can tell you our people know that they’ve have made a difference. I can tell you it’s not crumbs to them when they can pay their car payments and invest in their children’s future.”
Carla Stapleton further explained how Worldwide Equipment was able to give bonuses to each employee, allowing them visit their families during the holidays and purchase necessities that they may not have been able to do otherwise; these things were made possible because of the benefits of recent tax reform efforts.
The Trump Administration’s priority of “American First” will ensure WE, and it’s employees, have many years of prosperity to come.
Worldwide Equipment, established in 1967, is a network of heavy-duty truck dealerships, service centers, and parts stores located throughout the eastern U.S. Serving well-known brands such as Mack, Volvo, Kenworth, International, and Hino, Worldwide Equipment operates over 40 locations in Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee.


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“How will Americans living in cold climates rely on the USPS if their delivery trucks don’t work in cold weather?”
This week, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled its first electric delivery vehicles and postal electric vehicle charging stations. The USPS plans to grow its electric fleet to 66,000 in the next four years and will install charging stations at hundreds of sorting and delivery centers across the country over the next year.
The procurement of EVs and the installation of charging stations is enabled by $3 billion in tax-payer dollars that congress appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The news comes on the heels of reports that EV’s batteries are being rendered useless, and charging stations are not working, in cold weather.
Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition and former senior advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman:
“The U.S. Postal Service’s official launch for transitioning its delivery fleet to electric vehicles stands in stark contrast to numerous reports of inoperable EVs in Chicago last week. How will Americans living in cold climates rely on the USPS if their delivery trucks don’t work in cold weather?
Throwing billions of tax-payer dollars at USPS to compel a transition to EVs is just the latest example of the Biden administration’s illogical and shortsighted strategy to rush America’s transition to EVs.
Clearly, there are still significant issues with electric vehicles – not working in the cold, strains on the electrical grid, and a China-centric supply chain just to name a few. Between the effects of cold weather, and the potential for exorbitant energy demand, a de facto transition to EVs could result in late deliveries and an electricity demand surge that overloads our grid.”


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Decline reflects weaker output, new order and employment contributions.
January purchasing managers’ index drops to its lowest level in nearly two years.
Manufacturing conditions continued to improve, but at a slower pace as output and new orders rise at weaker rates.
PMI survey indicates higher levels of output, new orders and employment across the sector.
RBC PMI indicates a “robust improvement” in operating conditions.
Numbers are in line with an improvement in economic growth to about a 2% pace during Q2.
Output increase buoyed by rise in new order volumes, job creation and subdued input price inflation.
Continued increases suggest that recent shocks to the economy have been mitigated by strength elsewhere.
Manufacturing was on an upswing in December as Canadian small businesses gained confidence and manufacturers saw production and new orders rise.
The pace of new business picked up for Canadian manufacturers in August according to a new Canadian purchasing managers index report that follows a Statistics Canada’s latest GDP figures showing a contraction in the second quarter.


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Healthinspections.com is reporting that a Dairy Queen in Daytona Beach was fined $900 for repeated problems such as untrained employees handling food and foods held at dangerous temperatures.
Based on a review of thousands of health inspections in 12 cities, Dairy Queen has one of the worst records in the fast food industry, often with critical violations that have not been corrected since the last inspection. The chain has one of the worst records in fast food for repeating the same health code violation time and again.
Employee hygiene is the number one problem at DQ – accounting for 22% of the chain’s violations. Hygiene includes everything from workers not washing their hands to employees found eating and drinking in the kitchen.
Near Denver, for example, an inspector watched an employee "wipe nose, take money," and continue to prepare food without washing.


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The recent passage of the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019, has provided a firm footing to the sector and this is set to give a fillip to fintech companies surrounding the space.
This is likely to trigger a quest by several fintech firms to tap into the gold mine of data hidden in the sector, running into several crores.
They provide services like credit bureau checks, facilitating loans for chit fund subscribers and companies.
Also, in recent years, with banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) facing liquidity crunch, chit fund has turned a booming business.
According T S Sivaramakrishnan, president, All India Chit Fund Association, and managing director of Balussery Benefit Chit Fund, the sector has been growing around 10-15 per cent annually over the past few years.
“After demonetisation, we saw good growth in terms of value of chit funds. With banks and NBFCs shying away from lending, many small entrepreneurs are turning to chit funds,” he said.
“Size of untapped data in the chit fund industry is mind boggling and credit profiles of several low and mid income groups lie here. We have come across several players seeking access to this data for cross selling,” Sivaramakrishnan added.
Size of the organised chit fund industry is close to Rs 60,000 crore, with 45,000 registered chit fund entities working in the country. However, size of the untapped chit fund sector is more than 30 to 40 times of the regulated one.
In 2016, Pavan Adipuram started ChitMonks, a platform which uses blockchain technology to smoothen flow of information from chit fund companies to regulators.
Its flagship product, T-Chits, is now being used by the Telangana government for collecting regulatory information about chit fund companies in the state. The companies have to mandatorily use the software for filing regulatory documents.
“This is an amazing data, that of close to millions of subscribers in Telangana alone. Their (chit funds in Telangana) collective annual turnover is close to Rs 18,000 crore. Earlier, this data was totally missing from the system. Now, one can bootstrap the credit identities of these subscribers and help them in accessing more financial products. It will open a new domain of fintech solution services,” said Adipuram.
In 2017, Neeraj Bansal started CredRight, a fintech company which provides credit check services and arranges loans for chit fund subscribers. The company analyses data of subscribers by chit fund companies, a segment with no links to credit bureaus due to lack of access to organised finance.
It also arranges loans for those who are not successful in the initial chit fund auctions. “We arrange funds for both chit fund companies and subscribers, as both face liquidity issues. Also, most chit funds do subjective underwriting, as they don’t have any knowledge of factors beyond previous repayment history. We do data analysis like cash flows and financial sustainability of subscribers and give them ratings,” said Bansal.
According to Sridhar Narra, CEO, Kireeti Soft Technologies, which provides software for conducting chit fund operation, technology is helping in streamlining the sector, particularly, identifying good customers.
“These are real big numbers. The chit fund sector would roughly represent 20 per cent of the retail banking segment. There is a huge potential in analysing this data, as in rural areas there are a large number of subscribers who have excellent ratings. That is not captured by any credit bureau,” said Narra.
One of the key recommendations of the sector, ahead of the amendment in the Act, was to allow chit fund companies to undertake fee-based activities, like selling third party financial products, said Janardhan Reddy, member of the key advisory group for NBFCs, Union ministry of finance. Reddy was instrumental in bringing in the recent amendment. According to Reddy, in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, the biggest markets for chit funds, the industry growth has been around 25-30 per cent annually, surpassing national growth, in the last few years. Last week, the Lok Sabha passed the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019, amending the Chit Funds Act, 1982. The prescribed ceiling of aggregate chit fund deposits for individuals has been raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh and in case of firms, the limit has gone up from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 18 lakh.


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The big Subway sting: How gang in Romania 'remotely hacked into 200 U.S. restaurant credit card machines and stole millions of dollars from diners'
A Romanian gang is accused of stealing millions of dollars from U.S. Subway restaurant customers by hacking into credit card machines.
Iulian Dolan, Cezar Iulian Butu, Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, and Florin Radu allegedly robbed 80,000 diners over a three-year period.
From a base in Romania, they are said to have searched the internet for vulnerable credit card readers with remote desktop software installed.
Method: The hackers logged into store computers by either guessing the passwords or using a password-cracking program where they then installed keystroke loggers
Then, after logging in by either guessing passwords or using a code-cracking programmes, they allegedly installed keystroke loggers.
This allowed them to obtain the details of thousands of credit cards used by customers at around 200 mostly Subway outlets all over the U.S.
The group are then accused of going on to frauduelently use and spend millions of dollars before the chain could put a stop to the scam.
One of the reasons it took Subway such a long time to call time on the fraud was that the group are also believed to have installed back-door Trojan programmes.
This allowed them future access to install - or even re-install - malware even when the keystroke loggers were removed.
Three Romanians have been arrested while a fourth remains at large in connection to the remote hacking of roughly 200 credit card machines throughout the United States.
Remote hacking: Four Romanian men are accused of making off with millions of dollars from hacked credit card and Subway restaurant customers in the United States
Two members of the accused, Dolan, 27, and Butu, 26, were arrested in mid-August during their attempt to enter the United States.
Oprea, 27, was arrested last week in Romania and is currently in custody there.
And Radu, 23, the fourth accused player, still remains at large, the Justice Department revealed yesterday.
The four are charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.
The federal indictment alleged that the four men 'compromised the credit card data of more than 80,000 customers, and millions of dollars of unauthorised purchases have been made using the compromised data.'
Many of the attacked Subway
restaurant franchises were in New Hampshire, where the indictment was
filed by the state's federal court.
Other locations affected by the hackers were New York and California, according to the indictment.
Target: The hacked Subway restaurant franchises were in New Hampshire, New York and California affecting over 80,000 customers
The indictment alleges that the group's route of entry were point-of-sale or 'checkout' computer systems that captured the customers' credit card and even gift card data.
The number of Subway restaurant franchises attacked make up less than 1 per cent of all of the restaurants nationally.
Each of the defendants face a maximum sentencing of five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit computer related fraud if found guilty.
They also face 30 years for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five years for each count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Fines up to twice the amount taken, as well as restitution, may also be sentenced against them, the department said.
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Buzz Aldrin once pointed to today's mobile phones as one of the technologies delivered by space race, but there are plenty more globally pressing problems that can be solved using space data and capabilities.
OPINION: An article that claims there's a big problem with the new iPhone has itself a big problem, simply because it claims there being no 5G version of the iPhone itself yet, is some kind of actual, real world problem - and it's not even the real issue!
After two class-action lawsuits in the US have targeted Apple's flat, butterfly keyboards on portable Macs from 2015 onwards, the company has finally recognised the issue and has launched a keyboard service program.
Sam is definitely a paid shill for Chinese interests.
By all means take the wins where you can get 'em, but don't let the wreckers think they've done a[…]
There are no winners in this debate.Media companies didn't "internet" when they needed to, and are doing their best to[…]
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IT security research is full of strong personalities in combination with the potential for the selling of expensive snake-oil. It's[…]


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Bogdanel: 'We must grow with them…'
VAN WERT, Ohio - Oct. 28, 2017 - PRLog -- USA- (AAPDN) TrueLine Publishing, an international publishing firm that specializes in online and print B2B trade magazines being, Canadian Business Executive, US Business Executive, US Builders Review and América Latina Business Executive, profile the most insightful executives from some of the largest companies worldwide with an accurate snapshot and insights into the best practices of their respective industries as they stand today.
Matt Dodge of Canadian Business Executive wrote the words (http://www.canadianbusinessexecutive.com/
One of the structural platforms Bogdanel has been faithful in practice is "We made the decision not to pursue new customers simply because the customers we have at the moment keep growing and we must grow with them," said Bogdanel.
Today, the company continues its quest under Bogdanel and is actively seeking to triple its US driver operations within 60 days. "Our driver compensation package is in the top 3, as I see it," said Bill Trego, Fulger Transport Inc. U.S. Director of Operations.
For more information call Andrei Unc at 313-651-7156 ext 1010 or see: www.fulgertransport.com or https://fulgertransporttribune.blogspot.com


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Revision, a ballistic eyewear company, has expanded its line of protective gear by taking a standard U.S. Army helmet and adding a ballistic visor and mandible offering 9-mm protection to it. The result is a helmet that protects the soldier’s head, neck, and face, and looks a lot like that which is used in the popular video game, “Halo.”
The helmet is the result of four years of research performed at the Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center. Falling under the title “Helmet Electronics and Display System-Upgradeable Protection,” or HEaDS-UP for short, the purpose of the project is to provide the modern-day solider with a more integrated headgear system.
The team assigned this task believe they could create better headgear by making greater use of improved ballistic materials, nonballistic impact linear materials and designs, transparent as well as heads-up display technologies, and better eye, face, and hearing protection.
Revision recently displayed their HEaDS-UP helmet at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference. While exact specifications of the technologies were not made available (Revision is one of several companies developing this type of helmet for the Army to test), it was revealed that headgear’s display features integrated electronics in the helmet, a heads-up display powered by an Android phone, and a pneumatic linear system that meets the 14-feet / second impact requirement to reduce traumatic brain injuries.
“You traditionally had helmets where people velcro-ed [or] duct-taped on components,” explains Brian Dowling, Revision’s Military Program Manager and Army special operations veteran. “The HEaDS-UP program has really taken head protection to the next step for Natick.”
Story via: kitup.military.com
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine


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Should Michelle Obama Have Worn a Black Designer?
Black Artists Association upset with First Lady
People are mad at her already. Some of those same people who celebrated Michelle Obama’s entry into the White House are now peeved at her. And for what? For her choice of clothing during her first day as First Lady.
Because none of her Inaugural outfits were made by a black designer.
This has my “God-knows-what-color-the-people-are-who-made-my-underwear” undies in a royal bunch.
The Black Artists Association’s cofounder, Amnau Eele released the following statement about Michelle’s Inaugural outfits: “She had seven slots to wear designer clothes. Why wasn’t she wearing the clothes of a black designer? This was our moment.“
Excuse me, Ms. Eele. I beg to differ. Whose moment was it?
Yours? Are you kidding me?
It was MICHELLE OBAMA’S MOMENT!
Eele plans to make a formal appeal to Michelle Obama’s office. An appeal to do what? To change her clothes? To tell America she’s sorry she didn’t choose a dress designed by a black person? To apologize for wearing clothes she felt comfortable in, that she liked on what was one of the most important days in hers and her husband’s life?
Who goes out specifically and buys clothes because they are made by someone who has the same color skin?
We finally got a black man into the oval office, and now they’re angry because his wife is not wearing clothing made by a black person? Why was this never an issue when clothing was chosen by a white First Lady? Do the Obamas need to hold a press conference to discuss or defend their outfit choices?
Don’t we have more important issues to tackle the first week we have a new President and First Lady? Won’t Michelle Obama have countless other engagements to don stunning clothing by talented designers of all ethnicities?
Speaking of talented designers, b. Michael had this to say in regards to Michelle being slammed in the press:
“For the record I would like to state that the statement made on behalf of the Black Artists Association does not represent my point of view.
I understand their sensitivity and respect their right to express it.
I personally believe it is an unfair expectation to place on the First Lady.
Fashion is subjective and a matter of personal choice.
As a designer of Color I would encourage the fashion industry, editors and media to lead the way and be more inclusive. True change in America is going to be a collective effort.
As an American Designer I am excited that Mrs. Obama, in her role as the First Lady, will heighten the awareness of American style which resonates into business and jobs in the fashion industry.
I applaud Mrs. Obama for her style and her choices. Most of all for wearing what really matters, Dignity and Grace.“
Now THAT’S more like it. Isn’t the whole idea to look BEYOND skin color, to leave racism in the past and MOVE ON – to judge NOT by skin but by talent, vision, quality? Isn’t that why America elected Barack Obama in the first place?


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Jute mill owners are witnessing extremely high demand for jute bags this year owing to large orders from state-owned Food Corporation of India and the West Bengal government.
But the Indian Govt. has turned down their mill owners’ plea to import raw jute from Bangladesh, saying there is enough stock for the next few months.
The country’s Jute Commissioner’s Office said to the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) mentioned that considering the monthly consumption of raw jute which has been indicated to be in the range of 5.5 lakh bales and the current arrival in the market, there is enough raw jute available for the coming months and there is no urgency for immediate import”.
It said a review of the import decision would likely take place in January-February next year.
The IJMA said that in the current situation, imports of raw jute have become inevitable and they had an estimated harvest of 75 lakh bales of raw jute this year.