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TORONTO — ACTA couldn’t make it any more clear.
The association’s 7-point plan for travel agency and travel agent support and recovery “comes out at every single meeting with the government,” ACTA President Wendy Paradis told Travelweek in a recent interview.
For months now, since the very start of the pandemic, ACTA has been lobbying on behalf of travel agents and travel agencies as the retail travel industry works to survive the blunt force trauma of the pandemic, unprecedented in scope and with no end yet in sight.
Those 7 priorities are:
1. Extension of the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and Employment Insurance (EI) programs
2. Aid to cover commission recall
3. Increase and extension to Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
4. Amendments to and extension of the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)
5. Ensure HASCAP and other support programs such as the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) and the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan programs, work for all ‘hardest hit’ businesses including home-based, independent travel agent businesses
6. Work with industry to develop clear criteria for re-opening borders and easing travel restrictions, through rapid testing and establish vaccine documentation options to reduce or eliminate the 14-day quarantine
7. Incentivize travel through tax credits and promote travel agents
ACTA’s entire plan can be found here.
Our interview with Paradis comes as the industry waits to see if the airline industry bailout will be included in the April 19 federal budget – and more importantly for agents, if that bailout will protect commissions from what could be up to $200 million in commission recalls, in the wake of mass airfare refunds.
After all of ACTA’s tireless work on behalf of travel agents and travel agencies, we mentioned to Paradis that now all ACTA could do was wait.
“There’s no waiting,” answered Paradis. “We have been intensely lobbying for a year now. We can’t sit back and wait. We are in the middle of their discussions all the time. We are meeting with everyone we can, to ensure that travel is part of that budget. This is budget season.”
In February 2021 Paradis indicated that in ACTA’s talks with the Ministry of Finance, which had taken over the bailout discussions from the Ministry of Transport, the narrative had moved from ‘if’ to ‘how’ travel agent commission will be protected from recalls. It was a glimmer of good news for travel retailers in an extremely difficult year.
This week ACTA put out an urgent call for travel agents to complete a 5-minute survey that will make a big difference for lobbying efforts, says Paradis.
Responses are needed by the end of this week. The survey is gathering travel agent feedback on the financial sustainability of the retail travel sector and what it will look like without expanded and enhanced aid past June.
The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/
Our eight questions for Paradis, and her responses, are below…
Q. What are you hearing from agents right now?
Paradis: “The number one thing we’re hearing from all travel advisors is that the situation is still a crisis, a catastrophe. We are hearing that message loud and clear. Revenues are still down 90 – 100% for most travel agents and travel agencies. That said, there is some interest in future travel, for 2022 and 2023 and some in later 2021. From agency owners and leaders, we’re hearing that 90% of travel agents across Canada are furloughed or receiving aid and have been for almost a year. The vast majority of independent travel advisors are on CRB.”
Q. What are you hearing from the federal government?
Paradis: “Where we are now, and what we’re saying to the government, is that we need to start having real conversations about a recovery plan. The financial situation for travel agents is dire. We need enhanced aid to survive. We’re going to need aid right until the end of 2021, or 90 days after travel restrictions are eased.
“When we’re talking to the federal government, they’re not challenging us, they certainly understand the impact that the pandemic has had on the travel industry. But they haven’t used the words ‘sector-specific support’.
“When, not if, consumer refunds are mandated, our formal ask is that any funding that’s given must include travel agent commission protection. Agents are facing up to $200 million in commission recalls. Only 15% has been recalled so far.
“The government has told us, ‘We hear your message loud and clear. We understand the impact. Please know your concerns are part of every discussion’.
“ACTA had a meeting with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra on March 30 and he said the travel restrictions will be lifted based on what’s going on. He said ‘we can’t give you a date’.
“There is light at the end of this very dark tunnel, even if it’s not moving as quickly as we’d like. The rollout of the vaccine is critical to us recovering.”
Q. Do you think the April 19 federal budget will include the airline industry bailout announcement?
Paradis: “I would have expected it would have happened much earlier. In my opinion, I would expect that it will.”
Q. What’s your take on vaccination passports?
Paradis: “Several industry groups – ACTA is a member of all of these – like the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, and Travel Again – are all talking about this issue, about digital health certificates (DHCs).
“The controversy lies in where they might be applied. But in my opinion, when it comes to restarting international travel, DHCs are going to be vital. Japan just started a DHC pilot project. The EU has its Digital Green Pass proposal. The WHO already has standards in place.
“This is happening. These tools already exist and they’ve existed for decades. When I was a travel agent, I remember checking [IATA’s] Timatic to see which countries required yellow fever vaccinations. It’s the WHO’s International Certificate of Vaccination. We all know it as ‘the Yellow Card’.
“Now the question is, how do we have a harmonized approach? I think there will be harmonization. There just might be more than one tool. It’s expected there will be a lot of tools out there. IATA’s Travel Pass is one of them. But in the background they’ll all be doing the same thing.”
Q. In addition to the CEWS and CERS extensions, and the bailout talks, what are ACTA’s top priorities right now?
Paradis: “The two priorities we’re focusing on right now are travel agency solvency, and the restart of the travel industry.
“We have to focus on travel agency solvency to ensure there is a travel industry going forward. We have been intensely lobbying for a year. We’re lobbying every province as well. The waiving of TICO fees in Ontario, and OPC fees in Quebec, we were happy with that. We weren’t as fortunate in B.C., but new grants in B.C. can be used towards the fees. ACTA reached out to all of its members in B.C. to let them know they can tap into that money.
“As for restarting travel, the governments are very worried about the variants. They truly believe now is not the time to be travelling outside of Canada. We feel that while now is not the time to travel, now is the time to start planning the restart.”
Q. Just like the pandemic has changed the way people see travel agents, it’s also changed the way many in the travel industry see ACTA. ACTA has done an incredible job advocating for travel agents over the past year. What are some of your proudest moments over the past 12 months as a member of the ACTA team?
Paradis: “The amount of aid we’ve been able to get into the hands of travel agents and travel agencies, that’s quite an accomplishment. Also the way we leveraged our relationships with other associations to help secure that aid. CEWS was going to be 10%. We were able to get 75% by leveraging those relationships. The power of working together in this incredible time of need and leveraging those relationships has been a huge win for travel agents, travel agencies and the rest of the travel industry.
“ACTA and especially ACTA’s VP Advocacy and Member Relations, Heather Craig-Peddie, have built up very strong relationships with key government ministries and key policy developers. Being able to pick up the phone and talk to them has been huge for us. Heather has done an amazing job.
“Also the way that travel agents, agency managers, owners and other agency leaders have come together, we are mobilized. There have been thousands of meetings. There have been tens of thousands of letters written, from travel agents, agency managers, everyone. I think it is incredible, the engagement, the amount of work our community has done to get loud and noticed. We are everywhere.”
Q. Is ACTA membership over the past year up, down or steady? Is lack of funds for membership fees a challenge for struggling agencies?
Paradis: “The vast majority of ACTA members have renewed their membership. That’s incredible. They also said, ‘whatever I can do, call on me’. They’ve not only paid but they’re also giving their time, and we really appreciate that. All travel agents and travel agencies benefit from ACTA’s advocacy, whether they’re members or not. In order to continue the work that we do, we need as many travel agent members as possible.”
Q. What is ACTA’s message for agents?
Paradis: “With the vaccinations, and the testing, and the discussions about digital health certificates (DHCs), I really believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. I do believe we’ll start progressing faster than we have been. Recovery is coming. Because people want to travel, they want to be vaccinated before they travel and they want to work with a professional, the role of the travel agent is going to be more important than ever.”


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Inspiring, exciting, and innovating. These aren’t the words I would have previously used to describe eBay, a company that’s been met with growing frustration from their sellers, and resistance from its long-time American consumers. In an unofficial poll of consumers, they expressed an aversion to eBay (when compared to Amazon) because its marketplace of selling individuals, which they’re reluctant to trust. As Devin Wenig, CEO of eBay, explained in his breakout talk, however, eBay is going to turn these individualistic sellers into their biggest asset: by telling customers stories.
Las Vegas is the city that boasts, “whatever happens here, stays here”. This was a sentiment that was not shared by eBay OPEN attendees. The eBay OPEN conference produced a sense of excitement and anticipation at every turn, promising new features, outlooks, and leadership, but more importantly: a strategy of taking this energy outside Las Vegas and into the homes of people of expanded demographics and geography than ever before.
Despite long-time frustration with eBay and its complicated interface and arduous catalog of products, you could feel the electricity generated by attendees in the halls of the conference area. Presentations given by CEO Devin Wenig, SVP Hal Lawton, and CMO Suzy Deering energized the crowds and gave a sense of some long-awaited forward momentum. One attendee, Jim Miller, left a Facebook comment after Wenig’s talk, “The size and energy of this event reminds me of the first eBay Live event in Anaheim. Encouraged by Devin’s long-term view.”
A Chat With CEO Devin Wenig
Training sessions ranged from the general to more advanced, which gave an opportunity for businesses at every stage looking for insight and solutions. One such workshop was, “Create Listings That Sell”, which had sessions for both beginning and advanced sellers. In addition, there were other more general workshops including streamlining customer service, managing after the sale, and shipping 101.
Perhaps the most important session, however, was the address and pep talk given by CEO Devin Wenig. In his lecture, he let attendees in on some of eBay’s plans for creating a new experience for customers, and a progressive business model for sellers. Wenig explained how he is moving forward to not only catch eBay up to their eCommerce competitors, but become the best comparison shopping experience in the world.
The Root of the Problem
Wenig admits eBay has fallen short in multiple ways when it comes to competing in eCommerce. He admits it’s unacceptable how expensive and complicated selling on eBay can be for sellers, and how the billions of items found on eBay are complicated and not easily consumed for shoppers. He promised upcoming changes that will make these struggles a thing of the past.
While expressing some of these shortcomings, he explained that eBay started with simple “collections and curations” and he hopes to finally grow past that — and begin to tell stories. He promised, “you will start to see product reviews evolve more quickly to something you won’t find anywhere else, on any eCommerce site,” then added, “But stay tuned for that.”
“Those Who Tell Stories Rule the World”
Wenig was a powerful speaker, infusing jokes and ambitions that generated praise and applause from the crowd. What was perhaps most powerful was his demonstration of passion for both eBay customers and sellers. He explained how much he’s enjoyed getting to know sellers on a personal level while learning their struggles and successes at conference dinners. Wenig encourages sellers to get these stories into the ears of customers, “if our shoppers heard that story, they would buy. So why don’t we let you tell that story?”
So what does becoming a “storyteller” mean for you and your business? It’s a good time to remind yourself of the marketing mantra to, “think global, act local”, because the future of eBay is going to get a lot more personal. eBay wants sellers to connect more intimately with their customers, which means creating an experience on your page to engage customers and “de-commoditize”. Some ways to do this would be providing a company video, which shows the faces behind your products, or maybe a regularly updated blog.
Wenig goes on further to explain that he plans to convert simple purchases on eBay into customer experiences. He wants sellers to begin telling stories to customers about unique items. Movements like this have been made with companies like Amazon who have begun selling KickStarter products and handmade goods. More eCommerce companies are seeing the benefit of integrating these products into their catalog and making these unique products more accessible to eager consumers.
In his address, Wenig promised new exciting categories in late summer and touted the growing success of their wine launch earlier this year. He also promised continued efforts in cross-border trading, while revealing and reminding sellers that eBay is number one, two, and three in online sales in Turkey.
Wenig admitted that in the past, eBay hadn’t focussed enough attention into Millennials. In recognition of their immense buying power, and desire to experience online shopping differently than their parents, he assured eBay would reflect these needs in the near future. In addition, he also assured increased aggression into other new demographics and geographies.
At the end of his talk, he began explaining how eBay is branching out from basic eCommerce— as exhibited in its 2007 purchase of StubHub. He showed his enthusiasm for other brand extensions like his “taking bets” on artificial intelligence and other ventures. He explains, “This is a competitive landscape, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.”
New Things on eBay’s Horizon
Among the many exciting lectures given at the eBay OPEN conference, there was also some other big announcements, which got everyone pretty hyped up.
- Sellers can advertise on eBay— potentially at no charge. While you still bid on eBay advertisements, you will only pay when the click converts into a sale.
- In an effort to repair relationships and grow eBay into the eCommerce giant Devin Wenig sees the company being, eBay announced a forgiveness program in the fall that will reconnect with sellers that have been previously suspended.
- They reworked and renamed an old tool and gave new bulk listing functionality (Seller Hub).
- In the fall they’ll be making it easier for sellers to find needed information by creating a central location for sellers to access it.
- On July 26th, for the start of the conference, eBay launched a significant mobile app update, which has been met with enthusiasm.
- eBay will launch a national television campaign on August 1st, in an effort to reach their goals of an expanded customer base.
The Biggest Winners
At the end of the conference, The Shine Awards offered an opportunity for eBay to pat their loyal sellers on the back. We wanted to give a shoutout to this year’s hard-working winners, who inspired everyone in attendance:
- Woman Small Business Owner: Tanya Crew, Motorcycle-Works.
- Growing Business: Spencer Apland, 541-Motorsports.
- Global Business: Neha Gajwani, Smack-Tom.
- Charitable Business: Lauralee Lindholm, Heart for Ethiopia.
- Family Business: William Wolstenholme, Rhode Island Internet Consignment and Sales.
- Grand Prize: Laurie Wong, ReflectionsfromTrinity
Overall I feel like the conference gave me insight into what some of today’s eBay sellers are facing. True to Wenig’s conjecture, I was inspired by the accounts I heard from sellers and believe these stories are what will propel eBay forward. I went to this conference skeptical of how much I would get out of it, and came back with a renewed faith that eBay can restore trust and be a viable marketplace for sellers again. Inspired, excited and believing eBay can offer the innovation they’re promising, I look forward continued growth under Wenig, who promises, at eBay, “everyone gets their version of perfect.”

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The Japanese fintech Payy, which operates in the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) space, is considering an IPO, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT).
BNPL has grown into a crowded global market and has seen big players including Klarna from Sweden, Affirm from Silicon Valley and PayPal.
Paidy has 6 million followers, many of them women between the ages of 18 and 34. And while BNPL has started to take off in Japan, it is becoming slower there than assumed on a global scale. On a global scale, the BNPL has risen sharply due to the shift towards e-commerce and digital payments during the pandemic.
Paidy’s services allow users to access postpay so buyers can pay for one month’s purchases over the next month. The company launched a new service that allows consumers to split the cost of a payment into three installments free of interest, which is the first time in Japan, according to the report.
The company is known as the “unicorn” and is supported by companies such as trading house Itochu, PayPal and Goldman Sachs, the report said.
The report says that market participants and investors are expecting Payy to likely file an initial public offering in Tokyo this year. However, the company has said there is no real schedule for a listing this year.
“We have access to capital. In our business, having access to lines of credit is also important, which is what we do, but at the same time every company matures and comes to the point where it makes sense to be a public company, ”said Russell Cummer, Founder of Paidy. said the Financial Times.
The BNPL space has grown denser as Amazon enters the industry with a new partnership with Affirm that could allow it to add more payment methods for customers.
See more: Amazon moves into the BNPL area with Affirm Partnership
NEW PYMNTS DATA: 58 PERCENT OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES USE CRYPTO CURRENCY
Above: Despite their price volatility and regulatory uncertainty, new PYMNTS studies show that 58 percent of multinationals are already using at least one form of cryptocurrency – especially when transferring money across borders. The new survey on Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Global Business, a collaboration between PYMNTS and Circle, polls 500 executives and examines the potential and pitfalls crypto faces on its way into the financial mainstream.


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There is actually no term however on whether the nation will certainly start accrediting overseas drivers, yet lots of locals remain to gain access to offshore betting web sites. In a field worth numerous bucks annually, it might be actually a practical selection for the New Zealand federal government to take into consideration moderating all types of on-line gaming tasks.
New Zealand and also Australia are actually preferred places for internet casino site as well as online gaming designers. For years, Button Corporation was actually the only provider accredited for on-line wagering in the nation, yet the authorities has actually just recently enabled the New Zealand Lotteries Payment to introduce its very own internet video gaming internet site. The New NZ Lottery web site enables gamers to acquire tickets on the web and also participate in various other internet gambling enterprise video games, a large action ahead for the New Zealand betting market.
The nation’s existing internet gaming legislations specify that the only business which manage to give world wide web wagering companies to homeowners are actually those moderated due to the federal government. As it stands up, the only pair of drivers made it possible for to carry out therefore are actually button Corporation as well as the New Zealand Lotteries Payment. It is actually certainly not unlawful for locals to join on the web live roulette, internet ports as well as various other online casino video games given through global drivers, however those drivers could possibly experience greats for providing their companies in the nation.
Incredibly little bit of is actually learnt about New Zealand’s on the internet gaming market presently, however some researches have actually exposed a little bit of understanding. It appears that Maori people are actually extra very likely to wager online as 17% of all on-line bettors in the nation are actually of that certain decline. Various other research studies signify that youthful men of Oriental declination are actually additionally very likely to take part in internet wagering.
New Zealand and also Australia are actually prominent locations for on the internet gambling enterprise as well as online gaming creators. These 2 nations offer a market loaded with existing betting supporters, and also on the internet providers intend to maximize the option. Web gaming has actually presently ended up being pretty preferred in New Zealand, yet handful of simple facts are actually recognized this certain market, as the task possesses however to vist https://www.wiseworldseminars.com/ become totally managed.
The Complication Betting Base of New Zealand has actually explored in to the concern, posting a reality piece which highlights the attraction of on the internet betting in the nation. Depending on to the document, 8% to 10% of New Zealand citizens take component in some type of on-line wagering.
While New Zealand seems to be to possess extremely meticulous tips concerning on the internet video gaming, points seem to be to become transforming. For many years, button Corporation was actually the only provider accredited for internet betting in the nation, however the authorities has actually lately made it possible for the New Zealand Lotteries Percentage to release its personal on the internet pc gaming web site. The New NZ Lottery site permits gamers to obtain tickets on the web as well as participate in various other on-line casino site video games, a significant progression for the New Zealand betting market.


text: One plus Nord 2T 5G is going to launch in July. The exact launch date has not yet confirmed. The phone was recently launched globally and now the new edition of this phone will expand Nord series which is increasingly occupying an important space in One Plus portfolio. One Plus Nord 2T will be the first addition to the Nord series after launch of One Plus Nord 2 in July 2021. One Plus Nord 2T 5G will be powered by Media Tek Dimensity 1300 chipset with 80W with Oxygen OS12. It will come with a 6.43 inch 20:9 AMOLED screen with 1080×2400 resolution. The phone will come in two variants that is 8GB+128GB and 256GB+12GB. One Plus Nord 2T 5G will come with triple camera setup that features 50MP f/1.9 primary sensor with focal length of 24mm.


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Lewis Goodall 6pm - 9pm
Facebook changes company name to Meta as part of major rebrand
28 October 2021, 19:30 | Updated: 28 October 2021, 20:02
Facebook has revealed a new company name and brand, Meta.
The move is designed to represent the firm's broadening business portfolio beyond social networking, particularly as it pushes on with plans to develop the so-called metaverse, an online world where people can meet, play and work virtually, often using VR headsets.
It comes following a string of controversies that have followed the company's various ventures, particularly the main Facebook platform, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Whistleblower: Facebook makes hate ‘unquestionably worse’
While the wider company name is being rebranded to Meta, the core Facebook service will remain unchanged.
This is similar to how Google created a new parent company name, Alphabet, in 2015 to represent its shift beyond simply being a search engine.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the current brand is "so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future".
"Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse company and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we're building towards," he said in a virtual conference.
"We just announced that we were making a fundamental change to our company. We're now looking at and reporting on our business as two different segments, one for our family of apps, and one for our work on future platforms.
"And as part of this, it is time for us to adopt a new company brand to encompass everything that we do to reflect who we are and what we hope to build.
"I am proud to announce that starting today, our company is now Meta."
"With all the scrutiny and public debate, some of you might be wondering why we're doing this right now," he continued.
"The answer is that I believe that we're put on this earth to create. I believe that technology can make our lives better. And I believe the future won't be built on its own.”
“I know that some people will say this isn't a time to focus on the future. I want to acknowledge that there are important issues to work on in the present.
"There always will be. So for many people, I'm just not sure there ever will be a good time to focus on the future. But I also know that there are a lot of you who feel the same way I do. We live for what we're building, and while we make mistakes, we'll keep learning and building and moving forward.“
What is the Metaverse?
It is an online world where people can meet, play and work virtually, often using VR headsets.
Mark Zuckerberg said: “We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet. We’ll be able to feel present — like we’re right there with people — no matter how far apart we actually are.”
He said users will have online avatars that aren’t static images, they will be “living 3D representations of you” including expressions and gestures.
He said that it will allow people to gesture with their hands to each other, say words or “make things happen by thinking about them.”
‘Teleporting’ around the metaverse will be like clicking a link on the internet, he said.
He said that having a ‘physical body’ in a virtual space “opens up some completely new experiences.”
Zuckerberg added that it allows people to “effectively work from anywhere” letting people be “present no matter where they are, whether as a hologram sitting next to you in a physical meeting, or in a discussion taking place in the metaverse – that’s going to be a gamechanger.”


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Paytm hits $5 billion GMV, registers Rs. 120 crore worth of daily deals
The company is currently doing more transactions than the combined average daily usage of credit and debit cards in India, said Sudhanshu Gupta
With people being compelled to switch to non-cash mode after the demonetisation move, digital payments company Paytm has been witnessing over 7 million transactions worth Rs 120 crore a day, helping it cross USD 5 billion GMV sales, four months ahead of its target.
Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), which is an industry term for estimating the total worth of goods sold through a digital platform, for Paytm was USD 3 billion last year.
The Alibaba-backed company, which offers both mobile payment platform and e-commerce marketplace, said it is now witnessing about 7 million daily transactions worth about Rs 120 crore.
"Paytm is registering over 7 million transactions worth Rs 120 crore in a day as millions of consumers and merchants across the country try mobile payments on the Paytm payment platform for the first time," said, Paytm vice president Sudhanshu Gupta.
The company is currently doing more transactions than the combined average daily usage of credit and debit cards in India, he added.
Mobile wallet companies including Paytm have seen manifold growth in transactions and new users coming on board with people turning to digital platforms as serpentine queues outside ATMs continuing to hassle cash-strapped public.
Paytm has been able to serve over 45 million users in last 10 days alone and over 5 million new users added since the demonetisation drive, Gupta said.
"Offline transactions now contribute to over 65% of the overall business from 15% about six months ago. We are also working on expanding our merchant network by 150,000 additional merchants," he said.
Gupta added that the company has now crossed the overall USD 5 billion GMV milestone.
Over 10 lakh offline merchants across India accept Paytm for payment including taxis, autos, petrol pumps, grocery shops, restaurants, coffee shops, multiplexes, and parking.
Paytm has over 150 million mobile wallet users currently.The company has also waived off its 1% transaction fee for transferring money to the Bank for KYC-enabled merchants to facilitate this shift towards digital in merchant behaviour.


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Apple-Google fight is expected over future of TV
Another battle is brewing between Apple Inc. and Google Inc., and this time it may come into your living room.
SAN FRANCISCO - Another battle is brewing between Apple Inc. and Google Inc., and this time it may come into your living room.
One week after Google announced its bid for the hearts and eyes of America's TV viewers with Internet-based Google TV, its Silicon Valley rival is reportedly poised to overhaul its own offering, Apple TV.
The stakes are high. Whoever wins could play a leading role in one of the great technological transformations of recent memory by piping limitless video and other content from the Internet and television to the small screen. Americans spend several hours a day in front of their televisions, creating what some analysts estimate to be a $150 billion advertising market.
"A generation from now, people simply won't believe how limited the world of linear programming was, the same way people under 30 today can't relate to 12 channels and a knob," said Jim Lanzone, chief executive of Clicker.com, an Internet TV programming guide.
Nearly 40 percent of consumers said they wanted to connect their computers to their televisions to watch online video, according to a recent survey by Frank N. Magid Associates. Yet Internet television has remained largely a pipe dream for the brightest, richest technology companies including Microsoft Corp.
"It's much harder to marry a 50-year-old technology and a brand-new technology than those of us in the brand-new technology industry thought," Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt acknowledged last week.
The revamped Apple TV is likely to have features that will enable viewers to stream entertainment and content from the Internet, similar to Google TV, which is pushing a new generation of Internet-connected televisions and home entertainment devices that run on Google's Android software.
Google TV would enable viewers to quickly pull up on their TV photos, video, music and other content from the Web using on on-screen search box just like the box on its website.
Apple's new version of its TV set-top box may have many of the functionality found on its runaway success iPhone. It is also looking at slashing the price to $99 from $229, according to technology blog Engadget, which first reported on the prospects of the overhaul. It would also put the A4 processor that powers its computers under the hood.
When asked about the device, Apple said it did not comment on rumors and speculation.
"This is a critical time for Apple. Google made a play for TV that is much stronger than anything Apple has ever done," said Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey. "Apple has about a year to step up and offer an alternative before Google becomes the dominant provider of the television experience of the future."
Analysts say Google may get closer to merging the two media than any other previous attempt.
But there is a major potential stumbling block. Media companies could object to having their online video content streamed on Google TV because it could harm their traditional TV business.
Hulu.com, owned by Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, News Corp.'s Fox and General Electric Co.'s NBC, has blocked its content from other Web TV devices such as a set-top box from privately held Boxee and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 game console.
Another stumbling block is cost. Google's partners, Intel Corp. and Sony Corp., have not disclosed pricing.
Apple does not break out Apple TV sales, but has said they are on the rise.
"We're continuing to invest in it because our gut tells us there's something there," Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, said in February.
Apple released the original Apple TV in early 2007, positioning it as "a DVD player for the Internet Age," a device that allowed users to, in essence, connect their personal computer to their home theater systems. The current model contains a 160-gigabyte hard drive that can store 200 hours of video.
Apple TV has struggled to find commercial success in the crowded field of set-top boxes, instead remaining a product largely favored by Apple die-hards and relegated to niche status unlike Apple's blockbuster devices such as the iPad and iPhone.
But a smaller, lower-cost Apple TV could enable users to more easily take advantage of "the cloud," a model of computing in which user data and media files are stored on remote servers and accessed over the Web on demand.
If Apple TV connected to the iPhone and iPad, it would have access to a couple of hundred thousand applications developed for those platforms. Apple is building a giant data center and recently bought streaming-music service Lala.
Companies like Netflix and Google already enable users to watch movies and video by streaming them to their televisions in real time.
Rather than wait for hours for movies and TV shows to download to their local computers, users can simply press "play" and begin watching a film over the Web.
Apple TV already has a huge library of video content through its iTunes store, including 50,000 television episodes, and more than 10,000 movies. The device also enables viewers to find and watch clips from Google's YouTube video site.
"This would be a major step forward for Apple," VideoNuze analyst Will Richmond said. "Whether it's this product or something else, Apple is going to make another stronger run at television. It's inevitable."
(Guynn reported from San Francisco; Sarno reported from Los Angeles.)
(c) 2010, Los Angeles Times.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.


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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — HD Hyundai, a global leader in heavy industries, is teaming up with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to lead the innovation of future unmanned and autonomous construction sites. This collaboration was announced at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024.
Discover more on the future of construction innovation and groundbreaking solutions at HD Hyundai’s Official Website: www.hd-hyundai.com
Strategic Collaboration to Revolutionize the Future of Construction Sites
Bringing together HD Hyundai XiteSolution’s CEO and President, Dong-wook Lee, and VP of IoT, AWS, Yasser Alsaied, the ceremony marked a pivotal moment to elevate construction site safety and productivity. This collaboration underscores a commitment to increased automation and the establishment of unmanned operations.
HD Hyundai XiteSolution will collaborate with AWS to build a connectivity platform for HD Hyundai XiteSolution’s smart construction equipment. The platform will integrate next-generation construction equipment with core smart functions to enhance reliability and productivity. HD Hyundai anticipates a substantial productivity surge of 30-70% in construction site and improved safety by transitioning towards unmanned operations.
“With the largest cloud provider as our partner, we can accelerate innovation towards unmanned autonomous construction sites of the future. This collaboration marks a major milestone in HD Hyundai’s ongoing transformation beyond manufacturing into a comprehensive solutions provider,” stated Dong-wook Lee, CEO and President of HD Hyundai XiteSolution.
HD Hyundai will utilize AWS’ industry-leading cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and services, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning capabilities to build the smart construction solution. This solution will drive forward a suite of advanced features focused on boosting reliability, efficiency, and safety in HD Hyundai’s next-generation integrated construction models developed by HD Hyundai Construction Equipment and HD Hyundai Infracore, which are set to launch in 2025.
Expanding Horizons: Leveraging Data Insights for Construction and Offshore Innovations
Additionally, HD Hyundai will use AWS to further refine X-Wise Xite, an AI-powered construction site management solution showcased at CES 2024. This cutting-edge solution amalgamates data from construction equipment and sites, providing valuable insights to enhance productivity, reliability, and automation in construction processes.
HD Hyundai also looks to eventually expand the use of AWS to other business units, including ship-building and offshore operations. “We are excited to work with HD Hyundai and help them expand the scope of their construction equipment innovations using AWS IoT and other services,” said Yasser Alsaied, Vice President of IoT, AWS.
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai has been showcasing its ambitious infrastructure construction vision to a global audience during the four-day presence at CES 2024. This event provided an invaluable platform for HD Hyundai to foster enhanced collaborations with esteemed international entities. A notable highlight was the strategic alliance forged with CNH, a leading global agricultural machinery company, signifying HD Hyundai’s dedication to global market penetration with its advanced solutions.
About HD Hyundai
HD Hyundai (former Hyundai Heavy Industries Group) is a major South Korean conglomerate that serves as the world’s largest shipbuilding and heavy industries manufacturer. Its three core businesses are shipbuilding, heavy equipment, and energy. Shifting towards a holding company structure in March 2018, its intermediary holding companies consist of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai XiteSolution, and HD Hyundai Oilbank. Individually, they lead and oversee the core businesses with different subsidiaries specializing in each sector. Starting as a shipbuilding company in 1972 in a small fishing village in the southeast part of South Korea, HD Hyundai has acquired and expanded its business into related sectors with over 35,000 employees worldwide and total assets reaching nearly $59.5 billion (USD). Since its adoption of “Technology and Quality” as its core value, it is now progressing to become the most innovative solutions provider in all domains.
The information provided in this article was created by Cision PR Newswire, our news partner. The author's opinions and the content shared on this page are their own and may not necessarily represent the perspectives of Thailand Business News.


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Browsing all articles tagged with iTablet.
Wow it is like Christmas came early! Rumors are flying on the internet today, December 23, that the Apple tablet computer is going to be launched soon, perhaps as early as Tuesday, January 26th! (with delivery in March?) Apple has booked presentation space, reports the Financial Times, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts [...]


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Argentine trade opportunities with Russia healthy but no panacea
President Putin’s ban on US and EU food import amid Ukraine conflict can help but won’t solve major problems, say pundits
A ban which Russia clamped last month on food imports from the United States and the European Union as a retaliation for Western sanctions over its support for rebels in Ukraine, is providing a good opportunity for breadbasket Argentina, which rushed to send a trade mission to Moscow.
But it is unlikely to be a panacea for trade difficulties Argentina is facing.
Separately, economists talking to the Herald were split on the possibility of punishment by the US or the EU.
Before clamping the ban, Russian President Vladimir Putin in July made a six-day visit to Cuba, Brazil (where he attended the 6th BRICS trade bloc summit and a summit of the UNASUR South American Nations Union) and Argentina, where he declared that Moscow has a “strategic” relationship with the administration of Peronist President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
Two weeks ago Argentine Industry Minister Débora Giorgi led a trade mission to Moscow which also included private businessmen.
Giorgi highlighted that Argentina is the world’s seventh-largest exporter of powdered milk, the ninth-largest of poultry and the sixth-largest of wine while during over a decade under the late Néstor Kirchner and his successor Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina has doubled its dry pasta exports to US$300 million.
Giorgi invited Russian companies to invest in the energy sector in Argentina, a country which has some of the largest reserves of shale gas in the world.
“The potential of our reserves is unique. The whole region is importing goods to exploit those resources for US$75 billion and, in line with that, we are seeking to facilitate investment in the sector,” she said.
Daniel Funes de Rioja, the head of Argentina’s COPAL private food lobby, who was part of the mission, said that Argentina has a “sensational” opportunity to supply the Russian market, highlighting that in 2011 Argentina exported to the world US$30 billion in industrialized food. He added that that figure has now declined and that, as a result, the country has exportable surpluses now. The EU had been selling to Russia more than US$12 billion and the US an additional US$5 billion, he said, adding that Argentina was offering meal, olive oil, dairy produce and fruit.
The Argentine mission is scheduled to return to Moscow this month to attend a large food fair there.
During the August visit the head of the Russian Fitosanitary agency Sergei Dankvert said that Moscow wanted more Argentine dairy goods and beef.
The economists talking to the Herald were also at odds over the availability of the products Argentina has to offer Russia.
Félix Peña, an international economic relations pundit, said: “That there are countries interested in buying Argentine goods is always good news. The question is whether Argentina has them available, and what are the concrete economic terms.”
Orlando Ferreres, who was deputy Economy Minister during the tenure of the neo-conservative Peronist President Carlos Menem (1989-1999), said: “This may contribute to a more even trade balance, with Argentina selling cars and food and Russia selling Argentina energy. But it is no panacea.”
Economist Raúl Ochoa agreed.
“Within a context of loss of competitiveness and declining prices for its food commodities, the possibility of selling more to Russia is very good. It will help to mitigate the difficulties. But in no way it will be a solution,” he said.
Argentina is facing a clear loss of competitiveness, for instance, in the beef market, mainly due to bad government policies which force slaughterhouses to sell to the domestic market one out of every three tonnes they produce, he said.
He also said that Argentina will suffer in 2015 a steep fall of at least US$7.5 billion as compared to the 2013/2014 season.
“We are talking about soybean falling to US$400 from US$520. That is, a difference of US$120 per tonne. Multiplied by 54 million tones you have a US$6 billion decline. Maize in 2013/2014 was over US$200 a tonne and for next year it is expected to be between US$140 and US$150, which means a difference of between US$600 and US$700 million.”
Furthermore, the environment for agricultural contracts in Argentina is changing, Ochoa said.
“In the past, producers paid the landowner a rent. Now, the whole system has turned to percentages as nobody wants to run risks in the midst of such a hard price situation.”
Regarding beef, he added, Argentine ranchers will have to slaughter more cattle because otherwise they would have to reduce domestic supply and, as a consequence, figures are very tight. However, it has good potential to increase the poultry supply in three to six months, always providing the government starts relaxing controls on the beef market.
Regarding competitiveness vis-à-vis other breadbaskets such as Brazil, Ochoa said that Argentina, which has declined to 13th place as beef producer from having been in the 4th or 5th place, can hardly compete with its giant Brazilian neighbour which, although having a product of inferior quality to Argentina, is the world’s largest beef exporter, Ochoa said.
“There are markets for every cut, including the premium, and Argentina is not even properly serving its premium markets.”
Ferreres, for his part, highlighted that Brazil is facing difficulties ahead of October’s presidential election after the World Cup fiasco, with an economy almost in recession and an inflation somewhat over six percent “which is the maximum tolerated.” However, he added, although it is a much larger producer, it also has a much larger domestic market, with 200 million residents versus 40 million in Argentina, and, as a result, they have more or less the same surpluses, he added. He also said that the two countries were more or less on an equal footing regarding beef price and quality.
Separately, he said, Argentina could suffer some trade retaliation from the US and the EU for supplying the Russian market. However, he said that potential sanctions would not be likely to be harsh, considering that presidential elections are due next year and hence the new government could be given “an opportunity to make changes.”
Ochoa and Peña, for their part, did not see Argentina suffering retaliation.
“I don’t think so. Argentina’s trade participation (in the Russian market) would not be that significant for the US and the EU from the trading point of view,” Ochoa said.
“I don’t see any reason for them to punish Argentina, or any other supplier such as Brazil or Egypt,” Peña said. “This is a problem between Russia, on the one side, and the US and the EU on the other.”
As for the possibility of the giant Gazprom Russian energy monopoly coming to invest in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale gas fields, some experts said that Gazprom may choose instead to continue developing Russia’s mammoth conventional oil and gas reserves which are much cheaper to exploit than shale oil and gas.


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New Delhi: In a revolutionary step, Ola on Tuesday launched its e-rickshaw category on its mobile app. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will book the first e-rickshaw through the Ola App as part of the ‘Stand up India’ initiative.
“Will also flag-off 5100 e-rickshaws under MUDRA Yojana & interact with beneficiaries, besides inaugurating a Kaushal Vikas Kendra in Noida,” the Prime Minister tweeted earlier.
A total of 5100 e-rickshaws are slated to be distributed and 151 women are set to receive the vehicles by the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Modi, who will launch the ‘Stand up India’ scheme and its web portal at Sector 62 in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida city today, said earlier that the initiative would promote entrepreneurship among women, SC and ST communities.
“Today the ‘Stand up India’ initiative will be launched. This initiative will promote entrepreneurship among women, SC & ST communities,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
The launch event would involve distribution of 5100 e-rickshaws by Bhartiya Micro Credit (BMC) under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna scheme.
In addition, the recipients will also be covered under the Pradhan Matri Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana schemes and other eight significant schemes. (ANI)


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In his new position, Steven Taylor will lead the development and execution of strategic commercial initiatives and will sit on the executive management team.
Swan Hellenic has seen new ship SH Minerva leave Ushuaia on her maiden expedition cruise of the Antarctic. She will sail on a nine-day New Year celebration of discovery.
Discovery Princess set out to sea from the construction dock at Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, and was put through her paces with a series of tests of the steering, navigation and propulsion.
Viking has officially taken delivery of Viking Octantis, the first of two new purpose-built expedition ships. The delivery ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Vard shipyard in Søviknes, Norway.
The line confirms its health protocols, flexible booking policy, robust vaccination and testing requirements and return to independent ashore exploration will apply to all sailings through summer 2022.
AIDA Cruises has taken delivery of its newest cruise ship, AIDAcosma, from the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. It is the second newbuild powered by liquefied natural gas to join the line.
Carnival has reported a net loss of $2.6 billion for the fourth quarter of financial 2021. As of the end of November, the line said 61 per cent of its pre-Covid-19 capacity was operating.
Carnival Corporation celebrated the official launch in partnership with Shamal Holding following a strategic partnership signed in 2018 to develop the new cruise port.
Norwegian Cruise Line will become the first operator to seasonally homeport in Panama City. The company will be offering roundtrip Panama Canal voyages from next year.
A leader in media strategy, brand reputation and crisis communications, Bill Zucker brings more than 20 years of consulting experience to the executive position.
Holland America Line is tapping the digital expertise of Kacy Cole, naming her as the new vice president of marketing and e-commerce at the company.
MSC World Europa and MSC Euribia will become the first Liquified Natural Gas-powered vessels to join the MSC Cruises fleet next year - representing an investment of €3 billion in such ships.


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The update have been unplugged from McAfee’s servers and a fix is in the works
Folks at McAfee should be very busy now as a recent DAT update 5958 have
caused corporate Windows XP machines worldwide to shut down
The update deletes the svchost.exe file and triggers a
false-positive in McAfee software. The result? A series of restarts and loss of networking capability.
The update have been unplugged from McAfee’s servers
and a fix is in the works, consumers should not be affected.
Folks from Engadget have received a official note from McAfee:
moderate to significant performance issues on systems running Windows XP
Service Pack 3.
The faulty update has been removed from McAfee download servers for
corporate users, preventing any further impact on those customers. We
are not aware of significant impact on consumer customers and believe we
have effectively limited such occurrence.
Lets hope the problem will be resolved asap.
Update: Here is a manual fix (yes, you have to go PC by PC) if your corporate machine is affected
Click here for the knowledge base


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Sugoi is launching a new heat-regulating layering system and a new first layer for its cycling apparel.
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Residents of the hamlet in Soumans in the Creuse came up with the idea during a neighbourhood meal when they noted that, despite Creuse having four times more cows than people, there was no fresh milk available nearby.
First, they created an association and registered it with the chamber of agriculture, then 12 families bought Oasis, a three-year-old Jersey cow, from a local farmer who was closing down.
Philippe Peu, a member of the association, said: “When we went to see which cow we were going to choose, one headed over to us and licked our hand. It was Oasis – it was like she had chosen us.”
While the initial idea was simply for locals to enjoy fresh milk and cheese, Oasis has quickly become an integral part of the community.
Les Amis de La Chassagne now numbers 24 families, virtually all the village, all of whom benefit from Oasis’s milk. Members have established a milking rota, which Mr Peu says works well, with an experienced villager showing the others what to do, and they often share recipes for cheese and other dairy products.
Oasis is now producing around 13 litres of milk a day. The association says on its Facebook page that the adoption of Oasis “has allowed us to create links, exchanges, sharing – in short, more conviviality between us in a difficult and morose period.”


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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 coming to Vodafone UK post MWC
Vodafone seemingly confirm Galaxy Tab 2 arrival
Vodafone has teased the imminent arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 with the mooted Android 3.0 tablet device seemingly bound for the red-hued network in the UK.
Creating a whirlwind of speculation, Vodafone UK today posted a link on its official Facebook page pointing followers to an article suggesting the Android 3.0, Honeycomb, OS is to touch down on the next generation Samsung tablet.
Adding fuel to the fire the Vodafone post read: "There are some great Android smartphones in the pipeline - Nexus S, Xperia Play and LG Optimus 3D - with more coming to Vodafone soon. But Android's just about to get even bigger with the launch of the first Honeycomb tablets around the corner."
Whilst this Facebook post makes no reference to the network supporting any such future tablets, there seems no feasible reason why Vodafone would draw its followers' attentions to this article without an ulterior motive with future road mapping in mind.
It is widely expected following a number of seemingly conclusive conference timeline leaks that Samsung will officially unveil the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 alongside the Samsung Galaxy S 2 during this Sunday’s Mobile World Congress opening conference.
Will the second-generation Galaxy Tab make bigger and better strides to tackling the dominance of the Apple iPad? Let us know what you think via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds and stay tuned to T3.com for all the latest live from MWC 2011 and the Samsung press conference.


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Euro Bus Expo celebrates a boost in industry orders and visitors
1 November 2012 - Organisers of the coach and bus trade show, Euro Bus Expo, have heralded the event a success with an increase in visitor numbers and the announcement of industry orders worth around £250 million.
More than 9,200 industry professionals attended the three-day show held in Birmingham, UK – an increase of 5% since the last show held in 2010.
The event was opened by UK Transport Minister and MP, Norman Baker, who reinforced the importance of the biennial show to the coach and bus industry by using it to announce £20 million of government money for the fourth round of Green Bus Funding.
Among the manufacturers and suppliers using the show to announce orders was ADL which announced that it has won orders worth £220 million for almost 1,000 vehicles to be delivered in the next 18 months.
The Scottish-based company also announced that its coach builder in Scarborough had won a £13 million order to supply a fleet of 71 coaches to the UK Ministry of Defence. EvoBus (UK) announced a £7 million order for 30 Setra coaches for Shearings Group.
Leading industry figures attending the show included Shadow Transport Minister and MP, Lilian Greenwood and Senior Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell. Overseas visitors included a senior delegation led by the Minister of Transport for the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“The combination of a quality show, an increase in visitor numbers, some major orders, and the announcement by the Minister for new funding in the industry, makes Euro Bus Expo 2012 one of the most successful industry shows for some time,” said Show Director, Mark Griffin. “These are still challenging and tough times for the industry so we are delighted both with the support for the show from the 280 exhibitors and the tremendous response from industry professionals who took time out to come to Birmingham. The fantastic news of £250 million of business being announced this week will give a major boost across the supply chain in the bus and coach industry. I have no doubt that our industry will be able to create more jobs as a result of the business that will be forthcoming into next year and beyond which is fantastic news for the economy.”


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BAT promises a more environmentally clean smoke
British American Tobacco (BAT) Korea plans to implement solutions to proactively address environmental issues related to tobacco and its production.
The company hosted BAT Innovation Day on Tuesday, where it announced plans “to bring transformation to the tobacco industry with its focus on innovation behind its brands and products.”
In line with the goal, the company recently released the new Kent Double Fresh, which it says utilizes “technological know-how and innovation.”
It is slim, has the soft taste and is low-tar, according to BAT.
The product is produced at its factory in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang.
“We will preemptively respond to the environmental responsibility of our product manufacturing,” said Kang Seung-ho, head of manufacturing at the BAT Sacheon Factory, during a virtual press event held on Tuesday.
Its production site at the company’s Sacheon Factory in South Gyeongsang was revealed virtually on Innovation Day.
“To this end, we plan to build 'A Better Tomorrow' by a series of investments – including the installation of solar power generation facilities, enforcement of recycling through wastewater purification and ensuring zero landfill waste,” Kang said.
BAT Korea plans to expand non-combustible products in line with the group’s ambition to build “A Better Tomorrow.”
“We will seek ways to reduce the impact of increasing product sales on the environment and society and reflect these in communication with adult smoking consumers to conduct responsible marketing,” said Jung Min Yu, Head of Offline Activation at BAT Korea.
BY JIN MIN-JI [firstname.lastname@example.org]


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Micropayments startup SatoshiPay has announced it intends to phase out its use of the bitcoin blockchain as the underlying technology that enables its transactions.
Announced today, SatoshiPay has partnered with the IOTA Foundation, a non-profit that oversees network development, to explore replacing bitcoin with IOTA as its settlement network. SatoshiPay has been relying on the bitcoin network to settle payments since its product launch in 2015.
Still, in that time, the economics of the bitcoin network have undoubtedly changed.
According to CoinDesk's forthcoming State of Blockchain report, the average transaction fee was around $2.41 per transaction during Q2, up from below $0.02 in 2015.
SatoshiPay CEO Meinhard Benn wrote:"We love bitcoin for its pioneering role in the creation of our industry, but some blockchain networks it inspired have evolved faster than bitcoin itself, so we decided to move on to superior technology."
The IOTA network, the 8th largest cryptocurrency by the total value of its supply, by contrast, claims zero-fee transactions and does not limit the number of transactions per second of its processing, features the IOTA Foundation said make it unique among available cryptocurrencies.
According to a blog post, the IOTA Foundation and SatoshiPay agreed to work on a proof-of-concept project, to be supported by the IOTA Ecosystem Fund, which would combine SatoshiPay’s content payment interface with IOTA's technology.
The results of the joint proof-of-concept are expected to be presented in August 2017, according to the IOTA foundation.
Notably, SatoshiPay is not the only startup to switch from bitcoin to another blockchain because of issues with the escalating costs of micropayments.
In May, blockchain content startup Yours announced that it would switch to the litecoin citing similar concerns.
Jar of pennies via Shutterstock...


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The world’s first artificial beef burger was launched with a classic quote.
“It tastes more like an animal-protein cake,” said Josh Schonwald, a Chicago-based author and one of two tasting volunteers at a presentation in London earlier this week.
The second tester, Austrian nutritionist Hanni Rützler, said, “It’s close to meat. It’s not that juicy. The consistency is perfect, but I miss salt and pepper!”
H-m-m-m. Not that juicy. Tastes like cake. But wait, there’s more.
Mark Post, the Dutch scientist whose team at Maastricht University in The Netherlands developed the burger, told reporters that, “Flavor was not a major concern. We are catering to beef eaters who want to eat beef in a sustainable way.”
Speaking of being detached from reality, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk weighed in on the pseudo-event. (Of course—as is their usual MO, PETA didn’t pony up any funding to support the initiative, but once Project Shamburger got off the ground, was quick to board the publicity bandwagon).
“As long as there’s anybody who’s willing to kill a chicken, a cow or a pig to make their meal, we are all for this,” Newkirk said. “Instead of the millions and billions (of animals) being slaughtered now, we could just clone a few cells to make burgers or chops.”
It’s expected that PETA, as always, would try to turn scientific inquiry into a morality play. Unfortunately, that mindset isn’t limited to an overtly activist organization.
Phys.org, a website devoted to the science of physics, which, I’ll admit, wasn’t exactly my personal passion in high school (or since), also jumped in with a lengthy post explaining why fake beef tissue cultured in a lab is so meaningful.
The site purports to be all about making physics accessible to laypeople, although it features such tabloid topics as the effect of color on emotions (mood rings, anyone?); the social life of dolphins (probably better than mine); and the “inside story” of a new Japanese supercomputer (question: can it diagnose my Honda’s idling problem?)
Maybe the juxtaposition of hard news and soft features explains why the Phys.org post swerved so easily between strict science and pure propaganda.
“The underlying idea behind laboratory-grown meat is sound,” the article stated. “The research is highly laudable, because what it promises is so desirable.”
Scientifically speaking? No, no, no.
“Meat-eating is morally problematic,” the story continued, “not only [because] an animal is killed for our benefit, but it’s undeniable that the quality of life of many of those animals is abysmal. Carnivores often have blood on their hands in more than the literal sense.”
And after that ethical detour, we now return you to the scientific analysis already in progress.
“Conventional meat-rearing is phenomenally environmentally destructive. It pits hungry humans and cattle in direct competition, meaning that the cost of survival for the poorest is higher than it would be in a vegetarian world. But, in addition, all that livestock has to live somewhere, and this contributes to massive deforestation. And it’s hard to forget the sheer amount of methane that ruminants produce.”
Test tube testimonial
It’s mildly entertaining to read yet another version of anti-ag talking points, but the best part is the website’s attempted rebuttal of the crticisms raised about mock meat.
First, the “Frankenfoods gambit,” as the first objection is ironically labeled: That artificial meat isn’t exactly “natural.” However, to the deep thinkers on Phys.org, that’s not a problem.
“All food production interferes with nature,” is the response. “Wheat, for example, is the result of thousands of years of selective breeding and is grown on land that has been systematically altered for the purpose.”
Priceless. When biotechnology is used to create new crop varieties, that’s an abomination, an affront to Mother Nature herself. But when equally sophisticated technology is used to “grow” artificial shamburgers, why, that’s called progress and if you’ve got a problem with it, go stuff some selectively altered wheat in your pipe and smoke it.
Next is cost, since the price tag on the one fake ’n bake burger produced to date has already exceeded $330,000. Solution? Mass production. “The initially high price of a product can fall a long way very quickly: A drug that might have cost thousands of dollars a decade ago might now cost pennies.”
I’ll leave aside the exquisite irony of choosing arguably the most egregious example of an industry that inflates the cost of its products through a variety of questionable schemes and simply note that the very concept of industrial production lowering unit pricing is violently opposed by anti-animal agriculture activists when it concerns what they deride as factory farming.
Finally, there’s the argument that imitation meat may “have unforeseen and undesirable consequences for [human] health.”
Oh, you mean like GMOs? Apparently not.
“There’s no reason to expect that this would be the case,” the article stated. “Lab grown meat is meat. It’s not a product cooked up from chemicals in a bottle.”
What?? Did that sentence actually appear on a scientific website? News flash: Shamburgers cultured from bovine stem cells in a giant petri dish filled with dissolved nutrients is EXACTLY “a product cooked up from chemicals in a bottle.”
If the Phys.org post is the best a supposedly scientific organization can do to gin up enthusiasm for artificial meat that isn’t juicy, doesn’t have much flavor and tastes like cake, I’ve got two words for Prof. Post and his veggie cheerleaders:
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dan Murphy, a veteran food-industry journalist and commentator.


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The CHESS replacement, which is expected to go live in 2021, is based on DLT software from Digital Asset Holdings (ASX is a part-owner of DAH).
Tech-focused Melbourne startup Blockbid has thrown down the gauntlet by offering worldwide, instant, no-verification signups, and unlimited withdrawals.
Stake will continue to challenge traditional banks and brokers on investing costs after closing a $3.5 million funding round to expand its base.
It is understood GBST’s board flipped its recommendation over the weekend and signed a new takeover agreement for the Australian fintech company with FNZ.
A Sydney fintech billing itself as the “Afterpay for legal fees” has seen its share price more than double on its first day on the ASX.


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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/17/2017 -- The global content analytics market has been driven in the recent past by the steady development of big data analytics, which has enhanced the utility of content analytics to enterprises. The intensifying competition in application sectors such as retail, telecom, BFSI, and manufacturing has thus made content analytics valuable, driving the demand from the global content analytics market at a steady pace.
The growing use of digital resources in various end use industries and the increasing acceptance and popularity of digital tools among the population is likely to enable steady growth of the content analytics market in the coming years.The global content analytics market was valued at US$2.5 bn in 2017 and is expected to grow to US$8.1 bn by 2022 at a strong 26.1% CAGR therein.
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The rising use of big data analytics for customer interaction and product advancement is likely to remain a major driver for the global content analytics market in the coming years. The growing use of digital information input channels is leading to rising use of big data analytics in the corporate sector, making content analytics ever more important.
Big data analytics are thus likely to remain important to the global content analytics market, especially due to the rising volume of unstructured data received by enterprises.Text analytics is likely to remain the dominant application of content analytics systems in the coming years due to the rising popularity of text input in various media, including but not limited to social media
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Accordingly, social media analytics is also likely to remain important for the global content analytics market in the coming years due to its growing popularity. Text content forms the bulk of the material processed in the content analytics due to its widespread use. Text analytics accounted for 24.3% of the global content analytics market in 2017 and is likely to retain a similar share through the 2017-2022 forecast period. The segment is expected to rise to a value of US$1,783.9 mn by 2022.North America is expected to dominate the global content analytics market in the coming years, with the regional market expected to exhibit a robust 26.5% CAGR in the 2017-2022 forecast period and rise to a valuation of US$2,547.5 mn by 2022.
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The North America content analytics market was valued at US$787.1 mn in 2017. The widespread presence of leading content analytics end users as well as developers is likely to enable steady dominance of North America in the global content analytics market in the coming years, as the telecom and retail sectors are likely to exhibit rapid growth in the region in the coming years. Content analytics are likely to be vital to players in these sectors due to the advantage it can provide against growing competition, making steady growth of the content analytics market likely in the coming years.
Europe accounts for more than a quarter of the global content analytics market at present, but is likely to witness a drop in its market share over the coming years. The Europe market is likely to drop 197 BPS over 2017 by 2022, but is likely to remain important to the global market due to widespread adoption of digital resources in the highly developed region.


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LAFAYETTE, La. – With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, One Acadiana (1A) is encouraging the community to shop locally and support the small businesses that keep the regional economy thriving, which is more important than ever during this tumultuous year.
To help give small businesses a boost, 1A launched the new “Shop Acadiana” campaign that aims to support small businesses throughout the holiday season.
“We want the small business community to know we are squarely in their corner,” said One Acadiana President and CEO Troy Wayman. “It is important to remember our friends, neighbors, and their families are running these businesses. They are the backbone of our community. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to support them during the holiday season, including using our voice to amplify their efforts.
“The ‘Shop Acadiana’ campaign is central to 1A’s commitment to creatively support our member and investor business during this challenging time,” Wayman added. “Over the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing their stories and spotlighting small retailers on our social media and encouraging the community to shop safe and shop local.”
Shoppers can find a detailed Holiday Shopping Guide with links to retailers throughout the nine-parish region, as well as helpful tips on how to show support for local businesses. Visit OneAcadiana.org/ShopAcadiana
About One Acadiana
One Acadiana is the leading economic development organization for the nine-parish Acadiana region located in south Louisiana. With more than 800 investors, members, and partners, One Acadiana serves as the voice of the regional business community. The organization is located in the city of Lafayette and serves a region of roughly 700,000 people with a vibrant culture and unique entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more at OneAcadiana.org


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Today sees the end of an era for Ford. After a hundred years of production in the U.K., the U.S. auto giant is closing its last vehicle assembly operation in Britain. The company is switching the manufacture of its Transit van to Turkey.
Ford stopped making cars in the U.K. more than decade ago and the closure of the van factory has been in the cards for a year or two. But the end of Transit van making in Britain today still comes as a shock.
The Transit is a British icon — much favored by plumbers, electricians and even bank robbers; it’s a bit of blow to national pride that Brits won’t be making them anymore.
“It’s a sad day both to see Ford leave the U.K. and to see Transit production going off to Turkey, given its iconic importance to the industry,” says Professor David Bailey of Coventry University Business School. “But from a cost point of view, you can see why Ford has done this.”
Ford’s Turkish facilities can produce ten times the number of vans as the British plant at a significantly lower cost.
Ford will still employ more than 10,000 people in Britain making engines. But the final departure of vehicle assembly operations delivers a bit of a dent to the U.K.’s manufacturing reputation.
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The State Food Act of 2015, which was introduced last week, would hand oversight of the US food and dietary supplements industry to the new agency.
The current FDA refocusing its efforts on pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and tobacco products, which would most likely result in a name change according to observers posting on Twitter.
The proposal comes weeks after Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research launched the US agency’s Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, which she said consolidates CDER programmes and provides industry and assessors with a clearer way of measuring drug quality.
How the State Food Act proposals will impact the office of drug quality or any other of the FDA’s programmes is unclear. However, according to its 2014 budget, the agency spends around 23% of its $4.6bn a year funding on oversight of the food industry.
The FDA is funded by both the US Government and through “user fees” – monies paid by firms seeking approval for a new product. At present the agency’s food programmes get $866m from the Government and $223m from the food industry.


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Shares of Deutsche Lufthansa AG were gaining around 8 percent in the morning trading in Germany after the company reported higher third-quarter profit and revenues amid continued strong demand for air travel.
Looking ahead for the fourth quarter, the German flag carrier said it expects to achieve a positive operating result, and to increase its capacity to around 91 percent of its 2019 level. The fourth-quarter booking volumes show double-digit percentage growth.
Further, profit outlook for 2023 and 2024 confirmed, noting that the firm expects the demand for air travel to remain strong in the coming months. The very good summer demand has extended into October, and demand for air travel during the Christmas season is strong.
The company continues to expect to generate an adjusted EBIT for 2023 of more than 2.6 billion euros.
For 2024, the company continues to expect adjusted EBIT margin to reach at least 8 percent, and an increase of capacity to around 95 percent of pre-crisis levels.
Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said, “… the highest revenue and profit ever achieved in one summer – including an operating profit of 1.5 billion euros in the third quarter alone. All airlines in our Group and Lufthansa Technik contributed to this with double-digit profit margins. At the same time, employee satisfaction in our company has improved significantly to the pre-crisis record level….. Even though the geopolitical situation remains challenging, our booking outlook gives us reason to be positive – not only for a very good Group result this year, but also beyond.”
In its third quarter, net income increased 47 percent to 1.19 billion euros from previous year’s 809 million euros. Earnings per share were 1 euro, up from 0.68 euro a year ago.
Adjusted EBIT was 1.47 billion euros in the third quarter, the second-best quarterly result in its history and a 31 percent improvement from last year’s 1.12 billion euros.
The Adjusted EBIT margin amounted to 14.3 percent, up from previous year’s 11.8 percent. In the quarter, all Group airlines reported double-digit adjusted EBIT margins.
Total Group revenues increased 8 percent to 10.28 billion euros from previous year’s 9.54 billion euros. This is the strongest quarter in its history in revenue terms.
Passenger airlines carried 38 million travelers in the quarter, higher than prior year’s 33 million.
In Germany, Lufthansa shares were trading at 7.07 euros, up 7.58 percent.
For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.
Source: Read Full Article


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Machine Games might be somewhat quiet since Wolfenstein: Youngblood and the VR-only Cyberpilot, but with Microsoft buying Bethesda and all of its studios, is it possible that the franchise could be solely released on Xbox or PC platforms from now on?
The franchise's reboot, The New Order, was a surprise hit, and its standalone expansion, The Old Blood was great too. In fact, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is one of this generation's finest story-based first-person shooters.
Could B.J. Blazkowicz skip PS5 entirely?
Wolfenstein: Will It Come To PlayStation?
In an interview with Bloomberg about the acquisition of Bethesda and what it means for games releasing on other platforms (i.e. not Xbox, PC, or Game Pass), Phil Spencer said: “we’ll take other consoles on a case-by-case basis."
Considering Microsoft already publishes Minecraft on multiple platforms (itself a $2.5 billion purchase for the company), it's not unreasonable to expect that you could still play a new Wolfenstein title on the PlayStation 5.
That's not to say it's a certainty, though. With customers looking for reasons to buy an Xbox console, there's every chance Microsoft break with their recent messaging to ensure players can only play the likes of Wolfenstein on an Xbox system or Windows PC.
In recent years, though, the company has attempted to push player choice in where gamers play their games.
Then there's Microsoft's history with Nintendo, with Banjo and Kazooie arriving as Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC, and both Ori games arriving on the Switch.
While it's unlikely that the Switch is able to run a full, next-gen RPG from Bethesda, there's every chance of some kind of crossover with the House of Mario.
As it happens, Wolfenstein II is a very good Switch port, too.


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Sorochyntsi Fair kicks off in Poltava region
16.08.2016 15:36 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of today, the Ukrainian traditional Sorochintsy Fair has started in Poltava region, NRCU reports.
As to the report, this year the Fair is devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Ukrainian independence and is held under the slogan «Blooming Fair - blooming Ukraine.»
Reportedly, for the 18th consecutive year, the Fair takes place at the Market area occupying 16 hectares in the open air. Domestic companies of all industries and craftsmen will represent their products, visitors will be welcomed at historic manors of Gogol time.
Besides, Sorochintsi Fair program also includes ethnographic festivals of Ukrainian pig fat (salo), sweet pastry, pumpkin, Honey Spas, dumplings and galushky, borscht. Certainly, the Fair program will also include «Ukrainian wedding» ceremony.


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A solid year for country music on the charts continues this week, as Lady Antebellum takes the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart. The three-piece vocal group sold 167,000 copies of its fourth studio album, Golden, […]
The New York City anthem reached the milestone this week, becoming the biggest selling single for the hip-hop mogul and the R&B songstress.
[lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Adele[/lastfm]’s “21” has been atop the Billboard chart for 16 weeks now. That breaks records set by both [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]The Beatles[/lastfm] and [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Pink Floyd[/lastfm]


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Target continues to expand its smaller-sized, convenience-focused TargetExpress format and will open its latest store in Rosslyn, VA in October, the Washington Post reported.
According to the report, the Rosslyn store plans to offer a Starbucks counter and a grocery area with grab-and-go snacks and sandwiches. There will also be a tech area featuring GoPro cameras and tablets, as well as an apparel section.
The Rosslyn location is expected to be one of eight TargetExpress stores to open in 2015, the report noted. The TargetExpress format is said to merchandise essential items, and tailoring the merchandise to the customers it expects to attract from a particular neighborhood.
TargetExpress stores are typically about 20,000 square feet, much smaller than the company’s big-box stores that average about 135,000 square feet.


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Dabur eyeing stake in Singapore's UNZA Holdings, say reports
Our Corporate Bureau
23 March 2007
Mumbai: FMCG major Dabur India is in talks with Singapore-based UNZA Holdings for a stake in the Southeast Asian consumer goods maker.
Some reports quoting sources, meanwhile, said Dabur is close to acquiring over 60 per cent of UNZA Holdings' stake in a deal worth up to Rs 675 crore. Dabur is likely to close the deal in the first quarter of FY08, the reports added.
Dabur currently makes juices, cooking pastes and personal and home care products. The acquisition will give Dabur an entry into detergents, fragrance, and toiletries, reports said.
UNZA is Southeast Asia's leading maker of personal care products and its brands include Enchanteur, Safi, Eversoft and Romano. UNZA's household product brands include Vigor and Maxkleen.
UNZA, with a revenue of $150 million, has 58,000 retail outlets and five manufacturing units in China and Southeast Asia.
UNZA reported a net profit of S$10.56 million and revenue of S$188.53 million in 2005. Actis and StanChart Pvt Equity Fund hold 60 per cent stake in UNZA.
Dabur has been in talks with several companies though nothing has been planned yet in the immediate future. The company, it seems, has not decided on any acquisition target yet and is still scouting for opportunities in Southeast Asia, West Asia and the US.
Dabur sources dismissed the reports as speculative.


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Article by Ross Marowits, Waterloo Region Record
The recreational marijuana industry is expected to take a sip of less than one per cent initially out of annual Canadian alcohol sales once it becomes legal, a new analysis says.
The Anderson Economic Group, a business consulting firm in New York, says legalization of marijuana would sap $160 million out of the country’s $22.1 billion booze sector, rising as use of the drug expands.
While there are numerous unknowns governing the sale of marijuana, the Anderson Economic Group based its projections on alcohol sales in U.S. states that have legalized the drug. It also took into account a host of factors in Canada including spending patterns, income and demographics.
The beer market, which is worth about $9.2 billion, is anticipated to take a $70 million hit from in the first year of marijuana legalization, the Anderson Economic Group says.
“It won’t affect spending patterns necessarily the first year to the degree where individuals’ buying habits will change overnight,” said Peter Schwartz, an Anderson consultant and editor of its biannual Cannabis Market Report that will include the analysis in its summer issue.
A Deloitte report has estimated that the Canadian market for marijuana could be worth up to around $22.6 billion a year, including about $4.9 billion to $8.7 billion from the sale of the substance, with the rest coming from the ancillary market including growers, testing labs and security.
Analyst Vivien Azer of U.S.-based research firm Cowen and Company is anticipating the alcohol industry could be under substantial pressure over the next decade if young people continue to take a pass on drinking.
In a report released last month, Azer said just under 82 per cent of 18- to 29-year-olds in Ontario consumed alcohol in 2015, down 5.5 percentage points since 2008, while marijuana use has been steady at around 34 to 36 per cent.


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In a recent article, The Washington Post revealed that scrap metal buyers have been increasingly using scraper websites for scraping scrap metal listings since the scraper boom of 2016.
In fact, in the first seven months of 2018, scraper sites collected a record $7.2 billion in scrap metal auctions.
According to a recent survey by the Federal Trade Commission, scrapper sites saw an 18 percent increase in traffic during the first six months of 2017, up from 10 percent during the same period in 2016.
Scrap metal auctions have been one of the fastest-growing segments of the scrapping market.
This boom in scraper market growth has come on the heels of a number of legal challenges in the scrap metal industry, which have pushed the market to the brink of bankruptcy.
As scraper companies continue to rake in billions of dollars in revenue from scrap metal sales, many companies are finding themselves in the middle of a legal battle.
One scraper company that has made a name for itself is Scrap Metal Hunters, a company that was founded in the mid-2000s by Josh Gatt.
Gatt told Business Insider that scraper services are booming.
In the first eight months of this year, scrap metal companies were selling an average of $4.4 million a day, with an average price per scrap at $4,000.
That number rose to $4 million in the last eight months, Gatt said.
Scraps are the raw material for scrap metal, so scrap metal is the only raw material scrapers need to produce metal for their scrap metal products.
When scrap metal goes to scrap metal auction houses, they typically have a very small scrap limit.
The scraper industry relies on scrap metal being able to be processed, sold, and recycled.
For example, the National Metal Association says scrap metal scrapers must keep their scrap limits as low as possible.
This means scrapers can’t sell scrap metal that has been left out for over a year.
Scrips are not only valuable for scrap, but also for scrap companies that want to be able to sell metal from the scrap pile.
Scrabble scrapers, for example, are a popular form of scrap metal.
Scrabble scraping companies often have a number to keep track of when they have scrap scrapers in their scrap pile, which is called a scrap limit, according to Scrapmetal Hunters.
Scratches are also used in the process of metal scrapping, according the National Scrabbles Association.
When a scrap is removed from a scrap pile that has scrap limits, it can sometimes be used to make new scrap for scrapmetal.
Scratch metal scrap is the most popular scrap metal in the scraping market, but it’s not always as valuable as scrap metal made from metal scraps, Gifford said.
The National Scrap Masters Association said that scrap collectors often put the scrap value of scrap into the scrap limit of the scrapers they purchase.
Screenshot from Scrapmaster: Scrap Master.
Scam Scrapers that want scrap to be made into metal, or metal scrap, are the scrappers most likely to be in the right place at the right time.
There are several scraper applications for scrap.
The scrap industry is still very much in its infancy, and it’s very difficult to make a good estimate of the actual number of scrap sellers in the market, Gafford said, adding that it’s too early to tell if scraper sales will continue to grow in the near future.
The most popular scraper is Scrapper, which has over 7,000 scrapers across the United States.
The ScrapMaster Scrapping application is one of Scrappers most popular.
The app allows scrappers to sell scrap to scrapers at their local scrap shops, but that’s only part of the appeal.
Scraper users are able to make the scrap available to other scrapers by purchasing a Scrap Maker license, which allows scraper owners to sell their scrap directly to scrap dealers and buyers.
The reason scrappers are selling their scrap to scraper dealers and scrap dealers is because scraper buyers can buy scrap and scrap metal directly from scrap dealers, Gufford said on the Scrapmasters website.
Scrip Master ScrapMaker, which was acquired by Scrap Industries in 2017, allows scrapper owners to buy scrap directly from dealers.
Scribblers are also able to purchase scrap from scrap merchants by selling it to scrap buyers and buying a Scrape Maker license.
Scroupy Scrappers is one scraper that’s gaining more and more popularity.
In September 2018, Scrapped, a scraper marketplace, became the first scraper to sell out of scrap on its website, according a scrap metal dealer who purchased scrap from Scrappy Scrapps.
Scrake Scrap, another scraper, said that scrappers have been making money since scrapping was legal in 2018.


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Infant and child car seat manufacturer, Britax, is recalling 14,220 child seats for a faulty harness.
Read This Article
An investigation is under way in the Southern China city of Shenzen, after a fatal accident involving a Nissan GT-R and an all-electric BYD e6 Taxi leaves many questions unanswered.
Ford increases production of the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine and implements new production procedures to reduce its environmental footprint.
We caught the 2015 Ford Expedition out testing in full camouflage.


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An anonymous source has sent JL Wrangler Forums this photo of what is purported to be the front grille for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL / JLU)!
Consistent with spied JL prototypes, this JL grille features a widened seven slot design which combines elements from past Wranglers. The kinked grille hark back to the YJ grille while the recessed headlights draw inspiration from the CJ grille.
Also consistent with the prototypes’ grilles is the lack of turn signal lights — which have been redesigned and incorporated into the fenders — and the removal of the Jeep logo from the grille.
This represents possibly the second leaked production/pre-production part. In October, a JLwranglerforums member shared what was likely a JL Rubicon hood used for testing purposes.
Check out the leaked new 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL/JLU) grille in our forums.


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"The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect" claimed to be "near perfect"
In a review on Slam! Wrestling's Web site, the recent WWE release, "The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect," was declared as "near perfect" for the fact that it left its reviewer wanting more. "The set will likely find a permanent home on many collectors' DVD shelves, and rightfully so." The full review can be read here.