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Compiled by Thiên Lý
In December last year, the HCM City People’s Council issued a resolution on collecting fees for using infrastructure facilities and public services at local ports.
The fees, to be collected from July 1 this year, will be used to develop roads near the ports to easing the growing congestion and enhance goods transport capacity.
For goods imported for re-export or deposited in bonded warehouses and transit and transshipment goods declared outside the city the rate will be VNĐ2.2 million for a 20-foot container, VNĐ4.4 million (US$190.8) for a 40ft container and VNĐ50,000 per tonne for liquid and bulk cargo.
For imported and exported goods declared in the city, the fee will be around VNĐ250,000 ($10.8) for a 20ft container and VNĐ500,000 ($21.7) for a 40ft container. For liquid and bulk cargo, it will be VNĐ16,000 ($0.7) per tonne.
The city expects that it can collect about VNĐ3.2 trillion ($138.8 million) of infrastructure fees at local seaports a year, and the revenue would increase in the following years based on the volume of goods.
All the fees are to be made online to the Port Authority of Inland Waterway.
The fee collection will start at the Cái Lái Port, a container terminal.
In 2019, the throughput of goods through the city’s ports was 170 million tones, and it is forecast to increase to nearly 237 million tonnes by 2030.
However, opinions are divided about the need to impose the new fees.
HCM City has four major ports – Cát Lái on the Đồng Nai River, Nhà Bè on the Nhà Bè River, Hiệp Phước on the Soài Rạp River, and Saigon on the Sài Gòn River – that play a vital role in the transportation of goods between the Southeastern region and the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta.
Besides, the city also has dry ports, customs inspection areas, container freight stations, and bonded warehouses.
According to the city Department of Transport (DoT), which proposed the fees, the collection of infrastructure fees has become imperative because the large volume of goods transported through the city’s ports is putting huge pressure on transport infrastructure.
Road around ports have not been developed commensurately for many years now due to a lack of funds, resulting in their deterioration, congestion, air pollution, and, finally, increased logistics costs.
The new fees would help mitigate all this and improve goods transport capacity, the department said.
A transport infrastructure development project for 2020-30 approved by the city Party Committee will require $41.8 billion.
Of the amount, around $20.5 billion will come from the city’s coffers, and the rest from the Government, official development assistance and public-private partnerships.
Bùi Hòa An, a deputy director of the DoT, said the budget earmarked for transport infrastructure in 2021-26 would meet only 24.6 per cent of the requirement.
DoT director Trần Quang Lâm said in addition to helping upgrade transport infrastructure near ports, the new fees could also help ease overloads at Cát Lái and other ports by prompting businesses to think about switching to ports elsewhere like Cái Mép-Thị Vải in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province.
However, the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) vehemently opposed the introduction of the fee, especially at a time when COVID-19 is still raging, since it would put pressure on the fisheries sector, 70 per cent of whose import-export goods pass through the city.
It wants the fee delayed until December 31 by which time the pandemic is hopefully under control.
It said authorities should consider reducing the fees and not see them as a source of revenue.
It also wanted the city government to make regular and transparent reports on the collection and spending of the fees.
A spokesperson for the Việt Nam Logistics Business Association concurred with all this, saying the fees would cause a severe impact on businesses, especially those in foreign trade and logistics.
The Việt Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) said logistics costs in Việt Nam are already high at 20 per cent of GDP, while in other countries in the region they are only 9-14 per cent.
According to the International Monetary Fund, globally, logistics costs account for 12 per cent of GDP.
The high costs already drag down the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, and the additional fees would further reduce it, and act as an obstacle to entering new markets, VITAS said.
Analysts said many cities and provinces seem to work at cross purposes with the Government, pointing out that while the latter has been making efforts to reduce logistics costs to 16 per cent of GDP, the former always want to increase fees.
Huỳnh Thị Mỹ Nương, director of a company specialising in provision of leadership training service, was quoted as saying by Business newspaper that many businesses are facing difficulties related to finance and supply chains due to the continuing impacts of the pandemic.
So the new infrastructure fees at ports would only pose more challenges to their survival and recovery post-pandemic, she said.
The CEO of a seafood export company in the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta said businesses like his already pay several kinds of fees for BOT, environmental protection, cargo handling, and storage. The infrastructure fees would only make things harder for them, especially with COVID already affecting execution of customers’ orders.
Nguyễn Hương, director of Gold Cashew Company Limited, said what agricultural export companies including hers desire is to have logistics costs cut, especially fees related to maritime transport, since they are at such high levels.
They could be more competitive if the fees are adjusted downwards, helping reduce costs, she said.
Analysts said while collection of the maritime infrastructure fees is necessary, it should be implemented with a proper roadmap which is outlined in a way that can still enable the city to raise fund for upgrading infrastructure system at the seaport areas but also not to put pressure on import and export businesses. — VNS


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Decision day on Wells eyesore
Today is decision day on plans to redevelop a burned out eyesore which has scarred Wells seafront for more than six years.
Separate applications to knock down and rebuild the Gray’s Arcade building and adjoining shop are being discussed by North Norfolk District Council’s development committee in Cromer and both plans have been recommended for approval by the council’s planning officer.
The first is to redevelop the shop site into a four-floor development featuring a cafe/retail unit, three flats and a maisonette.
The second is to transform the Gray’s Arcade site into a four-floor development featuring three retail units, an office and nine flats.
The buildings were completely gutted by fire in January 2005 and have remained in a derelict burned out condition ever since.
This inaction has been a source of frustration for residents of Wells and visitors to the town and prompted the district council to consider making its first ever compulsory purchase order.
The planning officer states in a report, to be viewed by the development

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Thousands come along for a taste of city's vegan festival
THOUSANDS of people attended one of the area's biggest festivals celebrating veganism over the weekend.
More than 3,000 visitors packed into the Guildhall to check out what was on offer during The Portsmouth Vegan Festival.
Celebrating its third year in the city, the event was the perfect showcase for everything vegan.
More than 100 stalls crammed into the city centre building, with traders selling everything from cosmetics, clothes and tea to cakes, chocolates and jewellery.
Victoria Bryceson is one of the organisers of the festival and said it was the biggest one yet.
She said: ‘I haven’t had much sleep because I have been constantly worrying if people would come and I’m worrying for the stallholders because there are so many people here that are reliant on this for their livelihoods.’
She added the event was about creating a ‘safe space’ for vegans so they don’t have to worry about what they are buying.
‘‘This is a place where you can come to and you can buy everything that you want,’ she said.
‘You don’t have to check, everything is vegan.’
As well as all the stalls, there were plenty of activities for visitors to try, from talks and debates to yoga.
Animal welfare charities were also given a space to promote their causes.
Among them was Animal Equality, a group fighting for the rights of animals across the globe.
The organisation was running a hard-hitting virtual reality ‘tour’ of slaughterhouses and dairy farms in the UK to show what goes on behind the scenes.
Keith Muir, one of those running the stand, said the aim of the immersive display was about educating people.
‘A lot of people that still consume dairy products don’t understand the harsh, gruesome reality of what goes into producing the food on their plate,’ he said.
Martin Richards was among those to visit the stall and try the virtual reality tour.
The 29-year-old, of Portsmouth, said: ‘I’m a meat-eater and it left me feeling really emotional afterwards. It was graphic.
‘It’s definitely given me some food for thought.’
Guildhall’s café space was packed with vegan food stalls, selling freshly-cooked products, from no-meat burgers to vegan Caribbean and Mexican-style cuisine.
Samuel Moore, 10, of Fareham, was with his mum Amanda, 45, and sister Mary, 15.
He said: ‘I’ve never tried a vegan burger before but they’re actually really tasty.
‘I didn’t know the difference.’
Amanda added: ‘This has been our first time here and it’s been eye-opening.’
University of Portsmouth students Molly Price, 20, and Toby Pearce, 21, also attended. Toby was impressed by the range of products on offer.
‘Portsmouth is in the middle as a vegan population, there is not enough business here but the demand is there,’ he said.
‘So events like this are really needed.’
Victoria added all types of people had joined the event.She said: ‘The people are fantastic and this just shows how they can come together and support an event like this.
‘It also shows that it’s not just vegans coming – it’s the non-vegans coming as well.
‘They’re curious and they want to find out more and that’s great.’
n To find out about the next vegan festival, see vegfest.co.uk


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Duncan White, Oneupweb's director of client services, said one of their new clients, Silkflowers.com, is new to the search engine marketing space and new to online commerce. Oneupweb, he said, built the Silkflowers.com Web site from the ground up with search engine optimization in mind. "They've owned that domain for a while," he said. "It's a completely new site, and it came out of the gate with optimization as a major factor." Oneupweb is also running a paid keyword campaign with hundreds of keywords on the major search engines for Silkflowers.com.
Oneupweb also rebuilt client Sunrocket's Web site, with an eye toward giving the firm traction in the VoIP market, where name recognition is dominated by companies like Vonage and Verizon.
Oneupweb will be working on optimizing Sunrocket's Web properties for search engine indexing, and is running a campaign of thousands of keywords on the major engines, White said. Much of the search advertising is locally targeted to regions where Sunrocket is just starting to provide service.


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Nielsen, who has relied diaries to capture TV viewing data since the 1950’s, is poised to pick plastic over paper for local audience measurement business. Last month the ratings company announced a worldwide initiative to replace over a dozen measurement devices it uses internationally with new “GTAM” units. The “Global TV Audience Measurement” devices will use audio watermarks to identify content on multiple platforms.
by Dave Zornow
Ad sales people and researchers are always looking for compelling stories on how advertising is effective — and something a smart marketer can’t do without. Here’s a story which proves that point to retailers — using their own words and emotional outrage.
The Village of Haverstraw, NY passed a local ordinance banning cigarette Point-Of-Sale Advertising beginning in October 2012. And the retailers and their trade groups went ballistic. Retailers and their trade groups cried foul in Big Implications for a Little Village’s Ban, a convenience store trade publication article about new regulations passed this Spring to ban tobacco advertising in convenience stores in the Lower Hudson Valley Hamlet Northwest of New York City.
by Dave Zornow
On a day when the world mourns the loss of Steve Jobs and the tech industry is iWriting about the iMac-iPod-iPhone-iPad, it’s valuable to remember that the original Man-In-Black didn’t always have the Midas touch. Which makes his successes that much more remarkable.
It will come as no surprise to regular readers of Mediapost that Joe Mandese is no fan of Nielsen. Mandese, the Editor-in-Chief at MediaPost, has frequently skewered the ratings company for things they have done and much of the time, Nielsen critics applaud his efforts. But researchers say Mandese crossed a line with last week’s story, “Nielsen Discloses Major TV Ratings Glitch, Could Impact Millions In TV Ad Buys” because there was no major glitch — with the possible exception of how MediaPost reported the story.
Schadenfreude, deriving pleasure from the misfortunes of others,is a German word and a morning drive and reality show formula for ratings success.
The power of the unconscious mind, the effect of emotions on thinking and our need to be part of a larger social structure were some of the points made by the NYT’s David Brooks’ keynote speech at the 2011 ARF AMS Conference.
It’s college graduation time. Which means hugging, crying, packing, moving and worrying about what the future holds.
This year’s graduation at Ithaca College in upstate New York connected baby boomer parents with their recent graduates via the shocking realization that if Dustin Hoffman’s character in the graduate was real, he would be retiring this year. And what a working career he would have had.
Once serious but lately comedic actor Leslie Nielsen died last weekend at age 83. Famous for his Airplane and Naked Gun appearances, he once tried to compete with the other Nielsen — according to this 1998 April Fool’s article.
Detective Frank Drebin, we’re going to miss you.
At Thanksgiving dinners across the country this weekend, travelers asked, “Is airport scanning designed to creep out the tourists or the terrorists?
Would stratified sampling be a better way to root out the bad guys without lessening our collective confidence in the TSA?
A religious hurricane forecast to hit a suburban NYC community in November, 2010 changed course at the last minute, allowing a high school production of The Laramie Project to take the stage with no worries about religious fundamentalists disrupting the play.
But to end the story there would be to miss “a teachable moment” about the averted storm – and why local reporters needed to write about it.


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Mojang says the next update for Minecraft will land in 2022. The Microsoft-owned developer announced the release as The Wild Update, which will follow the upcoming Caves and Cliffs Update. Like all major Minecraft upgrades, The Wild Update will bring a host of changes to the world’s most popular game.
According to Mojang, the update will bring a bunch of new blocks to the game, additional mobs, and new biomes. Furthermore, there will be new large ancient cities featuring unique loot to the update.
While the details are not fully known, we can expect Minecraft: The Wild Update to have a massive amount of new content.
While the update announcement is good news, Mojang also had some disappointing information to pass. Specifically, the company is delaying the release of the Deep Dark biome. This was supposed to land on the Caves and Cliffs Update part 2, which will launch soon. However, Mojang says the biome will now instead drop with The Wild Update.
Both pieces of news were given and the current Minecraft Live 2021 event. It is unclear if Minecraft: The Wild Update will be split into two release.
Mojang did that with Caves and Cliffs, with Part 1 already available and Part 2 dropping soon. Whether the same happens with The Wild Update will depend on the overall size of the release.
The company has not yet said a release timeframe other than 2022. A likely launch window will be around the summer. Other major Minecraft updates have arrived in June, such as 2019’s The Nether update and Caves and Cliffs Part 1.
Tip of the day: The Windows 10 Clipboard history feature provides the functionality across device, space, and time, letting you copy on one computer and paste the text days later on a different PC. All of it is possible via the Windows 10 clipboard manager, which lets you view, delete, pin, and clear clipboard history at will.
In our tutorial we show you how to enable the feature, clear clipboard history, and enable/disable clipboard sync to meet your preferences. You can also create a clear clipboard shortcut for quick removal of stored content.


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In what many see as a placeholder year ahead of the iPhone 5G super cycle, Apple is staying relatively conservative with production of its 2019 iPhones. The overall number of units ordered from its assembly partners is not that much higher than what the company requested for 2018’s releases, according to analysts.
According to source of Cowen, Apple is expected to build 65 million units for the fourth quarter of 2019, which it rates as “flat” year-on-year and Apple’s “lowest procurement level in the past four years.” Cowen’s own sell-in forecast for the quarter is 63 million, slightly below its new estimates.
For the second half of 2019 as a whole, Cowen believes the new iPhone will make up 72% of the build mix, or 47 million units. Meanwhile, Apple’s total builds for the second half of the year for the refreshed models is 79 million, down 7% from 85 million last year.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s orders a likely quote prudent ahead of next year’s iPhone 5G avalanche!


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Solantic, the chain of urgent-care centers that Florida Gov. Rick Scott co-founded in 2001
, is expanding and changing its name to CareSpot Express Healthcare.
The Scott family held shares in the company until April 2011, when New York-based private-equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe bought out their stake and took over operations.
CareSpot Express, which has corporate offices in Nashville and in Jacksonville, Fla., plans to add 12 to 15 urgent-care centers to its current group of 29 by the end of the year, according to a news release
. It also plans to hire 150 new employees, bringing its total headcount above 700.
In addition, the chain said it will implement new technology that will allow patients, via computer or smartphone, to make appointments, determine wait times at a center and register before their appointments. All centers will also use electronic health records, which clinicians will be able to access from tablets.
"CareSpot Express Healthcare represents a new brand and a new vision for our company," said Solantic/CareSpot Express Healthcare CEO Mike Klein in the release. "Over the next few months, we'll be putting the pieces in place to create a better company, provide better service and deliver consumers quality healthcare at a reasonable price."


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For at least 20 years, diesel cars have been much more popular in Europe than in the United States.
Because diesel combustion is more efficient than gasoline combustion, the engines help drivers save money on fuel–and produce lower emissions of greenhouse gases.
However, European countries have only recently adopted a similar strict level of emissions standards to the U.S.
That’s led to public concerns over air quality, due to the high levels of nitrous oxides (NOx) and other harmful substances from diesel exhaust produced by engines without modern emission controls.
Up through last year, the diesels sold throughout Europe that would not have been legal to sell in the U.S. for most of a decade.


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April 15 (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating nutrition and weight loss company Herbalife Ltd over claims it is a pyramid scheme, the New York Post reported late Monday.
Representatives for both Herbalife and the Attorney General’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The New York Post said that at least two whistleblowers have come forward and given Schneiderman’s investigators sworn testimony, citing unnamed sources.
Last week, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations was probing Herbalife. A month before that, Herbalife confirmed that the Federal Trade Commission had issued a civil investigative demand to the company to look more closely at how it works.
The company has steadfastly denied running a pyramid scheme, where distributors earn more money for recruiting new members into the scheme than they do by selling products to consumers.
Shares were down 3 cents to $53.72 in premarket trading. (Reporting by Phil Wahba in New York)


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The government has a new mathematical formula for weight loss — and it’s completely bogus. Find out why the new math doesn't add up, and learn a simple formula to burn fat.
Remember Agent Orange? Big Agriculture wants to poison our food with a toxin developed by the U.S. military for chemical warfare.
There is a sweet spot to grocery shopping where well-being meets frugality. Here's how to find it.
Fast food chains are feeding us a "chemistry lab" of ingredients that exist nowhere in nature. Here's a look at what to avoid and some tips on how to identify real food.
Factory animals are pumped full of antibiotics to make them gain weight. What does that mean for our waistlines?
Food safety advocates are launching one final effort to stop the FDA from approving genetically modified salmon. But with the final hurdle fast approaching, frankenfish could be heading to your plate very soon.
A comprehensive new study calls popular energy drinks "a rising public health problem" that's sending more and more people to the emergency room.
Computer scientists at IBM are hoping to create a digital culinary genius that will be able to generate recipes that taste good and don't add to our waistlines.
A highly-contagious vomiting virus is hitting parts of North America and Europe. HoneyColony's Founder gives you a gruesome first-hand account.
Cosmetics companies sell expensive products with unproven claims and without years of clinical testing. Now, veterans in the drug industry are getting into this billion-dollar business. What could go wrong?
New York declares a state of emergency as the flu spreading across U.S. reaches epidemic proportions.
That Greek salad can reduce one's chances of getting chronic diseases and ailments linked to memory loss, according to a massive new body of research.


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Montilio’s of Brockton serves up 800-pound cake at inauguration
Local bakers spent three days making the governor’s 800-pound inaugural cake shaped like the Statehouse, and guests took just three hours to eat it.
Montilio’s Bakery of Brockton donated the butter cream-covered replica of the state capitol for Gov. Deval Patrick’s inauguration Thursday.
It measured 4 by 6 feet and was large enough to serve 1,000 people, said bakery owner George Montilio, who estimated it cost about $1,000 to bake and decorate.
His daughter Jenna Montilio and Mia Sanchez of Quincy guarded the cake as guests gawked and snapped photos and later carefully cut it up, starting with the sugary west wing.
The Statehouse reception, funded by corporate donors, was open to the public.
Every part of the cake was edible, except for the golden dome, which was covered with an edible gold frosting but made out of Styrofoam, Montilio said.
The Brockton-based bakery has whipped up culinary creations for other famous political celebrations, including inaugural balls for former Presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and George Bush.
READ MORE about this issue.


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The city’s universal curbside organics collection pilot in Queens has yielded more than 1 million pounds of food and yard waste in just two weeks of operation, diverting the refuse from landfills to instead be turned into nutritious, earthy compost.
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BP Bets $4 Billion On Green Landfill Gas, Yielding Another Fat Payday For The ‘Shalennial’ Rice Brothers
BP yesterday agreed to buy landfill gas producer Archaea Energy for $3.3 billion cash plus the assumption of $800 million in debt. The biggest winner is Daniel Rice IV, the 41-year-old chairman of Archaea, who with his brothers will receive more than $700 million in the deal.
In Seoul, garbage cans automatically weigh how much food gets tossed in the trash. In London, grocers have stopped putting date labels on fruits and vegetables to reduce confusion about what is still edible. California now requires supermarkets to give away — not throw away — food that is unsold but fine to eat.
When you think about climate change, food waste might not be the first issue that comes to mind. But over two-thirds of household food is lost or wasted — a staggering amount — and approximately 8% of global human-caused greenhouse gas emissions result from food loss and waste. Those emissions enter the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise and drive climatic changes across the globe such as more frequent heat waves, stronger hurricanes, and rising sea levels.
Landfills are releasing far more planet-warming methane into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste than previously thought, a study suggests.
Scientists used satellite data from four major cities worldwide — Delhi and Mumbai in India, Lahore in Pakistan and Buenos Aires in Argentina — and found that emissions from landfills in 2018 and 2019 were 1.4 to 2.6 times higher than earlier estimates.
Every year, $400 billion ends up in dumpsters, and because it cuts into corporate profits, companies can treat it as tax deductible.
As discussed in the first part of this two-part series on food waste solutions, food waste has consequences for all populations, from economic to social and environmental. Because there are many ways in which food waste occurs, we need a wide range of solutions and array of technologies to make an impact. In part two, we focus on prevention and recovery solutions that can stem the flow of food waste before it gets thrown out.
Food waste happens at every stage of the supply chain, with inclement weather, overproduction, distribution and processing issues, and uncertain markets leading to losses even before the food arrives at retail locations, while overstocking, overbuying, and confusion over labels result in food waste in stores and homes. The source of the most significant loss differs worldwide. More than 40 percent of food loss in developing countries occurs at the post-harvest and processing stages, while in industrialized countries, more than 40 percent of such waste occurs at the retail and consumer level. In the U.S., our modern supply chain, which prioritizes efficiency and variety, exacerbated the issue over the last half-century resulting in the amount of food ending up in landfills nearly tripling between 1960 and 2020.
Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR), the world’s leading company turning food waste into sustainable products and producer of renewable energy, today announced Chick-fil-A, Inc. has chosen Darling Ingredients to convert its used cooking oil into cleaner burning renewable transportation fuel. Darling Ingredients’ service brand DAR PRO Solutions, will collect used cooking oil from all Chick-fil-A restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.


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With a new month comes a brand new set of sales. Our friends at Slickdeals rounded up what you should buy in July.
Watch the report in the video player above for the deepest discounts this time of year.
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Dalata Hotel Group has launched its first ever own-brand Red Bean Roastery coffee shop at its flagship Clayton Hotel, Leopardstown, Dublin 18. Red Bean Roastery has launched with 14 Coffee Docks in Clayton and Maldron Hotels throughout Ireland & UK, and this is now the first standalone coffee shop with two more planned for rollout in Dublin in 2018 and more to follow.
The coffee shop is located adjacent to Clayton Hotel Leopardstown in Central Park, Sandyford’s premier business district, which boasts anchor tenants such as Vodafone, Salesforce, AIB and Bank of America. The park has a working population of 25,000 set to rise to 35,000 over the next ten years.
In addition to the planned standalone Coffee Shops, Dalata Hotel Group is rolling out the Red Bean Roastery brand to 35 of its existing Clayton and Maldron Hotels located throughout Ireland and the UK in 2018, and will be included as a standard in hotels under construction.
The new Red Bean Roastery coffee shop in Leopardstown was officially opened by Pat McCann, founder and CEO of Dalata Hotel Group alongside Alan Deller, General Manager of Clayton Hotel Leopardstown. Speaking at the launch Alan Deller said, “This addition to the hotel and the Sandyford business district is a fantastic step forward in providing more facilities in the area. Top class services and facilities are very much in demand and this is what we are providing”.
The coffee shop at Leopardstown has a team of 4 trained baristas serving signature Red Bean Roastery coffee, pastries and handmade treats, healthy salads, soups, sandwiches and gourmet savory items all prepared fresh onsite.Red Bean Roastery coffee is sourced from the four corners of the globe, including Central and South America, it is crafted specially by baristas to ensure perfection in every cup.


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Car manufacturing giants bring new no-deal Brexit warnings for UK
- Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Both BMW and Ford have brought sobering news for UK car manufacturing post-Brexit, with Ford's chief reiterating warnings of the 'catastrophe' a no-deal scenario would bring.
Ford's chair Steven Armstrong said the motor giant would have to look again at its manufacturing "footprint" in the UK in the event of a disorderly departure from the EU.
The warning came a day before BMW revealed that it had stopped producing engines destined for South Africa in one of its factories due to post-Brexit tariff fears.
Giving evidence to the Commons Welsh Affairs Committee, the Ford chief insisted that although the recent decision to close the firm's Bridgend plant was not directly linked to Brexit, the "frictions" of a no-deal Brexit would make it "much more difficult" for the company to compete.
"I have been very vocal publicly that a no-deal Brexit would be a catastrophe for our industry," he said.
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He added: "We have previously publicly quoted that that could be as much as a billion dollars a year in incremental costs, be it tariffs or friction at the borders.
"I have also been very clear that that would cause us to have to think about what our footprint would be moving forward.
- 1 Government to hire adviser to identify post-Brexit benefits
- 2 Brexit negotiator Frost threatens drastic action over agreement
- 3 Brexit negotiator admits government didn't expect Brexit to be so disruptive for Northern Ireland
- 4 George Eustice and Liz Truss in row over post-Brexit trade deal with Australia
- 5 A view from inside the Heathrow petri dish
- 6 The Remainers' case for keeping the United Kingdom together
- 7 How Brexit has turned sour for the dairy industry
- 8 Court to hear case on Tory cronyism following award of £650m in PPE contracts
- 9 Boris Johnson’s Mustique holiday ‘was worth double the amount declared’
- 10 Why Germany's windows are the envy of the world
"That doesn't mean that we would immediately close all the facilities in the UK, but it would make it much more difficult for the facilities to be competitive.
"That is just a fact of the business I am in."
Meanwhile, fears of post-Brexit tariffs were also behind BMW's 2018 decision to cease engine production for export to South Africa, revealed a senior BMW boss.
BMW stopped supplying engines for South African cars at its Warwickshire factory in early 2018, said production head Oliver Zipse, because they will not have been produced in an EU member country after Brexit.
"If you would put that specific engine into an X3 in South Africa and you would have Brexit, that engine would not come out of the EU any more," said Zipse, who is likely to take over as CEO. "That complete car would lose its tax-free import [status] into Europe."
He added that this "of course is bad for the UK because that specific engine is not being built here, it's not providing labour any more in the country".
"That happened one-and-a-half years ago," he said. "It was very quick. That is what will happen. In that [situation] you will lose work in this country."
The Hams Hall plant in Coleshill has been manufacturing and exporting engines worldwide since 2001. A BMW spokesperson said that engine production overall hasn't decreased, because the company is supplying more engines to the USA.
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| Oct 27, 2013
Consider the holiday retail race to be in full swing, as both Wal-Mart and Toys R Us moved to stake a claim in the competitive toy market back in September by releasing lists of top toys for Christmas and Hanukkah.
Discount behemoth Wal-Mart, which says...
| Oct 16, 2013
| 9:01 AM
Mattel Inc., the nation’s largest toy company, and Barbie, likely its best-known product, are heading into Christmas looking up.
The El Segundo-based company reported net income of $422.8 million, or $1.21 a share, for the third quarter, which...
| Sep 12, 2013
| 9:40 AM
Consider the holiday retail race to be in full swing, as both Wal-Mart and Toys R Us moved early Thursday to stake a claim in the competitive toy market.
Discount behemoth Wal-Mart, which says it’s the largest toy seller in the nation, unveiled...
| Jul 22, 2013
| 8:04 AM
Hasbro Inc., the country’s largest toymaker behind Southern California’s Mattel Inc., suffered a 16% slump in second-quarter profit as its boys category struggled to recoup last summer’s strength.
During the period, which ended June...
| Jul 17, 2013
| 8:18 AM
Barbie seems to be losing ground as the queen bee of doll-dom, as sales of the Mattel Inc. figurine slipped for the fourth straight quarter.
Revenue from the fashion toy sank 12% in the second quarter, which ended June 30, the El Segundo-based company...
| Jun 15, 2013
| 11:49 AM
The power? That blunt-force ability to lay wood to a baseball and propel it 400, 420, 450 feet? He had it even when he was a boy. Came from God, as far as he's concerned.
Harnessing it? Well, that's the work of Chris Davis' life.
| Jan 8, 2013
| 4:32 PM
From the company who brought you the "waxing, plucking, and shaving" doll, comes the latest trend in baby gear: moldy sleepers....
| Jan 7, 2013
| 4:08 PM
It’s a distressingly common scenario: You’ve successfully landed in your port of call. Your luggage, however, has hoofed it somewhere else entirely.
Trakdot, a tracking device showcased at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, aims to make the...
| Jan 7, 2013
| 7:01 PM
LAS VEGAS -- If plants at the nursery scream when they see you coming, a maker of wireless speakers and smartphone-guided quadracopters thinks it has a solution for you.
Parrot's Bluetooth device Flower Power aims to make the experience of gardening...
| May 29, 2013
| 11:19 AM
Until the late 19th century, Americans got their food from nearby farms or from their own gardens. Meals were prepared at home, and if a food wasn't in season, it wasn't on the table.
Beginning in the early 20th century, however, the way we produce,...
| May 23, 2013
| 8:57 AM
The week before the Memorial Day holiday has been a busy one for retailers. Here's a sampling of happenings from Mattel, J.C. Penney and Abercrombie & Fitch.
Mattel: As the El Segundo-based toymaker adapts to its newly created North America division, it...


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ALERT: Amazon Holding Job Fair to Hire 9,000 Employees Today in Elizabeth
Amazon officials stated that they are ready to hire more than 9,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs at its New Jersey facilities today.
According to company officials, candidates can apply for positions with the online retail giant's customer fulfillment centers and delivery facilities at a hiring event today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Newark Airport in Elizabeth.
Officials say job seekers can walk-in, apply and receive a job offer on-the-spot as they expect to fill nearly 9000 spots.
Amazon announced last week that they would raise their minimum wage for all employees - including part-time and temporary workers - to $15 an hour as of Nov. 15.


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Calling fee rate to be reduced after Chaitra 20th:
According to Nepal Telecommunications Authority‘s “Interdisciplinary Directory – 2076”, the national and international calling fee rates will be reduced after Chaitra 20th in Nepal. Previously, service provider companies like Nepal Telecom, Ncell and Smart Cell used to take expensive fees from the users to call over other companies as well as international call rate was also high. But, after Chaitra 20, the fee rates will be reduced.
According to the Spokesman of the Authority, “The inter-company fees for the service companies will be reduced so that their profit margin will increase and the companies will need to reduce the inter-company calling rates so as to benefit the customers.”
How much fees will be reduced and what will be the fee rates?
Rates after Chaitra 20:
- Landline Services: 10 paisa per minute
- Mobile to Mobile Inter-company: 10 paisa per minute
- Mobile to Landline: 20 paisa per minute*
- Namaste to Ncell Calling rate: Rs. 1.06
- International Calling rate: Maximum Rs. 8 per minute and will decrease to Rs. 1.80 after 8 yearsRates before Chaitra 20:
- Landline Services: 56 paisa per minute
- Mobile to Mobile Inter-company: 56 paisa per minute
- Mobile to Landline: 14 paisa per minute
- Namaste to Ncell Calling rate: Rs. 1.50
Similarly, other calling rates will be in similar manner. Calls from abroad will also be cheaper after this directory is implemented. Spokeswoman Aryal said that the cost of such call rates will reduce in a chain manner for the next eight years. The telecommunication authority also for the first time fixed the inter-linking fee for calls coming from abroad.


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Sony has already scheduled its conference for one of the most important events of electronics of the year, the CES 2016. The event will take place in Las Vegas from January 6th to January 9th next year, so the company will hold its press conference on January 5th, 2016 at 5 pm PST. Sony introduced the first Xperia Z smartphone at this event back in 2013, this represented a breaking point for the company's flagship lineup, not only because they adopted a new naming scheme, but also because they introduced the OmniBalance design language for their hardware, which also made that phone water resistant, all of those elements have been kept until now.
The invitation includes illustrations for several product categories like VR headsets, speakers, headphones, cameras, smartphones and televisions. Still, it's unlikely that we will see mobile products introduced in next year's event, as the company recently announced the Xperia Z5 lineup which is integrated by three phones, the regular Xperia Z5 and its 5-inch display, the smaller Xperia Z5 Compact featuring a 4.6-inch screen and the larger Xperia Z5 Premium and its first ever 5.5-inch 4K resolution display. Tablets usually get introduced in following months and there really haven't been any leaks or rumors that suggest what may we see unveiled in that event.
The event will most certainly be dedicated to unveiling home entertainment electronics, 4K TVs could become more popular next year and there could be more devices to support that resolution such as cameras, camcorders and media players. Wearable technology could also be present at the event as Sony introduced their Smartwatch 3 at this year's CES. This was their first smartwatch to run on the Android Wear platform and given the tendency of companies to release smartwatches with a round screen, this might be a good time for Sony to introduce theirs. Perhaps the company would even consider resurrecting the Xperia Z Ultra brand and release a powerful phablet, as there has not been a successor since the device got launched back at 2013. These are all conjectures, but there's no way to know what the companies will introduce at these events. We will have to wait a little over a month to really know what Sony has been developing.


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A new report by AVIXA says the audiovisual industry has flatlined or slightly dipped. Amazon Alexa is headed to the board room. What that means for you and your integration firm. The importance of monitoring your AV networks.
Host: Tim Albright
Links to sources:


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UFU urging sheep producers to focus on the market and sell their sheep when they are ready.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) says that as the lamb trade continues to stabilise, with an increase in demand from processors, it is vital farmers market their lamb to ensure sustainable returns.
The UFU says demand has been strong thanks to reduced third country imports of lamb to the UK and the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha boosting prices. Despite those positives, prices here are down 6p/kg on last week.
UFU beef and lamb chairman Sam Chesney said: “Lamb prices have been volatile this spring as a result of COVID-19.
“However, market conditions are beginning to improve as there is a strong demand. Religious festivals across the EU are having a positive impact and helping the export trade to recover.
Sell lambs when prime says UFU
“Farmers should weigh their lambs regularly and sell them when they are at their prime. They must look at all options for increasing revenue.
“There is a strong demand for store lambs at present, and we are encouraging our farmers to sell lambs at the correct weight and fat cover in accordance with retailer specifications.
“Processors here are paying up to 21kgs but some in the Republic of Ireland are paying between 21.5-22kgs which leaves sheep producers killing locally at a disadvantage.
“Our farmers have continued to overcome numerous obstacles to ensure that product continues to be moved off farm, reaching shop shelves so consumers can purchase food when needed without worrying about how it was produced or where it came from.”


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There are more than 120,000 apps in the Windows Phone store and more than 16,000 in the new Windows 8 Store. Those are big numbers, but they look paltry compared to Apple's App Store and Google Play. Microsoft knows it needs more apps.
With the launch of Windows 8 at the end of October and now Windows Phone 8 this month, the company is striving to make it easier for developers to build apps for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The two platforms now share the same core code, making it easier to port apps from one to the other. And Microsoft is working with middleware partners that offer tools that make it cheaper and simpler to port apps across various platforms, from, say, iOS or Android to Windows Phone 8.
"When I started last year, partners were almost always happy to talk to us and were interested to learn more about the platform," JC Cimetiere, senior director of Windows Phone partner and developer programs, told Wired. "In the past few months, I've really seen the acceleration in terms of partners. They feel the momentum and feel the demand from developers."
Is that demand really there, though? Microsoft would be expected to make a hard pitch for its Windows platforms. But with Windows Phone 8, the company has a minuscule marketshare. And, for now, Windows 8 is all potential. So developers, especially smaller ones who have seen some success on iOS and Android, have little reason to make coding for Windows platforms a priority.
Take Lyft, an upstart ridesharing app that has gained popularity since its launch in August. The app is available on iOS and Android, and though the service is currently available only in San Francisco, the company already has hundreds of drivers and many more users. Windows Phone is nowhere in the company's near-term plans.
"We definitely have a goal of being on every platform," CEO Logan Green told Wired. "We don't have anything special that we're going to be able to time with the [Windows Phone 8] release now. The number of users with Windows Phone is a pretty small portion of the market, and I think for a lot of companies like us it's just further down on the priority list."
It comes down to resources. A small development can't build multiple apps, especially when the reward is uncertain. It's not just about porting the code to a new platform and taking the time to design a new experience; Green says it's also about longterm upkeep.
"Any platform takes a good amount of effort to develop for, but it takes a lot of maintenance to keep your app up and working well as the platform evolves," he says. "Each platform is a moving target. Any platform we choose to develop for we have to know that we're ready to not only build it once but to continue to invest in it."
This is why part of Microsoft's focus is on middleware. Cross-platform tools offered by companies like Marmalade and Unity make it cheaper to bring an iOS app to the Windows Phone platform. Companies don't necessarily have to hire a separate team dedicated solely to Windows platforms if they are interested in building a new app.
"There's some that clearly want to see that there is a [Windows] market, enough for us we believe that there will be," Marmalade EVP of America Sales Scott Hedrick told Wired. "A lot of game developers want that, too. Some of them initially say, 'I want to wait and see how the phone sells.' But then when I explain to them how they could use Marmalade and have one tool that covers all of the major platforms, I've had a number of them saying that that changes the business case. It's not a question of let me hire another team -- we can add it at a much smaller increment and suddenly that makes a lot more sense."
Still, most middleware partners are focused on games. Marmalade's clients include EA, Konami, PopCap and ZeptoLab. And while games can certainly be big hits on iOS and Android, they aren't the apps that make a platform useful. Users tend to rely on a few specific apps for day-to-day living -- oftentimes niche apps tailored specifically for their careers or interests -- and those can determine what device they choose. So Microsoft has to find ways to convince not only the big app developers but also those behind the more specialized apps.
"I would argue, if I was a developer, that I would want to go onto Windows Phone 8 as a marketing tool," said Larry Lieberman, senior product manager for Windows Phone. "Even if I was uncertain about whether I was going to have near-term revenue, it's a great way to get noticed. You'll get noticed on one platform and people will use it on other platforms."


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Product Reviews News
Lenovo-owned Motorola recently announced two new smartphones - the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus. Smart, fast, and extraordinarily stylish.
"Distinctively different. Distinctively BlackBerry." BlackBerry KEYone is coming soon, but Canadians can already sign-up to get first dibs on one.
Sony unveiled their two new smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This affordable mid-range device will be available in the spring.
We've picked the five best Smartphones released this year: Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Pixel Phone by Google, iPhone SE, LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Top Canadian Google Technology searches of 2016 include the iPhone 7, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and the Pixel - Phone by Google
With 2017 just two weeks away we are taking a look back at all of the phones & smartphones that were released in Canada in 2016. We saw just 36 phones released this year with LG leading the way with 7 phones. Click through for a breakdown by manufacturer, month and full list of phones.
Google's October 4 keynote today introduced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones to the world. Click through to discover their specs, pricing, and availability.
Samsung has released the Galaxy Note7 for pre-order until its official launch on August 19. Click through for specs, pricing and who's offering the device.
HTC officially released the Desire 530 in Canada and the U.S. Click through for specs, pricing and who's offering the device.
TELUS officially launched the LG X Power and Samsung Galaxy J3. Click through for specs and pricing.
<< Older Posts


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The Social Security Administration recently announced the launch of a new website that is optimized for mobile devices and offers new online accessibility features.
Beginning immediately, people who visit the agency’s website via smartphone will be redirected to the new mobile-friendly website. It features a searchable version of Social Security’s Frequently Asked Questions, an interactive decision tree to help people determine what documentation is required to replace a Social Security card, and direct access to scores of publications. Visitors may read the publications on-screen or listen to audio recordings through their phone.
Visitors can also create a personal “my Social Security” account. This allows online access to Social Security statements. If a user is unable to complete their Social Security business online or by phone, the website’s mobile office locator can find the nearest Social Security office and even give the user turn-by-turn directions.
In a press release announcing the site, the agency said that its website receives over 35 million page views each year from mobile devices. Acting Commissioner Carolyn W. Colvin said that leveraging technology was a necessary response to dealing with budget cuts without compromising service.
Learn more at http://www.hooklawcenter.com/


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Microsoft unveils Surface 2, Surface Pro 2 tablets
The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 have "significant updates, including improvements to processing power and battery life," Microsoft said in a statement as it unveiled the devices at a New York event.
The changes represent "the revamp we need," said Microsoft vice president Panos Panay as he showed the new tablets to news media.
The launch is Microsoft's second stab at the growing tablet market after the Surface released last year failed to make a dent in a market dominated by Apple's iPad and various devices using the Google Android operating system.
Panos said the new device includes Microsoft's revamped Windows 8.1 system, the popular Outlook program and a whopping 100,000 applications, up from the 10,000 in the previous version.
The Surface 2 will start at $449 and the Surface Pro 2 at $899 for US customers. It will be sold initially in 22 markets, with pre-orders starting Tuesday.


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This new mode spans 45 matches across WWE history
Last week, I took part in a conference call with WWE 2K14 creative director Cory Ledesma and Triple H, which detailed a brand new mode for the game called “30 Years of Wrestlemania.” This new solo story will span 45 matches in celebration of the WWE’s 30th Wrestlemania event, which is going to be held next April at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The new mode itself will re-create authentic feel of classic matches, including attire, the look of the ring, and even the 80s and 90s visual quality. When asked, 2K didn’t reveal whether or not the game would feature classic commentators, instead noting that more details will be coming soon. Specifically, the roster for “30 Years” will be revealed on August 17th, during the WWE SummerSlam event, but 2K did reveal that Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, and The Rock vs. John Cena would be featured.
Triple H spoke a bit about the “exciting” partnership with 2K with WWE 2K14, which would pave the foundation for many fruitful years of collaboration, and “next generation” experiences. WWE 2K14 will launch on October 29th for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.


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Miss Zimbabwe UK is coming to London this Summer- and it’s like nothing you’ve seen before!
If you’re looking to get involved in a really special event this year, you’re in for a real treat. One of the most glamorous and prestigious pageants in the world is coming to the UK, thanks to the dedication and hard work of one woman.
Miss World Zimbabwe UK will be held at London’s opulent De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms on 1stJuly 2017, with casting roadshows taking place in the North and South of the country throughout April. The event will be a celebration of Zimbabwean culture, beauty and pride and will also support emerging and existing designers. A colourful, exciting extravaganza –it’s a day that no fashion or culture lover should miss.
Zimbabwe born entrepreneur Chiedza Dawn Ziyambe secured the licence to host the award ceremony on her own merit- she was approached by the organisers following her work and investment in the Zimbabwe Fashion Showcase. Founded by Chiedza in 2015, ZFS is a collaboration between designers, models and creatives with a shared passion for Zimbabwean culture and fashion.
Chiedza said, “I know this is going to be hard graft, but I am no stranger to hard work. Miss World Zimbabwe UK will be the perfect opportunity to showcase Zimbabwean talent, fashion and culture, whilst also redefining the idea of pageantry. We are looking for women who can be icons for their country.”
More than just a beauty competition, contestants will be given the opportunity to learn important life skills, stimulate their minds and become proud representatives of their vibrant and culturally rich country.The winner and her two princesses will be flown to Zimbabwe to compete for the Miss Zimbabwe 2017 title, the winner of which will be entered into Miss World.
Those interested in taking part in Miss Zimbabwe UK will be able to attend casting roadshows at the following locations:
- Nottingham- Crown Plaza, Wollaton Street, Nottingham, NG1 5RH (02/04/17)
- Newcastle- Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, Bottle Bank, Gateshead, NE8 2AR (09/04/17)
- Manchester- Mercure Manchester Piccadilly, Portland Street, M1 4PH (23/04/17)
- London- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London- Tower of London, 7 Pepys Street, (EC3N 4AF 30/04/17.)
For further information, visit http://zimbabwefashionshowcase.com/miss-world-zim-uk/
Contact: Chiedza Dawn Ziyambe


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Kia has announced a number of updates to the all-new Sportage model, which went on sale in February.
Merc has announced exclusive new version of the S-Class Coupe will join line up early next year.
MG GS, the SUV unveiled at this year’s London Motor Show, is their fastest-selling model to date.
Isuzu have got in the Christmas spirit by announcing new special offer on two D-Max models.
Order books are open for the new C3, which goes on official UK sale at the start of next month.
The recently-revised Skoda Octavia range now has a new range-topping vRS model.
BMW has announced price information for its new 530e iPerformance saloon, from £43,985 OTR.
Kia have welcomed in the new year by announcing a range of special offers across their line up.
Kia provides UK carbuyers their first glimpse at what the forthcoming new Picanto will look like.
Record 2016 sales figures cause for celebration for number of manufacturers, especially Volvo.


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Jim Cramer's & # 39; Mad Money & # 39; Review & Stock Selection November 19, 2019
CNBC's Jim Cramer advises investors not to be deterred by a possible escalation of the trade war by one of the most important segments of the technology industry. The Mad Money host will pay Salesforce.com co-CEO Marc Benioff at the company's annual Dreamforce software conference to learn more about Cloud's Customer 360 Truth platform. In the show, he teamed up with the managers of luxury furniture retailer RH and payment company Square to gain more insight into their businesses.
Keep an eye out for Software-as-a-Play stock in the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange floor.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
According to CNBC the entire technology sector of the market should not be abandoned.
The "Mad Money" host pointed out that selling off would be a bad miscalculation and asked investors to ask for what they sell. "
" If you drop an ETF, be my guest ̵
1; these are just stupid mergers of stocks beaten up by people making a living, convincing you that the technology sector is still real, coherent He said, "But if you put off the kind of technology stocks that work here-especially the better-known software-as-a-service names – you're probably making a big mistake."
RH: Supported by Warren Buffett
Gary Friedman, CEO, Restoration Hardware
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
Last week, Berkshire Hathaway announced to Warren Buffett that he owned more than 1 million shares of high-end furniture retailer RH Shares rose nearly 8% in one day.
Gary Friedman, head of The Retailer, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, named Berkshire Hathaway one of three companies, including Appl e and Louis Vuitton's parent LVMH.
"When The Or" [of Omaha] Somehow Finds Your Business in All Businesses "In the world," Cramer explained, "never before have so many people called or written to me about an event in the history of my career . "
Salesforce Launches Single Source of Truth Software
Marc Benioff Marc Benioff, CEO of SalesForce at DreamForce in San Francisco on September 25, 2018.
Salesforce founder Marc Benioff announced on Tuesday that the latest wave of computers, known as Single Source of Truth, is now on the market.  The co-CEO said in a "Mad Money" Appearance that the recent acquisitions worth 22 Billions of dollars allowed the company to introduce Customer 360 Truth at Salesforce's annual Dreamforce software conference.
"Now we enter the fourth phase of data processing," Benioff said in an interview with Crame "It's the pursuit of a single source of truth, and that's what we've built into our platform."
The Three Growth Pillars of Mapping Square payments
Square app for credit card withdrawal from smartphones.
Jin Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Square, known for the popular cash transfer platform Cash App, a digital payments company, has expanded its small business services over the last decade from credit card readers to more than 20 products, said CFO Amrita Ahuja Cramer in an interview.
The company, which now has a market value of $ 28.5 billion, relies on "three growth horizons" to drive its future, she said. Strategies include scaling the customer base in Square's buyer and seller ecosystems, strengthening cross-selling capabilities, and linking the two ecosystems of buyers and sellers – these are powerful and in-depth opportunities for us in the coming years
Square closed on Tuesday at $ 66 per share, an increase of 18% this year, but nearly $ 17 from the high of early August.  Cramer's Blitz Round
In Cramer's Blitz round freaks the "Mad Money" host through his thoughts on the most popular stick picks of the callers of the day.
Ford: "Ford … we'll take care of the dividend and I say now, be careful.
: "The lightning hit once and that was good enough and I would not stay there too long. "
: I'm a bit more conservative, so I like Novartis for this situation."
Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares in Novartis, Apple and Salesforce.com.
Questions to Cramer?
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC
Want to get a deep insight into Cramer's world? Hit him up!
Mad Money Twitter – Jim Cramer Twitter – Facebook – Instagram
Questions, Comments, Suggestions for the website "Mad Money"? ma[email protected]


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Japan has oficially opened its market to fresh Peruvian mangoes, according to a press release issued by Peru’s Embassy in Japan.
Peru’s National Service of Agrarian Health (Senasa) and Japan’s Agriculture Ministry will have now to determine the export procedures, in order to meet the Japanese quality and packaging standards.
This will have a positive impact among Peruvian mango exports, according to the press release.
The initiative to approve Peruvian mango exports started two days ago, and Senasa will soon receive the visit of a representative from Japan’s Agriculture Ministry, to coordinate the procedures for the first export.
Have news you’d like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it’s translated or based on your own reporting. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org.


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These are certainly strange times we’re living in – compared to this time last year, the industry is operating in a vastly different way.
The pandemic came with restrictions, lockdowns and an array of economic effects, and sadly for a while that meant that we were seeing more bars close than open. But as we slowly start on the long road to recovery, the easing of restrictions in some states has blessed us with exciting new venues and concepts that are finally getting to open their doors for the first time.
One of those new haunts officially launches in Launceston, Tasmania, today – The Arcade Bar. A soft opening in August means the 80s themed small bar has actually been quietly testing the waters for two weeks though, resulting in considerable hype and hope for the future, even in these uncertain times.
Shylie Woods, who co-owns the bar and the actual property where it is located with husband Dr Brad Goldsmith, said while it was a challenge to open a bar during COVID-19, it’s also been a surprisingly positive experience.
“Being open with the COVID requirements is definitely a challenge. We’ve spent time and money on things we wouldn’t have otherwise. Being owners of the property has definitely helped,” Woods told Bars and Clubs.
“Being in Tasmania has helped us not pull the plug. I think if we were in one of the other states it may have been a different story.”
The bar occupies a space in the City Plaza Arcade which was once two retail shops. Having the unique ability as the property owners to combine the two spaces has helped contribute to The Arcade Bar’s ability to house a quieter and a louder side within the same venue, catering to a range of consumer needs.
Preparing a new bar to open is never easy, but the pandemic gave Woods and Goldsmith time to do it themselves, working on creating the bar inside the shops part-time for the last six months. The community and government were all extra supportive during this time as well, which meant good news for the bar and the local area in general.
“We did most of the fit out ourselves, so in the early days of COVID the fact that there were no people out and about meant we could take our time,” Woods said.
“Launceston City Council were extremely supportive from an administrative standpoint. Things went very quickly and smoothly. Sadly, we can’t say that about some of our other Tasmanian developments, but the bar in the CBD was smooth sailing.
“Licensing was also very supportive during the pandemic and refunded fees and the state government provided a small cash grant. All very positive things which resulted in us pressing on with purchases quicker than we might have otherwise. And, since it was Tasmanian cash, we did make a point of buying big ticket items such as fridges and furniture locally. It genuinely made us incorporate earlier than we would have otherwise as well.”
Inside, the Arcade Bar is a true embodiment of the 1980s. Old arcade games like Pinball, Space Invaders and Tetris are available to play for 20 to 50 cents a game, 355 VHS tapes line a wall while multicoloured resin-covered cassette tapes form the bar, above which is neon lit signage. A stack of chunky old TVs show classic Tasmanian ads from the era, alongside a room of framed 80s posters and even more screens playing the decade’s music videos.
Woods said they chose the 80s theme, not only because it was something they knew well in their generation, but also because they had the confidence and resources available to do the theme justice. Goldsmith had an existing love of 80s video games, already owning those that are now in the bar.
Woods said: “We went with what we knew. Plus, there has been such renewed interest in the decade from the younger set.
“Having a pile of old arcades and gear that was easily cobbled together into a theme made it very easy too. You need to offer something that people can’t easily do at home and a pinball and classic arcade are great whopping things that only enthusiasts will put in their loungerooms.”
It’s clearly hit a note with the local population – the Arcade Bar has been experiencing great popularity and demand since the soft opening that has led them to hiring door staff to maintain numbers, turn people away when they reach capacity and make sure excited guests are following all the COVID safe rules.
“It’s been great – you always have that question of ‘will anyone come?’ – and they have. This was only our second week open and we were turning people away as we’d hit capacity. Which is a happy problem to have. Our target market is our age (40s) and up, but the younger demographic has been a huge percentage of our customers to date, which has been surprising,” Woods said.
“The other surprising thing was the arcades themselves. Even at 20 and 50 cents a credit they have been surprisingly popular and are easily covering their own costs for parts and electricity. We thought they would have been basically a draw out of the marketing budget. Instead they could be covering the cost of one staff member.”
As well as consumers Woods said: “The small bar community here in Launceston has been very welcoming, they clearly understand that all boats rise with the tide.”
It’s a tide that the Arcade Bar co-owners are just joining for the first time too, making the early success of the bar all the more sweet.
Before this, Woods and Goldsmith were self-funded retirees who relied on income from rental properties after moving from NSW to an ‘off-the-grid’ Tasmanian property early last year. They joke that they moved from lives in marketing and academics respectively to escape the zombie apocalypse, which you could say came earlier than expected. Woods joked: “We are not preppers but occasionally dress like them.”
As we’ve often seen this year, things can change so quickly, and the ensuing uncertainty is often a catalyst for change. This is why the husband and wife team chose to transform the space into a different type of asset.
“We have chosen to put a business of our own into this property [and] taking a punt on the development application has been a good one, where we have transformed two little shops of modest rent into a decent asset where we could have it be WIWO [walk-in-walk-out] and allow other people to rebrand if they wanted to down the track,” Woods explained.
“Services are the present and future of retail and transforming shops into small bars where the laws allow is a good idea in our humble opinion. Rotating themes in a pop-up bar isn’t a bad idea as I type this. Anyone that does it successfully owes us a boozy lunch.”
The Arcade Bar is open now – for up to date info on their opening hours and whether they’ve hit capacity (again!), check out their Facebook page here.


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GE Global Research announced earlier today that it has managed to cram up to 500GB worth of data onto a standard DVD-size disc, an increase in storage density of roughly 100x.
What's more, the tech arm of conglomerate General Electric Company says that the storage solution will record data at the same speed as Blu-ray disks while increasing storage capacity by 25 times.
The Blu-ray Disk Association says that the commonly available 12x speed Blu-ray writers have a maximum writing speed of up to 400Mbps (or 50MBps) which means that in theory, it would take just over three hours to fill one of those new holographic hard disks.
Back in April 2009, GE demoed a threshold micro-holographic storage material, and GE Global Research reckons that the discs will be "an attractive solution for both archival and consumer entertainment systems", although we fail to see any kind of mass produced video content that would need more than one Blu-ray disc.
GE uses its proprietary material for the recording process and says that the micro-holographic players may be backward compatible with CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray disks; indeed, GE has confirmed that its R&D and licensing team will be sampling the media to qualified partners that may be interested in licensing the technology.
The technology works by writing onto the disc at controlled depths using the same laser technology just like for any optical disc on the market; it uses the entire volume of the disc rather than just the four surfaces that Blu-ray, for example, uses.
The company has been working on holographic storage for the last eight years and plans to work towards micro-holographic discs that can store in excess of 1TB, which may finally make easy archiving of multi terabyte hard disk drives a reality; back in September 2009, it showcased a 1TB DVD size disc that was read by a modified Blu-ray player.
Other storage rivals like TDK or Sharp have announced discs based on Blu-ray technology; Sharp & Verbatim started to sell 100GB triple-layer Blu-ray discs in Japan last year, while TDK introduced a 200GB Blu-ray disc that used six layers.


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Report: Toys “R” Us to Increase Toy Testing
New York City, Toys “R” Us is increasing the frequency of safety checks conducted on products sold in its stores after a slew of Chinese-made toys were recalled this summer due to unsafe levels of lead paint.
“Earlier this year we began spot checking of products on our store shelves as part of our increased efforts for quality assurance,” said Toys “R” Us spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh. “But in light of recent recalls we have begun a systematic recheck of all products on our store shelves.”
Earlier on Monday, The New York Times reported that the company had hired engineers to regularly visit the company’s stores to take branded toys to independent labs for testing. The report also said Walt Disney Co. will start its own testing of toys featuring Disney characters. The process will include random testing of products already on store shelves, the report said.
Retailers are taking action ahead of the critical holiday selling season, and last month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it was asking suppliers to resubmit testing documentation for the toys it sells.
Wal-Mart also said it hired independent laboratories to conduct an average of 200 additional tests each day.
Seasonal categories aid Family Dollar sales
MATTHEWS, N.C. Family Dollar Stores reported that net sales for the four weeks ended Sept. 1 increased 3.4% to approximately $494.4 million from $478.3 million for the comparable four-week period ended Sept. 2, 2006. According to the company, the sales increase was aided by strong performance in the food and seasonal categories, primarily toys and lawn and garden, while sales of apparel were softer. Comparable-store sales for the four-week period increased 1% when compared with sales for the similar four-week period last year.
Sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 ended Sept. 1, were approximately $1.63 billion, or 3.4% above sales of approximately $1.58 billion for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 ended August 26, 2006. For the year ended Sept. 1, sales were approximately $6.8 billion, or 6.9% above sales of approximately $6.4 billion for the year ended Aug. 26, 2006.
The company reported that it anticipates earnings per diluted share for the fourth quarter to be in the range of 24 cents to 27 cents compared with 21 cents per diluted share for the fourth quarter last year. For the full year, the company currently expects net income per diluted share to be between $1.60 and $1.63 compared with $1.26 per diluted share for the prior fiscal year.
The company expects that comparable-store sales for the September period ending Oct. 6, will increase 1% to 3%.
Burlington Coat Factory 1Q sales up 2.6%
BURLINGTON, N.J. Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse announced today that net sales from continuing operations for the first quarter ended Sept. 1 were $673.9 million compared with $656.8 million for the first quarter ended Sept. 2, 2006, a 2.6% increase. These results reflect a 2% comparable-store sales decrease for the quarter. June comparable-store sales decreased 2.1%, July comparable-store sales decreased 3.7% and August comparable-store sales decreased 0.6%, compared with the same periods last year.


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Neither owner has seen the big increases in commerce that were supposed to come after the construction. Latoch sees it as a cost issue - the toll dissuades people from traveling too much - while Habibzadeh believes it tempts potential customers away from Maple Ridge and towards more developed shopping centres in Surrey and Langley.
Either way, both stress the need for perseverance when starting up a small business.
"I'd like to do [another 10 years], but I don't know," said Habibzadeh.
"I'm a person who doesn't like to quit. We keep going; I'm a crazy one."
"You cannot give up," echoed Latoch, who has plans to grow her sandwich shop during the next five years: "If you really care and you want to do something, it'll work."
The beginning of October marked the start of small business month in B.C., and with about 3,300 licenced businesses in Maple Ridge alone, this community is poised to recognize those with the entrepreneurial spirit this week.
But a week of focusing on small businesses may not be enough for people like Mehdi Habibzadeh, owner and head chef of the Greenhouse Bistro and Cafe, who sees the downtown core of Maple Ridge as under-performing.
"Anywhere you go, the heart of downtown [has] a lot of stuff going on. This," he said, gesturing to the quiet sidewalks of 224th Street, "is opposite. After four-or-five o' clock, it's a ghost town."
Habibzadeh and his restaurant have been in the community for 10 years, and in that time he's seen the main thoroughfare of downtown churn through business after business.
The building beside him, alone, has been home to six different shops in the past few years.
"I'm the longest person here.
I've lived through everything," he said. "A lot of businesses here come and go, come and go. They never survive."
One issue is the hours that the surrounding businesses keep, said Habibzadeh.
By closing early, generally around 5 p.m., potential customers are driven away from the area - which means everyone's foot traffic decreases.
His restaurant has also been affected by the shortened parking time limits on 224th Street. He said one of his regulars received two tickets in two weeks, and has since stopped coming.
With high overhead costs and mounting debt, the veteran chef is skeptical about how much longer the bistro can remain open.
He said the municipal council needs to focus on building up Haney Place Mall and attracting more and larger businesses.
Then, the area can compete with the major shopping centres in Coquitlam and over the bridge.
Across the street, in the perpetually busy 4Cats Arts Studio, Aaron Woods is optimistic about the street and the future of his business.
"It's been awesome. Since the first day it's been busy," he said.
The studio, which opened last year, runs art classes for kids, as well as hosting birthday parties on weekends.
For Woods, it was a way to put his and his wife's skills with art and children to use.
"It's a very exciting business and it's always a lot of fun," he said.
Originally, the Woods had planned to open their franchise in Langley, but it was unavailable. However, with easy access to Maple Ridge via the Golden
Ears Bridge, they were able to quickly set up shop.
"We're central," he said of their location on 224th Street.
"We were considering different parts [of the street], but we opted for right in the middle, hoping people would come to us, and so far it's worked out."
Woods said he was aware of the street's reputation for being a business meat grinder, but feels things are changing.
"We seem to be riding the wave of positive thoughts about this street. Everyone seems to think it's changing for the better, and we're a part of that," he said.
Unlike Habibzadeh, Woods has had no problems with the parking limits outside his studio, and the biggest challenges they've faced so far has been too much demand for their services.
Positivity about small business ownership can be felt further west in Pitt Meadows, as well.
The Original Lunch Doctor, a sandwich shop staple of Harris Road, came under new ownership just three months ago and, Bonnie Latoch, the new owner, is pleased with her move.
"I really like it. There's never a dull moment here," she said.
Her first two months we're a bit rocky, as residents were hesitant to accept change to the 30-year-old lunch spot.
Latoch even had to contend with unfounded rumours of drastic menu changes, which made some customers upset.
Persistence and patience were key in winning over the locals.
"Little by little, month by month, it's gotten better," she said. "You just have to try to fit in. They're not going to fit into your business, you have to fit into them."
However, in spite of the gains she sees the shop making, both socially and financially, Latoch has a similar opinion of the Golden Ears Bridge and its effect on businesses on the north end as Habibzadeh.
@ Copyright 2013


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- Walmart is working with technology startup HomeValet to market unattended, temperature-controlled boxes to selected customers of the retailer's InHome grocery delivery service in Florida, according to a Wednesday press release.
- The camera-equipped, multi-zone units will carry a launch price of $499 and allow customers to accept deliveries from any retailer, said Jack Simms, HomeValet's co-founder and chief operating officer.
- Walmart's arrangement with HomeValet is the retailer's latest step in delivering groceries to shoppers' homes without requiring them to be around or immediately available to put away their items.
HomeValet is initially making the 6.9-cubic-foot delivery unit, known as Smart Box, available to shoppers who place delivery orders from 10 Walmart stores located between Miami and Vero Beach, Florida, along the state's east coast, according to Simms.
The technology company chose that region because its warm climate presents an optimal use case for the boxes, which are intended for installation outside a home and can keep items refrigerated or frozen or at ambient temperature between about 60 and 70 degrees in up to three separately controlled zones, Simms said.
The company will be taking pre-order orders for several weeks before starting deliveries, and intends to begin a broader rollout of the Smart Box later this year, he said.
Eligible customers will be able to place orders for Home Valet's product with a down payment of $50. HomeValet's service also comes with a $15 monthly fee, although Simms said that charge will be $10 for its early customers.
HomeValet and Walmart are starting sales of the Smart Box together following a pilot in the retailer's hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, last spring involving more than 100 households. HomeValet has also been testing the units in the Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, areas, as well as in Indiana, where it has facilities, Simms said.
Walmart's Smart Box integration is the latest step for the retailer in offering unattended delivery. Earlier this month, Walmart announced it will bring its in-home service, which has workers deliver groceries directly into customer's refrigerators, to 30 million U.S. households this year.
Walmart orders will be automatically linked with HomeValet's platform, allowing the retailer's delivery personnel to unlock a customer's Smart Box on their own. In addition, HomeValet has developed software that other retailers can use to integrate their e-commerce systems with HomeValet's, according to Simms.
Customers can use a mobile app to configure the internet-connected units to accept deliveries from other retailers by setting them to unlock automatically at a preset time, Simms said. The company will provide customers with signage to direct delivery personnel to place items in the unit.
HomeValet's unattended delivery unit contains a camera that provides customers with a recording of each delivery. The camera activates whenever the box is unlocked, and shoppers will be able to access a history of their deliveries, Simms said.
Simms said HomeValet plans to position its box as a delivery tool for retailers beyond the grocery industry, adding that the company sees the device as a way to also automate e-commerce returns.
"Grocery [delivery] is really hard, and we figured if you can solve grocery with the various features and attributes that we bring with our box, a lot of these other opportunities become available," he said.


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Verizon Communications Inc. is feeling the bruises of a fight it picked with content companies.
Growth in subscribers for its FiOS video service fell 74% in the second quarter from a year ago while it added only half as many new customers for its FiOS Internet service. The growth rate was the slowest in six years, according to research firm MoffettNathanson LLC.
At the same time, Verizon cut its full-year revenue forecast as the carrier is slashing prices amid growing competition for mainstream wireless subscribers. Shares of Verizon fell more than 2% in recent trading.
The slowdown for its FiOS services comes after Verizon launched so-called skinny bundles that provide fewer TV channels and allow customers to purchase select content packages of particular content categories like sports, kids or pop culture, instead of buying hundreds of channels in bulk.
The new service drew anger from content companies. ESPN sued Verizon for allegedly breaching their contract, a claim that Verizon is disputing. And Verizon said advertisements for the new service, called Custom TV, were blocked in big markets like New York and Philadelphia for 45 days, which crimped its ability to sign up customers.
"Given the disputes that we had in Custom TV, we also were blacked out for many content providers in advertising this product," Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during a call with analysts. "It took us out of market."
Also an aggressive customer-acquisition campaign from Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc. following their failed merger earlier this year also hit growth, according to Mr. Shammo.
Mr. Shammo said interest in Verizon's skinny bundles exceeded the company's expectations with one-third of gross customer additions choosing the skinny bundle, and some existing customers migrated to it as well. Verizon added net 26,000 FiOS video subscribers in the three months ended June 30, and a net 72,000 subscribers to FiOS Internet service.
Meanwhile, Verizon added 1.1 million new postpaid wireless subscribers, or 21% fewer than it did a year ago. Verizon again leaned heavily on tablets for growth in the latest quarter, continuing a recent trend for the industry. The company said it added a net 852,000 tablets and a net 321,000 of the more lucrative handset customers.
Postpaid churn, or the rate at which customers canceled service, edged down to 0.9% from 0.94% a year earlier. Verizon said it was its lowest churn rate in three years.
Verizon, the first big telecom company to report its earnings for the quarter, has faced tougher competition as rivals like T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. have offered generous deals and paid subscribers to switch.
Overall, Verizon's net income edged slightly higher to $4.23 billion from $4.21 billion a year earlier. Revenue grew 2.4% to $32.2 billion.
Write to Ryan Knutson at email@example.com and Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com
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EYA LLC bought an 8.3-acre parcel at Graham Park Plaza from Federal Realty to build 177 townhomes, 12.5 percent of which will be affordable housing.
The company secured approval for the 177-unit project from the Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. The proposal includes affordable housing, open space and parks, and cosmetic improvements to the remainder of the shopping center to complement the design of the new townhomes and surrounding community, according to EYA.
Graham Park Plaza is located at 7263 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, Virgina. It features a mix of restaurants, apparel retailers and service providers.
EYA plans to break ground on the project this spring.


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Apparel machinery manufacturers, one of the biggest supporters of the economy, will come together at CNR KONFEK Fair. The leading and innovative companies of the sector will take place with their newest products and services at the fair, which will be implemented by CNR Holding.
The leading and exporting companies of the apparel machinery industry, one of the biggest supporters of the Turkish economy, will come together at the CNR KONFEK 2022 Fair. CNR KONFEK – International Apparel Machinery Fair, which will be established as the largest trade platform of the sector, will create a trade volume of millions of dollars. CNR KONFEK, where the latest technology apparel machinery and technologies will also be introduced, will be organized by CNR Holding, which has realized many successful fairs in the Turkish exhibition sector.
TURKEY IS THE SUPPLY BASE OF THE WORLD APPAREL INDUSTRY
Especially the recent loss of power and prestige in the Chinese apparel industry has strengthened Turkey’s hand. Turkish manufacturers, which have become the most important supplier of the world, started to strengthen or renew their machinery in order to meet the incoming orders. CNR KONFEK Fair will be organized to meet exactly these demands of ready-made garment and ready-made clothing manufacturers.
The fair, where domestic and foreign manufacturers, especially focusing on R&D and innovation, will meet with international purchasing groups, will host industry professionals who want to implement new technologies and direct their investments. CNR KONFEK will bring together thousands of buyers from European, African, Middle and Far Eastern countries as well as Turkish Republics with participating companies. Participating companies that will exhibit their products at the fair, especially Catma, Astas, Glengo, Ugur, Tetas, Malkan, Alba, Yuki and Kecoglu, will take part in the CNR KONFEK Fair with their innovative products.
CNR KONFEK – International Apparel Machinery Fair, which started its international promotion and marketing activities quickly by CNR, will be held in an exhibition area of 60 thousand square meters. With the experience and brand value of CNR in the exhibition sector, apparel machinery manufacturers, which will have the opportunity to reach their global trade targets faster, will be able to meet hundreds of new products and equipment, from sewing and ironing to printing and pressing machines, embroidery machine and thread manufacturers, with the sector buyers of the domestic and foreign market.
Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz


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It has been nearly a year since Lytro announced the world’s first consumer light-field camera that lets users focus photographs after they’re shot. Throughout this time, the camera has only been available direct from the company when ordered through the website. That’ll soon change, as the company announced today that it will be partnering with major retailers around the world to have the camera appear on a store shelf (and website) near you.
Starting next month, people in the United States will be able to pick up a Lytro camera online at Target, BestBuy, and — perhaps most importantly for Lytro — Amazon. Around the same time, it’ll also be appearing online and in stores in places such as Australia, Canada, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Check out the official announcement over on the Lytro blog to see whether it’s coming to a location near you.
The company reports that it has seen 400,000 shared Lytro photographs uploaded to its website since the cameras first started landing on owners’ hands six months ago. That number seems bound to explode as more and more people around the world get their hands on light field technology.


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So, what about Uber then?
Uber – It’s been a controversial journey, to say the least.
My thoughts are that banning them from operating in London is a little short-sighted… give them a deadline to get their ‘housekeeping’ into order, and let them continue.
Didn’t we all herald the arrival of Uber back in 2012, when this amazing digital app appeared? It revolutionised getting us from A to B at any time, just at the touch of a button and best of all no cash needed. Wow! The beauty of technology.
I love London, I love the UK and what we stand or stood for – forward-thinking, liberal, open-minded and non-prejudicial – but increasingly I’m worried about the messages we’re sending out. We have to be safe, but we also need to be progressive – let’s try and get the balance right.
In five years, London has seen approximately 116,000 drivers sign up alone, and with 3.5 million users now signed up across the UK – it will leave a huge gap. It’s not only redefined the taxi industry, but flexible working too. There have been stories of well-paid high-level managers giving up their day jobs as they can earn more money as an Uber driver. Crazy !One could say it’s liberated the workforce in some ways, but on the other hand, there is, of course, the huge questions of worker’s rights and passenger safety hanging over it all. Uber has certainly been on a rollercoaster…
- In December 2015, Ten Uber drivers took the company to an employment tribunal, protesting against their treatment – alleging that they earned less than the minimum wage. (fortune.com)
- “A UK employment court ruled last October that Uber drivers were not self-employed, as the company argued, but should be paid the “national living wage” as if they were directly employed.” (fortune.com)
This was seen as a landmark ruling for the gig economy- but have Uber done anything about it? No.
So what about Uber in Bournemouth, they applied for a licence back in May 17, and it hasn’t yet been granted. Although they are operating in Poole, and have also recently been granted an Operator’s licence in Christchurch.
Corbyn said in his interview on Sunday that, “Uber needs to offer “decent pay and conditions for its staff”, and “there is an issue about safety”. I think that sums it up really.
It has to be safe and abide by the rules.
On Friday, TfL declared that the company is “not “a “fit and proper” owner, accusing it of inadequate background checks, failing to report criminal incidents to the police and using its ‘Greyball’ software to stop regulators from policing it effectively. The company says it will appeal the ruling.” (Fortune.com)
Since then, an astonishing 650,000 or more people have signed a petition calling for the decision not to grant a new licence to be reversed – Uber we want you to get your house in order.


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Every night, in my dreams, I’m Scrooge McDuck-ing in my own private vault, filled to the brim with not gold, but cheese, delicious cheese. This, I would like to imagine, is what the reclusive billionaire at the head of the world’s top pizza cheese company does with his free time.
While we may never know if James Leprino, the head of Leprino Foods, has a cheese swimming pool or a throne built out of mozzarella blocks in his living room, we do know a bit more about how he built his dairy empire after reading a recent Forbes’ story about the publicity-shy Denver billionaire.
If you’ve ever eaten a frozen pizza, or had a slice from Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars or other fast food pizzerias, you’ve probably had Leprino’s cheese: The company is the world’s top producer of pizza cheese — shredded, diced, and sliced mozzarella — selling more than a billion pounds of cheese every year.
Leprino built his cheese empire on the foundation of his Italian immigrant father’s Denver market, launching his company in 1958. His timing was pretty darn good, too: That was the year the first Pizza Hut opened, which was soon followed by Little Caesars and Domino’s. Frozen pizzas were starting to become popular around that time as well.
And with the company’s headquarters in the middle of the country, Leprino could source ingredients from traditional dairy producers in Wisconsin and New York, and also the then-burgeoning California dairy industry.
Although some mozzarella purists turned up their noses at Leprino’s products, like the shredded and invidiually frozen portions the company introduced in 1986, franchises love the stuff: It’s consistent and scalable, and it soon became the industry standard.
Fast forward to today, and Leprino has managed to keep Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Little Caesars happy, putting as much as 85% of the pizza cheese market under the company’s control.
Leprino Foods also has the honor of being one of only a few large dairy companies that have never had a recall, notes Forbes, due to Leprino’s strong emphasis on quality at his plants.
For all his success, Leprino remains a mystery to most, probably because when someone hears about a cheese billionaire, they immediately want to find out whether or not he has pools of cheese or other ridiculous (but potentially awesome) cheese-related amenities.
To that end, good luck finding a photo of the guy — searching his name on Google brings up pictures of other rich men. He also declined having his photo snapped for the interview, so we may never know what a cheese billionaire truly looks like.
“It’s hard for me to believe I agreed to this,” he told Forbes. “I really like to keep my privacy.”
The whole article is really interesting for those who love cheese; we highly recommend heading over to Forbes to read it in its entirety.


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Crosland LLC is donating 90 used refrigerators and stoves to Habitat for Humanity Durham’s Hand-Me-Up store.
The appliances are being pulled from the Bristol Arms apartments, which will be demolished so Crosland can build its 370-unit apartment and retail Bristol Court project.
The Hand-Me-Up store sells used furniture, appliances and household goods, as well as building and construction materials. Proceeds from the sales are used to fund the construction of homes.
The Flying Fish Project donated 75 backpacks filled with school supplies to children and teenagers at Haven House, a nonprofit agency that serves the needs of young people in difficult situations.
The Flying Fish Project is run by Landquest Development employees, families and friends and works to serve the needy locally and in the Caribbean.
The federal Minority Business Development Agency has named Alliance of Professionals & Consultants Inc. its Minority Service Firm of the Year.
Roy Roberts, president and CEO of Alliance of Professionals & Consultants Inc., assists Native American entrepreneurs and serves as president of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of North Carolina. He also mentors several minority firms that supply APC.


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Drinking at least six cups of coffee every day could decrease your risks of early death, a new study using UK Biobank data has revealed.
Researchers say that those who drink six or seven cups of coffee per day are 16 percent less likely to die from any disease over a 10-year period than those who never drink coffee.
Coffee has long been linked with combating heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes and depression.
The researchers, from various institutions including the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health, say they hope their findings provide further reassurance that coffee can be part of a healthy diet.
The researchers, who published their results in JAMA found that those whose coffee intake was high fared the best.
Those who drank eight cups or more per day saw their death rates cut by 14 percent, and it was raised to 16 percent among those who drank six to seven cups.
The protective effect was also seen among moderate and light coffee drinkers – but to a lesser degree.
Two to five cups, one cup per day, or less than one cup per day reduced early death rates by 12, eight and six percent, respectively.
According to lead author Dr Erikka Loftfield, a cancer epidemiologist at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, the results held true whether the type of coffee drank was ground, instant or decaffeinated.
‘Coffee drinking was inversely associated with mortality, including among those drinking eight or more cups per day,’ said Dr Loftfield.
‘These findings suggest the importance of non-caffeine constituents in the coffee-mortality association and provide further reassurance that coffee drinking can be a part of a healthy diet.’


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Google encrypting search data globally
Google Inc. is furthering efforts to protect Internet users' privacy, with routine encryption of searches now underway in China.
The Washington Post reports the move is part of a global expansion of Google's privacy technology aimed at preventing government surveillance.
The technology could thwart censorship efforts in China, where the Internet is heavily watched by the government, as well as in other countries.
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and other Internet companies have stepped up investment in encryption globally, following the release of documents last year detailing surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency.
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