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Business Article Analysis Essay
For this article analysis, “McDonald’s Scales Back Prices in China”, by Bettina Wassener, published in The New York Times on February 5, 2009 has been chosen. The article takes a look at the recent sharp decrease that McDonalds has brought about in its menu in China. The article weighs the odds and while doing so, between the lines it considers the fact that this may be a sign for the rest of the Asian countries to be wary of the US recession going global.
McDonalds began operations in China in 1990 and has reached a point where it has over 1,000 branches with a work force of over 60000 employees (Wassener 2009). In the year 2009 alone McDonalds plans on opening over 150 new branches.
Economists are speculating that the McDonald’s slashing of prices in China is proof of the global recession to have begun influencing the Asian economy. McDonalds decreased prices of combo meals by almost 33%. This measure, McDonalds claimed, was McDonalds’ contribution to the revival of the economy by stimulating demand in the restaurant and food consumption sector. Not only this, but McDonalds has launched “Loyalty Cards” for its customers that will allow customers to get a 20% discount
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It is necessary to highlight here that McDonalds is considered to be a western restaurant in China and many Chinese consumers still consider trips to McDonalds to be a luxury (Shinkle 2009). In this case, the slash in prices may also have been triggered by an aim to increase demand in the consumers.
McDonalds can bring about these price slashes since McDonalds is one of the few corporate giants who have found routes to gain benefit from the global recession. However it can be inferred that the price cuts have been influenced by the slowing down of the Chinese economy and declining stock price of MCD in NYSE which could be seen from the following figure:
|Market Cap:||65.78 b|
Figure 2: Stock Price of MCD
Source: QuoteMedia.com, 2009
Unemployment rates in China in the last year have gone high and similar measures are being exercised by other fast food retailers. McDonalds’ lead competition KFC has also begun promotions to give relief to consumers. The recession that originated in the United States has influenced the economies of countries around the world and the Asian economy is one of the few that are believed to have been hit the hardest as customer consumption trends changed significantly.
Chinese economy is expected to improve with measures such as these. It is already expected that the price inflation will decrease from its current 5.9% to around 2% (China Daily 2008). Competition in the Chinese fast food industry has steadily been gaining ground in the last few years as Pizza Hut, Big Mac and other multinational fast food names such as KFC have stepped into the Chinese market. In this situation, it would be rational for McDonalds to bring about a price decrease in order to invite customer demand. However, considering the recent closure of “Ronghua Chicken” in 2000, and the recent recession that has led to a change in consumption trends, it is logical to increase customer consumption as much as possible.
Figure 1: Comparison of MCD with its competitors
Source: (Wikinvest 2009)
Moreover, in October 2009, McDonalds’ stocks began to plummet and reached an all time low from October through November. As can be seen in the graph, it took McDonalds quite some time to regain its September standing once more. The plummeting of stocks was taken as a sign by McDonalds to bring about some or the other form of change that would allow McDonalds to make up for lost points in the stock market and soften the recessional blow.
In this scenario, China was the perfect option. Having only slightly suffered the blow and with an otherwise booming and rapidly developing economy, China was the perfect launch pad for McDonalds to regain consumers and to develop consumer loyalty (Jing 2009). McDonalds is already a renowned brand name in China, and this measure has allowed McDonalds to become more accessible to the everyday china man.
China Daily. Competition gearing up in China’s fast food industry. July 30, 2008. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-06/30/content_6806904.htm (accessed February 10, 2009).
Jing, J. McDonald’s cuts prices by nearly 33%. February 5, 2009. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200902/20090205/article_389919.htm (accessed February 10, 2009).
Shinkle, Kirk. McDonald’s Slashes Prices … In China – The Ticker. February 5, 2009. http://www.usnews.com/blogs/the-ticker/2009/02/05/mcdonalds-slashes-prices—-in-china.html (accessed February 10, 2009).
Wassener, B. McDonald’s Scales Back Prices in China – NY Times. February 5, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business/worldbusiness/06mcdonalds.html?_r=1 (accessed February 10, 2009).
Figure 1: Wikinvest. Wendy’s International (WEN) . February 9, 2009. http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Wendy%27s_International_(WEN) (accessed February 10, 2009).
Figure 2: McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) Stock. February 9, 2009. Originally from Quotemedia.com cited in http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/mcd (accessed February 10, 2009).


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Voodoo Vegas release video for new song “Killing Joke”
English hard rockers Voodoo Vegas have released a video for their new song “Killing Joke” from their upcoming new album titled Freak Show Candy Floss, which will be released on November 4, 2016.
Back in early 2013, Voodoo Vegas released their studio album The Rise Of Jimmy Silver, which went on to #7 on Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of 2013.
Sleaze Roxx stated in its review of The Rise Of Jimmy Silver: “The vast amount of exciting new music being released by fresh faces these days is astonishing, and honestly hard to keep track of. The latest band to keep an eye on is the English quintet known as Voodoo Vegas. I first stumbled across this band in 2009 but was slightly disappointed to find out that their only available material was a live album — thankfully a true debut is now upon us in the form of The Rise Of Jimmy Silver…
The calendar has barely flipped into 2013 and thanks to artists like Voodoo Vegas, the list of must-own albums is already growing at a rapid rate. A healthy dose of ’80s sleaze crossbred with ’70s classic rock is what you will find on The Rise Of Jimmy Silver — an impressive debut album that should usher in ‘the rise of’ Voodoo Vegas.”
Voodoo Vegas‘ “Killing Joke” video:
Official music video for Killing Joke, The first single from Voodoo Vegas’ sophomore album ‘Freak Show Candy Floss’ Pre Order Freak Show Candy Floss Now! Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M1BTTOA Amazon USA: https://amzn.com/B01LXP81KC Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Voodoo_Vegas_Freak_Show_Candy_Floss?id=Barbm57skex4y7xb5wkybo2e5lm&hl=en_GB iTunes UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/freak-show-candy-floss/id1160423451 Slovenia: https://itunes.apple.com/si/album/freak-show-candy-floss/id1160423451 Germany: https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/freak-show-candy-floss/id1160423451?l=en Portugal: https://itunes.apple.com/pt/album/freak-show-candy-floss/id1160423451?l=en USA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/freak-show-candy-floss/id1160423451 www.voodoovegas.com www.voodoovegas.de

domain: news


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YGG Raises $13.8 Million From a16z and DWF Labs
Disclaimer: The Industry Talk section features insights by crypto industry players and is not a part of the editorial content of Cryptonews.com.
Other participants in the round include Sangha Capital Fund, Sanctor Capital, Galaxy Interactive, and angel investor David Lee. YGG did not say how many tokens were sold, but they are estimated to account for more than 35% of its total $25 million asset value in its treasury as of November 2022.
DWF Labs is the investment arm of high-frequency crypto trading platform Digital Wave Finance (DWF). DWF Labs is a multi-stage web3 multi-product ecosystem, providing consulting, cybersecurity, smart contract audit process, debt financing, treasury management and other services as well as trading solutions such as token listing, over the counter (OTC) trading, and liquidity support for different clients through their partners.
DWF Labs aims to support the founders building the future of web3. It has invested in over 50 web3 projects and collaborates with top crypto exchanges such as Binance, ByBit and more.
“We have committed to support YGG as part of our vision towards a blockchain-based economy through web3,” said Andrei Grachev, Managing Partner at DWF Labs. “We are confident that through this token purchase, YGG will continue to innovate and grow the blockchain gaming space as we provide support through this long-term partnership.”
YGG empowers gamers to earn real income
YGG is at the forefront of non-fungible token (NFT) game economies with its partnerships with blockchain-based games like Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and League of Kingdoms. The guild was founded in 2018 by Gabby Dizon and Beryl Li after Dizon started loaning out his Axie Infinity NFTs to other players who could not afford to buy their own. YGG has since become the largest in-game asset manager and investor in the popular Philippines-based game.
YGG aims to empower gamers by helping each other coordinate to join P2E games and earn crypto-based rewards they can exchange for real-world money. The company invests in gaming NFTs like in-game assets and virtual land, which it loans out and sells to its members to use in games to generate yields or profit.
YGG plans to use the funds from the token sale to accelerate the development of its soulbound reputation token (SBT), which it intends to become a major part of its ecosystem platform.
SBT tokens are linked to players’ crypto wallets and non-transferable. The token was launched in a test in 2022 as a reward for in-game activities. YGG plans to relaunch its web app next month and is working to integrate SBT into games directly. It will introduce a new incentive program to reward creators for completing certain tasks or quests as proof of their achievements and reputation.
As part of its move towards decentralization, YGG became a Swiss association last year to adopt a flexible, non-profit legal structure. The legal framework offers clarity and validity for YGG token holders as members of YGG’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Token holders receive limited liability protection as members and can participate in governance votes. Members can vote on what games to play, what virtual assets the guild invests in, and they are used in gameplay.


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“On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 25, our engineering team discovered a security issue affecting almost 50 million accounts….”
“Our investigation is still in its early stages. But it’s clear that attackers exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s code that impacted… a feature that lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else.”
Mark Zuckerberg’s understated response to the incident was “I’m glad we found this and fixed the vulnerability. It definitely is an issue that this happened in the first place. I think this underscores the attacks that our community and our services faces.”
Wall Street’s response so far has been a 3% drop in Facebook’s stock.
I’m now waiting to see which of my sock puppets is affected.
The confected row about Facebook and CA’s mining of the latter’s users’ data beggars belief. Facebook’s raison d’être is to profile its users and sell the information to anyone needing to target messages (adverts). The punters sign up to this because access is free. They might not understand what they’re agreeing to; a quick look at Facebook shows that many users are far from the brightest lights in the harbour. Buy hey, it’s free!
This is basically how Web 2.0 works. Get the punters to provide the content for you, collect information of value to sell to advertisers, and use the money to pay for the platform. Then trouser a load of tax-free profit by exploiting the international nature of the Internet.
So why the brouhaha now? Where has the moral outrage been for the last ten years? How come punters have only just started talking of a boycott (about twelve years after I did)? What’s changed?
The media has suddenly taken notice because some messages were sent on behalf of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. What might broadly be called “left-wing” politicians have been exploiting unregulated social media to sway opinion for a very long time. Some became very uncomfortable when Trump gained traction by “speaking directly to his supporters” on Twitter. And now they’ve finally woken up to the way that the simple majority using a social media platform are able to propagate fake news and reinforce their simplistic beliefs.
But it wasn’t until the recent revaluations that Donald Trump was using it that anyone batted an eyelid.
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This rabbit hole goes very deep.
Does this spell the end of Facebook? I somehow doubt it. Social media addicts are just that. They don’t want to lose all their virtual “friends”. They want people to “like” them. Those that realise it’s a load of fluff try to cut back, or “detox” for a few weeks, but they always come back for more. And for those who see social media for what it and have nothing to do with it are constantly pressured by the addicts, like a drug user turned pusher.
“You don’t use Facebook? How are we supposed to contact you?”
No. This row doesn’t spell the end of Facebook. I know MySpace, bix, CompuServe, Geocities and the rest went out of fashion, but Facebook and Twitter are too well established, and even promoted on the BBC. And if the addicts were outraged enough to move to a different platform, where would they go? Part of their addiction comes from Facebook being “free”, and no one has come up with an alternative business model that works. They’ll stick with the devil they know.
Meanwhile investors have the jitters and the share price has fallen. This won’t last.
You can’t have missed the furore over Apple’s refusal to help the CIA get the data from a terrorist murderers iPhone. On the one side the CIA says that we need the data to protect the public, a line with the judiciary of the USA agrees with, and Apple should do everything possible to get it for them. On the other side there’s Apple’s PR engine trying (successfully) to spin the story and avoid complying with the court order.
In the mean time the Brazilians haven’t shown such deference to a cultural icon when it comes to Facebook owned WhatsApp refusing to hand over data concerning a major drugs trafficker, even after several court orders. The Brazilian authorities have arrested Diego Dzodan, Facebook’s hancho in Latin America, and thrown him in jail until such time as the company obeys the law.
Perhaps he Americans could try that with Tim Cook – you break the law, you go to jail.
Meanwhile, Apple might seem to be setting itself up as the criminals friend over this. In the land of the free where profit is king, I guess their money is as good as anyone else’s so perhaps we should be too judgemental. But in an outrageous spin, Apple has told the world that if they comply with the court order then all Apple handsets will have a backdoor and no longer be secure. This is disingenuous. The situation is this:
Apple encrypts the data stored on the phone. You have to enter a password to unlock it. If you enter ten wrong passwords it will wipe the data from the phone. The CIA has asked Apple to modify this handset to disable the data wiping feature, so the CIA can then just keep throwing passwords at it until it unlocks. Clearly, this is going to have no physical effect on any other handset anywhere else in the world. So what’s Apple’s problem?
If Apple helped the CIA break in to the handset, Apple can no longer claim that its handsets are invulnerable. Terrorists, fraudsters and anyone up to something will know that the authorities can get at Apple data even more easily than if it was stored on iCloud. Note well: the fact that Apple hasn’t produced the mod needed to do this (publicly), doesn’t mean that its not possible right now; and it may even be happening. But Apple wants to maintain the illusion that it can’t.
Put another way, it’s easy enough to bypass the locks on a front door. You just need a large enough sledge hammer. Doubt this? Look at the footage of a police raid taking place – a few burly coppers with a battering ram and it’s open in seconds. Apple is selling locks and trying to pretend there’s no such thing as a sledgehammer.
So why, might one ask, don’t the US authorities stop messing around and get the court order enforced? Are they really scared of Apple?
What’s really worrying about this situation is that “civil liberties campaigners” and some corporate America is rushing to put out statements in Apple’s defence. In other words, big business reckons it’s above the law made by the people using a democratically elected government.
The long awaited ruling about whether the Safe Harbour agreement allowing free transfer of data concerning European citizens to the USA is valid under European Law has just been published. And it’s a doozie.
Basically a Safe Harbour agreement (note the use of the indefinite article here) means that you won’t be sent down the river for doing something that might otherwise be illegal. The specific Safe Harbour agreement in this case (2000/520/EC) says it’s okay for European data controllers to send whatever they like to the American’s because Uncle Sam is a good friend. This would otherwise be a no-no because you’d be giving up control over information that would otherwise be protected by European privacy laws.
This situation is currently being misrepresented in the popular press as being about Facebook (social media being their favourite subject after themselves); it’s not. It’s about all data. The case was brought by Austrian civil rights campaigner, Max Schrems in the Irish courts to test the legality of Facebook doing just this, as a high-profile example. A lot of American companies like to base their data centres in Dublin because, up until now, the Irish courts have been quite relaxed about what goes in compared with certain other European governments. (And lets not forget the tax breaks, and that Dublin is a nice place to be).
Hanging over this is the shadow of Edward Snowden (yet again), raising public awareness and anxiety over government access to PII. The fact that this PII is already in the hands of the likes of Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Twitter with the full knowledge of the subjects doesn’t seem to matter – it’s the principle of the thing!
Anyway, the ruling basically says that the initial ruling is incompatible with European Law, and we can’t trust the Yankees to look after it without further safeguards. Where this leaves American companies with European data centres remains to be seen.


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The hotel industry's revenues and margins are expected to return to pre-COVID levels in 2022-23 despite potential impact on demand in case of further waves of the pandemic, according to rating agency ICRA.
Domestic leisure and transient travel will be the main demand drivers, although there will be a gradual recovery in business travel and foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs), ICRA said in a statement.
Pan-India, premium hotel occupancy is expected to be at 68-70% for FY23, it said, adding that the average room rate (ARR) is expected to hover at about ₹5,600-5,800.
"The improved operating leverage along with sustenance of cost-optimisation measures will support margins and accruals for hotels," the agency said.
Notwithstanding the potential impact on demand with further COVID waves, if any, ICRA said it expected the industry's revenues and margins to return to pre-COVID levels in FY23.
ICRA vice-president and sector head Vinutaa S said the hotels industry witnessed a healthy start to FY23, with 56-58% occupancy in premium hotels in the first quarter of the financial year.
It had climbed from 40-42% in FY22 and was closer to the pre-COVID occupancy of 60-62% in Q1 FY20, she added.
"Pan-India ARR stood at around ₹4,600-4,800 in Q1 FY2023, as against ₹4,200-4,400 in FY2022. It still remains at a 16-18% discount to pre-COVID levels on an average, although a few high-end hotels and leisure destinations witnessed ARRs spike to higher than pre-COVID levels in the last few months," Ms. Vinutaa said.
The demand recovery was aided by leisure, transient passengers, MICE/weddings and gradual pickup in business travel and foreign tourist arrivals, while some cities also witnessed traffic from specific events.
MICE refers to meetings, incentive travel, conferences, and exhibitions.
"While leisure destinations and gateway cities witnessed healthy occupancy, cities largely dependent on business travellers, like Bengaluru and Pune will take a few more months to recover," she added.
Ms. Vinutaa said although Q1 FY23 was among the best quarters since the onset of the pandemic, the Revenue per available room remained at 20-22% lower than pre-COVID levels and at about 45-50% discount to the FY2009 peak.
For mid-scale hotels, the recovery has been slower, due to the dependence on business travel. Further, cost inflation can also have a bearing on mid-scale hotel demand, she said.
ICRA currently has a stable outlook on the industry, Ms. Vinutaa.


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Take a trip around the world without hopping on a plane this summer, as Swansgate Shopping Centre goes around the world with free summer activities.
Young shoppers can join in the fun across the school holidays, with a variety of activities taking place on Wednesday, July 29, Wednesday, August 12, and Wednesday, August 26, between 11am and 4pm each day.
Children will be taken on a trip across the continents with safari reptiles, world map trails, iconic landmarks, craft workshops and much more arriving in-centre.
Centre manager Lindsay Tickner said: “This summer is set to be an exciting one here at Swansgate as we explore the globe with free fun for our younger visitors.
“We look forward to welcoming avid explorers from across Wellingborough!”
Events taking place at Swansgate Shopping Centre this summer:
Wednesday, July 29: The Swansgate World Safari comes to life with reptiles from the Roaming Reptile Show, crafts and free face painting
Wednesday, August 12: Follow the World Map Trail and find the clues around the centre with prizes to be won!
Wednesday, August 26: Iconic landmarks are arriving in-centre, come and have your photo taken with them.
For more information on events at Swansgate Shopping Centre this summer, visit www.swansgateshoppingcentre.com.


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October 10, 2022
In a profanity-laced Instagram post, West scrutinized the sports retailer and claimed that the German multinational corporation “stole” his designs, according to TMZ.
“F—K ADIDAS,” West said in the since-deleted post to his nearly 18 million followers. “I AM ADIDAS,” he added. “ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.”
“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” Adidas said in a statement, according to Reuters. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision,” the statement continued. “The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history.”
Adidas added: “All successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”
West often takes to social media to voice his opinions and criticisms, including some in recent months that have been specifically addressed to Adidas and its CEO. The two have been partnering together since 2013, Reuters reported.
West previously partnered with Nike, from 2007 to 2013, when he famously released his Red Octobers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The star first
In West’s current agreement with Adidas, the star lends the company the rights to design and manufacture Yeezy products. In return, West receives about 15% royalties, according to the Journal.
The current deal runs through 2026. As recently as last month, West threatened to walk away from the agreement and to take the Yeezy line solo.
Research contact: @FoxBusiness


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ABI Research says the number of smartphone applications downloaded from 'app stores' will keep growing until 2013… but those figures will then start to drop.
Last year, consumers downloaded 2.4 billion applications from application stores – a figure that'll almost treble by 2013, when almost 7 billion apps will be downloaded. Apple's App Store will remain the market leader until 2013 according to ABI's report, despite pressure from Android and Symbian. However, ABI Research says the evolution of the mobile internet will then lead to consumers starting to head away from dedicated stores for their software applications. Total app downloads will probably continue to grow, although downloads via app stores are expected to fall.
At Nokia's AGM today, company CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told shareholders that Nokia had built a solid foundation for future success.
He said "By combining services with devices, Nokia is in a stronger position to grow and create more value for our shareholders. We still have plenty of work to do, but we have built a solid foundation. We believe in our strategy."
Mr Kallasvuo also said Nokia is planning to introduce a new generation of devices this year that he expects will help close the gap with high-end smartphone competitors.
Intel has announced a new version of its Atom processor for smartphones and tablet devices. Previously code-named Moorestown, the Intel Atom processor Z6xx (which contains 140 million transistors) is capable of delivering multitasking, full 1080p video playback, 720p HD video recording and 3D graphics with lower power consumption than previous designs. The company says this means up to 10 days of standby, up to 2 days of audio playback or 4 to 5 hours of browsing and video.
Processor speeds of up to 1.5GHz are supported for smartphones, with up to 1.9GHz for tablets.
Orange has revamped its mobile broadband service, changing its price plans and introducing the 'animal' branding used on its mobile phone services.
Dolphin costs from £15 a month and includes a 'happy hour' of unlimited surfing every day. Customers can pick 8am-9am, 12-1pm, 4pm-5pm or 10pm-11pm. The tariff includes 3GB of data per month on an 18-month minimum term contract or 2GB of data per month on a 1-month contract.
Panther Mobile Broadband starts at £25 a month for 10GB of data but offers 'unlimited' data for £35 a month on an 18-month contract. And Racoon starts at £5 a month for 500MB of data on an 18-month contract.


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More Barack Obama tee shirts available from ClubT, a design-your-own tee shirt and goods website in Japan. Obama City, Japan: website; news and photo. Obama impersonator. Also see Obama Instant Tee Shirts.
A tiny dog is the honorary stationmaster at Oku-Nakayama Kogen Station, in Ichinohemachi, Iwate Prefecture. Maron, a tiny 8-year-old Yorkshire terrier, wears a tiny uniform and tiny hat and serves as a tourist attraction for the Iwate Galaxy Railway Company. Since 2000, the dog had been accompanying its owner to work at the then-named Oku-Nakayama Station. In June 2008, the president of IGR officially proclaimed the dog as stationmaster
Report: Tama-chan Boosts Business For only the price of cat food, a kitty in a train station in rural Japan has benefited the local economy. In April 2008, Lets Japan wrote about Tama-chan (Cat in Hat Can’t Quit), the official hat-wearing stationmaster feline at Kishi train station on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama Prefecture. Tama-the-cat
Bye Buy Butter Thirty-five years ago, it was toilet paper. Now, consumers and bakeries are hunting butter as Japan is suffering a butter shortage. Supermarkets are limiting butter to one per customer. At OK Mart, Hokkaido butter brand was available, up 100 yen from it’s previous price of 199 yen. Buyers were allowed only one
Most Attractive Gifts Announced Found a beautiful gift in Japan? How does it compare to winners of the second “Attractive Souvenir” contest held by The Visit Japan Campaign (Yokoso Japan)? Some winners: Food Category, using regionally produced ingredients Gold Prize – Nambu Hand-baked Senbei Rice Cracker Set Bronze Prize – Kameya Grated Wasabi Mustard Crafts
The Daily Yomiuri reports that a ?disaster relief vending machine? which can be enabled to dispense goods for free during a natural disaster, has been installed outside a police box in Maebashi. And the Maebashi machine is not the only one. There are 20 similar vending machines in Shizuoka. In fact, vending machines that become


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As 3D printing grows and makes its presence known in industries across the world, there’s still the question of how to get workers caught up on the technology. 3D printing is being taught in more and more schools, from elementary to college level, but there’s still a generation of workers who have been in the workforce longer than 3D printing has. Those workers need to be trained in 3D printing, and that’s a big job. There are several training and certification programs available, but they generally only teach people the basics of 3D printing software and equipment. ACADEMI, however, is different.
ACADEMI (Advanced Curriculum in Additive Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Innovation) is the brainchild of Anthony Hughes, Founder and President of The Lanterman Group, a 3D printing innovation strategy and design firm. As part of a long-term strategic alliance with America Makes, Hughes and The Lanterman Group are launching ACADEMI, the first hands-on certification program in the United States focused on designing and producing products for 3D printing.
ACADEMI teaches not only the basics of 3D printing, but how to apply it within companies to become more competitive.
The ACADEMI program offers hands-on skills training in addition to advanced education about 3D design and 3D printing. Hughes compares it to the Lean Six Sigma program, which many businesses use to improve performance and business processes. ACADEMI, like Lean Six Sigma, is application-oriented and team-based, and it draws from field-tested research, courtesy of America Makes.
“The manufacturing field is going through a huge rebirth right now. We need to think differently about how we are going to give workers the right set of skills to thrive during this change, because making 3-D printed parts is a lot more complicated than picking up a single skill. What we need are people who think differently about product development: from designers, to material engineers, to manufacturing engineers—people who push their companies to think innovatively,” said Hughes.
“Many people think 3-D printing is an interesting way to make products faster, and hopefully cheaper. But they are missing the larger opportunity. The true game-changer is in design innovation. 3-D printing provides enormous design freedoms that can unlock a multitude of benefits if we free ourselves from thinking that a product or part must look the same as it always has. I want to teach people how to explore new possibilities and create the products of tomorrow.”
“What ACADEMI is bringing to the table is an end-to-end approach to 3-D printing training, which is: you start with a problem statement built around a real, industrial-based application need, and you end with a capstone project that is actually demonstrating and validating the learnings in a real-world environment,” said Rob Gorham, Executive Director of America Makes.
ACADEMI just launched this fall, with the Air Force and United States Department of Defense the first groups to participate in the program. Metal 3D printing is the focus of the first training sessions, but Hughes plans to expand the program to encompass polymer and composite materials soon. He plans to make additional expansions to ACADEMI, as well: right now, it’s geared toward technicians, but he wants to add courses for executives and managers in the near future.
“In the grand scheme of things, I would like for ACADEMI to have a significant impact on the productivity of individual companies as well as be a catalyst for broad industry adoption,” said Hughes. “I hope companies can look at us and say, ‘You allowed us to significantly cut the time it took for us to get our 3-D printed innovation to market, from two years to six months.'”
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com, or share your thoughts below.[Source: Carnegie Mellon University]
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Plant-based meat: Inside Asia’s potential | WARC | The Feed
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Plant-based meat: Inside Asia’s potential
Strong funding and on-the-ground reality meet a long-standing acceptance of plant-based meat substitutes across the continent, as tech and commercial trends drive its adoption.
Why it matters
Shifting consumption away from animal meat is increasingly an environmental imperative, and whether we like it or not, it’s what we’ll have to do if we want an earth to live on.
But Asia-Pacific and China aren’t just good regions to sell into, there is vast potential for home-grown companies to emerge to take on (and maybe even help save) the world.
The opportunity is vast, with some estimates expecting the plant-based meat and dairy category growing to $45 billion by 2025, according to Nestle, just one of the major food companies now training its considerable R&D and distribution capabilities on this burgeoning market.
What’s going on
According to Tech in Asia funding for alternative protein startups has surged fivefold.
It’s not only investor interest, however, but the proximity of innovation hubs to centres of intense agricultural production which make Asia, and particularly the Southeast of the continent, a critical hub.
In India, where there are already many vegetarians, just under half of consumers are willing to try plant-based alternatives, with trials now essential to showing how good these products are getting.
In China, meanwhile, the centuries-long use of vegetarian substitutes for meat and seafood, meets modern e-commerce capabilities for international companies like Beyond Meat launching China-specific flavours like savoury black pepper into the market via Tmall to boost its Beyond Pork range (pictured).
While tastes may change, distribution remains a challenge that e-commerce alone won’t be able to solve. However, with greater investment they can move beyond specialist retail and into the mainstream.
Sourced from WARC, Tech in Asia, Food and Wine, GreenQueen
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“KFC brand is doing a nationwide reimage to old assets, and we felt like the city of Middletown deserved an upgrade to the old asset,” he said.
The new building features a dining room that can accommodate more than 30 people. The former restaurant only had a seating capacity for eight customers. The new layout of the building will also improve flow through the drive through, according to Saunders.
RGT manages more than 70 restaurants — including Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut — in Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois and Kentucky.


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EV and PHEV sales in Europe continue to break records in 2019 with a 44% increase to nearly 126.000 sales of plug-in vehicles, of which close to 83.000 full electric cars and almost 43.000 plug-in hybrid cars. Sales of the former surged almost doubled at +94% while PHEV sales were virtually stable at -3%. If in 2018 battery electric cars outsold PHEVs for the first time, in the first quarter of 2019 almost twice as many EVs were delivered than plug-in hybrids. Plug-in vehicles accounted for 3,1% of the European car market, up from 2% in the first quarter of 2018 and 2,2% in the full year 2018.
The minicar segment in Europe continues its decline in the first quarter of 2019, although it has lost less than the overall market. In the first three months of 2019, European car buyers took delivery of 331.285 minicars, a 3% loss on 2018. The share of the total European car market is slightly up from 8,0% to 8,1% as the overall market showed an even stronger decline. Fiat’s dominance in this segment shrinks to a share of 29,7% with its two models, compared to 30% in Q1 of 2018 but up on the 28,7% for the full year 2018. Surprisingly, the aging Panda gained 12% of sales this year and reclaims the top spot from its equally old sibling 500 which is the biggest loser in the segment top-15. This is a worrying trend for the already struggling Italian brand as the 500 has been the cork that kept Fiat afloat for the past decade and more. We find a surprise in third place as the Toyota Aygo knocks the Volkswagen Up! off the podium for the first time since the launch of the latter in 2012. The Aygo sees stable sales this year with a 1% gain while the Up! is down 11% into fourth place. The Renault Twingo loses a similar percentage and holds on to 5th place by the skin of its teeth as the Kia Picanto is up 10% and just 42 sales behind. The Twingo has just received a minor facelift and should be able to distance the Picanto later this year again. The Hyundai i10 also loses by double digits as a next generation is just around the corner. [Read more…]
EV and PHEV sales in Europe have set another record in 2018 with a 22% increase to nearly 345.000 sales of plug-in vehicles, of which close to 190.000 full electric cars and almost 155.000 plug-in hybrid cars. Sales of the former surged 44% while PHEV sales were virtually stable at +3,3%. 2018 therefore marks the first year that battery electric cars outsold PHEVs. Plug-in vehicles accounted for 2,2% of the European car market, up from 1,8% in 2017 and 1,4% in 2016. The rate of growth for EVs in Europe still lags that of worldwide EV sales, which grew by 73% in 2018.
Sales of minicars in Europe decline again by 1% in 2018 to 1,24 million units, which means their share of the total European car market is slightly down from 8,1% in 2017 to 8,0%, which is not a bad performance considering there haven’t been any major updates to any of the models in this segment in 2018. Despite the lack of investment by manufacturers due to the slim margins on this kind of vehicle, the segment is expected to stabilize at this level sales until 2020. Fiat’s dominance in this segment shrinks to a share of 28,7% with its two models, as the aging Panda lost 10% of its volume while the 500 maintains stable despite being just about as old. The decline of the Italian market and the Panda’s dependence on its home market are the biggest reason for that model’s troubles, as Italy is responsible for more than the Panda’s lost volume, meaning sales outside Italy actually increased and the share of its home market is down from 78% to 73,9%. The 500 also loses 14.000 sales in Italy but wins them back in other markets, as now just 21,2% of its European registrations happen in its home market, down from 28,5% in 2017. The Volkswagen Up! is down 3% to just below 100.000 sales but manages to hold on to its podium place that it has held ever since its first full year of sales 2012. [Read more…]
EV and PHEV sales in Europe have set another record in 2017 with a 33% increase to top 282.000 sales of plug-in vehicles, of which 132.000 full electric cars and 150.000 plug-in hybrid cars. Sales of the former surged 35% while PHEV sales spiked 31%. This means plug-in vehicles accounted for 1,8% of the European car market, up from 1,4% in 2016.
Sales of minicars in Europe decline by 1% in 2017 to just under 1,25 million units, which means their share of the total European car market declined from 8,4% in 2016 to 8,1%. The segment is expected to show another small decline in 2018 before stabilizing at about 1,23 million sales until 2020. Fiat remains ultra-dominant in this segmentwith a share of over 30% thanks to its two models. Thanks to an increase of 3%, the Fiat 500 reclaims the segment lead it also held from 2013 to 2015, knocking its sibling Fiat Panda down into 2nd place. Even though their total European volumes are within a few thousand units of each other, there’s a big difference in the way these two models achieve these sales. The 500 is successful across almost all of Europe, while the Panda is heavily dependent on its home market Italy, which accounts for 78% of its sales (or almost 146.000 units), compared to just 28,5% for the 500 (or nearly 54.000 sales). The closest rival to the Italian duo, [Read more…]
The minicar segment shows a slight recovery in Q3 of 2017 with a gain of 1% but is still down by 1% for the first 9 months of 2017, with almost 980.000 sales. Fiat’s share of the segment is down on the first half of the year but up on the first three quarters of 2016, with 30,6% share of the segment and holding on to the top two positions with the 500 and Panda. The Volkswagen Up! remaims #3 of the segment, with less than half the sales of the best seller, but was the only model in the segment that showed double-digit growth in Q3. However, it was still outsold by the Hyundai i10 in the third quarter, the fastest growing model in the year-to-date top-5. The gap between the two models is too large to be closed in the last quarter, so another podium finish for the Up! seems to be wrapped up. The fifth placed Toyota Aygo is the best seller of the Kolin triplets, built together with PSA, and also the only of the three to continue growing its sales, as the Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1 are both down by double digits. The same can be said of the remaining two members of the VW triplets, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii.
The minicar segment continues to shrink in 2017 as has been forecasted by analysts, before it is expected to stabilize until 2020. Since minicars are unaffected by competition from crossovers, the segment is expected remain stable after a second year of small declines. Despite the downturn for the segment, minicars still account for 8,3% of new car sales in Europe with just over 692.000 sales in the half. Fiat retains the 31,5% share of the segment it held in Q1, up from 30,1% in the first half of 2016 and 28,1% in all of 2016. Both of its models, the Panda and the 500, improve their sales and each sells more than double the volume of any other nameplate in the segment. But while the 500 is popular across most of Europe, the Panda remains extremely dependent on its home market Italy for almost 80% of its sales (vs. 30,5% for the 500). Thanks to a strong second quarter, the 500 closes the gap to the #1 position and could reclaim the segment leadership after just one year of Panda domination. The Volkswagen Up! is down by 3% but holds on to its third place, although the Hyundai i10 is closing in thanks to a 10% increase. In the first half of last year, the i10 was in 6th place but it finished 2016 in 4th place before dropping back to 5th in Q1. This may be the year the South-Korean hatchback jumps onto the segment podium.
Sales of minicars in Europe lost 5% in the first quarter of 2017 with 360.000 units sold, compared to an overall market growth of 7,8%. Fiat remains segment leader with two models on top, and both outgroing the rest of the segment, to increase its total share to 31,5%. After reclaiming the lead from its sibling Fiat 500, the Fiat Panda consolidates its first place, but once again it is extremely dependent on its home market Italy which accounts for 81,8% of its total European sales (up from 78,4% in 2016-Q1), compared to “just” 31,6% for the 500. In third place we still find the Volkswagen Up!, but the Toyota Aygo is just 700 units behind after taking third place in February. And the Hyundai i10 isn’t far away in fifth place either, after being the fastest growing model in the segment top-10. [Read more…]
EV and PHEV sales in Europe have set another record in 2016, but the growth curve has significantly slowed, with just a 7% gain for battery electric cars and 17% for Plug-in hybrid cars, compared to an overall market up 6,2%. As a result, combined sales of all plug-in vehicles grew from 1,4% of the market in 2015 to 1,5% in 2016. While we hit the 100.000 annual sales milestone for PHEVs, EVs missed that target by just 2.500 units, as customers were waiting for the “next generation” EVs with longer range which arrived late 2016 (BMW i3) or early 2017 (Renault Zoe, VW e-Golf). Also, a number of governments, most notably Denmark and Sweden, have dialed back on their EV incentives in 2016 while Germany’s new EV and PHEV subsidy hasn’t made a big impact yet. In The Netherlands, an incentive on PHEV’s as company cars was cut in 2017 so that boosted deliveries of these vehicles in the last few months as customers wanted to benefit from the incentives before they ended. As a result, 2017 PHEV sales are expected to crash and burn in The Netherlands while EVs are expected to show healthy growth there because this will be the only type of vehicle to receive government incentives.


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What started as a trending fan fantasy on Twitter could possibly become a reality. Just last week, the #FENTYXKAI hashtag was trending on Twitter. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and a member of a popular K-pop group EXO‘s Kai became the talk of the net-o-sphere as EXO-Ls(the official EXO fan name) were playing around the idea of a Fenty x Kai beauty collab.
And their efforts didn’t go to waste as Fenty Beauty replied with “Okay we see y’all… We’re sending a DM
#FENTYXKAI” on Twitter.
This obviously got everyone excited cos if they’re really working on this then we’d see Fenty’s first male celeb as the face of that possible new collection.
The South Korean singer and dancer is no stranger to makeup. From black liners to smokey eyeshadow, this guy wears makeup with ease!
Fans started designing imageries of what they think the campaign images would look like and we must say they look pretty convincing. Till then we’ll keep on the lookout for more news on FENTYXKAI.
— ? bobohu ? (@baekxsbby) August 25, 2018
— Fenty-gom | 10veℓy?? (@kjiswhore) August 25, 2018
PROJECT FENTYXKAI has started a new hashtag #FENTYBOY_KAI!
Tweet your fav pics, videos, or your jongin artwork and tell us why it’s good to have Jongin as the first male @fentybeauty model or why it makes you happy! #FENTYXKAI @weareoneEXO @SMTOWNGLOBAL pic.twitter.com/mPa7jovZzz
— FentyBoy Jonginie??? (@jes_xxiii) August 26, 2018


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Zoom CEO Eric Yuan’s comments that the software company would work with law enforcement by not offering the strongest encryption for free calls has drawn strong criticism.
Browsing: Information security
IT has always been a high-stress profession, but cybersecurity specialists and executives are now seen as the most likely subjects to experience burnout to an extreme degree. By Steve Jump.
Google surreptitiously amasses billions of bits of information – every day – about Internet users even if they opt out of sharing their information, three consumers alleged in a proposed class-action lawsuit.
Government apps designed to help authorities track and slow the spread of Covid-19 are struggling to accomplish their goals because of restrictions on data collection built into smartphones by Apple and Google.
Hackers put more than half a million login details for the teleconferencing app Zoom on the dark Web, according to a report.
Tracking people infected with Covid-19 has become an important weapon in global responses to combating the virus. But at what cost?
Apple said it found no evidence of cyberattackers exploiting newly discovered vulnerabilities in the Mail app for iPhone and iPad, software used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Apple plans to release a patch after the cybersecurity company ZecOps found vulnerabilities that may have allowed hackers to exploit iPhones, devices used by hundreds of millions of people.
Promoted | Brian Pinnock, director of sales engineering in the Middle East & Africa at Mimecast, joins TechCentral for a wide-ranging discussion on the security implications of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Contact tracing apps must be made with privacy at their heart and only keep data as long as necessary, governments have been told.


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Official statements and point of view from PayPal.
14 Mar 2019
Every day men, women and children are transported across international borders and forced into slave labour or sex work. According to last year’s Global Slavery Index, there are over 18 million...
08 Mar 2019
The value and economic impact of women-owned businesses and female entrepreneurship is often overlooked, yet women business owners were responsible for generating over $1.8 trillion in sales in...


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3 Mins Read
Discount supermarket chain Aldi U.K. has announced a significant surge in plant-based sales during January. Reporting a spike of 500 percent against last year’s January sales figures, the budget retailer has attributed the numbers to an increase in Veganuary participants. Recently confirmed figures show that a record 629,351 people signed up for the challenge in 2022.
Recognising the potential of the first month in a new year and Veganuary’s increasing popularity, Aldi U.K. timed the release of multiple new Plant Menu products perfectly. This year saw the first vegan cheese from the retailer, after multiple requests from customers. The grocer launched new ice cream, meat substitutes, ready meals and bread items in a notable push.
Reducing the cost of eating vegan
Aldi U.K. has been consistent in its gradual increase of product choices for plant-based eaters. Initially starting with frozen items such as sausages and nuggets, it has branched out into all categories. It has been proactive in reformulating recipes, in accordance with customer feedback, as well. A notable example is its ‘No-Beef Burgers’ that have been relaunched as ‘Ultimate No-Beef burgers’. They now feature pea protein and remain 60 percent cheaper than Beyond Meat alternatives.
“Veganuary is getting bigger and bigger each year as the UK’s appetite and interest in plant-based food grows,” Julie Ashfield, Aldi managing director of buying, said in a statement. “In response to that demand we’re continuing to expand our vegan offering, giving our shoppers plenty of choice and all at great value. But it’s also a trend that we’re witnessing year-round and, as more and more people adopt this diet, we expect these products to remain popular throughout the year.”
Aldi is demonstrating a global approach to plant-based product domination, with U.S. and German stores being particularly well-stocked. The chain won awards from PETA in 2020 for its extensive selections in both countries. Aldi Germany went a step further than offering only its own vegan range, as it announced a partnership with fellow German name Bettaf!sh in October last year. The collaboration saw more than 4,000 stores throughout the country stock ‘TU-NAH’ sandwiches.
Figures rising across the sector
Aldi’s reveal of a 500 percent rise in sales comes shortly after Tesco’s Wicked Kitchen announced an uptick of its own. Last week, the in-house plant-based brand, headed by Derek and Chad Sarno, reported a doubling of sales, when compared to January 2021. Like Aldi, Tesco released a number of new lines to coincide with the start of Veganuary, plus its first vegan meal deal options. Both initiatives are assumed to be contributing factors to sales figure success.
A newcomer to the vegan world, Morrisons unveiled its brand new plant-based range, Plant Revolution, in January. Launching with 50 products, the debut was ambitious and sought to garner new fans with a selection of grab-and-go options, as well as ready meals and frozen staples. Morrisons has said that the launch came as a direct result of consumers asking for more vegan foods to be available. Though no comparative data will be available until next year, it will be indicative of the range’s success to find out how popular it was during Veganuary 2022.
Sainsbury’s remained quiet this year, opting to secure the exclusive distribution of vegan Babybel cheeses for Veganuary. Though consumers have noted that they have been hard to track down.
Lead product image by Aldi U.K.


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BMW announced today the start of prototype production for the iNext.
Hype is beginning to build for the upcoming BMW 4 Series Coupe. It’s not as if it needed much hype building, as enthusiasts will naturally be excited for the next-gen sports coupe, but budding spy photos are doing the job anyway
China is not only by far the largest single market for BMW, but will also be one of the most important markets for the new 2020 BMW 330e.
If you’re familiar with the Rolls-Royce brand and the way they do things, you might already know what Black Badge stands for. Apart from having black accents here and there along with a black Spirit of Ecstasy, the Black Badge models also come with a bit more power and better dynamics.
BMW has a new CEO and the task before Oliver Zipse is definitely not an easy one, as the industry is going through some deep changes. Some think electric vehicles are the future while others consider hydrogen-powered cars might be a better choice on the long run
Inspired by the hills, sand and sea surrounding Pebble Beach, the Pebble Beach 2019 Collection is the most colorful yet. The Collection includes 13 beautiful Bespoke Commissions, offered exclusively for the clients attending Monterey Car Week 2019.
On the occasion of the Monterey Car Week and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the MINI brand celebrated its 60th Anniversary with a preview of both the MINI Cooper SE battery electric along with the highly anticipated upcoming MINI John Cooper Works GP. In addition, the British car maker showcased its heritage with a grouping of historic models
When launching in Australia later this fall, the 2020 BMW X7 M50i will be one of the most expensive models in the lineup.
For the next three years, BMW will continue as the title sponsor of the BMW Championship. With this new agreement, BMW will host the BMW Championship, the penultimate event on the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, through 2022. “We are very excited to remain the title sponsor of the BMW Championship, one of golf’s premiere events,” says Bernhard Kuhnt, president and CEO, BMW of North America.
In November, at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW will finally unveil the 2020 BMW M2 CS . The super sporty M2 is one of the most awaited BMWs of this decade, or at least ever since the 1M


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BlackBerry is working on 2 new QWERTY based devices and one of them is a quirky looking BlacKBerry Passport. If you can’t get enough of this passport looking device, more details have surfaced including hands-on photos and its alleged specification.
According to CrackBerry’s source, the BlackBerry Passport is getting a high resolution 1440×1440 LCD display, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a larger unremovable 3,450mAh capacity battery. The weight is said to be around 6 ounces (about 170 grams)
UPDATE: Check out our hands-on and first impressions of the BlackBerry Z3.
Initially developed for the Indonesian market, the BlackBerry Z3 is available in Malaysia from July 7 and will retail for RM699. Operators will also be offering the device soon.
Announced at MWC 2014, the Z3 features a 5-inch a qHD (960×540) touch display pushing 220ppi, a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of on-board storage. You also get a generous 2,500mAh battery and a micro USB port as standard. If you need more storage, the Z3 also comes with a microSD card expansion slot that support cards up to 32GB.
For taking pictures, there’s a 5MP rear camera that can do full HD 1080p video while the front you get a 1.1MP shooter that can do HD 720p videos. Being developed to meet a certain price range, the Z3 lacks LTE but you get WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC.
But for the asking priced you’d probably be better off getting the BlackBerry Z10 which has an arguably better screen (4.2-inch 1280×768, 355ppi), better camera, more RAM and more storage.
Head on over to after the jump for the BlackBerry Z3 unboxing video.
BlackBerry’s John Chen gave a glimpse of what the company has planned for 2015 by showing off two new devices at a recent meeting, as CrackBerry discovered, and it seems physical QWERTY keyboards are very much a feature that BlackBerry feel is important to its users as the two yet-to-released devices — the BlackBerry Classic and the BlackBerry Passport — both prominently feature a physical keyboard
Little was revealed about the two new devices except that there will be colour options and a rich ecosystem of accessories developed for the Passport while the Classic doesn’t detract far from the Bold 9000.
So what do you think of the new BlackBerry devices?
As far as we can tell BlackBerry can make as many devices they want but without a proper drive to get developers on board, they’re not going to sell very many devices.
The BlackBerry Z3 that was initially developed specifically for the Indonesian market is coming to Malaysia based on the information we’ve gathered. BlackBerry Malaysia have scheduled for a media event on June 24 and a quick check in the SIRIM database revealed that the device has already been certified for use in Malaysia. We’ll be at the BlackBerry event next week to give you more details.
Announced at MWC 2014, the Z3 is a 5-inch full touch device made affordable. Selling for 2,199,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about RM621) in Indonesia, you can expect the device to be sold cheaper here in Malaysia as we don’t have heavy tariffs on electronics like Indonesia do.
Detailed specs include qHD (960×540) resolution display pushing 220ppi, a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of on-board storage. There’s a rather large — considering the price point — 2,500mAh battery along with a micro USB port as standard. If you need more storage, the Z3 also comes with a microSD card expansion slot that support cards up to 32GB.
For taking pictures, there’s a 5MP rear camera that can do full HD 1080p video while the front you get a 1.1MP shooter that can do HD 720p videos. Being developed to meet a certain price range, the Z3 lacked LTE but you get WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC.
The BlackBerry Z3 device is now open for pre-orders in Indonesia. Codenamed Jakarta, the device offers a large 5″ full touch screen display at an affordable price of 2,199,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about RM621). It was initially announced during MWC 2014 and it was designed specifically for the Indonesian market.
While the Z3’s front 5″ display is similar in size with its larger Z30, it pushes a lower qHD resolution of 960×540. This gives a pixel density of 220ppi (pixels per inch). Powering the Z3 is a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 processor with 1.5GB of RAM and it comes with 8GB of on-board storage. It also gets a 2,500mAh battery which is pretty generous in this price range and there’s micro USB and micro HDMI ports as standard. If you need more storage, the Z3 also comes with a microSD card expansion slot that support cards up to 32GB capacity.
For taking pictures, the rear gets a 5MP camera which can shoot Full HD 1080p videos while the front settles for a 1.1MP shooter that can do HD 720p videos. Connectivity wise, it gets Wifi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC but lacks 4G LTE support. Overall it is 9.2mm thick and weighs 164 grams. As an early adopter, BlackBerry is releasing limited units of its Jakarta Edition which will come with “Jakarta” inscribed at the back cover.
The pre-order is offered through telcos Indosat and XL with availability expected on its official unveiling on 13th May 2014. So far there’s still no word if this You can view the full specs over at BlackBerry Z3 product page.
Indonesia used to be a stronghold for BlackBerry commanding about 43% of smart phones in the country according to IDC. With Android’s rapid accession, BlackBerry’s smart phone share in Indonesia fell to 14% in 2013. Apart from the Z3, BlackBerry is seen to be working on a cheap BlackBerry 10 QWERY device codenamed Kopi. Is having cheap BlackBerry 10 devices the answer to recover lost ground? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Check out more official images of the BlackBerry Z3 after the break.
BlackBerry is expected to release a new BlackBerry 10.3 software update which brings a couple of new features and UI enhancements. To demonstrate the new revisions, N4BB has recorded a quick hands-on preview of an early 10.3 Build running on a BlackBerry Z10.
The new BlackBerry 10.3 has a number of UI revisions including a flatter UI design and the home screen icons are now displayed without the typical grey boxes behind it. The camera interface gets a major revamp with a new camera timer, panorama photo mode and an option to shoot a 60fps video at 720p resolution. There’s also a new Automatic Stories feature that creates highlight clips with photos taken at the same location. This is somewhat similar to HTC’s Zoe highlight videos.
Also new is a voice assistant called Intelligent Assistant. While we are curious to find out how it compares against Cortana and the rest, unfortunately it refuses to work in video.
Watch the hands-on demo of Blackberry 10.3 after the break.
Struggling BlackBerry is on a roll to introduce smart phones at lower price segments. During MWC 2014, they had announced the BlackBerry Z3 which is supposed to be an affordable touch screen BlackBerry 10 device for the Indonesian market. Sometime last year, we’ve seen a purported entry-level QWERTY based BlackBerry device codename “Kopi” but we haven’t heard much about it for a long time. Initially it was suspected that the device got canned after John Chen took over as CEO.
Now it appears that the device might be coming out after all with fresh leaks of the device and a side by side comparison with its BlackBerry Q5 sibling. The leak images came from Vietnam, where surprisingly its tech sites seems to be able to grab hold of unreleased devices lately. The all black colour device shown above is the current BlackBerry Q5 while the other unit with a Silver frame is the new unreleased “Kopi”.
With both side by side, the new Kopi appears to be more upmarket with a contrasting colours on the frame and a textured back. Size wise, it is quite similar with the Q5. This raises a question, whether the new BlackBerry Kopi is a new low-cost device or could it be a replacement model instead? Currently the BlackBerry Q5 which comes with 4G LTE support is priced at RM818. For those seeking a high-end QWERTY smart phone, Blackberry also had announced its large screen BlackBerry Q20 but that’s only coming on the 2nd half of this year.
Check out more images of the BlackbBerry Kopi after the break.
The yet to be launched BlackBerry Z3 has appeared side by side with its high-end BlackBerry Z10 and Z30 siblings. The picture of the 3 devices above came from our local GengBBM and it is unknown if this was taken in Malaysia. From the comparison, the Z3 is about the same size as the top of the range Z30, which is no surprise considering both are having 5″ displays.
Codenamed Jakarta, the BlackBerry Z3 is said to be having a 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. The front 5″ display pushes a lower qHD resolution of 960×540 pixels, while imaging is taken care of by a 5MP main and 1.1MP front camera. Since this is a budget device, it lacks 4G LTE connectivity. The BlackBerry Z3 is expected to be launched in Indonesia this month with a low price tag below US$200 (less than RM700).
The BlackBerry Z10 4G LTE version is currently priced at RM818, which is less than half its original price 6 months ago. It is yet to be seen if a phone that’s a few hundred ringgit cheaper would change things for the struggling smart phone maker.
Head after the break for hands-on pics of the BlackBerry Z3 from Crackberry
The last BlackBerry 10.2.1 update for BlackBerry 10 devices had brought major changes with improved usability and support for Android APK files. Now a newer OS update that carries the version number 10.3 is on its way. While the increment in number looks big, the changes are rather subtle compared to the previous update.
Some of the new changes on the BlackBery 10.3 version include:
The 10.3 software update for the BlackBerry Z10 has been leaked out. If you’re adventurous, you can download it now which is about 1.6GB in size. To install, you may follow the step by step instructions over here.
Head after the break for more additional screenshots taken from the BlackBerry 10.3 OS.
In addition to the Q20, BlackBerry announced a new smartphone developed specifically for the Indonesian market. A result of a strategic partnership with device manufacturer, Foxconn, to keep costs low, the BlackBerry Z3 will feature a 5-inch touchscreen display, run on BlackBerry 10.2.1 and feature customised local apps. While other specifications like battery, camera and processor have not been revealed during the announcement detailed leaked images of the Z3 have already surfaced on the internet.
While BlackBerry is optimistic of the Z3’s performance, it has a mountain to climb in Indonesia, a market where it used to enjoy a cult following. In 2011, BlackBerry accounted for 43% of the Indonesian smartphone market, according to IDC. But the market has shifted quickly toward Android devices and by 2013, BlackBerry’s share of the Indonesian market had dwindled to 14% while Android’s market exploded to 81%.
The BlackBerry Z3 is expected to be available in Indonesia in April. Further details on pricing and availability will be announced at launch.


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The world's smallest road-legal car, the Peel P50, is currently on display at Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum. Only around 50 were made in the mid-1960s, selling for just under £200 advertised as being able to hold one man and a shopping bag.
With only one door, one headlight and no reverse gear, the P50 certainly won't attract the ladies (they couldn't fit in anyway) but it'll certainly squeeze into the tightest of parking spaces.
22,000 people agreed to clean toilets for WiFi because they did not read the terms.
Tools designed to ensure computer code in smart cars does not crash has been inspired by hungry penguins.
The rounded sleeping capsules send guests drifting into ocean before arriving on desert island by morning.
Sitting on the saddle activates the part of the brain responsible for learning, a study has claimed.
Scientists are appealing for more people to donate their brains for research after they die.
Life on Earth may have arrived from Mars on an asteroid, scientists have claimed.
Lunar mission scheduled at the end of 2017 could find out if beer can be brewed on the moon.
A bottle used to teach children how far litter can travel ended up on Scottish beach after 8,700-mile journey.


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Tata Motors’ New Range Of Commercial Vehicles To Drive Turnaround Strategy
Tata Motors Ltd. is betting on a new ‘Ultra’ range of trucks to increase market share in the commercial vehicles segment.
As part of its five-year strategy, the automaker is looking to expand its portfolio in the intermediate and light commercial vehicles as well the medium commercial vehicles segments, Girish Wagh, president of the commercial vehicles business at Tata Motors told BloombergQuint. The launch of the Ultra range of trucks, ranging from 7-16 tonne capacity, will help to strengthen its position in the ILCV segment, he added.
Tata Motors’ market share in the segment rose 2.7 percent to 44.2 percent for the year-ended March. For the commercial vehicles segment overall, its market share increased by 70 basis points to 44 percent as it undertook heavy discounting to increase volume growth.
Last August, while addressing shareholders, Tata Motors Chairman N Chandrasekaran expressed concern over the company's falling commercial vehicles market share from a high of nearly 60 percent five years ago and emphasised on the turnaround plan for its domestic business with a special focus on the ailing commercial vehicles business.
The company has been investing Rs 1,500 crore every year, Wagh said, adding that this investment is expected to grow marginally as they look to meet the Bharat Stage VI emission norms.
Tata Motors is eyeing demand from the e-commerce logistics segment and smart cities even as it contends with higher commodity prices. “We are seeing some of the headwind in steel and tyres, we have been able to pass on some of these to the customers. But in competitive environment, we have to absorb some of the costs, said Wagh.
Higher fuel prices is also a red flag for the CV maker. “Of late, we have seen customers talk about rising diesel prices, these could have some impact,” Wagh added.
Tata Motors chief Guenter Butschek is confident the company will outpace industry growth in the financial year 2018-19 but did not set a target.
Watch the full interview with Girish Wagh of Tata Motors here.


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Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is set to testify this week to defend his $56 billion pay package against shareholder allegations that it was rigged with easy performance targets and that investors were duped into approving it.
During the five-day trial, a Tesla shareholder hopes to demonstrate that Musk used his dominance over the electric vehicle maker’s board to dictate terms of the 2018 package, which did not even require him to work full-time at Tesla.
The shareholder, Richard Tornetta, has asked the court in Wilmington, Delaware, to rescind the pay package, which is six times larger than the top 200 CEO salaries combined in 2021, according to Amit Batish of Equilar.
Musk and Tesla’s directors, who are also defendants, have denied the allegations. They argued the pay package did what it aimed to do — ensure the entrepreneur successfully guided Tesla through a critical period which helped drive the stock 10-fold higher.
Musk, the world’s richest person, could testify as soon as Tuesday, according to a court filing.
The case will be decided by Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery. She oversaw the legal dispute between Twitter Inc and Musk that ended with his purchase of the social media platform for $44 billion last month.
The Tesla shareholder lawsuit argues that the pay package should have required Musk to work full time at Tesla. The company’s shareholders have become concerned that Musk is distracted by Twitter, which he has warned might not survive an economic downturn.
Legal experts said Musk is in a better legal position in the pay case than he was in Twitter’s lawsuit that prevented him from walking away from the takeover.
Boards have wide latitude to set executive compensation, according to legal experts.
However, directors must meet more stringent legal tests if the pay package involves a controlling shareholder, and part of this trial is likely to focus on whether that description fits Musk. While he owned only 21.9% of Tesla in 2018, plaintiffs are likely to cite his domineering personality and ties to directors.
Monday’s testimony is expected to begin with Ira Ehrenpreis, a Tesla director since 2007. In all, 19 witnesses are scheduled, including directors and executives from 2018, compensation experts and advisors who helped craft the pay package.
The disputed package allows Musk to buy 1% of Tesla’s stock at a deep discount each time escalating performance and financial targets are met. Otherwise Musk gets nothing.
Tesla has hit 11 of the 12 targets as its value ballooned briefly to more than $1 trillion from $50 billion, according to court papers.
A decision will likely take around three months after the trial and could be appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court.


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A construction timetable hasn’t been set, but the Hy-Vee Inc. chain still plans to build a supermarket at the former Sears department store site at 4200 State Hwy. 16, at Valley View Mall, a company spokeswoman told me last week.
“We still intend to have a Hy-Vee store in La Crosse at that site,” said Tina Potthoff, the company’s senior vice president of communications. “A timeline for construction has not been set,” she said Tuesday in an emailed response to my e-mailed inquiry about the status of the project.
Hy-Vee bought the property last September for $2.4 million, according to La Crosse County records.
“The plan as of right now is to remodel the Sears facility versus demolishing the building and rebuilding,” Potthoff said. “Our architects, however, are still looking into this, especially as we introduce new departments in our stores.”
Potthoff also said Hy-Vee will open a new store in Eau Claire in September. Hy-Vee said in April 2019 that it had signed an agreement to purchase the former Kmart site on Clairemont Avenue in Eau Claire. The Kmart building was later razed to make way for the new Hy-Vee.
William Outten and David Polansky opened Hemp Plus on Aug. 11, across from Bath & Body Works in Valley View Mall in La Crosse.
The new store sells CBD (cannabidiol) products made from hemp, as well as Delta-8 (another kind of product made from hemp), accessories, apparel, incense and gift items.
“We have gift items or something for aches, pains, anxiety, sleeping issues or simply just to relax,” Outten said. “Also, we just spent a small fortune on an FDA Class II approved filter that kills COVID and other airborne pathogens. So folks can feel confident our store is a safe environment to shop in.”
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 608-781-1220 or visit www.hempplus.store. The store’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages were expected to be up by this weekend.
Debbie Olson plans to close her Uncommonplace store around the end of September at 101 Main St. in downtown Hokah, Minn.
A store-closing sale is under way at Uncommonplace, which sells vintage items and which Olson said she opened in 2011. She is retiring from selling vintage merchandise after 40 years, but has a full-time job elsewhere.
Uncommonplace offers two floors of unique vintage items that Olson has hand-picked.
Store hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit Uncommonplace’s Facebook page.
The Days Inn Hotel and Conference Center at 101 Sky Harbour Drive on French Island has become a Norwood Inn & Suites hotel, according to a temporary sign at the entrance to its parking lot.
Details about the name change weren’t available at press time last week.
Twin City Lodging LLC, based in Roseville, Minn., and which owns several other hotels, bought the 146-room Days Inn in 2016. It had opened in 1973 as a Ramada Inn.
Places of the past: 29 La Crosse area restaurants you'll never eat at again (part one)
Madison has bolstered its potential to become an artificial intelligence tech powerhouse within the last decade because of research activity, according to a new report from Washington D.C.-based think tank Brookings Institution.


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On February 24th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with a series of missile attacks that are still happening to this day. Over 3 million people have fled Ukraine, splitting up families and leaving many homeless. Over 600 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured.
With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine the world has come together to show support physically and financially to help the current crisis. Some brands have donated, while others have halted deliveries all together. Now more than ever it's important to show support in any way that we can. There are many organizations accepting donations, and businesses sending 100% of their profits directly to the Ukrainian Army. Keep scrolling to find out who's helping and how you can contribute.
Brands Donating Their Profits to Ukraine
Child of Wild
All of the proceeds, as well as the manufacturer's, for Child of Wild's Pray For Ukraine necklace will be donated towards Ukrainian relief.
Inspired by Ukrainian heritage, the Gunia Project is currently selling their blue and yellow bird candles and donating all proceeds to the Ukrainian army, and animal shelters in need.
Minimalist NYC is donating 30% of their proceeds to the Red Cross and UNICEF in Ukraine.
100% of proceeds from the Human First Collection will be donated to the UN Refugee Agency, which is providing emergency aid to families in Ukraine.
Supercrush has created a new collection on their site and 50% of the proceeds are going towards supporting Ukraine.
Misho has created a special edition "Stand with Ukraine" collection, consisting of three pieces. 100% of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to humanitarian organizations and charities supporting the families affected by the war in Ukraine.
DressX has created a Support Ukraine Collection, with 100% of proceeds being donated to the ministry of Defense of Ukraine and 3D fashion designers who have lost their homes and jobs.
Made By Mary
Made By Mary created a necklace with a hand-drawn stamp of Ukraine, with a heart inside. 100% of the proceeds from this necklace will be donated during the month of March to the International Rescue Committee.
Proceeds from Ukranian brand Chereshnivska's limited U.K. stock are being used to supply food and other essentials to their employees in Lviv, Ukraine.
The After White
The After White is donating 10% of sales from the month of March to relief effots.
Ukrainian-founded brand Cultnaked initially halted production, but has since resumed with profits going to its Ukrainian employees as well as humanitarian and army support.
Ukrainian brand Yuliya Magdych has limited stock available and will continue to donate profits to the Ukrainian army.
Edify is donating all proceeds from Back Beat Co.'s Wave Sweater to UNICEF to help support children and families in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Brands That Have Halted Production
- Bevza and Litkovskaya are halting deliveries and have donation buttons on their sites to donate to the Ukrainian army.
Brands That Have Donated to Ukraine
- Some of the world's largest leading luxury brands have officially announced that they have stopped all deliveries to Russia (Acne Studios, Canada Goose), while others have closed stores in Russia entirely (Hermès, Chanel) for the time being.
- Chanel donated over 2 million dollars to CARE and The UN Refugee Agency.
- Gucci donated $500,000 to The UN Refugee Agency.
- Valentino donated over $500,000 to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
- Burberry is matching all employee donations to charities supporting Ukraine. They also donated an undisclosed amount to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis.
- Balenciaga donated an undisclosed amount to the World Food Programme.
- Louis Vuitton made a donation of over 1 million dollars to UNICEF.
- LVMH donated over 5 million dollars to the International Committee of the Red Cross
- Nanushka is continuously donating support and funds to the citizens of Ukraine. Sharing a border with Hungary, they have also partnered with the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta to provide food, and clothing to those seeking shelter as they flee Ukraine.
- Fast Fashion brands Boohoo and ASOS have stopped all sales in Russia, while H&M closed 170 stores located throughout the country.
- Adidas has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Union, while Nike announced that their app will be unavailable in Russia for purchases.
- Puma is offering financial support and housing options to its employees in Ukraine.
- Supermodel Gigi Hadid took to Instagram to tell her 72 million followers that she will be donating her earnings from the fall 2022 fashion shows to "aid those suffering from the war in Ukraine, as well as continuing to support those experiencing the same in Palestine." She was inspired by friend and fellow model Mica Arganaraz. Bella Hadid followed in her sister's footsteps and announced on Instagram that she too, will be donating her fashion week earnings.


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Conagra Brands, Tilray, and More Companies Making Stock Price Movements
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In the list of companies making stock price movements, the first company is Conagra Brands. The company is known for backing several brands such as Hunt’s and Hebrew National and Healthy Choice. The company is set to experience a rise in its share prices as it has reported higher than expected adjusted earnings in the recent quarter. The company has reported that the analysts had estimated adjusted earnings to be around 49 cents per share while the company has achieved 50 cents per share. In addition to the adjusted earnings, the company has also recorded a significant rise in revenues. According to reports, the revenue generated is also higher than the revenue estimated by the Wall Street analysts.
Based on the recent performance, the company is also aiming to deliver a higher than expected performance for the entire year. Therefore, the company has increased the estimations for the profits, sales, and revenues for the entire year. According to analysts, there are issues pertaining to inflation rates that may result in the company facing upsets. Still, the company is confident over its targets and revenues for the upcoming quarters.
The next company is a cannabis producer from Canada, Tilray that has experienced a rise in its revenues in the recent quarter. The company has reported that the revenue generated in the recently completed quarter is 43% greater than what was generated in the same quarter of 2020. The company has reported that the rise it has recorded in revenues is due to the stores re-opening in Canada after the pandemic. The stores in Canada reportedly started re-opening in the month of June. This is a positive sign for the company as the revenues for the cannabis producer would continue experiencing a rise as more stores continue re-opening. However, the company has reported that it has experienced a quarterly earnings loss of 8 cents per share. Still, the figure was exactly what the analysts from Wall Street had predicted.
Levi Strauss is the next company that has experienced a 3.9% rise in share prices. Despite other apparel companies experiencing a significant drop in sales and revenues in recent months, Levi Strauss is recording a positive trend. Levi has reported that in the recent quarter, the adjusted profit estimated by the analysts was 11 cents per share, while the company has achieved 48 cents per share. The company also reported that the delays it has observed are almost ignorable. This is mainly because while other companies are getting 50% of their products from Vietnamese production facilities, Levi has less than 5% of its merchandise being delivered from Vietnam. Therefore, Levi Strauss is benefiting heavily from the situation while others are suffering tremendously.
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Fidal, the largest lawfirm in France, put out the results of a very detailed survey on new gtlds and how brands are using them.
They conducted a survey that delved into a lot of topics that brands face when dealing with the new namespace.
I read the whole report and I think it is well worth your time to take a look at and bookmark to refer back to.
From the report:
A large majority of the surveyed companies (64.9%) say they are informed about the launch of several hundred new top-level domain names.
However, 57.4% admit not having assessed the risks related to this launch, the most significant of which being cybersquatting. Also, 95% of the survey participants admitted not having carried out an audit on this subject.
85% of the companies surveyed have not set up any monitoring to detect online infringement of their trademarks. In the current context of the massive launch of new domain names, not using a trademark monitoring tool is a sizeable risk factor for businesses, particularly in detecting fraudulent reservations by third parties.
Lastly, in the event of a dispute, 56.1% of the companies declared they would prefer an amicable transfer, as this solution has the advantage of retrieving the domain names registered fraudulently more quickly and at a lower cost.
In 26.3% of cases, the companies opt for legal action or extrajudicial action such as UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution).
About the survey
255 companies took part in the survey during the first half of 2014 and answered a series of 18 questions
Over 35% of the surveyed companies operate in the services industry (mainly B2B), followed by the retail (19.1%) and manufacturing (17.9%) sectors (excluding the food industry).
It is interesting to note the participation of companies in the construction/real estate (6.8%) and food (5.6%) sectors, which reflects the general trend of developing online communications across all industry sectors and aimed at all target customers.
55% of participants are from companies with less than 49 employees, whereas 45% come from companies with over 50 employees,
They asked 16 questions which you can read in the full report here.
With 1,400 lawyers in France and partner firms in 150 countries, FIDAL is the no. 1 business law firm in France in terms of size and revenue* and the leading French law firm in the top 100 worldwide.FIDAL’s lawyers advise 80,000 companies and organizations of all sizes. FIDAL reported €322.6 million in revenue in 2013.


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Hawke, a four-time Oscar nominee, teamed with screenwriter Mark Richard to create the new Showtime limited series based on James McBride's novel, premiering October 4th.
Things To Do
How scary are ghosts or Halloween psychos when they maintain social distancing from their victims? Find out at Riverside's amusement park on weekends in October.
Basilico Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach took out advertising on a billboard near the Beverly Center with the words 'Leave the Mask, take the cannoli.'
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2 via AXS.com.
Plus, Atlantic City sees a rise in women casino leaders.
The prolific bestselling author will also talk about the new book on Zoom for the...
Plus, tips for growing orchids and an impressive Hoya flower cluster.
The filmmaker, who is married to Gov. Gavin Newsom, follows five people from different backgrounds...
The L.A. Comic Con chief says the show will only go on if its safe...


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Occupancy rebounds at local hotels
- Lauren B. Cooper, Staff
After a four-year slump, business has perked up for hotels in the Birmingham area.
Local hotels recorded double-digit growth in year-over-year occupancy in August and September and the first positive year-to-date increase since 2006.
According to Smith Travel Research, occupancy was up 10.5 percent year-over-year in August to 53.8 percent and up 13 percent in September to 54.5 percent.
Those positive trends are a stark contrast to the double-digit year-over-year decreases in occupancy consistently reported by local hotels in 2009.
Year-to-date occupancy of 54.8 percent is a 4.5 percent increase over the first nine months of last year.
Local hotel operators and general managers say business travel is slowly coming back with an improving economy and pent up demand. But room rates are soft, and 2010 growth should be slight, with many establishments preparing for a stronger 2011 and a return to peak levels by the end of 2012.
“There’s some theory related to price because we dropped so much over the last two years and demand came back more quickly,” said Bill Murray, president of Integral Hospitality Solutions, which operates The Tutwiler Hotel in Birmingham and 21 other hotels in the Southeast. “Companies are realizing we have to get back to face-to-face business.”
And as demand is slowly realized, prices will bounce back a little, he said. Many hotel operators are still hurting from the recession and will hold the line on low rates, but customers are willing to pay more than they’re being charged. So rates should even out eventually, said Murray.
Despite the uptick in local hotel occupancy, the average daily rate, which is the room revenue divided by rooms sold, has declined in each month of 2010, year-over-year, a negative trend that began in November 2008.
While August and September of this year were better, local hotel occupancy in October didn’t do as well and will probably come in around 50 percent, said Mark Noyes, general manager of the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.
“We are starting to see probably more midweek occupancy than weekends,” he said. “Some of the corporate travel coming in from Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas and Houston is typically midweek.”
Since corporate travel hasn’t fully rebounded, rates are likely to continue to soften through the end of the year, he said.
But business at the Sheraton will be strong in the first quarter of 2011, he said, with group travel dominating the reservation books.
And that’s good news for other area hotels as the Sheraton and the adjacent Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center drive additional business into the community.
“Our first quarter will be strong, without an increase in (business travel),” said Noyes. “If they come back and loosen up some of the reins we could see an even more improved first quarter.”
Smith Travel Research is projecting slow growth for the industry 2011. The research firm projects a 1.4 percent rise in occupancy to 57.9 percent and a 3.9 percent increase in average daily rates to $101.55. It said supply will rise minimally by 1.1 percent and demand by 2.5 percent.
And the National Business Travel Association is projecting business travel to increase by 6.7 percent in 2011 and by 6.9 percent in 2012.
“Business travel within and from the United States has seen solid recovery after two long years of diminution,” said Michael W. McCormick, executive director of the business travel association. “However, it is clear that companies are taking their time in shifting from the current cost-containment culture, and recovery will continue to ramp up slowly. We’re looking forward to the end of 2012 – when the industry should see a return to peak levels.”
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Monday, February 13, 2012
NYFW Fall '12: Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang's biggest news of late is a highly ambitious plan to open 14 stores in China over the course of the next year. It's likely no coincidence that what he showed today was his most luxurious-feeling collection to date.
Wang continued the trompe l'oeil theme of his pre-fall collection, this time taking "a surrealistic approach to fabric manipulation," as he explained in a preview. "It's this idea of shrink-wrap, lamination, covering up, lacquering." Nearly every surface seemed to have a slick sheen or gloss. He lacquered the tweeds on coats, hooded jackets, and even chunky wool sweaters. Leathers were glossy and seamless, and suede pants and coats came with waxed panels. The clothes themselves were also covered up. Wang sent out mid-calf-length skirts (with those great, soon-to-be-ubiquitous knee-high boots), buttoned-up coats, and fishnet turtlenecks pulled up over models' faces. This was definitely Wang in a more grown-up, if not dystopian, mode. (Those turtlenecks recalled surgical flu masks.) His designs exuded a new precision, as well as a new, expensive polish. And we're not just talking about the all-gold hardware. Ninety percent of the fabrics here were custom developed, and it showed.


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Two Startups Each Won Prize Packages Valued at $150,000!
HARRISBURG, PA – On Thursday evening, May 26, 2016, at an event held at Level 2 on Second Street in Harrisburg, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA announced that this year’s winners of the BIG IDEA contest are Dennis Dias, the founder of FORAC LLC, and Ben Galluzzo and Dave Kennedy with MathEdge Fantasy Sports.
Located in York, PA, FORAC LLC developed an insurance solution (Share Tempus) for consumers and online marketplaces engaged in the “sharing economy”. The sharing economy allows consumers to rent or borrow virtually any item or service through online platforms. Despite its rising popularity, this growing marketplace currently has few options for customers to insure themselves from either damages or liability. FORAC’s management team has designed a proprietary solution that is already partnering with several sharing platforms. For more information, visit http://sharetempus.com
Draft Hog is a website developed by MathEdge Fantasy Sports located in Carlisle, PA. Co-founders Ben Galluzzo and Dave Kennedy are math professors who have developed a proprietary algorithm that lets fans easily rank football players in order to draft a winning fantasy football team. For just $19, the customer receives an annual subscription for Draft Hog which updates ratings in real time and actually tells the customer who to pick. Fans are also offered video tutorials that describe the full fantasy football experience. For more information, visit www.drafthog.com
As two of the eleven finalists who made presentations to an independent panel of judges, both companies were awarded prize packages that included:
• $35,000 in cash
• An Innovation Adoption Grant up to $25,000 to work with a PA-based research university
• Priority access to a low-interest $100,000 investment from Ben Franklin
• A one-year pass to seminars offered by Ben Franklin’s eMarketing Learning Center
• Free working space at the BF TechCelerator@Carlisle by CREDC valued at $10,000
• Consultation (and proposal prep) on accessing Federal R&D grant money valued at $3,000 from the Innovation Partnership
Jill Edwards, Executive Director of Ben Franklin’s Venture Investment Forum, commented, “We had so many strong finalists this year that we decided to also provide a $10,000 merit award. As CEO of The Lethean Company, Mr. Peter Eaton and his team will use the money to further develop an innovative medical device that keeps airways open during surgery.”
Stephen Brawley, President and CEO of Ben Franklin commented, “Our BIG IDEA competitions help entrepreneurs take the first step toward starting or growing a business while participating in a fun, risk-free environment. This year’s contest attracted the attention of nearly 6,000 people. We had so many great applications, it was difficult for the judges to choose just a few finalists.”