text:
By the end of this year, figure that about 20 percent of the U.S.’s 1,400-plus dailies will be charging for digital access. Gannett’s February announcement that it’s going paywall at all its 80 newspapers galvanized attention; when the third largest U.S. newspaper site, the Los Angeles Times, went paid this week, more nodding was seen in publishers’ suites.
More than a dozen dailies in Europe are charging, led by Finland’s Sanoma (see “Sanoma’s Big Bundled Success”), Axel Springer, and News Corp.’s Times of London. It looks like more than a dozen in Germany alone may be charging by year’s end. In Asia, the powerful Singapore Press Holdings is first out of the gate, with other dailies there planning to follow.
Suddenly it’s paywalls all around the world. We’ve moved — in a couple of years — from the question of whether to when. The big question that should be asked now: How?
Charging for digital access is a nuanced question. For smart publishers, it’s part of a much larger strategic shift, touching every part of their operations: circulation, content, and advertising.
Let’s look at the newsonomics of an increasing paywalled world. The well-publicized New York Times digital scheme has gotten most of the attention, but it’s a global news source — more akin to The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, The Guardian, and CNN than to regional and local dailies.
While the Times is a fledgling pay model success, we can’t say, broadly, that paywall models are widely successful. Most aren’t failures, but few can point to the significant revenue difference that The New York Times, WSJ, or Financial Times plans have made to their transitioning businesses. Why? And what are the emerging successful formulas?
First, it should be said that the sky has neither opened up into a dazzling blue future nor fallen. A couple of years ago, predictions about the impact of paywalls mostly fell on the doomsday side of the equation. About the same time that going pay was proclaimed as another sign of the imminent death of Old Media, some were poking fun at the new iPad as a big smartphone that no one would want to hold up to her ear. Time to chill on the whole doomsday storytelling — we’re all in for lots more twists and turns.
So if charging for digital access — a too long phrase, but one that’s most accurate than paywall — is neither a panacea nor a tombstone on the way to the inevitable, what is it? It’s a building block, and it’s a way to re-envision the business.
It’s about a major shift in strategy, says Star Tribune publisher Mike Klingensmith, whose paper went pay on Nov. 1.
“We’re changing the nature of the customer relationship,” he told me. “Instead of the website undermining pricing of your content, it supports the pricing of your content” — seizing on the profound difference the all-access revolution is beginning to make. Relationships don’t change overnight, and that’s one important lesson to draw here: If newspaper companies can do more than offer lip service about relationship and “membership,” they have the ability to recreate an updated version of the trusted, community-oriented relationship that the better dailies long held. If they can reinvent the relationship, they have a shot at transforming themselves (“The newsonomics of crossover”) as they move into the mostly digital era.
Let’s look at some of the metrics learned from the early pay period, in talking with a number of the business executives who have been at the forefront of this grand experiment.
The first big question that’s been laid to rest is the journalistic corollary of the Hippocratic Oath: Do no (advertising) harm. Remember the big fear about “going pay”: Would a paywall decrease digital visitors so much as to harm the only part of newspaper publishers’ businesses that’s growing, digital advertising? Metered models, like The New York Times’ (“At Almost 400,000 Digital Subscribers, Inside the New York Times Pay Strategy, Year 2”) and the Los Angeles Times’, are now the trade’s standard, having been advocated strongly by Press+ when it got rolling in 2009. Allowing 10-20 free articles a month has meant that traffic loss has been minimal; given the near-infinite amount of digital ad inventory, such traffic loss has had practically no effect on digital ad sales.
“All of the almost 300 publishers now using Press+ have kept their online ad revenues because we use data to make sure there is plenty of ad inventory to meet advertiser demand,” says co-founder Gordon Crovitz of Press+, which was acquired by RR Donnelley last year.
Even if some papers experience a small negative impact, new digital revenue quickly outpaces it. “In our first month of paid service, online subscription revenue was 3x the network advertising we lost because of the drop in pageviews, and our online subscription revenue has grown every month since,” says Andy Waters, general manager of the Columbia Daily Tribune in Missouri, which went pay on Dec. 1, 2010.
Pageview loss has ranged as high as 40 percent (at the Columbia Daily Tribune) and has typically run about 10-15 percent. Interestingly, from Minneapolis to Columbia to Hamburg, traffic often begins to grow markedly after the initial shock of a paywall. It may take months or a couple of years, but traffic is essentially reset and can then be rebuilt. Clearly, the most important readers — core readers who really use the news product through the week — have stayed the course.
The flipside of a tougher paywall is a higher signup rate, and more revenue, from those valuing the content.
Remove one major fear.
One reason some papers went pay: Try to reduce the number of subscribers fleeing print. So far, there’s been a minimal impact on retaining subscribers, or “reducing churn,” as it is called in the business. The Memphis Commercial Appeal’s publisher Joe Pepe points to a 1 percent increase in Sunday home delivery, similar to what The New York Times has found. In Minneapolis, the Star Tribune has gotten 20 percent of its 15,000 “digital-only” subscribers to pony up an additional 29 cents (!) a week to get the Sunday Strib.
The Sunday sale is a major part of the how we see rolling out. At the Strib, it’s an inside-out, outside-in offer. If you only take the Sunday paper (subscribers who get two or more days of the paper delivered get free digital access), you’ll get a low, introductory rate to add digital access; if you’re a digital signup, you’ll be pitched on the 29-cent deal.
The L.A. Times is putting its own spin on the Sunday deal: pay 99 cents a week for the first four weeks (and $1.99 thereafter) to get free digital access and the Sunday paper. Want just free digital access only — that’ll cost $3.99 a week. You don’t have to be a coupon professional to figure out the better deal. The LAT approach mimics the NYT approach, which charges readers about $60 a year more if they refuse to take the Sunday paper. Maybe we should call it the Godfather offer.
How much will Sunday (“The newsonomics of Sunday paper/tablet subscriptions”) grow, given such pricing — which I expect more metros will adopt, given that they still have relatively weighty, ad-revenue-rich Sunday papers? The first job is to stop the Sunday bleeding, and if combined digital/Sunday products do it, consider it a tourniquet that publishers hope to get a couple of years out of, even as daily print circulation continues to decline. The Sunday angle — the Sunday paper angle — is a big one.
While The New York Times is on a double-digit circulation (print + digital) revenue trajectory, other papers are having a hard time reaching that number. Columbia points to a 5-6 percent lift, enough to cover several newsroom positions for the small daily. Minneapolis points to a 3.75 percent lift, based on its new $1.5 million revenue stream, earned at $100 a year (or $2/week) from 15,000 digital subscribers. Others say the circulation revenue is flat to a little up.
One little secret of the trade: the opt-out. Build in higher pricing for combined print and digital access, and allow readers to take print only — if they affirmatively opt out. Eighty percent or so won’t opt out, and so we’ve seen high retention rates among newer subscribers.
The wild card here is how much the all-access offer — part of the changing customer relationship the Star Tribune’s Mike Klingensmith suggests — allows papers to price up their overall print/all-access subscriptions. He says the paper priced up its overall subscriptions 9 percent last spring, with little negative impact, the first time it had priced up in recent memory. Another increase is in order for this fall.
That’s the big key here, I think: If you tell customers “we’ll get you our content however, wherever you want it” — and deliver on that proposition with products that match the tablet and smartphone age — the creation of added value makes sense to readers. So it’s important to look beyond digital-only revenue itself, and look at the total reader-revenue-producing potential of smart pay plans.
As Gannett points to a goal of adding $100 million in new revenue, which would be a 10 percent circulation rev boost overall, look for as much of that to come from upward pricing in general as new digital-only subs themselves.
That said, it’s useful to pay attention to a new emerging metric: what percentage of a newspaper’s site unique visitors are signing up for digital access-only subs. The New York Times broke the 1 percent barrier last year, 390,000 subs compared to 33 million U.S. unique visitors. The Commercial Appeal is at .8 percent; The Star Tribune is at .25 percent with its four-month initiative. The Columbia Tribune is at .2 percent. It’s just one metric, but one that tells us about comparative traction. Though, it seems like a tiny number, it’s not. Fly-by traffic, supplied by Google and now Facebook, supplies so much traffic that about 3 percent of most newspaper sites’ unique visitors equal their paid print circulations. The digital-only conversion metric provides an apples-to-apples comparison, even as overall print/digital circulation impact remains key — and is measured in that old standby, dollars, euros, and pounds.
The goal here: Head to 50 percent of overall revenues being paid by readers.
These numbers are only a snapshot and come from some of the better practitioners of the digital pay craft. Many more are underachieving. The point is that there is an emerging playbook of how to get pay working right.
For now, let’s boil it down the how to 5 P’s:
So 5 P’s — or maybe more.
“You have to do eight things right,” says Gregor Waller, a former exec at Axel Springer and now CEO of Digital Age Consulting, who is in the midst of advising a number of major media globally on pay models. “It’s like a golf swing. If you miss out on one, you can’t hit the ball correctly.”


text:
CATALYST is a new 3-year (2018-2020) cross-border project to support the Food & Drink & Life Science sectors across Ireland and Wales
Companies or individuals involved in the food, drink and life science sectors in Carlow and Tipperary have a unique opportunity to grow their business through an exciting new pilot programme targeting small and medium-sized enterprises.
Opportunities available through the landmark CATALYST programme will be unveiled at a master class event at the Institute of Technology, Carlow, on Monday, October 1.
It’s open to businesses in the relevant sectors, based in both counties and runs from 9.30am to 2pm.
It features expert input from Siobhán Ni Gharbhith of St Tolas, John Teeling from Cooley Distillery and Ann Marie McSorely of Veri. The event is MC’d by Conal O’ Moráin.
The pilot programme supports food and drink producers, food retailers and the food service industry - including logistics and distribution - as well as life science sector businesses, including pharmaceuticals, biomedical, cosmeceuticals and more.
Registration is free and intending participants are invited to book their place now on https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/ catalyst-innovation- sustainability-master-class- tickets-50346685291?aff= ehomecard
Through CATALYST, a carefully-selected core group of successful applicants will receive expert guidance, mentoring and support as they grow.
They’ll also have hands-on help to develop new, in-demand products as well as guidance on how best to bring products to market in the most resource-efficient way.
The new initiative also offers successful applicants an opportunity to network across industry sectors and with SMEs in Wales, i.e. companies employing up to 250 people.
Expert partners in the exciting new programme are based in both Ireland and Wales and include Carlow County Council and Tipperary County Council as well as the Institute of Technology Carlow’s Designcore.
The lead partner is University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the fifth and final partner is Wrap Cymru, leaders in sustainable waste policy.
CATALYST is a new, 3-year (2018-2020), cross-border project which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme, 2014-2020.
It will deliver tailored supports to meet the needs of the individual participants, according to Carlow County Council Chief Executive, Kathleen Holohan.
"CATALYST has already established a network of leading business mentors in key areas such as Product Development, Communications and Resource Efficiency and the hands-on team is keen to help in key challenge areas such as sustainable development and design thinking; research and development (R&D); supporting the creation of new and sustainable products and processes and more," she said.
The programme is unique in that it combines practical, one to one learning with specialised, theme-based network training events, with options for demand-led, short term, cross-border residencies. It involves business owners, industry experts and academics devising innovative solutions to business challenges, according to Tipperary County Council Head of Enterprise, Rita Guinan.
“We encourage qualifying businesses to get in touch and come along on October 1 to see how it can benefit them. The entire programme will be delivered by leading business mentors with vast experience in the areas of communications, product development, resource efficiencies and design thinking,” she said.
Institute of Technology Carlow’s Designcore expertise will be invaluable.
President, Dr, Patricia Mulcahy, said: “CATALYST is a unique programme for SMEs who want to explore business challenges and elaborate innovative, highly marketable solutions.
"CATALYST also offers the opportunity to expand business networks, exchange knowledge, and develop new insights from industry and academia."
· Interested companies or individuals should contact CATALYST’s Gabrielle Carroll on firstname.lastname@example.org
· Booking is open now on https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/ catalyst-innovation- sustainability-master-class- tickets-50346685291?aff= ehomecard

domain: news


text:
This time of year especially, our social media feeds are constantly flooded with images of beachside Instababes lounging in all sorts of covetable bits of nylon, so the online data pros over at Lyst decided to track the influence they really have over what we choose to go swimming ...
For the fashion industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony on Monday night, model Ashley Graham chose a flesh-toned Vera Wang dress from the designer’s 2019 Bridal collection. Graham looked stunning in the svelte, form-fitting silk mermaid gown featuring an off-the-shoulder neckline, bandeau bodice, and sheer midfriff. Graham topped off the look with a bold red lip and styled her hair in loose waves.
Have your credit card ready to shop these editor-approved nail polish colors that will you get you one step closer to rocking the magical celeb manis we can't stop talking about.
Jenn August says that seeing celebrities on Instagram be "unapologetically themselves" gave her the courage to embrace her hemangioma birthmark.
The body-positive activist seems to want to inspire others to hit the gym, and she just shared another of her impressive workout moves.
Model and body positive activist Ashley Graham shared a Mother’s Day post on Instagram, and it’s clear that her mom is one of her role models.
Blake Lively had one of the most dramatic changes, slipping into a sequin tartan ensemble.
On Monday night at the Met Gala, Ashley Graham interpreted the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme in her own way.
Ashley Graham just launched her summer 2018 collection with Swimsuits for All, along with a companion campaign shot by the paparazzi.
The body-positive beauty caught wind of an account that compared her to "real models" like Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr.
The model's neon-pink two-piece hails from her own Swimsuits For All collection — though that deep tan she's rocking doesn't come with it, sadly.
The 30-year-old model is a body-positivity activist, but she also inspires others to hit the gym and train hard. She just shared an intense workout move.
The model, who works out regularly with a personal trainer, says she exercises to stay healthy, get rid of jet lag, and clear her head.
"I can't stand it when I read comments that say, 'Finally, a real woman,'" the curvaceous model said after being praised for unashamedly displaying her cellulite in swimwear.


text:
February was already poised to be a fantastic month-long stretch of sneaker releases, but last week’s revelation of the Air Jordan 1 High Dave White release date just made it even better. Jordan Brand will in fact release these to the public on February 11th, but will follow that up with a second wave of releases scheduled on February 24th – the day before the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. Dave White’s design of the Air Jordan 1 will go towards support of the Jordan Brand WINGS For The Future program, which aims to assists in-need schools with new facilities and counseling. We’ve got a new set of images of this upcoming release courtesy of Kenlu, so take a look below and see what the going rate is right now for the available pairs on eBay.
JORDAN 1 David White
- Brand: NIKE
- Product Code: JORDAN 1 David White
- Availability: 108


text:
Bit of a weird one, this. The High Court has ruled that anyone getting clippings of online newspaper articles should pay a licence fee to the Newspaper Licensing Agency – which is owned by eight of the UK’s largest newspaper publishers – even if they can only see the headline of the story, the line of text where their company’s brand appears and the link to the article.
Clippings service and news aggregator Meltwater News had argued that while it is happy to pay a licensing fee to the NLA itself, its customers should not be considered to be infringing copyright for simply seeing where their company is mentioned in online newspaper clippings.
Newspapers don’t have to pay anything to brand owners when they write about them, of course. Which means Nike may have to pay to see where its name is used in newspapers, while newspapers can use Nike’s brand for free to help drive readers, web traffic and hence advertising revenues.
But a judgement issued today by Mrs Justice Proudman ruled that end-users who paid aggregator Meltwater News to distribute online newspaper content in the form of a news monitoring service should also obtain a license to do so from the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA).
Meltwater’s CEO Jorn Lyseggen told us that while he was disappointed by the decision, the firm intends to appeal, and that the main focus should be on a forthcoming Copyright Tribunal decision which will rule on the reasonableness of the NLA’s licensing terms for online content.
"This High Court issue is just something that the NLA threw up to get in the way [of the Copyright Tribunal]," said Lyseggen. "It’s a disappointing verdict which has dramatic consequences for the UK Internet ecosystem."
As Lyseggen pointed out, the ruling means that in theory users of the Internet should obtain a license from the NLA to view copyrighted material even when it is not protected behind a ‘pay-wall’. "A user reading a poem online that is copyright could mean they need to pay a license fee, even though it has been posted online free," said Lyseggen. "There are very serious consequences of this verdict."
David Pugh, managing director of the NLA, welcomed today’s ruling. "We hope this ruling will help ensure a fair share of web monitoring revenue for publishers and a fair media monitoring market," he said.
"Creating news content for the web is a substantial investment for publishers – it is therefore only right that they take a share when others are profiting from it. We estimate the total UK market for online news monitoring to be worth around £10 million," said Pugh.
But Meltwater’s Lyseggen was unmoved. "We will appeal this verdict, we think this verdict is a misinterpretation of copyright law. If this ruling stands it will be a significant step back for the UK Internet ecosystem," he said.
"If the court upholds this decision then we think the courts need to take a closer look at copyright law and see if it needs to be more up-to-date for today’s world," said Lyseggen.
He also noted that Meltwater News would object less if the license fees that the NLA wants to charge end users were lower. "In principle if the court rules that there must be a license then although we disagree, that’s one thing," said Lyseggen. "But the licence should reflect the small amount of copyrighted material being accessed."
Justice Proudman granted permission to appeal her decision; Meltwater’s CEO says it will.
You may wish to follow this author on twitter: www.twitter.com/jasonstamper


text:
As a representative of self-discipline, Ronaldo has really achieved the ultimate.At the press conference on June 14th, local time, star Ronaldo “angry” removed two bottles of Coke from the table, then brought a bottle of water and said: “Drink water, no Coke.”According to reports, Coca-Cola is the official sponsor of the European Cup. They displayed the product at a press conference, but the Portuguese star quickly removed the bottle without even looking at it, not in the mood to cater to the sponsor.
“Daily Mail” even used the word “anger” to describe Ronaldo’s mood at the time.
According to reports, the 36-year-old sports star is notoriously picky about diet and fitness plans, so it is not surprising that he felt “offended” when he saw the drink. According to reports, at the Global Football Awards ceremony in Dubai at the end of December 2020, Ronaldo said that his young son is not as obsessed with staying healthy as he is: “Sometimes he drinks Coke and eats potato chips. Very annoyed.”
Many netizens said after seeing this scene that it is not unreasonable for the stadium to perform so well, it is really a representative of self-discipline.


text:
Apple and Qualcomm have ended their long-running patent dispute through a settlement and a new license agreement. Licensing agreements are becoming increasingly important throughout the digital economy.
Toyota announced yesterday that it will allow royalty-free use of nearly 24,000 hybrid vehicle technology patents. Such a patent release is trendy and does not only follow altruistic goals.
Qualcomm has won a patent infringement case against Apple for 3 Qualcomm patents in a Californian court on Friday. The jury awarded 31 million U.S. dollars in damages against Apple.
Apple anticipates a possible patent infringement lawsuit and files a declaratory judgment action before the California Court. Apple's iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches do not infringe any patents for USB ports, the U.S. court is to clarify.
Are dealers allowed to advertise with the ÖKO-TEST-Label exclusively for the tested products or also for almost identical products in a different colour, design or packaging? The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice strengthens ÖKO-TEST in the trademark dispute over the well-known test seal in today's
On Tuesday, the Indian Supreme Court restored Bayer AG's Monsanto patent claim on genetically modified Bt cotton for the time being, thereby overturning a judgment to the contrary in April 2018. Until the Delhi Supreme Court decides on the validity of the patent, Monsanto may charge royalties on Bt cotton in India.
Chip manufacturer Broadcomm has filed patent suits against VW before two German courts. The lawsuit could result in billions in damages for VW and threatens the entire automobile industry with its new models. It is about the key patents for the networked car.
Last Thursday, Christie's auction house in New York auctioned a work of art created by an algorithm for more than $400,000. This has caused a worldwide sensation and highlights the current patentability of artificial intelligence and software algorithms. And the question also arises: who is actually entitled to the
Is it possible to become an exclusive licensee through a subsequent contractual agreement? All the more so as the plaintiff's active legitimation before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court depended on the assessment of a contract clause under Dutch law.
The Federal Patent Court rejected an application for permission to patent use for a cholesterol-lowering drug. The judgement was expected from a field of tension that is always present in the pharmaceutical market: Monopoly right of the patent owner and public interest in health care.
A new U.S. ruling on important mobile standards was passed last Monday. Smartphone manufacturer Huawei has been fined $10.6 million in damages for patent infringement of five PanOptis patents. Huawei had rejected a license agreement.
Nokia announced on Wednesday a licensing fee of $3.48 per device for its 5G standards. This spots the licensing agreements in the mobile communication industry under spotlight, but also raises the question: What is a fair license fee?
Siemens AG provisionally lost a few days ago in the patent dispute concerning broadband networks against several plaintiffs from the mobile technology. An antiquated textbook led to the Federal Patent Court annulling a key patent for VoIP and VoFR, among others.
Interestingly, the last major proceedings on equivalence led to contradictory national judgments of the national courts. Do equivalent means tend to strengthen or limit the offence of patent infringement?


text:
While the UAE is at the forefront of digital payments, around 20 per cent of transactions of consumers surveyed is still in cash, a new study has shown.
According to Visa’s ‘Where Cash Hides’ research, in the UAE, peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions (43 per cent) and everyday spending (27 per cent) form a large portion of cash usage
The report — based on a survey of 3,400 of individuals and 30 in-depth interviews across UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia — included questions about overall frequency of cash usage and specific cases where respondents would use cash more than other payment methods. Based on these results, the report identifies cash-heavy categories and consumer drivers of cash usage and proposes easier, more secure digital payment solutions for both consumers and local businesses.
The report found that consumers prefer using cash in specific transactions, mainly in the P2P segment. Within the P2P segment, tips (55 per cent), money exchanges between friends and family (50 per cent), and international money transfers (40 per cent) are the prime areas of cash usage.
Everyday spend like taxi (46 per cent), farmer markets (44 per cent), and grocery stores (25 per cent) are mostly where cash is used. Other cash-heavy areas include events (23 per cent), healthcare and beauty (23 per cent), education (23 per cent) and apparel and jewelry (21 per cent).
Motivators for cash usage
Respondents’ perception of convenience (64 per cent) was cited as the top reason they prefer using cash in the specific cases identified by the research. Other reasons include perception of control and safety (39 per cent), availing cash discounts (32 per cent) and acceptance (29 per cent).
The study identifies situational cash usage, notably in rental payments, exchange houses, and farmer markets transactions. Efforts to introduce convenient, fast and easy solutions such as Visa Direct (P2P, tips and other disbursements, and remittances), and Tap to Phone (low-cost acceptance solution for SMBs, freelancers and taxi) will drive digital payments and increase card acceptance.
Encouraging mobile payments and contactless usage presents a pathway to increase digital payments usage for everyday expenses. This requires education on acceptance and security of digital payments for both banked and unbanked population.
Salima Gutieva, Visa’s VP and country manager for UAE, said: “We see a positive trend in card payments in UAE, with a 62 per cent wallet share that continues to grow. However, there remains categories of spend where consumers in the UAE still use cash. This presents an opportunity to extend the many benefits of digital payments to more consumers, and businesses for a more inclusive digital economy. At Visa, we remain committed to working with the local payments industry — and in line with the UAE government’s cashless agenda - to accelerate the economy’s transformation and make a better payment experience a reality for everyone, everywhere in the UAE.”
Some 64% of UAE-based businessment live a global life, with a minimum of two and a maximum of six locations they call home: HSBC report
Strengthening Dubai-German economic cooperation, the opening of the BVMW office in Dubai will create great opportunities for BVMW members to connect with potential partners in Dubai and across the region
The taxable person cannot seek tax loss relief for losses occurring prior to the initiation of corporate tax
Last year, the UAE’s non-oil trade with its top 10 partners grew significantly
The combined GDP of the GCC countries has already touched the $2 trillion mark
Banks lending to individuals and sole proprietors need to take “sufficient” security for loans
Proofpoint analysis shows that 90% of the largest organisations in Saudi Arabia and 80% in the UAE have published a DMARC record


text:
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate why produce-grower prices have stayed stagnant or declined while prices have increased along the supply chain.
BOSTON — This Northeast U.S. region marked by wealth, smaller independent retailers, ethnic diversity and high-end foodservice keeps adjusting to today’s challenges to feed its people and those beyond its borders.
The New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference and Trade Show will include more than 150 exhibitors and 40 educational sessions covering major vegetable, berry and tree-fruit crops, as well as special topics.
Matt Wells, director of field services of New York Apple Sales, Glenmont, N.Y., has been selected to participate in an intensive leadership development program for New York State’s food and agricultural industry.
Ann Beaulieu, vice president of research and development and regulatory at Philadelphia-based AgroFresh Solutions, will join an advisory council focused on improving access to nutritious foods and reducing food waste.


text:
Pensioners worst hit by CPI rise
The inflation rate is slightly above the figures seen over the previous 12 months but below the levels reached between the start of 2010 and spring 2012.
The largest upward contributions to the change in the rate came from motor fuels and clothing & footwear.
Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential, said: “The rise in inflation will have a major impact on households throughout the UK.
However pensioners will be amongst the hardest hit since they spend higher proportions of their income on essentials like food and fuel, which are seeing the biggest price rises.
“The combined effects of falling retirement incomes and inflationary pressures make pensioners amongst the most financially vulnerable.”
This year the average expected income for those in retirement hit a six-year low of £15,300 which is 18% down on 2008.
Smith-Hughes said: “When making any financial plan for the future, it’s vital to take into account the impact of inflation, particularly if you’re choosing an annuity.
“It’s best to start by contacting a financial adviser or retirement specialist, who will be able to set out the best options for protecting income against inflation in retirement.”


text:
New York Times campaign finance reporter Nicholas Confessore's 2,000-word front-page story Wednesday took a liberal angle on a judge striking down New York City's controversial new regulation that would have banned soda portions over 16 ounces. Besides the paternalism of lines like "a victory for the industry’s steadfast, if surprising, allies: advocacy groups representing the very communities hit hardest by the obesity epidemic," Confessore hinted at a quid pro quo involving donations from the beverage industry going to black and Hispanic non-profits, which in turn parroted the industry talking points against the regulation.
The decision by a New York State judge striking down the Bloomberg administration’s ban on large, sugary drinks this week was not just a high-profile victory for the soda companies in their pitched battle against anti-obesity policies that are aimed at their products. It was also a victory for the industry’s steadfast, if surprising, allies: advocacy groups representing the very communities hit hardest by the obesity epidemic.
Dozens of Hispanic and African-American civil rights groups, health advocacy organizations and business associations have joined the beverage industry in opposing soda regulation around the country in recent years, arguing that such measures -- perhaps the greatest regulatory threat the soft-drink industry has ever faced -- are discriminatory, paternalistic or ineffective.
Many of these groups have something else in common: They are among the recipients of tens of millions of dollars from the beverage industry that has flowed to nonprofit and educational organizations serving blacks and Hispanics over the last decade, according to a review by The New York Times of charity records and other documents.
Soda companies have sponsored conferences for the National Hispana Leadership Institute, scholarships for local chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, financial literacy classes offered by the National Puerto Rican Coalition and programs from the National Hispanic Medical Association.
These connections came to the fore recently when the New York chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., along with the Hispanic Federation, a coalition of Hispanic community service agencies in the New York area, filed an amicus brief in support of the beverage industry’s effort to block Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal for a citywide ban on large, sugary beverages. The judge ruled on Monday that the limits would be “arbitrary and capricious” because they would apply unequally to some establishments and to different kinds of sugary beverages.
The black and Hispanic groups were not the only liberal groups against Bloomberg: Petitioners to the suit include the Soda and Brewery Workers Union and the local Teamsters.
The two groups that opposed the New York ban -- both of which have received grants or sponsorship dollars from Coca-Cola or PepsiCo -- argued that the regulations unfairly discriminated against bodegas and other small neighborhood stores while leaving supermarkets and other retailers exempt.
In many cases, the financial relationships between soda companies and nonprofit groups go back decades, stemming from the industry’s early embrace of the civil rights movement. But as battles over soda taxes have broken out around the country in recent years, advocates for tighter regulation argue, the money has effectively muzzled organizations that might otherwise be on the side of regulation.
For nonprofit groups, especially those serving low-income communities, corporate grants and sponsorships can be a financial lifeline, underwriting programs, conferences and research. And as community groups serving blacks and Latinos try to tackle rising rates of obesity, many of them have chosen to team up with soda manufacturers and other food companies. Their preferred solutions often reflect those favored by the beverage industry: calorie labeling, nutritional education and expanded exercise programs.
This isn't the only case of the Times showing a paternalism toward minorities. A weird story by reporter Andrew Martin from July 2007 actually bashed McDonald's for advertising a new giant soft drink in several languages: "Making matters worse, Hugo ads are available in several languages, making sure that minorities -- who are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic -- are aware of the budget beverage."


text:
New facility continues Amazon’s commitment to Connecticut, creating 2,000 new jobs
Today Amazon, along with Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, state and local elected officials, and community partners, celebrated the official opening of its new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Windsor, Connecticut. More than 2,000 local Amazon employees will operate and work with the newest innovative robotics technology, delivering for customers in the area. This new facility expands Amazon’s robust operations and logistics network in the state, where there are more than 15,000 full and part-time employees across Connecticut communities.
“I am thrilled Amazon is investing further into the great state of Connecticut with the opening of its new fulfillment center in Windsor,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “This fulfillment center is adding more than 2,000 well-paid jobs with excellent benefits into the Greater Hartford economy, and I look forward to the impact it will have on the region and state for years to come.”
“I’m so excited to take part in today’s celebration. This new, state-of-the-art facility will deliver innovation and next-generation jobs to the Windsor area and support a better customer experience throughout our Connecticut communities,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “Amazon continues to display its commitment to expanding in our state, but more importantly – truly supporting our communities. Beyond its creation of good-paying, in-demand jobs, Amazon is committed to investing in and volunteering for local organizations and nonprofits, ensuring that not just their business, but the entire community thrives.”
Amazon employees were welcomed inside the new 3.8 million square-foot robotic fulfillment center to begin processing and delivering customer orders starting in November of 2022. At this facility employees pick, pack and ship smaller customer items such as books, electronics, small household goods and toys.
“We’re thrilled to officially open our next-generation Amazon Robotic fulfillment center here in Windsor so we can continue to deliver for our customers in Connecticut and beyond,” said Gurol Butun, General Manager at the new facility. “Not only are we bringing good jobs to this area, the team here is already giving back by supporting great projects and organizations in our community. It’s a privilege to lead this team and create a safe, engaging, and fun workplace that allows our employees to flourish.”
An Amazon presence in Connecticut means more than just the great jobs with full benefits provided within the four walls of this new facility. The company has also brought thousands of jobs in construction and services.
“The opening of the new Amazon facility will present a vast number of opportunities for hundreds of people in our state,” said Senator Doug McCrory. “I am excited for Windsor as this new state-of-the-art Amazon Robotics fulfillment center will have a positive economic impact on our community. Those seeking employment have a chance to begin to grow a successful career.”
“As a community, we are thrilled to be opening this new state-of-the-art facility from Amazon. As we have seen in the past, Amazon is a wonderful partner to Windsor. Not only as a positive economic impact on the town and state of Connecticut, but also for the creation of yet more jobs in the area,” said Windsor Mayor Donald Trinks. “These jobs mean more opportunity for local shops, restaurants and the service industry. We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with Amazon, moving forward.”
Amazon is a great place to work with highly competitive pay, benefits that begin on the first day of employment, and training programs for in-demand jobs. On top of Amazon’s national average starting wage of over $19 per hour, the company offers full-time employees’ industry-leading benefits from day one of employment, including full health, vision and dental insurance, 401(k) with 50 percent company match and up to 20 weeks paid parental leave.
Amazon also provides access to its innovative Career Choice program which offers fully-funded college tuition, allows employees to participate every year they work at Amazon, and gives them eligibility after only 90 days of employment. Through Career Choice, employees can pursue a Bachelor’s degree, earn industry certifications leading to in-demand jobs, and build skills through English language proficiency, and high school completion programs. Career Choice education partners in Connecticut include the University of Connecticut, Manchester Community College, and Capital Community College.
Positions are still available at the new fulfillment center. Jobs are available on a rolling basis and fill up quickly. Interested candidates are encouraged to sign up for alerts by visiting amazon.jobs to learn more and apply online.
Beyond its investments and job creation, Amazon continues to support Connecticut communities by investing in local organizations and nonprofits through monetary and in-kind donations and volunteering opportunities. Before this new fulfillment center opened, more than 100 members of the leadership team dedicated an entire week to volunteering with nine local nonprofit organizations, including farms, schools, soup kitchens and sustainability programs.
Additionally, with a $10,000 donation announced today, Amazon is supporting Team Paragon 571, a FIRST robotics organization comprised of students from Windsor High School and surrounding areas.
“We are incredibly honored to receive a donation from Amazon to support Team Paragon 571. This donation is so important in funding our FIRST Robotics program so we can continue promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to young minds in the Windsor community,” said Brian Abbot, President, Team Paragon Robotics.
In 2022, Amazon donated more than $645,000 to Connecticut based charities, non-profits, and community development organizations, including donations to the local chapters of the Boys & Girls Club, The Connecticut Food Bank, Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, and several youth sports organizations throughout the state.
Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 15,000 jobs in Connecticut and has invested over $6 billion in the state including infrastructure and compensation to its employees. These investments have contributed an additional $5.5 billion to the Connecticut economy and have helped create an additional 19,000 jobs—in addition to the employees the company directly employs—including jobs in construction, logistics, health care, and professional services. Additionally, more than 19,000 small and medium-sized businesses in Connecticut—including authors—are growing their businesses with Amazon.
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.


text:
A new Neverwinter devblog covers tonverting Tyranny of Dragons into an Epic Adventure and the upcoming Dragonslayer module lands on the PC preview shard.
There's a new guide to the upcoming Tales of Tribute deck-building card game coming in the Elder Scrolls Online's High Isle chapter next month.
A new notice is out from Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida on third-party tools, including mods, in Final Fantasy XIV. He also addresses recent datamining and debunks rumors of emulation.
Today's update for Broken Ranks adds a new quest, some loot changes, and the Castle Specter instance as new additions from the development roadmap arrive.
Early Access Survival MMO Last Oasis is now in its 4th season, and with it the team at Donkey Crew has some plans to rework the Walker Building System. Walkers are large vehicles that can be used in combat, and the new rework of the system plans to remove free-placement of structures on Walkers going forward. Needless to say, the community was none too thrilled with the changes.
Are you a Camelot Unchained backer in the EU and you've been wishing that you could help test the game at a respectable latency? You may be in luck, as the City State Entertainment team is planning on opening its first EU server in Germany. Learn more about it in this article, along with some developmental updates, including everyone's favorite - concept art!
It was only a few short weeks ago that we inquired into what happened with the upcoming survival MMO The Day Before. Now, through an announcement via IGN, the team at Fntastic has finally let players know that the game will be delayed, and that they will be migrating to Unreal Engine 5.
World of Warcraft Shadowlands season 4 will feature some raid loot changes, including upgrades for Heroic and Mythic and a limited currency that lets you choose desired reward pieces.
If you understand tech updates and git comments, the latest Book of Travels devblog is for you, as Might and Delight focuses on a tech blog with recent changes.
This week, the Profane team has teased with new work in progress gameplay footage and announced that a first combat test with community involvement is "close". There's also a recent extensive preview of the freedom loving, lively Portinus people.
Destined for Destruction is May's big update for Lost Ark. Expect the Destroyer advanced class, an all new Guardian Raid, the debut of Legion Raids, the new Relic rarity for gear, quests, and world content.
This week, Old School RuneScape updates Guardians of the Rift and Beneath Cursed Sands based on player feedback, and issues some fixes for other features.
Into the Fray is Albion Online's next major content update, and it will overhaul most Staffs, castles, outposts, add a new Crystal League mode to help train, dynamic events and much more.
Closed beta has been announced for Chimeraland. The test will be for Canadians and begin next week for the open-world sandbox where you can evolve creatures you tame.
During the EVE Fanfest 2022 Keynote this morning, CCP Games announced that there are two new EVE-based games in the works: an upcoming multiplayer FPS and a 4x mobile strategy game.


text:
LAST UPDATED : Feb 27, 2019, 05:04 PM IST
- Illegal telephone exchange case: Madras HC dismisses Maran brothers plea
On January 30, special judge Vasanthi framed charges against the accused under sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467, 471 and 477 of IPC and sections 13(2) read with 13 (1)(c) and 13(1)(d) of the PC Act.
- Enforcement Directorate probing if Amazon, Flipkart violated foreign exchange law
The petition by an NGO, Telecom Watchdog, also asked for initiation of legal proceedings against the two e-commerce companies under the FEMA for alleged violation and circumvention of FDI norms. The plea claimed that Amazon and Flipkart have created multiple entities to circumvent the FDI norms. ED has initiated an investigation against Amazon and Flipkart.
- Government banking on advance tax collection to meet direct tax target of Rs 12 lakh crore
According to sources, efforts are being made to make up for the shortfall in direct tax collection, but the revised target seems to be daunting. The government had earlier estimated Rs 11.5 lakh crore mop-up from direct tax collection.
- Paytm Mall's Grand Exchange Fest on Xiaomi, iPhone, Pixel & more
Buying a smartphone online is the best decision these days as all platforms give you extra benefits on every purchase. Paytm Mall is celebrating the Grand Exchange fest on top smartphones which includes iPhone X, Google Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3 and other high-end phones.


text:
KT creates mobile phone key that sends password to door
KT, the No. 2 mobile carrier in Korea, said yesterday it introduced a mobile key service stored in a smartphone’s USIM card.
KT co-developed the mobile key service with iRevo, which makes the digital door-lock brand Gateman.
The mobile carrier said it has made door locks more convenient by storing the mobile password in the USIM and transmitting it to the door lock using near field communication from a smartphone.
If users lose their smartphone, they can call the service center to delete the existing mobile key and use the door-lock’s keypad password until they are issued a new key.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)


text:
About 96% of students have taken part in full home-based learning in April.
A recent study by Kaspersky on children’s online behaviour has shown that during the circuit breaker children are gearing more towards the use of online tools for learning.
During the first five months of this year, the top three online activities that they are indulged in are interacting with software (35.99%), online messaging (32.51%), and virtual gaming (14.83%).
However, the study warns that whilst kids are acclimatising to e-learning, security concerns are also on the rise. “With multiple personal and work devices connected to the home network, children can sometimes represent the weakest link in a family’s online security. For instance, a child using their parent’s work laptop to download programmes containing malware could result in the loss of confidential work data, as well as have their emails hijacked to launch spam campaigns,” comments Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
To avoid such insecurities, the cyber security company has emphasised on communicating with children and teaching them how to use the internet safely.
Do you know more about this story? Contact us anonymously through this link.


text:
DEERFIELD, IL (STL.News) Walgreens has made significant progress in its efforts to reopen recently damaged stores in the Bay Area and to serve the evolving needs of the local community. Currently, 62 of Walgreens 67 Bay Area stores, including the majority of its Oakland locations, are open.
In addition, Walgreens has taken a number of steps to help meet the prescription needs of those whose nearest Walgreens store has been or remains temporarily closed. These efforts to reopen stores and restore pharmacy services at impacted locations mark a significant investment by Walgreens throughout the communities.
“Our commitment to the communities we serve is at the heart of everything we do, and especially now, we’re taking every step possible to reopen stores quickly, and to help ensure customers and patients have access to the medications and other essentials they need,” said Jason Cunningham, Walgreens regional vice president. “Walgreens has a long history of being there for communities during times of need, and these efforts wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team members who’ve come together across the company and the U.S. to assist. Many of our communities are hurting right now and beyond our support for our customers and team members, we’re also focused on contributing to the healing so sorely needed nationwide.”
Over the last two weeks, the company has continued to work as quickly as possible to assess damage and begin repairs at impacted stores. About 30 Walgreens locations across the Bay Area sustained some level of damage from recent events. Oakland locations are on limited operating hours at this time, however the company anticipates resuming regular store hours at these locations within in the next two weeks.
Walgreens has been proactively contacting patients whose regular store may be impacted to assist with prescription needs, providing delivery options and directing individuals to other nearby Walgreens stores that are open. This patient outreach includes contacting those who have medications due for refill within the next 10 days to prevent any gaps in prescription adherence.
Walgreens is continuing to waive delivery fees on eligible prescriptions as another way that patients can get their medications. Pharmacists are also contacting patients who require high touch care, such as seniors and those with chronic or complex conditions, to provide individualized support and solutions for their medication and health care needs.
Additionally, customers can connect with a Walgreens pharmacist using the Pharmacist Chat feature available 24/7 on Walgreens mobile app and website. Walgreens has recently expanded the platform to include video chat with pharmacists.
Walgreens is now offering a 20 percent in-store discount at previously closed stores as they reopen, in impacted areas, including the Bay Area. The discount applies to regularly priced items and will be available for 30 days. Additionally, customers who live in impacted communities, based on zip codes, will be able to access a one-time 10 percent discount toward regularly priced items online and also free shipping. Over the coming days, Walgreens will increase inventory of essential grocery items, such as eggs, milk and bread, sent to stores whose local grocery stores may be temporarily closed.


text:
Nostos is one of the more interesting things to come out of Gamescom this year. As Upload VR writes, the Netease title is basically a big, juicy, cel-shaded online VR RPG with JRPG stylings that may or may not be sandboxy but it definitely “open-world.”
The trick is whether it’s an MMO or MMORPG or something else entirely. According to Netease, the game isn’t technically an MMORPG – just an “open-world VR RPG with online elements.” Indeed, the demo appeared to allow just four players for multiplayer. However, the game is based on SpatialOS, which as our readers will know is specifically built to facilitate large numbers of players in MMOs. In fact, last month Netease announced it had invested $50 million into the SpatialOS company with plans to use it for multiple games – including, apparently, Nostos.
“Leveraging Improbable’s SpatialOS simulation technology, the world of Nostos will have players adventuring through a massive seamless open world as they face unexpected meteorological phenomena, build new wonders and encounter intense combat, all hot on the heels of the apocalypse. By working with this cloud-based platform, NetEase will provide players with superior physical simulations and an unprecedented virtual world experience.”


text:
Lian Marrero has an unusual job. When a customer arrives at his studio, he takes their photograph in whatever they happen to be wearing. Then, he fires up phot0-editing software, so his subject can leave looking smarter in print than in person.
According to AP, many people in Cuba want to look presentable in their passport photographs. But wearing a suit in the Cuban heat isn’t much fun, and for many people buying a three-piece in the first place would be an expensive decadence.
To overcome the problem, Marreroo initially offered his clients a real suit to wear for the photoshoot, but apparently they didn’t dig wearing used clothing. So instead, he started photoshopping smart clothes onto the photographs of people wearing their regular scruffy T-shirts.
He now apparently finds himself part of a circle of photographers who trade images of smart clothes amongst themselves. And as a result, passport photographs across Cuba all look super-sharp.


text:
Black and White Magazine at The Project Runway ME Launch Event in Dubai
An exclusive launch event, held by the House of Elie Saab and MBC Group, took place on the 4th of September at Dubai Design District (d3) to announce the launch of Project Runway ME.
The event was attended by international and regional media and press along with special guests who saw a glimpse of the show’s season premier and attended an exclusive panel discussion with Elie Saab moderated by Mazen Hayek, MBC Group’s official spokesman.
The show, featuring the world-renowned Elie Saab as head judge, will air on MBC4 and MBC Masr 2 starting September 17 and the grand finale is set to broadcast live in December from Dubai Design District (d3). Joining Elie Saab as a judge is Tunisian-Italian fashion icon Afef Jnifen along with a different celebrity guest or fashion expert judge every week. Saudi designer Faris Al Shehri will mentor and lead the contestants through every weekly challenge, while Jessica Kahwty, the Lebanese-Australian model, will present the show.
A total of 15 designers are participating in this season and the winner will receive a one year contract for his/her own fashion house within Dubai Design District (d3), a one-year membership to Dubai Design & Fashion Council, and US $50,000 from Maybelline New York. The Winning design will also be featured on the January 2017 cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia magazine.


text:
German mail order and department store group KarstadtQuelle is flexing its muscles in sports, with the acquisition of television company DSF and Web site Sport1.
The venture, with investor Dr Hans-Dieter Cleven, is part of the retail giant's multi-channel strategy and should enable it to make further inroads into the sports goods market.
'The presence of sport in the media is pushing sports retailing,' said KarstadtQuelle New Media chairman Peter Gerard. 'DSF and Sport1 are outstanding communications platforms that can be expanded with consortium members.
'Participation in DSF/Sport1 is a strategically important and economically significant investment,' he added. 'We are emphasising our commitment to the sports growth market and the medium of television.'
KarstadtQuelle has already signed an exclusive deal with international football governing body FIFA to handle the official merchandise for World Cup Germany 2006.
More than 300 outlets in its department stores and sport shops are planned.
The retailer will also operate outlets in all 12 World Cup stadiums during the tournament.
In a tough German market, executive board chairman Wolfgang Urban said last year had been a difficult one.
Sales and earnings fell below the previous year's levels. Sales dipped 1.6 per cent to EUR15.8 billion (£10.98 billion), while earnings before tax and amortisation fell from EUR382 million (£265.6 million) in 2001 to EUR294 million (£204.4 million).


text:
For years, Jackee Kasandy worked as a marketing manager in the private and public sectors, but what she really wanted to do was to run her own business. And yet, whenever she tried to get one off the ground, she ran into an obstacle Black entrepreneurs are disproportionately likely to face: No one would lend her money.
She couldn’t get a loan from a bank because she didn’t own a house to use as collateral. And because she immigrated to Canada from Kenya as an adult, she didn’t have family members nearby who could co-sign a loan or put up collateral on her behalf.
“We don’t have generational wealth, and so without that you can’t get the funding you need to do business, to be an entrepreneur,” Ms. Kasandy said.
She, and many Black business leaders, are hoping to change that. By launching their own programs and pushing for changes at financial and government institutions, they say they hope to give Black entrepreneurs the same opportunities to succeed as everyone else.
Black entrepreneurs are more likely than other business owners to face systemic barriers. Like Ms. Kasandy, many of them lack the collateral they need to get their businesses started. According to a Statistics Canada study, only 48 per cent of Black Canadians owned homes in 2018, compared with an average of 73 per cent among all Canadians.
Black entrepreneurs have described lack of access to capital as one of their biggest business challenges. An Abacus Data survey of more than 300 Black entrepreneurs, commissioned last year by Senator Colin Deacon and the African Canadian Senate Group, found nearly eight in 10 respondents said it would be difficult or impossible to find even $10,000 to support their businesses. Less than one in five said they trusted banks to do what is right for them.
The death of George Floyd in 2020, and a subsequent wave of attention to the systemic discrimination faced by Black Canadians, opened the door to progress, Black business leaders say.
One of the biggest programs to launch in the past two years has been the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, a $291-million partnership between the federal government; the Business Development Bank of Canada; a coalition of Black business groups called the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE); and two credit unions: Vancity and Alterna. The program provides loans of up to $250,000 to Black business owners and is administered by FACE.
Tiffany Callender, chief executive officer of FACE, said her organization is able to help Black entrepreneurs access loans by, for example, accepting lower credit scores than most banks will, which may be useful to new Canadians who haven’t had enough time to build up their credit.
“We define what is risk,” Ms. Callender said. “We are able to decide what the floor is for credit scores. And what else we can see as being of value to the business. We can look at and contextualize more than just the numbers. Because the people who are administering the loan fund are from that community as well.”
The financial partners of the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, Vancity and Alterna, are also running a microloan credit program, which provides loans of between $10,000 and $25,000 to Black business owners in British Columbia and Ontario. It is built on other microloan programs the credit unions had been running for years.
Larger financial institutions are also taking some steps to connect better with Black communities.
For example, last year Toronto-Dominon Bank launched a strategy to rebuild trust with Black customers by hiring more Black staff and conducting anti-Black racism training for employees, including credit adjudicators.
Al Ramsay, vice-president of LGBTQ2+ and Black customer segments at TD, said the bank is committed to becoming an authentic ally to Black communities and is holding focus groups to better understand the issues Black customers are facing.
But while TD has donated $10-million to the Black Opportunity Fund, a charity formed by a group of Bay Street leaders, it has not joined the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund or similar credit programs. And Mr. Ramsay said the bank has no plans to make institutional changes, such as reforming its loan criteria, which Black business owners have said unfairly exclude them.
“Our approach to this is it’s not going to be solved by a loan program per se,” Mr. Ramsay said. “It will be solved by us delivering the bank and having our employees out there, on the front lines, working with the community to give them that access to capital.”
Ms. Kasandy eventually did manage to quit her marketing career and open her own business in 2015: a fair-trade home goods store on Vancouver’s Granville Island. Because she couldn’t get a loan, she said, she used a combination of her personal savings and credit cards to launch the business. Two years in, she said, she was offered a business loan of just $30,000 – far less than the $1-million in sales the business did in a year.
To help other Black entrepreneurs access financing, she co-founded a new group called the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society. On Thursday, the group will hold its inaugural Black Business Summit, where Ms. Kasandy said she hopes to bring together business owners and representatives from financial institutions and government, to work together on ways of knocking down some of the systemic barriers faced by Black entrepreneurs.
“We’re not looking for handouts,” Ms. Kasandy said. “We’re just looking for the opportunity to be counted like everyone else.”
Get the Report on Small Business newsletter, essential reading for hard-working entrepreneurs pursuing growth and expansion. Sign up today.


text:
On Wednesday morning, Lei Jun, the founder, president and CEO of Xiaomi, said on Chinese social media that the second phase of the Xiaomi Smart Factory is expected to go into production by the end of next year. This large smart factory is designed to achieve an annual production capacity of 10 million high-end mobile smartphones.
Lei Jun said that the Xiaomi Smart Factory (Phase I) is a laboratory-level factory, and most of the equipment and systems are developed by Xiaomi and the companies in which Xiaomi invests.
The Phase I part of the factory is located in Yizhuang, Beijing, and covers an area of 18,600 m². It has a full-process automatic production line and is one of the leading smart dark factories in the whole industry. The “dark factories” can achieve automatic manufacturing without lighting throughout the production, management, processing and packaging of machinery, storage and transportation.
SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Auto: no plans for the Shanghai factory
Outside the high-end smartphone production line, the Xiaomi Smart Factory also plays an important role in R&D of new processes, pre-research projects, benchmarking of standard process results, and R&D of automation equipment.
Xiaomi began construction of its Smart Factory (Phase II) in Beijing’s Changping District last July. According to previous information, this factory covers an area of 58,300 sqm and carries the second generation smart smartphone production line, including SMT patch, board test, assembly, whole machine test and packaging of the finished product. It is estimated to have an annual output of 10 million smartphones, with a production value of around 60 billion yuan ($8.9 billion).


text:
Imagine if ATMs let you pay your bills day or night, as easily as taking out cash. Really pay bills, meaning the money gets to the company in minutes instead of days, saving you a late fee.
Or picture banks staying open on the weekend. Really open, so you could make a deposit Saturday that shows up in your account before Monday or Tuesday.
The Federal Reserve is holding a nationwide brainstorming session for banks, merchants and financial middlemen around the country. They are thinking of ways to complete payments in “near real-time,” to keep up with a world that expects results at the tap of a smartphone key.
“This is not an area where the Fed has all the answers,” said Helen Holcomb, first vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “In fact, we’re not sure we have the majority of the answers.”
Holcomb spoke before a roomful of bankers, payments professionals and other interested parties, me included. It was the last meeting of six scheduled around the country to air ideas such as paying bills via ATM and stretching bankers’ hours to 24-7.
Behind the initiative is an awkward fact. The U.S., with its supposedly dynamic financial system, still takes days to complete noncash payments. In other parts of the world, such as Britain and Australia, technology not only authorizes electronic transactions in minutes, but settles them quickly as well. In other words, as anyone who uses online bill payment knows, U.S. banks are nimble at taking money out of your account, but not so swift at getting it to the recipient.
“If you go to the financial institution website to pay the utility bill, the thought is, I’ve clicked on ‘pay’ so my utility should have that money instantaneously,” said Dennis Simmons, president of the Southwestern Automated Clearing House Association in Dallas. “But it can take two to five days.”
Even when those payments are electronic, they are processed in batches instead of going straight through, causing delays. Nonbank networks such as PayPal and newer, mobile alternatives are finding faster ways to handle the front end of payments — between you and a merchant or another person. But both parties need to be signed up with the system for it to work, limiting their usefulness. And these transactions cost more to handle than traditional bank payments.
Then again, there are costs linked to slow payments too, and we’re all paying them. For example, retailers are busiest on weekends, but they can’t use the revenue in their cash registers until Monday at the earliest. That means short-term borrowing to tide them over, with the cost of financing baked into prices on the shelves.
Speaking of slow payments, what about checks? Although they’re on the decline, “billions of checks are still written today, for all types of payments,” according to the Fed’s Payment System Improvement – Public Consultation Paper dated Sept. 10. Paper checks may have to be hauled around the country for days, from homes to businesses to banks.
But the check is still a handy item, Fed officials at the Dallas conference pointed out. The recipient doesn’t have to be on the same network as you, and you don’t have to know their account number, or their bank, or anything about them, really, except the name to write on the “pay to” line. Checks are cheap to process, and while they start as paper, 90 percent of them now travel much of their interbank route as electronic images — only to sit around after they arrive, awaiting batch processing.
Payments that are as easy as checks to use, that travel securely and also lightning-fast, are the goal of the Fed’s payment improvement initiative. The ATM bill-pay idea, in use in Britain and elsewhere, is just one potential solution. “If you think about the ATM world, if you put your card in and your PIN, anywhere in the world, you get money out,” said Simmons. “They have solved for interoperability.” So your bank could talk to your electric company’s bank in real time via the ATM networks, speeding up that utility payment.
The Fed’s listening tour wound up in Dallas this week, but the central bank will continue chewing on ideas as it considers written comments being submitted by industry players.A whitepaper sometime after mid-2014 will condense the ideas into a road map for the future. Then the hard work of implementing changes will begin, said Sean Rodriguez, the Fed official who emceed the meeting in Dallas. “At some point we have to stop the talking,” he said, “and start the walking.”


text:
By Nic Dam, General Manager, Prinova
The MENA region’s market for premix fortification solutions has undergone significant evolution in recent years. Meanwhile, demand for natural, clean label, and healthy products is also increasing. Both these trends will be a focus for Prinova at Gulfood Manufacturing.
We are the world’s largest provider of food grade vitamins B and C and amino acids, and a global source for high-quality ingredients for food and beverage, health and nutrition, animal nutrition, flavour and fragrance, and personal care manufacturers. We also supply customised premixes for the fortification of products with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. We can fortify wheat, maize and rice flour, as well as other staple food applications including cooking oils, spreads and margarines.
Following recent expansion across Europe, and with a presence in the Turkish market, we are keen to offer our expert solutions to premix markets in the Middle East. One of our areas of expertise, and a growing segment in the region, is infant nutrition. The baby food segment is expected to grow by 51% between 2017 and 2022, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel seeing the most significant increases since 2010.
When it comes to demand for natural ingredients, a particular growth area is natural caffeine. In partnership with microencapsulation experts Anabio, we recently launched the ActiveTR® range of sports nutrition ingredients. It includes ActiveTR® Caffeine Natural, which is proven to deliver improved results for athletes, including better performance over four hours, fast recovery and enhanced muscle protein synthesis.
We also provide nutritional premixes for staple foods, helping address micronutrient deficiencies and life-threatening conditions that affect the world’s most vulnerable people (particularly young women and infants). By allowing the fortification of staple ingredients with nutrients that address specific conditions, we hope to help find solutions to global malnutrition challenges.
At Prinova we pride ourselves on reliable service, unmatched quality, ability to meet global regulatory demands, worldwide manufacturing facilities, and expertise in nutrient premixes and fortification. We hope this will help make us your partner of choice.


text:
Despite the combined efforts of the Archery Trade Association Board of Directors, staff and the city of Indianapolis, your ATA Board of Directors made the tough decision to cancel the in-person 2021 ATA Trade Show, scheduled to take place Jan. 7-9, 2021, in Indianapolis.
We hold the ATA Trade Show to an extremely high standard, and it became clear that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wouldn’t be able to provide the trade show environment that you’ve all come to expect and enjoy.
Our goal is to deliver a first-class event that helps the archery and bowhunting industry succeed, while keeping health and safety as a top priority, and we share your disappointment over the outcome of this year’s Show. We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to all ATA members who booked booth space and registered to attend the Show through these unprecedented times. Your passion for this industry is evident.
As your ATA starts to shift focus, we’ll communicate updates regarding next steps, including virtual plans and offerings. ATA members should check their inboxes in the coming weeks for information regarding:
- Virtual education opportunities
- Virtual Show specials
- Virtual Impact Awards
We ask for your patience as we adapt and begin the cancellation process. Anyone who registered for a badge will see a refund within 14 days. To all of our exhibitors, you can expect to hear from either Maria Lewis or Becky Lux within the next 5-7 business days.
Mark Copeland, chairman of the Board and store director of Jay’s Sporting Goods, said: “This was a very difficult decision to make, but as a father and a small business owner, we need to look out for the health and safety of our members’ staff and their families. At some point, you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s the long-term impact of a Show with less than 50% attendees and vendors?’ It’s the Board of Directors responsibility to look out for the industry, and as painful as this decision was to make, I believe it’s the right one.”
Jeff Adee, co-chair of the ATA Board of Directors and president of Headhunter Bow Strings, had similar thoughts. “We have members that have lost loved ones and employees to COVID-19,” he said. “It's imperative that we keep all our members safe, and canceling the Show is the right thing to do. We also know the past six months have challenged our members in new ways. As such, taking care of their hard-earned money is more crucial than ever. The Show is a significant expense and many exhibitors are faced with a tough decision to attend during these difficult times, especially without knowing what the next 90 days look like. Therefore, the value of the Show would greatly diminish for all those involved."
Additionally, James McGovern, co-chair of the Board of Directors and owner and marketing director of Rinehart Targets, said: “When I look to 2022, I know that we can continue to host an event that the industry is proud of. For me, that is what drove this decision. It came down to the continued viability of the ATA to serve the industry. I know that the ATA leadership team can navigate the organization to 2022 and I believe that we can host as great an event as you have come to expect. What I didn’t know was what would the ATA show look like in 2022 if we hosted an event in 2021 that did not live up to the standards our industry has come to know and appreciate. Canceling the show was difficult, but knowing that this was the right decision is not.”
If you have questions, please contact anyone on the ATA Leadership Team:
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to reuniting with you, at a bigger and better 2022 ATA Trade Show in Louisville.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP THE INDUSTRY, TO HELP INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES GET THE MOST OUT OF THE INDUSTRY, AND TO HELP YOU.


text:
Nielsen: Online grocery shopping still small, but growing rapidly
from Food Navigator-USA
A new survey from Nielsen found that while online grocery shopping may not have entered the mainstream, consumers are flocking to the Internet for food information, and food and beverage marketers are exploring ways to use their online presence to connect with current and potential customers.
7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063


text:
MUMBAI—Hindusthan National Glass and Industries Ltd is expected to finalize a strategic overseas acquisition in the pharmaceuticals space in the next two-three months, a top official said.
India's largest glass bottle-maker by market share, which primarily focuses on liquor and food and beverage bottles, wants to expand its market among drug manufacturers, both locally and internationally. Hindusthan Glass is likely to pay between two billion and four billion rupees for the company, which has an existing client base in the pharmaceutical sector, said Mukul Somany, vice chairman and managing director of Hindusthan Glass.
"An acquisition in the drug space, where we wanted to grow further, would not only help us enter foreign markets, but also to have several new global clients," he said.
Mr. Somany declined to share details about the target firm, but said his company had looked at acquisitions in the Middle East, South East Asia and Europe. Hindusthan Glass, which earns nearly 95% of its revenue from its local business, hopes to garner a bigger share from foreign sales.
The glass-maker has engaged Rothschild Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers to advise on the deal, according to a person familiar with the acquisition plan, who didn't want to be named.
To fund the acquisition, the company plans to sell a part of its 16.76% treasury stock to institutional investors, and a few potential buyers had shown interest. Treasury stock is shares held by the issuing corporation and available for resale.
Hindusthan Glass' treasury stock was created in 2002, when it merged Owens Brockway India Ltd with itself. In June 2010, the U.S.-based private equity firm Sequoia Capital acquired a stake of at least 7% in the company, partly from the sale of treasury stock and from the promoters, the Kolkata-based Somany family, for about 1.27 billion rupees.
As part of the increasing focus in pharmaceutical sector, the company raised its production capacity at its local factories, recently.
The company said its Bahadurgarh unit was revamped, upgrades include realignment of furnaces and installation of new machinery and equipment for automatic inspection.
Hindusthan Glass' revenue from the pharmaceutical sector was 1.66 billion rupees in the last fiscal. The company is expecting a turnover of 1.95 billion rupees in the current fiscal, which started April 1.
The pharmaceutical industry in India is expected to continue its double-digit growth, and glass, the preferred packaging material of this sector, will be in much demand. Hindusthan Glass expects to see the impact of some of its recent expansion measures in this sector this year.
In the past year, the company saw its market share drop to 55% from 65% as rivals expanded their capacity and took a bigger share of the demand, according to a report from rating agency Crisil Ltd. Hindusthan Glass' medium-term plans to add higher capacity will help restore its market share, the report added.


text:
DRONE footage has revealed how a massive $40 million data centre in Toowoomba is taking shape.
FKG's Pulse Data Centre is the brainchild of Gary Gardner, who developed the idea with FKG group.
Located at the Toowoomba Technology Park to the west of the city, the centre is expected to open in 2018.
It will be the first of its kind in regional Australia, allowing companies to store and distribute data at high speeds.
The latest image of the high-tech data centre shows how a vast concrete pour has been completed and the structure is taking shape.
The drone footage released this week comes as it was announced that telco Vastnet has partnered with the data centre.
Vastnet co-founder and CEO David Stevens said the company had become a strategic partner of the Pulse DC.
"Vastnet will be well positioned to utilise the Pulse DC from day one as we have aggregator and carrier capabilities via our telco licence, which allows us to be very flexible in terms of bespoke, unique, regional solutions," Mr Stevens said.
"We are certain of the need for such a sophisticated facility in Toowoomba and felt it was vitally important to demonstrate our support as early as possible by signing on now until at least 2021, and we will partner well beyond that."
"We see ourselves as an untraditional, cutting edge provider and we want to deliver the best business data, voice and cloud services to businesses in Toowoomba and surrounds in the Western Downs and Lockyer Valley. The Pulse DC partnership is a game-changer in terms of delivering our full product suite and proving our capabilities to the region," he said.
Retrieved from The Chronicle, 30 August 2017


text:
Web Shop Manager Partnership to Expand Consumer Payment Options
Web Shop Manager has partnered with Affirm.
Started by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, Affirm gives consumers the flexibility to buy now and make monthly payments over time. Affirm offers transparent payment terms with no fees or compounding interest, and employs advanced technology to reach a broader consumer population, according to the company.
“Our goal is to help our clients succeed by offering the best products and services,” said Dana Nevins, CEO of Web Shop Manager. “So, we are always looking to work with leading companies that can do just that, and Affirm was just the right fit. By offering Affirm, we are able to help grow the businesses using Web Shop Manager.”
Affirm is an experienced partner with aftermarket auto parts merchants, working with over 20 companies to increase conversion, optimize for mobile, and grow repurchase rate, according to the company.


text:
Skip to content
Free Sophos Home
Sophos Cloud Optix
Intercept X for Server
Secure Web Gateway
For Home Users
Sophos Home protects every Mac and PC in your home
Free Security Tools
Have you listened to our podcast?
RESULTS for "
Zoom for Mac patches sneaky “spy-on-me” bug – update now!
Oct 18 2022 7:01pm
“To the moon!” Cryptocurrency hamster Mr Goxx trades online 24/7
Oct 20 2021 7:07pm
FTC warns of LGBTQ+ extortion scams – be aware before you share!
Jun 27 2022 6:58pm
IoT devices must “protect consumers from cyberharm”, says UK government
Dec 02 2021 7:10pm
The RATicate gang – implanting malware in an industry near you
May 18 2020 5:35pm
“Those aren’t my kids!” – Eufy camera owners report video mixups
May 17 2021 7:18pm
Apple patches zero-day kernel hole and much more – update now!
May 17 2022 7:30pm
Porn scammers making $100,000 a month from sextortion emails
Apr 22 2020 1:48pm
How a gaming mouse can get you Windows superpowers!
Aug 24 2021 5:58pm
Video surveillance network hacked by researchers to hijack footage
Aug 17 2021 7:48pm
Show more articles


text:
Want to join the conversation?
Consumer transaction technologies company $NCR said Italian Supermarket, Iper, La grande I, has adopted the latest generation of NCR Retail solutions at its new store in Milan. This store is equipped with a range of $NCR hardware and software that automates checkout services, giving customers choice of self-service or assisted checkout.
$NFLX a monster move, going up. Expect making some money on Monday.
$AMD down more than 6% even after posting above consensus third quarter results.
$MCD stock rose more than 2% after it posted better than expected 3Q16 results, driven by global same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, earnings and revenue were lower than last year, hurt by refranchising efforts.


text:
For Americans needing an annual check-up, a flu vaccination or infection treated, retail clinics are an easy way to do that. Users point to convenience — extended operating hours, walk-in visits and convenient locations.
That’s the primary reason retail health clinics are booming, according to a new report. But despite persistent predictions of massive growth on the horizon, it’s still not as much as it could be — or will be — researchers note.
But that could change in a matter of months because of the influx of newly insured patients under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. PPACA could “increase demand for retail services as more people become insured and it becomes increasingly difficult to find access to primary care,” researchers said.
The report points to other good news for retail clinics: For one, more younger families — those with a family respondent aged 18-49 — and families with children are likely to use the clinics. More patients also are utilizing the clinics for vaccinations (26 percent) and prescription renewals (21 percent), not just diagnosis and treatment of a new illness or symptom.


text:
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of fertiliser subsidy to farmers is an eminently feasible proposition and the Narendra Modi government should lose no time in going ahead with its implementation, says US Awasthi of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco).
“People interested in stalling DBT are giving all sorts of excuses. They say it won’t work because a significant part of cultivation is today done by tenant farmers or sharecroppers not owning the land and without any formal lease agreements. But these concerns can easily be addressed,” claims the managing director of the country’s largest fertiliser producer and marketer.
Iffco, in 2014-15, sold 11.13 million tonnes (mt) of fertilisers — one in every five bags bought by farmers in India — including 7.19 mt of urea, 1.89 mt of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and 2.02 mt of complex fertilisers. The first requirement for DBT is a system to track the movement of every bag of fertiliser, right from the manufacturing plant or port of import till the last-mile point of sale to the farmer.
The government, Awasthi points out, already has a Fertiliser Monitoring System (FMS). This web-based software application, operational since 2007, captures the dispatches of material to over 600 districts via 750-odd railway rake points. From 2012, the system’s coverage has been extended to nearly 1.6 lakh fertiliser retailers in the country. In 2014-15 alone, 38 lakh-odd invoices involving sale of 54 mt of fertilisers up to the retail point were posted on the now mobile-enabled FMS. And all this information is available on a daily, real-time basis.
“The next step is to capture transactions from the retail level to the farmer. For this, we need to build a farmers’ database and enter it in a centralised system, which could then be used to develop a platform for tracking sales from the retailer end. This middleware platform can be further integrated with banking software, to enable transfer of subsidy to a farmer’s account whenever a transaction happens and is captured in the system,” notes Awasthi.
Besides creating a robust data capture platform, DBT would require retailers to have wireless devices with bank connectivity and facility for farmers to swipe smart cards for claiming subsidy.
The swipe cards could be issued to anybody wanting to buy fertiliser. “You can have Aadhaar, Rupay or Kisan Credit Card for basic farmer identification, but there is no necessity for the person to be owner of the land being tilled. Also, there will be only one card for every person, with an annual subsidy limit of Rs 5,000 per card,” suggests Awasthi.
The Rs 5,000 cap and only one card per person conditions would, more or less, ensure that only genuine farmers — tenants and sharecroppers included — get the subsidy, which is automatically transferred to their bank accounts whenever they purchase fertilisers and swipe the card through the wireless device/computer attachment with the retailer.
At current maximum retail prices (MRP), the Rs 5,000 subsidy entitlement per card would meet more than 100 per cent of the fertiliser costs for a one-acre farmer in Punjab or Haryana growing a crop of paddy and wheat every year (see table). With larger farms or in the event of MRPs going up, the percentage of costs covered would get progressively lower.
“The Rs 5,000 cap has been arrived at by simply taking the government’s total annual subsidy bill at Rs 55,000 crore and dividing it among the country’s 11 crore farmers. The government can always raise these if it so desires. Besides, the smaller farmers may be permitted to transfer their unutilised subsidy entitlement to the bigger farmers,” states Awasthi. The main issue in DBT is over the practicability of making direct payments to crores of farmers, as opposed to the current system where the government pays subsidy to just 100 or so manufacturers and importers of fertilisers.
“It isn’t difficult to track every purchase made by a farmer. In the last one year, we have captured all retail-end sales taking place in two districts — roughly 33,000 transactions in Ranchi (Jharkhand) and 5,700-plus in Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) — and uploaded this whole data in the FMS. I am prepared to extend the experiment to 50 districts and even install swiping machines at each of Iffco’s 36,000 societies”, contends Awasthi.
DBT, according to him, is workable provided there is political will. “If almost 16 crore bank accounts can be opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, which is twice the target of 7.5 crore that was set for January 26, why should implementing DBT for 11 crore farmers be so difficult? The direction for it must also perhaps come from the top,” adds Awasthi.


text:
India’s manufacturing activity continued to improve in August, as input cost inflation receded further. The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) posted at 56.2 in August – little-changed from July’s reading of 56.4 – signalling the second-strongest improvement in operating conditions since last November. An index reading of 50 or above suggests expansion and below it points at contraction. “Indian manufacturers continued to benefit from the absence of COVID-19 restrictions, with rates of growth for both output and new orders picking up yet again to the strongest since last November,” Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said.
Also read: LPG Price cut: Commercial cylinder gets cheaper, domestic cooking gas rate steady; check LPG prices today
S&P Global in its report said that a sustained improvement in demand conditions boosted new order intakes at Indian manufacturers during August, which in turn pushed output growth to a nine-month high. Moreover, production volumes were also supported by a pick-up in exports and upbeat projections for the year-ahead outlook. “Firms were at their most optimistic for six years,” it added.
On the supply side, the results showed a further shortening of delivery times and a slower upturn in prices charged by vendors. Pollyanna De Lima added, saying that this robust performance was complemented by a fourth successive monthly slowdown in the rate of input cost inflation, which slipped to the lowest in a year amid softer pressures from commodity prices. “Factory gate charges rose at the second-weakest pace since the start of fiscal year 2022/23, one that was similar to July,” Lima noted.
Also read: Tax hike on diesel, jet fuel exports, domestic crude oil production; govt raises levy on windfall gains
Contributions to the PMI from sub-indices varied as faster increases in new orders and output compared with slower expansions in employment and stocks of purchases. Indian manufacturers reported the fastest increase in production in nine months, which they attributed to greater sales, recent efforts to enhance capacities, fewer COVID-19 restrictions and product diversification.
Similarly, factory orders rose at the quickest pace since last November, reportedly boosted by strengthening demand conditions, new client wins and fruitful advertising. “Firms welcomed the weaker increase in input costs with an upward revision to output forecasts amid renewed hopes that contained price pressures will help boost demand,” Lima said. Pollyanna De Lima also said that inflation concerns, which had dampened sentiment around mid-year, appear to have completely dissipated in August as seen by a jump in business confidence to a six-year high.
S&P Global in its report also said that although manufacturers continued to signal higher prices for a wide range of materials in August, the overall rate of cost inflation softened to a one-year low as commodity prices (particularly aluminium and steel) moderated.


text:
By Robert McGarvey
The short answer is: No, the typical credit union does not need to be in a rush to deploy an Apple Watch app. Or any other smartwatch. Some should at least look hard into a possible rollout of an app.
But most can sit safely on the sidelines.
The timing is right for a fresh look at smartwatches and banking. We are now at the two-year mark since Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the Apple Watch and, at the start, optimism was high for the device and expectations were large that many of us soon would be buying stuff with a tap on a smartwatch, checking our balances on it, and maybe even paying bills with it. In those heady days, it often seemed that the Apple Watch was primed to revolutionize commerce and banking.
How has that worked out?
Understand that the Apple Watch has sold many millions of units. Apple has never released sales figures for the device but experts say that the watch is a billion-dollar product. But experts also say that sales have flattened—some say sales have in fact fallen —and while we don’t know the specifics, we do know that Apple Watch—and the Android smartwatches—really haven’t set the world aflame. There are fans, there are millions of happy users, but this is no iPhone. It has not birthed a wholly new must-have device category.
In 2009, two years after the iPhone launch, old-fashioned feature phones had started to look dated and dumb. Nowadays, when I look around, I just don’t see many watches at all. It’s not that smartwatches have won out, or that traditional watches are triumphing; it’s that a lot of wrists are bare.
And that’s why most financial institutions can breathe easily and put smartwatch apps on the backburner.
Watch apps, generally, also offer a small, edited suite of functions, such as finding an ATM, balance-checking, and pinpointing the nearest branch. The trend with mobile banking apps is to make them ever more robust, but that’s just not the case with a smartwatch where the limited screen real estate and the challenge of data entry mean that a watch app just will never rival a mobile banking app.
Then too, for full functionality the Apple Watch requires a nearby iPhone—and if an iPhone is near, who wouldn’t rather use it to handle complex banking tasks?
Add it up and we have skepticism about just how important smartwatches are likely to be in banking.
For some years our consistent advice regarding financial institutions and technology is: You need it. Get it soon.
That’s not what we are saying about smartwatches.
Definitely some institutions have Apple Watch apps—just about all the leading banks do, and a smattering of credit unions do too—but there are reasons to go slow. The biggest reason: For now, the primary use of smartwatches appears to be fitness-related (step counting, for instance). Although at least some users do monitor Apple Pay charges on their Apple Watch, no special financial institution app is required for that—Apple Pay alone should do the notification.
Our advice is blunt: get your mobile banking act in gear. That, clearly, is the future of banking for most institutions. So put real focus into mobile banking.
And go slowly with smartwatches.
There really is no reason to rush.


text:
PRLog (Press Release) – Aug. 30, 2013 – NEW YORK — September 2013
Get Back to Work!
It’s that time of year again. Summer is coming to a close and the kids are going back to school. And just like most parents want to get their kids prepared for that first day, we want to get you prepared to get back to work!<
vieReady (http://www.vieready.com/) announces their “Get Back to Work” Promotion for the month of September.
50% off any of their trainings including the combo package.
Use Discount Code: BACK2WORK
The vieReady trainings are already the most cost effective products available on the market in comparison to expensive professional resume writers and job coaches.<
vieReady presents 15SecondResume (Reg. Price $99.99) w/ code $49.99
Writing a resume is easy; understanding why it doesn