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Law student Cole Pfeiffer contributed to this piece.
In August 2016, passengers on JetBlue flight 387 from Ft. Lauderdale travelled just 256 miles, but their trip was historic: theirs was the first commercial flight from the United States to Cuba in more than 50 years.
U.S. businesses are hoping that the opening to Cuba initiated by President Obama – an enormous policy shift that led to putting commercial planes in the air – will continue once he is out of office. But just how quickly a further normalization of relations will take place is still up in the air.
The Embargo Against Cuba
What does this mean for your business? First, it helps to take a quick look back.
The United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba in 1960, after the Castro government nationalized U.S.-owned oil refineries on the island without compensation. The embargo was expanded to include imports in 1962, and has remained in effect ever since. The U.S. government has said it wouldn’t lift the embargo unless Cuba democratized and demonstrated greater respect for human rights. In fact, at the end of the Cold War, President Clinton expanded the embargo when he signed the Helms-Burton Act, which further restricted U.S. citizens from doing business with Cuba.
Although the embargo remains in place, recent political developments suggest that more open trade relations are finally on the horizon.
The Obama Administration Initiates a Thaw
One turning point in U.S.-Cuba relations came in 2009, when President Obama reversed certain restrictions on remittances – funds sent from U.S. citizens to their relatives in Cuba – that had been put in place by George W. Bush.
The Obama administration then took a major step in 2014, when it began a process of normalizing relations with Cuba: embassies were re-opened and there was a further easing of remittance, banking and other restrictions.
Then, in spring 2016, President Obama made a historic three-day trip to Cuba. (Especially historic if you consider that Calvin Coolidge was the last sitting U.S. president to visit the island.)
Even with the embargo still in place – an act of Congress is required to end it – significant change is clearly in the air. For example, a recent poll suggests that the majority of Americans support easing tensions with Cuba. This even seems to be the case among many Cuban Americans, a group that until recently was vehemently and almost uniformly in favor of the embargo. Moreover, many in the global community, especially in Latin America, want to see a full normalization of relations.
A recent poll suggests that the majority of Americans support easing tensions with Cuba
Small Steps, Big Hopes
The loosening of restrictions – which actually began in 2000, when certain bans on exporting farm products to Cuba were lifted – has meant that some American companies have been able to do some business on the island. This includes food giants such as Cargill and Tyson Foods, which had sought access to the Cuban market for decades. Since 2000, agricultural products have accounted for hundreds of millions of dollars in exports to Cuba.
Now that some banking and trade restrictions have been loosened, it’s expected that certain American corporations deemed useful to growth by the Cuban government will be welcomed – among them, Home Depot, Caterpillar and John Deere. In addition, numerous airlines and cruise lines have applied to make direct trips to Cuba from U.S. transportation hubs.
Likewise, Cuba appears poised to exploit opportunities in the United States. For example, Cuba has a surprisingly sophisticated biomedical industry, and hopes to be able to export to the United States, where it could offer new drugs at low prices.
U.S. Internet Companies Jump In
Interestingly, despite internet restrictions – only an estimated 5 percent of the Cuban population is said to have online access – some U.S.-based e-commerce companies have already put down roots in Cuba:
- Airbnb has more than 4,000 hosts on the island, and last year, more than 13,000 U.S. travelers stayed in Airbnb accommodations in Cuba.
- In a largely symbolic move, Netflix has made streaming video available. (Given the paucity of internet access, of course, the vast majority of Cubans – and tourists visiting the island – are not yet able to binge-watch House of Cards.)
- Paypal hopes to make inroads by offering an online remittance service that will make it easy for Cuban residents to receive funds from relatives in the United States and elsewhere.
The Shifting Political Climate
All of this suggests that the forecast for Americans wishing to do business in Cuba is encouraging – but next steps are still unclear.
American corporations deemed useful to growth by the Cuban government will likely be welcomed.
Although some say that many members of Congress privately favor lifting the embargo, given that Congress is practically at a standstill – even on mundane matters – and given that President Obama is soon to be a lame duck, a successful vote to end it is still not at hand.
Which brings us to the positions of the two main candidates for the presidency.
On this particular issue, Donald Trump has said he supports President Obama’s policy. True to form, however, he also said about the decision to reengage diplomatically, “I think it’s fine, but we should have made a better deal.”
As for Hillary Clinton, she was originally a supporter of the embargo, including when her husband tightened it during the 1990s when he was president. But her position shifted when she was Secretary of State, and she has said that, as president, she would use her executive authority to lift it.
A Question of When?
It would be foolish to predict with any certainty what is likely to happen with regard to the embargo in the coming year, given the highly charged political climate surrounding the presidential election and given the extreme partisanship in Congress.
That said, with the predicate laid down by President Obama, it can fairly be said that the prospects for U.S. businesses seeking to makes inroads on the island are looking up. Increasingly, it seems that the question is when, not if, the embargo will end and significant opportunities will open up for U.S. businesses in Cuba.


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Free trade agreement opens new horizons for Israel, UAE
April 08, 2022
The economy and trade ministers of Israel and the United Arab Emirates concluded last week negotiations on a ground-breaking agreement for a free trade zone, the first of its kind Israel has ever reached with an Arab country.
Israel’s Minister of the Economy Orna Barbivai and Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi announced April 1 that they had just completed negotiations to create a comprehensive free trade zone between the two countries. The agreement is expected to go into effect once the two ministers sign it, and it is ratified by both countries’ governments.
Practical deliberations about the agreement began last November, just over a year after the signing of the Abraham Accords. The normalization agreement launched a new era in the relations between the two countries, including burgeoning economic and commercial relations.
This is the first comprehensive free trade agreement between Israel and any Arab state, and it is going into effect so soon after the two nations established diplomatic relations. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has very few trade agreements like this, and these are limited to other Gulf states and the EFTA states (European nations that are not part of the European Union).
As far as Israel is concerned, its importance lies in serving as a free trade bridge to the entire Gulf, a region that is already undergoing rapid development as a result of the Abraham Accords.
The agreement covers issues pertaining to the trade of all sorts of goods, including regulation, duties, services, collaboration, government acquisitions, electronic trade and intellectual property rights. Some 95% of all products traded between the two nations are included in this agreement. They will be exempt from duties, either immediately or gradually.
The agreement also promotes trade in services between the two states, by ensuring regulatory clarity in fields such as electronic trade, professional and business services, distribution services (both wholesale and retail), computerization, and so on.
Heading the negotiating team for Israel was Ohad Cohen, director of the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Trade. Cohen told Al-Monitor that the great advantage of the agreement is that the UAE is a major international trade center for the Gulf region, Central Asia and the Far East. “Israeli exporters will have a distinct advantage,” he said.
Ever since the signing of the Abraham Accords, there has been a real growth in trade between the UAE and Israel. In 2021 alone, for instance, trade between the two countries exceeded $1 billion.
Apart from the import and export of products, the agreement has the potential to spread across many other fields, including the export of energy, health and digital solutions of all kinds, and medical, water (purification, desalinization, the reduction of use and smart management), agricultural and cyber solutions, financial technologies, and the export of diamonds.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praised the agreement, saying, “This is an important moment in relations between the State of Israel and the UAE. Today the good relations that have already been forged between the two countries are being strengthened in the form of a free trade agreement that will significantly upgrade economic cooperation for the benefit of the citizens of both countries. There will be more trade, more jobs and good products at lower prices. At my last meeting with the crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, in Sharm el-Sheikh, we agreed to accelerate the process and bring it to conclusion within days, and so it was."
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that the agreement coincides with the spirit of the Negev summit, which called for steady cooperation, continuity in the relationship and tangible results that would improve the lives of the people of Israel and all other countries in the region.
Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivai summarized it, saying, “The conclusion of the negotiations is a significant and historic milestone in bilateral relations. We will continue to assist the Israeli business community to establish commercial ties in the UAE via the free trade agreement, the ministry's economic attaches and additional assistance tools that the ministry will put at their disposal."
Cohen noted that the agreement, which was first discussed immediately after the signing of the Abraham Accords, was postponed for various reasons, and particularly because of the coronavirus pandemic. Once it [negotiations] took off, however, with meetings in Israel and the Emirates, it was impossible to stop the momentum. He said that the Emirati delegation arrived in Israel late March on a private jet, with explicit instructions not to return home without reaching a finalized agreement before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
Why is this agreement so important? “The UAE is a huge commercial center for the entire region. Through it, we will be able to reach additional markets in the Middle East and the Far East, such as the Gulf states that are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. While it does not mean that Israeli goods would be able to move duty-free the entire way to certain target destinations, large Israeli companies will be able to establish regional offices. When managed properly, these offices will be able to sell their products through the UAE to every country in the region, " Cohen said.
What are the Israeli branches that will benefit from the agreement? Evidently, there are many of them. One example is tahini. It turns out that Israel is a leading manufacturer of tahini, and the amounts sold to the UAE continue to grow. It also turns out that the UAE could even purchase products manufactured in West Bank settlements, including tahini, wine, honey and other agricultural products.
Another major Israeli agricultural product to be exported is Israeli dates, particularly medjool dates. These are in high demand around the world, and particularly in the Middle East, which is the world center of date consumption. Israeli pomegranates are also popular in the Emirates, and in Bahrain and through it, Saudi Arabia.
Apart from agricultural produce, Israeli technology is also in high demand in the UAE, especially, but not exclusively, Israeli medical equipment. Other popular exports include delicate, high precision instruments. Israeli cosmetics are also popular, including unique cosmetics made with Dead Sea minerals.
The major exports from the UAE to Israel are expected to center around construction. Chief among these are aluminum products, but they also include iron in all forms, sand, gravel and even cement. These products from the UAE and the Gulf in general are thought to be of the highest quality, and relatively cheap, especially when compared to the Israeli market, especially for aluminum and iron.
Another intriguing product for import from the UAE is raw materials for the plastics industry, which is a byproduct of the petroleum industry. Importing these materials will decrease the locally manufactured plastic goods.
Cohen concluded, “The Abraham Accords opened up new worlds for us. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Oslo Accord, when the world opened up to us, too.”

domain: news


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Microgaming’s Legendary Explorer Jungle Jim to Go on a New Search for the Lost Sphinx
Do you remember Jungle Jim, the young, good-looking man who went on an adventure deep into the heart of the Amazon jungles in the search for the City of Gold El Dorado? Well, if you’re a slots player, you probably do, because Jungle Jim El Dorado is one of Microgaming’s most popular slots of all times!
Soon enough, you will see Jungle Jim, one of the most iconic characters in the slots community, embark on a new adventure in the deserts, continuing his search expedition, this time looking for the Lost Sphinx.
About Jungle Jim and the Lost Sphinx
Players were first introduced to Jungle Jim in 2016, when Microgaming released the now-epic 5-reel, 25-payline slot Jungle Jim El Dorado, a slot that is still one of players’ favourite, despite the countless of new games that keep on appearing on the market.
Jungle Jim and the Lost Sphinx is its sequel, a 5-reel slot with 50-paylines to be showcased by the award-winning developer on this years’ iGB Live!, which takes place on the 17th and 18th of July, 2019. At Microgaming’s branded Strand R13, attendees will get the opportunity to try out the game for the first time in demo mode and be the first ones to preview the masterpiece-like visuals used in the game, which is scheduled to be released in November 2019.
Our beloved character will be exploring the vast, endless deserts in Egypt, looking for the invaluable sphinxes and looking for the lost one that no one has discovered yet. The slot was developed by one of the many game studios who create games exclusively for Microgaming, Stormcraft Studios. Stormcraft Studios is behind some of the most recent successful titles by the developer, Agent Jane Blonde Returns, Dragon Shard and the incredible Fortunium slot.
Jean-Luc Ferriere, the Chief Commercial Officer at Microgaming said that they couldn’t wait to share the news and tease the return of the iconic Jungle Jim on the reels. Ferriere stated that given the success of the prequel and the popularity of the character, everyone at Microgaming was looking forward to presenting the world with Jungle Jim and the Lost Sphinx slot on the 17th and 18th of July.
Ferriere praised Stormcraft Studios on their remarkable work in the design of the slot, saying that their outstanding artwork had set a new benchmark in visual storytelling in the gaming industry. He added that the game offered highly-rewarding mechanics and entertaining gameplay that included the popular Rolling Reels™ feature, just like its prequel did, enhanced with new features for the most incredible gaming experience.


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Innovative designs keep ingredients safe, whatever the temperature
Franco Manca’s sourdough pizzas are regularly voted the best in Britain and the group recently won best run chain with under twenty outlets in the UK. So what’s the secret? Nabil Mankarious, managing director, says it’s a combination of factors – including attention to detail, great quality food at great value, and close relationships with suppliers.
“My business partner David Page and I have been in catering since 1987,” he says. “We stick with suppliers who give us quality, consistency and reliability and who are prepared to go out of their way when we need them to.”
The willingness to go the extra mile is one of the things that Nabil likes best about Precision, the British manufacturer that supplies Franco Manca with its refrigeration products. “Precision has even helped us by producing new refrigeration lines to suit our business.”
However, the first thing refrigeration has to be is reliable. “Our pizza ovens are a feature of the restaurant – they are built by artisans from Naples, get up to 500°C and cook pizza in just one minute,” says Nabil. “They produce a lot of heat, so sometimes the refrigeration has to work really hard. The Precision equipment is very reliable, very solid. It just keeps on working, whatever the temperature.”
Since the equipment is mostly front of house, it needs to look good too. With their oversize displays, simple lines and stylish grills Precision’s undercounter cabinets are ideal for the Franco Manca chefs who produce pizzas in front of the customer. And their beauty is more than skin-deep: “Our pizzas produce a lot of flour. That can cause issues with undercounter fridges, as their fans suck it in through the ventilation grills. So Precision developed a fan that periodically goes into reverse – so it blows out any flour that’s inside the mechanism, keeping everything running smoothly.”
Sustainability is important for Franco Manca. “Although we’re very much an Italian concept we try to source from the UK. Mozzarella from Somerset, ham and sausages from Gloucestershire. Even our beer is from Kent! When it comes to choosing refrigeration, first and foremost is reliability, to cope whatever the temperature. Precision’s equipment is manufactured in the UK and its energy-saving features are significant factors, too.”
When Franco Manca had issues with its pizza dough becoming over-heated, Precision worked with Nabil to develop a special dough retarder cabinet. It’s extra deep, in order to accommodate the restaurant’s oversized dough buckets. It’s capable of holding the dough at a steady 18°C, thanks to a special airflow design that ensures the temperature is even throughout.
Another recent Precision innovation is designed to keep Franco Manca’s red wine in top condition. “In the summer, when it can get very hot, the characteristics of our organic red wine can change. So we asked Precision to produce something like a wine cooler, an undercounter unit to store red wine at 13°C. They came along, understood what we wanted, and started to produce the coolers for us.
“With Precision, it feels like nothing’s too much to ask. They’re a really good company to work with.”
The Precision refrigeration is supplied by Dentons Catering Equipment. “We purchase most of our equipment through Dentons. They’ve been with us for over 15 years and the relationship really works. We know we can rely on them to look after the maintenance of equipment too,” says Nabil.
For more on Franco Manca visit www.francomanca.co.uk
For more on Dentons visit www.dentonscatering.com


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Sony Deep Fries McDonald’s Australian PlayStation 5 Controller Giveaway
We want two #1 meals, both of those with Coke and a PlayStation 5 controller. And let’s not talk to for permission from Sony to start with, make sure you. McDonald’s Australia is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary down beneath with three months of activities that not too long ago strike a velocity bump.
In June, Maccas (quick for McDonald’s in Australia) introduced in a press launch that


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Several New York Teens Contacted for Reality Show
Sour Patch Kids are soft gummy candies coated with sweet and sour flavoring. It has grown popular since the 1970’s and is now a staple candy in convenience stores all over the country. Now the brand is sponsoring a reality TV show!
The casting was for teenagers to compete in the first-ever, teen-only reality game show starring everyday kids in challenging prom-like scenarios. YouTube sensation, Twaimz, and Sour Patch Kids representatives will be on site and involved in the nationwide search for 36 fame-seeking, real teens to audition for the online reality series.
The client was looking for teens between the ages of 16 and 19 for the upcoming game reality show just for teens! Auditions are being held this weekend in New York City


text: Metal manufacturer Sidenor expects to invest more than 26 billion drachmas this year to upgrade its facilities and improve its production capacity, the company told the Association of Institutional Investors yesterday. The company said that investment spending in the first half of the year amounted to 23 billion drachmas. Last year’s entire investment outlay came to just 15 billion. Part of this year’s funds have gone to subsidiary Sovel, which completed the construction of a steel mill and metal sheet factory at a total cost of 37 billion drachmas. The first plant has a production capacity of 600,000 tons and the latter a production capacity of 530,000 tons. The new facilities should help the company cut raw material costs. The investment program also includes the construction of a pipe-making plant at Almiro, jointly operated by Sidenor and Sovel. Scheduled to be completed this year, the factory is expected to produce 25,000 to 120,000 tons of pipes. Sovel is also building a plant at Almiro, which should be able to manufacture 65,000 tons of iron grid. The Kilkis wire-making factory will see its production capacity increase to 20,000-32,000 tons after an investment boost from the company. The metal manufactuer said that production facilities also increased significantly after the acquisition of a 75 percent stake in Stomana Industry, a Bulgarian operation. Sidenor reported consolidated pretax profits of 3.8 billion drachmas for the first half of the year, up by 8 percent. Turnover increased by 4 percent to 57 billion drachmas.


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A pair of Nikesworn by Michael Jordan has broken the record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold at auction, fetching $615,000.
The Nike Air Jordan 1 High shoes, which had an estimated sale price of between $650,000 and $850,000, were used by the basketball star during an exhibition game played in Trieste, Italy in the summer of 1985, according to Christie’s.
“It is the top price achieved for sneakers at auction,” a spokesperson at Christie’s told CNN.
The high tops were sold as part of a wider online auction of Jordan’s footwear from his days playing for the Chicago Bulls. And of the Jordan memorabilia up for sale, nine lots went for a combined total of $931,875, including buyers’ fees,on Thursday at the end of a two-week period of bidding.
The bulk of the total sales came from the signed 1985 shoes, which the auction catalogue describe as “a one-of-a-kind Michael Jordan artefact.
“The shoes are unusual because the sole of the left one contains a shard of glass, which became lodged there when Jordan shattered the glass of the backboard while landing a forceful slam dunk.
Another pair of shoes, which the Chicago Bulls player wore in a match in 1992, went for $112,500 in the same auction, which was run by Christie’s in conjunction with sneaker consignment store Stadium Goods.
Thursday’s sale shatters the previous record, set just three months earlier when Sotheby’s sold some of the player’s Nike Air Jordans for $560,000.
“Just three months ago, a pair of Nike Air Jordans broke the world record for the most expensive shoes ever sold at auction — fetching just over half a million dollars,” Christie’s said on its website ahead of its own auction.
Interest in Jordan and his sports memorabilia has increased this year since the release of ESPN’s docuseries “The Last Dance,” which follows the legendary player during the Bulls’ 1997-1998 season.
Christie’s described its recent auction as “the most comprehensive footwear record of Michael Jordan’s era-defining career with the Chicago Bulls ever to be offered in one sale.”
- Taskforce destroys excavators allegedly belonging to NPP Women’s Organiser
- Fuel prices to go up again – Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana
- Cameron Duodu: Sɛbe o, tafrakyɛ, na ‘Ɔte K’ɔkɔɔ Soɔ’ deɛ, yɛbɔ n’ano sɛn? – With all due respect, how can the occupant of the Golden Stool be silenced?
- 23-year-old arrested for attempting to sacrifice his nephew for money rituals
- Kokomba warriors kill human-attacking antelopes
- Mahama’s ‘dumsor’ is different from Akufo-Addo’s – Kweku Awotwi
- Armed men attack NPP Communicator
- 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccines to be deployed from May 19 – Akufo-Addo
- Armed robbers jailed for robbing, raping pregnant woman
- Full text: Akufo-Addo’s 25th address on measures to deal with Covid-19 pandemic
I don’t write songs for people anymore – King Promise
NDC has done more for healthcare in Ghana than NPP – Sammy Gyamfi responds to Nana Aba Anamoah
“I’m not proud of it” – referee for Hearts v Sharks game apologises for errors
Ghanaians to re-register SIM cards in June or risk losing phone numbers
Akosombo Dam could serve Ghana for another 50 years if well maintained – Kweku Awotwi
No new Covid-19 cases in Northern Region in 3 weeks
2 dead, 3 injured and others displaced following heavy downpour in Ashanti Region
Okyeame Kwame and wife launch their first book ‘Love Locked Down’
Ter Stegen ruled out of Germany’s Euros plans with knee problem that will require surgery at Barcelona
Digital transformation will determine success of corporate Ghana post-Covid – Ernest De-Graft Egyir
Standards Authority sets standards to regulate sale of eggs
Leicester issue Chelsea apology over Daniel Amartey FA Cup actions
At least 20 cattle shot and wounded after herdsmen allegedly stab man at Abrewankor
If you don’t fix health system, outcome won’t improve irrespective of procurement you make – Asiedu Sarpong
Ongoing financial re-engineering of the power sector is positive – Kweku Awotwi


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According to the data presented by the president of Afrucat, Montse Baró, the president of the Committee of Apples and Pears of Afrucat, Joan Serentill, and the Secretary of Food of the Department of Climate Action, Food, and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Carmel Mòdol, Catalonia is forecast to produce 23% fewer apples and 24% fewer pears than in 2021.
The sector expects to achieve the lowest pome fruit harvest in the last 5 years because of spring frosts, which also seriously affected Catalonia's stone fruit harvest. Expectations are producers will harvest 229,400 tons of apples and 101,100 tons of pears.
According to Carmel Modol, "this drop is exclusively due to weather conditions. Statistics show pome fruit plantations have been growing slowly in recent years and there have been no setbacks detected.”
According to forecasts, Catalonia will produce 229,400 tons of apples in 2022, i.e. 18% less than in the last 5 years and 23% less than in 2021.
The varieties that had the biggest decrease in production compared to 2021 were the red varieties with 33%, the Golden with 31%, and the Granny varieties with 29%.
The frosts affected all crops in the Ebro Valley, which predicts a similar decrease. It should be noted, however, that the district of Girona was not affected by the frost and that, despite suffering a slight production decrease compared to last year's production*, its production increased by 6% over the average of the last 5 years. (*In 2021 Girona achieved a record production figure)
According to forecasts, Catalonia will produce 101,100 tons of pears this year, i.e. 24% less volume than last year. This significant impact on production is also due to the frost.
The Ercolini and limonera varieties experienced the greatest setbacks, as their production fell by 43% and 31% respectively.
According to forecasts, the apple and pear campaign will be delayed by 3 to 7 days, the quality of the fruits will be good, and fruit sizes will be lower than the ones achieved in the previous campaigns, with the exception of the Girona apple, which will yield normal to big sizes.
Baró and Serentill wanted to ease the distribution: "We can ensure that, even if production falls, we'll supply our national customers with the qualities and volumes they expect from us."
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com


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Wireline Satisfaction Rankings: AT&T, Verizon on Top, as Lumen, Cox RiseWireline Satisfaction Rankings: AT&T, Verizon on Top, as Lumen, Cox Rise
Why are large enterprises reporting fewer issues but lower satisfaction?
July 7, 2022
J.D. Power’s latest business wireline customer satisfaction scores show a different set of experiences emerging for small and large business, respectively.
The research firm’s annual survey of business customers about their telco/cableco providers showed that smaller businesses feel happier than ever about their service provider. However, large enterprises aren’t sharing that sentiment, according to J.D. Power.
The survey results come as more and more telcos see their value proposition shifting to network-as-a-service offerings.
Scroll through the images above to see precisely how the companies scored in the study.
Channel Futures also covered last year’s J.D. Power Business Wireline Satisfaction Study.
About the Author(s)
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Mitsubishi Partners With Legal & General For Game-Changing Hammersmith Development
Mitsubishi Estate London has joined Legal & General Property to develop an 11-story, 250k SF office building at 245 Hammersmith Road. The new building will feature retail and an urban park and plaza as well as a business lounge at ground level and a café that will be open to the public.
The lack of affordable Class-A property available in the area has created a lot of excitement around the project.
Completion is set for Q1 2019.


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Your marketing of the event was 'best in class!!!
J Lanaway, Slendertone
Really enjoyed the show and having been in technology for a good few years understand this is a flegdling area but I can see great utility for the future and hope you can grow this show to include training and education which are the main areas of interest for me. Well done.
Robert Stephens, MOD
Really good and educative.
Jane Trainor, Digital Design Head, Block
It was a fabulous show.
Rosemary Russell, Lecturer, UAI
I thought the show was really inspiring and a nice manageable size.
Amy Lee, Global Trends, Avery Dennison
Convenient connection with London City airport allowing to do 1 day trip from Paris.
Bernard Vicens Vertical Segment Director, EBV Elektronik
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Construction crews have nearly completed Economy Walmart
Beaver County Times
ECONOMY -- Walmart has begun stocking a new store in which construction is nearly complete.
The approximately 150,000-square-foot Economy store is scheduled to open this spring, the company announced Monday through a public relations firm.
“We’re bringing the convenience of one-stop shopping and low prices to Economy, and the wait is almost over,” store manager Kory Campbell said in a statement.


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No-deal Brexit: what would ‘WTO terms’ mean for UK-EU trade?
Unless the British parliament approves a Brexit deal, or another extension to the UK’s EU membership is agreed, or the government decides to cancel Brexit – then by law the United Kingdom will leave the European Union without an agreement on October 31.
The new British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, says he is determined to take the UK out in the autumn, without a deal if necessary. His stance was echoed by some of his rivals and backed by many party members in the Conservative leadership contest, which followed Theresa May’s resignation.
A “no-deal” exit would mean that legal arrangements covering many aspects of everyday life would abruptly cease to apply. It would also bring a significant change in the trading relationship between the UK and the EU.
The EU is the UK’s largest trading partner, although its importance has been slightly declining. Official UK figures show that 44% of all UK exports went to the EU in 2017, while 53% of all UK imports came from the EU. As a bloc, EU countries sell more to the UK than vice-versa.
The consequences of a “no-deal Brexit” – particularly on trade – have been the subject of fierce and increasingly acrimonious debate in the UK. Opponents have predicted cross-border disruption, higher prices and a shortage of essential goods. The European Commission has said that no-deal would see a hard border on the island of Ireland.
From EU rules to WTO rules
The British government acknowledges that with no exit agreement in place, the EU would consider the UK “a third country for all purposes”. It has published details of its own no-deal preparations.
Trade rules would change from those of the European Union – based on its single market and customs union – to those of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
WTO rules mean each member must grant the same market access to all other members – except developing countries and those that have free trade agreements. Trade experts agree that the EU could not treat the UK differently to other states: rules currently imposed on third countries would apply.
Pro-Brexit economists argue that most world trade is done on WTO terms, which will still give the UK access to EU markets.
Many other economists and academics argue that although the UK could indeed adjust, WTO terms would be damaging for several sectors of the British economy including services, manufacturing and agriculture.
The impact of no deal for the UK would extend beyond its trade with the EU. At the moment Britain trades with the rest of the world as an EU member. Under “no deal”, some 40 existing trade agreements fully or partly in place between the EU and dozens of countries would no longer apply to the UK.
Although some Brexit supporters claim many of these can be “rolled over”, by late July the British government had secured only a dozen such deals. These include agreements with Switzerland, Israel, several African and South American nations – the UK has also signed a framework deal with South Korea – but not those with big trading partners such as Japan, Canada and Turkey.
Tariffs would apply
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) estimates that with no deal, 90% of the UK’s goods exports to the EU by value would face tariffs. The average tariff on UK exports to the bloc would be 4.3 percent, it calculates, while the average on imports from the EU into the UK would be around 5.7 percent. Tariffs in some sectors – for example in agriculture and food, the car industry and textiles – would be “significantly higher”.
- Brexiteers argue that the UK could survive EU tariffs, and that higher tariffs faced by exporters could be offset by a more favourable exchange rate created by the fall in the value of the pound. However, a report by one group of economists found that UK exports had been damaged, not boosted, since the referendum.
- Pro-Brexit economists also quote estimates suggesting that import tariffs from EU countries could generate significant revenue for the UK. But a report by the think-tank UK in a Changing Europe says revenue gains from import tariffs would come at a cost of higher consumer prices.
Some no-deal economists have also claimed that the UK could unilaterally drop all tariffs, slashing consumer prices. Their critics agree that prices would come down – but, they argue, so would protection for various sectors of the economy. There’ve been warnings that much UK manufacturing – including the car industry – as well as British agriculture would be severely damaged by total exposure to global competition.
The UK environment minister has vowed to apply tariffs to food imports in a no-deal Brexit, although the issue has reportedly provoked cabinet disagreement.
Non-tariff barriers: checks and regulations
“The free circulation of goods between the UK and EU would cease,” says the UK government’s no-deal advice to businesses.
It says there would be “immediate changes” to procedures for businesses trading with the EU — and the details make it clear they involve more bureaucracy. The papers reveal that UK companies exporting and importing to and from the bloc face a mass of new red tape — potentially devastating for smaller firms.
The advice goes on to say that trade under “third country” status would mean customs declarations, upfront VAT payments, and higher costs. Some firms may need export licences which could bring delays, or to employ customs brokers.
The UK would no longer be part of the EU system of mutual recognition. The government says the UK would continue to follow EU regulations in many areas – but firms would have to deal with new regulatory regimes, for instance for medicines. Pharmaceutical firms are advised to stockpile six weeks’ supplies. New certification is needed in farming, leading to warnings that trade in organic food may effectively be suspended.
- The National Audit Office said in a report in October that the number of customs declarations the UK authorities need to process might rise from 55 million a year to 260 million. New border systems would be needed, but in September the body responsible reported that 11 out of 12 projects might not be ready in time.
- The CBI estimates that non-tariff barriers are likely to hit competitiveness even more than tariffs, especially for smaller companies. Highly regulated industries such as food, chemicals, aerospace and cars would suffer most – subject to new checks for safety and quality standards.
- “The biggest costs would come not from moving to new regulatory arrangements for trade, but from a partial or complete breakdown of the regulatory arrangements that make trade possible at all,” UK in a Changing Europe has estimated.
Warnings of trade disruption
The prospect of sudden barriers going up under no deal has brought warnings of chaos hitting UK ports, especially Dover, and surrounding areas.
- Reports by Dover and Kent councils have warned of massive disruption, with long delays and jams on the roads. The UK government has estimated that Channel ports could be hit for up to six months in a worst-case scenario. The head of the Calais region in northern France has insisted that French ports will be ready for a no-deal exit – as long as authorities on the British side are prepared.
Similar warnings of disruption have come from industries relying on “just-in-time” supplies of parts – such as the car industry – or the food and drink industry which relies on the efficient distribution of fresh produce.
Among UK carmakers – affected by other shifting global conditions – Nissan has cancelled plans to build a new model in Britain, Jaguar Land Rover has announced job cuts, while Ford has warned of more cuts if there is a no-deal Brexit. Honda announced plans to close a factory but denied that Brexit was the reason.
Major manufacturers such as Siemens UK and Airbus have said a no-deal Brexit will direct future investment elsewhere. Other UK businesses have been transferring operations abroad, although some have benefitted from a weaker pound or say they can adjust supply chains.
Easing trade flows
The British government under Theresa May said it had reached agreement to ease trade flows in the event of no-deal. By successfully negotiating continued membership of the Common Transit Convention (CTC) after Brexit, customs declarations will be made and import duties paid not at border points but at the final destination.
The news has been welcomed by the UK Road Haulage Association, which warns however that “setting it up will take time and significant upskilling”.
However, a UK parliamentary committee report in September said that CTC membership would not be enough to achieve “frictionless” trade. It would displace but not remove customs controls, and did nothing to address new regulatory barriers such as inspections.
The EU has dropped plans to limit quotas for road haulage permits that UK truckers would need on the continent. But the measure to allow access is temporary and conditional.
The UK services industry makes up an estimated 80 percent of the country’s economy. Whereas the EU sells more goods to the UK than it buys from Britain, the UK has a “trade surplus” in services, exporting more to the EU than it imports.
Latest figures show a large rise in activity between the UK and the EU. Half of the UK’s trade in services in 2016 was with Europe, and most of that was with the EU.
A “hard Brexit” option under WTO rules offers only limited integration for services, and according to the UK Institute for Government many countries consider WTO rules do not address trade barriers sufficiently.
Banks and financial services firms are set to lose “passporting rights” enabling them to serve clients in the EU from the UK. Some UK companies have been moving operations to the continent.
Impact on the European Union
The United Kingdom was the European Union’s second largest economy in 2016, according to Eurostat, accounting for 16 percent of its GDP, as much as the 19 smallest EU countries put together.
The UK accounts for about 13% of the EU’s trade in goods and services, according to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF has warned that economic growth across the remaining 27 EU states would fall by up to 1.5 percent in the long run and employment would fall by 0.7 percent, if the UK fell back on WTO rules to trade with the bloc after Brexit.
- Ireland would suffer an output loss of four percent, the IMF concludes, while the economies of countries geographically close and with strong trading links to the UK – such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and the Czech Republic – would be hit to a lesser extent.
- German carmakers are among the major EU exporters to the UK market, with industry figures showing that the UK imported more than three quarters of a million German cars in 2017. They could be hit by reciprocal UK tariffs once the EU levied a 10 percent tax on UK car imports under WTO arrangements.
- The French government – which is allocating €50 million in border infrastructure – has said it is concerned that businesses aren’t ready for no-deal. The consultants Oliver Wyman have estimated that France would be the third most affected country by a hard Brexit, with trade on WTO terms costing French companies €4 billion a year. With the UK taking some 10% of French food and drink exports in 2017, cheese and wine producers would be among those hit by tariffs and regulatory controls.
- According to Oliver Wyman, with 7% of the Netherlands’ exports going to the UK in 2016, WTO trading could cost the Dutch economy an extra €4.5 billion a year.
The European Commission has updated its contingency plans for a “no deal” Brexit. Far from envisaging the sort of “managed no-deal” that some in Britain are calling for, it sets out a series of basic arrangements to limit disruption.
No deal – better than a bad deal?
The Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on future ties, negotiated by London and Brussels, need the approval of both the British and European parliaments. Otherwise the agreed measures – including a 21-month transition period after Brexit – will not apply.
It has been suggested that the potential damage to EU countries from a no-deal Brexit will lead Brussels eventually to offer a more generous deal to the UK. However, others argue that the need to protect the integrity of existing rules – and avoid a potential break-up of the bloc – underlines the importance to the EU of standing firm.
Theresa May’s mantra, that “no deal is better than a bad deal”, has been seized upon by Brexiteers who argue in favour of leaving the EU without an agreement. They say the UK could save money by avoiding paying much, if not all, of the estimated €45 billion financial settlement. Breaking free of the EU’s structures will open up new opportunities, they add, enabling the UK to boost trade with the rest of the world.
Opponents argue that such opportunities exist already – and that “no deal” would harm not only trade, but destroy 45 years of smooth arrangements between the UK and the continent. They say it would bring severe economic damage and legal chaos, wreck Britain’s international credibility, and jeopardise hard-earned peace on the island of Ireland.
Similar Recent Posts by this Author:
- NO DEAL- NO EU IMPORTS – UNTIL THE EU SEE SENSE ON TARIFFS
- A NO DEAL WITHDRAWAL IS INEVITABLE – OVER TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE ARTICLE 50 WAS INVOKED
- What will a no-deal Brexit mean for the UK and EU?
- COMMON SENSE INSTEAD OF CONTINUED EU DUMPING- “UK will apply food tariffs in case of no deal”
- BRITAIN WON WW2 AND EUROPE & ASIA WON THE CAPITALISTS PEACE – MORE REPARATION MUST BE DEMANDED FOR DAMAGES TO BRITAIN AND FREEDOM FROM FASCISM
- THE UK MUST REDUCE IMPORTS BY IMPOSING TARIFFS ON EU GOODS IF NO RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT IS REACHED


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Arena Liquor had hoped to open in Olivette the week of Thanksgiving but permitting issues have postponed the liquor store from welcoming customers, an employee of Arena Liquor told Patch.
The employee of the Hampton Avenue Arena Liquor said that the business hopes to open this week. Patch previously reported that the store was planning to open by the end of November.
See: New Business: Arena Liquor to Open in Olivette
The new store in the Olivette Center shopping plaza is next to Party City and the former location of Ray's Donuts, at 9612 Olive Boulevard.
The local chain's locations include Hampton Avenue in St. Louis, Hazelwood, Belleville and Columbia, MO.


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Need for storage facility workers is growing faster than the labor supply, which could drive up expenses for fulfillment center operations as digital commerce becomes a bigger force in retail sales.
U.S. warehouses and circulation centers need an additional 452,000 employees in total this year and next, business real-estate brokerage CBRE Group Inc. CBRE writes in a brand-new report, a steep acceleration from working with in the sector recently. Finding those workers with unemployment at an 18-year low will be a challenge, and will likely draw employees far from other fields, stated Spencer Levy, head of research in the Americas for CBRE. “Everyone is holding their breath since employment statistics are so tight these days,” he stated.
CBRE said in the report launched Tuesday that transport and storage facility companies are on speed to add 226,000 workers in both 2018 and 2019. From 2013 to 2017, the sector averaged 180,300 tasks included yearly, inning accordance with the real-estate company.
The push for workers could add significant expenses for fulfillment operations. CBRE estimates that a $1 increase in average per hour earnings for a typical warehouse with 500 staff members would raise annual labor expenses by more than $1 million. That number is greater for more labor-intensive e-commerce operations, especially during seasonal peaks in shipping activity around the end-of-year holidays.Many operators
are browsing for new labor pools, whether hiring workers away from other industries or transferring satisfaction operations to regions where more employees are offered. In between 2011 and 2015, the transportation and warehousing sector reported 66% growth in employees coming from other industries, the highest percentage of any sector, inning accordance with the U.S. Census Bureau.
CBRE states storage facility operators are expanding into new regions with more readily available employees and reasonably low real-estate expenses. Amongst the most appealing destinations, according to CBRE’s newest analysis, are Memphis, Tenn., Louisville, Ky., California’s Inland Empire, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Nashville, Tenn., and Dallas-Fort Worth.Mr.
Levy said e-commerce operations need to weigh workforce considerations versus the have to be as near to customers as possible– a crucial to offering affordable and speedy fulfillment for online retail orders. “The bottom line is that being as near to consumers is an important factor however if you can’t service those customers [with fully-staffed operations] , then you have to move further out,” he said.The labor
challenges facing e-commerce are also likely to drive more automation at warehouses and fulfillment centers. North American organisations still drag their counterparts in Asia and Europe when it concerns automated shipments, the CBRE report stated.
“You’re visiting, since of this labor shortage, an acceleration of the automation trend, which is currently proliferating,” Mr. Levy said. “There’s going to be a reckoning.”
CBRE’s price quote of 452,000 brand-new jobs in commercial operations is based upon an anticipated new 452 million square feet of warehouse and distribution area coming online by the end of 2019, and a presumed average of one worker required for every 1,000 square feet.
E-commerce operations have driven record tenancy rates in U.S. commercial centers, and millions of square feet of new development across U.S. markets in the last few years. Mr. Levy said he expects demand for warehouse area to remain strong, even as more warehouse open, due to the fact that the robust U.S. economy is driving need from production and light commercial companies in addition to e-commerce retailers.
U.S. storage facilities and warehouse require to step up annual hiring to 226,000 jobs, the report says, 46,000 more than business have added on average in the previous five years. Image: Giulio Napolitano/Bloomberg News


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The finalised figures from the International Passenger Survey for 2017 have been released, which show another record-breaking year for inbound tourism. 39.2 million visits were made to the UK in 2017 – 3% more than in 2016 – and spending by overseas visitors grew 9% to reach a record £24.5 billion. A record 284.8 million nights were spent in the UK, up 3% on 2016.
Much of the increase is associated with the fall in the value of the pound, and the £2.25 billion increase in revenue generated by inbound tourism last year was sufficient to create an additional 40,000 jobs in the UK.
Holiday visits were the main driving force behind the growth, with visits up 11% and spend up a significant 22% – not an unexpected result as holidaymakers tend to be more price sensitive than VFR and business visitors. Business visits meanwhile performed poorly due to uncertainty over Brexit.
Scotland performed particularly well, with visits growing by 17% and spend by 23%. However London still dominated expenditure in England, while Wales struggled to capitalise on the success of the rest of the UK, experiencing no increase in visit numbers and a decline in overseas spending by 17%.
- Holiday visits rose 11% to a record 15.4 million in 2017. Spending grew by 22% to £10.6 billion – double the holiday spending in 2007 and setting a new calendar year record.
- Visits to Friends & Family (VFR) increased by 4% to a record 12 million. Spending rose 15% to a record £5.8 billion.
- Following a record-setting 2016, business visits fell by 4% to 8.8. million, and spending decreased by 3% to £5.3 billion.
- Miscellaneous visits are a combination of a wide range of journey purposes, including (but not limited to) short term study, job seeking, shopping, attending a sports event and more. Miscellaneous increased by 3% to 3.1 million, however spending fell 18% to £2.7 million.
- London experienced a 4% growth in visit numbers to reach a record 19.8 million, while spending increased 14% to a record £13.5 billion.
- The Rest of England saw a 3% increase in visit numbers to reach a record 16.5 million, although spending was on par with 2016 at £7.8 billion.
- This brings the overall England visit numbers to a record 34.3 million, up 4% on 2016, and spend figures to a record £21.4 billion, up 9% on the previous year.
- Scotland saw the largest regional growth with visits up 17% to a record 3.2 million, and spending grew 23% to a record £2.3 billion.
- Wales did not experience the same level of growth as other regions in the UK with visit number staying stable at 1.08 million, but spending dropped by 17% to £369 million.
- China. Visits were up 29% to a record 337,000 while spending from the world’ most valuable outbound market grew 35% to a record £694 million.
- India. Visits from India grew 35% to a record 562,000, while spending increased 5% to a record £454 million.
- USA. Visits grew 13% to 3.9 million, the highest since 2000, while spending from the UK’s most valuable inbound market increased by 9% to a record £3.6 billion.
- GCC. A record 810,000 visits were made from the GCC region, up 5% on 2016, while spending grew 55% to a record £2.2.billion.
- Australia. Visits grew 11% to 1.1. million, with spending up 13% to £1.2 billion.
- Markets that saw visit number growth of a third or more include:
- Latvia (up 35% to a record 171,000, no change in spend at £44 million)
- Lithuania (up 35% to a record 327,000, spend up 13% to £81 million)
- Philippines (up 51% to a record 46,000; spend up 7% to £35 million)
- Taiwan (up 49% to a record 69,000; spend up 29% to £65 million)
- Markets that saw significant spending increases of a third or more include:
- Argentina (up 95% to a record £176 million; visits up 1% to a record 147,000)
- Croatia (up 57% to a record £30 million; visits dropped by 15% to 45,000)
- Hungary (up 59% to a record £137 million; visits up 5% to a record 415,000)
- Markets that saw both visit numbers and spend growth of 30% or more include:
- Brazil (visits up 31% to 244,000; spend up 34% to £263 million)
- Iceland (visits up 33% to 122,000; spend up 49% to a record £90 million)
- Mexico (visits up 46% to a record 155,000; spend up 57% to £101 million)
- Russia (visits up 55% to 227,000; spend up £139% to a record £862 million)
- Serbia (visits up 86% to 45,000; spend up 159% to £27 million)


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FESPA’s next pan-Asian event will take place, under its new name of Asia Print Expo, from February 21-23, 2019 at BITEC exhibition centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Asia Print Expo is the region’s leading exhibition for screen, textile and digital wide format print. Over the course of three days of the expo, Asia Print Expo 2019 will give print service providers (PSPs) and sign-makers a valuable opportunity to discover the latest products and technologies from leading players in the specialty print market. Exhibitors confirmed to date include: Hexis, Siser, Stahls Asia and Poli-Tape Klebefolien GmbH, as well as local companies such as: SVOA-Roland, SKT. Embroidery Co., Ltd.
For visitors looking to expand their knowledge or investigate new revenue streams for their businesses, there will be free educational and interactive show features, based on successful FESPA features from the global event portfolio, reflecting the latest industry trends and market intelligence. Features will include the FESPA Wrap Masters, Print Make Wear Asia and a conference programme. More detailed information on all features will be announced nearer the time. The previous edition of FESPA Asia in 2018 attracted 4,328 visitors from 66 countries spanning the ASEAN region and beyond.
Apr 22, 2019 0Women’s ethnic-wear brand Biba Apparels plans to tap the franchise route to expand into small cities and towns. A majority of these would be for its mass to premium brand – Rangriti – aimed at...
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If you’re an avid user of social media in Kenya and a keen follower of whatever is happening on Twitter and other platforms then you may have noticed something peculiar these last few days.
Twitter influencers had all switched their avatars to this:
Unknown to many (at that time), the image is the logo of a new service that, as far as I know, went live today after a few days of teasing and hype. The service is called XtraValue and it has Android and iOS applications available on the respective mobile app stores through which users can sign up to receive discount vouchers for anything from beers, milk shakes, pastries and Uber rides every time they top up airtime on their mobile phones. At least that’s what it says it does.
On paper, that seems noble. I mean, who doesn’t want an extra free something? Until you get to the app’s sign up process itself.
The app asks for a few personal details like phone number, age, email address and what have you. Just the basics that, normally, most services would ask for. But then I decided to check the terms and conditions (who does that?). Guess what I found tucked nicely in there?
Read the fine print, people.
On closer inspection, the app appears to only be in need of one’s contacts and nothing else. This shouldn’t be of much concern to Android Marshmallow (and up) users since they can simply deny the app permission to harvest their phone books when it requests to as soon as one completes signing up and starts using it. I am not sure if one can continue using the app after doing that since I aborted my sign up process after reading the terms and conditions. For iPhone users and the rest of the Android device users (who should be a majority since Android 6.0’s reach is quite minimal at the moment), however, they need to have this in mind when attempting to or using the app.
The entire terms and conditions of the app/service require some fine reading since you’ll be shocked what you’re signing up for but for now, the privacy concerns are too overwhelming to be brushed aside.
I’ve reached out to XtraValue and will update this article if and when I hear back from them.
Update 29th September 2016 at 5PM
We have since heard back from the folks behind the app and here’s an excerpt from the Direxions Kenya CEO’s response to our queries on the app scraping off contact data and them selling it off to third parties as indicated in the terms and conditions:
Furthermore the user always has the option to change access settings to any app in their settings menu on their device to be absolutely secure and aware of what access they provide to what apps.
A statement posted on the app’s social media pages reads:
We respect the privacy of our data and we do not pass on this data to anyone apart from the services which need this. For example, the top up provider needs access to your number to top up your phone. The payment gateway needs your number to receive money from your number.
We are amending our terms and conditions to make it more explicit and clear that we do respect your privacy and we do not store any information over and above what is needed for servicing your requirements on our app.
The revised terms shall soon be updated on your app.


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Many medical cannabis patients tend to rely on staff at a dispensary to offer recommendations on the best possible strain or cannabis product to treat their respective health condition. A new report finds that most dispensary employees actually have very little training on what they are talking about when it comes to connecting sick people with the right form of medical cannabis.
Scientists have found that only 55% of dispensary employees, surveyed in the study, had received any formal training for their current positions. The other 45% hadn’t had any formal educational training on cannabis or cannabis products at all.
Canna Law Blog also noted, in the last year, that education scams are among the top six scams occurring in the medical cannabis industry targeting patients and dispensary staff. The cannabis industry is the fastest growing industry in America, education and understanding of medical cannabis should be a cornerstone for business owners and their employees alike.
Before you overpay for low-quality educational resources, do a web search to find out who your money is going to and what their qualifications are. However, a search engine can’t point you towards anything that lends the company authority and credibility on the subject of medical cannabis.
A report, titled “Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff”, released this past December in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, was conducted by California researchers and found that only 20 percent of the employees who received training were taught specialized medical or scientific information. But nearly all (94 percent) of staff still gave dosage recommendations to patients.
Clearly, there is a recognizable economic need for cannabis training seminars and schools as future and existing cannabis businesses become more standardized & regulated; in addition to state-level statutes regarding quality standards, packaging, potency and the like, a number of people within the medical/ recreational cannabis industry have been calling for self-regulation and guidelines for best practices.
For current and potential business owners—as well as anyone else seeking employment in the medical or adult-use cannabis industry—the rapidly-expanding number of training institutions raises serious questions as to which ones actually know/ care about what they’re teaching, and which ones are just trying to capitalize off of what’s being referred to as the “green rush.”
Here are some factors to consider when choosing where to get your cannabis education:
How many years of cannabis industry and/ or education experience does the staff have?
Who develops the learning content, and what makes them qualified? Are they subject matter experts, professional educators, or both?
Is the learning institution involved in medical cannabis activism?
Are their law classes specific to one state, the whole country, or both?
Do the courses focus on business, medical science, cultivation, law, or all the above? Do they offer the classes that best suit your specific needs?
How accessible are the classes? Where are they located, and how easy is it to get there?
Does the training program offer a certification? If so, which organization(s) is that certification backed by?
Does the institution place heavy emphasis on spreading education, or do they seem more interested in getting your money?
After assessing your needs, here are some options for you whether you are a patient or a cannabis industry professional:
The American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA), has online core curriculum that is available.
The Sativa Science Club s a collaborative effort to uplift and uphold quality standards industry wide.
Habu Health is a cannabis research group committed to building consumer confidence through scientific rigor.
The Medical Cannabis Institute (TMCI), provides online medical education for healthcare professionals who want to learn about medical cannabis and its potential clinical application.
Americans for Safe Access has devised seed to consumption national quality standards and as well as an answer page for quality credits on medical cannabis.
You can also attend the Medical Cannabis Symposium to learn more.
Author Bio:Jason Barker is the Founder/Organizer of theLECUA Patient’s Coalition Of New Mexicoand is passionate about educational seminars in the medical cannabis industry and the importance of finding reputable and credible sources for learning about cannabis.


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Out of the three large technology giants in the DRAM market, Samsung Electronics is by far the largest. Today, the South Korean company has announced that they have begun the mass production of DDR5 DRAM based on their 14nm EUV processes.
Ever since the publishing of DDR5 specifications by JEDEC, manufacturers have been racing to announce their product stacks amongst the pandemic. EUV(Extreme Ultraviolet Technology) was used by Samsung during their shipment of the industry-first EUV DRAM last March, however now it’s being brought to DDR5. The number of EUV layers has been increased to 5 to deliver as Samsung quotes: “today’s finest, most advanced DRAM process for its DDR5 solutions.”
Samsung has managed to achieve high bit densities while enhancing overall wafer productivity by approximately 20% as claimed, and improving power efficiency. Samsung also advertises their latest product stack with bandwidth speeds up to 7.2 Gbps(gigabits per second), with expansion into the data center, supercomputer, and enterprise territory. Densities would range up to 24Gb as stated.
Jooyoung Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics states : “Today, Samsung is setting another technology milestone with multi-layer EUV that has enabled extreme miniaturization at 14nm — a feat not possible with the conventional argon fluoride (ArF) process. Building on this advancement, we will continue to provide the most differentiated memory solutions by fully addressing the need for greater performance and capacity in the data-driven world of 5G, AI and the metaverse.”
Overall, I’m excited to see how the memory space continues to expand and innovate with DDR5, which brings some unprecedented changes and improvements over DDR4.


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Nokia’s latest smartphone, the business oriented E7, has started shipping around the world today. Of course, “around the world” doesn’t encompass us in the UK just yet. Boo.
The handset was originally announced at Nokia World last September, almost five months ago, but UK consumers will have to wait longer still. There’s no official release date for us, but the Nokia E7 is expected to go for around £420.
The Nokia E7 boasts a 4in AMOLED touch display (the largest on any of the new Symbian range), an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, HD video capture, 16GB of on-board memory and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
For business types, there’s secure access to email, contacts, calendar and tasks with Microsoft Exchange server, and Microsoft Communicator Mobile.
Colour-wise it’s the same dealio as the Nokia N8, namely dark grey, silver-white, blue, green and orange.
The Nokia E7 will be available on Vodafone when it does finally shows face over here.


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Commercial electronics device professionals have the Consumer Electronics Show. Video game creators have the Game Development Conference. Anyone with a vested interest in the future of semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, or Internet of things technology (IoT) has HardwareCon 2019.
The April 17-18 event is presented by Hardware Massive, a global hardware startup platform. The convention’s theme this year is “Connecting AI, Machine Learning and Data through Hardware.” In other words, the summit will outline the different ways in which cutting-edge hardware is empowering small firms and large corporations to realize the revolutionary potential of deep learning.
Some of the tech sector’s biggest and most innovative corporations are sponsoring HardwareCon 2019. Semiconductor giants Xilinx and Avnet are the event’s lead sponsors while robotics firm Autodesk, laser company Simplexity, engineering simulation provider ANSYS and Fremont Bank are also providing support.
Tech entrepreneurs and investors interested in the industry’s next major developments can learn a lot by observing HardwareCon’s keynote presentations.
Dr. Ashwin Ram, technical director of Google’s AI program, will be giving a keynote speech. Since 2018, Dr. Ram has worked diligently to introduce the world to Google’s groundbreaking cloud-based AI tools. Consequently, his speech on how hardware can serve as an interface for AI, machine learning, and data is sure to be enlightening.
Ivo Bolsens, Xilinx’s senior vice president and CTO, is also scheduled to make a keynote address. Bolsens has worked in the industry since 2001 and joined Xilinx in 2008. In his time with the semiconductor firm, he has developed wireless communication terminals and circuit verification technology. His can’t miss HardwareCon speech will revolve around intelligent, adaptive hardware with differentiated and efficient AI.
HardwareCon 2019 will also feature speeches by representatives from Amazon, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Verizon.
In addition to gaining insights from the leading lights of contemporary machinery and AI development, HardwareCon attendees also have the opportunity to learn, network, and make potentially career-making deals.
Startup founders and tech professionals should make time to visit the HardwareCon Expo and Hardware Boulevard. The expo floor will feature 40 exhibitors representing software companies, hardware vendors, and service providers. As such, participants can get a firsthand look at the companies that are innovating in the robotics, AI, and component spaces.
It’s worth noting HardwareCon’s organizers baked in 11 hours of expo exploration time into the two-day event. So hundreds of investors, developers, thought leaders, government officials, and founders will have plenty of time to meet up, talk, and form meaningful connections.
The convention will also host the preliminary and final rounds of the AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup. The competition gives hardware startups the chance to pitch themselves to the likes of Honda Innovations and Toyota AI Ventures. The Hardware Cup offers venture capitalists (VC) the chance to learn about the sector’s most exciting new firms. The contest also lets startup founders scope out the competition.
Attendees can also take in presentations on the global impact of deep learning-enhanced robotics, the latest advancements in connected cleantech, blockchain’s place in the hardware ecosystem, and the intersection of medical wearables and AI.
The intersection of machine learning and networked hardware will drive innovation for the rest of the 21st century. Consequently, tech industry professionals, VCs, and founders owe it to themselves to be present at this AI and machinery-centric event.
HardwareCon 2019 takes place on April 17-18 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. Tickets can be purchased here.


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Recently, Bitcoin got a million-dollar price target by 2030, according to Cathie Woods, CEO of ARK Investment Management firm. From the numerous stories of “Bitcoin Millionaires” to the increasing number of companies that are jumping into the crypto world, it’s quite difficult to ignore the news or the feeling of not owning cryptos and the fear it presents of missing out. The price of Bitcoin has experienced dramatic swings and intense volatility from $3,000 in 2017 to an all-time high of approximately $69,000 in late 2021. However, can the Crypto King reach the US$1 million price target? Let’s first take a closer look at what makes Bitcoin unique and why is it worth investing in.
Bitcoin is a digital, virtual, or a type of “crypto” currency because it uses cryptography to keep it secure through the use of blockchain technology. The purpose of Bitcoin is to allow online payments to be made directly from one party to another through a worldwide payment system without the need for a central third-party intermediary like a bank. Similarly, its value stems from a combination of factors such as scarcity and the perception that it is a store of value.
To better understand what Bitcoin is, it’s important to look at its timeline more specifically how it was created. It was first created based on a paper written in 2008 by a “founder” who goes by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto who is still a mystery, but no person or agency currently regulates it to ensure that it maintains value, liquidity, and works as a means o payment. It is governed by the consensus of a private digital community, according to certain guidelines based on the community, cryptology, and a network of computers.
Like many new technologies or products, Bitcoin attracted worldwide interest through its innovation and its perceived absence of governmental control. Traders and investors saw it as an alternative to traditional investments such as stocks, bonds, cash, and its attention garnered substantial momentum, through media attention which drove mainstream awareness and essentially, increased public acceptance to trade it.
We have to understand that one of the major drivers behind Bitcoins prices is that it’s highly sensitive to the market's perception of future adoption. So it is better to think of today’s prices reflecting some probability that Bitcoin could achieve greater adoption in the future. Therefore, small changes in those probabilities can result in high price volatility today.
This is known as halving when the rate of new Bitcoin creation is halved when every 210,000 blocks are mined, and that period is roughly every 4 years until all 21 million bitcoins are mined approximately in the year 2140. It is significant because it represents the reduction in Bitcoin’s circulating supply and has been correlated with massive surges in price within 12-18 after the halving takes place.
We have to keep in mind there was a sharp correction after each all-time high, however, the new low was always significantly higher than before (after each phase), reassuring investors & traders how resilient it is. Bitcoin’s historical growth rates during the past three halving phases have been nothing but impressive, therefore a 1 million dollar price target may not seem too farfetched, it will nearly have to 15-20x representing a 2,000% to 2,500% increase by 2030.
One thing is clear though, and that is the critical ingredient to Bitcoin’s success & upside potential is widespread social adoption—we see that when PayPal (a fintech company with over $392 million active users) began to accept BTC, & also when Square adds 50mn to its balance sheet, and of course, Tesla, the sixth-largest company in the S&P 500, adds 1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin onto its balance sheet. Goldman Sachs Co-Head of Global FX, Rates and EM Strategy stated: “ that bitcoins potential for widespread social adoption given its strong brand properties, such as its security, privacy, transferability and the fact that’s it digital makes it a plausible store of value for future generations”.
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• GlobalData’s February 2023 report highlights how IT service providers play a key role in delivering IoT services for enterprises, eliminating many cost and complexity barriers with a one-stop shop, providing access to leading vendors for IoT use case and vertical expertise, and offering consulting and professional services to smooth the deployment path.
• Recent acquisitions of technology vendors as well as new partnerships in adjacent digital transformation technologies to IoT enhanced the ability of ITSPs to positively effect market growth and successful deployment outcomes.
IT service providers (ITSPs) play an important role in delivering IoT services to enterprises, offering a way to deal with cost and complexity barriers with a one-stop shop, provide access to a set of technology and go-to-market partners for key use cases and verticals, and provide consulting and professional services to smooth the path for hesitant customers. Over the last six months, acquisitions and technology partnerships enhanced this proposition, adding capabilities in adjacent technologies to IoT such as AI, machine learning, and digital twins, as well as gaining expertise (and existing customers) in relevant verticals such as manufacturing, warehousing, and supply chain management.
All the ITSPs profiled in GlobalData’s report (for more, please see “IT Services Provider IoT Services Competitive Landscape Assessment,“ February 8, 2023) made public announcements that affected their position in the market, their technology and services portfolios, and/or their rankings in the report. For the last six-month period, GlobalData ranked Atos as the Leader in ‘ITSP IoT Services,’ with Accenture and Capgemini as Very Strong and InfoSys, IBM, and Cognizant as Strong. As IBM has left the IoT platform market (as have Google and Ericsson) but continues to offer IoT solutions and professional services, its ranking has dropped but it remains in the report.
H2 2022 Public Announcements
Cognizant agreed to acquire Mobica, an IoT software engineering services provider headquartered in the UK. It will boost Cognizant’s IoT embedded software engineering capabilities and provide clients with a deeper and broader set of capabilities for digital transformation. Accenture expanded its digital supply chain capabilities with the acquisition of Inspirage, an integrated Oracle Cloud firm specializing in supply chain management. The deal helps Accenture deliver touchless supply chain, digital twins, blockchain, and IoT to boost supply chain efficiency. Though not confirmed through official channels, IBM has advised its Watson clients to seek alternative platform providers as IBM is sunsetting its Watson IoT cloud management platform, with access to the platforms’ APIs revoked on December 1, 2022. Accenture collaborated with American food manufacturing giant Mars to roll out digital twin technology by marrying IoT sensor outputs with AI analytics inputs in an edge/cloud dashboard to reduce instances of over-filling packages in food production. Capgemini struck a deal with Microsoft to deliver a cloud-native, serverless Azure-based digital twin platform called Reflect. It is built on a data model that can be customized for different industries or organizations, leveraging Azure Digital Twins and Azure IoT. Atos and BT collaborated for a Digital Vision project to use AI to interpret computer video feeds and take automated actions to help manufacturing and logistics companies.
IoT use cases that achieved popularity in the COVID-19 era such as temperature sensing, room occupancy measurement, and remote equipment monitoring enhanced traction, and new environmental sustainability initiatives are increasingly dependent on IoT sensor measurement and analysis. IoT also benefits from the growing momentum behind 5G/edge and private wireless networks. However, it has also been difficult for some IoT ecosystem vendors to generate substantial revenues, with security breaches, supplier fragmentation, supply chain delays, and high-solution costs listed by enterprises as barriers to adoption, along with unclear or difficult-to-prove ROIs. This was especially evident in 2022 as IoT platform providers Google, Ericsson, and IBM sold their connectivity or application enablement platforms or left the IoT market altogether, citing low or non-existent margins.
IoT Services Forecasts
According to GlobalData forecasts (for more, please see “GlobalData Market Opportunity Forecasts Internet of Things,” January 2, 2023), the Global IoT market reached approximately $606 billion in 2022 and will grow by 2026 to $970 billion with an CAGR of 12%. The forecast includes hardware, software, and services, the latter of which includes connectivity as well as professional and consulting services. The largest verticals by revenue in 2026 will include manufacturing, public sector (including segments such as education, federal, and smart cities), and energy.


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Retailers are giving up earlier gains after Citi released a disappointing second-half outlook.
Citi analyst Deborah Weinswig lowered her earnings estimates and price targets for Home Depot (HD), J.C. Penney (JCP), Kohl's (KSS), Lowe's (LOW), Nordstrom (JWN), Macy's (M), Saks (SKS), Target (TGT), and Wal-Mart (WMT), to reflect a more conservative outlook.
"The consumer went on a shopping binge in the first quarter of 2010 and the subsequent hangover has set in," she wrote in a note. "A challenging macro environment, lack of fashion and difficult comparisons on the horizon will make this consumer hangover tough to kick."
As a result, the S&P Retail Index is giving up some of its morning gains, falling 0.5% to 383.99. This follows last week's plunge of 45% to close on Friday at 385.But Weinswig did reassure that she doesn't think the economy is headed for a double-dip recession. She recommends playing defensive stocks in the second-half of the year, like Dollar General (DG), or Family Dollar Store (FDO). Family Dollar is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday before the bell. Bebe (BEBE) lost some of its momentum, but has still climbed 6.8% to $6.76. The specialty apparel retailer announced this morning that it plans to shutter its PH8 concept. The Bebe company will close or convert 48 PH8 stores, which will result in a pre-tax charge of $17 million. As a result, Bebe said it will be at the low-end of its fourth-quarter forecast. Bebe also said it will pay a one-time special cash dividend of $1 a share on July 30 to shareholders of record July 21.
|More on Retail Bankruptcy Scores: 18 Riskiest Retail Stocks|
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Bitcoin infrastructure company Blockstream has expanded its strategic partnership with Japanese IT firm Digital Garage.
According to Dr. Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream:
With the news, Blockstream has announced a new investment from the DG Lab Fund – a collaboration between Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group. The funding brings Blockstream's total raised so far to over $80 million, the release states.
DG Lab, along with Japanese inter-dealer broker The Tokyo Tanshi, will collaborate with Blockstream to issue local currencies using blockchain technology, as well as enter the over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency market.
Enthusiasm for blockchain and cryptocurrencies is rapidly growing in Japan, and a number of companies and institutions have moved to explore the use cases of blockchain technology in various sectors.
Digital services company GMO Internet announced a blockchain know-your-customer (KYC) tool last month, designed to allow banks to verify the identity of new customers. Additionally, the nation's utility giant TEPCO revealed in October that it is exploring the technology to lower risks of over-centralized energy sources, among other use cases.
A number of financial institutions, including Bank of Yokohama and Mizuho Financial Group, are also trialing blockchain as a technology to lower the costs of money transfers.
Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Blockstream.
Japan image via Shutterstock
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.


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Eliminating Problematic Plastics in California: Act Now
California, with its huge market, can go big on plastics by getting rid of these unneeded and harmful materials in our packaging now.
From March 5th to the 11th, we’re celebrating National Groundwater Awareness Week by calling attention to the importance of this vital source of drinking water. The issues surrounding groundwater are particularly important to California as we continue to battle a persistent drought. Hundreds of


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Windhoek Up to 35 local brands have been invited to be part of the second edition of the now annual annual local brands exhibition which started last year. This is much more than last year when only ten local clothing brands exhibited. The local clothing brand, Team Shako, has announced dates for this year’s local brands exhibition as June 2 - 4, at the Palm Tree Park, opposite the International University of Management (IUM) in town. Team Shako’s marketing manager, Naftal Nghishekwa, says they are hard at work to make this year’s event much spoken about. “We decided to organize this in a way that all brands get a great opportunity to outcast the great ideas when it comes to clothing lines in Namibia,” says Nghishekwa. He is calling for potential sponsors as the event provide young entrepreneurs with a platform for marketing themselves and their products. Namibian Breweries (Vigo) sponsored the event last year. Ndhishekwa advises those interested in exhibiting to book for their stands as early as possible at N$ 750 a stand for three days to avoid disappointment. “Team Shako does not only concentrate on brands but there are different entertainments and different competitions, a barbecue and local Djs, which would be fruitful to the youth,” says Nghishekwa. Last year more than ten local brands exhibited their clothing lines. T-shirts, shirts, jerseys, caps, shorts, tops, panties and other accessories were all on show. Brands such as Dream Team, Dots, Waar Pas Dit, Sobisoo, Current Situation, Collabo, Proper and Walker are some of those that impressed at the exhibition last year. The main aim of the exhibition is to bring together all Namibian products under one roof and to encourage Namibians to start buying local brands instead of international ones. “The local brands fashion show and awards ceremony will also be hosted at the end of this year, hence young entrepreneurs are invited to take part in this exhibition, to get more exposure for them to qualify for the awards,” Nghishekwa entices.
2016-05-13 13:22:37 2 years ago


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Nokia is set to debut an Android-based low-end smartphone at the Mobile World Congress later this month. And, Microsoft is said to be on board with the project.
Is this Nokia's new Android smartphone?
Despite Nokia’s (NOK) status as a soon-to-be-finalized Microsoft (MSFT) acquisition, the Finnish mobile device maker will debut its long-rumored Google (GOOG) Android-based smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, starting Feb. 24, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Nokia’s code-named Project Normandy, said to be a low-end handset, reportedly was designed and crafted prior to discussions of a deal between the two companies, and apparently will survive the transaction intact. According to reports, the device is a step up from Nokia’s existing Asha entry-level lineup—soon to be owned by Microsoft along with the Lumia portfolio—and features a heavily modified version of Android.
According to WSJ, Normandy will come with Nokia and Microsoft digital services such as the Here mapping service and MixRadio streaming music service, in addition to a link to the Nokia app store. The buzz is the unit will be called Nokia X once it begins to ship.
What’s leaked out about Normandy is it features a Windows Phone-like user interface and likely will sport specifications typical for low-end units such as 4GB of RAM and 512MB of storage.
Nokia is, by far, the leading OEM unit producer of Microsoft’s Windows Phone-based mobile devices, but the two companies appear to have worked out some level of collaboration, likely based on Microsoft’s lack of presence for its mobile OS in the industry’s most fertile growth segment—low cost devices in emerging markets. And, it appears that Microsoft sees Normandy as a vehicle to deliver services to a wider audience and as a way to offset costs.
Microsoft currently is updating Windows Phone to version 8.1 and has begun offering the associated Software Development Kit (SDK) to developers. The vendor has long suggested it will nudge Windows Phone and Windows RT closer together, ultimately to run alongside one another no matter the platform, but this release doesn’t appear to be the one that takes it there, according to a report in The Verge.
The update, however, is said to include a host of new features and improvements such as a new battery monitor, VPN support and the ability to install apps to an SD card.


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Let’s Go Zero Waste!
Watsons China has launched "Zero Waste” campaign to call for colleagues’ waste reducing actions in workplace and daily life.
Watsons China is Named Annual Industry Benchmark Brand
The first ever Tencent Smart Retail T+ Ranking has been released, and Watsons China is awarded Annual Industry Benchmark Brand 2021 for its efforts in delivering O+O shopping experiences. Watsons China has been a close business partner of Tencent Smart Retail and they have been working together to drive private domain growth.
Mix and Match Your Own Flavours
Watson's Soda launched “I MIX U” campaign to promote a wide variety of soda flavours including Lychee Martini, Pina Colada and Mojito. Customers are encouraged to create their own drink by mixing and matching different soda flavours. Watson's Soda series are perfect for gatherings, especially for the Generation Z!
The New Beautiful Campaign Redefines Beauty
Watsons is rolling out a brand elevation campaign, 'The New Beautiful', which is designed to empower women and help them boost their self-confidence.
Watsons China Refits Colorlab Store
Watsons China unveils a refitted colorlab store with The New Beautiful theme, offering customers a fashionable experience-led space to play around with colour cosmetics. In-store makeup artists also offer advice and expertise, helping customers try out different looks and pick the perfect product.
Let’s Make the World Smile!
The COVID-19 has changed the way people live but it didn’t stop A.S. Watson Group from giving love and smiles to our communities. A.S. Watson Group’s colleagues and its business partners have thrown themselves into the Smile For Good 2021, the annual global volunteering campaign, to make positive impact on their communities.
We Empower Women
At A.S. Watson, we believe in the New Beautiful, a new kind of beauty that’s good for everyone. Beautiful glows from the inside. It’s how we treat ourselves and each other. It’s how we live, who we are, and who we can be. The beautiful is in us all, and for us all.
What is Beautiful?
Watsons recently commissioned a survey titled ‘ What is Beautiful’ and have redefined The New Beautiful together with our customers, answering to the change in values and priorities in life. There will be a series of activities across Asia to empower women to Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great.
How Confident Are Women Nowadays? Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia Reveals: Almost 50% of Women Lack Confidence
As International Women’s Day is approaching, Watsons released results from a regional ‘Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia’. Four major findings are: 1) Almost 50% of women feel unconfident with lowest confidence level in Hong Kong.


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Central England Co-operative saw its sales soar over Christmas
A retailer with hundreds of stores across the east of England is celebrating a successful Christmas.
The Central England Co-operative says it enjoyed a strong sales performance over the festive period.
The Society, which has 430 trading outlets, saw like-for-like sales of £46.3 million for the three weeks ending December 31.
This was up 4.6 per cent on the previous Christmas.
And like-for-like sales in its convenience stores increased by 6.2 per cent.
Food stores handled more than 1.9 million customer transactions during Christmas, which included the Society’s highest ever daily sales of £3.8 million on Christmas Eve.
The Christmas period saw particularly strong performance across in-store bakery and the Society’s range of beers, wines and spirits.
Other high performing categories included new seasonal product lines, including the new Co-op ‘Irresistible’ premium range, as well as floral gifts.
Martyn Cheatle, chief executive at Central England Co-operative, said: “We are proud of our strong sales figures during the Christmas and New Year period.
“This growth shines a light on the excellent range of quality products we had on offer in our stores, the expert planning that went into our festive strategy and the hard work, dedication and commitment by all of our colleagues.
“I would like to thank all colleagues, customers and members for their support during this very busy period.”


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Jubilee coffee morning
6:35pm Monday 28th May 2012 in News
A JUBILEE coffee morning is being held on June 1, 10am-12noon at Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Road Sale.
Home made cakes and jams, plants, cards and gifts will be on sale. All are welcome.


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You have to hand it to Microsoft — the company knows how to persevere.
Yesterday we heard that Microsoft was potentially working on a Surface smartphone that would be the phone equivalent to its much-anticipated Surface tablet. While a cool idea in theory, a Microsoft-built phone would be a significant blow to Nokia, which has bet its future on Windows Phone. And Microsoft’s other hardware partners certainly wouldn’t be pleased either.
Now we have a few more details about the Surface phone: It likely won’t appear until 2013, and its release may also be dependent on how well Windows Phone 8 does with consumers, Tom Warren reports at The Verge. That makes a certain amount of sense — Microsoft wouldn’t want to squash any momentum from Windows Phone 8, but if the platform continues to languish into next year, it could roll out the Surface phone to spark some buzz.
Consider just how much the tech world has been drooling for Microsoft’s Surface tablets since they debuted in June, which helped spur on excitement for Windows 8 tablets in general. Microsoft didn’t have a release schedule for Surface at the time (we’ve since learned it’s launching on October 26, the same time as Windows 8), and we still don’t have any solid pricing info, but that didn’t stop people from getting excited about the Surface.
Indeed, Microsoft would be foolish not to explore a Windows Phone unit of its own. The company’s first stab at its own smartphones, the woefully misguided Kin phones, failed spectacularly. But that doesn’t mean a Surface phone would suffer the same fate, especially since it’ll be backed by a far more robust OS and app ecosystem. Microsoft may also long for the sort of freedom Google has with its Nexus line, which the search giant can push updates to without waiting for wireless carriers.
But can Microsoft really afford to screw over its partners again? That’s the biggest question the software giant faces after blindsiding its PC partners with the Surface and making significant last-minute changes to Windows Phone 8’s kernel (which left Windows Phone 7 devices without an upgrade path to WP8).
Microsoft will clearly try and try again until it makes some sort of dent in the mobile market. I’ve argued before that Microsoft is in this for the long haul, but it sure would be nice to see the company settle on a single strategy at some point.
Above: Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore shows off new Windows Phone 8 features on Nokia’s Lumia 920, by Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat
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November 10 was 'McHappy Day' in Argentina, the day when all sales from McDonald’s most famous burger are donated to help children with cancer. This year the Burger King brand decided to embrace that cause.
On that day, the Burger King left rivalry aside and decided not to sell any Whopper sandwiches. The decision went for all the 107 restaurants in Argentina. The idea was to motivate people to buy the competitor’s most famous burger to help as many children as possible. Whoever went to any BK restaurant and ordered a Whopper sandwich on McHappy Day, was politely asked to go to the nearest McDonald’s instead. It was captured on camera, with shocked patrons wondering what happened to their favorite burger.
Even the King, BK’s mascot, got into the act, going into his biggest competitor and buying a Big Mac to support children’s cancer, to big applause by the patrons. The Burger King employees were smart by telling people to go to their competitor, rather than naming the restaurant, saying “the place where they don’t flame grill their burgers.”
Client: Burger King Argentina
Agency: DAVID Buenos Aires
Executive Creative Directors: Joaquín Cubría / Ignacio Ferioli
Creative Directors: Nicolás Zarlenga / Federico Plaza Montero
Copy: Juan Pablo Tyrer
Art Director: Johann Hotz
General Account Director: Emanuel Abeijón
Account Director: Lucila Mengide
Account Supervisor: Belén Rodríguez
Account Assistant: Federico Morano
Agency Producer: Florencia Albizzati
Responsible for the client: Lucina Cabrejas / Federico Bonino / Bruno Mazzucchelli / Martín González
Director: Vero Von
Executive Producer: Adrián D’Amario
Producer: Ale Panzitta.