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PEMA to host Covid-19 webinar
(Posted on 28/04/20)
The Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA) is to host a webinar entitled The Day After Covid-19: Expectations, Experiences, and Views, which will include presentations from three leading experts from the global ports and terminals sector followed by a deep-dive Q&A session.
The Day After Covid-19: Expectations, Experiences, and Views for Ports and Terminals – a Vital Link of a Modern Supply Chain will be held on May 6, 2020 at 11AM CET on the Zoom video conferencing service.
“In these exceptionally challenging times, it is more important than ever that we understand the approaches and technologies needed to forge a new future for the ports and terminals sector. PEMA is dedicated to enabling greater understanding within the sector and the wider community,” says PEMA President and Chairman of the Board, Ottonel Popesco, who will also moderate the event.
The centrepiece of the 90-minute webinar will be presentations delivered by three keynote speakers. Fred Huang, President of ZPMC Group China, will provide unique perspectives of port equipment manufacturers under the title Experiences and views as a large Chinese port equipment manufacturer in a modern supply chain post-Covid-19.
Lamia Kerdjoudj Belkaid, Secretary General of the Federation of European Private Port Operators, will talk on the theme of Expectations and views of private ports and terminals in the modern supply chain post Covid-19.
Anna Gatti PhD, Intesa San Paolo Group Bank board member, and who has held top positions at Google, YouTube, Skype and the World Health Organization, and is an AI and IT specialist, will share her presentation entitled Views on how the existing supply chain including ports might change post Covid-19 and the role of AI/IT in this process.
Following these presentations, there will be an interactive Q&A session giving participants the opportunity to discuss issues raised during the presentations in greater depth.
Founded in 2004, PEMA provides a forum and public voice for the global port equipment and technology sectors. The Association has seen strong growth in recent years, and now has more than 120 member companies representing all facets of the industry, including crane, equipment and component manufacturers, automation, software and technology providers, consultants, and other experts.
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Canadian airport sales were down 10% in March 2019 with land border sales dropping 2.76%, according to the latest statistics provided by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). However, airport sales for the first three months of the year are up 4.39% versus the January-March period in 2018. Land border sales fell 1.14% for the same three month period.
Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare, the number one category in Canadian airport duty free stores with more than 36% of sales, was down 8.88% in March. Alcohol, the number two airport category with 20% of sales, was down 12% for the month. Tobacco, the number three airport category with 12% of sales, was down more than 6%.
Alcohol, with more than 40% of land border sales, slipped .65% in March. Tobacco (26% of sales) was down 5.26%. Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare (14.4% of sales) was up 10% in March.
Arrivals of international visitors to Canada slowed (-1.2%) over the first three months of 2019 on a year-over-year basis, reports Destination Canada. This slowdown partly resulted from general softening inbound flows from several key international markets and from “the Easter effect” – where travelers who would have come in March are likely to delay their travel until Easter in April 2019 to take advantage of the holiday.
The CBSA says this will be the last month it provides Canadian duty free statistics since Duty Free Shop licensees are no longer required to provide a summary of sales on a monthly basis to the agency.

domain: news


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Ola S1 electric scooter witnesses nearly 10x normal sales on Dussehra
Ola S1 electric scooter, which was launched by the company on August 15 this year as a cheaper version of its flagship S1 Pro electric scooter, witnessed almost 10 times sales on Dussehra as compared to the sale it sees on normal days. Sharing the news on Twitter, CEO Bhavish Aggarwal wrote, “First Dussehra for our S1 today and what an amazing reception by everyone! Almost 10x of a normal sale day."
He added to this by saying that a robust sales performance by the S1 shows that the country is ready to end the age of combustion engines and enter the world of electric vehicles. “India is ready to #EndICEAge and go electric!" he wrote.
Ola Electric opened the purchase window for its S1 electric scooter on September 1 and deliveries began on September 7. The electric scooter has been built on the same platform as the S1 Pro that was introduced last year, of which the company has already sold 70,000 units.
Also check these Bikes
The Ola S1 electric scooter comes equipped with a 3kWh electric motor that lends it 141 km of range on a single charge. It comes with three different riding modes - in eco mode, it offers a 128-km range while in normal mode, it gets 101 km range. In Sports mode, it will run 90 km on a single charge. It is claimed to be able to run at a top speed of 90 kmph.
In a separate tweet, Aggarwal also announced that the company is planning something big for its launch event this month. “Will accelerate the #EndICEAge revolution by at least 2 years," he added.
Ola Electric is also offering a festive discount for the S1 Pro electric scooter which can be bought with flat ₹10,000 off. The purchase window for the festive discount is already live.


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Paypal drove second quarter earnings
PayPal (PYPL) started trading separately after the release of eBay’s earnings on July 16. It reported robust growth during 2Q15. It reported a YoY (year-over-year) top line growth of 19% in 2Q15—compared to 17% in 1Q15.
The strong performance was attributed to growth in the global active accounts. They rose by 11% in 2Q15. Besides an increase in the active users, the net number of payments and merchant services TPV (total payment volume) also depicted an increase of 27% and 36%, respectively.
Over the past two years, PayPal has shown strong growth. As you can see in the above chart, PayPal’s YoY revenue growth did slow down a bit in 1Q15. However, it was mainly due to the strong US dollar (UUP). Without the currency issues, PayPal’s revenue growth would have been 17% in 1Q15.
Paypal’s future outlook looks promising
Paypal is now independent 13 years after it was acquired by eBay. It’s showing signs of growing strength in the payments space. PayPal will need to continue to be innovative since the competition from Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) in the mobile payments space is rising quickly. A few months ago, Google launched its revamped Android Pay mobile payment service at its I/O conference.
PayPal will also look for opportunities to strike a deal with eBay’s competitors including Amazon (AMZN) and Alibaba. eBay will still be PayPal’s client.


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We are delighted to learn that one of our valued customers, MSI Global Alliance, has won the prestigious 2013 International Accounting Bulletin Association of the Year award.
Leading assocation of independent accounting and law firms MSI, earned the award due to its innovative use of technology that includes mobile app solutions developed by Appergy.
Giles Brake, co-founder of Appergy, advised MSI on its use of web and mobile technology and implemented a vision that is enabling the association's members to connect and communicate around common practice area interests and identify opportunities to work together on cross-border matters.
A ground-breaking members site that integrates with social media channels and leverages members' involvement in LinkedIn has seen a 10,000% increase in page views over a three year period. The new marketing infrastructure has enhanced MSI's ability to provide member services via the web (including the mobile channel) and build its brand through a joined-up digital marketing strategy.
We are delighted that the association's mobile apps were integral to winning the award and wish MSI much luck for the future.
Connect with Giles Brake on Google+


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Israeli mobile operator Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) will launch its new brand next week with an unconventional ad campaign, sources inform "Globes." Instead of the more routine TV ads, Partner will launch the new brand with 3,000 billboards around the country. Only subsequently will a more traditional campaign be waged on TV, radio and other media.
Partner remains tight lipped about the details of the campaign and orders for medium ads have been placed through a Georgian company to throw people off the scent regarding the real identity of the company carrying out the advertising.
To some extent Partner is copying the campaign it conducted in 1999 when it launched its Orange brand. Back then, Partner put up huge billboards saying Hello before a massive media launch of the brand.
Partner is also being unconventional in terms of the content of its billboards, openly saying farewell to Orange and then saying hello to the new Partner brand - all on the same billboard. As previously reported by "Globes," the Orange of the old brand will be superseded by a green-blue color.
Parttner's new campaign strategy was formed abroad by Publicis, which operates in Israel through ad agency Bauman-Bar-Rivnai and creative agency Glickman Shamir Samsonov, who are putting together the campaign in Israel.
The divorce between Partner and Orange was set in motion last summer when France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard said in Cairo that he was eager to leave Israel as soon as possible as part of the company's new branding policy. His words were interpreted as supporting BDS although he subsequently insisted that this was not the aim. Nevertheless, the two sides decided to go separate ways with Orange paying partner €90 million compensation.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 11, 2016
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016


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No matter how good of a cook you are, chances are a portion of that meal will end up in a landfill. But American University professor Sauleh Siddiqui says food waste isn't the fault of any one person or sector.
"We waste anywhere from 30% to 40% of all food that's produced in the United States," he said.
From the farmer to the grocer to folks at home, some waste has to do with the way we are taught to look at food.
At the Misfits Markets plant in New Jersey, manufacturers are taking imperfect foods and selling them to consumers at a discount.
Vice President Holly Eagleson says much of their supply comes directly from farmers who know grocery stores will reject certain items, even if they're perfectly edible.
"Almost a third of produce goes to waste at the farm level because it doesn't meet certain grocery store standards," Eagleson said.
The goal is to change the way we look at food.
While it will take a group effort to reduce food waste, here are some things experts suggest:
- Freeze meat and bread instead of letting it expire
- Take note of food items that get wasted each month
- Buy less of those items in the future
- Avoid overcooking
- Consider ways to reuse parts of food that you normally toss out
"There are so many great things you can do with carrot tops, for example," Eagleson said. "You can make pesto. Or scraps from potato peels can make chips. There's a lot of things you can do once you start thinking holistically about this."
Expiration confusion is one of the top causes of food waste, but there's no uniform standard for labels.
According to the USDA, it has more to do with quality than safety, as long as foods are stored properly.
"Best by dates are pretty arbitrary and we really try to educate our consumers to understand there's potentially much more life in something beyond what's printed on the package," Eagleson said.
While the efforts to get people to rethink the way they look at food is a great start, researchers say food waste is a systemic problem that will take each industry — including us at home — to solve.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.


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Apple Will Announce iPhone 5 On September 12th Event
12th September is coming closer, just a few more days to go. As we all know Apple Inc is quite secretive about their product launches and are silent till the last moment. The much awaited iPhone 5 is the latest edition of their Flagship handset. Apple Makes a point of improving the phone every year. Back in 2010 the company launched a whole new design of the iPhone, called as the iPhone 4 and adding a few more new features like siri and a boosted processor Apple launched the iPhone 4S last year. The company has still not declared the name of the product, creating curiosity in our minds.
After the launch of the iPhone 4S Apple set a benchmark making iPhone 4S the most powerful cellphone on the planet. Apple has confirmed its intention of launching its most awaited flagship smartphone on the 12th of September. Apple as started distributing invitation cards to news sources and technology websites. The invite features a Huge 12 and a giant showdown that reads five. What does that mean? is Apple going to launch 5 new devices? ehh! i dont think thats now coming sooner.! This is a sure sign that Apple is all set to put all the rumors to rest and bring it out to the world!
The iPhone 5 is rumored to have a 4.8″ display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 19-pin port as opposed to its legacy 30-pin port, and a unibody design. The countdown begins and everyones ready to roll. keep watching this space for more!


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The Orlando Sentinel.com explains that there are a lot of guidelines for wearing a costume at Walt Disney World, especially for special events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
On a regular day, costumes are a no-no at Disney for those 14 and older, while those 13 and younger are allowed with some restrictions. So it’s OK to go to Disney dressed as princess. Of course it is.
But…no masks that cover the full face.
No accessories that could be mistaken for actual weapons. Notable exception: Light sabers are allowed. So your little Jedis will be fine as well as plastic pirate swords and fairy wands, as long as there’s nothing with sharp ends that could hurt other parkgoers.
For Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and runDisney events, those 14 and older can get into the costume game too, but again, with some restrictions.
You can dress like Peter Pan or Cinderella or any of your favorite Disney characters, but you’re not allowed to pose for photos or sign autographs with other guests. Disney pays people to do that.
For everyone, you have to avoid Disney’s OOOV rule: Nothing obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent. Basically, Disney doesn’t want costumes that will detract from other visitors’ experience, and that’s at Disney’s discretion.
Again, for those 14 and older, no masks of any kind are allowed.
Older visitors’ costumes can’t reach all the way to the ground, meaning no full-length princess dresses or full-length capes. Capes cannot go below the waist.
Themed hats and headwear are OK as long as, again, they don’t cover the face.
Themed T-shirts, blouses and sweatshirts are fine too.
You can wear wings, but they should be transparent, and they can’t be so big they would affect other parkgoers’ experience. Think small enough to not whack the person behind you in line.
Costumes can be more complex including layers and props, but Disney isn’t too keen on those and say it could mean additional security screening if you insist on wearing it.
Plastic light sabers, toy swords and tutus are OK.
Now in general, whether it’s a special event or just a regular day at the park, there are some attire and presentation rules to follow, lest Disney ask you to leave.
No offensive clothing or tattoos, meaning those that would not be acceptable in a family-friendly environment.
No excessively torn clothing, or clothing that reveals too much skin, again using common sense knowing that this is a family environment.
If you go:
WHAT: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, an after-hours, separate ticket event at Magic Kingdom theme park.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 29, Oct. 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31 and Nov. 1.
WHERE: Magic Kingdom, off Interstate 4, southwest of Orlando
COST: Ticket price varies with date. Admission ranges from $59 to $73 ($54 to $68 for ages 3-9). The first six nights of the event are the least expensive.
Get Yours Ready!
— Destinations Gal (@ChiaraAmina) September 20, 2016


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The amount of sugar awaiting loading at ports in top producer Brazil jumped 32 percent in a week after the biggest delivery of raw sweetener on ICE Futures U.S. since 1989, according to Williams Servicos Maritimos Ltda.
Sugar coming to as much as 1.18 million metric tons was waiting to be loaded onto ships at Recife, Maceio, Paranagua and Santos, the country’s biggest port, figures e-mailed yesterday from the Recife, Brazil-based shipping agency showed. That compared with about 896,576 tons a week earlier.
Cargill Inc., Bunge Ltd. (BG) and Wilmar International Ltd. took delivery of about 1.43 million tons of sugar in transactions involving New York futures contracts. That was the biggest delivery in 24 years, exchange data showed. Cargill had about 233,998 tons of sugar scheduled, Wilmar had 185,500 tons and Bunge had 67,500 tons, Williams Brasil data showed.
Raw sugar for delivery in July fell 0.2 percent to 17.43 cents a pound by 5:18 a.m. on ICE in New York.


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The project was earlier planned to be setup near Tadaoo in Mandalay, but challenges of transportation, forced the ministry to find another place.
“We have discussed the first part of the project. The union government plans to provide 3,000 acres of land for the special zone and we are now choosing the project area,” U Thein Lwin, general manager at the ministry of industry, told Myanmar Business Today.
The ministry of industry had formed the Myanmar Textiles Manufacturers Association in June to strengthen the development of the textile and garment sector by bring all textile-related business under one umbrella.
“The special zone will collectively organise all textile-related businesses at the same place, which will be advantageous for the sector,” U Myo Aung, member of the Myanmar Textiles Manufacturers Association said. (AR)
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Coca-Cola Great Britain has created its first ever ad made entirely out of its 100% recyclable packaging.
Articles in Category: Sustainibility
Max Speciality Films Limited (MSFL) has announced the appointment of Ramneek Jain as the chief executive officer of MSFL with effect from 11 July 2017.
Sun Chemical has recently collaborated with KBA-MetalPrint to deliver printing inks for metal decorating. Focusing predominantly on the three-piece can market,
Tetra Pak recently announced that it now uses renewable electricity for more than a third of its total annual consumption worldwide. This is up from 22% in 2015.


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Noveto N1 smart speaker beams focused audio that follows you around
Earlier in the year, Israel's Noveto launched a Kickstarter to fund the production of a smart speaker that promised to beam immersive audio to a listener's ears, without disturbing others nearby. The campaign was successful and the SoundBeamer has now morphed into the N1 ahead of an official launch at CES 2022.
The "pockets of sound" directed to the listener's ears are beamed using ultrasound technology, something we've seen a number of times over the years from the likes of Soundlazer and Akoustic Arts. For the N1, the arrays of tiny transducers used to focus the audio are hidden behind fabric covers and positioned on either side of a glass-fronted control panel.
The smart speaker tracks the listener using a 3D sensing module and camera, and transmits the ultrasound waves to focus calibrated audio just outside the ears at sound pressure levels of up to 85 dB – also employing 3D spatial technology for personal immersive audio potential, though we're unable to comment on perceived stereo sound quality without trying the device ourselves.
Users don't need to remain stationary while listening, as the tracking adjusts for movement in real time (but there's no mention of maximum reach). And Noveto is promising that folks nearby will only be able to hear a fraction of what the listener is treated to, saying "if someone talks to you normally over a video call, someone a meter away will only hear a whisper."
The N1 comes with beamforming microphones for focused audio capture while using comms apps or interacting with a digital voice assistant (Alexa is built in). Connectivity options shape up as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C and 3.5-mm jack, over-the-air firmware updates promise to keep things fresh, and a companion mobile app for iOS and Android is being made available too.
The company says that production is due to begin next month, when presumably Kickstarter backers will be first in line to get the "state-of-the-art smart speaker." Retail pricing has not been revealed as yet, but such things will no doubt be confirmed at CES 2022 in January.


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Beatbullying sells its millionth wristband
Advertisement Following its support last year, Express delivery and logistics company DHL Express UK & Ireland has again helped the charity by delivering more than half a million Beatbullying wristbands to over 1,000 schools ahead of Anti-Bullying Week. Howard Lake | 1 December 2008 | News www.beatbullying.org Celebrities such as Graham Norton, Duncan Bannantyne and Kym Marsh have worked alongside Beatbullying to promote this year’s campaign. The wristband, now available in a marbled effect version, is the symbol of support for the charity and its Anti-Bullying Week. AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to LinkedInLinkedInShare to EmailEmailShare to WhatsAppWhatsAppShare to MessengerMessengerShare to MoreAddThis Beatbullying sells its millionth wristband Bullying prevention charity Beatbullying has sold its one millionth blue wristband, three years after launching them. The millionth wristband was bought by Westfield Sports College, Sheffield. 66 total views, 1 views today AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to LinkedInLinkedInShare to EmailEmailShare to WhatsAppWhatsAppShare to MessengerMessengerShare to MoreAddThis Tagged with: Celebrity Research / statistics Trading About Howard Lake Howard Lake is a digital fundraising entrepreneur. Publisher of UK Fundraising, the world’s first web resource for professional fundraisers, since 1994. Trainer and consultant in digital fundraising. Founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.org.uk. Researching massive growth in giving.


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Recommind, which offers an “eDiscovery” service aimed at law firms, has raised $7.5 million in a first round of venture funding. Despite the slowing economy, chief executive Robert Tennant says his company should stay very busy in the coming months.
That’s because San Francisco-based Recommind provides a key tool for litigation. Its Axcelerate product is used during electronic discovery, also known as eDiscovery, which is the initial process of sorting through electronic records. With financial institutions collapsing, and legal battles likely to follow, the need for eDiscovery may be on the rise. Tennant says Recommind has been getting increased requests from its law firm customers, and he expects more to come, even as many companies cut back on their costs.
“Some technology companies’ capital decisions will get delayed … but when a judge says, ‘Thou shalt produce,’ you have to produce,” he says.
Of course, there are other startups entering the market — either involved directly in eDiscovery or in archiving documents for legal purposes — and they’re getting funding, too. For example, Mimosa Systems raised $17 million earlier this year. Other competitors include eDiscovery company Attenex and enterprise search company Autonomy. (Recommind also provides enterprise search.)
But Tennant says Recommind’s service is particularly advanced. He calls it “eDiscovery 2.0” — a phrase Tennant sounds slightly embarrassed to use, but which gets the idea across. Recommind’s Axcelerate automates the initial process of sorting through documents and judging their relevance, thus making eDiscovery faster and more affordable.
Recommind has also been in the business for a while, with customers like well-known legal firms Cooley Godward Kronish and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati. It’s already profitable, and has been growing at about 100 percent per year, Tennant says. So why does it need the funding? There’s a big opportunity for growth, he says. Recommind will use the money to expand its sales team and also acquire some new technology.
The round was let by Kennet Partners.


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Flagright x Coinfirm
Flagright has announced a strategic partnership with Coinfirm, a move that is seen as a way for Flagright to expand its offering and provide enhanced due diligence measures to its current and prospective customers to help increase the safety and security of crypto exchanges and platforms, along with other key industries.
In an era where cryptoassets and transactions are becoming increasingly mainstream, it is more important than ever to ensure that businesses operating in this space adhere to proper compliance standards.
Coinfirm is at the forefront of innovation in crypto AML, compliance, and analytics. Coinfirm’s industry-leading risk management offerings help cryptocurrency protocols and virtual asset service providers scale sustainably. Flagright will now be able to provide its customers with Coinfirm’s best-in-class offerings.
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in the United Kingdom, with operations in Poland, Canada, France, and Japan. Over 300 organizations have placed their trust in the company to deliver blockchain screening solutions. Coinfirm offers mitigation services and risk management for companies integrating blockchain technology, a unique tool that allows for real-time tracking of cryptocurrency transactions and identifies risks associated with them to stay in compliance with crypto regulations.
Flagright's developer-friendly API and no-code back office allow fintechs to quickly set up all the required infrastructure for AML and fraud prevention in 4 - 10 days. Flagright is accelerating its mission of helping fintech and startups prevent and protect themselves against financial crime with proprietary products such as real-time transaction monitoring, dynamic customer risk scoring, and automated fintech license application, all with superior user experience to its customers with real-time responses.


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Court backs LVMH in its fight against trademark squatter
Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) has obtained a victory against a trademark squatter before the Beijing Number 1 Intermediate Court.
In April 2002 a Hong Kong company applied to register the trademark LVMH for products such as rice cookers. The Trademark Office gave preliminary approval and published the mark for opposition in September 2003.
LVMH timely opposed the application, but the Trademark Office ruled in favour of the registrant. LVMH continued the fight, but it was not until 2010 that the Trademark Review and Appeal Board (TRAB) affirmed the Trademark Office’s decision. The TRAB ruled that the registrant’s mark was not similar to LVMH's mark, and LVMH failed to prove that its LVMH mark was a well-known trademark under the Chinese laws.
LVMH brought a lawsuit before the Beijing Number 1 Intermediate Court, requesting that the latter review the TRAB’s decision.
In February 2012 the court ruled in favour of LVMH. The court held that the parties' marks were identical because the term 'LVMH' has no inherent meaning and the font was identical. The court further ruled that the goods covered by the marks were similar and, therefore, there was a likelihood of confusion. The court vacated the TRAB's decision and asked the TRAB to reconsider the case. It is widely expected that the TRAB will cancel the trademark application.
This case illustrates that the Chinese courts are tightening the net around trademark squatters. In the past, brand owners have encountered substantial difficulties in preventing the registration of their marks by squatters if:
- the brand owners' marks are not recognised as well-known trademarks; or
- there is no “clear” evidence of “bad faith” under the stringent evidentiary threshold set forth by the Chinese legislation.
In light of the Beijing Number 1 Intermediate Court's decision in the LVMH case, as well as other recent decisions, it appears that the Chinese courts are more willing to protect the interests of brand owners in their fight against trademark squatters. Following a Supreme People’s Court opinion released in December 2011, the Supreme Court’s IP Tribunal sent a strong message that the IP judges should take a progressive approach to stop trademark-squatting activities. The opinion implied that, even if the registered mark has not been recognised as a “well-known trademark”, or in absence of solid evidence of bad faith, the courts may still evaluate the similarity between the squatter’s and the brand owner’s mark to determine whether there is a likelihood of confusion. This approach, if properly carried out by the courts at the lower levels, would relieve some brand owners of the burden of fighting against trademark squatting.
However, not all brand owners will benefit from this approach. Almost at the same time as the LVMH decision was issued, Hermes lost its bid to cancel the Chinese counterpart of the HERMES mark ('Ai Ma Shi' in traditional Chinese characters - a transliteration of 'Hermes'). Reportedly, the court was unable to find a basis to rule that the squatter’s mark was similar to those Chinese marks, if any, that Hermes had registered. The dilemma faced by Hermes shows that the Chinese courts must still find ways to deal with bad-faith issues in trademark-squatting cases.
He Jing, ZY Partners, Beijing
Copyright © Law Business ResearchCompany Number: 03281866 VAT: GB 160 7529 10


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How SunStar combines offline and online marketing for an epic product launch
Last June, Netbina ran a campaign for SunStar on Instagram introducing its latest products for the summer. For the product launch campaign, we combined offline and online marketing strategies including 3D teaser videos, a mini-game, and interactive projection mapping in a trendy shopping mall in Tehran.
Innovative, entertaining, and dynamic, SunStar’s new campaign is remarkable because of its diversity in presenting the message. In addition to the initial teasing and reveal phases, which took place online on Instagram, Netbina created a setting in which SunStar could engage its target market in the offline world.
Netbina’s Interactive Installations team set up a projection mapping experience in Rosha shopping mall in Tehran, which enabled passers-by and potential consumers to catch a glimpse of the exciting new world of SunStar’s brand new flavors before entering the mall. SunStar sampling booths were also set up with QR codes on product samples which directed the consumer to an online mini-game providing further interaction with the campaign and product:
“SunStar came to us with the new taste, new size, new mood concept for its latest flavors, and we did our best to highlight the sense of freshness in our communication; both in the content, and the medium through which we conveyed SunStar’s message. All of this together created a novel launch experience both for SunStar and its customers”, says Anahita Mehrdoust, Creative Executive at Netbina, “The three new flavors called for very different photography settings, which we then consistently used in the campaign, including in the new product mini-game.”
Netbina’s previous campaign for SunStar, “Be Your Best” established SunStar as an innovative and inspirational force popular with the Iranian Youth.


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By Laine Sedore
With gas prices so high, people around Loyalist College are worried about money.
“My parents drive a lot and they commute to work so I am a little concerned about the rising gas prices and affecting how much they can spend on other things such as groceries, but yeah it’s going to put a little bit more of pinch on my parents,” said Kacey Chapman, a student at Loyalist.
Gas prices in the Quinte region hovered around $1.30 a litre this week and things don’t look to be changing soon. With the summer traveling season coming, gas prices are likely to rise even more.
“That’s the time where demand for fuel is at its peak, and you could probably bet that gas prices will continue to rise over the summer. Which will wreak havoc on everything from day to day consumption patterns and ability to have extra money for tourism and stuff like that.” said Scott Maxwell, spokesperson for Liberal MP Dan McTeague, founder of the website Tomorrow’s Gas Price Today.
Others around Loyalist say that driving is a necessity and aren’t too concerned with the price of gas.
“It’s not going to affect my driving unfortunately because I still have to get places, but my goodness what is it $1.29 a litre right now that’s ridiculous,” said Peter Sinclair a student at Loyalist.
If prices stay the way they are or even start to rise, people may be forced to find another way of transportation.
“It certainly does force people to make other decisions in terms of how they get to and from certain places work and other things and at times people say that it has helped foster greener ways of traveling and may force governments to put more money in public transit. Really the reality of the problem is that it shouldn’t be .25 cents higher then it was last year which is what we’re seeing on average in Eastern Ontario.” Maxwell said.
Maxwell said that the sky is the limit for how gas is priced and that no one really knows when gas will go up or down. Higher gas prices will lead to higher retail prices he said.
“If we have some sort of instability in the world you’ll see automatically, speculators drive up the price for the next month or the month after that in terms of the contract for refined fuel and as a result we pay for it at the retail level,” said Maxwell.


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MLB Cancels 2020 All-Star Game, the first time since world war II. Also cancelled is the popular mascot wet t-shirt contest.
On Thursday night, Nike removed all Redskins gear from its online store. “Does this mean we can stop making their gear?” asked a child in one of Nike’s sweatshops.
President Trump is traveling to Mt Rushmore Friday evening for a fourth of July celebration. Trump has already begun asking how much it would cost to get rid of the monument and replace it him him, Melania, Ivanka, and Don Jr.
FedEx have asked the Washington Redskins to change their name. The ultimatum: change the name or expect to lose a lot of packages.
After demands from it’s major sponsors, The Washington Redskins will consider changing its name. The organization’s first suggested name change, “The Washington All Lives Matter” has already been rejected.
Nascar driver Corey LaJoie’s #32 car is getting a “Trump 2020” paint job for NASCAR’s big race Sunday.Not understanding how any of it works, Trump requested that Ivanka start the race by waving her scarf.
According to a new poll,only one-third of Americans surveyed called the United States “the greatest country in the world,” The other two-thirds pleaded for someone to send help.
Walmart is transforming 160 of its parking lots into drive-in theaters. It’s hard to get a good viewing spot since nobody is sure if a shopping cart means that a spot is reserved or wasn’t returned.
The next COVID-19 shortage could be fireworks. The World Health Organization is begging everyone to stop wiping their ass with fireworks.
Walmart is transforming 160 of its parking lots into drive-in theaters. Apparently it wasn’t a hard transition, all they did was wheel out the wall of TVs in electronics.
Microsoft is shutting down all of its physical retail stores. The CEO would’ve done it sooner but he was waiting for a message to say it is now safe to shut down.
Amazon announced the new name for Seattle’s NHL arena: Climate Pledge Arena. Narrowly edging out the other name, “Same Day Delivery Stadium”
American Airlines will no longer block seats for social distancing. Even worse, they’ve replaced the drink cart with a punch bowl.
Today, NASA is announcing the “Lunar Loo Challenge,” a competition in partnership with HeroX to come up with the best space toilet. Nasa is looking for a design that could handle one small crap for man…
Amazon announced the new name for Seattle’s NHL arena: Climate Pledge Arena. Outside the Stadium will be a monument to remember all the packages that were either lost or stolen.
Microsoft is shutting down all of its physical retail stores. But before they do, a tech has asked if they tried restarting?
Amazon just announced the new name for Seattle’s NHL arena. However, the most impressive stadium feature is on your way out, and being able to ask, “Alexa, where did I park?”
MLB has agreed to an abbreviated 60 game season with a lot of new rules. Instead of spraying champagne after winning a big game, players are encouraged to only spray lysol.
MLB has agreed to an abbreviated 60 game season with a lot of new rules. For instance, if a player gets hit by a pitch, they have to self-isolate for 14 days.
New Jersey announced that theme parks can reopen on July 2nd. Six Flags plans to reopen however flags will be at half-mast because that creepy six flags guy didn’t make it.
Chuck E. Cheese has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In a related story, the sharp increase in missing children cases is believed to be connected to repossessed ball pits.
The Federal Reserve sent $1.4 billion in stimulus checks to over a million deceased. When they tried to get the money back, spirits everywhere said, “over my dead body!”
US marshals have been ordered to protect the nation’s monuments as part of a new effort by the Trump administration. With limited resources, park officials turned to uneducated Italians for help by saying that all the national monuments were of Christopher Columbus.
Chuck E. Cheese has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company began laying off staff because they had barely enough tokens to cover payroll.
Segways will halt production on July 15th, and with that, we’ve defunded the Mall Police
‘Fortnite’ appears to have removed police cars from its game. Not to be outdone, it’s been nothing but rioting and looting in The Sims.
Walmart is under fire for selling All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter gear on its websites. Even worse, they’ve replaced greeters with in-store agitators.
The 2019 “American Idol” winner says he has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Meanwhile, contestants on the Voice are safe because nobody has turned their chair around.
Researchers say that ‘Cat men’, men that own cats, are seen as ‘less masculine,’ The same study showed that men who own snakes most likely have an illegal weapon hiding somewhere in the basement where they reside.
Walmart is blaming a third party seller for the All Lives Matter shirts being sold on their website. Walmart then reiterated their stance on the social climate by saying they want to “Rollback Racism.”
Michael Keaton is in talks to reprise his role of Batman. Alfred is making sure his utility bat belt is up to date with blood pressure medicines, and vitamins.
At an airport in Belgium, A UK man was caught trying to smuggle cocaine by hiding the substance in an artificial penis. The TSA became suspicious when the man pulled off his appendage and asked, “are you guys ready to party?”
Rumors say the WWE Star The Undertaker is retiring from wrestling. However no chairs are allowed at his party after what happened last time.
NBA players can choose to wear ‘smart ring’ that may help detect COVID-19 symptoms, making this the first time that the Minnesota Timberwolves have gotten a ring.
Over the past decade, Babynames.com has seen a 75% decrease in popularity for the name “Karen.” The name is so unpopular that people named “Adolph” sent “Karen”s a gift basket.
Thousands of people are petitioning to have Columbus Ohio renamed “Flavortown”. The petition also requests that the mayor must wear sunglasses on the back of their head.
Two Secret Service staffers were infected with the coronavirus from the Tulsa rally. Before entering the rally, they reportedly turned to the president and asked, “Can’t we just take a bullet instead?”


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Photo credit: Ben Patterson
Those songs you actively despise will be out of sight, out of mind thanks to a new Spotify feature.
The streaming company announced its new “Hide Song” feature on Thursday, April 16th, The Verge reports, which grants iOS and Android users the ability to automatically skip certain tracks they don’t want to hear on public playlists. While many outlets report that this feature is only available to Premium users, some people using the standard version of the streaming service say they’ve also been able to access it. Standard users can’t access individual songs on playlists like “Today’s Top Hits,” “Mega Hit Mix” and more on mobile until they’ve been put in rotation, though, making this feature a little less useful.
Users have long been able to “hide” songs on Spotify. This new iteration appears to be different, though, as it allows users to pick and choose what they want to hear on public playlists. Essentially, it helps create a smoother listen that’s curated to your specific mood.
Hiding a song is simple: simply click on the three-dot icon located next to any song and click on the “hide song” option in the drop down menu. Songs can later be “un-hidden” on the same menu.
It’ll definitely be interesting to see how Spotify leverages this new data from the “Hide Song” feature in its future playlists. Which song(s) will you be hiding on Spotify? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter at @PopCrave!


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We talk with Fleximize CEO and founder Peter Tuvey, who delivers insight into creating a second company, changing the world of business funding and ensuring the attractiveness of your company to investors.
Blockchain is, slowly but surely, reaching corporate consciousness. As the Harvard Business Review has put it, blockchain is a “quiet revolution.”
The tech sector thrived in Q1 2017, so we’ve broken down the first quarter’s results with an infographic detailing how the British venture capital investing was done.
Tide, an SME banking app, has secured a $14m Series A investment from Spotify and iZettle investor Creandum and fintech fund Anthemis.
Financial services company Fiserv has stepped in to table a £70m offer for troubled technology business Monitise, after share price erosion of 96 per cent in three years.
Michael Hufton, CEO of ingage, recounts his tale of joining an 11-day government trade mission to the farthest corner of the globe.
The hiring plans of the finance sector is the primary reason London has seen a 17 per cent month-on-month increase in available jobs, a Morgan McKinley Financial Services report explained.
It takes a lot for me to get even mildly excited about a bank these days. But a bank that ‘just works’ for an SME stays out of the way, and doesn’t issue time fines or patronise you? Now that’s a little different.
Each year Real Business brings you 50 disruptive UK companies ignoring the status quo – and 2017’s list is overflowing with inspiring startup entrepreneurs.
A year after the launch of Entrepreneurial Spark at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Edinburgh-based headquarters, the hub has opened its doors to the fintech community.
The New Year is here and the 2017 fintech industry holds the potential for exciting new developments, as well as having to come against a fast moving landscape and political impacts.
Fintech’s dramatic impact and the constant march of innovation has overhauled nearly all aspects of the sector, from accountancy to investment banking – as well as automotive finance.


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July 30, 2019
For over 100 years, college scholarships have gone to athletes or academics – with little opportunity for the creators, dreamers, and innovators.
July 16, 2019
T-Mobile and Taco Bell will debut a trio of co-branded stores dubbed “T-MoBell” next week, as the self-styled “un-carrier” moves to further grow its rewards program.
May 16, 2019
Taco Bell has a summer getaway plan for its biggest fans, as it plans to open a Palm Springs hotel where seemingly every detail is based on the brand.
April 18, 2019
Taco Tuesdays were once an indulgent excuse to eat out in the middle of the week—a rallying cry for broke college students or busy office workers looking to splurge on filling, foldable food. But in time, the tradition became a prison.
February 08, 2019
Achieving a dream requires hard work and perseverance, no matter the obstacles. Get up early, train all day, grind, grind, grind. Or maybe pick an easier dream.
January 19, 2018
What would "the burger people" do if Taco Bell sold fries? That's the premise behind a new "trailer" for a conspiracy-theory-style thriller, promoting the chain's new Nacho Fries.
January 26, 2017
Taco Bell is essentially launching two campaigns for one new item, the Naked Chicken Chalupa.
November 14, 2016
Taco Bell recently unveiled its new logo -- a stripped-down, more streamlined version of its existing symbol -- consisting of a purple bell and black letters -- what appears to be a variant of the Gotham typeface.
May 17, 2016
Taco Bell is overhauling four California locations with sleek seating, distressed wood, funky pendant lighting and other elements in a test that may help the chain appear more like a chic loft than a fast-food taco joint.
March 15, 2016
Taco Bell seems to be flaunting its popularity in social media with a new ad for the Quesalupa starring one of the internet's and sci-fi's most popular stars: George Takei.
February 07, 2016
Taco Bell's Super Bowl ad launches its new Quesalupa, a quesadilla-chalupa hybrid, with the news that it's going to be bigger than everything....including man-buns, drones, Tinder, hoverboards and even football.
May 22, 2015
Taco Bell goes against the grain of the sharing zeitgeist with its latest food invention: Grilled Stuft Nachos. The fast feeder introduces the new product via and ad that broke this weekend, created out of Deutsch L.A.
March 23, 2015
Taco Bell is encouraging breakfast eaters to break out of their morning rut with an ambitious propaganda-themed campaign asking people to "defect" from their boring circle-shaped sandwiches.
March 27, 2014
You know who loves Taco Bell's breakfast? Ronald McDonald. Deutsch L.A. sticks it to its fast food client's biggest competitor with a new television spot featuring a bunch of real men, named Ronald McDonald.


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To the Editor:
Your Aug. 18 Business Day article on the rise of women entrepreneurs needs a broader perspective on the state of small businesses owned by women. The well-educated, highly motivated women featured in the article are far from representative of the general situation, especially when compared with men in small business.
In 1980, the most recent year for which Internal Revenue Service data on the sex of sole proprietors are available, 93 percent of women proprietors were, as they have long been, in trade and services. Only 68 percent of men were in such businesses.
Average receipts of women-owned businesses in that year were $14,000, or 26 percent of the male average, and ranged from 18 percent in the retail trade, where 30 percent of the women owners were, to 75 percent in construction. In that industry, however, women owned less than 2 percent of the businesses. Male-owned businesses experienced net deficits in 17 industries, while women-owned businesses on average failed to earn surpluses in 52 industries in 1980.
The emergence of women entrepreneurs is certainly a welcome change, but their entry into nontraditional industries and the achievement of earnings parity with men are proceeding slowly and remain exceptional. ROBERT L. ARONSON Cornell University Ithaca, N.Y., Aug. 20, 1986 The writer is emeritus professor of labor economics at Cornell University.Continue reading the main story


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Weekly Cannabis Roundup April 16
This week in cannabis news: The FBI releases a report that cannabis arrests are on the decline. French parliament lawmakers have banded together to block cannabis legalization. Lastly, a civil lawsuit has been filed against the cannabis brand Kushy Punch for illegal sales.
An FBI report shows an 18% decrease in cannabis arrests and an odd letter from a bunch of French politicians reveals that they intend to block cannabis legalization
This is Lo with Veriheal keeping you up to date with the latest in cannabis news…
According to FBI data, around 567,000 cannabis-related arrests were made in 2019.
Of those arrests about 92% were for simple cannabis possession.
This shows a substantial decrease for the first time in four years.
A decade ago, cannabis arrests peaked at a little over 800,000 in one year.
11 states have since legalized recreational use which have, of course, contributed to the decline.
The stats also indicate that these arrests were less likely to happen in western states while the northeastern states made up for over half of them.
And while arrests for violent crimes had a marginal decrease, the number of cannabis arrests still vastly exceeded them.
The executive director at NORML stated that police make a cannabis-related arrest every 58 seconds.
And ultimately, these arrests are a waste of tax dollars and law enforcement resources.
80 French Parliament lawmakers published a recent letter citing that if the nation was to legalize cannabis, they would also need to legalize crimes such as arms dealers, fiscal fraud, prostitution, and vehicular speeding.
In showcasing their ineptness and inexpertise, the letter also goes on to also suggest that cannabis causes psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, failing grades, and moral degeneration.
The lawmakers even cap off the impetuous letter with a quote from the Minister of the Interior, “Drugs are shit”. (put a bleep noise over the ‘shit’ part)
It sounds like a lot of French lawmakers need to read up on the latest cannabis research and maybe regroup.
The suit alleges they produced and sold over $64 million dollars worth of illegal products
California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control released a statement citing that ”seized records document the production of more than 3.3 million Kushy Punch brand gummies in an 18-month period,
This is an estimated value of $64 million.”
The veteran cannabis company that has been a favorite for over 20 years has since lost its business license and insists that the seized vape products were never intended for distribution as they had already been well expired.
Kushy Punch’s attorneys also pointed out one of the many wrinkles in cannabis legalization that are in a dire need of ironing,
“What we have witnessed is a cannabis extinction event,
as many operators are unable to withstand the licensing delays, costs and onerous taxes that continue to be a barrier for historical brands like Kushy Punch to survive.”
So go ahead and like this video and give us a follow at Veriheal to stay up to date with the latest in cannabis news
Thanks for watching!
Cannabis coconut oil is an excellent alternative to the more traditional edible baker favorite: cannabutter. Not only is cannabis infused coconut oil non-dairy and vegan, but it is also an incredibly effective carrier oil for one of this author’s favorite compounds: THC. Edibles are a fantastic way to medicate for many reasons. Firstly, the effects…
Who would have thought that a plant once feared for being a “gateway drug” – a myth that has actually been debunked by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – could quite possibly be the missing piece in a complex puzzle called health? Thanks to an ever-growing smorgasbord of scientific evidence and research, the public’s perception…
Cannabidiol (CBD) has gained its fame from being a medical wonder, while Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) received its glory from its intoxicating and pain-reducing effects and now… Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is gaining stature as a weight-loss wonder. THCV has appetite-suppressing properties, which goes against the general association between consuming cannabis and getting the “munchies”. The truth is that…
More people may be taking a trip to Massachusetts soon, and more people in Massachusetts may be taking a trip soon too. That’s because, like many other places in the US, lawmakers and elected representatives in Massachusetts are looking at decriminalizing the possession of all drugs in certain amounts. In fact, the state has introduced…
Growing cannabis at home can be very therapeutic. Raising a cannabis plant from a small seedling or clone all the way through flowering to produce potent medicine is very rewarding. You’re rewarded with a beautiful crop of buds. You’re also rewarded with the peace of mind that comes with knowing what went into your grow….
With the cannabis industry growing bigger and more popular, it is no wonder that the cannabis edibles and beverage industry would follow…
The 2020 election saw several states legalize cannabis along with a handful of others who’ve legalized in 2021. Legal access in the…
One of the major concerns surrounding cannabis legalization is the impact that cannabis can have on one’s driving abilities. This is also…


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In a statement emailed to Jewish Link and JNS staff last week, Bimbo Bakeries USA announced that products under the Arnold, Sara Lee and Ball Park brands will again be produced under kosher certification.
“As three of our largest brands, many of which are distributed nationally, Bimbo Bakeries USA is confident that kosher consumers will be able to find the products they are looking for to enjoy themselves and with their families. We’d like to thank both the Orthodox Union and KOF-K for their guidance as we reviewed our options,” they wrote.
The company rescinded its 2017 plan to end certification after discussions over the last several weeks with the Orthodox Union and KOF-K, responding to a recent public outcry from a geographically diverse group of kosher consumers, hundreds of whom contacted the company to register their concern earlier in the month. While the plans to drop certification from a number of products had been made public some 20 months prior, many kosher-keeping consumers had only recently begun to notice the certifications being dropped from favorite brands in places like Memphis, South Carolina, Denver and Northern California. Kosher brands of breads and buns in such places became all but impossible to find. The company, at that time, told The Jewish Link and JNS that it would be dropping certification from all its brands.
Bimbo Bakeries USA is a subsidiary of Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo, which is one of the world’s largest baked-goods businesses with America’s largest privately labeled bread-baking services. In addition to Arnold, Sara Lee and Ball Park, it owns close to a dozen other bread and baked-goods lines, including Entenmann’s and Thomas’s iconic English muffin line.
Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kashrus, applauded the move. “We are very pleased by Bimbo’s decision to continue a line of Arnold’s pareve bread,” he said. “It is of enormous importance to our community,” he told The Jewish Link.


text: On Saturday Feb. 6, B'Zar is hosting their farewell party from 6-9 p.m. It'll be a nostalgia-filled goodbye with a display of all the photo-shoots, posters, and flyers from the parties they've thrown over the years. The Spaced Invaders will be setting up a video installation of all the fashion shows and Kulture Klash videos as well. Guests can sign a naked male mannequin, and DJ Belk will be spinning a mix of mash-up, hip-hop, and house music. The remainder of their merchandise will be on sale for 50-60 percent off. "We want this to be fun event, since we will still play an active part in the community, throwing events, Suite Sole, branding our own B'zar product online, etcetera," co-owner Andrea Serrano says. "It'll be a retrospective of our four years on Upper King Street."


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Let’s say you have a streaming stack of HBO Now, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Sling TV. At their lowest subscription levels, that will cost you about $64.00 a month. When you add on broadband access, which costs on average $52 per month, according to Kagan, you’re already at $114.
$64 + $52 = $114/month on average!
According to the Leichtman Research Group, the average cost for pay-TV service in 2016 was $103 per month. While streamers no doubt have access to more content than ever, the question remains whether the current à la carte streaming era is actually better for consumers.
With more streaming services entering the market in the next few years, you wonder when consumers will start feeling subscription overload. If cord-cutting was originally driven by cost, it no longer seems to be the main benefit to doing so.
There are other benefits of course—more content, choice, and freedom. But with it comes confusion, gaps in programming, and frustration in finding the shows you want to watch when you want to watch them. The more you think about it, is it worth the high price?


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Sri Lanka set for price increases as war escalates
( AFP ) - Sri Lanka is set to raise the prices of basic foods such as potatoes and sugar as well as cooking gas, officials announced Tuesday, fanning fears of galloping inflation in the conflict-wracked island.
Inflation is already running at 17.5 percent in the tropical country, whose economy has been slowing amid an escalating war between government forces and Tamil rebels fighting for an independent homeland.
Liquefied petroleum gas used for cooking was slated to rise by nearly 12 percent Wednesday, the Royal Dutch Shell company said, blaming the increase on high global prices.
Import duties on sugar, potatoes, canned fish and lentils were to be raised by 15 to 30 percent Wednesday, the trade ministry said, attributing the increase to a jump in global commodity prices and removal of subsidies.
"Food accounts for about 60 percent of our inflation index. The rise in food and energy prices will push inflation further this year," said Vajira Premawardhana, research head at stockbrokers Lanka Orix Securities.
Consumer prices hit a decade high of 20.5 percent a year ago.
Sri Lanka's economy grew by 7.0 percent in the three months to September compared with 7.7 percent in the same period a year earlier.
"The government has little choice but to reduce inflation, otherwise it will erase gains on economic growth. The ongoing war is not making things easier for the economy either," said Premawardhana.
Sri Lanka raised its 2008 defence budget by 20 percent to a record 1.48 billion dollars and Colombo has vowed to militarily crush the Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for a separate Tamil homeland.


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According to Assassin’s Creed: Unity developer Arnaud Jamin, future installments in the Assassin’s Creed series won’t be numbered, but will instead be named after their theme.
In a recent interview Ubisoft’s Mr Jamin disclosed that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag would be the last numbered entry in the series, with Assassin’s Creed: Unity bringing in a new era for the history-adventure franchise.
When asked why Assassin’s Creed: Unity wasn’t titled Assassin’s Creed 5, he stated that “we plan to go with a title that matches the theme in the future.”
It does make sense. Ubisoft previously stated that the series could potentially carry on forever thanks to the ability to jump the series through history. Eventually we’d get to Assassin’s Creed 16 and it’d sound a bit ridiculous. Also, by not having the games numbered Ubisoft can entice new players who would otherwise be afraid of jumping into a series so many games in.
It’s not unheard of for publishers to ditch the sequential numbering of their games and it’s not even the first time Ubisoft has done such a thing, just take a look at the Rayman and Rainbow Six series.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity will be releasing on November 11th in North America and November 13th for the UK and Europe and will only be available on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Will you be sad to see the back of the numbers? Or are you glad they’ve gone the way of the dodo? Let us know down in the comments section below.
Like The Games Cabin on Facebook for the latest gaming news, reviews, deals, rumours, trailers and much more!


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“We hope that the CIIE will accelerate its role as a window to build a new development pattern, provide new opportunities for the world with China’s new development, give full play to its role as a platform to promote high-level opening up, and make China’s big market a big market shared by the world; and better provide global Shared international public goods and services will help promote the construction of an open world economy and allow win-win cooperation to benefit the world.” On November 5, President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the Sixth China International Import Expo, fully affirming the important role and importance of the CIIE. The fruitful results achieved, in-depth analysis of the world economic situation and global trade trends, placed high expectations on the CIIE to continue to play a good role as a window and platform, and pointed out the way forward. President Xi Jinping’s letter once again demonstrates China’s sincere willingness to open its market to all countries, conveys China’s unswerving determination to promote high-level opening up, boosts confidence and injects strong impetus into the recovery and development of the world economy, and arouses the attention of distinguished guests, exhibitors and international The society responded enthusiastically.
The CIIE is a major initiative in the history of international trade development. Under President Xi Jinping’s personal planning, deployment, and promotion, since its first launch in 2018, the CIIE has relied on China’s large market advantages to give full play to its functions as a platform for international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchanges, and open cooperation, from expanding the supply of high-quality goods to Import, enrich domestic market supply, continuously meet people’s needs for a better life, promote industrial upgrading, improve global supply chain cooperation, and achieve high-quality development, and then provide more opportunities for the development of all countries, achieve mutual benefit and win-win, and benefit people around the world. …The “CIIE effect” continues to be released, fully demonstrating China’s confidence and responsibility as a major country in its continuous expansion of opening up.
Currently, the century-old changes in the world are accelerating, protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise, globalization is encountering countercurrents, and the world economy is lacking momentum for recovery. All countries must deeply realize that economic globalization is an irreversible historical trend, and openness is the only way for world prosperity and development. Only by working together and seeking common development can we use openness to relieve development difficulties, pool the power of cooperation, and gather the momentum of innovation. Seeking shared blessings.
When the world is good, China will be good; when China is good, the world will be better. In the first three quarters of this year, China’s GDP grew by 5.2% year-on-year, and service consumption and household consumption expenditure maintained a stable and positive trend. China’s economy has demonstrated strong resilience, great potential, and vitality, and its long-term positive fundamentals have not changed. China has a population of more than 1.4 billion, and a middle-income group of more than 400 million that is constantly expanding. This not only represents China’s development potential, but also provides important opportunities for the development of other countries. China will further leverage the advantages of its ultra-large market, unleash the potential of the domestic market, firmly promote high-level opening up, continue to promote economic globalization in a more open, inclusive, universally beneficial, balanced and win-win direction, and promote the realization of world modernization with Chinese style. modernization.
Five years ago today, when President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the first CIIE, he solemnly declared: “The China International Import Expo must not only continue to be held every year, but also must be held at a high level, with results, and better and better. “In the past five years, the exhibition area of the CIIE has been expanded several times and it is still “hard to find”. The cumulative intended transaction volume is nearly 350 billion US dollars. New and old friends have come to meet each other, and guests from all over the world have gained a lot. The CIIE is not only a symbol of China’s unswerving expansion of opening-up, but also a grand event for global cooperation and win-win results.
New era, shared future. We must translate President Xi’s important instructions on successfully hosting the CIIE into practical actions, implement a series of measures to expand opening-up, and provide new opportunities for the world with China’s new development. We must uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and adopt more open measures to jointly enlarge the global market pie, strengthen sharing mechanisms, and develop effective cooperation methods. We must work together to seek common development, meet each other halfway, and achieve mutual success, so that Chinese-style modernization can benefit the world and work together. Create a better future for mankind.
[Editor in charge: Lu Jiashan]


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Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in shares of Plantronics Inc (NYSE:PLT) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 394,488 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 10,335 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG owned about 1.00% of Plantronics worth $13,056,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in PLT. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Plantronics during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,933,000. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. purchased a new position in Plantronics during the fourth quarter worth approximately $14,487,000. Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in Plantronics during the fourth quarter worth approximately $7,615,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Plantronics by 5.4% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,989,325 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $240,556,000 after buying an additional 204,326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Plantronics by 119.5% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 317,608 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $19,152,000 after buying an additional 172,891 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.20% of the company’s stock.
In other Plantronics news, Director Guido Jouret bought 1,500 shares of Plantronics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 19th. The shares were bought at an average price of $49.03 per share, for a total transaction of $73,545.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,988 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,561.64. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Marvin Tseu sold 4,238 shares of Plantronics stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total value of $207,153.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,876 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,215,938.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.
NYSE:PLT opened at $51.54 on Tuesday. Plantronics Inc has a 52 week low of $30.90 and a 52 week high of $82.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.02 and a beta of 1.49.
Plantronics (NYSE:PLT) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 5th. The technology company reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.70. Plantronics had a positive return on equity of 20.15% and a negative net margin of 7.32%. The company had revenue of $530.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $507.87 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.02 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 134.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Plantronics Inc will post 3.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.
A number of equities analysts recently commented on PLT shares. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Plantronics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 9th. Northland Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Plantronics in a research report on Thursday, March 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $65.00.
Plantronics, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets lightweight communications headsets, telephone headset systems, other communication endpoints, and accessories for the business and consumer markets under the Plantronics brand worldwide. The company's enterprise products include headsets optimized for unified communications and collaboration, other corded and cordless communication headsets, audio processors, and telephone systems; and consumer products comprise Bluetooth and corded products for mobile device applications, personal computers, and gaming headsets.
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Africa and China have a rather loud relationship that cannot be ignored regardless of one’s alignment. The Chinese authorities have encouraged their people to go out and explore and make a name for the country wherever they are. In business, technology and geopolitics, China cannot be ignored, especially when dealing with Africa. But what is in there for African startups?
When Chinese President Jiang Zemin announced the 1999-initiated policy in 2000, it intended to broaden Chinese investment abroad hoping that it would translate to growth in China. Under the policy, the goals were to increase outbound foreign direct investment (FDI), pursue product diversification, improve the level and quality of projects, expand financial markets concerning the national market and promote Chinese brands in the European Union (US) and US markets. The beneficiaries of this policy cut across but startups have nonetheless been a major group of beneficiaries of this policy.
Huge production and cheap labour have strongly supported this policy as Chinese as Chinese outward direct investment (ODI) reached US$146.5 billion in 2022, ranking third in the world. In Africa, the figure dropped to US$1.8 billion in 2022 from US$5 billion the previous year. Nonetheless, Africa remains a key beneficiary of Chinese investment with giant smartphone manufacturer Transsion Holdings playing a huge part in Africa’s startup ecosystem.
Chinese venture capital firms and investors have been the force behind some of Africa’s successful tech startups with hundreds of millions of United States dollars pushed into these startups. Wapi Pay, Carry1st and Termii have been some of the top beneficiaries. Transsion-backed early-stage investment fund, Future Hub has been taking giant strides in this direction for years. The early-stage investor that gladly puts in up to US$300,000 for 5% of equity in pre-seed/Seed tech startups first ventured into Africa when it invested in Nigeria-based business communication provider Termii in 2019. It later invested in Wapi Pay, a payment service provider that enables transactions between Africa and Asia. Carry1st, a South Africa-based mobile gaming publisher soon joined and media tech company Techpoint Africa added to the Chinese growing portfolio.
Meituan and 3W Capital, two China-based venture capital firms alongside several other Chinese firms have also invested in African tech startups. Notable among the African startups on the portfolio of 3W Capital and Meituan is Opay which raised US$400 million in 2021. SoftBank Vision Fund 2, a Chinese led the round for the Nigeria-based startup. Sequoia Capital China and Redpoint China were among the investors in that round which valued Opay at US$2 billion.
Interest in African startups by Chinese investors based on the examples above shows that it is a trend on the rise. Smartphone giant Transsion backed the launching of PalmPay in Africa in 2019. Transsion invested in the fintech through its subsidiary, Techno together with Chinese internet technology company NetEase and chipmaker, Mediatek. The trio provided a seed round investment of $40 million to power the startup that is now a leader in the payment service. PalmPay has since gone on to raise US$100 million in Series A funding in 2022 backed by Chuangshi Capital, Yunshi Equity Investment Management, Trust Capital, Chengyu Capital and AfricInvest.
With Transsion’s continued growth in Africa, the device maker’s investment in African startups won’t slow down anytime soon, especially for startups that align towards its market area. It currently controls at least 20% of the smartphone market in Africa with its three brands; Techno (12.95%), Infinix (7.13%) and Itel (4.55%) as of November 2023, according to Statcounter.
Africa’s financial service sector just like other areas is underserved in terms of technology, opening a huge gap for startups to spring up to take the opportunity. And with Chinese interest in the continent still very high, the prospects of more Chinese investments in African startups are likely to be on a higher trajectory.
Jack Ma Foundation-backed African Business Heroes has been running for half a decade, supporting several African startups with funding, training and exposure. The programme aims to over 10 years recognize 100 African entrepreneurs, and provide grant funding and training to help them amplify the impact they are making in their communities. Apart from the prize won by the top 10, a number of them have successfully raised funding to expand following the conclusion of the programme. ANKA, which entered the competition as Afrikrea has been able to raise US$6.2 million in pre-Series A round to expand.
Chinese investment in African startups is thus not a novelty and will not fade out any time soon as African entrepreneurs keep innovating to attract global eyes.


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Air cargo picture brightens
According to IATA, Asia-Pacific carriers are expected to post a $5.2 billion profit.
IATA is an international trade body, created over 60 years ago by a group of airlines. Today, IATA represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic.
Transportation in the NewsKnight-Swift to add 400 trucks, drivers with Abilene tuck-in acquisition NEXT Trucking and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines partner to service SMEs CBRE research points to expected gains in cold-storage warehouse space AAR reports annual carload and intermodal gains for week ending March 10 Advances in Last-mile Delivery Take Shape More Transportation News
Transportation Resource2018 Rate Forecast Thursday, January 25, 2018 | 2pm ET
The air cargo industry has made unexpected gains in recent months, but analysts are not predicting that the trend will continue into 2011.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revised its 2010 industry outlook and is now projecting a profit of $8.9 billion (up from the $2.5 billion forecast in June). In its first look into 2011, the Association estimates that profitability will drop to $5.3 billion.
“The industry recovery has been stronger and faster than anyone predicted,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO in Geneva. “The $8.9 billion profit that we are projecting will start to recoup the nearly $50 billion lost over the previous decade.”
This observation was mirrored in comments made earlier this week at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco, where supply chain software developers said 2010 promises to be a better year for everyone in the global logistics industry.
In his address on key trends in logistics, James Taylor, vice president of software applications maker, CSC, noted that a rebound was in order.
And according to IATA, Asia-Pacific carriers are expected to post a $5.2 billion profit.
This is better than the $3 billion recorded during the previous peak in 2007 and double the previously forecasted $2.2 billion. The strong improvement is based on strong market growth and yield gains. Renewed buoyancy in air freight markets has been particularly important for airlines in this region, where it can represent up to 40 percent of revenues. The 23.5 percent improvement in high volume intra-Asia premium traffic reflects another significant trend.
“But a reality check is in order,” cautioned Bisignani. “There are lingering doubts about how long this cyclical upturn will last. Even if it is sustainable, the profit margins that we operate on are so razor thin that even increasing profits 3.5 times only generates a 1.6 percent margin. This is below the 2.5 percent margin of the previous cycle peak in 2007 and far below what it would take just to cover our cost of capital.”
About the AuthorPatrick Burnson, Executive Editor Patrick Burnson is executive editor for Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management Review magazines and web sites. Patrick is a widely-published writer and editor who has spent most of his career covering international trade, global logistics, and supply chain management. He lives and works in San Francisco, providing readers with a Pacific Rim perspective on industry trends and forecasts. You can reach him directly at [email protected]
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Secondary CMBS trading slowed ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend, with overall volume totaling $320 million when agency and IO paper are excluded from last week’s summary.
According to CMBS BWIC data provided to us by Solve Advisors, the three largest bid lists (containing non-Agency paper) that circulated last week had a combined face amount of about $550 million. The largest listing, which came in for bid last Thursday, was a batch of 2015-2018 conduit AAAs totaling $282 million. Two other conduit lists that went out for trading included a $150 million group of CMBS 3.0 class A-3 bonds as well as a $118 million list of recent vintage IOs. Outside the CMBS segment, US stocks capped off a volatile August with its first monthly loss since May due to ongoing trade uncertainty and a weak consumer sentiment reading.
CMBS cash and CMBX spreads moved in opposite directions over the course of last week: recent vintage conduit spreads inched wider by three basis points down the stack. CMBX 6/7/8/9/10/11/12 spreads, on the other hand, posted some minor tightening of about one or two basis points for the AAA. CMBX BBB- spreads for series 6-12 were flat to six basis points narrower.
Retail Round-up: The last week of August proved to be a busy one in terms of major retail headlines. Several news outlets reported that fast fashion brand Forever 21 has been working with restructuring experts and is close to filing for bankruptcy. Canada-based Hudson’s Bay Co. also announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Lord and Taylor franchise to Le Tote – a fashion rental subscription service – for $100 million (the deal includes a $25 million secured promissory note due in 2021). While Le Tote expects the continued operation of the remaining 38 Lord & Taylor stores for the time being, the two companies are set to reevaluate the use of these brick-and-mortar locations in about two years. The retailer currently backs more than $4.5 billion in CMBS loans as a collateral or non-collateral tenant (the full exposure list can be found in our In the Spotlight page). Burlington and Dollar General were among the chains that beat earnings expectations, while Best Buy, Abercrombie, and Ulta posted notable selloffs following the release of the latest quarterly results.
The Commerce Department announced on Friday that consumer spending rose 0.6% during July, which outpaced the 0.1% increase in household incomes, while Q2 GDP came in at an annualized rate of 2.0%, down from a 3.1% growth rate for the first quarter.


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Police in a town outside Cincinnati are searching for a bald man they say was involved in the theft of $847 in Rogaine and memory aids from at least three stores, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Authorities released surveillance images of the man appearing to hold up a shopping basket, the report said.
Mount Healthy police have issued an alert for "a serial thief" they say recently took $847 worth of Rogaine and Prevagen products from a Walgreens store in the city just north of Cincinnati. Police say he is linked to similar thefts from retailers in nearby suburbs.
Police say the man is believed to drive a white Jeep.
They're not sure if he's using any of the products himself but suspect he tries to sell them online or at flea markets.
Mount Healthy Detective Chris Jones tells WCPO-TV that police are "scratching our heads at this, no pun intended," over the Rogaine thefts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report


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The market will be held for the second time on Saturday, Oct. 21
After its Saturday, Sept. 9 event proved successful, hosting more than 3,000 people, another Fishtown flea market was inevitable. Thus, the second Fishtown Flea will be held on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1220 Frankford Ave. (in the lot below the Sheppard Fairey mural).
According to Amy Voloshin, co-organizer of the event alongside her husband, Leo, the couple came up with the idea for the flea market as they wanted to create a space where local designers and artists of shared aesthetic could embrace the community through a fun experimental shopping event. While Voloshin’s focus has entailed the curation of artists and showcases, she also hopes to ultimately create a makers market that rivals that of other big cities, including L.A., Chicago and New York.
“[At the first Fishtown Flea], we were blown away by amount of people who stopped by to see what was going on,” Voloshin said. “Fishtown has become such a thriving hotspot for food, and recently fashion.”
Aimed at “highlighting the best local indie designers and engaging with the Fishtown and greater Philadelphia community,” this second market will incorporate even more vendors and opportunities for fun than the first. Vendors who will be present at the market include: Beaucycled, CURIOUS CLAY, Electric Garden, Gina Elise Designs, Goldie Flower Stand, Half and a Third, Hemlock and Hyde, Jasper Studios, Jarmél By Jarmel, Jinxed Fishtown, Lindley Gray, Lost and Found Vintage, Lucy and Leo, Penrose Design Studio, PF Vintage, PlayArts, Printfresh and Voloshin.
“Fishtown Flea is curated from the local community to showcase everything from stationery and vintage clothing to jewelry and ceramics,” Voloshin, who owns Printfresh and Voloshin with her husband, said. “Each vendor has been handpicked to be part of this maker’s market and are the best at what they do. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of vendors who wanted to participate in the flea, it really shows what the community can do when they come together for a common cause.”
Food at the flea market will also be available, and will be provided by Dr. Wutzit’s Wonder Balls, Hello Donuts, Kono Pizza and Reanimator Coffee. There will also be music by DJ Mike Vee at the event.
“By attending the Fishtown Flea, people can expect to feel a sense of community,” Voloshin said. “They will have direct access to each small business owner, designer and artist to ask questions and learn more about their products and businesses. It’s a great event to support local designers and to really connect with people in the neighborhood who are doing amazing things.”
Additionally, half of its proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Adaire, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit group consisting of parents, educators, and community members which seeks to support the local Alexander Adaire Elementary School.
“Alexander Adaire is the local Fishtown public elementary school and Friends of Adaire supports them by providing funding for academic programing, necessary renovations and school supplies,” Voloshin said. “My husband and I are sending our children to Adaire, and are very interested in supporting the school through providing financial support and resources.”
Voloshin added that principal of the Adaire School, Anna Jenkins, has a passion for improving the school and its resources, and that she and her husband are excited to support all of the “wonderful work” of Jenkins. In addition, since the Fishtown Flea is a very specific and localized event, they saw it best to give back to a community you has given so much to them. Thus, by donating the proceeds to the Friends of Adaire, they hope to help support the next generation of designers, artists and entrepreneurs.
Note: All who enter Fishtown Flea will be asked to sign a release when coming in “due to the [physically] uneven nature of the lot.”


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14 SEPTEMBER 2015
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In just a few weeks, it will be "take-off" time for the Munich folk costume crew during Oktoberfest the traditional city beer festival week.
This year, the crew will appear in anniversary costumes: Lufthansa is taking advantage of its 60th birthday to recreate the traditional costume from the 1950s. The 14 flight attendants will be taking-off starting in mid-September to destinations in North America and the Arabian Gulf.
On 16 September, they will be off to Charlotte (USA), on 21 September to Vancouver and on 29 September to Dubai. “It is for the ninth time already that our costume crew will carry Bavarian tradition throughout the world. Our passengers will be particularly pleased with this year’s anniversary costume,” says Thomas Klühr, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board Finance & Munich Hub.
On selected European flights the Lufthansa CityLine Crew will once again swap their uniforms for Bavarian costumes.
Lufthansa associates at Munich airport’s passenger service will be wearing Dirndls and jackets this year which were designed by Munich-based fashion company Schustermann & Borenstein exclusively for Lufthansa. During Oktoberfest, many station employees will also be donning Lufthansa costumes. www.lufthansa.com
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First published at 21:22 UTC on June 3rd, 2020.
Are we making the right moves and decisions to protect ourselves from this brewing crisis? Is the mainstream media being transparent enough? Are we getting facts on the real story?
Many stores around the world now are stripped of essentials due to …


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Sector shipments recover levels equivalent to the pre-pandemic years
Surveys by the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) show that Brazilian egg exports totaled 3.177 thousand tons in the first two months of 2021. The number exceeds by 150.6% the volume shipped in the same period last year, with a total of 1.267 thousand tons.
In terms of revenue, sales in the egg sector reached US $ 4.128 million in the first two months of this year, a result 152.8% higher than in the same period of 2020, with US $ 1.633 million.
Considering only the month of February, sales in the sector reached 1.552 thousand tons, a number 247.9% higher than that achieved in the second month of last year, with 446 tons. In revenue, the February result reached US $ 2.099 million, a balance 172.8% higher than the US $ 769 thousand realized in the same comparative period.
The main destination for egg exports from Brazil, the United Arab Emirates were destinations of 2.356 thousand tonnes in the first two months of this year, a volume 209.7% higher than that registered in the same period in 2020. Without imports registered in 2020, Sierra Leone assumed the second place in Brazilian egg exports this year, with 103 tons shipped. In third place, Japan imported 89.2 tonnes, a 103% higher number, according to the same comparative period.
“The strong increase in exports in 2021 resumes the levels of shipments practiced before the pandemic. The sales balance increases the foreign exchange generated by the productive sector at an especially important time for the egg sector, with strong production costs ”, says Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA.


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Wed, 27 May 2015
Bryan and Jim hit the big 6-0 this week, which made them feel old. This week, they covered a trio of tips on finding free or discounted local books, writing 5,000 words a day for a month, and perfecting your book's title. They also touched on news stories about 12 essential book marketing tips, giving away books for free, discrimination against indies, Google Play's shutdown for new authors, and the pros and cons of going pro. This week's Question of the Week: Does the traditional publishing industry's behavior toward indies count as sanctioned discrimination? Why or why not?


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A new survey conducted by PR News and Medialink reveals that PR pros aren’t using online video as often as they’re watching it. While 69% of the nearly 300 people who responded to the survey said they’ve watched online video footage for business purposes within the last 10 days, only half have video posted on their corporate Web sites.
So, what gives?
“Video is still an underutilized resource among PR pros – especially those in B2B communications,” Larry Thomas, COO of Medialink, told PR News. “Execs are watching video themselves, but they’re not taking advantage of these cost-effective distribution tools.”
The main drivers respondents cited for using online video are the ability to measure impact/ROI (30%) and financial feasibility (28%). But, Thomas added, not enough public relations professionals are “taking existing video assets and repurposing (them) in addition to creating content from scratch.”
PR News reports on three best practices that are used when preparing online videos:
• Produce compelling content and make it as available as possible, then let the destination
attract an audience;
• Consider ways other than the Web and TV to repurpose the video before ever sending out
the camera; and
• Leverage the platform’s ability to speak to a very targeted, high-prospect audience.
When it comes to online video, Thomas concluded, “PR execs can’t stand on the sidelines anymore. They must accelerate their evolution by experimenting. It’s scary, but it’s even scarier to know that people are talking about you whether you’re there or not. We’re in a media 2.0 world, and video is the currency of the marketplace.”


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Google has been in talks to acquire video search startup Baarzo, according to sources with knowledge of the company. However, those sources were less clear about whether the companies had reached a final agreement.
The companies both declined to comment, Google offering its standard note:
Baarzo describes its product as “true video search,” allowing users find specific moments in a video, like a slam dunk in a basketball clip.
If it delivers on that promise , that would be pretty appealing to Google, both for search in YouTube and for the company’s efforts to offer “universal” search across media types.
Unlike Google or YouTube searches, which only evaluate the text around the video, the Baarzo search technology actually analyzes the video content, recognizing hundreds of thousands of objects and millions of faces, and locates the precise moment in the video when the search objects interact in the way you had specified.


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Hispanic flavours for Hull with new authentic Latin restaurant
A new eatery concept celebrating Latin food and culture is set to open its doors in Hull city centre.
Chef Nick Hill is launching his new venture, The Hispanist, in the city’s Victorian shopping mall Paragon Arcade with his partner Alex Spurr.
Located in the former Treat Box sweet shop unit in the arcade, The Hispanist is set to open in September, creating four to five jobs and with an initial dining capacity of around 40 covers.
Nick first discovered his passion for Hispanic culture as a teenager, and has spent time living and working in Spain. He hopes that this venture will be a way to bring the tastes of Spain, Mexico and South America to his hometown.
He said: “I had the idea a long time ago because it’s the type of food that not many people do well in this country. Places tend to serve Tex Mex, and not many people know what real Mexican food is.”
The Hispanist is the latest independent business to join the revived Paragon Arcade site, situated between Paragon Street and Carr Lane, and joins existing tenants Marla’s Deli, White Rabbit Chocolatiers, 80 Days Bier Markt, Milk hair salon, Belle & Benjamin baby clothing and Koda Interior.
Nick added: “Paragon Arcade is the ideal location. I used to pass through it and think I would love to open a place in there and be a part of the community of businesses who are all helping each other out.”
Bought by Allenby Commercial in 2017, the arcade has been transformed by the property investment firm from a thoroughfare to a destination in its own right.
Georgia Allenby, design and marketing manager at Allenby Commercial, said: “When we bought Paragon Arcade our vision was to provide stylish, functional and affordable units in a fantastic location which would attract quality independent businesses who would work together to create a community feel and bring yet more variety to our city centre.
“We’re continuing to work towards that. People spend time in [Paragon Arcade], eating, drinking, browsing and buying. The Hispanist will bring something different yet again.”
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