text:
AHDB’s latest pork marketing campaign reached more than 85% of UK households, according to new figures, which show consumers’ desire to buy pork at its highest level in three years.
The Mix Up Midweek campaign, which is now in its fourth year, generated more than 20 million impressions on social media and three million impressions via video on demand in its latest bursts, in autumn 2020 and from mid-January to late-February this year.
The £1.3 million campaign was part of AHDB’s ongoing drive to shift consumer attitudes towards pork by positioning it as a healthy, easy and versatile option for a midweek family meal.
With two bursts of activity, focusing on pork medallions and pulled pork, the campaign featured a light-hearted national TV advert, complemented by the use of video on demand, social media and advertising in supermarkets.
It proved popular with consumers, with eight in ten questioned claiming they liked the adverts and 40% saying they remembered seeing the adverts, equating to nearly double the food and drink industry average of 21%.
While the growth can’t be attributed to the campaign as it is driven by a range of factors, including the boost to retail food sales generally from the COVID lockdowns, the figures coincide with a significant increase in retail pork sales across the last year. This has made pork the fastest-growing protein by meal occasion in the last 12 months.
Independent retail sales data from Kantar showed a 71.1% increase in sales of pork medallions in the year to February 21, 2021. During the same period, pork meal occasions grew by 20%, outstripping all other proteins.
Angela Christison, AHDB sector strategy director for pork, said: “We’re really pleased to see the latest campaign driving a very positive reaction from consumers. The desire to buy pork is now at its highest level in three years.
“Supporting a positive attitude towards pork is a long-term strategy. We’re keen to continue building upon the success of previous phases of the campaign as we see more and more consumers cooking pork throughout the week.
“The support from farmers, processors and retailers for these campaigns has been great and allows us to act as a united industry to support pork consumption.”
For a range of pork-based recipes and a series of how-to guides, as well as information around the different pork cuts and healthy eating, visit lovepork.co.uk.


text:
Bitcoin survived a tumultuous 2014; it is on the verge of turning a terrible start to 2015 into one of the best reversals, and it only gets better. According to a bargainfox report, Bitcoin will remain unstoppable in 2016, and the trend is only expected to pick up.
BargainFox is a UK-based coupon code website, which indicated an increase in searches for merchants who accept Bitcoin payments. The report highlighted 33 indicators, some of which have been discussed below.
- Rapid Growth of Bitcoin Exchanges – Exchanges such as OKCoin, BTCChina, huobi.com, and Bitstamp have registered phenomenal growth of 847%, 563%, 280%, and 160% respectively.
- Daily Transactions Values – Bitcoin has surpassed payments giant Western Union in daily transaction value. While total Bitcoin transactions totaled $289M, Western Union lagged with a total of $216M.
- Growth of Bitcoin Overshadows Paypal – According to the infographic (from the report) presented below, the number of active registered users on Paypal grew from 123 million in 2012 to 173 million in 2015. During the same period, the number of wallets on Blockchain.info increased from 13,000 to 3 million, while those on Coinbase jumped from 13,000 to 2.5 million.
Read more ... source: NewsBTC USA
Advertise on the Bitcoin News
Do you like The Bitcoin News ? Thank you for Support us !

domain: news


text:
With the rapid advance of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, many of the world’s most notable companies are launching efforts focused on these emerging asset classes.
Fidelity Investments is no exception. The company recently announced the launch of Fidelity Digital Assets, and there’s a strong North Carolina connection. This business unit, which is “dedicated exclusively to bringing cryptocurrencies to institutional investors,” will house many employees at its Triangle location.
“The creation of Fidelity Digital Assets is the first step in a long-term vision to create a full-service enterprise-grade platform for digital assets,” the company said in a statement.


text:
Right Cars Vehicle Rental Ltd expands car rental operations in Morocco
By: Right Cars Vehicle Rental Ltd
BRIGHTON, U.K. - Feb. 4, 2015 - PRLog -- Right Cars Vehicle Rental Ltd announced today that due to customer demand it has expanded its car rental fleet at Marrakech Airport, and is now planning the opening of its next location in Morocco at Casablanca Airport, as the Right Cars brand continues to grow.
Managing Director and Co-founder Mr Taylor had the following comments to make.
“The Right Cars location at Marrakech Airport has been performing well over the last year, gaining a reputation for delivering a quality service. We are already seeing many customers returning to use the car rental service again, so they must have been very happy with their previous rental.
We have been in talks with the car rental franchise owner Radenovic and his team, and it is with great pleasure that we announce that the fleet at Marrakech will double in size to just over 100 vehicle. In addition to this we have added some luxury vehicles such as the Jaguar XJL.
Radenovic and his team have done a great job as mentioned, and it gives me great pleasure to announce that a new Right Cars location at Casablanca Airport will be open for business in the next weeks. The opening of car rental services under the Right Cars brand at Casablanca Airport once again strengthens the Right Cars brand, and I am sure that Radenovic and his team will deliver the same high level of customer service that they have achieved at Marrakech Airport.
Myself and the other Directors look forward to working with Radenovic closely over the next year, to establish the Right Cars brand throughout Morocco, and become a dominant force in car rental services in this great country.”
Radenovic, franchise owner in Morocco went on to say, “It's a real pleasure working with Right Cars, the support and tireless efforts of the directors and team at Right Cars has enabled us to expand the operations at Marrakech Airport, allowing us to serve even more customers in 2015.
Expansion of the Right Cars brand to include Casablanca Airport is a milestone and I am very excited about this development, although we are still working on a long term plan, to open more locations throughout Morocco, and become the leading brand for car rental in Morocco.
I would like to thank Mr Taylor and his team for the hard work and commitment they have show in helping us to make this venture in Morocco a huge success.”
The brand Right Cars continues to be available at more locations and are expecting to double, if not triple, the number of customers serviced in 2014. Right Cars Vehicle Rental Ltd will be announcing very shortly the opening of more locations, where car rental services can be found under the Right Cars brand.
Right Cars Vehicle Rental Ltd
Page Updated Last on: Feb 04, 2015


text:
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has become synonymous for online social networking, and to beat it Facebook has launched “Facebook Messenger Rooms” on Friday. With this video chat tool, you can chat with up to 50 people without any time limit.
If you don’t have a Facebook account then you can also use this feature and hang out with your buddies without scheduling a call. If you are going to host a virtual birthday party, a meeting with your colleagues, or something else then you just need to stake an open room in your Facebook news feed, and groups. People will join whenever they will notice or online.
From a few weeks, people are facing security concerns in Zoom such as Zoombobings, and password leaks but because of its dominance in the video conferencing market still the app is popular. Another reason to use Zoho is its free version that lets its users make group chats with up to 100 participants. Moreover, Zoom’s easy to use and simple interface makes it an ideal video call app for newbies. Now the question is that will Facebook overcome its popularity with Facebook Messenger Rooms app?
This new intuitive of Facebook will roll out some regions this week and later it will be available across the globe.
Facebook Messenger Rooms features
To spice up your video call experience Facebook is bringing a bunch of mouth-watering features and here is a brief overview of them:
- With the AR tools, you can modify the background and turn a boring conversation into an interesting one.
- You can attach 360-degree backgrounds to your group chats to enjoy beautiful and amazing spaces within your premises.
- 14 camera filters for improving your video calls even in low lights.
- Being the host of a room you can control each and everything like who can join, who can see, eject participants and also lock the room.
- In recent years Facebook has to deal with criticism because of certain privacy features and this time Facebook is brining privacy measures with this latest intuitive. Though the rooms are not end to end encrypted, Facebook promises not to view by Facebook.
Facebook also promised that in the upcoming time users will be able to create rooms via Instagram Direct and Whatsapp. It is a great initiative of Facebook for those who totally depend on Zoom like apps for group video calling.
Going crazy to make a group call with Facebook Messenger Rooms? Folks, you have to wait until this feature will roll out in your region.


text:
The Google Pixel 4 will get with the new, much-faster Google Assistant
The 2019 Google I/O keynote just started an hour ago, but we’ve already seen so many interesting announcements. One of the most important ones by far is the introduction of the next generation Google Assitant. The Google-made digital assistant was released almost exactly three years ago at Google I/O 2016. It aimed to execute commands easily with your voice and with minimal hand input. The new demo shown off at I/O 2019 shows that the upcoming Assistant will be much faster and more reliable than ever before when it debuts on the Google Pixel 4.
Google’s representatives showed off footage of asking Google Assitant to do various commands like turning on the flashlight, composing an email, searching for specific photos you’ve taken in specific locations, and so on. Google Assistant executed all these commands without issues. The back and forth conversation was nearly seamless with minimal latency and no problems. It was demonstrated on the Google Pixel 3 device, but Google said the new version of the digital assistant isn’t available for Pixel phones just yet.
In fact, the new Assistant will be released alongside the Google Pixel 4 flagship devices later this year, most likely in October. The new Google Assistant also improves the Duplex experience, which was released last year at Google I/O 2018. It now has the ability to book your reservations and rentals on the web without initiating a call or conversation yourself. It will fill all your details and try to guess your preferences based on previous experiences.
There’s also one more feature that we’ve needed but never realized we needed it. Assistant-connected smart devices will now stop playing timer and alarm sounds just by saying ‘stop.’ There’s also the addition of a driving mode, which we’ll go into depth on in another article.
It is not unknown when Google will bring the next generation of Assistant to previous Pixel devices. All we know is that Google Pixel 4 will support it later this year. Google demoed the feature on the Pixel 3 device, so it’ll most likely support it at the very least.


text:
30 SECOND GUIDE TO: pension charge cap
The Daily Mail City team looks at what a cap on pension charges will mean for consumers.
Not before time!
Quite. The idea of a limit on annual management charges for pension funds appeals to many people trying to build a nest egg.
Why is this relevant?
The Government is consulting on plans to introduce a maximum charge for savers in company pensions as part of a ‘full frontal assault’ on excessive fees.
Why are they such a rip-off?
Charges may seem small but they quickly erode your pension’s value – particularly in older schemes. A worker saving £100 into a pension for 40 years with a 1 per cent annual charge would lose about £170,000 from the pot over their working life. So not small potatoes.
Savings boost: If the cap is put in place, consumers currently paying a 1.5 per cent charge could see their retirement pots swelled by as much as £100,000
What is the plan?
The Government wants to introduce a maximum charge of 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent. If it is introduced, savers paying 1.5 per cent could see their retirement pot rise £100,000.
The unfashionable issue has risen up the political agenda after a damning report by the Office of Fair Trading. Millions of savers will be automatically enrolled into company pensions for the first time as part of a government-backed scheme. So it is vitally important they are not ripped off.
What happens now?
Pensions firms and consumer campaigners will get the chance to express their views. There is likely to be some resistance from pensions providers, who will be loathe to cut their fees.
Most watched Money videos
- Jaguar Land Rover providing vehicles to emergency services
- Classic 1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is heading to auction
- New Italian Fiat Panda introduced in 1981
- Vauxhall Astra car comes to UK market in 1981
- Austin Metro TV ad from the 1980s introduced the new British car
- Shares that could benefit from a stock market recovery
- Brabus launches the Invicto - capable of withstanding explosions
- Kent farm advertises crop picking position for under 1,000 people
- Jaguar Land Rover introduce safety measures to reopen factory
- What the fund that beat the crash is buying now
- RAC gives you tips on looking after your car in lockdown
- Euro NCAP outlines its updated safety protocols


text:
It's been a busy time in Cupertino, as Apple has released updates for many of its signature hardware and software products, and successfully entered the mobile payments market with Apple Pay. The early returns have been overwhelmingly positive, and so has the company's performance on the stock market — the value of Apple's shares has been rising almost continuously for over a year, and closed last week at a record $105.08.
The return on investment is currently at 31 percent for the 2014 calendar year to date, five times more than the average of the S&P 500 index. Best of all, financial analysts expect that rise to continue over the coming months, as we inch closer to the as-yet unspecified release date of the Apple Watch early next year.
Because of Apple's unique image and loyal following, numbers show that the successful release of one product, such as the recent iPhone 6, leads to increased sales across the board. This is truer than ever now, because the company has revamped its smartphones, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, plus both of its operating systems, in the space of just a few weeks.
Apple Pay, a risky project because of its unprecedented scale, has exceeded expectations, with over one million credit cards activated in the first 72 hours. Apple's own finances are also very sound, virtually eliminating any concerns of an uncertain future.
Specialized IT consultants can provide Apple support and training to users who want to make the most of the offerings of a company whose future is as bright as ever.


text:
The news comes from Nissan executive Vice President Mitsuhiko Yamashita, who claimed the “fuel-economy of the 3-liter car will be at the same level as that of hybrids,” reports the Wall Street Journal. Though he wasn’t willing to divulge any details about the new model, we suspect it will feature some of the latest advancements in petrol engine technology including direct injection and possibly homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI). Pictured above is Nissan's Urge, a concept of a future small sports model.
Volkswagen is also rumored to be developing a super-efficient vehicle. At this week's Frankfurt Motor Show, VW's Ferdinand Piëch hinted that a 100mpg VW could be on the market by 2010.


text:
The new Google ad system is making a lot of headlines this week, but it’s far from the only thing that’s changing in how websites are viewed and promoted on the web.
As Google works to make more content on the platform more widely available, the number of ads that run on websites has grown dramatically, with Google Now getting a big boost in recent weeks.
And for some websites, the advertising has gone a bit crazy, with users seeing ads from companies that are not on Google’s radar at all.
The most common problem is the Google ad network’s ability to show ads that are specifically targeted to the target website.
This means that ads that show up in Google Now are not necessarily ads that you would expect to see in the Google search results.
Instead, Google’s algorithm has shown ads that have more relevant links to content.
If your site does not have a great search engine search result, the ads in Google’s ad network will often be less relevant.
Google’s algorithm shows a lot more ads when users click on a link than when they click on the Google home page, which can sometimes make Google Now’s recommendations feel more accurate.
For instance, when users visit the site from the Chrome web browser, they’re presented with an ad for a free membership, but when they visit the Google homepage, they get an ad that tells them that the membership is only for one year.
The Google ad networks also show more ads in the background than the Google site, and if a user does not scroll to the bottom of the page to see the ad, it will appear as a full-screen ad instead of the ad that it would otherwise.
Google’s ads are also often more likely to appear if the user is viewing the site in a web browser.
In addition, Google Now can be a bit of a mess.
While it will sometimes show an ad with relevant links, it’s often difficult to tell if the ad is actually from Google.
Google has also said that ads in its ads network can sometimes be more relevant to a user’s interests than they would be if they were in search results, which may not be a problem for many people.
Google says it has been working to improve its ads on the internet for a while, but that the biggest improvement comes in the form of its new ad system.
The company is working to better understand how and why ads appear in its search results and to add more specific ads that people would actually want to see.
According to Google, its goal is to get more people to discover and use the internet as a whole, and this new system is meant to help that goal.
Google is also hoping that it can make it easier for people to navigate the internet and find the content they’re looking for.
In the meantime, if you see ads from Google Now that appear on your website, you can check out some tips to avoid getting one of these ads.
If you’re worried about getting Google Now ads, Google says it can fix them.
Google says that it will start using its new automated ad network, Google AdSense, to remove the ads from your site if you flag them as “too distracting.”
It also says that when it’s notified of a violation, it’ll immediately remove the ad from the site.
If your website has been flagged as potentially distracting, you should check to see if the ads are actually blocking your site’s main navigation, such as the home page.
If you don’t see ads blocking the navigation, then you should probably remove the page altogether.
If Google’s automated ad system does show ads on your site, you might want to check to make sure that Google’s system is not allowing you to access content that is not relevant to your website’s mission.
Google also says it will look into ways to make Google Adsense more reliable.


text:
Swordsman Launches July 29
Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of widely-acclaimed free-to-play MMORPGs, is pleased to announce that Swordsman is leaving Open Beta and officially launching on July 29.
With this launch comes a new patch streamlining the player experience and bringing new player content. At launch comes the new Demon Pit event, providing a brand new experience for players to get the highest level gear in-game as they band together to defeat evil foes deep underground.
Articles You May Enjoy
- Wargaming to Offer Financial Support to Open-Source Development Foundations
- Wargaming, the leading free-to-play developer and publisher, today announced that the company will be financially supporting three key open so...
- Path of Exile Hosting Two Week Charity Race Event
- Grinding Gear Games has announced a two-week long charity event for Path of Exile, which will benefit Child's Play.


text:
Asia Supply Chain
Meet the Analysts
Products & Services
Colley & Friends
Biz Focus Home
Meet the Analysts
Supply Chain Summit
Market Cap 100
CONNECT WITH US
Reshaping the semiconductor landscape - generative AI, customized chips, and memory outlook in 2024
NEWS TAGGED CHARTERED
Friday 16 July 2021
Is GF a good buy for Intel?
Intel is reportedly eyeing Globalfoundries for acquisition valued at an estimated US$30 billion. Will the acquisition be a good buy and follow Intel's IDM 2.0 strategy that was unveiled...
Wednesday 21 November 2018
Focus on stability: Q&A with Globalfoundries executives
Globalfoundries announced in August 2018 its decision to put 7nm FinFET R&D on hold indefinitely in a move to intensify the company's focus on delivering differentiated 14/12nm...
Thursday 21 September 2017
TSMC to hold over 70% of PWM IC orders from Qualcomm
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is expected to grab 70-80% of the total orders for Qualcomm's new-generation power management ICs (PWM IC), according to industry...
Thursday 16 June 2011
SMIC hires former Chartered exec to lead Americas operations
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) announced on June 15 the appointment of Michael Rekuc as president of SMIC Americas, effective immediately. Rekuc will...
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Foundries to see 12-inch wafer supply exceed demand in 2012
With major foundry chipmakers gearing up for capacity expansions at their 12-inch (300mm) facilities, Nobunaga Chai, an analyst at Digitimes Research, has forecast worldwide 12-inch...
Tuesday 2 February 2010
SMIC appoints former Chartered executive as new COO
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has confirmed that it has hired Simon Yang, the former senior VP of fab operations and chief technology officer at Chartered...
Friday 8 January 2010
UMC dismisses rumors it is targeted by ATIC for acquisition
United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has declined to comment on a media report indicating that the company is being targeted by Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC)...
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Charterted, Globalfoundries set to merge foundry operations
Singapore-based Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, which is scheduled to be delisted from the Nasdaq stock market on December 28, has begun to proceed with its merger with Globalfoundries...
Wednesday 9 September 2009
New Chartered-Globalfoundries entity becomes top-2 pure-play foundry in 1H09, says iSuppli
The acquisition of Singapore-based Chartered Semiconductor by Globalfoundries over the Labor Day weekend has catapulted the company into the number-two position among pure-play foundries...
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Commentary: Chartered takeover price is almost TSMC capex for 2 years
Morris Chang might have been surprised to learn that Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing will be sold to Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) for a high price of US$3.9...
Monday 7 September 2009
Globalfoundries co-owner ATIC to acquire Chartered
Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) - a technology investment company wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi - and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing have jointly...
Thursday 3 September 2009
Qualcomm, Xilinx and Altera reduce wafer starts at foundries for 4Q09, say sources
Wireless chipmaker Qualcomm, and FPGA designers Altera and Xilinx have reduced their wafer start orders for the fourth calendar quarter of 2009 to their foundry partners, according...
Monday 31 August 2009
Chartered to start 32nm pilot runs in 4Q09, sources say
Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing is scheduled to launch its 32nm process technology in the fourth quarter of 2009, and move to 28nm in the first half of 2010, industry sources...
Monday 10 August 2009
eMemory extends IP solutions to 65nm, partnering with Chartered
eMemory Technology, a Taiwan-based provider of IP for logic embedded non-volatile memory (NVM), has announced its 65nm Neobit one-time-programmable (OTP) memory is scheduled to enter...
Friday 24 July 2009
Chartered expects narrower loss for 3Q09, raises capex
Singapore's Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing continued to suffer a loss in second-quarter 2009, but saw the loss narrow to US$39.4 million compared to a loss of US$98.8 million...
Oct 3, 09:53
Profet AI helps companies overcome AI implementation challenges, showcases Taiwan's outstanding global achievements
Thursday 28 September 2023
Macronix OctaFlash memory solutions certified for ISO 26262 ASIL D
Wednesday 27 September 2023
No incineration, no pollution! TSGC Technologies develops solar panel recycling equipment to realize recycling and reuse
Wednesday 27 September 2023
The ASUS VivoWatch: Modern platform for health management
Top Chinese equipment supplier: China is 5 gen behind in chip manufacturing due to US sanctions
ASML CEO warns against 'compelling China to be innovative'
Next US export ban against China could target advanced packaging
Huawei's Kirin 9000S chip made by SMIC is only a breakout, not a breakthrough
US pressures will lead to 'golden decade' for China's semiconductor industry: experts
India's Vedanta to make 28-65nm semiconductor chips for local demand
Taiwan OSATs quietly ramp up support for Chinese customers
Who's in control of SMIC technology advances?
TSMC 7nm process capacity utilization falling rapidly
More ban on semiconductor equipment to China accelerating tech decoupling
Global smartphone market to continue witnessing on-year shipment decline in 2H23, says DIGITIMES Research
Korea-based IT companies up investment in Vietnam and India amid geopolitical tensions, says DIGITIMES Research
Notebook shipments of top-5 brands resume in growing trend in August, says DIGITIMES Research
Sorry, the page you are trying to open is available only for our paid subscribers.
to read more
New users, please


text:
When pubs are battling for survival, good fish and chips, or lovely ham, egg and chips might be the recipe for success.
That’s the view of Penelope Sexton, head chef at the community-run and popular Heneage Arms in Hainton.
The pub was faced with closure in 2012 but is now run by a team of volunteers and says it is going from strength to strength.
Now, it feels confident enough to enter the 2015 National Fish and Chip Awards, hoping to batter rivals across the country.
The Best Independent Food Service Category will test it on its fish and chips, the transparency of its food supply chain, marketing and promotions, customer feedback and sales.
Penelope, who has worked in hospitality in Berkshire and Newcastle for more than ten years, says when the pub was taken over by a committee, it started running ‘fish and chip nights’ on a Friday.
Initially, some 20-30 ‘covers’ would be sold, but now sales have taken off, to a record 162 covers, with 90-100 being sold last Friday.
“When you look at this growth, it’s phenomenal, but you are having new customers come in as well, who will also buy drinks,” she said.
Thus, good fish and chips have been used to build up the reputation of the pub, which has seen it expand into more restaurant-style cooking too.
The Heneage Arms also offers private bookings, for events like farmers’ dinners, plus it also stages events like the recent beer festival.
Penelope says the National Fish and Chip Awards is “a really difficult competition”, but having seen how a simple meal like fish and chips can transform the pub, she feels it is time to give it a crack.
“We do not know, until we try,” she said.


text:
Police have not released a motive for the shooting inside the Express clothing store at the Dadeland Mall. Fire and police officials had surrounded a Dunbar armored car parked in front of the mall.
Witnesses said they heard numerous gunshots and described shoppers screaming and running through the mall.
The guard was airlifted and pronounced dead at the hospital, Miami-Dade Det. Aida Fina-Milian said. Another person was hurt, but their specific injury was not immediately released.
Jennie Block, 59, was shopping for clothes when she said she heard about 10 gunshots from a nearby store. "There was screaming and yelling and chaos," she said.
Another shopper, Jorge Divo, was having coffee in the food court when he saw a crowd of shoppers running, screaming "that someone had been shot."
A group that owns the mall said in a statement that stores were open except in the area near the shooting.
"We are shocked and saddened by this tragic crime," Lydia Gilmore of the Simon Property Group said in the statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim."
The Dadeland Mall is located about 15 miles southwest of downtown Miami. It has more than 185 specialty stores, department stores, shops and boutiques.
Slideshow archive | ABC13 wireless | Help solve crimes


text:
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas," sing the speakers at a shopping mall on Shanghai's Nanjing Road as shoppers file past a garishly illuminated tree and festively decorated store windows.
There might be no tradition of celebrating Christmas in China, but that doesn't stop Shanghai's retailers from hoping the festive season will set cash tills ringing like sleigh bells.
With thousands of foreigners calling China's main commercial metropolis home and hundreds of foreign firms flocking to do business there, the city's retailers have spied an opportunity to boost sales.
"Sales this season have increased significantly due to the two holidays, Christmas and New Year, said a spokeswoman for the Shanghai Metro Jin Jiang centre, a luxury shopping mall packed with high-end goods.
Foreign firms buying gifts for employees and stocking up for office parties have helped drive much of the trade so far this season.
Local customers and Chinese companies tend to do most of their shopping around January 1 when there will be a three-day national holiday.
Young Shanghainese, eager to embrace the latest Western fashions, began taking to Christmas at the end of the 1990s, but enthusiasm for partying during the festival waned as many restaurants and discos bumped up prices ahead of the holiday season.
"When I was a student there was a fashion for celebrating Christmas, but now I think people are less interested," said one young Shanghai office worker.
However, because so many people work in Western firms or have Western friends in the city, some young locals still feel the festive spark.
"I always buy more clothes and other materials at the year-end than other times. Partly because many shops will offer attractive discounts, and also because there will be a lot of parties at this time in which you have the chance to make a show," said Chen Liying, a 25-year-old clerk at a foreign financial institution.
Showing they understand the commercial power of Christmas as well as their counterparts in the West, Shanghai's shops kicked off the season with a round of mid-month sales, offering discounts of as much as 70 percent.
While many foreign companies do not close for the holiday, local employees at overseas firms say they are catching the Christmas spirit from their employees.
"My colleagues and I are planning to have some fun at Christmas, but I rarely go shopping at this time of year because I have to work at Christmas and usually my work is busier as the year-end approaches," said 26-year-old Yao Yan, an employee of a foreign trade company.
Christmas is not the only Western holiday which local retailers have picked up and run with.
The enthusiasm for Valentine's Day in China, a merry-go-round of fluffy toys, chocolates and romantic dinners for couples, probably exceeds the fuss in many Western cities.
(China Daily December 23, 2001)


text:
After The Election, Patagonia Will Focus Once Again On Grants: The Company Donates 1 Percent Of Its Annual Sales To Grass-roots Environmental Groups
, gifts and grants, and 50-60 percent of revenue.9. Page 9. an anti-environmental agenda dominates. Significant change usually comes about.. separated and Doug sold his half of the company to launch ... General Carrera in Patagonia, when Doug and I, in a double ... 1% for the PlanetEach year, we contribute one percent ... with advocates from grassroots environmental organizations we've connected ... Our design team is more focused than ever on setting.. But its success proves that companies can profit by doing good and being good. ... 1 % of total annual sales to grassroots environmentally progressive groups. ... its 2019 Sustainability Report, more striking was the New Zealand brand's focus ... commits 1% of its total sales to environmental groups, through One Percent for.... So the company launches a voter-education initiative on its website to support environment-friendly candidates. By Louise Witt. ... After the election, Patagonia will focus once again on grants: The company donates 1 percent of its annual sales to grass-roots environmental groups. Since 1985, that has.... Black Friday is known for bringing in the big bucks for companies to end ... from Black Friday, $10 million, to grassroots environmental organizations. ... 1 percent of total annual sales to environmental organizations. In addition to the already donated $10 million, Patagonia will give $7 million more from its.... Speak to anyone at an impact investment conference and you'll find many topics of ... Patagonia is a global apparel brand with roughly $1 billion in annual revenue and ... Since 1985, Patagonia has donated $89 million to environmental work. ... from this involvement with grassroots organizations, and in particular the cash.... We give 1% of our sales to support environmental organizations around the world, ... The environmental storm is gathering like never before in recorded history, but ... in 2016, we donated 100% of sales to grassroots environmental groups. ... of more than 1000 companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of more.... His approach to leading a company is perhaps best understood as a sort of ... ever was one, in terms of size (Walmart's revenue exceeds Patagonia's ... social responsibilitysince 1985 it has given 1 percent of revenue (sales, not profit), totaling $41.5 million, to grassroots environmental organizations.
Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Conservation Grants Program ... Football League Foundation (NFL Foundation): NFL Foundation Grassroots Program ... response fund that will provide $1,000-$5,000 mini-grants to youth led organizations to ... Fund program has given $2.75 million since 2010 to more than 500 nonprofits.. Nearly 200 nonprofit newsrooms will benefit from matching-gift campaign as ... 1, 2019, when donations up to $1,000 to 198 nonprofit news organizations will be ... and a coalition of foundations and companies, making it the largest-ever grassroots ... now donate nearly 40 percent of all the revenue going to news nonprofits.. patagonia set donate million environmental groups mil tcl x c default ... Every penny will be going to grassroots nonprofits to help protect the Earth's ... that commits 1 percent of a participating company's annual sales to these environmental groups. ... More than 200 firefighters have been hired since 2013.. After achieving a record-breaking Black Friday in sales, outdoor apparel maker ... After making $10M in Black Friday sales, Patagonia is donating it all to ... According to an interview with The Huffington Post, Corley Kenna, a company ... 1 percent of its total annual sales to grassroots environmental groups.... Chouinard, founder of the equipment company Patagonia and lifelong friend ... the importance for sustainability of an emergent group of environmental ... Patagonia's pledge of donating a one percent of gross revenue every year ... multiplier effect through its ongoing support of new grassroots startups, either via grants from.. Environmental science news and updates about local beach cleanups,The Ocean ... Boeing also matched donations for volunteer hours to support even more Ocean ... Ocean Blue Project a grassroots nonprofit of Oregon has a newly formed ... Dudley's is donating 1 percent of its annual gross sales to local environmental.... Newsletters Donate ... It has since touched off a trend that has big-name brands such as the Gap, ... For one, the multinational company does much of its manufacturing ... What motivated you to launch Patagonia's Vote the Environment ... And yet only 3 percent of cancer research funding goes to trying to.... Chouinard, founder of the equipment company Patagonia and lifelong friend of ... of sales each year to grants serving grassroots organizations. ... the importance for sustainability of an emergent group of environmental ... dedicated to expanding Patagonia's pledge of donating a one percent of gross revenue every year.. York stores would not conduct business as usual that day. ... and leading simpler, more examined lives. Inspired ... Fair Trade is one of several initiatives ... Since its release in March 2014, our film DamNation ... We supported the grassroots campaign that saw Chileans ... 1 percent of sales donated to environmental NGOs.. 1,082 Environmental groups that received a grant from us this year ... Last year, when the total of Patagonia grants to grassroots ... what a company can do, and not just what its shareholders can do once they've ... 1985, 1 percent of our net sales has been given to nonprofit grassroots environmental groups.. Discover handheld GPS only a renowned mapping company can deliver, ... that North Cascades National Park has lost 13 percent of its glacier area since 1971. ... levels - www.petzl.com f 1*11 r For your feet to feel better and to donate $1 to the ... an adventure in one will attest, a Jeep 4x4 is more than the sum of its parts,.... Patagonia, Inc. has taken a hard look at the way they do business, and ... experts throughout the world, concluded that there is more than a 95 percent ... campaigns focused on the environment such as Vote Our Planet  and the ... corporation and has long donated 1% of its annual gross revenues to...
Icecream PDF Candy Desktop Pro 2.87 Crack [Full review]
Mobile Monday du 10 mars 2008
Son dakika: TBB Baskan Metin Feyzioglundan Ceren Damar Senel cinayeti davas ndaki san k avukat na tepki
Wise Care 365 Pro 5.3.1 Crack
JDownloader v2.0 ( )
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G vs Yu Yureka Finding the Better One
Reimage PC Repair 1-8 Crack Full Version Free Download
Aaja Nachle [2007 V0] A2ZCity.net
Athletic Face of the Day- GabbyDouglas
Motorola Mobility Sues Apple (Again); Seeks iPhone, Mac ImportBan


text:
Instead of listening to the old saying “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” a Portland chef thinks the heat wave is the perfect time to eat some cool foods.
There are certain foods that are believed to bring human body temperature down.
Chef Vitaly Paley, who owns the restaurant Headwaters, told FOX 12 what foods to eat to help beat the heat.
Some of his suggestions, which are diverse across food groups and cuisines, include poke bowls, raw oysters and cucumbers.
But he didn’t just recommend traditionally cold dishes.
In some cultures, hot foods are thought to be beneficial during hot weather.
"In other cultures like the Middle East and India, where it's naturally hot, people like to think that consuming spicy foods can trigger a natural body cooling system," said Paley.
The chef also says not to forget drinking. Anyone who doesn’t want the heat to keep them from eating spicy food should prime their stomachs with a cup of warm tea, according to Paley.
Copyright 2017 KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.


text:
MACAU: Personal computers and printing major HP Inc today unveiled 15 business printers across different product categories, terming it as its biggest commercial printers launch in 10 years.
"Today is our biggest commercial printers launch in 10 years... HP is accelerating our efforts to design and innovate for customers with the mission to engineer experiences that amaze," HP Inc President- Asia Pacific and Japan Richard Bailey told reporters here.
He said the company is "reinventing printing" for every business, whether they are small medium businesses who need to be more productive and secure at an affordable price-point, or organisations grappling with the fast evolving security risks in their complex network.
Today, the firm also added a new sub-category 'HP PageWide' to the existing sub-categories OfficeJet and Laser Jet.
HP Inc General Manager, Printing Systems, Asia Pacific and Japan Ng Tian-Chong said the company is enhancing the design of its printers across all portfolios to meet the changing requirements of its customers.
The new products include HP PageWide Enterprise Color MFP 586 which is expected to be available in May at a starting price of Rs 1,50,000 and HP PageWide Enterprise Color 556 at Rs 71,400.
The PageWide Pro 500 series is expected start at a price of Rs 51,600, while PageWide 400 series is expected tagged at Rs 45,580.
The Mumbai centre will house 72 international and Indian brands, 27 culinary outlets with cuisines from across the globe, an open-air weekend community market, pet-friendly services, according to the company's statement.


text:
On 27 September 2022, the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers hosted an international panel of experts from Argentina, India and more entitled How to be an Impact Lawyer – Stories from Around the World, moderated by Louise Harman (Bates Wells).
Pioneers Post has published an article, authored by Louise Harman, summarising some of the key takeaways from the panel, including some common misconceptions – plus the opportunities – in the rapidly growing field of impact law.
“Being an impact lawyer is not a technical matter of practice, it’s about what is in your heart. For me, being an impact lawyer is a personal commitment to use your skills to make a positive difference”
– Allen Bromberger, Bromberger Law, USA
“Being an impact lawyer is providing tools to companies to help them transit to the new economy… we have to innovate in legal design in order to create companies that lead to a more humane society.”
– Ivana Calcagno, You Hub, Uruguay
“Pakistan is at the centre of a huge climate calamity… the moment is right to push for sustainable business models [and] this is where an impact lawyer can play his or her role”
– Ammara Farooq Malik, AFMalik Law, Pakistan
Watch the full panel here


text:
Weak operating performance and concerns about the global economy drove Hanesbrands stock down 40% in 2018. But the sell-off might have gone too far, as there was positive news about the strength of sales in the retail industry during the holidays, which helped to prop up the stock in January.
Supporting the stock's gain last month were reports that retail sales during the holiday quarter were the best in six years. However, Hanesbrands' innerwear segment performed poorly in 2018. The business of selling socks and underwear is highly competitive, especially with retailers like Target investing in private-label brands.
But a strong holiday shopping season may have benefited Hanesbrands' Champion athletic wear brand, which is where the company is pinning its future growth. Champion sales were up 30% year over year in the third quarter, and up 40% excluding sales to mass retailers.
A strong consumer spending backdrop during the fourth quarter might keep the momentum going for Champion. Investors will know more when Hanesbrands reports earnings results on Thursday, Feb. 7.
Analysts expect the company to grow revenue 3.9% year over year to $1.71 billion in the fourth quarter. Adjusted earnings per share are expected to decline to $0.46 compared to $0.52 in the year-ago quarter.
Check out the latest Hanesbrands earnings call transcript.


text:
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant became one of the most recognizable athletes of all time during his 20-year career, making his NBA trading cards a hot commodity on the collectibles market.
Bryant’s cards have yielded record prices twice within the last 18 months. In March 2021, Kobe’s chrome rookie card sold for nearly $1.8 million. Less than a year later, a rare Bryant-themed collectible from the Precious Metal Gems series went for $2 million.
Trading card enthusiasts will get to bid on a special collection come Aug. 24, otherwise known as Kobe Bryant Day, when Hindman Auctions will make “8.24: The Definitive Collection of Kobe Bryant Rookie Cards” available to purchase.
Among the collection’s highlights will be a 1996-97 Skybox E-X2000 Credentials Kobe Bryant Rookie Basketball Card No. 30 numbered 53 of 499 (lot 58) with a Beckett Grading Services (BGS) grade of 9.0 grade.
Hindman claims this card is arguably the most coveted Bryant rookie card on the market. Released as part of the highly sought-after E-X2000 collection, it features a notably innovative design with its die-cut image of Bryant, foiled borders, and cloud background.
The 8.24 collection will include 150 cards, presented in 81 lots to honor Bryant’s famous 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
“We are thrilled to be able to present a collection that captures such an integral part of the career of one of the most influential sports figures of the 21st century,” said Hindman’s Specialist for Sports Memorabilia, James Smith.
“Basketball card collections of this caliber are few and far between, and we are eager to see how bidders respond to cards from a basketball icon.”
Nike to keep DeMar DeRozan as face of Bryant’s iconic shoe line
Bryant’s shoe brand remains a major part of the legendary Laker’s legacy. The sneakers remain extremely popular among NBA stars, including Lakers forward Anthony Davis.
After the shoe line returned to Nike, recent reports claim the sportswear manufacturer has kept DeMar DeRozan as brand ambassador for another four years.
DeRozan will remain the face of Bryant’s shoe brand.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!


text:
A SEC filing in August indicated that Tesla Motors would likely need to raise more capital before the end of the year, however, six weeks later, CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to announce that a capital raise was no longer necessary. During yesterday’s Q3 earnings call, Musk confirmed that no additional capital raise is needed by end of year and “probably not” needed in Q1.
He said Tesla is working hard to reduce the cost of manufacturing the Model 3 as one of this top 3 immediate priorities. As a result, the company “does not require any capital raise for the Model 3 at all”, though he indicated that a capital raise could still take place at some time in the future to “account for uncertainty and de-risk the business.”
Demand for Tesla’s cars with the latest 100 kWh battery has been strong. That battery carries a $10,000 premium compared to the older 90 kWh battery. The company is also benefiting from the sale of zero emissions credits to other manufacturers.
In the third quarter alone, income from ZEV credits amounted to $139 million — nearly equal to what the company realized from selling those credits in all of 2014 says Cowen analyst Jeffrey Osborne. “Certainly what drove the upside on profit is the $139 million of those zero emission credits which is a near 100 percent profit business,” said Osborne.
When the proposed merger with SolarCity was first announced, many skeptics saw it as a bailout for a faltering business run by Musk’s cousins, Lyndon and Peter Rive. In fact, SolarCity has been the beneficiary of several new funding packages this year and is in a position to actually contribute some cash to Tesla if necessary. Yesterday, Musk confirmed that, saying the acquisition of SolarCity will be neutral or even a cash contributor to fourth quarter Tesla results in “a small way.” Tesla is planning to release more financial data relating to the merger on November 1.
Tesla said it had $3.08 billion in cash and cash-equivalents as of Sept. 30, compared with $3.25 billion at the end of the second quarter. The company plans over $1 billion of capital expenditures in the fourth quarter, bringing its total capital spending this year to $1.8 billion. Even though that seems like an enormous amount of money, it is still 20% less than the $2.25 billion the company forecast at the start of the year.
The company announced its first quarterly profit since the first quarter of 2013 yesterday. Elon Musk promised investors that the fourth quarter will be profitable as well. Of 20 analysts who cover the company, seven have a “sell” rating on the stock, four rate it “buy” or higher, and nine have a “hold,” according to Thomson Reuters.


text:
This stunning Melbourne Red BMW 6 Series has been equipped with a set of Vossen Wheels.
Battle for the best. Seven World Top Casemodders Go Head to Head at the “2015 Thermaltake CaseMOD Invitational”.
TSMC is out and Samsung is in for the next chip from Qualcomm.
The 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition is under way and there have already been some exciting announcements. Today, Automobili Lamborghini has revealed the Lamborghini …
Xiaomi is about to launch its first global phone.
A Redditor claims to know what the future holds for Mass Effect, and it might surprise you.
Delta is going to retrofit its fleet to include LED Lights in order to increase efficiency in its fleet.
The 2016 BMW 7 Series is coming with a half digital and half analogue display, adding a somewhat interesting solution to the upcoming model.
Volvo has released pricing for the Volvo XC90 for the United States where this model will be released for sale later this Fall with different models offered.
Battlefront will feature huge 40 player PVP battles, explosive dogfights with X-Wings and TIE fighters, and you’ll even be able to play as Darth Vader of Boba Fett.


text:
Studies have noted that different governments across the world are noted to be legalizing marijuana. Two main reasons to ensure legalization goes through been as a result of the medical benefits and for the recreational users of the drugs. There are advantages that are noted to be associated with consumption of cannabis. Research notes that cannabis consumption been preferred by many people as it helps to calm down chronic pain which is noted to be important for patients with terminal illnesses.
Studies have noted that in recent times the number of acreage that is under marijuana has increased this has been as a response of many countries legalizing marijuana. Studies have noted that people who are noted to have lungs issues have increased their ability to have better lungs in recent times and this been noted to be critical as lungs identified to be one of the key issues that are noted to be important to be rectified for one to have a healthy lifestyle. Cancer patients are noted to be constantly at risk of developing muscle spasms and they can be painful with consumption of cannabis an individual noted to reduce the effects of the spasms.
There is need to note that children who are noted to develop seizures can easily be treated while they are young with the consumption of cannabis as it reduces the number of seizures that a kid has to encountered while growing up and for many this considered to be great news. The old often have issues with glaucoma and cannabis has been credited for its ability to eradicate glaucoma and this has been noted to be beneficial for the old as they not only have to get their eyes fizzed but there is reduced joint pains which are noted to be common as an individual ages. The patients who are noted to have issues with anxiety are noted to rectify the issue with consumption of marijuana as they are noted to help an individual gets the boost needed.
Research notes that cancer patients are consuming cannabis as it helps them to effectively be able to deal with pain and also cannabis been credited for its ability to ensure that it localized the movement of the cancer cells and ensures they do not move in the body and this makes them easy to eradicate. Consumption of cannabis been noted to be important to the cancer patients at it ensures that they are able to reduce their development of nauseas which is noted to be common with the cancer patients as a result of the heavy medication and chemotherapy. Finally, studies have noted that marijuana users are noted to be less obese as they are noted to have better response with sugar, they are note find of consumption of sugar which is considered to be great news for many people.


text:
Some electronic payment systems at the cash register have been on strike for days. This makes the value of cash clear again. In Germany in particular, it remains more popular than all other means of payment. Even the corona crisis could not really change anything.
Since last week, some shops have had problems paying with plastic cards because the readers can no longer connect to the electronic payment systems. Behind it is an expired certificate, a kind of proof of authenticity without which no data flow is possible.
But no matter how small or big the problem, it is grist to the mills of those who reject plastic money and mobile payments and defend cash instead. What use are the most beautiful systems if they are much more error-prone than cash, is their question, to which they do not expect an answer.
Germany has been valued, ridiculed or decried as a cash country. However, there are now signs of changes in the choice of payment method in Germany, as shown by data from the Statista Global Consumer Survey. According to this, the proportion of those who pay in cash has fallen from 84 percent to 72 percent in the most recent evaluation.
Little has changed in plastic money in the last three years. On the other hand, there is a clear upward trend in mobile payments. 13 percent of respondents state that they use their smartphone to pay in restaurants or retail. The most used providers are PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Nevertheless, cash is anything but a discontinued model. The fact that the amount of cash issued is constantly increasing speaks against this: according to the Deutsche Bundesbank, the number of banknotes in circulation has grown by an average of around six percent per year over the past ten years.
However, the total money supply has increased even more over the same period, resulting in a slight real decline in comparison. At the end of 2014, the limit of one trillion euros was exceeded, with over 1.4 trillion euros currently being spent.
Looking at the entire Eurosystem, the Bundesbank is by far the largest issuer of cash: in terms of value, more than half of all banknotes in circulation come from the vaults of the German central bank.
And it ends up in safes: the decisive factor behind the comparatively high demand for cash in Germany is that large parts of the cash issued are used as a store of value. Of the approximately 268 billion euros in cash that was in Germany in 2018 according to calculations by the Bundesbank, “an estimated 200 billion euros could be traced back to hoarding motives”, as the Bundesbank puts it objectively and thus describes the “high edge” phenomenon.
Private individuals keep an average of 1364 euros in cash in Germany. Apparently, as the Bundesbank notes, many appreciate being able to access cash at any time – even in emergencies or crises – or when other payment systems just don’t work.
“Cash is always a piece of freedom. Digital money, on the other hand, leaves digital traces. This is to be welcomed because it becomes more difficult to misuse it. On the other hand, the data protection of the citizens must also be preserved,” says Burkhard Balz, the Bundesbank board member responsible for payment systems, as another argument in favor of cash.
Banknotes and coins are the only form of money that people can store without the involvement of a third party. They needed no special equipment, no internet and no electricity.
Surf tip: You can find all the news about the corona pandemic in the FOCUS Online news ticker
These arguments and technical glitches, like the current one, ensure that despite an increase in mobile payment systems during the corona crisis, Germans still prefer to pay with cash in an international comparison.
Only 38 percent would like to pay by card or mobile system when shopping, according to a survey of 9,000 consumers commissioned by the Swedish payment service provider Klarna. This puts the Germans far behind the international leaders Sweden (72 percent), Finland (70 percent) and Norway (67 percent).
Because of the pandemic, chain stores, restaurants and shops had increasingly offered card payments instead of cash to avoid contact with checkout workers and potential transmission.
The corona crisis could make the notes and coins unattractive more quickly, for example payment experts from the management consultancy Oliver Wyman then expected. But contrary to what was thought, fear of viruses on banknotes or coins has not supplanted Germans’ love of cash.
*The contribution “The drama about the card readers cements a German age-old concern” is published by WirtschaftsKurier. Contact the person responsible here.


text:
Cyber Monday Will Be the Big Test for Retailers’ Ecommerce Strategies
The holiday shopping season gets its first big test this weekend with Black Friday deals and the welcomed-by-retailers resurgence of in-store shopping and deals. Even if consumers are looking to hit stores bright and early on Friday, the last almost two years of ecommerce acceleration and validation have changed retailers’ omnichannel strategies. Retailers will get a second big test on their online adaptability at the start of the week with Cyber Monday.
Since Q1 of 2009, U.S. retail ecommerce sales have been climbing. Naturally, when the pandemic hit in Q1 of 2020, online sales spiked, by as much as $50 billion according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And after some plateauing and fluctuation, those sales numbers continue to climb through at least Q2 of 2021.
As for consumer shopping habits specifically for the holiday season, the share of consumers planning to shop online remains greater than those planning to shop in-store, 57% vs. 43%, according to PwC. Though this is a slight decrease compared to 2020’s holiday shopping, it’s still reason enough for retailers to prioritize their online presence from Black Friday though Christmas.
With this more permanent omnichannel demand, have strategies for developing an exciting ecommerce offering for Cyber Monday shifted since 2019 & 2020? And especially as a smaller boutique retailer trying to compete with big box online deals, what marketing or customer service tactics will help retailers stand out during Cyber Monday? We sourced two thought leaders for perspective on how to leave a unique footprint online during our Black Friday Roundtable: DeAnna McIntosh, Executive Director & Co-Founder of The Affinity Group and Bryan Eisenberg, Co-Founder of BuyerLegends.
“It’s a struggle. Every retailer needs to find ways to connect with the human side of the equation, why they’re in the business, why they’re doing this, and use all the channels available to us today to put out that content and let us feel comfortable with the people behind the business,” Eisenberg said.
“They could have done little fun games and surveys and little ways to poke at their customer and say, ‘Who are you going to be shopping for this holiday season?’ and ‘We’re curating a special collection and we want to make sure that it speaks to them,’ so they can start to get ideas and actually curate collections for those people. Just make it a no-brainer,” McIntosh said.
For the full Black Friday Live Roundtable, where Eisenberg and McIntosh give a retail supply chain state of the union, dig into more granular supply chain trends impacting retail outlook, and offer strategies for ecommerce success, click here or head to our Events tab.
More Stories Like This:
Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!


text:
The new Trump administration is trying to roll back a travel ban that was announced in January and implemented just weeks after Trump took office.
But with the new ban taking effect on Friday, here are the key takeaways.1.
The new ban isn’t going away2.
This is not the end of the travel ban3.
The ban is only a temporary measure4.
You won’t be affected by the new travel ban1.
Travel ban: The ban goes into effect for 120 days after the executive order.2.
The travel ban doesn’t have to be a temporary ban, but it must not be the first order of business for the administration.3.
A temporary ban will still have to meet the standard of being “compelling,” as opposed to being “potentially harmful.”4.
The order that was issued by President Trump on January 26, 2017, requires the secretary of state to make the executive orders and other documents necessary for implementing the new order within 30 days of the date of the order.
The executive order that went into effect on February 6, 2017 is not a permanent ban.
The new Trump ban is being challenged in court by the states of Washington and Minnesota.
A federal judge in Washington State has ordered the government to provide more details on the new version of the ban.
In response to the federal court order, the administration has proposed changes to the new administration’s travel ban, which includes changes that the judge in the Washington state case has found to be necessary.
The White House is expected to make some changes to this ban that will affect travel for some travelers, including people who are already here and want to visit family or friends abroad.
The Trump administration will also be updating the executive travel ban to be consistent with its other travel ban.
If the administration does make some change to the travel restrictions, it will be announced in the coming days, according to a White House official who asked not to be named.
This official also said that the Trump administration has not yet finalized changes to its revised travel ban for the states that are challenging the executive version of it.


text:
While the Covid 19 restrictions continue to limit our freedom to travel whenever and wherever we want, we tend to forget the fact that our children also miss going abroad and experience new adventures. Who would have though that youngsters would get bored of looking at a computer screen all day every day?! Lucky enough some countries (like the Maldives to name just one) are still open for business and are seeing great numbers of visitors despite all the PCR tests and follow-ups involved. Others are preparing to open up the boarders once again soon to welcome guests with the biggest smile that’s been recorded in the history of tourism industry. Long story short…it’s the perfect time to
Keep reading this article on A Luxury Travel Blog.


text:
An investigation reveals that millions of bank customers are vulnerable to having their bank card data stolen with alarming ease, using some simple custom software and an NFC-enabled smartphone.
A week of Google porn, Net Neutrality, Lollipop updates, Xbox burgers and a Wankband
The YotaPhone 2 is probably the most interesting phone since the iPhone 3G - Review
Hands On with Microsoft's wireless charging pad, the DT-903
Windows 10 for phones news
Windows 10 for phones
Hands On with Microsoft's new Comfort Headset
microsoft comfort headset
All the latest on Windows 10
Windows 10 promo
Near field communication
On top of all the announcements about Windows 8 this morning, it's now been announced that NFC capability is built in to Windows 8 right now, and that developers can use it on their tablet devices.


text:
With 2018 gone, now seems like as good a time as any to look back on the programmatic year that was and gaze into our crystal ball to speculate on what 2019 will bring.
2018: A year in programmatic
"At the beginning of the year, the coming of GDPR was likened to the Mayan apocalypse. It would either revolutionise the way we, as marketers, operated forever or damn us for eternity." Bannerflow
It would be naive of me to talk about programmatic trends without mentioning the dreaded GDPR.
But the reality is that for programmatic, GDPR has only had a relatively small impact.
Anecdotally, the amount of data available dropped slightly across various providers. Despite this, a fundamental shift towards scrutinising data sources and making sure people are compliant has lead to much greater demand for better quality data, which is no bad thing.
Ads.txt (a text file that companies can host on their web servers, listing the other companies authorized to sell their products or services) launched last year and although it was slow going, adoption is at over 50% on the top 5,000 sites globally based on a Pixelate study.
Although ad fraud within the industry is still a massive issue, more and more marketers are adopting digital channels and as a consequence are asking for more transparency and knowledge of where there money is being spent.
"Programmatic everywhere is reality as opposed to a possibility. All brands should be planning communication around the customer as opposed to a channel. I’ve heard to many brands in 2017 claim to have a channel agnostic strategy that doesn’t include paper. This is crazy, especially considering some of the impressive results we see from our own programmatically-triggered direct mail campaigns. Multi-channel strategy should truly mean all channels." The Drum
This is probably an area that will see more of a shift this year and beyond, but the idea that everything will be traded programmatically isn't far from possible. Out-of-home (more on programmatic and OOH can be found here) and programmatic TV making the biggest strides with major names such as Sky, AOL and NBC looking to corner the market.
2019: A bright future.
So what does 2019 have in store for us? My top 3 to focus on are:
- Ad fraud
"But why?" I hear you ask.
Because they all boil down to one big issue that programmatic advertising faces at the moment - trust.
"As many observers have pointed out, the problem with digital advertising is that it’s become less transparent – and in the eyes of many clients – increasingly untrustworthy; the very opposite of what was supposed to happen."- The Drum
Ad fraud and transparency are a weird combination of technical issues and ethical issues which create doubt in the industry's capabilities.
"It’s not surprising then that 41% of advertisers admitted to us that they have lost trust in programmatic advertising because of fraud. " - ExchangeWire
Blockchain is one big transnational ledger, which at its core is what programmatic is; a series of transactions being executed all at once. This gives rise to the possibility of seeing exactly who is selling the data, who is selling the inventory and to an extent who is seeing the ad.
As we can see, IBM are already making massive inroads to providing a programmatic Blockchain solution as technology firms scramble to get there first.
'IBM’s project has since expanded to eight companies including Kellogg, Kimberly-Clark, Pfizer and other undisclosed brands. All will conduct media buys through the Blockchain system with multiple publishers in Q4. That’s crunch time. If January 2019 yields the results...they will try to expand the platform use again to the top 25 advertisers "and really see if we can make it an industry solution for early next year." - Campaign
This could arguably be seen as the next big AdTech arms race and the company that gets there first is going to influence the way media is bought and sold for a long time to come.
By innovating with these exciting technologies, programmatic will continue to go from strength to strength, adding real value to brands whilst addressing the trust concerns that some have. Looking forward to see what this year brings!


text:
Oil explorer Afren has lost nearly a third of its value after announcing it had temporarily suspended its chief executive and chief operating officer.
Afren, which has operations in Africa and Kurdistan, said the move followed an independent review which discovered the receipt of unauthorised payments. As part of the investigation it has delayed publication of its results, due on 4 August. In a statement to the stock market it said:
The board has temporarily suspended the CEO, Osman Shahenshah and the COO, Shahid Ullah.
In the course of an independent review on the board's behalf by [law firm] Willkie Farr & Gallagher of the potential need for disclosure of certain previous transactions to the market, evidence has been identified of the receipt of unauthorised payments potentially for the benefit of the CEO and COO. These payments were not made by the Company. The investigation has not found any evidence that any other board members were involved. No conclusive findings have yet been reached and the investigation is ongoing. The board has notified the relevant regulatory authorities that the review is taking place and will update the market as appropriate.
The company's shares are down 42.4p or more than 28% to 106.4p.
Canaccord Genuity said:
The news raises plenty of questions which are unlikely to be answered in the near term. Afren's corporate governance reputation has not been amongst the best in the sector, and investor scepticism in some quarters would appear to have been vindicated by today's news.
Since the payments were not made by the company but by outside parties, and since the board sees no reason to believe the financial and operational position of the company will be affected by this news, there is no reason for us to believe the company's valuation will be directly impacted by this announcement. Clearly, the announcement substantially increases the risks around investing in Afren. Whilst the statement says there is no evidence that any other board members are involved, we have been unable to find out if this also means no-other employees are involved.
Pending further disclosure, we downgrade to hold (previously buy) and place our target price and forecasts under review.


text:
The restaurant’s last day will be Dec. 28, says Mike Huffman, director of operations for Chesapeake Restaurants, Chili’s parent company.
Huffman told Reston Now last week that the Chili’s, located at 11840 Sunrise Valley Dr., would close “sometime this spring.”
Chili’s has been in its spot near the International Center for more than 20 years. However, that whole area is slated for a major redevelopment.
The redevelopment plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units in mid-rise buildings.
Developer JBG has not said when redevelopment is slated to begin. A Wells Fargo branch closed in August and sits empty as well.
The rest of the small strip mall retail is slated to be torn down as part of the redevelopment. Only the Exxon station and free-standing Popeyes restaurant are slated to remain.
Read more about JBG’s plans in this previous Reston Now story.


text:
E3 is just around the corner, which means hype machines around the world are beginning to spin up in preparation, teasing what we're going to be seeing at the world's biggest games expo. While there's been a lot of rumoured information and vague hints, one game we will definitely see more of at E3, is Turtle Rock and 2K's Evolve and it sounds like we'll be getting a look at some new monsters too.
Speaking with the Examiner, executive producer Denby Grace said that while he wouldn't be drawn into discussions on the other monsters in the game as of yet, we should wait for E3 to find out more.
""[The play styles] differ greatly, and at E3 we plan to announce a bunch more content," said Grace. "You’ll then be able to see that direct comparison."
How will these new monsters differ from Goliath? A lot, apparently:
"[H]e’s very much a physically based, sort of melee-based monster. He uses his power and does a lot of melee combat getting you very up close and personal."
"The other monsters are the polar opposite in some ways. They play vastly different and we’re having a lot of fun with that."
The mention of physical, melee combat suggests that other monsters could be ranged damage dealers, which would certainly mix things up for the hunters.
Grace also touched on un-revealed hunters, suggesting they were very different from what we've seen so far as well.
"Every single hunter in the game has unique items. They share a class ability, so every medic in the game has the healing burst as one of their abilities, but every other item is unique to that character."
Evolve is set for release on October 21 on PC, Xbox One and PS4.


text:
New Jersey Pol Warns: If Pot Is Legalized, Dispensaries Will Sell 'Sex Toy Oils With Marijuana'
New Jersey state Sen. Ron Rice is battling a bill to make New Jersey the 10th state in the nation with legal recreational marijuana.
A Democratic state senator in New Jersey warned this week that dispensaries would sell "sex toy oils with marijuana" if weed is legalized for recreational use.
State Sen. Ron Rice tells NJTV that if
we legalize recreational marijuana, right across the street from my office they're going to put up stores. They want to call them dispensaries. They're going to be stores that do retail selling of cupcakes with marijuana, candies with marijuana, sex toy oils with marijuana, lipsticks with marijuana—all those kinds of products that kids can get and people can get.
It's not clear if anyone has tried infusing sex toy oils with marijuana. (Tom Angell, publisher of the pro-pot outlet Marijuana Moment, tells the Washington Examiner he's never heard of such a product.) Rice may have realized that, because he said in an email to the Examiner that he's worried about "marijuana infused oils, not toys." One has to wonder why he made the connection between sex toys and marijuana oils in the first place.
Rice's biggest concern is that he thinks marijuana is a gateway drug. "I'm five blocks away from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, which is a predominant rich, upper-middle class…white community, college community," he tells NJTV. "What we know is that when you legalize marijuana recreationally, the number of people who've never used any type of drugs goes up substantially in terms of drug use." Though Rice opposes outright legalization, he thinks possession of small amounts should be decriminalized.
The legislature is currently considering a bill to legalize weed statewide. If it passes—and if no other state legalizes between now and then—New Jersey will be the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who was sworn in this year, said during his campaign that he would fight for legalization; he has yet to follow through.


text:
Starbucks Corp., the world’s biggest coffee chain, said it will pay 10 million pounds ($15.4 million) of U.K. corporation tax this year and in 2014 in response to criticism of its money-losing British business.
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said the levy on banks will be increased for a sixth time to ensure lenders don’t benefit from a cut in corporation tax.
For Belfast clothing retailer Michael Hamilton, power is money.
Vodafone Plc paid no corporation tax in the U.K. last year after earning “several hundred million pounds” from its 19 million customers, the Sunday Times reported, citing its own investigation.
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne pledged to cut the tax rate on company profits, saying he wants to create the most competitive corporate-tax regime of any major economy.


text:
The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association commissioned an Economic Impact Study on the RV industry, released on June 7, 2016. The study found that the RV industry contributes about $49.7 billion in economic output or 0.28 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Through its production and distribution linkages, the industry impacts firms in 426 of the 440 sectors of the United States economy.
Nationwide, the industry is responsible for 216,170 jobs, both directly and inderectly, creating an economic impact of $37.5 billion. The full study results, along with each individual state and congressional district's economic impact is available on the website by clicking here .
Tue Aug 9, 2016
Amigo RV founder Ron Dean passed away on July 29 at the age of 87.
Ronald Raymond Dean was born in Raton, New Mexico, on July 7, 1929, and died unexpectedly, doing what he loved to do, being a connoisseur, at an estate sale on Friday, July 29.
As a boy, growing up in Raton, he liked to jump on and ride the freight trains going up the "road tunnel" and then wait for another train to jump on for the ride back down. He began his small business career by owning and operating a Chevron Station, then worked as an auctioneer. The travel kept him away from his family so he moved a new business north on Fourth street near I-40 and together with the love of his life, Ilene, they built Amigo RV, which eventually became Aloha RV, which specialized in sales and service of RV's.
A celebration of his life was held on Aug. 6.
Additional Information: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/abqjournal/obituary.aspx?pid=180910349


text:
The winter holiday season has already begun across the globe, with 48% of shoppers admitting that they have already started buying presents for the holidays.
The survey, from Rakuten Marketing was commissioned among more than 6,000 consumers in eight markets across America, Europe and APAC.
The survey found the fashion industry can expect a bumper second half to 2018, both in the UK and at a global level. 57% of UK shoppers are looking to make fashion purchases this holiday season, 6% above the global average.
Gift shopping is now a borderless activity, with Europe being the most popular choice for international customers (40%)
66% of China-based shoppers keen to buy from Europe; and will spend 193% more on their partners than British consumers
Influencer marketing is an essential route to market in APAC: a fifth of Korean, a quarter of Singaporean and 30% of shoppers in China state that influencer videos provide the best deals
Gift shopping is now very much a borderless activity, with Europe being the most popular choice for international customers (40%). With 57% of Singapore-based shoppers looking to buy gifts from the US, and 66% of China-based shoppers keen to buy gifts from Europe, marketers in these regions must be acutely aware of the need to engage with audiences with distinct languages and channel preferences.
This is especially valuable when we know that consumers from these markets are looking to part with more money when gift buying. When purchasing for partners, Chinese shoppers will spend on average 193% more than their British counterparts.
By comparison, two-thirds (66%) of US gift shoppers are solely focused on buying from within the US. A behaviour also found among the over 65s globally (67%), perhaps suggesting ties to more cautious assumptions.
Marketers must be wary of making assumptions about consumers or risk missing out on key sales opportunities altogether. For example, 52% of respondents in China focus their gift buying on Amazon Prime Day, nearly twice the proportion of US consumers capitalising on the early opportunity for discounted items.
In Europe more generally, Black Friday is also beginning to gain a following, with customers in France (24%) and Germany (26%) adopting the date into their holiday shopping plans – despite the fact few have adopted Cyber Monday quite yet (9% and 16% respectively).
Anthony Capano, Managing Director of Europe at Rakuten Marketing, comments
“Marketers must keep an open mind about when consumers will be looking to buy gifts as the reality doesn’t follow archetypes or publicised trends. It’s time to go beyond the traditional demographic understanding of your customers and uncover new opportunities.”
Looking more generally at how early holiday shopping begins, it is clear consumers in the US and Europe make slower progress on average than other markets, with three in five consumers yet to start shopping in July.
This is in comparison to their shopping counterparts in the APAC region who are much faster to progress – 80% of China-based respondents shared that they had at least started looking by July.
This all goes to show that marketers should drop assumptions about when consumers will be looking to buy gifts as the reality doesn’t follow archetypes or publicised trends.
Ways to reach your global gift shoppers
Influencer marketing may be subject to questions in western markets in terms of measuring ROI but it is an essential route to market in APAC. A fifth of Korean and a quarter of Singaporean shoppers state that influencer videos provide the best deals and this rises to as much as 30% in China.
By contrast, just 11% of UK-based shoppers say they would use YouTube and the influencer content posted there to spot the best deals. In the UK, influencers are best deployed as brand awareness tools; 25% of UK consumers will be using discount and voucher partners to pinpoint deals instead.
Adding another, harder measurement challenge for UK advertisers, 59% of global respondents stated they are planning to conduct their gift shopping in shopping centres. In European markets, nearly a quarter of French (23%) and German (21%) shoppers think the best deals they find will be on the high street. Where this variation exists, tracking campaigns across the entire user journey will be key – regardless of channel. This understanding will allow marketers to strengthen performance in order to provide a better customer experience overall both online and offline.
Capano adds, “Bearing in mind over two thirds of shoppers in the UK and US aren’t prepared to make on-the-spot decisions as far as buying gifts is concerned, the best ads will know where the customer is on their journey to purchase. Heightened demand so early in the year is an exciting prospect but figuring out whether products are being purchased as gifts, where in the world the demand is coming from and identifying the local nuances they should be aware of will be key for marketers looking to capitalise on gift shopping for success.”
Visit my consulting website - www.ryansconsulting.com
Visit my personal website - www.holmesryan.com
Visit my Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Ryan.Entrepreneur
About Ryan - https://www.holmesryan.com


text:
Tesla is taking a proactive step in updating the indicator icons on their vehicles through a voluntary software “recall.” This decision comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that some icons did not meet the required size standards. It’s important to note that this change only impacts the size of the indicator icons and does not affect the overall functionality of the vehicles.
This move has sparked conversations among Tesla enthusiasts who feel that the term “recall” has negative connotations associated with safety issues. They argue that the term should be reserved for more serious safety-related problems that require vehicles to be physically brought in for service, such as faulty components. However, it’s worth noting that as vehicles become increasingly reliant on software, updates like these are becoming more common across the automotive industry.
In this case, the software update addresses the size of warning icons, with Tesla agreeing with the NHTSA that some of these indicators may be too small. The new update, starting with software version 2023.44.30.13 and later, will feature larger warning icons to improve visibility. For instance, warning lights containing text, such as those for the parking brake and the ABS, will now display the words in larger lettering to comply with the NHTSA’s requirements.
While some may argue that this change may not warrant the term “recall,” it’s important to understand the administrative measures involved in the process. For instance, Tesla will be sending letters to all customers to inform them of the issue and the steps being taken to address it, even though the software fix will roll out to all vehicles long before the letters arrive.
It’s clear that as technology continues to evolve, the definition of what constitutes a “recall” in the automotive industry may need to be reevaluated. In the meantime, updates like these serve as a reminder of the significant role that software plays in modern vehicles. The update has already been implemented in the 2024 software version, with Tesla owners noticing the changes and sharing their experiences on social media. This latest development underscores the ongoing interaction between technology and automotive safety.


text:
“We’re just trying to help people get around, anybody that needs to travel a little bit cheaper,” said Dale Woodyard, owner of Scooters to Go.
When Scooters to Go officially opened for business on March 21, it could not have happened at a more opportune time.
During a period of unusually warm weather, the store received many inquiries about its scooters, particularly from Lansing’s student population.
“At Lansing Community College, they are charging $10 a day for parking,” Woodyard said. “We have a lot of LCC students coming down here because they can park scooters with the bikes and save money. At $10 a day, the scooter is going to pay for itself.”
Over the years, scooter travel has transitioned from recreational use to a primary method of transportation.
According to Woodyard, scooter popularity has particularly increased among Lansing residents looking to avoid paying high gas prices and parking fees.
“I sold scooters out of this building (in 2009) when it was a fad, Woodyard said.
Today,scooters are needed as real transportation. I think people are looking at them as more serious transportation because of the crisis we are having with gas. Also, today they are a lot more affordable.”
Scooters to Go carries the popular scooter brand TaoTao Scooters, which are designed for inner city and campus commutes. The scooters come in a range of sizes, colors and prices. The store also features a mechanic to assist customers with the maintenance and repair of their scooters.
“I would recommend a scooter for anybody that has to commute within a 25-mile distance of home,” Woodyard said. “We want to offer any safety tips for people. For people that have never ridden a scooter, we suggest they take a safety course. We let people test drive them in the parking so they kind of get the feel of it.”
As more warm weather approaches, Scooters to Go anticipates a steep increase in business from people looking for a convenient way to travel around town.
“It’s economical, but it’s also fun just to get out there, slow down a little bit, and take a look around,” Woodyard said. “You get to see more things on a scooter.”
Scooters to Go
216 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing


text:
In the aftermath of the devastation in Japan Israelis fear a shortage in the ingredients of Sushi.
Dudi Afriat of the Rakuto Kasei company:
“There may be a shortage of sushi components, but we are still studying the situationâ€¦ We’ll be wiser once the situation in Japan stabilizes and the reconstruction beginsâ€¦I assume we’ll know if there is going to be a shortage in the coming week. The main fear is of a shortage of the Kikkoman soy sauce. One Kikkoman factory in Japan was damaged and there have been delays in the supply, but we hope it won’t stop the regular chain of supply.”
“Most of the containers arrive in Israel from the US, but the entire management is in Japanâ€¦At the moment, it’s very difficult communicating with them. There are a lot of disruptions. Yesterday I spoke with our contact in Japan, and he said it took him 10 hours to get to the office from homeâ€¦So at the moment the situation is unclear, and it all depends on the Japanese. I trust them, because they love the soy sauce more than we do. My only fear is that they’ll have to import Kikkoman from the US, and that will affect the imports to Israelâ€¦About 85% of the soy sauce used in Israel is Kikkoman. This is a very unusual figure in the worldâ€¦Israeli chefs feel very connected to this product. After the tsunami I received phone calls from hysterical people fearing a shortage of Kikkoman.”
Other products that could be affected due to problems in importing or damaged factories are miso (traditional Japanese seasoning), pickled Japanese pumpkin and cabbage, and certain kinds of seaweed. A deficiency could also be felt in the wasabi supply.
“The Japanese food unit in Israel has grown by some 800% in the past five or six yearsâ€¦Five years ago, there were up to 20 sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv. Today there are more than 130. A survey we conducted recently revealed that sushi is the No. 2 take away food in Israelâ€¦Kikkoman, the world’s biggest commercial brand, has an amazing infiltration level. It can be found in one-third of Israeli households, and itâ€™s clearly a Japanese product. Surprisingly, we bring real naturally fermented soy sauce, which costs much more than other types of soy available in stores, and Israelis still appreciate and purchase itâ€¦We import 900 kilograms (1,984pounds) of Kikkoman bottles a year, and 54 tons of rice for sushi a month. It’s an amazing amount. Tel Aviv is the fifth city in the world in the consumption of sushi per capita, and fourth in the world in the number of sushi restaurants per capita.”
March 23, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Many of sushi’s basic components come from Japan or are imported through the battered countries.As Japan faces a nuclear catastrophe, Its not surprise anymore about shortage supply.


text:
Dive Expeditions to the Titanic to Begin in May 2018
Numerous Titanic fans will be happy to hear about the beginning of dive tours to the famous shipwreck in May 2018. The expedition participants will have a unique chance to descend more than two miles (3.2 km) below the surface of the Atlantic to explore the Titanic and it’s surroundings. What’s more, this could well be one of the last opportunities to visit the site, since, according to a 2016 study, the extremophile bacteria can eat the shipwreck away inside 15 or 20 years. Don’t rush to pack your bags though. The tour to the legendary Titanic is an ultimate in luxury travel. Participants will have to pay a whopping $105,129 per person, the exact price of the only voyage aboard the Titanic, adjusted for inflation.
So what do you get for your money?
A journey to the sunken Titanic in itself is an exceptional opportunity. Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions says:
“Since her sinking 105 years ago, fewer than 200 people have ever visited the wreck, far fewer than have flown to space or climbed Mount Everest. This is an incredible opportunity to explore one of the most rarely seen and revered landmarks on the planet.”
What’s more, the Blue Marble Private, a luxury travel company organizing the tour, has created an exciting and illuminating itinerary. Tourists, known as Mission Specialists, will be offered the following:
- Helicopter or seaplane flight from St. John’s in Newfoundland to the expedition support yacht above the wreck.
- Three days learning about the ship’s workings and how to operate the sonar and underwater navigation systems.
- Three potential days of diving in a purpose-built titanium and carbon-fiber submersible.
- The opportunity to spot all kinds of unusual and colorful marine life during the 90-minute descent.
- Three hours exploring different regions of the 269-meter-long wreck, including the deck, the bow, the bridge, the cavern where the grand staircase was once located, and a massive debris field, home to numerous artifacts from Titanic.
- An ability to see 3D and 2D sonar scans of the ship's giant boilers, enormous propellers, and other landmarks.
Despite the hefty price tag, all nine spots for the first trip have already been booked. Blue Marble is also planning further expeditions for the summer of 2019.
Although tourists have rarely visited the wreckage before, this is not the first, nor the only expedition to Titanic. The last was a group in 2012, hosted by Deep Ocean Expeditions at a cost of $59,000 per person. There is also a Los Angeles-based luxury-travel company Bluefish taking reservations for their 2018-19 tour.
Would you like to visit Titanic? Leave your opinion in the comments below.


text:
Winner: Bold Bean Co
An obsession with beans set Bold Bean Co founder Amelia Christie-Miller on a mission to launch a brand in a staid category that had remained virtually unchanged for 50 years.
Bold Bean’s lineup of jarred, cooked beans rolled into Waitrose in 2022, following a Planet Organic launch in 2021. The brand is focusing on the humble bean as a champion ingredient in helping to reduce meat consumption.
Christie-Miller has herself cultivated a cult-like following thanks to the power of social media marketing, creating buzz around bean-centred recipes with the hashtag ‘beanspo’.
Her next mission is to re-educate consumers on the numerous benefits of eating legumes and create a nation obsessed with beans.
Judges praised her “ingenuity and fresh approach” in bringing excitement to beans and taking them into the 21st century.
M&S Food wins Grocer of the Year for the first time in its history
- Currently reading
Bold Bean Co brings new life to staid category


text:
Sure, Palm is soon to become a division of HP and the company’s WebOS software platform is expected to power everything from slate PCs to web-connected printers soon. But that doesn’t mean that Palm isn’t already working on new smartphones and an updated version of WebOS for mobile phones.
Speaking on a conference call yesterday, a Palm representative confirmed that the company has “more devices in the works” and that the company has a new version of the OS coming.
That’s about it for now. We don’t have any details. It sounds like we might not see those new devices and the new software until next year, but that’s not 100% clear from the statement.


text:
Peabody, MA -(BusinessWire)- Energi, a provider of risk management and insurance programs for the energy industry, is now offering prepaid debit cards for workers compensation payments. Partnering with InsurCard, the leader in prepaid card programs for workers compensation, Energi will be able to offer its policyholders an easy, digital and complete payment solution for claims payments to injured workers and healthcare providers.
“While monitoring the latest claims technologies, we saw that issuing claim payment checks was no longer the most efficient solution available,” said Bob Woods, Energi SVP of Claims. “We weighed the needs of our policyholder network and saw an opportunity to enhance this process with an electronic solution. Using InsurCard eliminates the processing cost of paper checks and creates a fast, efficient claims process—while also providing claimants with maximum flexibility.”
The InsurCard prepaid card program is specifically tailored to fit the requirements of workers compensation benefit payments, and is the only prepaid card program that has state compliance approval for use in more than 42 states. Following the introduction of its InsurCard program, Energi is now exploring new ways to expand the use of prepaid cards to satisfy other indemnity payment needs.
“We’re constantly watching the market and our own business to continue growing and improving Energi,” said Brian McCarthy, Energi CEO. “When it comes to a solution like InsurCard, our teams are quick to identify the advantages and adapt our business processes. Using InsurCard, we’re able to increase our efficiency and decrease our costs, while also providing a solution that benefits claimants.”
With the InsurCard payment program, injured workers and healthcare providers instantly have access to funds with no time delay for check clearance. The prepaid debit card solution eliminates check cashing fees, risk of theft and the need for bank accounts or forms, and cards are accepted at automated teller machines and merchants worldwide.


text:
When asked about a strongly rumoured updated Kindle, a spokesperson for Amazon told The New York Times: "Don't believe everything you read. There is a lot of rumour and speculation out there about Kindle.
"One thing I can tell you for sure is that there will be no new version of Kindle this year. A new version will come out sometime next year at the earliest."
Made to wait
This announcement has prompted some members of the press to speculate that the UK will never actually see the old version of the Kindle; instead we will have to wait until next year when the update is released.
In his blog, technology correspondent for the Guardian, Jack Schofield wrote: "This could also mean that the UK launch is some way away, based on my assumption that Amazon will "go global" only when it has a revised and probably cost-reduced new model."
He does mention that his assumption could "be wrong", but this does seem an obvious step for Amazon, who will have to compete with two other e-book readers that are already sold in the UK, iRex's the iliad, sold in Borders bookstores, and Sony's newly launched Reader, sold in Waterstones.
We have contacted Amazon to clear up the rumour and speculation, and will update as soon as we receive a response.
The actual market for e-books is burgeoning at the moment, with just last week Random House announcing that sales of e-books for this year is almost double of last year – up 58 per cent.
But it's not just the likes of Sony's Reader and the Kindle that are pushing this market, as other media devices such as Apple's iPhone can be used to 'read' e-books.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.
Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.