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Qiniu Information Technology, a Shanghai-based cloud storage and computer technology developer, has completed a RMB1 billion ($152 million) funding round led by Alibaba Group and Yunfeng Capital, a GP co-founded by Alibaba chairman Jack Ma.
The company plans to use the new capital to strengthen its cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) technology capabilities, Shiwei Xu, founder of Qiniu, told local media. Established...
True North has agreed to sell India-based RDC Concrete, a company it has owned since 2005, to private equity-backed online construction marketplace Infra.market.
Freshworks, one of India's leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses, traded strongly on its NASDAQ debut following a $1 billion IPO.
China-focused private equity firm FountainVest Partners has agreed to buy Ziwi, New Zealand’s leading exporter of pet food.


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Billionaire investor Ron Baron has revealed that he added more shares of Tesla (NYSE: TSLA), SpaceX, and Figs (NYSE: FIGS) recently. Baron heads Baron Capital, which he founded in 1982.
The 13F filing season had some surprises. Michael Burry of Scion Asset Management sold all the shares that the fund was holding but added a small position in GEO Group stock. Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett was also a net buyer of stocks in the quarter and among others added more Apple shares. Berkshire has also received permission to increase its stake in Occidental Petroleum to 50 percent.
Ron Baron is a Tesla bull and he has added more shares.
Baron is among the notable Tesla bulls and has added more Tesla shares. Tesla shares have rebounded from their 2022 lows and its market cap is again approaching $1 trillion. Commenting on Tesla, Baron said, “I love Tesla. We’ve been investing in Tesla for eight years now. We’ve made about 20 times our money.”
Cathie Wood is another early believer in Tesla and holds the stock in multiple ETFs including the flagship ARK Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKK). Wood forecast Tesla’s market cap rising to around $3 trillion.
Baron is no less bullish on Tesla and expects it to become the world’s largest company over the next 10 years. Currently, the title rests with Apple whose market cap surpassed $3 trillion on the first trading day of 2022 itself. While Apple stock plunged thereafter and briefly lost its position as the world’s largest company to Saudi Aramco, it has since regained the top spot.
Ron Baron added more SpaceX.
Baron revealed that over the last two months, he has invested $100 million into SpaceX, which is Elon Musk’s privately held space company. Baron made a bold prediction and said that SpaceX would eventually become bigger than Tesla. Previously, Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley, who is among the most bullish analysts on Tesla, said that Musk would become the world’s first trillionaire due to SpaceX.
SpaceX isn't publicly traded yet so retail investors can't invest in the company. However, Musk is expected to list the company in due course, which would help in the effective price discovery of the business and should add to Musk’s already humongous net worth.
Growth stocks have been under pressure due to the Fed’s rate hikes.
Baron said that he is buying growth stocks, which he sees as a hedge against inflation. His view runs contrary to the consensus view as the Fed’s rate hikes have played havoc with growth names and most of them still trade well below their recent highs. Baron also added that he is investing in companies that are growing faster than the economy. Incidentally, the U.S. economy contracted in both the first and second quarters of 2022.
Baron bought FIGS stock: Should you too?
Baron also revealed that he bought more shares of Figs, a medical apparel company. The stock rose sharply on Aug. 25 after Baron made the revelation. The stock is down sharply in 2022 and has a market cap of just under $2 billion.
Wall Street analysts also share Baron’s optimism for FIGS and it has a consensus buy rating with a median target price of $15, which implies a 26 percent upside from these levels.

domain: news


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FLORISTS PREPARE FOR BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR 2/13/2018 4:42:35 PM
Valentine's Day is the single busiest day of the year for the floral industry. Floral shops begin production of their flower arrangements close to a week in advance of February the 14th. While some do pre-order by phone or online, the vast majority of sales are made the day of.
Owner of Forest of Flowers in St. Thomas Becky Bryce says she looked at last year's Valentines Day sales in preparation for this year.
Bryce says that the day does bring with it some odd requests, like black roses.
Bryce says that roses make up the majority of their sales. It is also a very busy day for deliveries as Bryce is expecting up to 150 by the time tomorrow is over.


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Trump administration rejects its first request from an importer of oil and gas equipment to waive the new 25% tariff on steel imports. Borusan Mannesmann Pipe US sought the tariff exclusion for 135K metric tons/year of “green” steel tubing and casing it imports from Turkey and finishes at its facility in Baytown, Tex., but the U.S. Commerce Department said the imported products are made in high enough volumes in the U.S. and there were “no overriding national security concerns” to justify providing tariff exclusions.
Borusan’s waiver request covered just 4% of the 3.1M metric tons of oil country tubular goods the US imported last year, but it was closely watched for hints about how the administration might respond to tariff waiver requests from energy companies that cite national security.
Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore division cited national security in requests to waive tariffs on 18.9K tons/year of tubing and casing it says are unavailable from US manufacturers, and Hess and Marathon Oil made similar arguments in its waiver requests.
BP has said the specialty steel products it needs are not available in the US when it asked to waive tariffs on 14K tons/year of pipes, tubes and other products that it plans to use in its Mad Dog 2 project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Source : SEEKING ALPHA
Yaang Pipe Industry Co., Limited (www.yaang.com)


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China on Tuesday evening confirmed it will increase oversight on how local tech companies operate their platforms both locally and overseas through two new sets of rules.
The first set of rules, set to be enforced on February 15, is focused on cybersecurity reviews and will require local tech companies with personal information on over 1 million users to undergo a security review before being allowed to list onto overseas stock exchanges.
Announced by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the rules did not specify whether cybersecurity reviews would be required for companies that list in Hong Kong.
As part of a cybersecurity review process, the Chinese government can urge tech companies to make organisational changes to fulfil their commitments to the cybersecurity review.
The CAC said the new listing requirement was established to address the risk of key infrastructure, data, and personal information being used maliciously by foreign actors.
The new listing requirement adds another layer of uncertainty for Chinese companies looking to expand overseas, as Chinese companies like China Telecom have already received the stock exchange boot from the US. The US Securities and Exchange Commission last month also gained powers to ban foreign companies listed in the US from trading if their auditors do not comply with requests for information from American regulators.
Looking at the rest of the cybersecurity review measures, the CAC said any companies that carry out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security will also be required to undergo a cybersecurity review, although the Cyberspace Administration of China did not provide definitions on what activities would meet that threshold.
The second set of rules announced by the CAC, set to come into effect in March, target the use of algorithm recommendations by tech companies and require them to establish algorithm mechanism reviews, user registration reviews, and programs protecting minors.
All online platforms will also be required to provide users with the option to turn off or modify how they access algorithm recommendation services, as well as provide users with information on how their personal data is used in the provision of such services.
Both sets of rules follow a big year of tech crackdowns in China, when new laws came into force around data protection, online gaming for minors, gig economy rights. Along with new legislation, the Chinese government also slapped big penalties against tech giants, such as removing Didi from app stores and fining Alibaba 18.2 billion yuan.
Just prior to the new year, China's internet security regulator also suspended all of its contracts with Alibaba Cloud after one of its security engineers discovered the Log4J vulnerability and reported it to Apache. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology suspended its contracts with Alibaba Cloud as it "did not effectively support the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to carry out cyber security threats and vulnerability management", according to local media outlets.


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Rise in outdoor activity a connection back to nature that will continue into 2021: L.L. Bean CEO
Stephen Smith, L.L. Bean CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the Black Friday trends he's seeing, why he says retailers have told consumers to purchase items ahead of the surge and how people seeking outdoor activities has affected the company.
Wed, Nov 25 20201:49 PM EST


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Quilted handbags queen Vera Bradley reported a net loss of $4.1 million for the current year first quarter. Revenues from this quarter totaled $101.1 million. In the prior year first quarter, the company’s net revenues were $112.2 million.
To help steer the company back on track, Vera Bradley hired Theresa Palermo as EVP, Chief Marketing Officer. She comes from the luxury watch company and fashion brand Fossil Group. Her first day on the job will be June 22, 2015. Vera Bradley’s CEO Robert Wallstrom said: “Marketing is a key focus for Vera Bradley as we work to create excitement around our brand and introduce consumers to our myriad of new products. We are anxious for Theresa to get started.”


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June 30, 2024
World Social Media Day is celebrated globally on 30 June every year to acknowledge its impact on global communication and aware people of its pros and cons. After the creation of social media, people have been able to connect with each other whenever and however they want. It has also become the most effective means for marketers to scale up their business in the market. According to Forbes, an estimated 4.9 billion people use social media across the world in 2023.


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|"You reek of whiskey!"|
Somehow, the story got slanted by Quad Cities television station KQAD into something much more dramatic sounding: "Iowa distillery raises pigs to taste like whiskey." If you read the information from Templeton, I don't think they are claiming that exactly--just that it will be interesting to see how pigs raised on spent mash turn out. But, that didn't stop Vox from jumping into the fray with a detailed explanation of exactly why a pig fed rye mash won't taste like whiskey.
KQAD indirectly quoted Templeton co-founder Keith Kerkhoff as saying "their pork experiment has never been done before," which isn't exactly true. Down here in Charleston, for instance, the guys at the Striped Pig Distillery have been sending their spent mash to feed the heritage breed pigs at Holy City Hogs for about half a year now.
But, that's splitting hairs. The reality is that feeding hogs on spent mash is not only not a new thing in the past year or past decade, it's not even new in the past two centuries. By the early 19th century, hog raising was a common side venture for distilleries. The proprietor would purchase hogs for the express intent of fattening them on the “pot ale” from the stills. Samuel McHarry, the author of the 1809 guide The Practical Distiller, estimated that a distillery owner could purchase 50 “poor” hogs at four dollars a piece, fatten them during the year, and sell them in the fall for seven bucks each, netting a clean $150 profit for the lot.
Raising hogs remained a big part of the distilling business straight through the end of the 19th century, and it was quite common for distilleries to be surrounded by huge hog pens that let the owners squeeze a little extra value out of all that grain.
And, no, no one in the 19th century ever noted that the pork took on any specific flavor from the spent whiskey grains. There was one added bonus, though. Those hogs provided a source of much-needed entertainment for bored Kentuckians, for when the spent pot ale was thrown to them, the pigs would gorge on it and, in the words of bourbon historian Gerald Carson, “get the staggers on, and squeal with such delight as to arouse the envy of the loafers.”
So, no, what Templeton is doing is nothing new, and it certainly won't result in whiskey-flavored pigs. But, I think it's quite exciting that mash-fed pork is on its way back, and I would certainly be quite happy to give their Duroc pork a try.
No word yet if Templeton will sell tickets for folks to watch their pigs get their staggers on, but boy do I hope they do.


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Month: June 2022
Following the lifting of the Working from Home Guidance in January 2022, millions of UK employees have been heading back to the office, triggering an immediate increase in the purchase of food to go, with the market forecast to grow by 31.8% this year (£21.3 billion value).
However, whilst dining out and food to go are back to the forefront of everyone’s minds, the cost-of-living crisis (resulting from post-pandemic return to work labour shortages, post-Brexit trading rules affecting UK imports from the EU and the war in Ukraine driving up food and fuel prices) means everyone is looking for ways to make their money go further.
With this in mind, TAF’s latest Benchmark Report “Planet Lunch” (June 2022) set out to establish:
(1) WHAT options UK consumers have today when considering dining out and food to go for lunch, (2) WHICH of the UK’s market leading companies/brands offer the biggest potential savings and (3) HOW consumers rank them when it comes to food quality and taste.
The Report addresses 2 Key Insights:
- Consumer Research | Insights based on the latest market intelligence from Global Data, addressing the eight most relevant 2022 consumer megatrends and the five factors influencing food purchasing decisions.
- Lunch Benchmark | Insights based on TAF’s unique field research, conducted in February and March 2022 addressing how UK consumers are looking for ways to make their money go further.
Click the link to download a copy: TAF Planet Lunch_Benckmark Report


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German luxury car-maker Mercedes-Benz is all set to launch its new AMG SLC 43 in India on July 26. Mercedes-Benz AMG SLC 43 will replace the SLK model range in India.
The two seater convertible sports car, which made its global debut at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year, is expected to be priced at over Rs. 1 crore.
The Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 gets 3.0litre, 6 cylinder, twin turbo engine under the skin, which can pump in 362bhp at 5,500-6,000rpm and a peak torque of 520Nm at 2,000- 4,200 rpm. While the transmission in this new AMG offering will be taken care of by 9G-TRONIC automatic gearbox, SLC 43 AMG can accelerate from 0-100kmph in 4.7 seconds before attaining a top speed of 250kmph. There are options of five driving modes-economy, comfort, sport, sport+ and individual.
From a visual stand point, the soon-to-be-launched AMG SLC 43 shares more than a passing resemblance to SLK and has adopted changes both inside and outside. At the front, now the AMG SLC 43 flaunts new front grille with single chrome slat. It features new headlamps with LED daytime running lights. Though the side profile of the new AMG offering looks the same as SLK, at the rear, its bumper and tail lamps get a re-working.
It rides on 18-inch AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels and comes with features like updated instrument cluster, multifunction sports steering wheel and upholstery finished in black nappa leather.


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Multinational food and drink companies should do more to ensure the sugar in their products is not sourced on land grabbed from poor communities, according to Oxfam International. The organisation called on Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Associated British Foods, the world’s biggest producers and buyers of sugar, to publicly disclose from whom and where they source their commodities.
In Cambodia, 200 families are fighting for land from which they were evicted in 2006 to make way for a sugar plantation. The plantation has supplied Tate & Lyle Sugars, which sells sugar to franchises that manufacture and bottle products for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, according to Oxfam. Last year, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo recorded profits of $10.8 billion and $8.3 billion, respectively.


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Post Danmark has decided to sell its shares (49 percent) in Morgendistribution Danmark to 365 Media Scandinavia, who will thus become the sole owner. Last year, Post Danmark committed itself to establishing Morgendistribution Danmark due to the opening of an entirely new market for household distribution of free newspapers, etc. early in the morning.
Post Danmark has now concluded that its expectations for this market cannot be fulfilled. This is because, among other things, the restrictions that the competition authorities have put into their approval of the co-operation make Post Danmark a passive investor.
Post Danmark estimates it has lost approximately DKK 10 million as a result of its involvement in Morgendistribution Danmark.


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Not that Apple Inc. needs the help, but the latest data from JPMorgan analysts shows their already bullish assumptions for iPhone and iPad sales were not bullish enough, bumping sales and earnings higher.
Mark Moskowitz, IT hardware analyst with JPMorgan, has raised his price target on Apple to US$715 from US$625 (he was already overweight on the stock) on the new estimates.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“Our research indicates that the iPhone and iPad shipment activity in the supply chain implies major upside potential to our previous estimates,” he said. “We are not trying to inflate expectations.”Mr. Moskowitz has revised his estimate on iPhone unit shipments to 31.1 million from 28.1 million previously, bumping the 2012 estimate to 138.2 million from 128.7 million.
His new forecast for iPad shipments is 13.8 million in the quarter, compared with 10.1 million, and 69.6 million on the year versus 58.6 million previously.


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Employees at Tesco are this month reaping the rewards of the company’s Save As You Earn share scheme.
More than 55,000 members of staff, who have saved between £5 and £50 a month for the past five and three years, are sharing a £144.4m payout with returns of 100% and 44% for each scheme respectively.
Over 9,000 top savers – who have contributed the maximum £50 every month for the past five years, a total of £3,000 each – will receive more than £6,000.
“Tesco’s Save As You Earn scheme has really delivered for thousands of employees this year,” said retail director David Potts.
“With reports suggesting that 2010 could be another year of stretching personal budgets for many people, today’s returns will be a very welcome boost to income and are well deserved for the continued dedication and hard work of our colleagues.”
Tesco bids adieu to two fresh category directors (30 January 2010)
Tesco adds sexuality question to survey (23 January 2010)
Tesco gets to the root of loo breaks... (19 December 2009)


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Pearl Abyss has released a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming MMORPG - that may also come to PS4 and Xbox One - Black Desert Online.
Well having in consideration that this is an official gameplay trailer there is some issues with pop up and fps, and usually the official trailers tends to show only the good, make worry how will the actual gameplay, the combat looks good and fun
I think this game has a lot of potential. I think it would play well with a controller judging by the gameplay as well.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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The Bank of Ghana says it will continue to strengthen the supportive structures, including the provision of strong regulatory and prudential oversight to ensure that the payment system is safe, efficient, competitive, and supportive of innovation.
Inaugurating an eight-member Payment Systems Advisory Committee in Accra on Thursday, 5 March 2020, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison said “Importantly, the Government’s quest to formalise the economy through digitisation places the payment system at the core of the national development agenda. Indeed, the payment system has become the central focus for delivering several digital products including pension, insurance, credit, investments, and savings.”
Continuing, he said “As we all know, payment systems are essential components of a modern economy. It is imperative therefore, that stakeholders must plan, design, and implement payment systems reforms in a holistic manner.”
He added: “Over the past two decades, Ghana’s payment system infrastructure has recorded rapid transformation supported by digitisation.
“To recap, the evolution of the payment system started with the establishment of the Real Time Gross Settlement System, the Automated Clearing House, Cheque Codeline Clearing and Truncation System, the National Switch (E-zwich) and Smartcard Projects. All these culminated in the establishment of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) with a mandate to oversee all interbank payment and processing activities.”
He emphasised that the implementation of the mobile money interoperability system was another significant achievement within Ghana’s payment ecosystem, adding that the interconnections have laid the foundation for the efficient delivery of digital financial services and the scaling up of financial inclusion.
The Payment Systems Advisory Committee under the Chairmanship of the Governor, as stated under Section 4(2) of Act 987, is required to advise the Bank on regulation and oversight of the payment systems, operational and technical stands of the payment systems, and any other matters affecting payment services clearing and settlement of payments.
The members are the Governor/ or His alternative; Sampson Akligoh, Ministry of Finance; Archie Hesse, CDEO of GhIPPS; Evelyn Essien, Securities and Exchange Commission; Ken Ashigbey, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications; Samuel Sarpong, Ghana Association of Bankers; Kwaku Kyei Ofori, National Information Technology Agency and Charles Atuahene of Association of Ghana Industries


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Docklands business recognised
Long-term Docklanders Emilia Rossi and Socrates Mechanicos’ young business was recognised at the Business 3000+ Awards on May 25.
Their online wedding marketplace business, Capriess, won the New Business category.
Ms Rossi and Mr Mechanicos started Capriess at their Docklands apartment more than two years ago. They wanted to provide a platform for people to buy and sell pre-loved wedding items, such as wedding dresses, rings, accessories and decorations.
Both coming from digital backgrounds, the husband and wife quickly became business partners and built the early version of their website together based on lean resources.
Two years on, Capriess has evolved into a well-designed creative digital marketplace populated by people wanting to recycle their wedding items all around Australia.
Business 3000+ Awards recognises and celebrates independent businesses located within the City of Melbourne. The New Business category is open to businesses that have been operating for less than three years and are proving to be a success.
“It has been such a humbling experience to win an award at the Business 3000+ Awards,” Ms Rossi said.
“It can boost our business networking and it’s fantastic to leverage the networking opportunity to form strategic partnerships. We only can go up from here.”
Being a digital specialist who “lives in the online space”, Ms Rossi also runs a lifestyle blog. Mr Mechanicos works full-time as a SEO specialist at a large digital company.
“I don’t see it as much of a juggle. It’s very pleasurable to be able to run a business and not be stuck in one location,” Ms Rossi said. “I can take the business with me while I’m travelling.”
As featured in the Docklander column in the April Docklands News, Ms Rossi is passionate about the local Docklands community and takes pride in working and living here.
“Because I live locally, I have built good connections around the Docklands and CBD areas. I often go down to the cafe to work on the business and blog,” she said.
Ms Rossi also said the best features of digital-based businesses were that they could operate on very few resources and could be modified, based on data.


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November 14, 2012 —
BETHLEHEM, PA — When disaster hits, people generally leap up to help. Hurricane Sandy was not an exception. But help is most effective when it is coordinated. So here’s what the American Red Cross thinks is helpful:
The best way to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy is to make financial donations. You can do so by visiting www.redcross.org , or by calling 1/800-RED CROSS or texting the words RED CROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. People can also send contributions to their local American Red Cross chapter or the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
The agency says it dedicates 91 cents of every dollar to support disaster victims and any amount is helpful. For example, $3 can provide a comfort kit containing personal hygiene items for someone in a disaster, $6 can cover the cost of a blanket and $10 the cost of a hot meal. A $50 donation can cover food and shelter for a day, including three meals, blankets, comfort kits and the Red Cross expense of mobilizing them in the disaster area. For $150, a donation can cover the cost of providing food and shelter to a family of four for a day they spend in the shelter.
Anyone wishing to hold a fundraiser for the Red Cross should contact their local Red Cross to advise their fundraising personnel of any such events so that they can be sure that people have the materials they will need to conduct the fundraiser.
Financial donations are the quickest and the best way to help people who need it most. The agency is not equipped to handle a large influx of household items, clothing or food that may or may not be useful to victims. It takes time and money to sort, process, transport and distribute donated items, whereas financial donations can be accessed quickly and put to use right away.
However, if you wish to donate food items, the Red Cross recommends contacting your local food bank. To donate clothing or household items, the agency suggests visiting www.nvoad.org  for a list of organizations that accept these types of donations.
Anyone wishing to be a Red Cross volunteer should visit www.redcross.org  and click on “Ways to Help” to complete an online application, or simply call your local Red Cross unit.


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Following a CES 2019 teaser, HTC has revealed the Vive Cosmos, the company’s latest PC-powered VR headset. It’s quite the step away from the HTC Vive and VIve Pro, offering an experience akin to that of the popular Oculus Rift S – although at almost double the price.
We’ve got everything you need to know about the Vive Cosmos right here, including the release date, pricing details and all the new features on offer. For more on HTC’s latest headset, take a look at our full
Vive Cosmos review.
When will the Vive Cosmos be released?
While the Vive Cosmos was initially revealed back at CES 2019 in January, it wasn’t until September 2019 that the company announced release date details for the upcoming headset. The Vive Cosmos is due to be released on 3 October 2019 in the UK, Europe and US.
How much will the Vive Cosmos cost?
The Vive ecosystem isn’t exactly famous for being budget-friendly – if anything, it’s the opposite – and that theme looks to continue with the Vive Cosmos. The headset is set to retail for £699/$699, which is admittedly cheaper than the first-gen HTC Vive when that was released in 2016, but it’s almost double the cost of the upgraded Oculus Rift S. It’s also competing with HTC’s pro-level Vive Pro headset, currently retailing for around £749 in the UK, although you don’t get trackers or controllers at that price (incredibly).
Those interested in buying the Vive Cosmos can do so via the
Vive website, with pre-orders due to kick off today, 12 September 2019. We’re confident that other retailers will stock the headset closer to launch, so check back soon for more buying options and deals.
What does the Vive Cosmos offer?
So, what is the Vive Cosmos and why is it different from the HTC Vive? The headset is described as offering an “easy setup” and will provide “absolute comfort” both at home and on-the-go.
How does HTC plan to offer this?
It’s simple; much like the Oculus Rift S, the Vive Cosmos and accompanying handheld controllers don’t require external sensors for 6DOF tracking. As well as providing a speedy setup, the inside-out tracking should make it accessible to more people – not just dedicated VR gamers who don’t mind installing wall-mounted base stations.
The Vive Cosmos will connect to PC initially, but HTC has suggested that you may be able to link the Cosmos with a smartphone in future. This was further reinforced by a pre-release teaser video that shows the headset next to a smartphone and the accompanying press release, which states that the Cosmos will have “the capability to be powered by more than a traditional gaming PC”. Interestingly, this wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the official press release, so we’ve reached out to HTC for clarification.
The display is another area that has had a serious upgrade when compared to the standard HTC Vive. The Vive Cosmos features a 2880 x 1700 combined resolution across two LCD panels, which is an 88 percent increase compared to the original Vive, providing crisp graphics and easily-readable text – one of the big issues with early VR headsets. Vive also claims that there’s less distance between the pixels, reducing SDE, but that’s something we’ll confirm for ourselves once we go eyes-on.
The Vive Cosmos also boasts a generally improved headset design, including features like a flip-up HMD that lets you see the real world without having to remove the headset, and the handheld controllers have had an upgrade too. Gone is the fiddly touchpad, replaced by a joystick and accompanying buttons that look a little more like
Oculus’ Touch controllers.
The Vive Cosmos also supports modular upgrades which Vive claims should keep the headset compatible for years to come. The first of these mods is the Vive Cosmos External Tracking Mod, due in Q1 2020, which allows Vive users to use their existing base stations with the headset – although that doesn’t give us much confidence in the inside-out tracking that the Cosmos offers.
“Since Vive began our VR journey, we’ve continued to refine and improve on what a premium VR experience can and should be,” said Graham Wheeler, GM Vive Europe. “Cosmos offers an unmatched experience and is also our most versatile headset yet—with, inside-out tracking, options in the future for different faceplates, unlimited content in the box, and the new user interface, we see limitless possibilities for XR customers.”
Vive Cosmos Specs
- Resolution: 1440 x 1700 pixels per eye (2880 x 1700 pixels combined)
- Screen: Dual 3.4″ LCD diagonal
- Refresh rate: 90Hz
- Field of view: 110-degrees
- Audio: Built-in stereo headphones
- Required PC connectivity: USB 3.0, DisplayPort™ 1.2
- Peripheral Ports: USB-C 3.0, proprietary connection to mods
- Tracking: no minimum space requirements for standing/seated, minimum 2m x 1.5m for room-scale mode
- Module Faceplates: Vive Motion Mod (Ships with Cosmos) and Vive Cosmos External Tracking Mod (Coming Q1 2020)
- Vive Wireless Adapter support: Yes, sold separately with attach kit. Available PCIe slot required.


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Gay occasion press house-broken heap auction in OctoberKBK infographics
The motor vehicle transaction in Bharat surged 21.80% in favour of the thirty days of Oct, alleged the Intercourse of Asian Auto Manufacturers (SIAM).
Automakers advertise 1,94,158 units of cars in Bharat hindmost moon, up from 1,59,408 units in Oct 2014, according to SIAM materials. The bicycle retailing besides attestanted a caper to 10,65,856 units from 10,08,761 units up to date class, transmission a development of 5.66%. The advert vehicles too posted an wax to 58,596 units in Oct.
The home motorcar superstore gawkered a superb festal ready auction as the chief players in the nation posted stout performances. In Oct, Maruti Suzuki, the native land’s principal automaker had posted 29.1% expand in its complete sale at 1,34,209 units as against 1,03,973 units in the identical four weeks aftermost gathering.
Hyundai Bharat further register a extension of 23.7% in Oct with a purchase of 47,015 units. The automobile league 1 Honda, Writer and Mahindra as well as posted a rise in garage sale in support of the moon of Oct. Patch the trade of President enlarged via 57%, Honda and Mahindra corroboratored a enlargement of 67% and 20% severally.


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‘Strategic Narrative Marketing’ elevates company positioning and messaging to help B2B organizations become category winners through their industry narrative BOULDER, Colo., June 12, 2019 — Catapult PR-IR (www.catapultpr-ir.com), a high-tech public relations and Strategic Narrative Marketing agency, today released the four elements for building a strategic narrative focused on industry megatrends, insights, vision and category definition. The four elements help companies discover their narrative for the industry so they can tell a story that is
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May 01, 2013
Best-selling author, speaker and business strategist, Hazel Walker, announced the launch of her new website today at www.hazelwalker.com. The bold new design is a reflection of her dynamic, energetic style.
Apr 25, 2013
Sylver Consulting and Mozilla team up to share key learnings of their collaborative work together in Brazil and Colombia surrounding mobile technology and emerging markets.
Apr 10, 2013
Brianna Sylver, president of Sylver Consulting, announced today the release of the first video in a three-part series focused on the middle class consumer in Brazil.
Mar 10, 2013
Indy Metro Woman Magazine, local resource guide dedicated to providing resources to enhancing women’s lives in the greater Indianapolis and surrounding areas announced today the launch of their new and improved website.
Mar 04, 2013
Backstories Studios can take even the most complicated insights and deliver them in such a way that they inspire and engage.
Feb 22, 2013
Sylver Consulting, the international innovation research and strategy firm, will be in good company on the first Saturday in March, as it convenes with industry leaders & entrepreneurs interested in the evolving business landscape in Latin America.
Feb 03, 2013
Pat Altvater, creator of IndyBiz TV Shows announced the 1st Annual Viddy Awards Reception and Ceremony to celebrate 2013 Entrepreneur’s Week. The event will be held at the Holiday Inn North in Indianapolis on February 20, 2013.
Nov 29, 2012
Blissology founder and creator, Deanna Morae, announced today that she is set to help many couples get more enjoyment and less stress this holiday season through her powerful, exclusive technique.
Nov 07, 2012
Brianna Sylver, president of Chicago-based design research firm, Sylver Consulting, announced today the addition of Design Researcher, Matthew Yapchain, to the team.
Oct 23, 2012
Sylver Consulting’s president, Brianna Sylver, unveiled the company’s new logo and new web site today.


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Fremont, Calif. – Logitech today introduced its
Notebook Kit MK605, which bundles a wireless keyboard, wireless mouse and
The keyboard, Logitech’s previously announced wireless K340, has
a space-saving design and ergonomics that help shift a user’s hands and wrists
toward a more neutral position, the company said. Logitech claimed up to three
years of battery life from two AA batteries.
The pivoting riser elevates any notebook up to 15.6 inches to one
of three angles.
The mouse, the previously announced laser wireless M505, has an
ergonomically designed shape and rubber grip for comfort.
The Unifying receiver links both the keyboard and mouse and up to
four other of the company’s Unifying-compatible devices.
The bundle will ship in November for a suggested retail of


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Facebook’s net income and revenue grew in the first quarter of the year, helped by an increase in mobile ad revenue, a sign that Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is making headway in a drive to make more money from mobile ads.
But the social network’s rising spending restrained profit growth. Facebook said Wednesday that its net income was $219 million, or 9 cents per share, in the January-March period. That’s up from $205 million, or 9 cents per share, in the same period a year ago when the company was still private.
Revenue grew 38 percent to $1.46 billion from $1.06 billion in the year-ago period, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $1.44 billion.
Excluding special items, mainly related to stock compensation expenses, Facebook earned 12 cents per share, matching the average of analyst expectations, according to FactSet.
During the first quarter, mobile made up about 30 percent of its total advertising revenue, amounting to $375 million — expanding from 23 percent during the fourth quarter.
Investors had been worried about Facebook’s ability to grow mobile revenue since before its initial public offering nearly a year ago. The number of people who access Facebook on smartphones and tablet computers is growing quickly, but Facebook didn’t begin showing ads to mobile users until last year.
The number of monthly active users on Facebook rose 23 percent to 1.11 billion from a year earlier, the company said in the statement. Mobile users grew 54 percent to 751 million, making up 68 percent of the total.
The number of Instagram users jumped to 100 million, from less than 10 million a year earlier when Facebook acquired the photo-sharing service, making the application a potential source of future growth.
Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said the results are likely to quiet skeptics who doubted Facebook’s ability to mine its growing mobile traffic for revenue. He was particularly impressed by the 23 percent increase in Facebook’s mobile ad revenue, even though the company’s overall ad revenue for the period dipped 6 percent from the final three months of last year.
“Their mobile business is probably bigger than any mobile business on the planet other than the (wireless telecommunications) carriers and Google,” Pachter said.
The Menlo Park-based company has rolled out a string of big product launches and revamps in recent months, including an overhaul of its newsfeed and search feature, as well an app for Android smartphones that puts Facebook features front and center on phone homescreens.
The various initiatives have contributed to rising spending, with Facebook’s 60 percent year-on-year increase in costs and expenses outpacing the 38 percent revenue increase.
Research firm eMarketer says Facebook’s share of the U.S. online advertising market is growing. This year, the company is expected to take a 6.5 percent share of U.S. online ad spending, up from 5.9 percent in 2012. Still, that figure is far behind Google Inc.’s 41.6 percent.
On the mobile front, eMarketer expects Facebook to take a 13.2 percent share of U.S. ad revenue, up from 9.5 percent in 2012, the first year it made any money from mobile ads. Though Facebook is No. 2, it is far behind Google in U.S. mobile advertising. EMarketer expects the online search leader to take a 54.7 percent share of U.S. mobile advertising revenue this year.
The shares declined 1.2 percent to $27.43 at the close Wednesday in New York, leaving them down 28 percent since the company’s initial public offering a year ago. They were little changed in extended trading, following the release of results after the markets closed.
Bloomberg News & Reuters contributed to this report.


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A new newspaper will debut today in Lodi — Sentinel Saver. This is our new “shopper,” and is the successor to the Sentinel Express. If you’ve never read Sentinel Express, it’s probably because you subscribe to the Lodi News-Sentinel.
The Express was a free newspaper delivered once a week to homes and businesses that don’t have a News-Sentinel subscription. The Sentinel Saver is similar, except it will be delivered on Fridays and go almost exclusively to residents who request delivery.
Shoppers are a time-honored product designed to work together with a paid newspaper to maximize reach. A combination buy of the Lodi News-Sentinel and the Sentinel Saver gives local businesses a way to reach nearly every Lodi household.
Some people see shoppers as a nuisance. Many copies of the Express were neglected, lying kicked aside in the sun and the rain or piling up in mailboxes and trash cans. But last year we conducted a poll, and were pleased to learn that more than half of Express copies are picked up and read.
So I brought our management team together at the end of 2013 and challenged them: How do we deliver advertising value and a bit of local news without making a nuisance of ourselves? We came up with Sentinel Saver, a free newspaper for families who request a copy.
For the next two weeks, we will be giving every non-subscriber a sample of the Sentinel Saver. After that, we will scale back the sampling.
We changed the publishing day from Wednesdays — the old, traditional shopping day for housewives — to Friday. These days, everybody works, everybody shops, and people mostly shop on the weekends. We hope to soon attract into Sentinel Saver many of the ad supplements that run in the weekend edition.
It all adds up to a great deal for advertisers — lots more bang for a few more bucks.
We hope those who don’t read the News-Sentinel will “opt-in” for Sentinel Saver.
This is a shopper that abides by your rule: If you tell us you don’t want it, we won’t deliver it. Inside every edition will be a story telling you how to stop (or start) delivery of the Sentinel Saver.
Whether you own a business or love to read about your community, we would be pleased if you’d give Sentinel Saver your consideration.


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Now you can play the same crossword puzzles published daily in The New York Times (NYT) on your BlackBerry.
With NYT Crosswords Daily, you can play the same puzzles that are published in the NYT. Subscribers get the daily NYT crossword puzzles as well as other features including live leader boards for solving times. Also includes access to over 4,000 archived puzzles, up to 30 classic puzzles and the latest news headlines from NYTimes.com.
NYT Crosswords Daily is a subscription product. You will be charged US$ 2.99 per month to have access to daily puzzles from The New York Times.
Tags: Crossword | NYT | BlackBerry


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Complaints of online economic crime increase
Suspected cases of online crime rose to a record high in Switzerland last year, new figures show. What’s more, for the first time more cases were reported for economic crimes than for illegal pornography, according to the police unit in charge.
The Swiss Coordination Unit for Cybercrime Control (CYCO) at the Federal Office of Police received a total of 8,241 online complaints from the public in 2012 concerning suspicious internet content. This represents an increase of 55 per cent over the previous year.
The online complaints related to a variety of topics. More than 80 per cent (6,639) concerned criminally relevant matters. The offences reported primarily concerned child pornography, fraud, phishing, spam or damage to data.
In the past few years, the number of complaints concerning property offences has been steadily rising. For the first time since it began its work, CYCO received more complaints concerning this category (3,260 reports) than concerning sexual offences (3,083 reports).
Property offences were headed by the subcategory fraud, with a total of 1,770 complaints. Most of the complaints in this subcategory related to fraudulent offers in classified advertisements or via online auction platforms, where victims had been tricked into making advance payments for goods or services that they ultimately never received.
Eight per cent of the reports submitted to CYCO in 2012 concerned phishing attacks –attempts to access sensitive data by means of emails or telephone calls. The data sought included credit card numbers, bank account numbers, access data to email accounts and e-banking information.
The proportion of complaints concerning sexual offences was again slightly higher in 2012 than in 2011.
Most of the complaints in this category concerned the distribution of child pornography via websites registered outside Switzerland. CYCO reported the incriminating websites to the competent – mostly foreign – prosecuting authorities with a request to delete the appropriate Web pages.
CYCO also received more than 300 complaints concerning pornographic websites that were insufficiently protected against access by minors.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
Contributions under this article have been turned off. You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at email@example.com.


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Former Chancellor Lord Lamont calls for interest rate hike as inflation rises 3%
Former Chancellor Lord Lamont called for a hike in interest rates and changes to the Bank of England’s quantitative easing policy to mitigate inflation risks.
The former Tory MP for Kingston-upon Thames warned that inflation had risen by 3% in the UK and that this was “well above the targets set by central banks”.
He also estimated that around Â£ 40 billion is spent per year just to “pay interest on the public debt”.
The Bank of England has predicted that inflation will exceed four percent by the end of the year, as its monetary policy committee keeps interest rates at 0.1 percent.
Speaking this morning, Lord Lamont told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “I would personally be in favor of a (hike) interest rate now, but the Bank of England should also consider ending , reduce, its quantitative easing. “
His comments were certain amid growing signs of soaring inflation in the UK, with soaring energy prices, the recent fuel shortage resulting in soaring costs on forecourt and more general price hikes in the UK. economy.
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey showed that 10% of businesses said they had increased the price of goods and services in early September, up from 8% in mid-August and 4% at the end of December.
Former Chancellor Lord Lamont (pictured above), 79, warned that inflation had risen by 3% in the UK and that this was “well above targets set by central banks”.
It comes amid growing signs of runaway inflation in the UK, with soaring energy prices, the recent fuel shortage causing costs to skyrocket on forecourt and prices more generally rising.
Lord Lamont, 79, said: “Today there are signs of rising inflation, not just in the UK it is three percent, in the US it is five percent and is expected to increase, in the euro zone it is three percent.
âThese inflation rates are well above the targets set by central banks.
“The danger is that inflation will take hold, lead to wage demands, wage demands in the public sector, and become extremely difficult to reverse, and the more you leave it in terms of rising rates. interest, the more interest rates may have to rise, the faster they may have to rise.
âCentral bankers, and not just the Bank of England, believe current inflation is transitory. I can understand why they think it is transient, but there is a risk that it will become embedded.
He added: âThe Bank of England, like other central banks around the world, bought its own debt, so the government kind of funded itself.
“This carries a risk of inflation in the eyes of many people, it also carries a risk of loss of credibility as it might appear that the bank is financing government spending rather than just keeping interest rates low and smoothing out markets. “
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sought this week to downplay the prospect that rising inflation could reverse wage increases as he places his long-term hopes on the shift to a high-wage, highly-skilled economy after the Brexit.
But business leaders have been among those who have warned that raising wages without increasing productivity levels could lead to inflation and lead to higher costs for consumers.
The ex-chancellor continued: “There is a fear that the Bank of England, and I am not saying that I agree with it, but some people are concerned that the Bank of England is under pressure not to increase. interest rates because that could be very difficult for the government.
âThe maturity period of government debts has shortened, there is a lot of debt linked to inflation, which means that when inflation rises, the interest that the government has to pay is higher and higher. We spend something like Â£ 40 billion a year just to pay the interest on the public debt.
The former Tory MP for Kingston-upon Thames said: ‘Some people are worried that the Bank of England will be pressured not to raise interest rates because it could be very difficult for the government’ (photo by Bank of England archive)
Lord Lamont also warned that the government’s policy of calling for an increase in wages could lead if the boost was not accompanied by an increase in productivity.
He said: âWages that increase due to increased productivityâ¦ are a good thing.
“Merely raising wages on their own, calling for them to rise, will not increase productivity per se and could turn inflationary.”
Businesses are increasingly passing costs on to consumers as the supply chain crisis wreaks havoc on the economy, with official figures showing that one in 10 businesses has raised prices.
The ONS said its latest business survey showed that almost a third (29) of businesses saw an above-normal increase in the cost of materials, goods and services – construction companies, service companies and manufacturing being the most affected.
The data showed that of these almost a quarter (23%) were retailers in the wholesale and consumer sectors and 25% in the manufacturing industry.
This follows wholesale gas prices soaring to an all-time high on Wednesday, although they fell after Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country would stabilize the market.
Soaring wholesale gas prices have already forced many small UK suppliers to close their doors
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey showed 10% of businesses said they raised the price of goods and services in early September (file photo)
Sectors ranging from retail cars and production of high-end fashionable toilet paper have warned of the price hikes.
In the retail industry, Next and Hotel Chocolat recently said they were increasing their prices in the face of cost pressure.
The ONS survey also showed that companies are struggling to fill vacant positions as staff shortages add to pricing issues.
It found that 41 percent of companies with 10 or more employees said vacancies were more difficult to fill last month compared to normal expectations for this time of year.
Of all the companies struggling to recruit, 18% said there had been a reduced number of European applicants.
More than half (53%) said this was due to the lack of qualified candidates for the positions offered.


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I’m really not sure why the Conference Board even bothered with the latest reading on consumer confidence. I mean really, all you needed was the tweet shown above to know how the nation is feeling, right?
In fact, why don’t we just eschew the data altogether and collectively tune in to the new president’s Twitter feed at prespecified times? Trump could then just wet his finger, stick it in the air, and tell us which way he thinks the proverbial wind is blowing.
Well despite Trump’s early read on the nation’s mood, some folks still wanted confirmation from the actual numbers and wouldn’t you know it, the American consumer is confident as hell. U.S. December consumer confidence rose to 113.7 easily besting consensus expectations.
To put this in context, we’re now sitting at the highest levels we’ve seen since 2001.
Here’s Barclays with the wrap:
The Conference Board’s index of consumer confidence rose to 113.7 in December (previous 107.1), extending the previous month’s gains. Although we were expecting confidence to improve further this month, the outturn was significantly higher than expectations (Barclays/consensus: 108.5). Consumer confidence reached a fresh post-recession high, driven by a significant rise in consumer expectations (105.5, previous: 94.4; Figure 1). The present situation index, though, declined in December (126.1, previous: 132.0). The labor market differential, which measures the net share of consumers that saw employment as plentiful, eased lower to 4.4 (previous: 6.6), but it remains higher than the long-term average. On the whole, today’s report suggests that household confidence remains on a strong footing, and we view this as constructive for consumer spending in Q4.
Before you get too excited, remember that the consumer confidence/economic policy uncertainty relationship looks to be out of sync with historical precedent:
Finally, here’s PIMCO with a gentle warning:
In our view, it’s too early to say with conviction how post-election animal spirits will evolve. However, based on equity and bond market moves since the election, we wonder if market participants – like business and consumer survey respondents – may be too focused on Trump’s pro-growth policies and not focused enough on the more controversial aspects of his agenda.
Umm, yeah. I’d say that’s an understatement. In fact, given their tone, you almost wonder if PIMCO is being patronizing on purpose on the assumption that anyone silly enough to believe these numbers are in any way a reflection of global political risk simply won’t get that the joke’s on them.
According to the Conference Board’s website, anyone with “questions” (so I guess that counts anyone who wants to call bullsh*t) can contact Carol:
Carol Courter at +1 212 339 0232 email@example.com
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had increased considerably in November, posted another gain in December. The Index now stands at 113.7 (1985=100), up from 109.4 in November. The Expectations Index increased sharply from 94.4 to 105.5, but the Present Situation Index decreased from 132.0 last month to 126.1.
The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was December 15.
“Consumer Confidence improved further in December, due solely to increasing Expectations which hit a 13-year high (Dec. 2003, 107.4),” said Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The post-election surge in optimism for the economy, jobs and income prospects, as well as for stock prices which reached a 13-year high, was most pronounced among older consumers. Consumers’ assessment of current conditions, which declined, still suggests that economic growth continued through the final months of 2016. Looking ahead to 2017, consumers’ continued optimism will depend on whether or not their expectations are realized.”
Consumers’ assessment of current conditions declined in December. Those saying business conditions are “good” decreased slightly from 29.7 percent to 29.2 percent, while those saying business conditions are “bad” increased from 15.2 percent to 17.3 percent. Consumers’ appraisal of the labor market was less positive than last month. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” declined from 27.8 percent to 26.9 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” increased from 21.2 percent to 22.5 percent.
Consumers’ short-term outlook improved considerably in December. Those expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased from 16.4 percent to 23.6 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen declined from 9.9 percent to 8.7 percent.
Consumers’ outlook for the labor market also improved markedly. The proportion expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased from 16.1 to 21.0 percent. However, those anticipating fewer jobs also increased, from 13.5 percent to 14.0 percent. The percentage of consumers expecting their incomes to increase rose from 17.4 percent to 21.0 percent, while the proportion expecting a decrease fell moderately, from 9.2 percent to 8.6 percent.


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Canadian fiscal heartthrob Mark Carney is set to face awkward questions from the British Parliament after the embarrassing revelation that his Bank of England is secretly planning for Britain's exit from the European Union.
Consumer prices in the Calgary region and across Alberta were on the rise in April, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency reported Friday that the Consumer Price Index in the province was up 0.7 per cent from a year ago, while it rose by 0.8 per cent in the Calgary area. Todd Hirsch, chief […]
Retail sales in Alberta rose for a second consecutive month in March, despite the sluggish economy, suggesting consumer confidence may be rebounding. Statistics Canada reported provincial sales increased 1.1 per cent in March, to $6.4 billion, with modest gains observed across most store types. On a year-over-year basis, sales in the province were down by 1.7 per cent. […]
(Bloomberg) — Canada’s economic recovery trails that of the U.S. due partly to the decline of exporters in the country, Royal Bank of Canada Chief Executive Officer David McKay said. “We lost over 7,000 export-oriented companies since 2008 on the stronger dollar, hundreds of thousands of employees,” McKay said Thursday at Bloomberg’s Canada Economic Summit […]
In a famous explanation of why voters choose the governments they do, a 1990s-era adviser to Bill Clinton remarked, “It’s the economy, stupid.” That’s not wholly accurate; voters toss parties out (and vote parties in) on matters other than unemployment rates and incomes. The recent Alberta election is only the most obvious example. Nonetheless, economic […]
Lower oilfield activity in Canada and the United States sliced deeply into first-quarter revenue and income at Ensign Energy Services Inc. but not as deeply as financial analysts feared. The Calgary-based driller, which chopped executive and director pay and reduced capital spending in January, reported revenue fell 28 per cent to $449 million in the […]
The impact of lower oil prices was fully evident in first-quarter earnings that began to roll out this week, along with the fact Canada’s economic growth continued to shrink in February, with oil and gas activity falling 26 per cent in the first two months of 2015. It’s not difficult to understand a 45 per cent drop in cash flow, […]
Alberta wages grew more on a year-over-year basis in February than the national average. Statistics Canada reported Thursday that average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees in Alberta rose 3.3 per cent year-over-year to $1,167.20 — the highest level of all provinces. However, on a month-over-month basis, earnings fell by 0.1 per cent in the […]
Small business confidence levels in Alberta are sinking along with oil prices, says Bank of Montreal. Its semi-annual Small Business Confidence Report, released Wednesday, found 48 per cent of Alberta small business owners asked (versus 26 per cent nationally) believe 2015 will be worse for business. Thirty per cent said it would be better, compared […]
The underground economy in Alberta was worth an estimated $4.8 billion, or 1.5 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product, in 2012, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. Across Canada, total underground activity was $42.2 billion, or 2.3 per cent of GDP, it said. The underground economy is defined as legal and illegal market activities that aren’t […]
Alberta led all provinces in real gross domestic product growth last year at 4.4 per cent, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. Nationally, GDP rose 2.4 per cent in 2014, up from 2.1 per cent the year before, it said. Robert Kavcic, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets, said 2014 marked five consecutive years above the four per cent mark […]
Falling oil prices have put a dent in Albertans’ spending habits, says Moneris Solutions Corporation. The processor of debit and credit payments said consumer spending growth was below average in the first quarter of 2015 after leading the country for several months. First-quarter spending nationally was up 5.8 per cent year-over-year, according to Moneris. The increase in Alberta was 3.9 per […]
Consumer prices in the Calgary region and throughout Alberta dropped in March while they rose in the rest of the country, says Statistics Canada.
Retail sales in Alberta rebounded in February after four straight months of declines, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency reported Friday that sales in the province rose by 1.5 per cent from the previous month to $6.4 billion. However, sales were down by 1.4 per cent compared with a year ago. “After a few […]
A new poll shows the Progressive Conservatives continuing to drop in support and trailing the other parties over their handling of key issues facing Albertans such as health care, taxes and education.
With an unexpected interest-rate cut and sometimes shifting takes on the economic outlook, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz has injected something rarely seen in Canadian markets: volatility.
The plunge in oil prices will slow economic growth to a crawl in 2015, the Alberta government said Thursday in tabling a budget that forecast rising unemployment, slowing retail spending and a lengthy recovery for crude. “Low energy prices will result in a significant reduction in business investment and incomes in the province, especially corporate profits […]
For the second straight month, Alberta entrepreneurs had the lowest level of optimism in the country when it comes to the economy and hiring plans are at their weakest level in five years. The latest Business Barometer survey, released Thursday by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, indicated Alberta’s small business outlook halted its downward […]


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Centurium Capital, CITIC Capital and Hillhouse Capital are part of an investor group targeting a $4.6 billion take-private of China Biologic – just over a year after committing new equity to the US-listed company to protect it from other would-be acquirers.
The three private equity firms, together with Temasek Holdings, Parfield International and Hong Kong-listed medical device manufacturer PW Medtech Group, are offering to buy all outstanding shares in China...
China's Reworld has a technology that lowers barriers to entry in online game design, allowing anyone to become a creator. Joy Capital is backing the company to take user-generated content to another level
Pop Mart International Group, China’s largest fashion toy retailer, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO. Sequoia Capital China, Loyal Valley Capital and Huaxing Growth Fund are its three largest institutional backers.
PLMP Venture Capital (PLMP VC), an investor affiliated with a Singaporean financial technology firm, has launched a local exchange for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia.
Indian venture capital player Iron Pillar Capital Management has brought in US-headquartered real estate investment firm Nitya Capital as a strategic investor.


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HMD Global, which designs and sells Nokia phones, on Wednesday rolled out three devices — Nokia 6, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco — priced between ₹16,999 and ₹49,999.
“2017 was about bringing the Nokia brand back home. Nokia is a brand that has been loved by people here and we want to continue building on that,” HMD Global VP India, Ajey Mehta, said. The firm aims to expand retail presence by 10-20% this year. “We have sold 70 million devices globally... and are reaching 80 countries directly,” global chief marketing officer Pekka Rantala said.


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KUALA LUMPUR: Port Klang Authority and Westports Holdings Bhd will evaluate the ramifications of prohibiting Israeli cargo shipping operator Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd vessels from docking in Port Klang following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s directive yesterday.
Port Klang Authority general manager K. Subramanian said the authority is examining the impact on Port Klang’s operations and will notify the media as soon as possible.
Anwar yesterday announced that local ports will no longer accept ships with the Israeli flag to dock in the country as well as prohibit any ship en route to Israel from loading cargo at Malaysian ports with immediate effect. He is confident that the decision will not affect the country’s trade activities.
Subsequently, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said an Israeli-linked vessel which was scheduled to arrive at Port Klang on Dec 26 will be turned away.
Loke added that the Port Klang Authority has been directed to assist logistics businesses, importers, exporters and ships carrying affected cargoes.
When contacted, Westports officials said the port operator will follow the government’s directive to restrict Zim vessels and will consult with port authorities on the issue.
“So far, no meeting has been called because the decision was sudden, but we believe there will be an engagement between the operators and the authorities soon,” he told Bernama.
Port Klang is a town and the principal seaport for Malaysia.
It is also one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, with an annual throughput of 235.34 million tonnes in 2022, making it the second busiest port in Southeast Asia after Singapore, and ranked 28th internationally.
Containers, bulk cargo, breakbulk freight, and liquid cargo are among the cargoes handled at Port Klang. it is also a key transhipment hub for the region, which means it handles cargo that is not bound for Malaysia but is being transported to other ports. – Bernama
Source: The Star


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And the good news? BtoBonline.com is reporting that business-to-business magazine profit margins were clobbered between 1999 and 2003. That’s no surprise. However, the extent of the drop in margins is: from 11% (of ad revenues) to .6% in 2003, according to new profitability report presented at the meeting of American Business Media prepared by The Jordan, Edmiston Group Inc.
During the five-year period covered by the report, the average b-to-b magazine’s ad revenue fell from $3.4 million to $2.8 million, and its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) plummeted from $505,000 to $24,000.
Any silver lining? Well, yes. It’s no longer 2003 and advertising in most business to business categories is rebounding. And, according to Jordan Ediston, a lot of overhead has been cut in the past four years so that when revenues increase, profit margins will be more robust than before.


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On 23rd June, GACC has released multiple announcements to impose urgent Cov-19 prevention measures on 6 overseas companies as follows:
GACC has suspended import declaration of M/s FALCON MARINE EXPORTS LTD（plant code 1327）and M/s. Noor Ice and Cold Storages Pvt. Ltd. （plant code 1141）from India for 1 week. The suspension is expected to be expired on 29th June 2022.
GACC has suspended import declaration of 2 Russian vessels (registered as CH-38N and СН-76M) for 4 weeks. The suspension is expected to be expired on 20th July 2022.


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Grumbling about the high price of conventional medicine as well as negative effects, many people are looking to natural medicine in the kind of health and wellness supplements. A report by the Hartman Group, a leading marketing research firm called, “The Health Trends in 2002” located that Americans are starting to position the family members and good health over the daily regimens of life. Among those interviewed numerous expressed frustration with united state healthcare system as well as wanted even more control over their very own wellness. The report claimed, “Dietary supplements … (enable) them a way of self-managing their own wellness … giving them a sense of empowerment,” the record states. This is a benefit over pharmaceuticals.According to fluxactive complete the Nourishment Organization Journal fast growth in the nutraceutical market is seen in weight-loss products.
The need for such items is growing as you consider the greater than 120 million overweight Americans and 17 million diabetics who are seeking supplements that raise metabolic rate, reduce or overfill cravings, and control blood sugar level. Such markets in the health and wellness supplement golden revive sector have actually gained footage over pharmaceuticals.In America, 60% of the customers take some kind of food supplement as well as 30 to 40% take herbal supplements. Wellness supplements are getting such trustworthiness that numerous doctors are suggesting them to their people prior to prescribing riskier pharmaceuticals. Of the health and wellness supplement individuals 95% are pleased with supplements.In the on the other hand, research is still expanding in both industries! Health and wellness supplement producers continue to unveil revolutionary items as brand-new evidence sustaining the health benefits of nutraceuticals arises.
Medicine-whether in the kind of ikaria lean belly juice health supplements or pharmaceuticals-is industry undoubtedly. With profit margins that are nearly 4 times the average of any kind of other service, the pharmaceutical market delights in a top position being amongst the most rewarding businesses in the world.
The nutraceutical market is not far behind supplying rigid competition to pharmaceutical counterparts. Study is booming and science-based researches have actually offered effective inspiration to the plant-based wellness supplement industry. Several of the much more popular botanicals kerassentials like as Echinacea, gingko biloba, ginseng, garlic, and also St. John’s Wort are seeing sales that put them in the exact same league with lots of prescription medications.


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The California motor vehicle insurance rates that our system provides is in addition to other states pricing that is represented inside of our database.
Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) May 18, 2014
California insurance agency rates are ranked among the highest in the U.S, according to new industry data. The Auto Pros company has made changes to help more West Coast drivers in 2014 and is now providing car insurance quotes for California motorists at http://autoprosusa.net/insurance.
The real time database for locating state pricing is now active and is offered to residents of California who provide their zip code. The agency data that is presented is complete and each provider can be further researched by a motorist using the locator service.
"The California motor vehicle insurance rates that our system provides is in addition to other states pricing that is represented inside of our database," said an Auto Pros rep.
The new solutions to review direct costs for insurance in the U.S. relating to all 50 states is one change made by the Auto Pros company in 2014. Aside from grouping companies by zip codes, ways to customize a protection plan exist through use of the system with each selected insurer to achieve the best prices.
"The vast options for locating reduced price motor vehicle insurance that our website provides are meant to provide an extra source for drivers to rely upon," the rep added.
The Auto Pros company has included ways to search for warranty protection on the website this year. This new form of independent price gathering is removing direct phone calls by consumers to individual agencies when quoting pricing at http://autoprosusa.net/auto-warranty.
The AutoProsUSA.net company supplies immediate price reviews for vehicle insurance plans over the Internet. This company networks with providers to locate the best annual prices for full coverage or liability plans. The AutoProsUSA.net company supports daily use of its national locator system to display pricing to motor vehicle owners. The company support for vehicle insurance, auto parts and other purchased services is helping more consumers over the Internet this year.


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Emirates customers can now stay fully charged with the launch of 30 wireless charging trays for most smartphones in its First Class and Business Class Lounges in Concourse A, B and C in Dubai. With free Wi-Fi in all Emirates Lounges globally, and on nearly 120 aircraft, customers can also stay connected throughout their journey.
This new offering is another step in Emirates’ strategic plan to offer greater mobility and connectivity to its customers.
"Our aspiration is to provide greater comfort for our customers and a hassle-free, seamless travel experience. Mobile devices are an intrinsic part of our lives, and at Emirates we see free Wi-Fi and wireless charging on the go as becoming the norm in the future travel experience,” said Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior VP Emirates Airport Services. “That is why we invest to continually enhance connectivity in our Lounges and onboard our aircraft. We are working with leading technology providers to launch a broader and more evolved deployment of wireless charging in our Lounges and look forward to expanding this service for our customers."
Placed in highly visible locations around the Lounges, the wireless charging trays can currently be used to charge mobile phone devices only, accommodating up to two phones at a time. The charging tray is compatible with Android, Blackberry, as well as iPhones using a cable. Customers can simply place their compatible device on the tray to charge it wirelessly.
The Emirates Lounge:
- Dedicated lounges for Emirates First Class and Business Class customers - Skywards Platinum and Gold members can also access the Business Class lounge in Dubai.
- Offers its guests an extensive open buffet of gourmet dishes, as well as a complimentary full-bar service including premium wine, spirits and champagne. First Class customers can look forward to a la carte dining prepared in a live kitchen.
- Offers services including; a fully equipped business centre with complimentary Wi-Fi connection across the lounge area, TV and reading areas, shower facilities and a prayer room.
- Premium customers in Dubai can also avail of the Timeless Spa located in Concourse A and B.
- Furnished with Italian marble floors, Gold Rolex clocks, leather armchairs and Walnut wood finish, in line with the worldwide Emirates quality standards.
- Emirates now operates 38 dedicated lounges around its six-continent network including lounges in Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Birmingham, Brisbane, six lounges in Dubai, Colombo, Delhi, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Milan. Munich, Melbourne, New York - JFK, Paris - Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Rome, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Tokyo - Narita and Zurich.


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by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has seen high volatility in its currency and running inflation over the last couple of months. Although a tighter policy has been taken, the economic recovery is expected be a rough one fraught with austerity.
There is no doubt a challenging period ahead for Turks who are reeling under the effects of rising inflation and unemployment amid confident statements from government officials that the worse is now behind.
Yet the fact that municipal elections are now a couple of months ahead, due to be on March 31, 2019, is a blow to spending cuts ordered by the government as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is adamant to secure one more victory against the opposition and this would mean a splurge of fresh money.
It was an annus horribilis for Turkey since the summer after its currency dropped to the unprecedented level of more than 7 liras against one U.S. dollar on a backdrop of diplomatic tensions with the United States followed by a skyrocketing 25 percent inflation in September, a 15-year peak.
But with massive interest rates hikes by the Central Bank and a broad scheme of price and currency controls, Ankara managed to prevent an economic meltdown.
The lira went up 8 percent in November with investors return to rallying Turkish assets, for the first time in several months.
And the inflation surprised on the downward in November, dropping to 21.62 percent on year-on-year rate from 25.2 percent in October, according to official data published on Monday.
Core inflation and the Producer Price Index (PPI) showed also encouraging trends, according to specialists.
"This is obviously very positive, yet the inflation may rise again at the beginning of next year because the tax and price reduction scheme of last two months is temporary," economist Enver Erkan from the Istanbul-based GMC securities told Xinhua.
In its fight against inflation, Ankara has cut taxes on consumer products, furniture and white goods and asked shop to offer discounts until the end of the year.
Erkan said that even in the first and second quarter of 2019, they may be volatility in inflation data, and stabilization is expected on the second half of 2019, as predicted by the government's revised economic plan announced after this summer's currency turmoil.
The economist expressed satisfaction regarding good tourism revenues this year and also a decrease of foreign policy risks as Turkey managed to minimize a series of differences with the U.S. and engaged a reconciliation process with the European Union.
From Venezuela where he is on a state visit, President Erdogan welcomed the positive data, saying that "Turkey's economy has shown strong performance" despite attack against it.
The Turkish strongman has regularly accused the West of being behind his country's financial turmoil.
Turkey's Finance and Treasury Minister, Berat Albayrak, hailed the good data on inflation, saying that his government was determined to uphold fiscal discipline in line of the measures announced to stabilize the ailing economy.
"We will continue to carry forward the structural steps that we have started in the fight against inflation," the minister said on Twitter.
The lira traded at 5.25 against the greenback on Monday, down still around 25 percent since the start of 2018 yet far from the 45 percent depreciation of the summer.
Turkey had to slash its growth forecasts for this year and next amid its currency crisis.
GDP for this year has been cut to 3.8 percent from 5.5 percent, and for 2019 to 2.3 percent.
Confidence in Turkey's economy surged 9.1 percent in November, the nation's statistical authority announced last week, contributing to the cautious positive outlook that both consumers and producers have for 2019.
However, as recent official data is rather encouraging, the real economy is suffering from the abrupt depreciation of the Turkish currency and the woes that it brought along with it.
In Ankara's 365 Shopping Mall located in the downtown area, several shops have closed in recent weeks due to the lack of business in general.
"There may be signs of a recovery on paper, but in real life, as the economy has slowed down considerably along with the people's purchasing power, there is no business here," Fahir Belen, a shop owner told Xinhua.
Rather than paying astronomical rents, some shopkeepers decided to close.
"I personally don't expect this situation to change in 2019 also, it will take time before we will recover from this," he added.
An Ankara branch official from a private bank who spoke on the condition of anonymity said to Xinhua that while the banking sector is strong in Turkey with important measures taken since the previous 2001 crisis, some banks had serious difficulties collecting bad debts from companies who filed for bankruptcy protection.
"Many companies are in quite bad shape and have problems restructuring their debts because of the currency crunch that they are facing despite efforts deployed by the government," the banker said, hoping that situation would change for better in the coming year.


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Oovoo is one of the most popular instant messaging applications on the market today, with 75 million subscribers accumulated since the app’s initial launch in 2007 (previously launched as Arel Communications in 2006), with 100,000 subscribers added daily. 80 percent of those who signed up so far this year have utilized a mobile device to do so.
Speaking of mobile devices, Oovoo is now looking to completely revamp its calling app for Android and Apple devices sometime this summer according to a report from Fierce. The updated app will include an “improved user interface” with “quick links to users’ top five contacts, video filters and other features” while continuing to rely on advertising within the app for revenue.
The company did provide some specifics regarding what we’ll see with the overhaul, including a “My Moments” section that will serve as a “digital, living” news feed, where users can share photos, videos and status updates with one another. Group chats for up to 12 participants will be easier to set up and users will be able to choose from six different video filters during video calls. In addition, users will be able to record and send videos to friends.
“We’ve included the most requested features from our users to share moments with their friends and family,” an unspecified spokesperson for the company said. “They can just live their normal everyday lives with their friends on ooVoo.”
There was no specified timeframe mentioned on when we’ll see this update release, but we’ve contacted the company to see if we can find out more information and will update accordingly. For now, we’ll keep our ears open for any additional info we can find from other sources. Stay tuned.


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That’s according to a survey from Gartner, which concluded that only 17 percent plan to buy a tablet in the next 12 months. Gartner surveyed 19,000 people in the US, the UK, France, China, Brazil and India.
Meike Escherich, a principal analyst at Gartner, said applications rather than hardware sell tablets. “Most applications work pretty well first and second generation tablet hardware, and because the operating system can be upgraded for free, the user not compelled to change the device,” said Escherich.
Further, people aren’t particularly interested in the hardware and devices can access the cloud.
She said that “the churn of the mature installed base will continue to fall”. Many tablet users may never upgrade because so called “phablets” and 2-in-1 PCs include the benefit of a tablet.
The survey showed that 48 percent of people didn’t want to replace a hardware unless it was absolutely essential to do so.


text:
MADRID (MarketWatch) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s WMT, -0.38% retail business in China has been made to look better than it is, due to "questionable accounting and unauthorized sales practices," Bloomberg News said in a report that published Wednesday. Citing internal documents and interviews with employees who left the company in the past month, Bloomberg said businesses were made to appear strong even amid a pileup of unsold inventory and slowing sales. Those sources said China's Wal-Mart Stores have been under intense pressure to hit earnings targets and temporarily marked up inventory in one move to boost profit views, with any additional sales. Concerns about bulk sales were raised back in 2011, and even in May, Wal-Mart's legal team was looking at the issue, according to Bloomberg sources. Wal-Mart didn't immediately reply to an email seeking comments.
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text:
Report: RIM to Slash BlackBerry Service Fees After Second Gov. Agency Leaves
March 6, 2012 11:17 AM
comment(s) - last by
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the second government agency to leave BlackBerry this year
has lost two U.S. government agency which used its services, and will now cut the fees it charges for BlackBerry service in an attempt to prevent anyone else from leaving.
Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that it would let go of its BlackBerry servers by June 2012 in an effort to cut costs. And
we recently reported
that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is following suit.
RIM has its own network infrastructure where it can encrypt, compress and direct data to BlackBerry devices through its cellular network. This seemed ideal for the workplace, where BlackBerry phones quickly became popular.
However, fees that RIM charges carriers for the BlackBerry service has put a bit of financial strain and headache on those carriers. Also, competition like Apple's iOS and
Google's Android-based smartphones
are beginning to be used in the workplace, and offer more user-friendly features as well as improved security features without the added costs of the BlackBerry service. In other words, BlackBerry devices are not the only suitable professional smartphones on the block anymore.
RIM now says it plans to slash the fees it charges carriers for BlackBerry service at some point this year in an effort to save itself from losing anymore customers. It also plans to introduce its BlackBerry 10 smartphones in late 2012 as well as new software called Mobile Fusion, which allows "core enterprise customers" to manage the company's competitors' devices.
RIM was also hit hard last October when BlackBerry customers around the world
experienced a service blackout
. Customers from the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa had problems with messaging and browsing for four days, which can be detrimental in a workplace.
RIM is clearly beginning to feel the pressure, as RIM shares fell 4.3 percent to $13.20 on Monday afternoon. Since February 2011, RIM has lost 80 percent of its value because of its unimpressive product launches and bleak earnings as well as reduced U.S. market share.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Joke right,early April fools
3/6/2012 11:04:01 PM
"user-friendly features as well
as improved security features
without the added costs"
Joke right,early April fools ,Reason a Senator is going after Google and Apple for allowing apps to upload your contacts, pictures, all kind of little goodies without your permission. If they did this on your computer they would be nailed to a cross cause its against the law. Its time to quit screwing around and let the government regulate the cell phones the same as land lines and computers, this is legalized root kits via your cell phone to your computer because so many including myself sync our cell phones with our computers. This is out and out illegal and no law that I'm aware of and maybe why a Senator is bringing up the issue, because we allowed the big Corporations to have their way and they promised to regulate themselves .
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text:
Things to Do in Central Florida
At Star Wars land, it’s inevitable people will stand in line and wait six or more hours to ride an attraction — because they already do now at Animal Kingdom’s Flight of Passage ride, said Len Testa, a computer scientist from Touring Plans.
An early peek at a California version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge reveals that Disney is building one of its most sophisticated attractions ever, training employees to think differently and aiming to reinvent its merchandising, all to make the experience more authentic for guests.
Disney is building a small city in Disneyland, its most ambitious project and taking it to market much faster than it’s ever done before. Then, it has to duplicate it again at Disney World.


text:
The Isaiah Food Project is Temple Beth Sholom’s ongoing initiative providing specifically identified grocery items to area food banks every month. Since it started in September of this year, there have been multiple deliveries to both the Jewish Family Service and the Hamden Food Banks. Approximately $250 was spent per delivery per food bank which meant that over 200 lbs of food was delivered to each agency each month.
The Hebrew School students have now joined the Isaiah Fund Project in providing these groceries, thereby increasing the items we can donate. There will be a decorated container at the Temple with two specific requests needed for the month. When you see the sign, please keep these items in mind as you shop and drop them off the next time you are at the synagogue.
Targeted items for December are tuna fish and cans of soup.
Also, please consider making donations to the Isaiah Fund allowing Temple Beth Sholom to expand this project, especially in these hard economic times. Your contributions can be made ‘in honor of’ or ‘in thanks to’ and will be noted in the Temple Bulletin.
For further information about the Isaiah Food Project, email email@example.com or call Ruth, Fran or Carol.


text:
Apple has posted
a maintenance update to Final Cut Express HD, bringing it to version 3.5.1. The update is available as a 14.5MB download from Apple’s Web site.
Final Cut Express HD is Apple’s video editing software that rests between iMovie — the software included with iLife ‘06 — and Final Cut Pro — its professional video editing software that’s included as part of the $1,299 Final Cut Studio. Final Cut Express HD features the same workflow as Final Cut Pro, but sports a more limited feature set.
The update “addresses compatibility on specific hardware,” according to Apple, which offered no further details about what’s changed in the new release.
System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.4.4 or later and Final Cut Express 3.5 or later.


text:
Vioguard, the Bothell, Wash., company that created a self-sanitizing keyboard and mouse, has secured another $5 million in Series A funding from Imagen Capitol Partners.
The investment brings total funding in the 9-year-old company to $11 million.
Vioguard’s patented keyboard and mouse uses the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light, UV-C, to sanitize. The company holds similar patents for touch screens, escalator handrails, pens and telephones. Both the escalator handrail sanitizer and a pen sterilizing device are projected to be released this year, the company said.
The latest round of funding will be used to expand Vioguard’s marketing, the company said in a statement. Imagen Capitol Partners will also designate two members to Vioguard’s board of directors.
“I believe the investment by Imagen will help Vioguard advance our leadership position within the ultraviolet disinfection arena,” Vioguard President Laurance Ranta said. “We are pleased to welcome Imagen Capital Partners as a shareholder and look forward to an exciting and prosperous future with them.”
Imagen Capital Parters Managing Director Chris Barrow said the firm is excited about Vioguard’s technology and leadership as “they continue their efforts to bring pioneering UV-C solutions to the worldwide marketplace.”


text:
Eddie Stobart has become the 100th partner of the Northern Powerhouse, which will see it work to boost skills, innovation and business in the North of England. The haulier has a special livery to mark its partnership with the Northern Powerhouse, making it the first partner business to carry the campaign’s new branding. Eddie Stobart’s HQ in Appleton, Warrington, was visited by minister for the Northern Powerhouse Jake Berry to mark the occasion. Berry was given a tour of the […]
Stobart Group’s plans to partially divest its transport business, creating a new private company Eddie Stobart Logistics, has received the backing of shareholders at a general meeting today.
Drivers at Eddie Stobart’s Doncaster DC have voted for strike action, in response to the operator’s announcement last week that it would be making them redundant. Unite says more than 150 drivers, from a total of 183, voted for strike action at the site that was previously part of Tesco’s distribution network. Harriet Eisner, Unite regional office, said: “Unite is still in talks with Eddie Stobart, but the management remains intransigent that it wants to get rid of the drivers. […]
Eddie Stobart and the Unite union will start talks at Acas this Thursday (15 November) in a bid to end the row over drivers’ jobs at Tesco’s Doncaster DC. A spokesman for Eddie Stobart confirmed to Motortransport.co.uk that the operator’s MD David Pickering will personally attending the talks with Unite at Acas. The move comes after a 72-hour walkout by 180 Unite driver members facing redundancy at the DC. This included a demo outside a Tesco store in Westminster. Eddie Stobart […]


text:
India is one of the "most open" economies: Suresh Prabhu
India is a "very open economy" and wants to have trade relations and pacts with all countries, said Union Minister Suresh Prabhu, ahead of a Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (RCEP) meeting, in Singapore. Prabhu made a fervent pitch for having a more dynamic, global trading-system, saying India is working with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the RCEP--a mega free-trade agreement.
Want to have trade relationships, pacts: Prabhu
"India is a very open economy. We want to have trade relationships and trade pacts as continuing as possible, particularly with ASEAN, with which we already have a pact," said Commerce and Industry Minister Prabhu said in the "India's Economic Reforms and Global Integration" lecture.
India among world's most open economies
The Indian economy, he said, is one of the "most open economies" with a liberal Foreign Direct Investment in all sectors, including defense. "We are also working along with the ASEAN and other neighbors on RCEP," Prabhu said. He added, "Our idea is to get into bilateral and multilateral pacts, as many as possible, to ensure that many countries benefit and we also benefit."
Trade agreements are difficult, but India's ready to be involved
Prabhu said that bilateral and multilateral trade agreements are "very difficult negotiations," but India is "always ready to be involved and is very positive". "On a multi-lateral (level), we are very keen (that) we must have a global trading system which would be on a more dynamic way," he said, citing the success of the World Trade Organization in managing global trade affairs.
India wants to find a solution, too, says Minister
Prabhu said, "We want to find...a solution but as you can always understand that domestic interest is always reflected into the talks as it is with all countries including Singapore, ASEAN, and RCEP (member countries) who would like to protect (their interests) and India would also like to (do the same)." "We are finding a way, whereby we can work together," he added.
Suresh Prabhu is in Singapore for a RCEP meeting
RCEP Ministers are in Singapore for a "closed-door" meeting. RCEP envisages regional economic integration, leading to the creation of the largest regional trading bloc in the world. It is currently being negotiated between ASEAN member states -- Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Prabhu to meet Singaporean PM Shanmugaratnam and other ministers
Singapore is hosting ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Retreat, AEM-European Union Trade Commissioner Consultations, and Inter-sessional Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Ministerial Meeting from 1-3 Mar'18. RCEP participating countries will discuss ways to progress their negotiations at Inter-sessional RCEP Ministerial Meeting. Prabhu will also meet Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.