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Last week at FindBiometrics we took a featured look back on the big mobile and financial market events of 2016, and the major presence biometrics played in all of them. Meanwhile the industry news was filled with fingerprints, connected cars, enterprise applications, and upgrades.
Here’s a look back on last week’s top stories in global identity management:
Year in Review 2016
The 14th annual FindBiometrics Year in Review survey is currently underway. This year, the longest running annual industry examination is presented in association with SIA. In our featured articles section, meanwhile, we looked back on some of the year’s’ biggest tech industry events in order to trace the big biometric trends in mobility and finance. Participate in our 2016 Year in Review by following the links bellow:
Under-glass sensors were top of mind last week, with Fingerprint Cards announcing another in-display sensor integration with Huawei. Precise Biometrics, meanwhile, announced a partnership with VKANSEE that will see its software powering the latter’s under-glass sensor offerings. Synaptics made similar news too, partnering with OXi Technology with an aim for optical fingerprint sensor technology.
In fingerprint software news, last week saw Precise Biometrics acquire liveness detection specialist NexID while it also announced its algorithms are included on the new Meitu M6s smartphone. Inovatrics’ fingerprint algorithm, in the meantime, came out on top of NIST’s PFT II test, and BIO-key scored a massive subscription contract from a Fortune 500 customer—one worth $1.1 million that stands to lead to additional hardware sales.
Border Control and Law Enforcement
Safran Identity & Security announced the installation of more than 50 new generation biometric eGates at New Zealand airports last week. Meanwhile, in Germany, Polizei Niedersachsen embraced biometrics with a new booking system from Crossmatch.
Biometric smart cars were making headlines last week as we counted down the remaining weeks to CES 2017. NEC Corporation announced its newest biometric tech that is capable of tracking a subject’s gaze, and the new president of Eurosmart suggested that the Internet of Things is likely to be a major focus of his organization. Here are last week’s top stories on biometrics and connectivity:
NEC announced a new trial of facial recognition-enabled payments it is undertaking with Japan’s Sumitomo bank. In Qatar, iris scanning ATMs were deployed featuring IRIS ID technology. And in the realm of behavioral biometrics, NuData and Arvato partnered to develop a new anti-fraud platform.
A new report from Gemalto shows that iris and fingerprint recognition solutions are starting to make their way into the workplace thanks to the increasing proliferation of consumer mobile biometrics. Of course, it’s not just consumer mobility in enterprise: last week we reported on Bodet’s latest biometric time clock, and an access control solution powered by BioConnect and aimed at the EMKA region.
We are weeks away from CES 2017 and last week we got a preview of some of the biometrics solutions that will make it to the show floor. SecuGen announced that it will be unveiling its new Hamster Pro 45 two-finger reader at the Las Vegas event, and EyeLock is planning to showcase its three new reference designs aimed at bringing iris biometrics to the Internet of Things
Expansion was in the news last week with a new funding round for JENETRIC paving the way for the company’s US expansion. UMANICK opened a new office in Bogota, and STC Group announced its partnership with Falcon, which is helping bring its biometrics solutions to the Middle East and Egypt.
Delta ID announced that the newest version of its ActiveIRIS technology is at work on the Fujitsu Arrows NX F-01J. Speaking of improvements, Nuance Communications announced an upgrade to its Nina ID solution, which boasts multi-factor biometric authentication.
Stay posted to FindBiometrics throughout the week as we continue to bring you the best in identity management news. Be sure to follow us on Twitter so you don’t miss a thing.
December 19, 2016 – by Peter B. Counter


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Limited McLaren 50 12C AND 12C Spider Models Announced
THE 50TH CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE
50 years of McLaren celebrations continue as they announce that 50 examples of each of the 12C McLaren 50 and 12C Spider are being built as commemorative models featuring unique styling and specification enhancements. That’s 100 total in the world – seriously exclusive automobiles!
The McLaren 50 12C and McLaren 50 12C Spider feature a number of bespoke styling and specification enhancements to mark the milestone event, which will be celebrated on 2 September. The cars have been produced by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) in conjunction with the McLaren Automotive design team led by Design Director, Frank Stephenson in order to reach the ultimate celebratory day on September 2nd when 50 years hits hard.
But they are not just any bold limited edition cars: they’ve had revisions beyond revisions to make them the best that there has ever been.
Check out the remodelled, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)-optimised front bumper that’s been made to increase downforce levels as well as give a greater visual impact to the onlooker; ‘ave a butchers at the lower section of the colour-coded bumper that is; and then cast your eyes over the bonnet to just above the bumper to see the black McLaren F1-inspired heritage badge.
To help with driving – or to be precise, stopping – both the McLaren 50 12C and 12C Spider models are fitted with the carbon ceramic brake upgrade, with 394x36mm discs at the front, and 380x34mm at the rear.
And to help with comfort, the McLaren 50 12C models are upholstered inside with a full leather upgrade complimented by an anniversary dedication plate on the driver’s door which highlights the limited run.
Available in one of three striking colour finishes – Carbon Black, Supernova Silver or heritage McLaren Orange – all of the McLaren cars (all 50 of them) also come with a monogrammed black and silver car cover, limited edition key, carbon fibre presentation key box and a specially commissioned print signed by McLaren Automotive Design Director, Frank Stephenson.
Mind you; they don’t come cheap; the recommended retail price in the UK for the McLaren 50 12C is £196,000, and £215,500 for the McLaren 50 12C Spider.

domain: news


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This is the rebirth of downtown, years in the making.
Events bringing ten's of thousands of people back to Cleveland this weekend. Between the first full weekend of Horseshoe Casino, Tribe games, festivals and the Marathon, downtown has never been so jam packed.
Andrea Hipkiss and her husband had to come and be a part of the buzz downtown. They rode their bikes from Hudson for an overnight downtown stay-cation.
"We just thought it would be fun with the casino going on, the game and the fireworks going on tonight," says Hipkiss.
It seems a lot of people had the same idea. Virtually every hotel room is booked downtown with 40,000 people either running or cheering for the Cleveland Marathon, hundreds honoring our fallen police officers, people looking to catch a Tribe game or people looking to strike it big at blackjack or slots.
"This past week, the casino opened on Monday we've been sold out every single day," says Angela Franklin with Marriott.
They're booked for the next 4 or 5 weeks. But it's the hotels and restaurants that are truly striking it rich.
"We had people calling weeks ago and we were completely booked up," says Alison Moyers, Manager at Lola.
Michael Symon's popular Lola has over 260 reservations on Saturday night alone. It's the same story for all of Cleveland's culinary hot spots.
"Reservations for the whole weekend, booked Friday Saturday and Sunday, we are totally filled up," says Greenhouse General Manager Bryan Delisio.
He says compared to last year, they're seeing larger crowds and more reservations.


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By Freya Purnell
NTT DATA has expanded its relationship with SAP, becoming a global services partner in a bid to drive further business innovation with customers.
The new agreement will provide customers with increased implementation services, enhanced solution delivery, increased global reach and improved pricing options in support of SAP applications.
NTT DATA currently generates global revenue of $1.4 billion in SAP software-related services.
On the new partnership, Eiji Yamada, senior executive vice president, NTT DATA, said: “NTT DATA has rapidly expanded its global business in the past few years and SAP is a fundamental part of our growth strategy. The close cooperation with SAP helps us fulfil our global capability, and local and global clients have the same access to our highest standards of IT innovation and experience in order to manage their future challenges.”
Rodolpho Cardenuto, president, global partner operations, SAP, said the company’s global partners play a fundamental role in supporting SAP’s growth pillars, including cloud, HANA and applications.
“SAP global services partners demonstrate repeated implementation success, along with a commitment to invest in a worldwide presence while supporting SAP’s vision. NTT DATA exemplifies this commitment, and we look forward to working together on future customer collaborations,” Cardenuto said.
NTT DATA is headquartered in Tokyo, with operations in 40 countries, including Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Singapore and Vietnam.


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Some of the revenue hit is being blamed on changes affecting hedge funds, an important industry for Connecticut. Sullivan noted how several international hedge funds have recently failed, resulting in "significant retrenchment" from investors. That drop in tolerance for risk brings smaller margins and ultimately less personal income for the state to tax, he added.
originally posted by: Edumakated
originally posted by: Krazysh0t
originally posted by: Edumakated
originally posted by: Wayfarer
a reply to: Edumakated
For sure. Corporations are paying way too much and are suffering horrendously because of it (only 2,000% executive profit growth instead of 10,000%). Let the Lower/Middle class fat-cats finally pay their fair share!
Corporations don't pay taxes...
The tax is just passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Sooner or later, corporations will choose to locate to more tax favorable countries. Capital is fluid and will always seek to reduce expenses.
This is just straight up untrue. It's just a conservative talking point. If you feel otherwise, explain why it is easier to get a corporate job in high tax New York City but near impossible in low tax Wisconsin? But hey, here are some studies on it too.
Studies: Rich Don't Flee High-Tax States. No company in its right mind would leave this country for a lower tax rate in Somalia. Plus tax rates are higher in Europe than they are here.
Though, if you think about it you are being hypocritical. At first you say that corporations don't pay taxes then suggest that these same corporations that aren't paying taxes will flee high tax areas. Why? If they aren't paying them like you suggest then there is no need for them to leave.
Go look at your cell phone bill, airline ticket, or any number of invoices and you will often see surcharges for various taxes itemized. Businesses absolutely pass all taxes on to consumers in one form or another. Does it translate dollar for dollar? No, but it most certainly is taken into account.
At some point, taxes get too high and a company decides they can lower their cost of operations by moving. Regardless if the consumer is paying it directly or not, when you have competitors in lower tax areas, it means they can price more aggressively.
originally posted by: Aazadan
originally posted by: Masterjaden
a reply to: Aazadan
I'm sorry but you're just wrong. One year I think it was like 6 or 7 years ago I paid a negative 19% tax. Yes I actually got back more money than I put in.
We need a flat tax where everyone pays the same percentage doesn't have to be much 10 or 12% would be more than enough to end up getting more than we already do. You got to understand that the Uber rich don't pay as much in taxes they use tax Havens like 501c's.
A flat tax is the only fair tax. I love it when people say the rich need to pay their fair share okay lowers their taxes by like 20% and then they'll be closer to paying their fair share.
The wealthy pay an effective rate of about 14 or 15% right now. Everyone else pays an effective rate of about 11%. Why should the middle class face a tax increase in the name of tax reform, when they're not the ones that can afford it?
Flat tax is just a code word for making the poor pay more in order to give the rich tax breaks. When the poor have so little in taxable assets, as is currently the case... then you simply can't make up any substantial amount of revenue by taxing them more. It doesn't matter what percent you tax them at.
originally posted by: bigdaveyl
You're not getting it.
Who cares if you're paying 10% or 12% of the standard deduction doubles?


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U.S. subsidiary posts record 2015
With a marketplace awaiting additional 50-inch-wide, trail-legal models, CFMOTO USA has entered the field with the release of its 2016 ZFORCE 800 Trail and ZFORCE 500HO Trail sport side-by-sides.
The new UTVs are part of an impressive lineup that includes a new high output motor that can be found in in both 2016 ATV and side-by-side models. In addition, CFMOTO has launched an all-new CFORCE 400 ATV that features a new chassis, the new engine, and fully independent front and rear suspension. Other lineup enhancements include a new CVTech drive and driven clutching for improved performance and durability on several models.
Honda’s Pioneer 500, the Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail and the Polaris RZR 900 are the lone offerings in the trail-ready UTV marketplace. And it’s one that has attracted CFMOTO USA vice president sales and dealer development Dave Auringer for years, as the ZFORCE 500 will retail for $8,799 and the ZFORCE 800 at $9,999 ($10,799 with EPS). The new enhancements from CVTech are part of the package on both models, along with front and rear stainless steel bumpers, 14-inch alloy wheels, compression and rebound adjustable shocks, cargo and side nets, three-point seat belts with alarm light, tilt steering wheel, multi-function digital dash, Yuasa AGM sealed battery, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, mechanical parking brake, 3,000-pound winch, 2-inch hitch receiver with power socket, contoured roof and an optional windshield.
“Unlike some segments in the market, not every manufacturer has a trail offering,” said Auringer, who recently provided Powersports Business with an exclusive look at the lineup. “We’ve been wanting a trail-ready machine for the U.S. market since Day 1, just because there are so many trail systems that require the 50-inch stance.”
“We’re real excited because there are so many manufacturers without one. Some dealers are calling us because they know we now have a trail unit, so they’re signing up with us because we offer one. We’re hearing from a lot of dealers in the Northwest, and we’ve already signed up a few because of the trail machine.”
No other China-based manufacturers offer 50-inch wide, trail-ready UTVs, Auringer said.
“The big thing is we listened to the dealers, and we try to accommodate what’s selling in their market,” he added.
Also in the 2016 sport UTV lineup is the ZFORCE 800EX ($10,799; $11,599 with EPS).
For 2016, the utility side-by-side offerings include the UFORCE 800 ($9,999, $10,799 with EPS) and UFORCE 500 EPS ($8,999). The UFORCE 500 is standard with EPS, and features the new CFMOTO high output engine (also found in the ZFORCE 500) that provides 11 percent more torque than the previous version.
Roofs remain standard on all ZFORCE UTVs, as has been the case since the 2014 model year.
“It’s expensive to ship a roof due to their size, so we decided to put them in the crate,” Auringer said. “At first we had a roof program, because the unit looks unfinished without a roof. When customers come into the showroom and see one with the roof, it looks complete. The customer says ‘I want that one or one like that one.’”
Known throughout the industry for its engine-building expertise, CFMOTO’s 2016 lineup includes the following ATV offerings: CFORCE 800 EPS ($8,999); CFORCE 500 HO EPS ($5,999), which offers 15 percent more horsepower with the new 500cc HO engine than the previous 600cc engine; CFORCE 500 ($5,499), with its 493cc single, 4-valve, 4-stroke motor; and the all-new, $4,499 CFORCE 400.
“This is far and away one of our most exciting model year introductions to the U.S market,” Auringer said. “Our new 500 HO engine offers better performance than the 600 engine it replaces and does so with greater reliability and of course even greater value; and our two new 50-inch wide ZFORCE models expands riding opportunities for our customers.”
The all-new 500 HO engine is the most advanced engine yet from CFMOTO. The single-cylinder, four-valve overhead cam, liquid-cooled engine features Bosch electronic fuel injection. The new engine delivers 15 percent more power and 11 percent more torque than the 600 engine it replaces.
The CFORCE 400 has some impressive standard features, including independent front and rear suspension, CVTech clutching, an all-new 400cc engine and standard racks with integrated rear trunk storage.
“The CFORCE 400 is a brand new platform with a brand new motor,” Auringer said. “When you look at the 400cc segment and a retail of $4,499, it’s a home run. The dealers love it. They wanted to offer a unit at that price point, so it comes without a winch, and it has steel wheels. The dealer reception has been great because now they can add the accessories like a winch kit. They can sell the alloy wheels or mud wheels. I like it because each dealership will have their own version with winches or without, different wheels, different tires. It’s interesting to see what dealers do to all units that come standard. An aggressive dealer accessorizes everything. The non-aggressive dealer just puts it on the floor, and you know who sells more.”
The new 400 CFORCE and all models featuring the new 500 HO engine will also feature new drive and driven clutching from CVTech. Known throughout the industry as a leader in continuously variable transmission technology, the new combination clutch delivers improved shifting, greater performance, durability and longer belt life. The system also features integrated engine braking for greater control on steep descents.
Auringer reports the ZFORCE 500HO Trail and ZFORCE 800 Trail will be in dealerships by mid-January. CFMOTO recently saw its franchised dealer footprint reach 200, and sales to dealers have grown by 75 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, setting a new U.S. benchmark for the brand.
A host of durability improvements are part of the attractive 2016 lineup, including new Sumitomo electrical connectors that seal out the elements and improve performance in wet conditions. More durable front differentials also have been added.
“These and several other durability enhancements and improvements found throughout the line makes these 2016 models the most durable and reliable vehicles we’ve ever manufactured,” Jim Osterberg, CFMOTO USA vice president of service.
Among the 2015 models, the ZFORCE 800 EX EPS was CFMOTO USA’s top seller, followed by the CFORCE 500 EPS and CFORCE 500. EPS has proven to be an interesting feature for CFMOTO customers.
“When we introduced EPS last year for $800 more, we were curious to see if that would make a difference to the buyer — do I need EPS or not? The industry has proven that everybody wants EPS. Not having EPS, we didn’t have any history of that. We ordered 50-50, and quickly found out that our demographic wanted the EPS models. We sold out of them right away.”


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The World Bank has noted that East Africa is set to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda have been projected to grow significantly in their real income generated in the next few years.
While data for Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are unavailable.
According to the World Bank, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been well-designed to strengthen the economies of East Africa.
This will be accomplished, among other things, by lowering trade expenses related to trade facilitation, as well as decreasing the costs of non-tariff policies and non-tariff obstacles.
According to the executive director of the East African Business Council (EABC), Mr. John Bosco Kalisa, the implementation of AfCFTA’s policies is sure to boost the East African economy. The director stated, “the continental trade protocol is projected to increase real income for East Africans.”
For the East African Community (EAC) group, swift implementation of the continental trade agreement would be advantageous. Real income is anticipated to rise by 10% in Tanzania, the second-largest economy in the area, between 2021 and 2035.
Real income will rise by 11.8%, 3.8%t, and 3.6% in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, respectively. For three further EAC member states, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, no statistics were available (DRC). This information was relayed by Mr. Kalisa last week during a private sector sensitization workshop on the AfCFTA agreement, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The two-day workshop on trade-in goods protocol was organized by EABC as part of its GIZ funding program. The implementation of the trade treaty, according to EABC’s goodwill ambassador for logistics and transport Auni Bhaij, will boost intra-African commerce in manufactured products.
Tanzania’s and Kenya’s intra-AfCFTA export shares will increase as their total world exports are projected to rise by 28% and 43%, respectively, for the EAC. Uganda and Rwanda are expected to have similar projections of 29% and 33%, respectively.
The AfCFTA agreement, according to Mucai Kunyiha, director of the EABC board, was a manifest demonstration of the African nation’s commitment to the new system. “They have shown commitment to doing more trade and investments among themselves,” Mucai Kunyiha said.
55 companies from Kenya attended the session in Nairobi to learn about the AfCFTA Trade in Goods Protocol and its important annexes. Rules of Origin, Tariff Concession, and Non-Tariff Barriers are the annexes, together with their consequences for firms in the EAC bloc.
The AfCFTA agreement aims to increase intra-African commerce by gradually removing tariffs on more than 90 African items.
The elimination of non-tariff barriers and trade restrictions on products and services, respectively, are also a part of the goal. The EAC’s goods exports to Africa were $7.9 billion, or 42% of the overall EAC goods exports to the globe ($18.7 billion).
Source: Business Insider


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A Texas crackdown is under way on merchants who sell wine online without paying for proper permits and taxes.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission worked with FedEx and other shippers to identify incoming wine deliveries from companies that do not comply with state law.
“We sent them letters and asked them to cease and desist,” TABC Maj. Charlie Cloud said.
The latest news from around North Texas.
Texas alcoholic beverage sales operate under a three-tier system. Retailers must buy from licensed Texas wholesalers, which purchase from producers.
However, licensed wineries are also allowed to sell directly to customers.
“What’s fair about some people obtaining their permit and doing it legally and other people not doing it legally? There’s nothing fair about that,” Cloud said.
La Cave Warehouse on Market Center Boulevard in Dallas has been selling wine to local customers for 34 years.
You might expect owners Francois and Anne Chandou to be pleased with the TABC crackdown on unlicensed competitors, but they said state laws protect wholesaler profits.
“They want Texas to be a captive audience to them,” Francois Chandou said.
The La Cave owners said customers would be better served if the system allowed people to purchase products anywhere, including from online, out-of-state merchants.
“They’re not necessarily getting away with something,” Anne Chandou said. “They’re shipping a product to a customer who wants that product, and that customer should be entitled to get that product."
Several online wine sellers have stopped deliveries to Texas since the TABC investigation.
Wine.com, one of the companies contacted by the TABC, claims more than 30,000 Texas customers.
To comply with Texas law, Wine.com is planning to open a Houston warehouse where the company will buy from Texas wholesalers and serve Texas customers.
“We’re realistic about the current laws,” said Rich Bergsund, of Wine.com.
“If they’re going to play by the rules, we welcome them,” Cloud said.
But the TABC told the Austin American-Statesman that such a warehouse would only allow the company to ship to customers within the Houston area. The agency also told the newspaper that there is no law that allows out-of-state retailers to get permits to sell to Texans.


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Food expert to address future at industry conference
One of the UK’s leading authority’s on the food sector will address a Cheshire-based ‘Future of Food’ industry conference on the responsibilities of food manufacturers in the wake of the horse burger scandal.
Dr Corrinna Hawkes, of City University London, has been using her work from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Food Policy Research Institute to shape UK food policy and will be addressing the conference.
It will also be Dr Hawkes’ prerogative to address the conference on the changes the industry will need to make over the next 10 years in order to maintain the health and confidence of the public.
The conference has attracted leading figures from Britain’s food sector, including chief operating officer Chris Dee from the independent supermarket chain Booths, which works with small producers. Justine Fosh, chief executive of The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and Improve, will also be speaking at the conference.
Other topics to be discussed at the event include how small producers can grow their business; the future of corporate food; and the challenges of health, food security and sustainability in the industry.
The conference will be hosted by Food Cheshire on 14 March and will take place at Reaseheath College and Rookery Hall Hotel.
Chairman of Food Cheshire David Pickering said: “Those attending the conference will come away with a clear vision of the challenges facing the industry, how they can help meet those challenges and capitalising on the opportunities that these bring.
“Dr Corrinna Hawkes is the UK’s leading authority on food and its relationship with non-communicable diseases, the health of a nation and the responsibilities of food manufacturers.”
According to Pickering, Hawkes’ opinion is a key decision-maker in the industry, which is helping to shape food policy.
He added: “No food business can afford to miss hearing her views on where food will be heading over the next five to 10 years.”
- world health organisation
- City University London
- International Food Policy Research Institute
- The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink
- Food Cheshire


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How can we expand the number of both animal and plant-based protein sources to benefit the climate and health? This is what the EU project LIKE-A-PRO focuses on for the next 4 years by, among other things, developing new products from alternative protein sources - and Food & Bio Cluster Denmark is of course involved.
Proteins are much more than meat and legumes.
Many consumers have already realised this and there is currently a strong consumer interest in so-called 'alternative proteins', i.e. proteins that are not necessarily animal-derived but come from plants, the sea, microbial sources, etc.
The growing attraction of consumers to such products is seen as the perfect pathway to a more sustainable and healthier European diet. However, alternative proteins are still niche products and more efforts are needed to mainstream this category so that even more people have access to new product types, protein sources, flavours and textures with alternative proteins.
New products and campaigns are to help raise awareness of alternative proteins
This is why the EU has launched the LIKE-A-PRO project, which brings together key representatives of the entire value chain to promote alternative proteins and make them more available, accessible and acceptable to all population groups. This includes young people, adults, the elderly and vulnerable groups (e.g. low-income groups and ethnic minorities).
This will be done through:
- Development of 16 products with ingredients from 7 sustainable protein sources with improved flavour and texture
- National campaigns for alternative proteins to be developed in co-operation with citizens and societal actors across Europe.
Read more about the project's objectives
7 new protein sources
In order to increase the knowledge and availability of alternative proteins, there is a general need to improve the quality of the product group as we know it today - whether it is the flavour, texture or protein functionality. Therefore, the project aims to develop completely new products within these 7 selected alternative protein sources:
- Fermented fungal protein
- Pea protein
The cluster helps to ensure the involvement of Danish stakeholders
Food & Bio Cluster Denmark participates together with 41 other European partners and will, among other things, lead the communication and dissemination efforts - including developing a nationwide campaign in 2024 - as well as ensuring user involvement and providing input to a qualitative mapping of the area.
Britt Sandvad, Senior Innovation Manager, who will lead the cluster's participation in the LIKE-A-PRO project, is pleased that Danish companies will now also have access to new knowledge and new ingredient options:
- When we actively work to expand the range of alternatives to traditional protein sources, we also attract new and more consumers. This also means new business opportunities for our Danish companies, which is why it is important that they are involved throughout the process. The LIKE-A-PRO project gives us a unique starting point for this," says Britt, who is available if you want to know more about the project.


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This week Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Pfizer, and other large US companies will deliver earnings reports…
European stock indexes change moderately
On Monday, stock indices of Western Europe changed a bit and demonstrated different directions. Meanwhile, British exchanges are unavailable due to the holiday (the first May bank holiday).
Market participants are currently digesting corporate news as well as statistics on orders of industrial enterprises in Germany.
In March, the volume of orders of industrial enterprises in Germany slumped by 0.9% versus the previous month and tacked on by 3.1% in annual terms. Analysts on average had hoped for an increase of 0.5% in the monthly and 5% in annual terms.
The index of the leading enterprises of the Stoxx Europe 600 region soared by 0.13% hitting 387.55.
The French indicator CAC 40 slumped by 0.05%, the German DAX soared by 0.28%. In addition to this Spanish IBEX 35 and Italian FTSE MIB rallied respectably 0.3% and 0.2%.
The ascend in crude prices was another positive factor. It was provoked by worries over the US withdrawal from the agreement on Iran's nuclear program that could potentially lead to a reduction in Iranian crude exports.
Shares of the Norwegian Statoil managed to surge 1.8%, the Italian Eni gained by 0.3%.
Meanwhile, the price of securities of the German reinsurance company Hannover Re tacked on by 2.6%. The company ramped up its net revenue in the first quarter of 2018 amid a considerable increase in insurance premiums.
As a matter of fact, net profit Hannover Re in January-March rallied by 3.3%, hitting to 273.4 million euros, and the overall amount of premiums inched up by 18% reaching 5.3 billion euros.
As for the value of Nestle shares, it inched up by about 0.6%.
Earlier, the company entered into an agreement with the American coffee giant Starbucks for the purpose of acquiring rights to the global sale of consumer products under several company-owned brands. Nestle is expected to pay Starbucks up to $7.15 billion under the agreement.
Virgin Galactic’s Branson flew to space, but the stock of Virgin Galactic (SPCE) dropped. Why?
Virgin Galactic (SPCE) will launch Richard Branson to space on July 11, aiming to beat Jeff Bezos.
Today the Fed will make a policy statement at 21:00 GMT+3. This event will affect all the currency pairs with the USD and thus almost the all Forex market!
What will happen? The FOMC statement will be published at 21:00 MT (GMT+3) on Wednesday, July 28…
Hong Kong stock index extended a decline sparked by China’s tech crackdown. Tesla posted better-than-expected results. Jump in!


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March 12 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
* President Obama notched the lowest approval ratings of his presidency in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, amid wide pessimism about the economy and deep frustration with Washington. ()
* Nearly six years after the government rescued Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, top members in the Senate and the White House agreed on a framework to wind down the mortgage giants and overhaul the nation's $10 trillion mortgage market. ()
* A senior Malaysia air force official rejected media reports that military radar had picked up signals from the jet over the Strait of Malacca, hundreds of miles from its intended course. ()
* Comcast Corp's proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc has sparked media-industry fears that the combined giant would have too much influence over everything from cable industry pricing to broadband-related services. ()
* General Motors Co's shares tumbled as the automaker faced new investigations on multiple fronts into why it took nearly a decade to recall cars with defects tied to 12 deaths.
* China's top central banker put the country on course to free up interest rates on bank deposits within two years, an unprecedented move that would force the nation's lenders to compete for customers by offering the best terms. ()
* Some property owners in Pennsylvania, a state caught up in a natural-gas drilling boom, are accusing Chesapeake Energy Corp of shortchanging them on royalty payments for pumping oil and gas from their land. ()
* Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc agreed to be bought by Men's Wearhouse Inc for roughly $1.8 billion, in an agreement that ends a colorful takeover battle between the rival suit retailers. ()
* Tesla Motors Inc will stop selling its luxury electric cars in New Jersey on April 1, after the state said Tuesday it would not license the company to sell vehicles directly to consumers, bypassing franchised dealers. ()
* Walt Disney Co is in talks to acquire popular online-video producer Maker Studios for about $500 million, said people with knowledge of the discussions, a deal that could give the entertainment giant better access to a young teen audience whose tastes are shifting to Web-based video. ()
* SoftBank Corp CEO Masayoshi Son characterized U.S. wireless service as dismal while reaffirming that his company wants a bigger part of the market. ()
* Amazon.com Inc is hoping to offer an on-demand music-streaming service to customers of its Amazon Prime program, but it may limit how much a person can listen to any given song, according to people familiar with the matter. ()


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From Welsh Government:
“The Welsh Government has announced a further £30 million for sector specific businesses affected by ongoing coronavirus restrictions.
“The latest round of the Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) will be targeted at small, medium and large businesses in the hospitality, leisure, tourism sectors and related supply chain businesses.
“It has also been confirmed that pending the outcome of the next review on 12 March, a further £150 million in grants could be made available to firms, including micro businesses, through the Welsh Government’s Non Domestic Rates (NDR) scheme if coronavirus restrictions are extended.
“The ERF Sector Specific Grant application phase 2 window opens Tuesday 9 March 2021 until 8pm on Friday 12 March 2021. For further information, and to access the eligibility checker, please visit the Business Wales website.”


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Respecting its usual quarterly schedule, JungleScout has published an interesting report on the health of online shopping and the characteristics of consumer behavior during the last part of 2021. In this article we will examine the points of major interest.
How consumer behavior has changed during the last part of 2021
When looking at the statistics drawn up by JungleScout, the first thing that stands out is how buying online is becoming more and more rooted. In fact, 78% of consumers purchased gifts online during the holiday season. A good 46% said they purchased exclusively online and stated they have quit going to “physical” stores.
Recourse to online shopping is expected to continue at a particularly strong pace throughout 2022, with a few shifts in consumer orientation. In particular, and probably owing to the difficult emotional climate caused by the pandemic, almost 7 consumers out of 10 said they would like to spend more money on entertainment. More than half said they would like to spend more on treatments to improve their mental and physical wellness.
Another interesting finding of the study is that, despite the difficult pandemic situation, about half of all consumers also said they plan to travel during 2022.
How do consumers search for products online
JungleScout has shared an interesting analysis on how consumers search for products online.
As a matter of fact, 30% of consumers said they buy specific brands. They have relatively clear ideas even before they set out to find a product, at least as far as reference brands are concerned.
On the other hand, 17% of consumers rely on Google, Bing or other search engines. They search by generic keywords (such as “gifts for girlfriend”, etc.). Another 16% rely on browsing through social media apps, such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. In addition to these, another 10% of users look for products on the search engines of these social networks.
Finally, among the most significant percentages to mention, we must include the 7% of consumers who purchase products after reading guides on specialized websites.
The top 2022 buyer trends sellers should know
According to the survey, in 2022 most online buyers will give top priority to satisfying their need for socialization and personal development.
To this end, 68% of the sample said they would like to have more fun this year. The same percentage agreed that they would like to take better care of their personal development. On the other hand, 67% of the respondents stated they intend to spend more time with their family. Furthermore, 54% seem to be intentional about working harder and more intensely. Lastly, 51% will try new social activities.
To travel more was the wish of 46% of the survey sample. This orientation seems to be well rooted in what is expected to become the dominant trend in 2022. That is to say, rediscovering those activities that the pandemic has discouraged or made impossible. Hence, 54% of consumers will purchase services and products that allow them to connect more frequently with friends and family. More than one consumer out of four plans to watch movies, attend concerts and other live events.
So, keep these numbers in mind when planning your next business strategy. They could help you boost your sales considerably on the Amazon platform.


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A Leicestershire company has seen exports increase despite the economic downturn.
The company makes wet wipes and clothing for workers in the catering industry.
They said sales increased by 20% this year compared to the first quarter of 2012.
The British Chamber of Commerce believe the weak pound has helped to boost sales overseas.
More top news
A coach carrying schoolchildren has collided with a van in Warwickshire.
A brave ten-year-old has shaved off all her hair in front of her classmates to raise money for the hospice which cared for her dying dad.
Company bosses have confirmed that more than 300 workers will lose their jobs at the Goodyear factory in Wolverhampton.


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Huawei certainly has a sense of humour.
While iPhone fans lined up outside the Apple store on Orchard Road the night before for the latest iPhone XS and XS Max releases, Huawei showed some true marketing smarts (and a little cheek) by handing out free power banks with the note “You’ll need it”, a tiny little dig to remind everyone that Huawei smartphones have longer battery life than iPhones.
It was quite the scene outside the Apple store on Orchard Road. At around 11pm, Huawei’s representatives, who were in Huawei shirts, starting handing out 10,000mAh power banks for free to the long queues of people who were clearly going to camp out in front of the Apple store overnight. People stood, sat and slept in the queue, hoping to be the first ones to own Apple’s latest iPhone releases – the XS and the XS Max.
Instead of being puzzled by Huawei’s presence at the all-Apple affair, the iPhone fans could not wait to get their hands on the power banks, which retail for S$80 each, that Huawei was handing out. Besides the fact that everybody loves freebies, a power bank would certainly come in handy for the overnight wait. In this Youtube video, people can be seen pushing to the front and trying their best to get the Huawei power banks.
You have got to hand it to Huawei – not only are their marketing skills on point by targeting the competition’s customers with their products, but they showed a little sense of humour, too. “Here’s a power bank,” read the box. “You’ll need it.”
It is no secret that the new iPhone XS only has 2,658mAh battery (downgraded from the iPhone X’s 2716mAh battery) compared to Huawei’s P20 Pro, which boasts of a 4,000mAh battery. Comparably, South Korean giant Samsung’s Galaxy S9 comes with a 3,000mAh battery.
Apple, Huawei and Samsung are the world’s top selling smartphone brands. Samsung is in the lead, and just this year, China’s Huawei overtook Apple for second place. Huawei is clearly keeping Apple in its sights with its free power bank tactic.
Netizens seem to think Huawei’s marketing stunt was genius and appreciated the tech company for their smarts:
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Known as the “greenest restaurant in Texas,” a booming fast-casual is now looking to expand its eco-friendly restaurant mission beyond the Lone Star State. And thanks to a recent acquisition by a restaurant company on a shopping spree, it could soon become “America’s greenest restaurant.”
Bellagreen, an eight-location bistro chain, has just been acquired by Ampex Brands, a major franchisee of Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and 7-Eleven. While the chain appears to be a relatively small brand compared to other Ampex businesses, the company plans to expand Bellagreen significantly. CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz says the eco-chain may soon be making its way “to every major city in the United States,” according to Restaurant news.
Like a green American bistro concept, Bellagreen offers vibrant, seasonal dishes with in-house practices that reduce its ecological footprint. Its menu includes a wide variety of local ingredients, used in classics like burgers, pizzas, salads and sandwiches. Apart from sourcing a sustainable menu, the chain uses water-saving devices, alternative power sources and eco-friendly furniture to reduce waste.
“We designed Bellagreen to make life and the earth more beautiful with every meal we serve,” said chain CEO Jason Morgan.. “We’re handing over to a powerful organization that can grow the brand while maintaining that authenticity.”
Ampex acquired Bellagreen from Bellagreen Holdings and completed the affair on July 18. Currently, fast-casual is only found in the Houston and Dallas areas. However, Ampex is known for growing the brands under its umbrella and currently operates over 500 restaurants, as well as over 100 7-Eleven convenience stores.
Last year, the company acquired Au Bon Pain, which was struggling after losing nearly half of its restaurants under the ownership of JAB Holding Company, parent company of Panera Bread. Ampex has revived the struggling chain’s growth with a new location in New York, which opened last month.
Amber Lake is a staff writer at Eat This, Not That! and holds a journalism degree from UNF in Jacksonville, Florida. Read more


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Tampa Boat Show closed Sunday with reports of stronger sales
National Marine Manufacturers Association
October 2, 2012
Filed under News
The 2012 Progressive Insurance Tampa Boat Show closed Sunday with initial reports from several exhibitors of quality traffic and stronger sales over previous years.
“We had a great show as a first time Sea Hunt dealer and we doubled our unit objectives. The turnout and traffic on the boats was great, and we look forward to being an even bigger part of the 2013 show,” said Ron Reeves, Pro Marine.
“We have lots of new leads from the Tampa Boat Show. I am pleased with the number of quality attendees,” echoed Ron Johnson, Chris Craft of Tampa Bay.
“First class setup by NMMA equated to a great weekend for us,” noted K. C. Scott, K Scott Under Water.
While the strong buying crowds were out, big events in the market, including a home Buccaneers game and the Super Boat National Championship & Festival, detracted from overall attendance, which dropped 23 percent over 2011 to 12,556.


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The government is taking steps to cap potable water prices at public venues to ensure affordability for consumers. Legislation proposes maximum prices for bottled water, with fines for noncompliance, aiming to balance access to clean drinking water with market health.
Energy Minister George Papanastasiou advocates for fair trade and competition at the Cyprus Conference on Competition Law, highlighting government measures to support the local economy with €256 million, reduce electricity costs, lower tax burdens, and reinforce consumer protection for economic resilience and quality of life. The focus is on creating a conducive environment for fair competition, addressing the challenges of the global economic landscape, and aligning with EU policies to enhance competition law and policy for a balanced and innovative market.
Consumers are saving approximately €7.50 on a €95 purchase, thanks to the zero VAT rate on essential products, stabilizing prices for 72% of items. Retailers nationwide have embraced this policy, ensuring compliance rates between 75 and 100 percent, easing the financial burden on households and enhancing consumer shopping experiences.


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Competition Bureau’s Resistance to Freedom Mobile Sale ‘Incomprehensible’, Says Quebecor CEO
Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau finds it “incomprehensible” that the Competition Bureau is opposed to the company’s proposed acquisition of Freedom Mobile from Rogers and Shaw — reports The Globe and Mail.
Back in May, the Bureau petitioned the federal competition tribunal to block Rogers’s proposed $26 billion acquisition of Shaw. Canada’s competition watchdog argued the deal would reduce competition in the country’s telecom market and lead to even higher wireless prices.
The two telcos agreed to sell Shaw-owned Freedom Mobile, Canada’s fourth-largest carrier, to Quebecor for $2.85 billion in hopes of addressing regulatory concerns. However, the Competition Bureau has refused to approve the Freedom sale so far, saying last month that it does not ensure a competitive future for the wireless space.
“It is incomprehensible to us that the Competition Bureau believes that the level of competition in telecom in Canada will be higher if the Shaw-Rogers transaction is rejected,” Péladeau said during a quarterly earnings call on Thursday.
Quebecor reported $1.12-billion in revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, down 1.4% year-over-year. Net profits for the period saw a healthy gain to $156.3 million, from $124.7 million in Q2 2021.
Péladeau argued during the conference call that Freedom would be “much weaker” if Shaw continues to run it. He added that the carrier has already competed less aggressively since the Rogers-Shaw deal was announced.
Freedom Mobile has 1.75 million subscribers in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Acquiring the company will help jumpstart Quebecor’s longstanding plans to expand nationally. Quebecor last year purchased $830 million worth of 5G spectrum licenses, more than half of which were for Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and B.C. to further the company’s ambitions for national growth.
More recently, the company bought independent internet, TV, and phone service provider VMedia. With a large chunk of VMedia’s user base located in Ontario, analysts believe the move underpins Quebecor’s expansion plans.
If the Freedom sale falls through, Péladeau said Quebecor could use the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)’s new network-sharing policy to expand instead.
Quebecor’s CEO urged the regulator to promptly finalize the prices, terms, and conditions for the facilities-based mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access service.
“We respectfully think that the Competition Bureau and the CRTC should realize that the longer they wait to act, either by approving the sale of Freedom or by finally establishing a competitive [mobile virtual network operator] framework, the longer they encourage the current oligopoly that is actively limiting competition outside Quebec,” Péladeau said.
The Competition Bureau has requested a delay of at least six weeks in merger proceedings to investigate the Freedom Mobile sale. Rogers on Thursday filed an official objection against the request, saying the Bureau has an “obligation” to fast-track a tribunal hearing on the fate of the merger.


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Microsoft did not realize how different smartphones are from PCs until recent software updates broke new Windows Phone 7 devices that were already in the hands of cell phone users, Windows Phone Vice President Joe Belfiore explained Wednesday in a ke...
New reports have surfaced that Apple will start shipping the white iPhone 4 within a few weeks, finally bringing the seemingly endless wait to an end. Not that anyone is quite going to believe this until the precious smartphones are in their hands.
The semiconductor industry will see its total revenues hit record highs of US$319 billion this year and $330 billion in 2012 as orders mount for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs, according to a prediction from an industry group.
Sprint subscribers will now be able to pay for the applications they buy on Android Market via their monthly cellphone bill, Google <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-carrier-billing-options-on-android.html">said in a blog po...
Nokia may be struggling to produce a high-end device to compete with the iPhone and various Android phones, but at least you can't accuse the Finnish giant of a lack of trying when it comes to marketing. The company is currently pushing its Nokia E7 ...
Microsoft on Wednesday announced 1,500 new developer tools coming in May for the next version of the Windows Phone operating system, code-named Mango, that's due in the fall.
Microsoft has started a certification program that identifies consumer mobile handsets best supporting Microsoft Exchange's most crucial management capabilities, the company announced Wednesday.
HTC's latest smartphone, the Sensation, has a dual-core 1.2GHz processor from Qualcomm that holds the promise of faster graphics and is due to ship in Europe in the second quarter, the company said at an event in London on Tuesday.
Intel is establishing a joint innovation center with Tencent, one of China's largest Internet firms, to develop products and services around the chip maker's MeeGo mobile operating system and devices using its Atom processors.
Nokia launched an updated version of its Symbian^3 mobile operating system on Tuesday, along with two phones running the software, the X7 and the E6.
Intel has hinted that is developing another next-generation chip for tablets, called "Cloverview," as part of its ongoing strategy to make its Atom processors more power-efficient.
Eight notorious apps from gambling to baby shaking that were yanked from app stores.
What was once an expensive, high-end Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S, is now available from Vodafone from a paltry $29 per month, which could mean the second-generation Galaxy S II is set to make an appearance at the carrier.
Tired of all the will-they, won't-they iPhone 5 stories? Or are you secretly kind of jubilant each time they pronounce the iPhone-next's arrival "later than expected"? I'm talking about those of you who picked up a Verizon iPhone 4 in February (okay,...
Nokia's recent decision to close the source code for its Symbian smartphone OS likely won't affect most application developers or consumers.
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During the Apple’s summer event for developers, they introduced the next software version for the Apple Watch which included a new Breathe app. It is responsible for calming the user’s mind during the day by reminding them to take a moment to focus on breathing. This app, which is another step towards the health industry, is not the only one Apple is planning to release.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is working on new health apps for the Apple Watch that will track and analyze more data. People familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg said there is a sleep-tracking app in the works. There is also an app that measures the time it takes for the heart rate to slow from its peak to the normal resting level. Both of these apps would not require any special hardware and can already work on the Apple Watch.


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Yoox adds pre-owned to online expanding Marketplace
Yoox Net-A-Porter’s Yoox brand has introduced pre-owned designer fashion, footwear and accessories to its mix. The Yoox pre-owned offer “enables customers to shop with circularity in mind and give a second life to designer fashion, through access to a broad assortment of products that include rare or limited-edition collectables,” it said.
The offer is available in almost 30 European countries and the selection has been launched along with the e-tailer’s Endless Love campaign supporting the debut.
The company said there are currently over 2,000 pre-owned pieces available “from some of the most prestigious luxury brands”.
Each item is “curated specifically for the discerning Yoox customer, authenticated, and made available through Yoox’s network of trusted third-party vintage and resale partners now operating on the Marketplace, including Reflaunt, Catch the Grail, Drip Drops, Millesime, and The Brand Collector”.
The Marketplace itself features over 280,000 products in total and the company said that with “sustainability credentials playing a key role in purchase decisions for over 80% of its customers” this latest development is an important move.
In fact it’s the first time YNAP has introduced a “dedicated destination for shopping pre-owned products through its online stores”. It follows the rollout of resale services powered by Reflaunt on Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter and The Outnet in 2022, which give customers the opportunity to resell their high-end pieces.
The Yoox Marketplace was also launched in 2022 as part of the group’s “broader transition to a flexible, hybrid operating model, designed to accelerate its ability to reach new customers and strengthen its relationship with prestigious brand partners”.
Currently live in Europe, it will expand into the US and Middle East this year.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Social Media Today
So it seems like hardly a day goes by without hearing about Facebook or Twitter in the news. You know that it’s all being taken rather seriously when judges grant Twitter-super injunctions for naughty sportsmen to prevent the spread of their personal news. Social media has now been so well integrated into our lives that people forget Facebook has only been around as we know it, since 2006. What did we even do with ourselves before then??
In the 6 years since Mr Zuckerberg’s empire began its first tentative steps towards total world domination,Twitter has risen – initially from Facebook’s shadow – to establish itself at the heart of everything from celebrity culture, marketing and advertising, to driving the digital revolution in how news reaches the consumer. In the meantime, Linkedin has also grown exponentially in the past few years to become the world’s largest professional network. Inevitably, any media format that creates such a large consumer base is likely to attract considerable attention from businesses…yet every now and again, I still come across the odd business owner, manager or CEO that declares that they have ‘no use for Facebook and stuff like that’.
Here are some not particularly groundbreaking, but nevertheless highly interesting stats on some of the big players in the social media arena. Whatever your standpoint, the growth and numbers involved are astonishing. Make up your own minds whether you can afford not to get social…
- Facebook how boasts over 800 million users – with 200 million of those being added in 2011
- The US leads the pack with 155 million users followed by India at 45 million, and Brazil with 43 million
- By the end of 2011, Facebook’s ad revenue, stood at a massive 22 times larger than Twitter’s $139.5 million, at $3.15 billion – which accounted for 90% of its overall revenue.
- An average Facebook user has 130 friends and 80 page likes
- Over 3.5 billion shares per week on Facebook
- In 2011, Facebook served 175 billion advert impressions
- There are 250 million photos uploaded on Facebook
- 95% of wall posts are not answered by brands
- The average Facebook user spends 7 hours per month on the site
- A total of 53.5 BILLION minutes were spent on Facebook by Americans in 2011
- 17% of users interact with brands, 13% post updates about a brand they like
- 2.5 million external websites have been integrated with Facebook
- Over 500 million registered users (as of March 2012)
- 34% of marketers have gained leads through Twitter, and 20% have actually closed a deal on there
- 40% of members don’t actively Tweet
- It roughly takes one week for a billion tweets to be sent
- 60% of new users currently come from outside the US
- 80% of tweets concerning customer service are negative
- 5% of users create 75% of the content
- 11 Twitter accounts are created every second
- Twitter’s advertising revenue is predicted to hit $540 million by 2014
- The US lead the way in terms of numbers – with 108 million users – 28% of all Twitter members.
- The US however, lags behind Netherlands, Brazil and Japan in terms of active profiles.
- Twitter signups TRIPLED with the intergration of iOS 5, showing the impact of mobile phones on social media
- Linkedin now boasts 150 million registered users across over 200 countries
- 60% of Linkedin members come from outside of the US
- Linkedin has executives from every single Fortune 500 company as members – 82 of the Fortune 100 use its corporate recruitment solutions
- Linkedin had a 2011 revenue of $522 million
- There are over 2 million companies with Linkedin Company Pages
- 60 million users are from the US, 34 million from Europe, 25 million from Asia Pacific, 14 million from India and 7 million from Brazil
- By the end of December 2011, Linkedin jumped from 45th to 36th most visited website on the internet.
The numbers may look pretty but the point is that every platform has something to offer. It’s just about finding the right balance for each medium. And I haven’t even covered the likes of Pinterest, Google Plus or Flickr yet….emarketer do a pretty good job of predicting how it’s all likely to grow (on the left).
I really could sit here and keep blasting wads of statistics at you but that could get slightly boring. So I’ll keep it at that.
It’d be rude for me not to end on a self plug for our own social media presence….If you did like what you just read, then give us a follow on our Facebook or Linkedin as we’ll keep things updated through those. We’re also constantly on Twitter having a ramble.
Here’s some of the sites we used to aggregate this wonderful info;
Other sources: Socialmediatoday, Techcrunch, emarketer, Readwriteweb, Chitika


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SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ—Consumers beware: On January 8, a California manufacturer of candles, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), recalled about 168,000 candles made in Mason jars, decorative jars, coffee tins, and a holiday-themed jars, over a fire hazard.
The candles high flame can ignite the surface of the wax, posing a fire hazard, according to the CPSC.
Known as “DD” brand single-wick candles, the units were sold exclusively at Hobby Lobby’s brick-and-mortar locations and their online store.
Hobby Lobby has 576 stores nationwide, and 7 stores in New Jersey, including one in South Plainfield.
The candles being recalled were sold between June 2014 through October 2014, for between $6 and $20 each.
This batch of hazardous candles adds to the company’s two previous recalls of last year: In November 256,000 candles sold in tins or glass jars were recalled, following an April 2014 recall of 126,000 candles sold in tins.
The company, CoScentrix, “has received one additional report of a candle’s surface igniting and no additional reports of injury or property damage,” according to the CPSC.
In its two previous recalls, the candle maker received a total of 31 reports that the candles surface had ignited.
In one case, a person was injured as a result. The company also received 10 reports of property damage.
“Consumers should immediately stop using the candles and return them to the nearest Hobby Lobby. Consumers with a receipt will receive a full refund,” reads the recall notice.
“Consumers without a receipt will be issued a store credit. Online purchasers should contact CoScentrix for instructions on returning the product.”
The size of the mason jars in the current recall are either 5 or 20 ounces, while the decorative jars were made in 10 and 20 ounce sizes.
The coffee tin units are all 13 ounces, as are the holiday-themed candle jars.
All the jars have gray metal lids, while the coffee tins have a silver metal lid.
The DD logo and the word “Handcrafted” appear in raised letters on the front of nost of the mason jars.
On the 10-ounce decorative jar, the logo is on the top.
The DD logo is inside a floral wreath on the 13-ounce holiday jar, which is 3.75 inches wide by 4 inches high. Additionally, “the fragrance and size are printed directly onto the front of the jar in silver,” reads a description on the recall notice.
A complete list of the candles involved is available on the CPSC’s recall page.


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NAIROBI, June 16 (Xinhua) -- African and Chinese laws firms on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to boost Chinese investments in Africa.
The MOU between Lex Africa and the Global Chinese Speaking Lawyers' Association aims to improve the confidence of Chinese entrepreneurs operating in Africa.
Lex Africa founder member Fred Ojiambo told a media briefing that Chinese firms have began to recognize the importance of seeking legal assistance while doing business in Africa.
"So under the deal, Chinese business community can seek legal advice from Lex Africa partner lawyers who are situated in 20 African countries," Ojiambo said during a trade and investment forum organized by the Kenya Investment Authority and China's Shenzhen City.
The deal runs for an initial period of seven years, with a possibility of renewal depending on the outcomes. It is expected to give Chinese firms additional comfort that their investments and contracts will be fully respected.
Ojiambo said that Chinese firms are increasingly attracted to Africa due to the numerous business opportunities present in the continent.
"So our aim is to smoothen the Chinese experiences in Africa so that Sino-Africa relations are enhanced," he said, noting that the legal environment in Africa is very different from that in China.
"As a result, Chinese firms often face difficulties whenever they find themselves in legal disputes with African governments or businesses," he added.
Africa has diverse legal systems as African countries inherited different European legal systems.
The deal is also said to expand opportunities for African lawyers.
"We will now get referrals from Chinese lawyers on Chinese entrepreneurs who are seeking to establish presence in the continent and require legal representation," Ojiambo said.


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Waste Watch: Interview with Madigan Spokesman Steve Brown
Andrew Hansen's interview about legislative committees with Michael Madigan's spokesman, Steve Brown.
Raw News Stories
Major business and economic events scheduled for Tuesday
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal Reserve policymakers begin a two-day meeting to set interest rates today, but today's one major economic report isn't likely to spur them to raise rates.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 03/21/14 --
Companies that pride themselves on being eco-friendly may have conflicted
ideas between marketing with ad specialties and maintaining their green
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Stoner comic Tommy Chong came out smokin' last night -- on the dance floor.
IN THE NEWS: PRE-OPRDERS ON iPHONES
NEW YORK (AP) -- If you haven't already ordered one of those new, bigger iPhones -- chances are you won't get your hands on one right away.


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Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.
When the next "flash crash" occurs in the market, investors need to be ready, Jim Cramer told his Mad Money viewers Wednesday on the one-year anniversary of the last time the machines ran amok. We may not know what's causing the crash when it happens, Cramer said, but that doesn't mean we still can't profit from it.
The stock market has only seen the flash crash phenomenon twice, once in 2010 and most recently a year ago. During both of those events the markets plunged without notice, only to inexplicably recover just as fast.
Cramer was on the air in 2010, watching Procter & Gamble (PG) sink 25% in the blink of an eye. He commented then that Procter's price was simply not real and told viewers to buy it right then, on the spot. Investors taking Cramer's advice profited 25% in the minutes that followed.
Cramer said he knew that Procter was a safe bet down 25% as the company was not economically sensitive, it paid a solid dividend and its share were liquid enough to get in and out in a hurry. He emphasized that in fast-moving situations, investors must alway use limit orders, which allow them to buy shares at the price they want to pay.
As for what to buy the next time, and there will be a next time, the markets tank, Cramer said he still likes Procter, now an Action Alerts PLUS holding, along with General Mills (GIS) , PepsiCo (PEP) and Dominion Resources (D) . He would also consider American Electric Power (AEP) , Verizon (VZ) and rival AT&T (T) , all of which are great stocks in a machine-induced panic.
Executive Decision: Manny Chirico
For his "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer sat down with Manny Chirico, chairman and CEO of apparel maker PVH (PVH) , which just posted an 18-cents-a-share earnings beat on a 4% rise in revenue and raised its full-year guidance for the rest of 2016.
Chirico said that last year the third and fourth quarters were simply a disaster, but this year the fall season is looking much better with inventories very much under control. That means there are big opportunities to boost the bottom line.
Chirico commented on Macy's (M) decision to close 100 stores. He said it's been known for a long time that America has too many stores, and Macy's is taking brave steps to rectify the problem. Retailers need to go where the consumer is, and for many that's online and not as much at brick-and-mortar locations. That said, Chirico said physical stores aren't going away anytime soon.
Also, Chirico commented on Speedo's decision to end their relationship with Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. He called the situation unfortunate but said PVH cannot endorse Lochte's behavior and opted to donate the money it would've paid him to charity instead.


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Cuban hopes dashed as new and used cars go on sale
- Submitted by: lena campos
- Business and Economy
- 01 / 05 / 2014
Cubans awoke on Friday for the first time in half a century with the right to buy new and used vehicles from the state without special permission, but markups of 400 percent or more quickly dashed most people's expectations.
At the state-run Peugeot dealership in Havana on Friday morning, where prices ranged from $91,000 for a 2013 model 206 to $262,000 for a 508, people walked away shaking their heads in disgust.
"I earn 600 Cuban pesos per month (approximately $30). That means in my whole life I can't buy one of these. I am going to die before I can buy a new car," Roberto Gonzales, a state driver, said, walking back to his 1950s Plymouth.
The average monthly wage in Cuba, where four out of five of the 5 million-strong labor force work for the state, is $20.
A European diplomat quipped, "I am slightly flabbergasted. With these prices, the old-time U.S. cars will not disappear fast from the streets."
Under a reform two years ago, Cubans can now buy and sell used cars from each other, but until Friday had to request authorization from the government to purchase a new vehicle or second-hand one, usually a rental car, from state retailers.
Before September 2011, only automobiles that were in Cuba before the 1959 revolution could be freely bought and sold, which is why there are so many 1950s or older cars, most of them American-made, rumbling through Cuban streets.
Along with Cuba's famous rolling museum of vintage U.S. cars, there are also many Soviet-made cars, dating from the era when the Soviet Union was the island's biggest ally and benefactor.
Newer models are largely in government hands and were sold used before Friday at a relatively low price to select individuals, for example, Cuban diplomats, doctors and teachers who served abroad.
Across town from the Peugeot dealership, where more than a hundred used rent-a-cars went on sale for prices ranging as a rule from $25,000 on up, disgust turned to anger on Friday.
"These prices show a lack of respect for all Cubans. What is here are wrecks. I now have no hope of getting a car for my family," artist Cesar Perez said, looking at a 2005 Renault on sale for the equivalent of $25,000 and available outside the country on the Internet for $3,000.
A teacher looked at the price list and yelled "Are there any bicycles?" as she stomped away without giving her name.
The Cuban state maintains a monopoly on the retail sale of cars. There are 650,000 autos on the island, half of them owned by the government.
The decades-old ban on importing cars and need for state permission to purchase from the state has left nine out of 10 Cuban households without a car or other vehicle such as a motorcycle and dependent on the decrepit public transportation system.
The cost of new and used cars sold by Cubans to each other is similar to those that went on sale on Friday because of limited availability.
The government said all profits would go into a special fund to upgrade public transportation.
Diplomats, foreign businesses and select Cubans will still need government permission to import a new or used car without the huge markup.
The liberalizing of car sales was one of more than 300 reforms put forth by President Raul Castro, who took over for his ailing brother Fidel in 2008, and approved in 2011 at a congress of the Communist Party, Cuba's only legal political party.
The proposed changes put a greater emphasis on private initiative, which had been largely stifled under Cuba's Soviet-style system, and less government control over the sale and purchase of personal property such as homes and cars.
"These prices will clearly be outside the purchasing capability of the vast majority of Cubans, even with the support from relatives abroad. In essence, they represent a luxury tax imposed by the government on the nouveau riches of Cuba," John Kirk, one of Canada's leading academic experts on Latin America and author of a number of books on Cuba, said by email.
There are now tens of thousands of small private businesses in Cuba, and thousands of farm, construction, transportation and other types of cooperatives, all of which in theory should benefit from the opening up of car sales.
Bert Hoffmann, a Cuba expert at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies in Hamburg said in an email that many businesses needed vehicles, but such high prices would make it difficult for most and cut into other business activity, stalling their overall development.


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Ladies, did you know that you're starting new businesses at double the rate of men? Let's take a second to brag about how more than 200,000 ventures launched in 2012 were run by women, and about how businesswomen are kick-starting the economy; since the 2008 recession, the only businesses that have provided a net increase in employment are publicly traded corporations and privately held majority-women-owned firms. Basically, women are killing it on the entrepreneurship front.
*Glamour *celebrated all this start-up success in our first-ever Glamstarter Awards in our June 2013 issue. And last night, editor-in-chief Cindi Leive hosted a discussion with seasoned start-up queens Coco Rocha, Iman, Elizabeth Cutler, Piera Gelardi, and Dylan Lauren.
Whether your vision is to grow a candy empire (Lauren), a mega social-media following (Rocha), a fitness phenomenon (Cutler), or million[insert your own
million billion-dollar idea], here are a few nuggets from them to you re: how to succeed in business:
If you can't find it, make it.
*Elizabeth Cutler, co-founder of SoulCycle*Cutler hates to work out. Or, she did until she came up with a uniquely communal approach to spinning and transformed her vision into others' addiction. She had to be crafty about the process; when she couldn't find a space to open SoulCycle's first location in 2006, she turned to Craig's List. She admits she funded the company's early growth on her AmEx, maxing it out to the point where she couldn't even buy toilet paper. But now SoulCycle has plenty of TP—along with plans to open another 60 studios worldwide by 2015. All that was just to create a type of exercise she liked!
It's the product, stupid. Know your business.
Iman, founder and CEO of Iman Cosmetics, Skincare, and Fragrances
During her 16-year modeling career, Iman received request after request from other black models wanting to borrow her homemade foundation. "I stopped reading Vogue and started reading the Census Bureau to learn how quickly America was becoming more multicultural," she said. "You have to know your product. I became an expert at making foundation for women of color."
Read your contracts. Every word of them!
Coco Rocha, first high-fashion model to surpass a million followers on Google+, costar of The Face


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Avengers: Endgame is less than a month away, which means Disney and Marvel have been dropping more content for fans as the long-awaited release date approaches. This week, lovers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were treated to an array of new posters. The set of 32 character posters ranged from those who died in Avengers: Infinity War to those who plan to “Avenge the Fallen.” Other countries have also been releasing their posters, including an awesome one from China that reveals Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie. Eariler today, Asad Ayaz, the President of Marketing for Walt Disney Studios, shared a look some promo art for Marvel’s upcoming event in China.
Promo art released in a Chinese Event
“The Avengers arrive in Shanghai in the promo art for our Chinese Event this April,” Ayaz wrote.
— Asad Ayaz (@asadayaz) March 29, 2019
As you can see, the image shows Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Thor, Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, and Scott Lang/Ant-Man all looking out over Shanghai.
Many fans were quick to comment on the post, mostly curious why Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow was not included in the image.
“Where is Scarlett? We haven’t seen her in months. Please let her go too,” @MajorRomanoff_ replied.
“GET THE OG6 TOGETHER PLEASE,” @sackupro replied. (The original six would include Black Widow as well as Bruce Banner/The Hulk).
“It’s not just the lack of Scarlett Johansson, the bigger problem is the lack of women,” @okbanana added.
Other people, however, just appreciated the image for its artistic quality.
“So gorgeous,” @WendyUncharted wrote.
“That is one of the best pieces of promotional art I’ve seen for any movie, ever,” @ApexThief01 added.
While this certainly makes it seem like only a select few actors will be appearing at the Shanghai premiere, fans are hoping this image is not a lock on who is planning to show up.


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All unexpired drug products produced by Ameridose are voluntarily being recalled by the manufacturer. Ameridose is a company that shares the same management as New England Compounding Center (NECC), the firm associated with compound drugs linked to the ongoing meningitis outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy are conducting an investigation of the Ameridose facility as part of the ongoing fungal meningitis outbreak. No patients using Ameridose products have reported any infections.
While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary findings have raised concerns about the lack of sterility assurance for products produced at and distributed by this facility. Use of non-sterile injectable products can be serious and can lead to health risks including life threatening conditions, according to the FDA. Ameridose ceased all pharmacy and manufacturing operations on October 10, 2012 under an agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy.
Because no patients have reported any infections or complications from the use of Ameridose products, the FDA sees no need for health care professionals to follow up with patients that have received Ameridose products. Health care professionals, however, should stop using all Ameridose products at this time.
Critical Drug Shortages
Some Ameridose products currently appear on the critical drug shortage list. The FDA is working with alternative manufacturers to maintain supplies of these life-saving drugs. “The agency is taking all steps within its authority to help prevent or alleviate shortages and to minimize the impact this recall may have on drug supplies,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg.
Ameridose is notifying its customers by fax and is arranging for the return of all of its products. Ameridose has advised customers that have products under recall to examine their inventory, identify recalled products, quarantine those products, complete a form regarding the current status of the products and fax the form to 508-656-6596 or email the form to email@example.com. Hospitals, clinics and health care professionals with question can also call 1-888-820-0622.
Any adverse reactions to an Ameridose product should be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch by fax at 800-FDA-0178 or at the MedWatch website. Health care professionals and patients may dial the FDA’s Drug Information line at 855-543-3784 and press * to get the most recent information regarding this recall.


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Get ready to start hearing a whole lot more about stealthy low-power server maker SeaMicro. The under-the-radar Santa Clara, Calif.-based company, which is backed by at least $25 million from venture firms Khosla Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson, has finally unveiled its server technology that consumes a quarter of the power of a regular server but packs more than 2,000 CPU cores and costs $139,000.
Stacey over on our sister site GigaOM, who provided some of the first details about SeaMicro back in January, runs through all of the innovations behind the low power-server tech on Sunday night, including that it uses Atom chips and its own specially designed silicon to manage the networking. The bet is that Internet bigwigs like Amazon (s AMZN) and Facebook will be willing to buy servers from a new startup to save on the ever-increasing energy costs of computing.
In the world of server and chip architecture, there’s a lot of options for low power and low performance mobile chips, and incredibly speedy but more power intensive high-performance chips. Most chip makers are neglecting opportunities in the middle range. But the problem is that using high performance chips in servers for regular old web page serving is the equivalent of using a nuclear bomb to take out a car: overkill. And the excess processing power wastes a whole lot of energy.
SeaMicro’s technology re-architects server components to consist of hundreds of low-power processors and its “SM10,000 box,” unveiled this week, uses 512 x 1.6 GHz Intel x86 CPUs on a rack, which equates to 2,048 CPUs per rack. The box takes up 10 racks and consume less than 2 kilowatts of power.
In addition to the high-profile venture capitalists that see the promise of SeaMicro’s technology, the Department of Energy awarded the startup a $9.3 million grant, which was one of the largest awards allocated out of $47 million in funding for 14 data center efficiency projects. SeaMicro says it will use the DOE funds to field test the servers. Stacey says SeaMicro hasn’t announced any customers yet, but she’s hoping SeaMicro’s CTO Gary Lauterbach will drop some hints during a panel at our cloud computing event Structure 2010 next week in San Francisco.
Expect to see more innovation emerge around hardware and software to reduce the energy consumption of data centers, which are on the path to consume 3 percent of the world’s electricity. Google (s GOOG) has re-designed its servers to save energy, and Austin, Texas-based Smooth Stone is using ARM-based processors to create an energy efficient box for the data center.
For more research on green data centers check out GigaOM Pro (subscription required):


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Growing demand for streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify helped the UK home entertainment sector increase its revenues in 2013 for the first time in five years to £5.3bn, according to new figures.
Sales of video, video games and music jumped 4% year on year in the UK from £5.1bn to £5.3bn in 2013, marking the first growth in the home entertainment sector since 2008, according to figures published on Wednesday by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA).
Internet-derived sales – which includes home delivery, digital download, streaming and other access services – were up 13.9% year-on-year to £3.18bn or 60% of the total UK home entertainment market.
The fastest-growing sector across the online home entertainment market was video-on-demand subscription, including Netflix and Amazon-owned LoveFilm, which was up 120% on the year.
Music streaming services, including Spotify and Deezer, were up 34% on the year.
Sales of physical products from high street stores continued to decline, down 8% compared with 2012 and accounting for 40% of the market, or £2.12bn.
Broken down by sector, sales of video were £2.05bn, up 3.7% on the year; video games were £2.2bn, up 6.6%; and music was down 0.5% to £1.05bn, according to the ERA.
Home entertainment retailers have struggled in the face of online competition, with HMV closing 66 of its high street stores.
In contrast, TV and film streaming service Netflix grew its subscriber base in the UK and other international markets by 1.6 million in the last quarter of 2013.
The ERA director general, Kim Bayley, said: "The entertainment revolution has been driven by new and existing retailers taking huge gambles and investing in technology and new delivery mechanisms.
"This is stark evidence of the revolution in entertainment consumption being driven by entertainment retailers. The fact that 60p in the entertainment pound is now spent online and 26p in the pound is for access to content rather than ownership is a testament to the huge investment and technological ingenuity of retailers in providing consumers with new ways to enjoy the music, video and games they love."
According to the ERA Yearbook independent record shops increased their share of the physical album market from 2.4% to 4.5% in 2013. Sales of vinyl albums through independent stores last year were 368,300, compared with 75,700 in 2008.
Spencer Hickman, coordinator of Record Store Day, the event in in which independent stores club together to support music, said: "2013 was another great year for independent record shops, suggesting that contrary to earlier fears, in the age of downloads and streaming, physical formats and vinyl in particular are still as relevant as ever."
To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email firstname.lastname@example.org or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".


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The Top 500 retailer buys Campus Deals, which offers mobile coupons to college students.
KBkids.com's IPO Still On
Editor in Chief
Consolidated Stores Corp. says it remains committed to an initial public offering for toy e-retailer KBkids.com, even though the parent company has announced a respositioning drive to boost its sagging stock price.
The site is a joint venture between Consolidated Stores, which operates more than 1,300 K*B Toys stores nationwide, and BrainPlay.com, an online retailer of specialty children's products.
Consolidated Stores, which also operates Big Lots and other discount chains, says it has retained Credit Suisse First Boston to identify repositioning alternatives.


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Laphroaig has unveiled the 2018 edition of its collectable Cairdeas Scotch series: Laphroaig Cairdeas Fino Cask.
Each year, Laphroaig Distillery Manager, John Campbell, crafts a limited-edition malt to “celebrate friendship,” which is “Cairdeas” in Gaelic.
Released in limited quantities stateside as one of the most a highly anticipated Laphroaig offerings each year, the 2018 iteration, Cairdeas Fino Cask, features a double maturation of the liquid in first-fill bourbon barrels, and then finished in Fino Sherry casks.
The end result is a full-bodied, peaty whisky that’s unmistakably Laphroaig, the company says. It features notes of toasted almonds, dried fruit and sea salt, which complement the whisky’s peaty flavor.
Laphroaig Cairdeas Fino Cask is 103.6 proof (51.8% ABV). It’s available for a limited time at retail locations nationwide at a suggested retail price of $79.99 per 750-ml. bottle.


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Tata Group company Trent Ltd, which operates retail chains like Star Bazaar and Westside, on Monday announced the appointment of vice-chairman Noel Tata as chairman. Tata takes over from F.K. Kavarana, who has been chairman since 2006. Kavarana stepped down from the company’s board of directors on 30 March and Tata takes on his new role immediately, Trent said in a statement to BSE. On 21 March, Trent and British supermarket chain Tesco Plc signed an agreement to form a 50:50 joint venture for supermarket outlets.
Read the Live Mint news report here.


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CASA earnings call for the period ending June 30, 2019.
News & Analysis: Casa Systems, Inc.
Revenue and earnings fell off a cliff.
The company reported fourth-quarter results and announced a splashy acquisition.
The fourth quarter was even rougher than expected.
The company reported disappointing revenue in the second quarter and lowered full-year guidance.
The broadband networking company is losing its CFO.
After a steep decline, an analyst sees brighter days ahead.
Investors weren't impressed with first-quarter results.


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Microsoft and its partners, including JP.IK and Positivo, are launching new “Always Connected PCs” for education in conjunction with T-Mobile, which will supply the laptops with 4G LTE SIM cards.
The two Always Connected PCs will be built around undisclosed Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. Many more education devices that Microsoft and its partners plan to announce at the BETT 2020 show in London next week will be based around Intel’s Gemini Lake Refresh chips, an update to 2017’s Gemini Lake processor for low-cost PCs. Those PCs will offer up to 47 percent more performance than their predecessors, according to Intel and Microsoft.
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Top 20 clean tech companies in New England (slide show)
Coming in at No. 20 is Ambient Corp., with 99 employees in New England, and 106 total employees. Ambient designs, develops and markets Ambient Smart Grid communications technologies and equipment. The Newton, Mass.-based company, which was founded in 1998 and is publicly traded company on the Nasdaq, is led by President and CEO John Joyce.
Wondering which New England companies were at the the top of the list? So were we. What we found were 20 of the top clean tech businesses in the region. We'll start with number 20 this week and work our way up to the largest clean tech business in New England based on the number of employees.
Check back on April 12 for the next batch New England's largest clean tech businesses.
Below, search the MHT Clean Tech Directory to learn more about the clean tech companies operating in your state, city or town.
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News of Fujifilm working on a 100-megapixel camera has been around since Photokina 2018 last September. Finally, only last month, it was unveiled. The Fuji GFX 100 is Fujifilm’s latest flagship mirrorless medium format camera. The folks from Cinema5D got the opportunity to travel to Japan to see the birth of this new camera and monitor its development.
Naturally, they shot video so the rest of us could take a peek. This is just the first part of a two-part series on the making of the GFX 100. Part one deals with the design and development of the camera, while part two will see the factory where the camera is actually made.


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Domino's Pizza on Tuesday announced the launch of 20-minute deliveries across in 14 cities in India.
According to the pizza chain, the 20-minute delivery service has been launched with an aim to ensure delivery of fresher, hotter and tastier pizza without compromising the food quality and the safety and well-being of its delivery riders.
The brand had earlier pioneered 30-minutes delivery and established itself as a key player in the QSR sector.
As per the brand, the 20-minutes delivery is being driven by enhancing and optimising in-store process improvements, dynamic resource planning, technology upgradation and interventions for improved operational efficiencies and expanding stores within the vicinity.
Sameer Khetarpal, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Jubilant FoodWorks, said, "With this initiative, customers will now get hotter, fresher and tastier pizzas from 100s of Domino's stores across India. This has been made possible through a three-pronged approach using analytics, insights and technology to give customers higher service levels across multiple pin codes in India, wherein service and quality are the number one priority. In our endeavour to raise our service levels, we are clear that we will do so without compromising our riders."
Russell Weiner, Chief Executive Officer, Domino's Pizza, said that the 20-minute delivery launch is just another example of the consumer-centric approach of India.
"Elevated consumer experience through reduced delivery time is proven to deliver better customer satisfaction and lead to increased frequency across the market. This strategic move will give Domino's India an edge over the competition in the QSR domain and help the brand continue to be the market leader," Weiner added.


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KATHMANDU, March 27: A three-day ‘East Tourism Mart’ that was held in Dharan under the management of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Dharan Sub-metropolis for the promotion of tourism in the border areas of the country has concluded today.
Inaugurating the event, Province 1 Chief Minister Rajendra Kumar Rai stressed on the need to promote tourism in the province as this sector has potential to herald economic development in the region. Stating that Province 1 has a huge potential for tourism, Chief Minister Rai said that such marts will help to promote tourism in the border areas.
Chief Minister Rai also informed that the Province government is working in collaboration with various donors for the development of tourism infrastructures.
Also, speaking on the occasion, Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City Tilak Rai said that Dharan could become the gateway for tourism in Province 1. He also said that the mart was first organized in Dharan in 2018 and that this is the third edition of tourism mart in the province.
According to convener Bhawesh Kumar Shrestha of East Tourism Mart, the event was organized with a goal to promote tourism in Province 1 both at home and abroad. The event was participated by Indian tradel entrepreneurs from the border areas including Siliguri and Bihar of India.
On the second day of the event, business interaction was held between tour operators, hoteliers and tourism service providers of Nepal to promote the sale of tour packages in the region by involving the tour operators of the bordering Indian cities.


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LOCKPORT, N.Y. -- General Motors is investing $154 million in its factory in Lockport.
It will begin renovations immediately and start bringing in equipment to manufacture the stator module for electric engines to be used in future trucks and SUVs.
"The stator motor is the internal components that make an electrical motor work. It has all the magnets and the wire coils, etc, in order to cause the turning that's necessary to turn the wheels and axels," Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of Global Manufacturing, said.
GM also plans to hire roughly 230 new union employees between 2023 and 2026 at the Lockport plant to build the modules. The nearly 1,300 current UAW members who are employees will continue to make parts for the internal combustion engines for now.
"As we add other components, we will shift the work that the teams are doing today to the work that they'll have to do tomorrow," Johnson said.
GM is aiming to only make electric cars within the next 10 to 15 years. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the federal government is supporting the effort but in return he has pushed for Western New York to be one of the centers of the emerging industry.
"Electric cars are going to be the future, but the mistakes that were made in the past where we let other countries take over, where we let non-union jobs take over, should not happen," Schumer said.
The union will negotiate the wages for new employees at the international level but the company said the jobs should be good-paying.
"Across General Motors right now, an average operator can make as much as $90,000 a year and a tradesperson more than that, so that's the kind of wage scale that we've been paying here across GM," Johnson said.
The local union chapter said it's supporting the transition to electric and are confident current employees will be comfortable with the changes.
"If it's making kazoos, then we'll make kazoos. If it's putting widget A to widget B, whatever it takes to get to that point, but the future is electrification and that's where we're heading and that's what we're looking for is more investment to get more here," Michael DeLucas, UAW Local 686 president, said.
GM expects to release its first electric truck next year.