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SINGAPORE - A new online database system that tracks bicycle ownership and screens if a bicycle is marked as missing or stolen was launched today.
The public system complements the use of existing bicycle security labels. Owners can start registering their labels with the system at www.togoparts.com/bike-label. Those without the labels may collect them from any Neighbourhood Police Centre.
New Lock Lah bicycle racks and customised anti-theft signages for bicycle bays were also unveiled at the Anti-Bicycle Theft Public Campaign event today.
Mr Tan Kian Hoon, chairman of the National Crime Prevention Council, said: "The new bicycles bays, online registration system and security labels are three innovations which were developed to prevent theft of bicycles.
"They were conceived with the convenience and peace of mind of all bicycle owners in Singapore.
"All three measures will complement one another to protect against theft of bicycles and I urge all cyclists to utilise these innovations and spread the word to prevent bicycle theft."


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Unsurprisingly, Nokia (NYSE:NOK) wants to enter the phablet market ? perhaps filling the final piece in the Lumia range, after launching the camera-oriented Lumia 1020 in the United States. Sources known to The Verge and familiar with internal plans of the company claim that the Finnish mobile manufacturer is currently testing a 6-inch device codenamed ?Bandit?.
Phone Designer recently created the Lumia 1025 – a concept phablet device from Nokia, based on the leaked parts which supposedly show the upcoming model:
The device is said to be powered by the upcoming Windows Phone update GDR3, which enables rotation lock, some minor user interface changes including a third column of medium tiles, as well as support for the latest SoCs (Qualcomm Snapdragon 200-800 range) and 1080p screens. Bandit is reportedly made of polycarbonate body, not aluminum, and it includes ?at least a 20MP camera? that produces a miniature hump on the back side of the unit. Some have already begun speculating whether that camera could be based on the Pelican Imaging technology (16-lens array camera) where Nokia (and Qualcomm) recently made some investments ? but this could be too soon, as the company claimed that this tech could see light of the day sometime during 2014.
Phablet race is about to begin once again, with Nokia joining the ranks of Samsung?s Note, HTC?s One Max and Sony?s Xperia Z Ultra. At the same time, Hi-Tech-Mail.Ru has received an invitation for a ?World premiere? Nokia event on August 28 in Moscow. While some believe it might be too soon to announce a device that will come only months after (as reports note that Windows Phone GDR3 should become available before the end of the year), nothing is impossible at this point – not even the rumored Nokia Windows RT tablet device.

domain: news


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Italian fashion strengthens ties with Korea
Italy and South Korea are strengthening their fashion industry. The Italian Camera Nazionale della La Moda has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Fashion Association and Kotra (Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency), it announced in a statement.
The agreement aims to "promote cooperation between the two fashion organizations by facilitating trade relations between the both countries through the exchange of useful information in order to promote strategic investments and expand business.”
Indeed, in the context of the partnership, the Chamber of Italian Fashion has welcomed Korean designers who have showed during its Fashion Weeks for the past several seasons.
The agreement was signed on October 16 during celebrations of 130 years of diplomatic relations between both countries. A celebration in Milan saw three young designers representing both nations show their collection: the Italian duo Tommaso Anfossi and Lorenzo Ferrari from the label CO | TE, the Korean designer Rick Lee, who works in Italy and his compatriot Lee Jean Youn, who is based in New York.
"Korea is strategically an important country for made in Italy. Our footwear and leatherwear sales have increased in the market by 16% in the first six months of year," said Camera della Moda president Mario Boselli.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Domain industry veteran and newly published author Marc Ostrofsky was on ABC-TV’s hit show The View today, talking about his best selling book Get Rich Click! Ostrofsky managed to give domain names a huge plug while promoting his book. Here’s our review of his appearance on national TV.
Over the years Britain’s Ian Andrew has sold hundreds of generic domain names through his company, DotcomAgency, but he decided to get some outside help to give one of his best domains special attention and it has paid off in a big way. DomainAdvisors.com has just closed a $358,000 sale of Andrew’s 33.com.


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Only EU imports last year they reached 1.4 billion euros – The imposition of sanctions is being considered by the G7
The sevenworld's most advanced economies – the G7 – are discussing imposing sanctions on Russian diamond exports, a complex measure that could potentially raise prices for the luxury goods. Russia's diamond exports have largely escaped international sanctions since Moscow invaded Ukraine last February. This is despite calls to the contrary from Ukraine and some European countries, as well as several rounds of measures targeting the Kremlin's energy exports, banks and oligarchs.
In 2021, Russia collected about $4.7 billion from diamond exports, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity. This made Russia the eighth largest exporter of diamonds in the world. Diamonds are not commonly traded like oil or gold, but represent a large market that goes beyond jewelry. Stones are also used for piercing, dentistry, computers. Some countries – such as Belgium, which buys a significant amount of Russian diamonds – want a “global approach” to Russian exports, as opposed to specific EU measures, to ensure sanctions do not disproportionately hurt them.
“The debate has been going on for some time because there is a clear risk that Russia will simply divert its exports to third countries,” said Edward Gardner, commodities economist at Capital Economics. “If the sanctions were imposed in a way that made it difficult to circumvent them, then we could see less Russian supply in the market and higher prices,” he said. The diamond industry in Europe is concerned about possible diversion of trade to other markets, such as Dubai, due to the prospect of paying more for the commodity and will not significantly reduce Russia's income from the trade.
As therefore, the G7 is considering ways to use the technology to trace the original source of the stones. In March the USA and the EU had announced that “Russia continues to earn billions of dollars from the diamond trade” and both “remain committed to imposing economic consequences on Russia”.
It should be noted that the E.U. imported about 1.4 billion euros worth of Russian diamonds last year, according to Eurostat, down from 2021's 1.8 billion euros.


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The new growth forecast is based on a 17 per cent increase in online purchases, meaning shoppers will spend an extra £6.8bn on goods and services over the next three years (from 2020).
Although the increase in purchases from D2C retailers was anticipated, it is the speed of change from offline to online that is increasing significantly.
Around 80 per cent of all businesses in the UK are not investing in their online business. At the same time, UK manufacturers are under growing pressure to improve their digital capabilities to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
This rise in the use of D2C means that the number of manufacturers selling products online will rise from 12,100 to 34,300.
The report, produced by Yolt, says that over the next 20 years, there will be 8.4 million jobs associated with the UK’s manufacturing industry.
Manufacturers selling to customers outside of their own country will increase, reaching around 7.9 million people by 2023.
Businesses selling to customers overseas will increase from 1.7 million to 4.3 million people.
The proportion of the UK workforce associated with manufacturers in D2C channels will increase from 29 per cent in 2017 to 38 per cent by 2023.
The number of UK companies selling to international customers using the internet in D2C channels will increase from 778,000 in 2017 to 3.8 million by 2023.
This is expected to lead to a total boost in sales from D2C businesses of £17.6bn by 2023.
UK manufacturers selling internationally, will generate an extra £24bn to their turnover by 2023.
The report states that D2C retailing has the potential to create a large number of new businesses and jobs in the UK, as well as generate significant taxes to the exchequer.
Martin Tetley, CEO of Yolt, said: “The rise of D2C retailing means that manufacturers have the opportunity to gain new customers and help support their growth. Although this industry has seen changes in recent years, there is still plenty of opportunity for manufacturing businesses to grow their own channels and reach new markets.
“With the rapid pace of change in retailing, the government’s decision to double the Business Rates Relief to D2C businesses is a sensible step to provide a boost to businesses that offer good quality goods to consumers from their own stores.”
Manufacturers are taking advantage of the scale of the market and focusing on creating a competitive online retailing channel to grow sales.
Karen Lawrence, Yolt’s director of marketing, said: “The digital platform is enabling manufacturers to make better use of the market they are a part of. Now, manufacturers can use D2C to meet new customers in their homes.
In 2019/2020, about 54 percent of respondents 65 years old or older stated that they never shop online for food items. Among the 18 to 24 year-old respondents 41 percent stated to never shop online for food items. Online shopping for food was most common among respondents between 35 and 44 years of age. Here 71 percent shopped online while 29 percent never shopped online for food items.
“Manufacturers can focus their marketing on improving customer experience and providing more relevant products that sell well. Manufacturers selling through D2C channels are also benefiting from the use of digital technology to provide customer services that are faster and more personal.”
David Parry, procurement officer, South West Industrial Alliance said: “This report highlights how businesses throughout the South West are promoting their products online and in our marketplace to deliver great experiences for their customers. This includes using digital technology to transform the way they provide their services to the market.”
It is predicted that the number of UK manufacturers selling directly to consumers will surge from 1,200 now to 5,000 in 2023, boosting revenues by 41%.
More than 85% of UK businesses (covering more than 125 different types) currently sell via an online platform. More than half of the UK’s 815 manufacturers are expected to do the same by 2023.
Similarly, almost 80% of UK businesses (covering 21 different types of business) are expected to adopt digitalisation in the next five years.
A supply chain for tomorrow
The UK supply chain has evolved rapidly over the last decade with the growth of D2C and online retailing, coupled with stringent government initiatives to improve air quality, leaving UK manufacturers with significant challenges ahead.
Aware of the issues facing the sector, the report outlines a series of proposals to resolve these issues by improving health and safety, facilitating social trading and improving new product development.
Manufacturers need to adapt their supply chain if they want to stay competitive and not be left behind in the fast-changing landscape of retail.
Digitalisation is going to be the key to making this happen. By incorporating digital into their supply chain, manufacturers will be able to increase their business opportunities and product information will be on hand at all times.
This statistic shows the predicted market sizes of online grocery markets in selected European nations, from 2018 to 2023. The UK online grocery market is predicted to experience a large area of growth, expecting to rise from 14.6 billion U.S dollars to a value of 22.1 billion U.S. dollars.
The global manufacturing sector has a turnover of £3.9 trillion, of which the UK’s annual contribution is £315bn.
The UK’s manufacturing sector has transformed significantly over the last 30 years and is increasingly taking on new functions and challenges.
However, UK manufacturers also struggle to match up to the speed of internet growth and the ability to offer a bigger product range through D2C and online retailing.
More than half of UK manufacturers are using the internet for purchasing purposes, with three-quarters using online web services in some form. However, the report stated that these advances in technology have not been matched by the digital capabilities of the UK supply chain.
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Retail center for about 20 businesses planned for Dayton
A commercial center in Dayton set to break ground in early January includes plans for a Round Table Pizza, Jack in the Box and Taco Bell.
Chris Bonafede, manager of Dayton Delta LLC of Minden, said Wednesday the 6.5-acre project is near Smith’s on Highway 50. Dayton Delta bought the property from the grocery store company in February.
“Our vision with Dayton is to try and provide a first-class retail shopping center that would provide the services that the community needs,” he said.
The first phase is on Retail Road and includes about nine retail spaces. Jack in the Box and Taco Bell are in this first phase. Bonafede said those restaurants should break ground by the spring. The completion date for this phase is July 2005.
Phase two of construction, located on the side of Pine Cone Road, is set to break ground on April 1. Together the project’s phases will add more than 25,000 square feet of retail space.
About 20 businesses will locate in Dayton Delta’s commercial center. So far, eight spaces are full, deals on three spaces are pending. Bonafede said another fast-food chain restaurant has secured a pad facing Highway 50, but he could not name it. The total cost of construction is not yet available.
Work on the project will be done by Miles Brothers Construction of Mound House, Bartlett Architecture and Western Engineering & Surveying of Carson City. Wells Fargo Bank completed the construction loan.
Bonafede said the Dayton Smith’s is one of the largest grossing in the nation, so other chain businesses see this location as a “tremendous opportunity.”
Lyon County Commission Vice Chairman Bob Milz said county government has worked with Dayton Delta and Miles Brothers for a year and a half to get this project started.
“How it benefits the county is in additional sales tax,” he said. “That would help the county provide extra services and then also a place where people don’t have to drive to Carson City (to have retail). It’s just a wonderful thing that we’ve all needed.”
Milz has lived in Dayton for 16 years and he said this project is the biggest commercial venture in Dayton other than Smith’s. He estimates the population in the Dayton area as 15,000.
“Until now we really haven’t had the population to support local business,” he said.
Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@ nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.
Dayton Delta commercial center will include:
Round Table Pizza
Jack in the Box
The UPS Store
Bobby Pages Dry Cleaner
MTM Capital Services
The center will be completed in late 2005.
For leasing and other information, contact Dayton Delta at 800-690-7756


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This week started with the talk of the United States banning Russian oil exports, so XBR/USD saw $130 a barrel. Then the ban became reality. What does it really mean for the market?
Gold rebounds from 1-week minimum
On Tuesday, gold surged, rebounding from a one-week minimum because soaring American bond gains as well as fears over the outlook for global surge backed market sentiment.
December delivery gold futures gained by 0.27% on the Comex exchange ending up with $1,191.8. On Monday, the yellow metal concluded at $1,184.40, which is the lowest settlement since September 28.
The yellow metal’s profits came as equity markets were still pressured by the move higher in American Treasury yields that sent the revenue on 10-year Treasury notes to another seven-year maximum earlier on Tuesday.
By the way, the sell-off in Treasuries has been backed by hopes for a potentially faster tempo of rate lifts from the key US bank.
Hopes for soaring interest rates will probably be still a headwind for the number one precious metal. Interest rate lifts as well as greater American bond gains affected appeal for the yellow metal that provides no yield.
Risk aversion mounted too after the International Monetary Fund had its global surge forecast downgraded, adding that trade clashes are starting to have a considerable impact on the world’s economy.
The IMF had its outlook for China, America, Great Britain and the EU downgraded, telling that it currently expects the world’s economy to expand by about 3.7% this year and also in 2019, versus the previous estimate of 3.9%.
Estimating the American dollar’s purchasing potential against a pack of its primary opponents the USD index hit 95.50, which is not far from its six-week maximum of 95.78 hit the previous week.
A stronger evergreen buck makes dollar denominated assets, such as the yellow metal, less affordable to potential purchasers who hold other currencies.
Besides this, December delivery silver futures gained 0.55% being worth $14.40 a troy ounce.
December delivery copper futures strengthened by 0.8% hitting $2.788.
For a long time, traders considered American Non-farm Payrolls (NFP) the most important release in the market. However, the situation has changed. Now US CPI moves financial markets.
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics will release monthly average hourly earnings, non-farm employment change (NFP), and unemployment rate on November 5, 14:30 GMT+2.
This week may be the most important since the year started as the Fed assess the economic outlook and the US presents fresh NFP readings.
S&P Global, a private banking company, will release a monthly change in British Flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) on January 24, 11:30 GMT+2. The index is a leading indicator of economic health as businesses react quickly to market conditions, and purchasing managers hold the most current and relevant insight into the company's view of the economy.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) m/m on January 12 at 15:30 GMT+2. The index measures a change in the price of goods and services purchased by consumers.


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Iowa State student launches lip gloss line during pandemic
An Iowa State University student launched her own business while many were closing during the pandemic.
Jassma'ray Johnson remembers it like it was yesterday. She said her classmates in Des Moines made fun of her looks in the second grade.
"All the kids used to make fun of my lips because they were so big," Johnson said.
Eventually, she did some research to make her lips pop when she was in the fourth grade.
"I would look up stuff on Pinterest and just go back home and try it. So I found out how to make lip gloss. I went on the stove to make Vaseline and Kool Aid," Johnson said.
Fast forward to 2020, a time where jobs were lost and businesses closed due to the pandemic.
"I need some money. Girl, like what am I going to do?" Johnson asked.
Johnson chose to open for business: Simply Samone.
"I got a refund check from school and I was like I'm going to do it. I'm investing in myself and I'm going to take the chance," Johnson said.
Products are created using organic, vegan and cruelty free ingredients. She said her business started out slow, but things took off in a matter of months.
The Brown Bombshell is currently sold out. Johnson said the lip gloss was inspired by the 90s Black sitcom Moesha.
"Moesha always had the pretty brown lip gloss on. That's where I created my Brown Bombshell from seeing her like 'I wanna make a lip gloss like that,'" Johnson said.
Johnson's business is also a safe place for people of color, especially women. Honoring those women who were killed at the hands of law enforcement like Breonna Taylor and Natasha McKenna.
"Definitely centering Black women. Uplifting us and just giving back to Black women and that's where I am inspired and that's who I am. That's my identity," Johnson said.
The message on her website reads, "remember to tell a Black girl you love her today." She did it because she said Black women are unappreciated when they should be celebrated every day.
"Girl, look at yourself in the mirror. Like truly look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you're beautiful," Johnson said.


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DGAP-News: InTiCa Systems AG publishes Annual Report 2018
DGAP-News: InTiCa Systems AG / Key word(s): Annual Results
Confirmation of preliminary figures
Stronger positioning as a technology provider in the field of e-solutions and e-mobility
Sales increase and positive result planned for FY 2019
"Between 2008 and 2014, InTiCa had to shift its main focus from the telecommunications sector to automotive technology. Now, we are undergoing a shift within automotive technology to a substantial provider of technology for e-solutions and e-mobility. To reinforce our position in a market that is exposed to rising competitive and margin pressure, it is essential to invest constantly both in new products such as filters, NFC antennas and performance components for storage solutions, and in the efficiency of our processes. In addition to removing expensive, low-margin small-scale series from our product portfolio, we see further scope for optimization of our organization and internal workflows", comments Dr. Gregor Wasle, CEO of InTiCa Systems AG the business development.
Earnings, asset and financial position
The operating cash flow was positive but overall there was a cash outflow of EUR 4.2 million as a result of high capital expenditures. At the same time, the equity ratio decreased from 42% to 33% due to increased borrowing.
In the industrial electronics segment, building on the positive global trend for energy generation from alternative sources, products for the photovoltaic industry such as inductive components and mechatronic assemblies will remain important for InTiCa in 2019. In addition, EMC technology for e-mobility (charging infrastructure and vehicles) is gaining in significance. In this field, the boundaries between Industrial Electronics and Automotive Technology are becoming increasingly blurred.
At present, the Board of Directors assumes that, given a stable economic environment and taking into account the particular challenges of 2019, Group sales will rise to around EUR 54.0 million to EUR 58.0 million in 2019, while the EBIT margin will be between 1.5% and 2.0% The material cost ratio should be optimized further in both segments and the equity ratio should remain stable.
The positive development in the first three months of 2019 confirms this view and lifted Group sales by more than 3% year-on-year to EUR 13.6 million (Q1 2018: EUR 13.2 million). EBITDA is expected to come in at around EUR 1.5 million in the first quarter of 2019, while EBIT should be around EUR 0.3 million.
The complete annual report 2018 is available for download from the Investor Relations section of InTiCa Systems' website at www.intica-systems.com.
InTiCa Systems AG
The Board of Directors
CONTACT Dr. Gregor Wasle | CEO
About InTiCa Systems:
The Automotive Technology segment focuses on innovative products that raise the comfort and safety of cars, improve the performance of electric and hybrid vehicles and reduce carbon emissions. InTiCa Systems' Industrial Electronics segment develops and manufactures mechatronic assemblies for the solar industry and other industrial applications.
25.04.2019 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
|Company:||InTiCa Systems AG|
|Phone:||0851 / 96692 0|
|Fax:||0851 / 96692 15|
|Listed:||Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange|
|EQS News ID:||802903|
|End of News||DGAP News Service|
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Tourists travelling overseas this summer could be in for a more expensive holiday thanks to a sharp drop in the value of the pound.
Travellers are currently being offered $1.26 for each pound, according to exchange company Travelex.
The pound earlier fell to its lowest level against the dollar for around 11 months.
On the official foreign exchange market, the pound was down 0.6% at $1.2940, its lowest since 5 September.
Against the euro, it was trading 0.4% lower at €1.1195 - about a two-week low.
The pound's fall came after UK Trade Secretary Liam Fox said at the weekend that the chances of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal were growing.
He put the chance of failing to come to an agreement at "60-40".
The pound had already been hit at the end of last week by a similar warning from the Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, who told the BBC there was an "uncomfortably high" risk of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
XTB's chief market analyst David Cheetham, said he expected the pound to remain under pressure.
"Dr Fox gave a 60-40% chance of a no deal during a recent interview and while it seems to serve no-one's best interests, this game of brinksmanship looks set to continue for the foreseeable future," he said.
Economic consultancy Capital Economics has warned that the pound is likely to plummet further if fears of a "no deal" materialise.
Advice for travellers trying to save money on exchange rates includes pre-ordering cash on the internet or using specialist cards with low fees to take money abroad.
"If you pre-order online, and collect the cash when you get to the airport, you will still get the online rate," said Sally Francis-Miles, money spokeswoman at Moneysupermarket.
"If you're going abroad in the next month, you've still got time to order a specialist overseas credit card. If you're going in the next week, cash is probably best," she told the BBC earlier this month.
Some companies also allow you to lock in to an exchange rate months before you travel.


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Public health minister Jane Ellison announced a free vote for MPs ahead of the May general election, calling plain packaging a “proportionate and justified response” because of the health risks associated with smoking.
But tobacco firms called it an inexplicable move from the government and said plain packaging would be illegal, ineffective and anti-business.
Ukip leader Nigel Farage waded into the row, calling it an “appalling intrusion into consumer choice and the operation of the free market”. He also warned that “jobs and tax revenue would suffer”.
Jeremy Blackburn, head of Communications at B&H and Silk Cut supplier JTI, said: “We strongly consider that plain packaging would be unlawful. It would deprive us of assets worth billions of pounds at a time when the UK economy appears to be turning the corner.
“It is inexplicable that the Government is rushing to legislate on this important issue, which was opposed by nearly two thirds of the respondents to a public consultation and over 40% of other EU Member States have raised concerns over the plain packaging proposals.
“JTI and others have repeatedly said that plain packaging would infringe EU requirements on the free movement of goods, violate property and other fundamental rights – including trademark rights – and go against obligations under EU and WTO rules.
“We have no doubt the major crime syndicates across the globe are scrutinising these proposed regulations as the UK Government prepares to provide counterfeiters with a blueprint of exactly how to copy UK tobacco packs in the future. Brand owners of products in any controversial industries should prepare for similar anti-business measures as the Government has now made it clear that regulation will be passed despite the evidence showing that plain packaging doesn’t work.“
Imperial Tobacco said the move was politically motivated and contradicts evidence from Australia regarding its success.
General manager Melvin Ruigrok said: “The Government should evaluate the effectiveness of current tobacco control measures before proceeding with standardised packaging. No credible evidence has been forthcoming that it will contribute to improving public health.
“As shown in Australia, standardised packaging in England will merely act as a windfall for criminals looking to profit from the illicit trade; furthermore we will work on strengthening our brands which are defended by national, European and international laws concerning the protection of intellectual property.
“To reassure the trade; as an industry we have effectively and robustly navigated our way through a plethora of tobacco legislation whilst continuing to provide an important category for our trade partners. The Government announcement does not represent a done deal and we will continue to positively and proactively engage with the Government.”


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According to findings from the 2016 Consumer Experience Index survey by Aspect, 44 percent of shoppers prefer to use chatbots rather than speak to a live agent, assuming that the automated assistant is capable of handling the request. Forty percent of those surveyed also said that assuming the quality of the experience and privacy are preserved, they would like to use services such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Snapchat to communicate with companies; this is up from 33 percent last year.
The need for self-service tools in general is on the rise, likely because consumers have never enjoyed the idea of calling customer support, says Tim Dreyer, senior director of analyst relations at Aspect. This year, 71 percent of participants said they want to be able to solve customer service issues on their own, compared to 64 percent who said the same thing last year.
"It's silly, but one of the questions we ask is whether customers would rather clean a toilet than contact customer service, and for two years in a row, roughly 40 percent say they'd rather clean the toilet. That's alarming," Dreyer says.
According to the study, the number of companies that lose business over bad customer service is growing in most industries, including telecommunications, travel, financial service, and big-box retail, so businesses can no longer afford to stall the introduction of the self-service tools that consumers crave.
For companies that are hesitant to implement chatbots so early in the game, it's worth mentioning that consumers' expectations for these automated tools are realistic. Consumers have high expectations when it comes to providing basic information about a company, confirming purchases, checking whether products are available, confirming bookings, tracking or making changes to shipments, or requesting service at a hotel. Expectations are much lower, however, when it comes to getting complicated information about products or services, making changes to accounts, or carrying out troubleshooting.
Consumers were also overwhelming in agreement about the importance of live agents—86 percent said chatbots should be able to transfer an engagement to a live agent, and 88 percent agreed that live agent interactions were not going away, but that the role would evolve into that of a subject matter expert. "We're not going to see support agents disappear. They'll still be incredibly valuable for any complex issues," Dreyer said.
As chatbots mature though, Dreyer maintains that expectations for their functionalities may grow. "Right now, we're still seeing a lot of leftover frustration from traditional IVR. No one wants to be stuck on the phone with an automated machine, trying to get through to an operator. As chatbots become more intelligent, we'll see people relying on them more heavily to carry out customer service requests," he says.


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Two women wanted for using stolen credit card at Family Dollar store
POSTED: Friday, April 5, 2013 - 3:00am
UPDATED: Friday, April 5, 2013 - 7:38am
BATON ROUGE, LA — East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Detectives are looking for two women that made unauthorized charges using a stolen credit card from the Family Dollar store located at 6180 Plank Rd on February 28, 2013 at approximately 4:00 p.m.
According to reports, while shopping at Walmart, 10200 Sullivan Rd, the victim’s wallet was stolen from her purse. Unauthorized charges totaling $371.20 were made to the victim’s credit card at the Family Dollar store the same day.
The suspects’ vehicle is a silver Dodge Avenger. Stills are attached.
Anyone with information concerning this incident or the identity of the suspects is asked to contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at (225) 389-5000. Crime Stoppers is also offering a cash reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of those responsible. Contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (225) 344- STOP or (225) 344-7867.


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India’s War on Cash Continues with New Tactics (June 25, 2015)
The Indian government’s efforts to shift the country’s economy away from cash have taken a significant step forward. In a draft proposal issued this week, India’s Ministry of Finance outlined a multipronged plan to encourage the use of electronic payments to bring more people into the formal economy and increase public tax revenue. Among the measures outlined in the proposal are: tax rebates for merchants that accept electronic payments and consumers who pay electronically; a standardized interchange rate for all card payments; elimination of existing card surcharges for certain purchases, such as gasoline; mandatory electronic payments for high-value purchases; and a requirement for banks to install more POS terminals in retail locations. The finance ministry is inviting feedback on the proposal, with comments due June 29.
Federal and state governments in India have been committed to moving the country’s economy toward a cashless model for the past several years, using regulatory measures and alliances with private payment providers, such as MasterCard, to increase electronic payments in what remains one of the world’s most cash-dependent economies. The amount of cash circulating in India comprises 12 percent of the country’s entire GDP, according to MasterCard—four times the ratio of similarly sized economies, such as Brazil and Mexico. Increasing electronic payments would be a boon not just to the Indian government’s tax revenue—but also to payments providers, which would be in position to capitalize on the country’s huge population, observers note.


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Diagnosing faults in machinery may become as simple as talking to it, according to Siemens researchers at the company's Princeton, New Jersey labs -- and the same technology may extend to our daily lives.
Using off-the-shelf technology, the company has combined wireless networking, voice recognition and Webcam-like devices to create a new way to integrate expert systems and human skills, and it could be in service in a few months' time.
The system works by embedding various sensors into the machinery in question, and tagging the outside with visual identifiers, much like bar codes. Engineers working on the equipment have a wearable computer with a USB camera, a hands-free headset and 802.11b wireless networking. By pointing the camera at the tag and asking questions, they identify the equipment in a central database and generate queries through voice recognition software in the wearable computer.
A computer on the network checks the sensor readings from the equipment being checked, works out the correct response and sends it back -- the wearable computer then converts the text to speech and talks back to the engineer. By working out where the engineer is and where he or she is looking, the system can also guide its user to where attention is needed.
Speaking to New Scientist magazine, researcher Yacop Genc said that the system could recognise different voices and could also generate visual overlays over the real world through a head-mounted display. That would be particularly useful, he said, in environments such as power stations where the right pipe out of 20 had to be quickly identified.
The company has identified the need to have a wireless network installed as one drawback, but some industry observers note that 3G phones with built-in cameras will provide the essential interface features for any user.
"This kind of interactive information service will be within everyone's reach," said Perdita Patterson, editor of What Mobile? magazine. "If you've got a leaking boiler at home or are checking out a second-hand car, you'll be able to relay images and questions over the Internet to a third party providing image and voice recognition services. That will then tell you what to look for and what to do, in effect having an automatic expert by your side." Camera-equipped phones are expected to become commonplace as high bandwidth GPRS and 3G mobile networks are rolled out: over three million such devices have already been sold in Japan.
If it moves, we cover it. See ZDNet UK's Mobile Technology News Section for the latest news, reviews and price checks on mobile phones, PDAs, notebook computers and anything else you can take away.
Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the Telecoms forum.
Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.


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Online luxury fashion boutique Farfetch.com have launched Destination Brazil – a collection celebrating 15 of the country’ most exciting new designers.
As we all know Brazil are to host next month’s hotly anticipated World Cup. But if like us you know more about your Prada’s than your Pele’s, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s not just football the country will be offering next month.
Online, luxury fashion boutique Farfetch.com have launched ‘Destination Brazil, ‘ a celebration of the country’s leading design talent. 15 designers in total have been picked to represent their country, including Osklen, Patricia Viera, Martha Medeiros, Lenny Niemeyer, Blue Man, Mixd, Cris Barros, Uma, Zapalla, Fernanda Yamamoto, Brigitte, Giuliana Romanno, Juliana Jabour, Vitorino Campos, and Emannuelle Junqueira.
“There is a local version of Farfetch in Brazil that is currently working with 90 designers, selling to Brazil only and exploring the domestic market. We chose the 15 designers for Destination Brazil based on their potential appeal to a global audience,” said José Neves, CEO and founder of the brand.
With designers such as Barbara Casasola and Lucas Nascimento now a firm fixture on the London Fashion Week schedule, Brazilian designers are getting more exposure than ever before. Where once the Brazilian fashion market was seen to be all brash colour and heavily branded pieces, the European market is taking their designers more seriously, opening them up to the wider fashion industry.
Ones to watch from Destination Brazil include, Osklen for sporty colour blocking and 70s inspired accessories, as well as Andrea Marques for her ladylike silhouette and monochrome print work.
Destination Brazil is now open at farfetch.com


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Only the ones that can’t reproduce will be spared.
We know that the mainland Chinese people are adventurous when it comes to satisfying their palette, however, even Malaysian Chinese will rage after reading this article.
Shared by the Anti-Fur Society on their Facebook page were pictures of our favourite felines in the most disturbing visions that you can think of.
Making great profit out of actively reproducing cats, cat thugs capture strays and even household pets that are not spayed or neutered as a source of income and sometimes for an everyday meal.
Once caught, the poor fluffballs will be sold to butchers, who will then BOIL THEM ALIVE and use their skin and fur to make shoes, gloves, and purses sold in leather stores.
According to the Anti-Fur Society, it is unfair that the USA and Europe make the pet fur trade illegal but still let the products to slip into their country without any proper inspection. Meanwhile, the trade has been made legal in Canada.
To prevent this, the Anti-Fur Society has called upon the public to donate money to help their cause of spaying cats around China and ultimately purging cat abuse.
how can people be so cold-hearted? For the record, it’s okay if you can’t donate,but let us at least be aware of this and spread the word to save as many lives as we possibly can.
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Award wins for Reload and Recover2 years ago | Media
It’s been an exciting week for Protein Rebel with an award win and a recommendation from a leading fitness magazine. So although Protein Rebel has only been launched a month, we’re thrilled that our protein powders are already getting recognition and great feedback.
Last Friday evening (18th September) we attending a virtual awards ceremony in our dining room – The Nourish Awards 2020. Dubbed the toughest health food awards in the UK, our banana flavoured Reload was up against some well-established multi-million (and billion) pound turnover protein powder brands in the High Protein and Sports Nutrition category. So when Reload was named the winner, we were understandably over the moon! The judges – leading nutrition, food and health experts – were really impressed with the combination of natural ingredients and the superfood qualities of crickets, plus they thought it tasted great. What a result!
And then on Saturday (19th September), well-respected publication Men’s Fitness hit the shelves. Containing a protein powder round-up, our Recover powder came out as the recommended protein product scoring 4.5 out of 5 stars overall – what an endorsement!
So, after months of developing and finalising our products to make them taste good while providing a great nutritional profile (naturally!), we’re thrilled that they’re being so positively received by both health food and fitness experts. We’re also delighted by the positive customer feedback we’re getting. And the months (and years) ahead will only add to the excitment as we have new products in the pipeline that promise to add more innovation to our range.
Thank you to all those who have believed in our products!


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Terrible news about the stock market crash, eh? What do you mean, you hadn't noticed? It's chaos out there. Twitter has plunged 40% this year. Facebook is down 15% this month alone. Our very own Asos, online fashion champion, has fallen from £70 to almost £43 in six weeks.
The common theme, of course, is that these are all internet-cum-technology stocks, where a rethink of go-go valuations is definitely taking place. The rest of the market has also drifted lower, but 6749 to 6562 for the FTSE 100 index since the start of January plainly does not equate to an earthquake.
What did tech/internet investors expect? Twitter floated at $26 a share last November, went to $45 on day one and then raced to $60. Even after this year's fall, the stock still trades at $40. That's not a calamity; it's a healthy shake-out.


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PETALUMA -- The first North Bay Manufacturing Trade Fair and Jobs Expo, held on Feb. 20 at the Sequoia Business Center, attracted more than 340 attendees, including 100 high school students and dozens of candidates looking for jobs.
[caption id="attachment_69753" align="alignright" width="350"] Dick Herman (left), president of 101MFG, Patrick Harper, manufacturing manager with Agilent Technologies and keynote speaker along with Gene Russell, president and CEO of Manex, passed the football as each spoke to the 340 attendees at the Manufacturing Trade Fair.[/caption]
“By any measure this half-day session was a success,” said Dick Herman, president and founder of 101MFG (101mfg.com).
“We had 41 manufacturer exhibitors from the region, and some came from as far away as Auburn, Fremont, Lake Forest, San Leandro and Willits to showcase their growing businesses and to seek qualified candidates," he said. "Most of the exhibitors outside of the North Bay do business with local firms in our area.”
More than half of the exhibitors present -- 25 of the 41, or 61 percent -- have jobs waiting to be filled right now, and others plan to ramp hiring activities during the year ahead.
Keynote speaker Patrick Harper, manufacturing manager for Agilent Technologies in Santa Rosa, said that while his firm’s recruitment program has leveled off, one third of Agilent’s employees are expected to retire in five years and another third will do the same ten years from now.
He said his firm has to keep looking down the road for qualified future candidates coming from technical training programs, such as those developed by 101MFG and its partners.
“Our goal is to create California’s next great manufacturing center in the North Bay with a world class supply chain, a great labor force at all levels, and the ability to make key improvements in order to compete in a world market,” Mr. Herman said.
[caption id="attachment_69754" align="alignleft" width="350"] More than 100 high school students visited various exhibits to learn more about manufacturing and technical job opportunities at the Manufacturing Trade Fair on Feb. 20.[/caption]
He announced a new strategic partnership with the Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence, better known as Manex, to assist 101MFG in consulting with small to medium-size firms on issues such as onshoring vs. offshoring, lean manufacturing techniques, reducing time-to-market and increasing overall sustainability -- when it comes to labor, water, energy and capital -- as well as how to plan the best use of space and other critical subjects.
Mr. Herman said this partnership, launched Jan. 10, has a well-defined market plan targeting 300 California firms engaged in fabrication, machine tooling as well as small parts and component production.
He said this partnership fills a void of expertise crucial for the manufacturing industry. It focuses on bringing best practices to businesses and enhancing R&D functions using lessons learned by the nation’s top centers of excellence by giving these firms access to techniques that develop and sustain continuous improvement.
[caption id="attachment_69755" align="alignleft" width="350"] SPT Small Precision Tools, based in Petaluma, was one of 70 small- to medium-sized manufacturers at the trade fair.[/caption]
“We will begin by setting expectations designed to upgrade operational performance, with follow up sessions and measurements after six months to gauge results,” Mr. Herman said. “One of the big opportunities for almost all manufacturers involves eliminating non-value added steps.”


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Yesterday’s Treasures, a boutique thrift shop, is holding an art and estate sale on Saturday, May 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The sale will include various pieces of artwork including portraits, cityscapes, country scenes and more. The shop will also be open during the sale and features a wide variety of unique and eclectic items such as furniture, jewelry, home décor, glassware and seasonal merchandise.
The shop is operated by volunteers and is open Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The shop is closed on Sundays.
All of the proceeds from Yesterday’s Treasures benefit programs and services at Hunterdon Medical Center. Yesterday’s Treasures is located at 215 Route 31 South in Flemington. For more information, call 908-237-6097.
Pictured: A few of the art pieces that will be available to purchase at the sale on May 21st.


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Labels of the recalled
beverage can be viewed (https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/natures-one-voluntarily-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-allergen) here.
"In some of these cases," she adds, "it is more detrimental for a patient to stop the product immediately versus figuring out if he or she has a recalled
product and staying on it until talking with a physician about what alternatives are available."
It may give rise to representatives being recalled
because their constituents don't like them, disagree with their honest and responsible views, or their party leaders want to exercise patronage.
Nearly 20 automakers have recalled
an estimated 37 million U.S.
Nominal groups represent the sum of the information recalled
individually by the same number of participants that constitute the collaborative group.
Millions of vehicles have been recalled
across the globe due to defective safety airbags manufactured by Japan's Takata Corp.
Policies and procedures should focus on early detection of products that might need to be recalled
. To identify these products early, compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, product defects, customer complaints and injuries caused by the product must be monitored on a regular basis.
with Takata inflators have been recalled
for problems with either the driver or passenger side air bag, or both.
Failure to identify all the products that are being recalled
is another issue.
According to the report, 28 percent of the companies involved in recalls in the second quarter (ended June 30) had two or more products recalled
, and 7 percent of the companies involved had five or more recalls.
Washington, Rajab 22, 1435, May 21, 2014, SPA -- General Motors Company (GM) said Tuesday it is recalling another 2.6 million vehicles globally, raising the number of vehicles it has recalled
so far this year to nearly 15.4 million.
Toyota's recall adds to the nearly 11 million vehicles already recalled
by automakers in the U.S.


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Copy Testing Coming to Digital Marketing
As Procter & Gamble Co. and other marketers are investing more in digital, they're bringing with them one of their time-honored processes from TV advertising: copy testing.
The moves come despite criticism that copy testing leads to bland ads that avoid risks, and that the storyboards or animatics used in copy tests don't capture the magic production can create. Of note: P&G's widely acclaimed creative of recent years -- TV and digital Old Spice ads from Wieden & Kennedy -- weren't copy tested before production or, in the case of the "Responses" social-media campaign, at all.
P&G and copy-testing houses have years of research showing copy-test results predict sales impact from ads. But expansion of copy testing to digital adds a new layer of controversy: Some critics believe tests developed for TV won't work on digital ads.
Regardless, people close to P&G say it's "TV testing" most of its digital ads now -- video and other formats alike.
In a timely move, digital researcher ComScore last year bought ARSgroup, which has been testing P&G's TV ads since 1968, just as digital investment and copy testing of digital ads by the world's biggest ad spender was ramping up.
Without naming names, ARSgroup CEO Jeff Cox said about 75% of the firm's clients now routinely test at least some digital ads during development.
"A home-page takeover on Yahoo can cost a million dollars a day," he said. "The traditional thing with digital was if it's not working, we'll take it down. When you drop a million dollars in a day, you'd better be sure it's working."
Copy testing can squelch creative, Mr. Cox acknowledged. "But the marketplace and the world's largest advertisers see value in doing this."
One consistent critic of copy testing has been Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts, who heads P&G's biggest ad agency. In speeches over the years he's said testing in an age of consumer control should come down to a single question: "Would you like to see the ad again?"
Saatchi also happened to be the agency on Old Spice before Wieden got the account in 2006. While Saatchi's ads were copy tested, like most other P&G ads, Wieden's weren't, because the agency stuck to its policy of not allowing ads to be tested until produced. Mr. Roberts declined to comment.
"All of our communications testing is designed to increase the odds of success in market," Joan Lewis, P&G's global consumer and market knowledge officer, said in a statement. "We often conduct early learning with prototype production," she said, adding that it "increases our ability to produce communication that really resonates with consumers."
But P&G sometimes uses nontraditional approaches, such as real-time consumer feedback during the Winter Olympics last year to tweak another campaign by Wieden, "when we know we have a breakthrough idea," she said.
Rex Briggs, CEO of Marketing Evolution, a longtime consultant in digital media effectiveness, believes creative inconsistency has hurt digital ad effectiveness and applauds marketers for seeing they need to test copy. "On the other hand," he said, "to try to force fit the old TV pretesting model into digital is kind of idiotic."
More than TV, the context and content of where digital ads run affects how they work, Mr. Briggs said. Video that runs alongside content performs differently than pre-roll ads, for example. But some copy-testing services, he said, are "trying to hold on to their old TV model and squeeze the cash cow a little longer."
Making small digital buys to test creative is no longer tenable for brand marketers because online survey response rates have plunged in recent years. Clicks and conversions in small tests are meaningful for direct-response advertisers, Mr. Briggs said, but not brand marketers, since studies have shown no links between clicks and offline sales, brand awareness or purchase intent.
Ratna Ralkowski, research director of Ameritest, another copy-testing firm, said more packaged-goods clients are spending on digital copy testing, though most don't have specific budgets for it and many are hesitating because of a lack of adequate research options. "Digital is not a single advertising medium, but rather an accumulation of media and should be addressed as such."
Ameritest has developed a classification system for digital ads based on their objectives?ranging from "interception" to "involvement," with a different set of measurement tools for each objective.
"Once brands and researchers fully understand the digital space," Ms. Ralkowski said, "digital advertising research will become more actionable."


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'Destiny 2' release date imminent as Microsoft mentioned game's impact on Xbox One
"Destiny 2" launch is expected to occur soon since Microsoft has talked about the video game's impact to its console; Xbox One.
According to MobiPicker, Bungie has confirmed that it is aiming to attain a couple of milestones before the imminent launch of "Destiny 2." Reports also claimed that the video game developer is preparing for a live stream for the game in next month. The live stream will center on the gameplay and how things will somewhat change on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Aside from that, the "Destiny 2" Beta will be arriving sooner than the game's launch and it will be released on all of the platforms. The said beta will let the patrons have a taste of the video game and get to know it before it will hit the market shelves.
As for the release date, it was previously hinted that the "Destiny 2" will land in September. Moreover, some of the video game enthusiasts who've been talking to Bungie about the game have exposed some critical information about the forthcoming game.
When it comes with the price, The Daily Dot has noted that the standard edition of "Destiny 2" which includes the base game is expected to be tagged at $59.99. From there, the cost will depend on where the fans wanted to preorder the game and if they choose to go digital.
Additionally, a $100 Digital Deluxe Edition supplements on the Expansion Pass as well as a legendary weapon, emblem, and emote. Also, a physical Limited Edition which encompassed an art book and steelcase is priced at $100.
For the avid fans of Bungie's video game, a $250 bundle is offered which included everything in the Limited Edition as well as a themed messenger bag. It was also mentioned that the case can hold most 15-inch laptops and is paired with a solar-powered USB charger. Apart from that, the patrons who pre-order any version of "Destiny 2" at GameStop will be rewarded with a mini-figure of Cayde-6.


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Minister of International Business and Commerce Donville Inniss has encouraged businesses from Canada’s Prince Edward Island to use Barbados as a gateway to other markets in the Eastern Caribbean.
Welcoming the ninth consecutive Prince Edward Island delegation recently, Inniss advised the business executives not to restrict their interests to Barbados, but also to take advantage of other trade opportunities in the region.
At a Champers restaurant reception for the visiting trade delegation, it was disclosed that the Caribbean represented a market value of CAN$20 million annually in merchandise exported from Prince Edward Island. Inniss, who has already led a trade mission to Prince Edward Island, said Barbados in turn was looking to expand its trade with the Canadian province.
Inniss commended Canada’s smallest province for its decision to be bold and step out into the world. He noted the “culture of entrepreneurship” fostered by the small province which he observed was reaping dividends for Prince Edward Island.
“I think that there is a lesson for us in Barbados to learn from that,” he said, pointing to the similarities between the two islands. “We recognise that we have to go beyond our physical borders if we are really to grow and develop our economies and society.
“You from Canada want to sell us your goods and we welcome that, but we also want to sell you a few of our niche products from here in Barbados…. We also want to help you to go global,” the minister stated while flagging Barbados’ corporate structures, an avenue through which he suggested the Canadian businesses could gain a comparative advantage in international markets.
The trade mission, organised with the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Innovation PEI and the High Commission of Canada to Barbados, was made up of ten companies representing Canadian expertise in agrifood, education and training, information and communication technology, professional services and safety and industrial protective garments.
Over the course of the month Barbados will be a hub for the Canadian group’s meetings in various jurisdictions in the Eastern Caribbean.


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CCAI Expands Finishing Pavilion at FABTECH
25,000 are expected to visit FABTECH in Las Vegas, Nov. 12-14
The Chemical Coaters Association International has just added exhibit space to its 2012 Finishing Pavilion at FABTECH, November 12-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Andy Goyer, CCAI’s Exhibit Manager, said the Finishing Pavilion exhibit space was quickly selling out, creating the need for additional space.
“In the past few weeks, we’ve had several companies expand their exhibit space,” says Goyer. “With six months until the show opens, we had very little space left to sell. We have been able to expand and obtain an additional 1,300 square feet to the Finishing Pavilion. We anticipate selling that space quickly as well.”
To date, more than 85 companies have selected space in the Finishing Pavilion. Many exhibitors have enlarged their booth space over the first two Finishing Pavilions, Goyer says, allowing for more demonstrations of finishing products and services on the show floor.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a conference program that will feature 17 sessions devoted to finishing technologies, including powder coating, liquid coating, electrocoating, porcelain enamel, pretreatment and more. The majority of the finishing conference sessions will feature new presentations that will help finishers produce higher quality products while reducing costs. The complete conference program will be available in June.
CCAI has designated Treasure Island on the Las Vegas strip as its headquarters hotel. Treasure Island is the closest hotel on the strip to the Las Vegas Convention Center that is part of the official FABTECH hotel block. Goyer said that the official hotel block is already 50 percent sold out.
Nearly 3,000 individuals have registered for the show in the first month that registration was open. More than 25,000 attendees are expected to visit FABTECH in Las Vegas.
“We anticipate this to be our largest Finishing Pavilion yet,” says CCAI executive director, Anne Goyer. “Even the other pavilions on the show floor are seeing increased booth sales for Las Vegas."
Visit www.CCAIweb.com and click FABTECH for the latest information, or call Andy Goyer at 941-373-1830.”


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In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Weber will have responsibility for many of Gilt's operations, including Gilt City, International, Customer Service, and Merchandise Planning, as well as oversee several new strategic initiatives. Ms. Weber will report directly to CEO Michelle Peluso.
In her former role as the North American Head of Internet and Mobile and Global Product, Ms. Weber oversaw the organization's growing online and mobile banking services, serving more than 20 million customers and driving new capabilities in 40 countries.
At Citibank, Ms. Weber successfully launched Citibank for iPad, and during her tenure there was named "Mobile Banker of the Year, 2012" by Bank Technology News and "2013 Innovators to Watch: 44 Executives Shaping the Future of Banking" by Bank Innovation.
"I'm tremendously excited to welcome Tracey to our team," said Peluso. "Tracey and I have worked together in different capacities for over 15 years, including when we were co-founders of the travel site, Site.com. She's an exceptional leader of people, and she brings to Gilt tremendous e-commerce experience at a global scale. As we accelerate growth in revenue and profitability, Tracey will be an invaluable contributor in helping us achieve this."
"I have always loved being at the forefront of companies that are changing consumers' experiences," said Weber. "I am thrilled to be joining Gilt at this truly transformative time."
Prior to joining Citibank, Ms. Weber was an Executive Vice President at Barnes & Noble. She also held many roles at Travelocity, including Chief Operating Officer and President, North America. Prior to joining Travelocity, Ms. Weber had a successful career in management consulting.
Ms. Weber holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Harvard University with an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. She serves on the Board of Directors of International Game Technology.
Gilt, www.gilt.com, is an innovative online shopping destination offering its members special access to the most inspiring merchandise and experiences every day at insider prices. Gilt continually searches the world for the most coveted brands and products, including fashion for women, men, and children; home decor; and unique activities in select cities and destinations.
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Hay exports in 2023 totaled 3.171 million metric tons (MT), which was down 22% from the 4.04 million MT exported in 2022. According to data from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), it was also the first time in five years total hay exports fell below 4 million MT.
Declines in both alfalfa and nonalfalfa hay exports contributed to the drop in total export sales. An aggressive exchange rate is largely to blame for top export markets holding back on U.S. hay, as well as low milk prices in other countries and less international trade in general.
Alfalfa at a loss
The USDA-FAS reported alfalfa hay exports to all trade partners totaled 2.177 million MT in 2023, which is down nearly 22% from the record high of 2.847 million MT set in 2022.
China remained at the top of the charts among U.S. alfalfa hay export markets with 886,661 MT, although this was 774,104 MT, or 47%, less than the previous year. Alfalfa hay exports to China represented about 40% of total U.S. alfalfa hay exports in 2023, which is also down from the 57% majority share that the country claimed in 2022.
Exports to China were off to a shaky start in 2023, hitting their lowest point in July at 44,211 MT, before the country began importing more alfalfa hay month-over-month through the end of the year. China rounded out December by importing 112,407 MT of U.S. alfalfa hay, marking the first month of 2023 that its import volume exceeded 100,000 MT.
Scot Courtright, who oversees logistic operations and international sales at Courtright Enterprises, an export company based in Washington State’s Columbia Basin, said two major factors for China’s lower import volume of alfalfa hay in 2023 was the country’s weakened economy and low milk prices. The narrative flipped from the previous year when high-quality alfalfa hay was in high demand from Chinese dairies. Now, an oversupply of milk is motivating farmers to produce less, and therefore feed less, despite lower hay prices.
Since 2014, Japan has trailed China as the second highest importer of U.S. alfalfa hay, but this was not the case in 2023. Saudi Arabia’s 431,400 MT of alfalfa hay imports surpassed Japan’s 356,504 MT. This is a 42% jump from Saudi Arabia’s alfalfa hay imports in 2022, and it is more than double the alfalfa hay the country imported in 2021.
Courtright said Saudi Arabia recently implemented irrigation regulations on crops for nonhuman consumption, which likely explains the surge in alfalfa hay exports to the desert country. Conversely, Japan’s 29% year-over-year decline in alfalfa hay imports was mostly driven by an unfavorable exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.
South Korea was the fourth largest alfalfa hay export market for the second consecutive year with 166,191 MT; however, the country’s total alfalfa imports for 2023 were down 27,946 MT, or 14%, from 2022. Close on its heels was the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to round out the top five U.S. alfalfa hay importers with a total of 132,252 MT.
The UAE traded spots with Taiwan with a staggering 251% uptick in U.S. alfalfa hay imports compared to 2022 when the desert country hit a nine-year low at 37,659 MT. According to Courtright, the UAE has implemented similar irrigation regulations as Saudi Arabia. He predicts other desert countries will follow suit, which may open doors to a more diversified export market moving forward, especially if competition with China is reduced.
Other hay hit a low
Hay exports other than alfalfa (mostly grass) totaled 994,000 MT in 2023. Based on data from the USDA-FAS, this was 17% less than the nearly 1.2 million MT of grass hay that was exported in 2022, and it was the first time in well over a decade that U.S. grass hay exports dipped below 1 million MT.
Japan maintained its long-held lead as the top importer of U.S. grass hay with 528,061 MT, but this was almost 26% less than the adjusted value of 713,193 MT it imported in 2022. Like the country’s alfalfa hay imports, Japan’s grass hay imports were hindered by exchange rate implications, which encouraged more domestic forage production and transport.
Grass hay exports to South Korea also took a dive in 2023, falling more than 13% year-over-year to settle at 258,722 MT. This is the country’s sixth consecutive year of decline for U.S. grass hay imports. Exports to Taiwan, the third-leading export market for nonalfalfa hay, were relatively unchanged in 2023 at 103,110 MT.
Canada and the UAE rounded out the top five U.S. grass hay export markets with 36,902 MT and 28,932 MT, respectively. The countries were also the only two of the top export markets that saw a rise in U.S. grass hay demand. Canada upped its imports by 38% and the UAE by 23%.
After importing 52% less U.S. grass hay from 2021 to 2022, China ranked even lower on the leader board with another 10% decline in 2023, settling at 19,057 MT.
In 2023, the strength of the U.S. dollar had a significant negative impact on the largest export markets for alfalfa and nonalfalfa hay. The few positive moves from smaller importers of either product were not enough to offset the volumes lost to discouraging exchange rates.
Total U.S. hay exports fell below 4 million MT for the first time in five years, with China’s 47% cutback in U.S. alfalfa hay having the greatest influence on the decline. And while the country continues to dominate the U.S. hay export market, China’s share of U.S. alfalfa hay exports fell from 57% to 40% in 2023.
According to USDA data from 2023, total hay exports comprised less than 3% of all hay production across the U.S., and slightly more than 4% of our country’s alfalfa hay was shipped overseas. Although these percentages are small, export sales make up a much more prominent portion of the Western hay market.
Josh Callen, author of The Hoyt Report, is privy to the effects the environment of the export market has had on states like Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Hay prices in regions like the Pacific Northwest and the Imperial Valley have drastically declined in response to low export sales that Callen confirmed were largely killed by adverse exchange rates last year.


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Ahead of the upcoming Affiliate Summit East 2019, FlexOffers has been announced as a finalist for Network of the Year at the conference’s annual Pinnacle Awards. The awards presentation is making its debut at ASE after being met with praise at Affiliate Summit West. Hard work and strong performances across the board have deservedly placed us in the shortlist for the prestigious and competitive honor, which recognizes leaders in the affiliate marketing space for their innovative vision and influence.
FlexOffers has enjoyed a lucrative 2019 so far, making strides in technology advancements, relationship acquisitions, and marketing campaign success, as well as publisher and advertiser satisfaction. Indeed, we would not have reached our current place in the industry if it weren’t for the combined efforts of the entire FlexOffers team and its loyal base of affiliates. We feel it’s only right to thank everyone who has helped the network flourish and who continues to drive FlexOffers to reach new heights.
Affiliate Summit East is a premier global affiliate marketing event where industry leaders, publishers, networks, agencies, and established brands converge to build relationships and showcase their latest solutions. FlexOffers is no stranger to the Affiliate Summit conferences, having attended and built valuable relationships at the events for over ten years.
Affiliate Summit East 2019 will take place August 11th through August 13th at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The Pinnacle Awards presentation will be held as a lunchtime ceremony on Tuesday, August 13th at 1:15PM. If you are attending ASE 2019, visit us at booth #2000.


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The Food & Drug Administration on Wednesday decided that high-fructose corn syrup by any other name is still a liquid solution of fructose and glucose, and not what it considers to be sugar. Many companies such as Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) and Hershey (NYSE:HSY) use HFCS in some of their products.
The verdict is a disappointment for the Corn Refiners Association, which had hoped changing the sweetener’s name to “corn sugar” would lessen the ugly baggage stuck to the gooey syrup’s reputation. By FDA standards highlighted in its decision, sugar is a “solid, dried and crystallized food” and syrup is a “aqueous solution or liquid food.”
The Sugar Association, on the other hand, is pleased by the verdict. The Sugar Association brought a lawsuit against the Corn Refiners Association over a separate marketing campaign claiming high-fructose corn syrup is a form of sugar.
“The FDA’s ruling represents a victory for American consumers,” Dan Callister, an attorney for the plaintiffs in the ongoing litigation said in a press release. “It reaffirms what most consumer advocates, health experts and policy officials have been saying all along: only sugar is sugar. HFCS is not sugar. The next step is for the federal court to end the CRA’s misleading propaganda campaign.”
In a statement on its website about the decision, The Corn Refiners Association firmly stands by its assertion that there is “overwhelming scientific evidence that high-fructose corn syrup is a form of sugar and is nutritionally the same as other sugars.”


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For several years the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and other peak health bodies have led the call for the introduction of a health levy on sugar sweetened beverages, targeting the sale of soft drinks to improve the health of our nation. The Rethink Sugary Drink campaign has been an ongoing initiative to raise awareness of the serious health harms of consuming sugary drinks.
The call for a sugar tax has the support of community leaders like the 2020 Australian of the Year, Dr James Muecke. He believes a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks would help combat diabetes, and raise millions of dollars to fund health awareness initiatives and other preventive health programs.
The PHAA welcomes the growing momentum for a sugar tax, including this week from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) as it released a new report on the issue.
AMA President, Dr Omar Khorshid, told the National Press Club that the introduction of a sugar tax would help counter the ‘skyrocketing’ number of Australians suffering diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
The PHAA believes a health levy on sugar sweetened beverages would be a huge step in the right direction, but action is also needed to control the advertising and marketing of sugar-sweetened drinks, including the growing number of new varieties of energy drinks.
The World Health Organization agrees on both fronts, saying governments should lead the way, just as they have in taxing tobacco to help reduce smoking. The WHO has declared that restricting the marketing of unhealthy food and drink is a global priority for obesity prevention.
Research published recently in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH) analyses levels of expenditure on sugary drink advertising in Australia between 2016 and 2018, which, not surprisingly, is significantly higher compared to advertising on alternative cold, non-alcoholic drinks.
The ANZJPH report says in 2018, rates of overweight and obesity in Australia reached 67% in adults and 25% in children and adolescents, increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and 13 types of cancer.
So, it’s of significant concern that sugar-sweetened drinks are commonly consumed in excess, and are among the most heavily-marketed food or beverage products in Australia. Despite this, regulations on food and drink marketing in Australia are still limited in scope and impact.
For example, the Children’s Television Standards prohibit certain advertising techniques and misleading nutrition claims during designated children’s free-to-air television programming. However, the standards don’t restrict overall exposure, and don’t apply to prime-time programming when children and families commonly gather around the telly.
While TV has long been the dominant advertising medium for unhealthy food and drink products, the ANZJPH review finds overall expenditure on television has been in decline over the past decade, replaced by out-of-home advertising (for example billboards, street furniture and shopping centre advertisements) and digital advertising which shows the largest growth of all media spending in recent years.
Given the concerning rates of overweight and obesity among Australians of all ages, this latest research examines unhealthy product marketing across a range of media and platforms used and frequented by children, adolescents and adults.
Spread over three years (2016-2018) the research captures expenditure on the advertising of sugary drinks across all Australian media channels (television, newspapers, magazines, radio, out of home, cinema and digital).
For context, the research made comparisons with expenditure on alternative cold beverages – artificially sweetened drinks, plain water and plain milk.
Estimates of monthly advertising expenditure for all non-alcoholic drinks were obtained from Nielsen Media Ad Intel for 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The research findings showed conclusively that spending on sugary drinks advertising alone comfortably exceeded the combined spend on all other non-alcoholic drinks.
From 2016-2018, $129.5 million was spent on sugary drink advertising, compared to $23.26 million on artificially sweetened drinks, $14.27 million on plain water, and $31.3 million on plain milk.
Sugary drink advertising made up 65% of the average monthly expenditure for non-alcoholic cold drinks across the monitoring period. On average, monthly expenditure on sugary drink advertising was 5.6 times higher than artificially sweetened drinks, 9.1 times higher than plain water and 4.1 times higher than plain milk.
The research revealed that television was the place where most sugary drinks were advertised (45%), followed by out-of-home (35%) and cinema (11%).
In general, sugary drink advertising peaked in the warmer months, between February and April and October and December. The lowest spend on advertising was in the cooler months from April to August.
For all media combined, the highest proportion of advertising expenditure for sugary drinks was for sugar-sweetened soft drinks (26% of total spend), followed by flavoured milks (24%), and energy drinks (21%). Sports drinks accounted for an average of 12% of expenditure, while fruit juices had only 2% of the total spend.
The researchers suggest one of the challenges for regulators will be to devise objective, evidence-based criteria for classifying products as ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ and should consider the risks posed by artificially sweetened drinks as well as sugary drinks.
The findings also have implications for public health campaigns to discourage sugary drink consumption or to counter industry advertising when it’s most prevalent in the warmer months.
The study concludes that as public health campaigns can’t match the levels of investment in advertising by industry, ultimately, further restrictions on unhealthy products are needed. It also warns of the challenges of regulating the growing expenditure via digital channels – including social media – as advertisers gradually move away from traditional areas such as television.
The PHAA would welcome a two-pronged approach by governments to combat the health problems created by excessive consumption of sugary drinks. Firstly, the introduction of a health levy on sugary drinks to reduce sales and provide a new revenue source for preventive health promotion. Secondly, stronger regulation on the marketing of sugary drinks, in particular to reduce the harm to Australia’s most vulnerable younger populations.
View the PHAA’s Policy Position Statement: Health Levy on Sugar Sweetened Beverages
The study ‘Sugary drink advertising expenditure across Australian media channels 2016-2018’ was funded by the Cancer Council Victoria and was co-authored by Ashleigh Haynes, Megan Bayly, Helen Dixon, Alison McAleese, Jane Martin, Yan Jun Michelle Chen and Melanie Wakefield.


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Neal Communities has sold at least 700 of the entry-level homes since 2008.
Little has slowed Neal Communities in the past 45 years or so. Founder Pat Neal likes to say he’s seen the recession movie at least five times in his career, and despite that, the company is a regional leader in its industry, with 90 communities throughout Southwest Florida and some 13,000 homes built.
More recently, as the Lakewood Ranch-based builder shifted to market trends and reaped the benefits of shrewd land deals, the company has become one of the biggest in the region. Revenue in 2017 surpassed $450 million for the first time ever — and at $453.4 million, the figure is up 225% in the past five years, from $139.4 million in 2012. The company has 225 employees.
But now, after all that, Neal Communities has finally come up against its kryptonite: Trump’s tariffs.
“Recent economic policies adopted by the current administration prevent us from continuing to provide an affordable housing solution,” Neal says in a statement. “When Trump decided to meddle in the lumber industry, then enact retaliatory tariffs, the people he hurt are right here in Southwest Florida.”
The first victim, say company officials, is the builder’s popular Rose Cottage. Neal Communities has sold at least 700 of the entry-level homes since introducing the model at the onset of the recession in 2008, according to the statement. The top price of the cottage home is $250,000, with many in the mid-$100,000 range.
But the tariffs, combined with rising costs in land, labor and regulatory fees, have made the cottage home virtually impossible to build and sell, Neal contends. He conservatively estimates that increases in steel, aluminum and lumber bring at least $10,000 in additional production costs per home.
Going back 18 months, Neal cites the following levies as dents in the company’s model:
• April 2017: Timber tariff on Canadian softwood lumber.
• June 2017: Additional tariffs applied as “anti-dumping duties” to prevent companies from exporting products cheaper than what’s sold in their homeland.
• June 2018: Imports of steel and aluminum products from all countries except South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Australia and the European Union. Also, Canadian prices on steel and aluminum skyrocket.
• July 2018: Imports of industrial products, such as parts, from China.
Facing those obstacles, the company decided in September to discontinue the cottage home line. The last one sold came at a price of $244,638.
Neal, in the statement, recognizes some companies pass tariff costs on to consumers. But he also recognizes if the price climbs much higher than $250,000, or reaches $300,000, than it’s no longer an entry-level home and defeats the purpose of being in that market.
While this is a setback, Neal adds he’s not totally discouraged, yet, and is “currently working on designs and plans that may be able to circumvent the rise in production costs while also providing affordable housing solutions.”


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A new survey finds that while more than 90 percent of private and public sector security experts say cyber attacks pose a serious threat, they differ on whether each side is doing enough to protect their networks.
The poll, released Saturday before the start of a worldwide cybersecurity summit in Dallas, found that 70 percent of government officials surveyed said private-sector networks were not secure enough, while only 39 percent of private sector security officials surveyed believed government networks were not secure enough.
The poll, conducted April 19-26 for the nonpartisan think tank the EastWest Institute, surveyed 137 security experts, 34 government officials and 103 private sector security experts from the United States as well as China, India, Russia and other countries.
"These results point to an urgent need to build trust, not only between countries but also between governments and businesses on a global level," EastWest Institute President and CEO John Edwin Mroz said in a statement.
As more Internet users migrate to the Web to conduct banking, shopping and other transactions, the survey found that many security experts are still uncomfortable doing these types of tasks online. The survey found that 43 percent of business security experts and 19 percent of government officials are uncomfortable with doing online banking. The numbers were even higher when it comes to sending sensitive personal data over the Web such as your Social Security number, with 84 percent of the private sector officials and 69 percent of government officials reporting they were uncomfortable doing this.


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BASHNEFT SELLS $1 B
OAO Bashneft, the oil producer controlled by Russian billionaire Vladimir Evtushenkov, is preparing to raise at least $1 billion in a share sale in London or Moscow later this year.
While no decision has been taken on whether or where the sale will go ahead, the company will be ready should market conditions allow, Chief Executive Officer Alexander Korsik said in an interview yesterday. The sale, designed to increase the stock's liquidity, may comprise shares held by Evtushenkov's Sistema group or new shares, he said.
The choice between London or Moscow will be guided by financial considerations and not politics,…
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ST. LOUIS – Warnings of a nationwide Christmas tree shortage earlier in the season had a lot of people worried. Many locations around the St. Louis area are out or just left with a small selection, but one company announced they received multiple tractor-trailer loads of fresh trees.
Sullivan Farms has large a huge selection and five locations to get your trees in time.
Lynn Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Farms, said he gets dozens of calls from customers often, even hours before the business is open.
“Most of the calls are do you still have trees? And I continue to tell them we have lots of trees. So don’t worry, we got a tree for you,” he said.
Sullivan said they’ve been in business for 32 years, and they buy trees from growers nationwide, which helped them a lot of they were running low.
“We were able to pick up four extra truckloads of trees last Wednesday and Thursday. So that’s helped us make it through the weekend and, hopefully, for the next couple of days,” Sullivan said.
He says there’s been a nationwide shortage for a few years. Last year’s shortage with COVID was bad.
“This year was even worse it was harder to even purchase trees this year because a lot of the growers that people buy from were running out of trees,” he said.
Fortunately, the truckloads of trees came just in time. Especially for Phillip Malawey and his family.
“I absolutely love this business and I appreciate that they go through the trouble of doing this because we come here for Halloween, to get our pumpkins, we come here for the Christmas trees,” Malawey said.
And more importantly, they go there just to have some good old family fun.
“They love to come out here, and then we fight over the colors you know because all the trees have different colors and different prices. I tend to like the prices on the shorter end, they like the prices on the longer end. So we just have fun together,” Malawey said.
For a list of their five locations, you can visit sullivanfarms-stl.com.


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Is cbd legal in michigan - CBD The is cbd legal in michigan and its properties. The is cbd legal in michigan has many beneficial properties. Lets see what properties. Basically these are properties that bring physical or mental recovery. Multiple results prove that CBD helps with epilepsy. Is Cbd From Hemp Legal In Michigan I take CBD gummies for my migraine. It’s a great snack and solution. I have ordered products from various stores, but CBD Paradise has become my constant supplier: high quality, great prices, and fast Is Cbd From Hemp Legal In Michigan delivery. Michigan to now regulate CBD oil as marijuana Michigan to now regulate CBD oil as marijuana Associated Press Published 6:40 a.m. ET May 11, 2018 In this July 24, 2017 photo, marijuana plants are seen at a laboratory in Natural Ventures in
CBD Oil In Michigan [Legalities and Where to Buy]
2 Jan 2020 Residents of Michigan haven't had the smoothest ride when it comes to marijuana. Prior to the passing of Proposal 1 in November 2018 (which 8 Jan 2019 The list of states approving medical or recreational use of marijuana Twelve states have enacted CBD-explicit medical laws. And November's midterm elections, along with action by Congress late in 2018 to legalize hemp in the Michigan. Nevada. Oregon. Vermont. Washington. Washington, D.C.. CBD oil derived from hemp is legal in Michigan if the THC concentration is below 0.3 percent. completely green by approving marijuana for recreational use in November of 2018. The list of approved uses is expected to grow dramatically.
10 Jun 2019 While CBD laws have become more clear, the question still remains: is CBD Legal? Last year (2018) was filled with progress and accomplishments, but as Continue below for a detailed list of which states allow marijuana-derived CBD California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada,
Is CBD Legal in Michigan? - Happy Tea Do you want to purchase and use CBD in the state of Michigan but you’re not sure if CBD is legal in Michigan? Keep reading to find out more about it. Thanks to the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD sales are now legal at the national level. However, that does not necessarily mean that they are legal everywhere. Numerous states have CBD oil allowed in Michigan under new law - freep.com Michigan law: Medical marijuana cards not required for CBD oil. Legislation that means Michiganders do not need a medical marijuana card to possess CBD oil and other industrial hemp products has
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While some drink to forget, others bank on alcohol to multiply wealth.
Real-world statistics showed that an estimated 2 billion people from around the world regularly consume alcohol, making liquor one of the most in demand goods globally. Moreover, the rise of craft distilleries is quickly shaking things up in the market, giving investors all the more reason to look into craft distilleries as a wise investment.
New studies support liquor’s health benefits
A recent research published by David J. Hanson, Ph. D. suggests that drinking alcohol improves one’s quality of life. One of the major points of the study shows that those who moderately consume alcohol are 25% less likely to die than those who don’t. Good news to people who don’t think twice on spending on alcohol for pleasure, as alcohol can help you live longer.
Craft distillers give us options
Craft distilleries offer fine, handcrafted, and aged liquor, giving a much-needed variation from the usual products of “heavy-hitters.” Some craft distillers are big on experimenting, incorporating quirky food flavors such as pumpkin spice and quinoa into their spirits.
Most are quite active in the whiskey production space, changing the game for spirit makers everywhere. Over the last 10 years, sales of whiskey have increased 30%, and the demand for rare, unique bottles is higher than ever. Among those rapidly gaining popularity in this segment is Eastside Distilling, Inc. (OTCQB: ESDI), which creates whiskey from real Oregon Marionberries.
“For a long time, all of the products coming out of the bigger boys were … very much the same. All of a sudden, they’re changing quite a bit too and I think that’s definitely attributable [to] the craft distillers,” Derek Bell, founder of Nashville-based Corsair Distillery, told CBS News. Corsair has been up and running for 5 years, and have sold more product than what they used to when they first went into production.
The market is in high spirits
Business is booming for independent distillers as craft distilling hits its record growth for the past years. According to the American Craft Spirits Association, the craft liquor industry has grown into a $10.2 billion market. The American Distilling Institute meanwhile reports that there are over 250 operating in 45 states in 2012, a huge increase compared to 50 craft distilleries in 2005. And this number is expected to grow to 500 this year, data from the American Craft Spirits Association revealed.
The statistics are so encouraging that even famous breweries such as Three Floyds Brewing and The Muster craft brewery are looking at jumping the bandwagon. According to reports, both have revealed plans to make high-end whiskey and other liquor last year.
The industry is inherently resilient
Liquor sales have increased dramatically each year through good and bad times. Alcohol or liquor corporations have outdone the S&P 500 for the last five years, no matter if the market is headed towards a bearish or bullish phase.
While the manufacturing side takes a while, the wait usually ends with a grand pay out for both liquor producers and investors. Investing in liquor may not be for everyone, but those who are willing to try it should brace themselves, as it can surely pack a punch.
This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.
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