text:
A new campaign highlighting the benefits of veganism has launched in Milton Keynes.
The campaign urges viewers to research the issues being highlighted for themselves by downloading the campaign’s Free Vegan Guide.
The Go Vegan campaign features powerful, highly thought-provoking messages and the award winning advertising campaign is designed to encourage people to question the notion that humans are better than other animals.
The advertising is targeting shoppers and city traffic across the city of Milton Keynes through striking digital video and stills.
The campaign is being run by the Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary and is part of an international campaign that is currently touring the UK.
For more information on this campaign visit: www.goveganworld.com
Credit: Milton Keynes Citizen


text:
Want full access?
Have an account? Login
Local things to do, music, movies, nightlife, dining, entertainment and tourist activities.
Special dining events will be held Oct. 7-9 in Sevierville at the Rel Maples Institute for Culinary Arts on the…
Vegetarian Society of East Tennessee to host monthly meeting and culinary demonstration.
The days are still hot but the nights are getting a little cool, which is a great time to try this warm apple-cider-based cocktail.
A new series of dinners will acquaint diners with local history while raising funds for a historic landmark.
Special $1 pricing on Sept. 29 for mocha, latte and iced coffee drinks at Krispy Kreme in addition to free 12-ounce coffee.
Every time I go to downtown Knoxville, which is pretty frequently, it seems something new is there. Either new art on the sidewalk, new…
Jimmy John's is the latest national company affected by a potential credit and debit card data breach.
Not long ago, Halloween candy was just smaller versions of the same candy sold year round. For the past few years, candy companies have been…
Three Knoxville Moe's locations will be raising funds all day Wednesday for an employee who needs a kidney transplant.
Union Avenue Books to host booksigning on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Heather Kyle, UT Extension Agent, prepares Big Orange Salsa.
Music, dancing, food and craft vendors to be featured at HoLa Festival
10 for $10 sales are great for stocking up -- as long as you do your math first!

domain: news


text:
Samsung likely to unveil new Galaxy S phone on March 14
|Report an Error|
Share via Email
NEW YORK, N.Y.—Samsung is holding an event in New York next month to announce what is likely to be a successor to its flagship Galaxy S III smartphone.
In an invitation sent to journalists, Samsung Electronics Co. hints at a Galaxy S IV by teasing, Ready 4 The Show. The March 14 event will be held at Radio City Music Hall.
Samsung began selling the S III last May. Samsung didn’t say how soon after an announcement it would make a successor available for sale.
The Galaxy series runs on Google’s Android system. The screen size has increased with each version: The Galaxy S had a screen that measured 4 inches (10 centimetres) diagonally. It was followed by the S II at 4.3 inches, and the S III at 4.8 inches.
- Ford hiring 1,000 people for Oakville assembly plant
- What experts think about new Tory, Chow, Doug Ford advertisements
- Toronto girl lauded as 'hero' for quick action when mom collapsed
- Video Dallas health officials say Ebola under control after first confirmed U.S. case
- Canada’s blood supply ‘critically low’
- Military mission in Iraq ‘noble and necessary,’ Harper says
- Ranked ballot a priority for 2018 civic elections, Wynne says
- Why head trauma is NFL's biggest tragedy: Arthur
Ford Motor Company of Canada is hiring 1,000 more people at its Oakville assembly plant to build the new Edge.


text:
Despite a few hiccups like Green Growth Brands Inc (OTC: GGBXF) filing for insolvency, this was a great week for marijuana stocks, with all major ETFs posting double-digit gains.
Over the five trading days of the week:
- The ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (NYSE: MJ): rose 16.6%.
- The AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF (NYSE: YOLO): advanced 19.8%.
- The Cannabis ETF (NYSE: THCX): was up 24%.
- The Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF (NYSE: CNBS): gained 15.8%.
- The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: SPY) closed the period up 3.2%.
The rally, which began Thursday morning, was spurred by an item reported by the New York Post that day, even though the information contained in the article had been out for several days. Benzinga reported on it last week.
Check out our explanation of what happened with The Coronavirus Confusion.
Green Market Report CEO Debra Borchardt said it “wasn’t a complete surprise” that the company filed for insolvency.
The saga could evidence a “new method of acquiring a cannabis company: lend money to a financially struggling company to the point they can’t pay it back and then when they default, take over,” she said.
“It’s probably a whole lot cheaper than an outright acquisition since a lot of companies overvalue themselves.”
Find our cannabis, hemp and psychedelics news in Spanish on El Planteo.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) shares finally started to cool off after a three-session-long rally that netted the stock a gain of about 194% — mostly driven by strong earnings reported in the previous week.
Also this week, the company announced it would acquire CBD platform Reliva for $40 million in Aurora common shares, effectively entering the U.S. market.
Following the announcement, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Pablo Zuanic maintained an Overweight rating on Aurora shares and hiked the price target from CA$22 ($15.77) to CA$27 ($19.36). Needham analyst Matt McGinley has a Hold rating on the shares. Cowen analyst Vivien Azer maintained a Market Perform rating and CA$11 ($7.89) price target.
Finally, Benzinga announced the new members of its Benzinga Cannabis Advisory Council:
- David Cohen, CEO of Fluence by OSRAM
- David Leider, managing partner of FocusGrowth Capital
- Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of Ilera Holistic Healthcare
- Emily Paxhia, managing director of Poseidon Asset Management
- Jason White, CMO of Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF)
- Jeff Wells, CEO of Metrc
- Lauri Kibby, CFO of King’s Garden
- Morgan Paxhia, managing director of Poseidon Asset Management
The prior members were:
- Al Harrington, 16-year NBA player, CEO and founder of Viola Brands
- Alan Brochstein, chair of the Benzinga Cannabis Advisory Council, founder of 420 Investor and New Cannabis Ventures
- Barrington Miller, director of client listed services at the Canadian Securities Exchange
- Beth Stavola, CSO and director of iAnthus Capital Holdings Inc (ITHUF) (IAN)
- Codie Sanchez, managing director of Entourage Effect Capital
- Dave Bocchi, head of investment banking at Alliance Global Partners
- Everett Knight, executive vice president of corporate development and capital markets …


text:
China has recently launched certain measures to simplify VAT filing procedures, especially on VAT invoicing procedures.
For some time, taxpayers were required to conduct an online assessment for all input VAT invoices on a monthly basis and also within 180 days after the issuance date of VAT invoices. Failure to meet these requirements would lead to the loss of input VAT credits. The process was quite a hassle to taxpayers.
As a new practice, as of 1 March 2020, these requirements have been abolished for any VAT invoices dated after 1 January 2017. Instead, a simple online confirmation by the taxpayers will suffice. Furthermore, even VAT invoices issued before 31 December 2016 are also eligible as input VAT credit without the need for the aforementioned online assessment. This helps to shorten the lead time for VAT filing.
In addition, the new e-VAT invoicing practice has been intensively put on trial since 2019. It is expected that VAT paper invoices will soon be abolished, pending an official announcement. In relation to e-invoicing, the Ministry of Finance has also issued a circular allowing entities meeting certain IT requirements to maintain accounting records in electronic versions in lieu of their paper formats.
Another on-going change to the VAT regime will be the continual cut on VAT rates. VAT rates have been on a downward trend recently, as part of the fiscal stimulus to support the economic growth. On 22 May 2020, China’s Premier announced the plan to further cut the VAT rates. Businesses in general, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, are expected to benefit the most from the next cut, in addition to current VAT reliefs implemented to overcome the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
With the founding of a new and the first-of-its-kind free trade port in Hainan Province, as announced on 1 June 2020 by the State Council, it is reported that the VAT practice will be implemented in Hainan in a rather special manner. For example, VAT filing will be further simplified by merging it with the filing of other transactional taxes and will be levied at the final consumption stage instead of all stages of the supply chain. Details will be announced later by the Hainan government.
The Global VAT Newsletter focuses on changes in compliance duties in various EU and non-EU countries.
If you have any questions about WTS Global or our global services, please get in touch.
We will respond to you as soon as possible.


text:
Samsung is the brand that has achieved the greatest uplift in its Ad Awareness in both the UAE and KSA in March. The South Korean manufacturer recently unveiled its new line-up of premium smartphones, the Galaxy S10 series, which went on sale in mid-March.
The smartphones are described as next generation devices, with innovations in the display, camera and performance.
Samsung has released a number of adverts to promote the launch, as well as running a #GalaxyOfSurprises campaign, where Samsung crew surprised people across the UAE with gifts (including the new Galaxy S10) in unexpected places such as cinemas, supermarkets and universities. Samsung has also taken over the Dubai Ice Rink at Dubai Mall, hosting activities and challenges with the chance to win one of many Galaxy S10 devices.
People are certainly noticing the ads. In the UAE, Samsung’s Ad Awareness score (whether someone has seen or heard an advert broadcast by a company in the past two weeks) has risen by +9.0 points from +49.6 on the 1st March to +58.6 on the 20th. The same is true in KSA, with the brand’s Ad Awareness score increasing by +8.7 points from +42.1 on the 1st March to +50.8 on the 28th.
Not only are people noticing the campaign, but it has got people talking too. Samsung’s Word of Mouth Exposure score (whether someone has talked about the brand with friends and family in the last two weeks) jumped in the UAE from +43.2 on the 1st March to +50.2 on the 21st March; and in KSA, the brand’s Word of Mouth score increased from +37.6 on the 1st March to +42.5 on the 28th.


text:
Internet grows to 331 million domain name registrations: VeriSign report
New.com and .net domain name registrations totalled 9.2 million during the second quarter of 2017
Domain name registrations have grown to 331.9 million in the second quarter of 2017 as approximately 1.3 million registrations were added during the period.
According to VeriSign, a global leader in domain names and Internet security, 1.3 million domain name registrations across the globe translates to a growth rate of 0.4 per cent over the first quarter of 2017.
Domain name registrations have grown by 6.7 million, or 2.1 per cent, year over year, the company said in the report.
"The .com and .net top-level domains (TLDs) had a combined total of approximately 144.3 million domain name registrations in the domain name base in the second quarter of 2017," the report added.
This represents a 0.8 per cent increase year over year. As of June 30, 2017, the .com domain name base totalled 129.2 million domain name registrations, while the .net domain name base totalled 15.1 million domain name registrations.
New .com and .net domain name registrations totalled 9.2 million during the second quarter of 2017. In the second quarter of 2016, new .com and .net domain name registrations totalled 8.6 million.
Follow HT Tech for the latest tech news and reviews , also keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


text:
As with nearly every high profile release these days, details surrounding the game is leaked ahead of its planned announcement. Darksiders 3 is now the latest game to suffer this same fate as images and details around an upcoming Darksiders 3 game have been temporarily released on Amazon. The listing was quickly taken down but the release has now been confirmed and this is what we know!
The latest Darksiders game will continue to place you as one of the Four Horseman as you try to restore balance between good and evil on Earth. This time, you will play as Fury, a whip wielding mage. Looks like this Darksiders game will be one of the more interesting when it comes to combat then! Fury will have various forms that will open up new weapons and abilities with your ultimate goal to defeat the seven Deadly Sins and their underlings. Looks set to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors and I can’t wait!
The game showed a placeholder date of the 31 December 2018 on its Amazon listing and looks set to release for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
A more detailed look at the new Darksiders game can be found in the new trailer!


text:
Ecobank plans USD49m systems development
BUSINESS| July 16, 2012, 10:20 a.m.
Africa’s Ecobank Group has signed a USD49 million (€40.7 million) seven-year loan facility to develop its systems and technology infrastructure.
Ecobank said in a statement that it had signed the agreement with French Development Agency’s (AFD) Proparco and BIO, the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries.
The facility will be invested in developing its “systems and technology infrastructure” which serves nine million retail, local corporate, public sector and microfinance customers, through 1,180 branches, 1,632 ATMs and 2,744 POSs.
Arnold Ekpe, Ecobank’s Group CEO said: “The investment demonstrates our on-going commitment to enriching Ecobank’s customer experience through investments in systems, technology and processes.”
Incorporated in Lome, Togo, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated is the parent company of the leading independent pan-African banking group. It currently has a presence in 32 African countries.
MORE BUSINESS NEWS
Women can lead 21st century ICT industry, says Zinox chiefWith the right mix of innovation, business focus, accountability and ambition, women entrepreneurs can spearhead the evolution of the ICT industry in the 21st century, says the Chairman, Zinox Group. Read More
Leading through volatility in AfricaFor the businesses that are prepared to face the storm and manage the volatility afflicting the continent, there are still huge rewards to be had from doing business in Africa, says SAP. Read More
American Tower Corporation, Bharti Airtel in Nigerian tower sale agreementAmerican Tower Corporation and Bharti Airtel Limited have entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of over 4,800 of Airtel’s communications towers in Nigeria. Read More
Mobile backlog affects revenuesNew research shows that a slow approach to app development is increasingly damaging revenue opportunities in the enterprise. The study found that organisations are currently struggling with a significant mobile backlog and unable to cope with business demands. Read More
Kenya courts technology to woo investorsKenya, East Africa’s lead economic hub, has stepped up its efforts to woo investors through its rigorous incorporation and adaptation of technology to ease business transactions. Read More
‘Prepare for an explosive year ahead’ - Dac SystemsFrom a technology solution supply and reselling perspective, 2015 is going to be a bumper year, says Dac Systems. Read More
The Business Network is the futureHyper-connected business networks will extend business processes that used to stop at the walls of the enterprise, and will fulfill the promise of the real-time global networked economy to reduce complexity without sacrificing sophisticated work, says SAP. Read More
Africa SME Champions Forum: creating an ecosystem to support African championsThe Africa SME Champions Forum closed in Dakar last week, but its work in support of African champions is only just beginning. Read More
Deloitte: Africa GDP to top $3.7 trillion by 2019Africa’s gross domestic product will grow by 50% to $3.7 trillion over the next five years, says Deloitte. Read More
FEATURED STORYGSMA: half a billion mobile subscribers in SSA by 2020
The number of unique mobile subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa will pass the half billion mark in 2020, says a new GSMA report.
BEST READ NEWS
IN DEPTHAfrica lags on digital migration
Only three African countries have so far completed the digital migration process, and serious issues are hampering the migration in other nations.
COMPANY NEWSLeading through volatility in Africa
For the businesses that are prepared to face the storm and manage the volatility afflicting the continent, there are still huge rewards to be had from doing business ...


text:
The pandemic continues to cause unprecedented disruption across industries worldwide.
Get detailed insights regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the market.
The global processed meat market size is expected to reach a value of US$ 750.0 Billion by 2027.
The rising prevalence of hectic work schedules and sedentary lifestyles of the consumers, along with the growing demand for ready-to-cook food products, is one of the key drivers for the global processed meat market.
The increasing consumer preferences towards organic processed meat that are free from antibiotics and chemical residues represents one of the key trends in the global processed meat market.
Sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had led to the implementation of stringent lockdown regulations across several nations resulting in temporary shutdown of numerous meat processing units, thereby hampering the overall market growth.
On the basis of the meat type, the market has been bifurcated into poultry, beef, mutton, pork, and others. Amongst these, poultry hold the majority of the total market share.
On the basis of the processing type, the market has been categorized into chilled, frozen, and canned. Amongst these, the chilled segment currently accounts for the majority of the total market share.
Region-wise, the market has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America, where North America dominates the global market.
The key companies in the global processed meat market are BRF SA, Cargill Inc., Foster Farms, Hormel Foods Corporation, JBS SA, Marel hf, Marfrig, National Beef, Nippon Ham Foods Ltd., OSI Group, Perdue Farms, Pilgrim's Pride, Sadia, Sanderson Farms Inc, Sysco, and Tyson Foods.
REACH OUT TO US
Call us on
( US: +1-631-791-1145 )
( UK: +44-753-713-2163 )
( India: +91 120 433 0800 )
Drop us an email at


text:
SHERMAN — Little Angels Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) rescue founded in 2008, is seeking donations for its thrift store and rummage sale to support the organization.
“Our rummage sale and fundraiser event is paired with the grand opening of our thrift store, Cat and Thrift Obsessed. We’ve collected hundreds of donated items towards our cause, and will have a basket raffle during the event,” a spokesperson said. “We are reaching out to you, our local residents and businesses, to join us for this weekend long event. Our goal is to raise money to cover the vet costs for the animals in our care. We are also using this event to help raise awareness about the importance of TNVR, spaying, and neutering.”
The donation collection will be today from noon to 5 p.m. The organization will not accept old computers or printers, tires, broken items, stained or torn clothing, firearms, drug paraphernalia, snares, Conibear or steel-jawed traps, fur items or taxidermied items. Donations can be dropped off at 100 E. Main St., Sherman.
The sanctuary began as a small animal rescue facility, but shifted to also helping make an impact in reducing the overwhelming number of stray cats and kittens in Chautauqua County and surrounding areas. The organization rescues, fully vets and finds homes for cats and kittens.
They also help with low-cost spay and neuter, as well as assist with TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vet, Release). While many other rescues were forced to close during COVID -19, they were able to stay open. Animals cannot find permanent homes until they are fully vetted. With the opening of spay and neuter
clinics, they have many felines waiting for surgery.


text:
How Major Streamers and Theater Blockbusters Can Work Together
By Movieguide® Staff
The rise in popularity for streamers and the closures of theaters changed the entire landscape of movie releases in 2020. While many see the shift in how audiences watch blockbuster movies as a sign of a new normal, other industry executives claim that the two mediums could benefit from working together.
Without question, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and other growing streaming platforms led entertainment during the pandemic. However, as the traditional box office begins to recover with solid performances like A QUIET PLACE PART II, the theater’s longevity is in less doubt.
In 2020, Disney announced that they would renew their focus (and funds) on their streaming service, Disney+. However, executives at the company also noted that they would not neglect theatrical releases.
“We had a $13 billion box office [in 2019], and that’s not something to sneeze at. We built those franchises through the theatrical window,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said at the studio’s December 2020 Investor Day while discussing the future of Disney+.
“It was much more of an opportunity and something that excited [me] when [Disney executive chairman and former CEO] Bob Iger asked us to start working on shows for Disney+,” Marvel’s Kevin Feige said later in 2021.
Disney’s newest Marvel projects provide a telling gauge for the possible effects of having tentpole theatrical releases and streaming series work together.
If anything, Disney+ hasn’t buried the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but rather has enhanced it. The streaming service has become an outlet where Feige and his team can expand the storylines of secondary characters they normally couldn’t chiefly focus on in the comic book movies, like Wanda Maximoff and Vision in the first MCU Disney+ series WandaVision; Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; and Thor’s Loki, whose self-titled series dropped June 9. Feige is using these Disney+ MCU shows to weave in and out of the label’s big-screen movies…
In regards to concerns over whether Disney+ MCU shows will cannibalize the future box office of the brand’s superhero movies, which have grossed well over $22.5 billion, Feige isn’t worried. He told Deadline back in January, “As long as [the series] are different, as long as they’re unique and some of the characters might cross over and the Marvel logo is at the front, if they’re unique and interesting stories, that doesn’t go out of style.”
While streaming success has proven more difficult to track, moral content leads the way in box office recovery. Whether the future of entertainment is Netflix or AMC, content is what will ultimately drive audiences.
Movieguide® recently reported:
Paramount’s A QUIET PLACE PART II became the highest-grossing movie in the pandemic with a robust theatrical opening and no release on a significant streamer.
The movie, created by and starring John Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt, reached a total of $109.3M this past weekend, barely ousting Lin Manuel Miranda’s new musical IN THE HEIGHTS for the top spot.
According to Box Office Mojo, Warner Bros.’s IN THE HEIGHTS earned 11.5M over the weekend, followed closely by PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY.
A QUIET PLACE PART II and PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY were released with a theatrical window, while Warner Bros.’s deal with the streamer HBO Max means that IN THE HEIGHTS is day-and-date for the first 31 days.
However, the top three movies prove Movieguide®’s claim that movies with moral, biblical, and family-friendly content lead box office numbers, pandemic or not.
View this post on Instagram


text:
Hit me baby one more time.
Due to popular demand, Britney Spears has announced a second show in Bangkok at Impact Arena this Jun 23, a day before the original concert on Jun 24.
Tickets for the original show at the 12,000-capacity venue went on sale on May 6 and quickly sold out. For the new concert, prices remain the same at B3,500-12,000, available from Thaiticketmajor from May 14 onwards.
Britney Spears is an American pop singer best known for massive hits during the '90s and early 2000s like "Oops... I Did it Again," "Toxic" and "Baby One More Time." She has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling artists of all time.
Now, the pop diva is on a world tour to promote her ninth studio album, Glory, which includes the hit single "Make Me...". With this being the first time she'll ever perform in Bangkok, as well as Southeast Asia, we're expecting something big.
Until then, here's some old-school Britney:


text:
Imerys’ Vizag plant: Sustaining a country on the move
As urbanization in India accelerates, so does the country’s construction sector and demand for locally-produced, sustainable construction practices suited to the subcontinent. Inaugurated one year ago, Imerys’ state-of-the-art calcium aluminate plant in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, in India’s southeastern coastal region, produces new products that answer this precise need. It recently showcased its products and initiatives during a construction workshop for customers on October 16 in Mumbai.
India’s rising foundations
India is set to become the world’s third largest economy in the next ten years. It is estimated to average a 6.3 percent increase in GDP through 2030 and has an expanding urban population. Imerys is using this as a foundation for serving the local community and developing innovative solutions to local challenges and applications.
With recent infrastructure investments throughout the country and the Indian Government's goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2070, there has been a surge in demand for more innovative building materials such as calcium aluminate. It should be adapted to local cost constraints and product-customization needs, as well as created from raw materials mostly sourced from India.
To date, this demand has been answered by importing products from Europe and China, a process that reduces product shelf life by up to three months, increases freight costs and duties, and places the local building sector at the whim of international trade and exchange rates. Imerys Vizag was founded to address these constraints, tapping into the local demand and leveraging local skillsets, knowledge and efficiencies.
Built to serve the nation's growth
The latest addition to Imerys India’s 16 industrial sites and eight sales offices is Imerys Vizag. This plant applies the Group’s industry-leading technical and manufacturing standards to create products that meet the Indian refractory and construction industries’ specific needs. It is a major asset and the single largest site for Imerys’ refractory, abrasives and construction business, an important driver in its local and regional growth.
Since its inauguration one year ago, the Imerys Vizag plant has significantly helped the local customer base. Customers are benefitting from eased logistical issues, much shorter lead times, and the removal of import costs. This has made working with Imerys more accessible than ever before.
“Beyond the greater strategy, the Vizag plant allows us, as part of the Group as a whole, to leverage Indian expertise for Indian customers for Indian growth,” explains Segi Idicula, Director of Imerys Vizag. The team prides itself on offering its customers new, innovative sustainable building materials that are both personalized and environmentally friendly.
Beyond the greater strategy, the Vizag plant allows us, as part of the Group as a whole, to leverage Indian expertise for Indian customers for Indian growth.
Bringing the market together to learn about sustainable construction examples
“The importance of Vizag for Imerys’ activities in India and Asia cannot be overstated,” explains Jérôme De Lievre, Vice President of Building & Infrastructure at Imerys. “It is the launching pad for a whole strategy of growth, focused solely on India first and then regionally. It’s a great honor for me to be involved at such a critical chapter in Imerys’ story in the country.”
On October 16, Jérôme De Lievre and Segi Idicula, along with many other Imerys experts, co-hosted a specialized workshop with the Construction Chemical Manufacturers Association (CCMA) of India, entitled “Towards Sustainable Construction”, at the Orchid Hotel in Mumbai. The event was designed to explore customers’ needs and define how and where Imerys India should develop new solutions matching these needs. The workshop included a new product launch, several technical presentations on products and applications, and plenty of networking opportunities for attendees.
Articles you might be interested in
Held in Frankfurt this year, the Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories (UNITECR) is the largest and most important conference for the refractories market. Imerys teams were present to set out their latest research and solutions for the refractories market and share Imerys’ wider sustainability product assessment methodology, SustainAgility.
Nestled in the heart of Brittany, Glomel is home to a priceless geological treasure: an andalusite deposit of exceptional quality, mined by Imerys for over half a century. Let's find out more about this precious "Breton pink gold", from its extraction process to its many industrial applications, and Imerys' commitment to responsible, sustainable mining.
While a building’s structure might make it a house, a building’s insulation will make it a home. And, while a builder might have many insulation options to choose from, only one can claim to be totally safe: mineral foams.
Achieving much more with less, or using less to achieve much more. That was the challenge Imerys experts set themselves in designing the next generation of specialty binders, designed for a market calling for greater performance with less product and lower environmental impact.


text:
Prices of yellow diamonds decreased in the third quarter, driving down the overall fancy- color index even while pinks and blues remained steady, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) said.
The index for yellows fell 1.5% quarter on quarter for the three months ending September 30, and 4.9% year on year, according to the FCRF, which released its quarterly Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI) Wednesday.
By contrast, prices of blue fancy-color diamonds inched up 0.1% compared with the second quarter, and 0.5% versus the same period a year ago, while pinks slipped 0.1% quarter on quarter and increased 0.9% from the 2018 period.
The strongest decrease in the yellow category was in the 3-carat fancy-vivid division, which slid 3.5% from the previous quarter, while 8-carat fancy-vivid yellows fell 10%. The only yellow category that showed no decrease was fancy-intense yellows weighing 2 carats, FCRF noted.
“The civil unrest in Hong Kong has had a negative impact on the entire luxury market, including diamonds and jewelry,” said FCRF advisory board member Ephraim Zion. “Having said that, I’m not surprised that Fancy Color Diamonds have been more resilient and managed much better than their counterparts.”
The index tacks prices of yellow, pink and blue fancy-color diamonds in Hong Kong, New York and Tel Aviv.


text:
Apple's last shot at avoiding a $450 million e-book price fixing settlement just went out the window. The US Supreme Court has declined to hear Apple's challenge of an appeals court decision that left the company on the hook for allegedly conspiring with publishers to raise digital book prices. The decision won't have much of an impact on Apple's day-to-day business (the court-approved antitrust monitor is no longer watching it like a hawk). Still, it's a symbolic loss for a tech giant that maintains it did nothing wrong.
The ruling isn't shocking. Apple argued that upholding the settlement would "chill innovation and risk-taking" but that's not strictly true -- the point is to prevent potentially unfair pricing agreements, not to set prices or limit e-book features. If nothing else, the company can take solace knowing that there's pressure on the Justice Department to investigate Amazon for its own practices, such as selling below cost to squeeze out competitors.


text:
DeAngelis Diamond, Orlando
DeAngelis Diamond is pleased to announce the addition of Mick Thornton as Director of Business Development. In his role, Mick is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing a growth strategy that fosters authentic relationships, promotes effective collaboration, and ensures positive outcomes for our team members, clients, design partners, and trade contractors.
Can Florida ensure tech advancements better connect patients and health providers?
Lacking counselors, schools turn to the booming business of online therapy


text:
Alberta’s trade minister will soon be off to Japan and South Korea to promote the province’s agriculture and forestry industry, aiming to expand market access and diversification.
Tanya Fir will travel to Tokyo and Seoul from June 5-11.
She is travelling on behalf of Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen.
The province said in a news release the mission will focus on engaging agricultural importers, promoting the safety of Alberta’s agriculture products.
“This mission shows private and public-sector actors in Japan and Korea that Alberta is open for business,” Fir said in the news release.
“Market access and diversification is a critical issue for Alberta’s farmers, ranchers and food and forestry manufacturers, and I’m proud to be part of this mission to promote our world-class agricultural and forestry sectors, and open more doors for Alberta producers and processors so they can continue to grow and succeed here at home.”
Fir will join Jim Carr, the federal minister of international trade diversification, for the trip, as well as officials from other provinces and representatives from Canadian agriculture industry associations.
The total estimated cost of the mission is $32,331.


text:
Netflix has made a significant advancement in its password crackdown by releasing instructions for four nations.
Netflix has outlined its strategy for distributing passwords in four more countries. Due to the widespread practice of customers sharing passwords, the streaming behemoth has struggled with losses. A new update on password sharing and who is permitted to do so without harming the company’s operations has, however, been provided by Netflix.
According to a recent announcement from Netflix, customers will have more control over who has access to their accounts. The password-sharing limitations, which were previously being tested in Latin America, will now be implemented in four other nations, including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain, according to the streaming giant.
“We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account with features like profiles and multiple streams. While these have been hugely popular, they’ve also created confusion about when and how you can share Netflix. Today, over 100 million households are sharing accounts — impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films,” Netflix said in a blog post.
According to Netflix, customers will now be able to select their primary location, control account access and devices, move profiles, and add an additional member.
Customers of Netflix will be able to designate a primary location, allowing everyone in their home to access their account. Members may use the new Manage Access and Devices tab to control who has access to their accounts with the streaming giant. Additionally, users can migrate their profiles on Netflix. A user’s profile can now be simply transferred to a new account that they pay for, maintaining their saved games, My List, tailored recommendations, and watching history.
On their own devices or by logging into a new TV, such as one found in a hotel or vacation home, members of the same household can still effortlessly watch Netflix.
In addition, users in many countries (including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain) can add an extra member sub-account for up to two people they do not live with for an additional CAD$7.99 per person per month, NZD$7.99 per person per month in New Zealand, Euro 3.99 per person per month in Portugal, and Euro 5.99 per person per month in Spain. Each account comes with a profile, personalised recommendations, login, and password.


text:
THE Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has denied allegations of the existence of a cartel that controls prices of rice and paddy seeds in the country.
In a statement yesterday, the ministry clarified that the country’s rice industry was regulated by the Kawalselia Padi dan Beras (KPB) regulatory body through the Rice Control Act 1994.
According to this act, the ministry carries out regulatory activities through licensing and enforcement to ensure a healthy and orderly development of the rice industry.
“This Act also grants powers to the director-general of the KPB to issue licences and permits for padi and rice transactions, including manufacturing, wholesale, retail, import or export, and inter-state transfers,” the statement read.
The statement also mentioned that the issuance of 39,000 various licences, such as wholesale rice licences, export licences, import licences, paddy mill licences, paddy purchase licences, retail rice licences, and special approvals to sell paddy seeds for certified paddy seeds (BPS), clearly indicates that there is no cartel or mafia capable of monopolising the rice industry.
“As for BPS, the ministry has allocated 72,000 metric tonnes of BPS to meet the needs of farmers for the year 2023.
“The manufacturing licence for BPS is also granted to government-linked companies to supply paddy seeds to farmers. The confirmation of BPS through laboratory tests is carried out by the Malaysian Department of Agriculture,” according to the statement.
Meanwhile, the ministry announced that it conducted the BPS Operation Task Force from Nov 7 to 21 to ensure that all retailers sell BPS at government-set prices and there is no element of adulteration in BPS.
Through this operation, the ministry revoked a total of 22 BPS sales licences held by retailers who violated licence conditions.
“The ministry warns all manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to always comply with the laws and will not compromise with any party attempting to take advantage of this issue. Firm action will be taken, including licence cancellation, if any legal violations are found,” according to the statement.
Farmers and consumers are also advised to submit complaints or information officially to the ministry if there are any legal violations through the KPB complaint portal or [email protected] or through the hotline 03-88701751/1748/1183.
Earlier, Malaysian Rice Manufacturers’ Association chairperson Marzukhi Othman asserted the presence of a long-standing rice cartel involving four to five major companies. This alleged cartel has reportedly influenced the trajectory of the nation’s rice industry, resulting in persistent challenges related to paddy seeds each season and disruptions in rice supply. – Jan 5, 2023
Main photo credit: Malay Mail


text:
Manhattan may be forever the land of Sex and the City inspired cosmopolitans, but the city also has a decidedly less alcoholic beverage to call its own: Coffee. Rarely can you walk through the streets of this high rise paradise without spotting someone clutching a coffee cup like a lifeline, and now the coffee lovers of the borough have something to look forward to. Manhattan will soon become the home of the largest Starbucks store in the world.
The coffee giant will open their largest outlet 61 Ninth Avenue, in the Meatpacking district. The establishment will be a two storey, 20,000 sq. foot haven that will include elements of coffee roasting, manufacturing, education and retail and will be inspired by the first Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle, Washington.
“Our Seattle Roastery experience created something that had never been done before, transforming a retail environment into something far beyond just a coffeeshop and into the single best retail experience of any kind,” said Howard Schultz, chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks. “In New York, we want to take elements from what we originally created and build something even bigger and bolder, celebrating coffee and craft in a completely unique and differentiated way. We want this experience to tell our customers that we’re coming to Broadway.”
The Roastery will be part of a new building will be designed by Rafael Viñoly and is slated to open sometime in 2018.
[ Starbucks ]


text:
Whether you’re just curious what $15 could have netted you or are trying to solve the puzzle, follow along as we document each day’s “gift.”
If family, friends, turkey and football still doesn’t have you smiling this Thanksgiving, maybe Telltale Games’ announcement of a Dec. 2 release date for the first episode in their six-part Game of Thrones episodic series will do the trick.
PlayStation Plus’ December lineup comes out shooting.
Microsoft announced today that they are celebrating the one year anniversary of the launch of the Xbox One by giving away a slew of digital goodies
How Harmonix brought the Disney magic into Fantasia: Music Evolved


text:
AFTER having held a 5.29% stake in Caring Pharmacy for about 3½ years, business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan has begun to steadily raise his stake in the company.
Interestingly, his latest acquisitions came when Caring was trading at the high end of its historical price range, hitting an all-time high of RM2.30 in August.
The stock ended at RM2.10 last Thursday, some 29% higher than its average of RM1.629 since its listing in 2013 at an IPO price of RM1.25.
After his long break from trading the stock, Tan increased his equity interest in the company to more than 6% in May and had upped it to 9% by early this month.
He acquired some tranches from Perbadanan Nasional Bhd — a substantial shareholder of Caring — after the fund trimmed its stake to 9.61% from more than 11% in the May to July period.
Additionally, Tan has been picking up Caring shares on the open market since August.
In 2014, the Berjaya Group founder held 18% of Caring but reduced his stake to 5.29% in October 2015 following the disposal of 27.8 million shares at RM1.80 apiece.
So, why is he accumulating Caring shares now? And what value does the tycoon see in the company today?
While the reasons for Tan’s recent interest in Caring remain unclear, the company has appeared on the radar screens of other investors as well, as evidenced by media reports last year that South Korean and Japanese private equity (PE) firms were keen to buy a stake in it. However, talks with a South Korean PE firm fell through because of pricing, the reports say.
Sources tell The Edge that at least one Malaysia-based PE firm had approached Caring’s substantial shareholders to discuss a potentially significant stake investment last year but nothing came of it due to differing pricing expectation.
Motivasi Optima Sdn Bhd is Caring’s largest shareholder with a 50.35% stake in the pharmacy chain. Its shareholders are Chong Yeow Siang, Soo Chan Chiew, Tan Lee Boon and Ang Khoon Lim. Chong is the managing director of the group while Soo, Tan and Ang are directors.
A close look at Caring’s books reveals that the company has net cash of RM123 million. In other words, 56 sen of its current share price of RM2.10 is net cash per share. Its earnings growth momentum is also steady.
As at last Thursday, Caring’s market capitalisation was RM455 million while its price-earnings ratio (PER) was 20 times. The numbers also show that ex-cash, Caring’s market capitalisation was RM333 million, resulting in a PER of 15.9 times.
“On paper, Caring is trading at a PER of 20 times but if you factor in its net cash position of RM122.7 million, it is trading at only 15.9 times, which could be attractive to investors looking for a pure pharmacy retail play,” says an investment analyst.
Caring’s revenue has grown from RM364 million in 2015 to RM599 million this year, which translates into a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%.
In its financial year ended May 31, 2019 (FY2019), Caring’s net profit rose 9% year on year to RM26 million on revenue of RM599 million, which was up 18% year on year.
Its 2019 sales growth is the strongest the group has seen in the last five years. The improved revenue was attributed to the sales generated by its 14 new outlets established in FY2019 as well as better sales at its existing outlets.
In terms of pre-tax profit, Caring saw a CAGR of 30% from 2016 to 2019 as its earnings rose from RM12 million to RM34 million.
Net profit, meanwhile, expanded to RM26 million in FY2019 from RM8 million in 2016, resulting in a CAGR of 34%.
The company’s dividend payments increased in tandem with the rise in earnings. Dividend paid per share grew from 1.5 sen in FY2015 to five sen in FY2019 while basic earnings per share rose from 5.91 sen to 9.52 sen in the same period.
Net profit margins have also been on an upward trend, climbing from 3.57% in 2015 to 4.28% in 2019, thanks to a number of factors, including the company’s trimming of its inventory holding days to 75. This translated into healthy positive cash flow and a reduction in operational expenses.
Having first opened its doors in Cheras in 1994, this chain of community pharmacies stood at 85 when it listed in November 2013. The network had expanded to 125 pharmacies as at May 31 this year, and the company aims to open 12 to 15 outlets a year with a renewed focus on peripheral towns outside the Klang Valley and other major cities in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak.
Caring’s management has estimated that the group will have 180 to 200 outlets nationwide in five years.


text:
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
Vlambeer's games popular among players, cloners alike
Vlambeer's not only known for tight and focused games like Super Crate Box and Ridiculous Fishing. The Dutch independent game studio is also known for taking a stance against game cloning, which is all-too-common on mobile app stores.
The reason Vlambeer is so publicly anti-cloning is because Ridiculous Fishing spawned a clone, which released well before the actual Ridiculous Fishing, and that nearly tore the studio apart a couple years ago.
Now it appears that another one of Vlambeer's upcoming distinctively-styled games, Luftrausers, has been cloned and released on mobile.
Vlambeer's Rami Ismail told Gamasutra over instant messenger that the studio has emailed both Apple and Google about game, which is credited to one "RubiqLab."
"The basic consensus seems to be since [RubiqLab is] using our assets and using fake screenshots exactly like our game that we should just file a complaint," he said.
Asked if he was planning to wait and hope Apple and Google would take the game down, he replied, "[There's] nothing I can do, really. [RubiqLab] is a one-project company -- it might be virtual, we don't know.
"There's no sense in us wasting time and effort that we should be spending on [Luftrausers]."
RubiqLab has denied to outlets including Kotaku that the game was cloned from Luftrausers, and suggested that Vlambeer is probably just "jealous."


text:
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing YRC Worldwide, claiming three of its subsidiaries systematically overcharged the US for freight shipments, defrauding the Department of Defense (DOD) by millions of dollars for shipments that were actually lighter, and thus should have been cheaper, than the shipment weights for which the trucking companies charged the government.
The federal lawsuit, announced Friday, stems from a whistleblower suit filed under the False Claims Act by James Hannum. Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the US for false claims and share in any recovery. Violators are subject to treble damages and civil penalties.
YRC Worldwide, one of the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) operators in the US, denied the claims, calling them “totally without merit.”
“We have made every effort over nearly a decade to address the government’s questions,” Jim Fry, YRC Worldwide general counsel, said in a statement Friday.
The dispute and investigation have been ongoing for nearly 10 years. “We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate YRC Freight acted consistently with our contract and all applicable guidelines,” Fry said. “We look forward to continuing to provide essential and valuable logistics services to the US government and all our customers.”
Shipment weights in question
The government shipments in question were tendered to YRC Worldwide for transport prior to 2013, the Overland Park, Kansas-based company said. Yellow and Roadway were merged in 2009 to form YRC Freight. DOD freight currently represents less than 1 percent of YRC Freight’s annual revenue, the company said.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Buffalo, New York, relates to a common shipper-carrier dispute: the weight and classification of LTL freight. Today it is common for carriers to reweigh shipments using dimensioning equipment and reassess charges when applicable.
That wasn’t as much the case when the shipments in question were tendered by the DOD. The US claims YRC Freight reweighed thousands of shipments and suppressed the results whenever they indicated that a shipment was actually lighter than its original estimated weight.
Instead of charging for shipments based on correct weight, YRC knowingly billed the US, and other shippers, based on inflated weights, the DoJ claimed in a statement. The DOJ also accused YRC of making false statements to avoid correcting invoices or repaying overcharges.
“When a federal agency, such as the DOD, enters into a service contract with a private corporation or company, the expectation is that the agreement will be administered in good faith,” stated US Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. for the Western District of New York.
“In this case, YRC did not legally fulfill its agreed upon obligations to the Defense Department, choosing instead to line its pockets with tax payer’s dollars,” he said. “This case should serve as a warning to any organization that enters into a contract with the federal government.”
YRC Worldwide maintains its companies complied with terms of its contracts and DOD freight rules that were in effect prior to July 2013. "When the federal government changed the freight rules in July 2013 to clarify how weighing of freight and potential credits should be handled, YRC ensured its continued compliance with all applicable regulations," the company told JOC.com in an email.
"YRC Freight strongly believes that it complied with the rules and acted appropriately under the then-existing freight tariffs and its contract with the DOD. We will make this abundantly clear in our response to this complaint." The DOD remains a YRC Freight customer, the company said.


text:
Protect your skin with a lightweight sunscreen you won't even notice.
The man who killed a D.C. yoga instructor on Christmas Day has been sentenced to spend 30 years in prison.
Why did federal agents raid a boutique in the quaint Virginia town of Middleburg? Dozens of agents spent eight hours hauling items out of the store The Outpost, which sells home furnishings from around...
Join us as we provide a Thanksgiving meal to families in need.
"You can do anything," Donald Trump once boasted, speaking of groping and kissing unsuspecting women. Maybe he could, but not everyone can. The candidate who openly bragged about grabbing women's private parts...
Two brave boys with leukemia who met each other in the hospital got to be pilots for a day at Joint Base Andrews. News4's Aimee Cho followed them during the "awesome" experience.
We're one week away from Black Friday, but not every offers worth the hassel of standing in line or looking for parking. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan has the top four buys that are worth all of the effort.


text:
San Francisco, CA – April 27, 2011 – Delicious.com,
the leading social bookmarking service, has been acquired by the founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. As creators of the largest online video platform, they have firsthand experience enabling millions of users to share their experiences with the world. Their vision for Delicious is to continue to provide the same great service users love and to make the site even easier and more fun to save, share, and discover the web’s “tastiest” content. Delicious will become part of AVOS, a new Internet company.
“We’re excited to work with this fantastic community and take Delicious to the next level,” said Chad Hurley, CEO of AVOS. “We see a tremendous opportunity to simplify the way users save and share content they discover anywhere on the web.”
“We spoke with numerous parties interested in acquiring the site, and chose Chad and Steve based on their passion and unique vision for Delicious,” said John Matheny, SVP of Communications and Communities at Yahoo!
The YouTube founders plan to work closely with the community over the next few months to develop innovative features to help solve the problem of information overload.
“We see this problem not just in the world of video, but also cutting across every information-intensive media type,” said Chen.back to their roots, Hurley and Chen located Delicious in downtown San Mateo, California, blocks away from where they started YouTube. They’re aggressively hiring to build a world-class team to take on the challenge of building the best information discovery service on the web.
Delicious is the leading social bookmarking service for saving, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks. Started in 2003 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005, Delicious has built a passionate, worldwide community of millions of users. In 2011, Delicious was acquired by the founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. Previously, they co-founded YouTube, the world’s largest video site in 2005, which was acquired by Google 18 months later for $1.76B. Delicious is part of AVOS, a new Internet company based in San Mateo, California.
About Author :: Andrew has been writing for Content Writing Shop since 2006. More than 10 years of working experience as a content writer.


text:
US: PepsiCo off to "terrific start" in 2004
PepsiCo has got off to "a terrific start" to 2004, according to its chairman. In a conference call yesterday, Steve Reinemund said that the first five weeks of the year have seen the company continue impressively "in all of our businesses."
PepsiCo president and CFO Indra Nooyi said that the company expects Q1 earnings to be in the range of US$0.43 to $0.44 a share. Nooyi reiterated PepsiCo's expectations that 2004 earnings will be consistent with the company's forecast, which calls for 2004 earnings to be in the range of $2.24 a share to $2.28 a share.
Reinemund said that, considering the start the company has had so far in 2004, he would be "disappointed" if the company didn't hit the top-end of the range.
Later in the conference call, Reinemund was asked by a caller if he felt the Securities and Exchange Commission has increased its focus on food and beverage manufacturers.
"There is no question the focus on all consumer products companies, both manufacturers and retailers, has increased, and we've obviously gone back and looked at our practices and feel that we're operating within the spirit of the law," Reinemund replied. Reinemund added that he thinks the extra scrutiny is "probably a beneficial thing" both long- and short- term.
As reported earlier today, Pepsico saw its fourth quarter earnings per share rise by over 30% to $0.51, with full year 2003 EPS up by 21% to US$2.01. Total net income, which also included the favourable tax settlement in the fourth quarter, increased by 30% for the quarter, and by over 18% for the full year.
Sectors: Soft drinks
- Why did Mast-Jägermeister buy Sidney Frank?
- Why consumers don't care about vodka's provenance
- Pernod Ricard's FY Performance by Region, Brand
- Brown-Forman's Q1 Performance by Region, Brand
- Pernod Ricard's FY fiscal-2015 - Preview
- Diageo launches glass Bulleit & Cola bottles
- Pernod Ricard releases social medial guide
- Bruno Mars rum rolls out across US
- Pernod Ricard "in line" after full-year results
- Brown-Forman CEO unfazed by FX headwinds
- Global gin insights - market data, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global Tequila insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research


text:
AMD updates product logos
The arrival of AMD’s Richland APUs has brought something new to the table – updated AMD logos for pretty much all company products.
Starting with Richland AMD has updated the logos for its products with the change affecting the Radeon brand, the AMD FX processors, AMD memory, chipsets and other company products. As before the company bets once again to black and red with the AMD brand name and the company arrow staying the same.
A peculiarity of the new logos is that one of them says AMD Radeon Solid State Drive, which is another hint that the company plans to release a Radeon branded line of solid state drives this year or even any time soon.


text:
OLSEN BEAUTY: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s mary-kateandashley beauty line has come to an end. The line was produced under license by NuWorld Beauty and sold primarily at Wal-Mart. Launched in 2002, its assortment included everything from scents to hair appliances. Despite mary-kateandashley’s beauty exit, the Olsens aren’t ruling out the beauty business. A spokeswoman for the fashionable duo, whose junior brand, Olsenboye, will bow at J.C. Penney in February, indicated the Olsens might consider reentering beauty under the Olsenboye label after the debut of apparel and accessories.
BOOTS NUMBERS: Alliance Boots, owner of health and beauty retailer Boots, reported first-half revenues rose 11.6 percent to 9 billion pounds, or $14.36 billion at average exchange. The firm’s health and beauty division, which includes sales generated by health care and beauty products, posted growth of 6.2 percent to 3.58 billion pounds, or $5.71 billion, for the six-month period ended Sept. 30. “In beauty, we benefited from the successful launch of a number of new products, including No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum,” stated Alliance Boots. The firm’s pharmaceuticals wholesaling business rang up 6.05 billion pounds, or $9.65 billion, in the half, representing an year-over-year spike of 13.8 percent.
TFWA ATTENDANCE: The five-day TFWA World Exhibition, which ended Oct. 23, registered 5,013 visitors, some 13 percent fewer than in the 2008 session. Overall, the number of firms sending employees to the trade show this year decreased 11 percent versus 2008, to 2,517. The amount of duty free and travel-retail operators participating in the show remained stable, although the number of their employees attending the fair dipped 9 percent. Eighteen percent fewer landlord companies were present. Combined footfall of duty free and travel-retail operators plus landlords decreased. Company attendance was down 4 percent and the firms sent 13 percent fewer people. There were 463 exhibitors representing approximately 3,000 brands at the TFWA World Exhibition. The fragrance and cosmetics industry had the lion’s share of stands, with 25 percent. Fashion and accessories had 18 percent.
BERGER TO COTY: Coty Prestige Lancaster Group has a new marketing director. Ralf-Michael Berger has taken over from Nicole Nitschke, who has been serving as general manager for the Mainz, Germany-based firm since July. Berger, 39, was previously at Johnson & Johnson in both Düsseldorf and Great Britain, most recently serving as customer marketing manager for beauty and sales.
ADDING ON: Markwins International has added two new product designers to its expanding Innovation Team, which reports to Eric Chen, chief architect and chief executive officer. Ed Mancia, who contributed to earlier development of Markwins’ brands, brings 15 years of beauty and fashion design leadership to the team. Joining Mancia is Grace Tsai, who has experience in design and fashion with a global perspective.
SUPER SCENT: Claudia Schiffer and Alberta Ferretti gave their signatures a workout Wednesday. The pair held court in Harrods’ perfume hall and signed bottles of Ferretti’s debut scent, which is fronted by Schiffer.
GREEN MOVE: As part of its bid to cut carbon emissions in half by 2015, L’Oréal has made its Libramont, Belgium, plant carbon neutral and run wholly on green energy. The French beauty giant bills the center to be the first of its kind in Europe. The site’s electricity and heat run on methane gas, which is produced by transformed biomass culled from local farms and the agro-alimentary industry.
SPRING CLEAN: Green & Spring is branching into facial skin care. The British brand, which bowed in June with a 23-stockkeeping-unit natural bath and body line, has introduced 10 treatment items using ingredients indigenous to the U.K., including chamomile, rose hip oil and kaolin clay. There’s a Nourishing Day Moisturiser, Restoring Face Serum and Refreshing Eye Cream. Prices range from $12.20, for a lip balm to $62 for the Gentle Face Refiner. Green & Spring Skincare is sold exclusively in Harvey Nichols and on the brand’s Web site.
HAIR COLOR FOR U: Umberto Savone, the Beverly Hills salon owner and hairstylist behind Umberto hair care, is leaping into hair color for the first time with U Color by Umberto launching this month in 24 demipermanent shades. U Color features a 3-oz. sachet packet — two come in each $12 box — that separates the color, developer and equalizer until the user combines the formula. U Color will sell at high-end drugstores, beauty supply stores and salon chains.
THE BEAUTY OF TV: ShopNBC keeps building its beauty roster. The television shopping network premiered plastic surgeon Robert Rey’s skin care line on Oct. 25 and Ted Gibson’s namesake hair products on Oct. 27. Beauty Confidential, a show focusing on brands creating buzz, introduced nail polishes by Butter London and Np2; fragrances by Eau Flirt, Forever Lily and Trance Essence and hair care by Brandon Martinez.
CALIFORNIA MOVES: The Fairest, the Southern California-based online beauty private sale venue, has appointed Art Swanberg as its chief executive officer and Kimberly Logan as its vice president of merchandising. Swanberg was formerly the president and ceo of Dermstore.com, and chief operating officer of PCA Skin. Logan had been the business vice president at Dermstore.com.
U MED TAPS TEN: University Medical Pharmaceuticals, the marketer of mass skin care products, has hired Jeffrey Ten as senior vice president of international sales. Ten, who will report to chief executive officer Raymond Francis, was previously president of ck Calvin Klein Beauty for the Americas.
EXCLUSIVE: @tomford is opening its first-ever beauty store. The boutique, which opens November 20 in London’s Covent Gardens, was designed with the over the top glam Ford is known for. Read the full story on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: Simon Wagner) #TomFordBeauty
New York-based DJ @harleyvnewton threw a party to celebrate the holiday collection of her dress and pajama line @hvn at the Ladurée Beverly Hills. It Girls @katebosworth, @rashidajones and more joined in on the fun, which included cocktails, croque monsieur sandwiches and a photo booth. #wwdfashion (📷: Owen Kolasinski/BFA.com)
For the holidays, @Burberry partnered with 20-year-old artist @blondeymccoy on a series of three outdoor murals in downtown Manhattan. The murals are McCoy’s interpretation of a Christmas eve party, the idea of charity and the spirit of family. His third mural, pictured here, is the most personal. The image depicts McCoy’s grandparents and father in London’s Trafalgar Square in the Seventies. “My work often features lots of sentimental objects.” #wwdeye
For spring 2018, designers applied bold colors and cartoonish motifs on everything from sneakers and belts to key chains. See all the top men’s accessories trends on WWD.com. #wwdtrends (📷: George Chinsee; Prop Styling by @rnasti; Market Editor: @luiscampuzano)
The @dior-sponsored @guggenheim international gala pre-party has a history of drawing cool-girl musical acts to serenade the crowd –– and last night was no exception. @haimtheband performed songs both new and old, and lured a star-studded audience with the likes of Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Mamoudou Athie and more. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
In a partnership between the @metopera and the @englishnationalopera, “Marnie” was born. The opera, with costumes sponsored by @mrporterlive, is an adaptation of the 1961 thriller by Winston Graham. Arianne Phillips, who created the costumes, is no rookie: She’s styled Madonna for her tours and created costumes for a myriad of films in the past. Read WWD’s interview with Phillips, where she talks about her inspiration for the opera’s costumes on WWD.com #wwdfashion
@barneysnyc took a different approach to their holiday windows this year. Instead of Christmas decor, Barneys tapped @thehaasbrothers to tell a story of positivity, gratitude and inclusivity via heartwarming silliness and humor. “It’s about kids and it’s about coming together and being family and loving each other,” said Simon Haas. #wwdfashion (📷: @joshuascottphoto)
Beauty influencer @kandeejohnson makes her foray into hair care with a collaboration with @ogx_beauty — making it the first time that OGX has teamed up for a product creation. The collab includes shampoos and conditioners in three scents. At 39 and a mom, Johnson is a different profile than the emerging social media stars, but is considered one of the pioneers of the digital beauty influencer world. Read WWD’s interview with her on wwd.com, including the strangest beauty product she’s ever tried #wwdbeauty


text:
Back in January, email fatigue was the digital malaise du jour. Now, they’re getting a second lease on life, thanks to a change in people’s behaviors and where they’re spending their time.
According to new data from Omnisend, open rates saw a 31% lift year-over-year during the post-coronavirus months. The report analyzed 2.5 billion emails and found that between January and April, open rates were steadily increasing — with March seeing the largest jump. For comparison, during the same period the year before, open rates saw a decline.
This isn’t terribly surprising. Beginning in March, people’s behaviors changed dramatically. They couldn’t go outside, they couldn’t socialize. Nearly everyone was stuck at home so why not open emails and maybe even read them?
“We’re seeing much much higher engagement with email,” said Colin Daretta, CEO of the supplement brand Wellpath. It’s doubled, in fact. Emails that before got 20% open rates are now seeing upwards of 40%. Click-through rates are higher too, he added.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that email has become a runaway sales channel. “Conversion rates have gone down a little bit,” said Darretta, attributing this to people being more mindful of what they spend. “They are more apt to read our content and more apt to learn about our products,” he said, adding that it’s “still a net gain for us.” (Indeed it has, Wellpath’s products saw a 30%-40% sales lift beginning in March and while some of that has decreased a bit, revenue is still a great deal above what it was in February.)
Despite relying predominately on Amazon for sales, email remains one of Wellpath’s most important marketing channels. The company has acquired over 2 million emails (using a platform built by its parent company that lets brands share data and participate in joint sweepstakes campaigns), and has a newsletter with about 600,000 active readers. According to Darretta, while engagement on emails is up, acquisition remains relatively the same to what it was before.
This is a distinct change from six months ago. Last November, a number of brands began looking into alternative communication channels as a result of email fatigue. SMS was considered a real growth potential, as it offered direct communication similar to email but in a more novel way. “Furniture is a highly-considered purchase and SMS allows us to help our customers navigate each step of the process,” Whitney Blau, head of conversational marketing at Burrow, told Modern Retail then. “We hope by making ourselves more accessible that we build trust that can’t be accomplished via other channels.” Indeed, a 2019 survey from the texting platform ZipWhip reported that the majority of the people queried were more partial to receive reminders via text compared to other channels like phone or email.
But even SMS has its pitfalls. As Modern Retail reported last December, a number of brands and marketers began using text and phone calls as a way to boost customer acquisition. A phone number, said DTC brand strategist Nik Sharma at the time, is more to marketers than email because “they can basically chase you until you purchase.” He added that this kind of approach “deteriorates brand equity.”
Brands doubling down on email now face a similar tightrope. Wellpath, for example, has been known to include itself in emailed sweepstakes — some of which may be viewed as tone-deaf with the current state of things.
The biggest takeaway about this current phase isn’t that emails will necessarily lead to more sales, but that it’s a chance to find new people amenable to your brand. “This presents a new opportunity to new evangelists to our content,” concluded Darretta. These are people, he went on, who “were stuck at home and maybe wanted a distraction.”


text:
Hit Sinclair in the wallet
Published: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
To The Editor: It appears that the Sinclair people are being greedy. Since part of their income comes from commercial ads, I suggest that the public stop buying the things advertised on the station.
They should also write to the companies and their ad agencies and tell them we will boycott their products.
Sinclair might be more reasonable if it begins losing clients and has to refund money due to a large drop in its viewing audience.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


text: Microsoft has reportedly pushed the launch of its Windows Phone operating system in China to the first half of 2012. Microsoft’s China communications director Yang Tanyang had originally said the Redmond-based company’s vendor partners planned to deploy handsets in the country before the end of the year, IDG News explained Monday. The most recent reports suggested Microsoft gave Chinese retailer Suning an exclusive offer to sell Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices in more than 700 of its retail stores. China’s Windows Phone launch will be key for Microsoft’s goals to boost its mobile operating system’s global market share. IDC and Gartner both predict Windows Phone will have the second largest operating system share in the world by 2015.


text:
In yesterday’s Sonic Central stream, we got teased a new Sonic game set to release in 2022, but we didn’t get any title for it. Since then, however, a rumor that the game could be called Sonic Rangers has popped up, thanks to a possible leak.
The suspected leak comes in the form of a Sega press release sent out shortly after the Sonic Central stream ended yesterday. Further evidence then surfaced which corroborates this info, thanks to a datamining Sonic fan on Twitter.
The first clue was spotted in the sub-headline of the Sega press release, where it mentions the mysterious title in question: “Announcing new console experiences, Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Sonic Rangers, further details on Netflix’s Sonic Prime, mobile news, musical events and much more!”
In the Sonic Central stream, Sega announced that in September this year it will be releasing a remastered version of 2010’s Sonic Colors with the title Sonic Colors: Ultimate. We also already know that the Netflix show mentioned – Sonic Prime – is a definite thing, slated for a 2022 release too. So the only unexplained factor in the above snippet is this Sonic Rangers title, leading people to believe it’s the title for the new unnamed game revealed in the stream. Perhaps for some reason Sega chose not to include the title at the last moment.
Then along came Twitter user and dataminer Bluwolfboy, who found what appears to be further evidence that Sonic Rangers is indeed the new game’s title. They found that the file name for the trailer of the new Sonic game is ‘PS/Rangers_teaserBG_4K_toSOA-2.psd,’ which clearly includes the key words of interest, “Rangers” and “teaser.”
YouTuber Nick Robinson – a.k.a Babylonian – also tweeted that the new game’s title is Sonic Rangers, but only revealed his source to be “trust me bro.”
While the PR firm who sent the press release has since said that it was either incorrect or an old working title for one of the Sonic projects, Sega itself hasn’t commented on the matter.
This isn’t the only instance of a Sonic-related leak to have surfaced recently, either. Last week, the upcoming sequel movie – Sonic the Hedgehog 2, also set to release next year – supposedly had its plot synopsis leaked. You can read more about that here.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
The Kogan Agora - previously tipped as the second Android phone before hastily backtracking on such plans - has been seen in the wild again, promising the new version will be even better than before.
Those chaps over at Gizmodo Australia managed to bag some hands-on time with a pre-production model, showing Android running on a BlackBerry-esque device.
While the reports are pretty favourable, it's unclear over how the next Kogan Agora device will make its debut, with the founder Ruslan Kogan saying he'll be making a version with a full touchscreen, a la the newly released HTC Magic.
This means a roughly 3.5-inch touch display that uses the full Cupcake keyboard that the Magic has been touting as the answer to physical QWERTY, although the jury's still out on that one.
The idea of a BlackBerry-a-like running Android was part of the charm of the original device that caught the interest of the internet a few months ago, so to ditch it seems a little counter-intuitive.
Couple that with the fact new Android phones are starting to pop up thick and fast, and it seems unlikely the Agora will thrive outside of its home country of Australia.
Still, we'd like to see this make it to production, as it seems there are some good design ideas on the handset, and the more Android phones, the better the OS will become.


text:
An Post Launches State Of The Art Digital Stamp You Have To Write Onto Envelope With Biro
AFTER spending decades in development and a vast amount of money, An Post has launched a brand new state of the art digital stamp you have to then write on an envelope with a pen, WWN has learned.
“We absolutely love the game wordle, so we basically designed the code to emulate that and create this brand-new sophisticated app for your phone to look at and then just write down on the envelope – it’s really cool,” a developer for the new ‘digital stamp’ explained.
The new digital stamp, pen not included, will cost €2, or 75 cents more than a normal stamp, and will revolutionise the way people post letters across the country.
“Fucking pens not working,” one elderly woman we spoke to praised the new stamp today, “I can’t see the letters – they’re so small. Does anyone have a pen that works and a pair of reading glasses,2 she added, demonstrating the ease and usability of the next generation stamp, “fuck’s sake, can they just leave things alone instead of messing them up all the time”.
Right now, a digital stamp that doesn’t require the use of a pen is decades away but hoped that in the future the technology could someday function on its own somehow.


text:
TORONTO — Following what the Starbucks Canada team believes was a successful launch in Toronto in October, the company’s Mobile Order & Pay — whereby customers order ahead, pay and pick up their purchases — will become available at 130 stores in the Vancouver area as early as Jan. 19.
“The simple convenience of Mobile Order & Pay means customers can bypass the line,” says Jessica Mills, director of Brand and Digital, Starbucks Canada. “We know that sometimes our customers have to choose between going to Starbucks and making their next meeting or appointment. This represents a significant opportunity for us to enhance the customer experience and save our busy customers some time.”
Mobile payments represent 18 per cent of all in-store transactions in Starbucks in Canada.


text:
The progress in AI and machine learning has been so rapid that scientists have upped the estimate for the 'singularity' to happen in 2029
"Reports of me joining HPE are false. Someone is trying keenly to put me in a box," Sikka told a news channel in a video interview from the US.
HPE was created in 2015 when it split from Hewlett-Packard. The co sells data centre hardware and software, while HP sells personal computers and printers.
Bihar’s IT secretary Rahul Singh told ET that the state govt is working on the draft of the information technology, ITeS and electronics manufacturing investment policy strategy.
In an interview with ET, HP's CEO Dion Weisler spoke about the company’s plans for India-specific devices and its prospects in the Indian market.
Chinese tech major Lenovo expects to clock 18-20 per cent growth this fiscal in its consumer PC business, driven by its premium products portfolio.
New Delhi, Jun 21 () Electronics major HP India today said it expects demand for computers in India to pick up after the roll out of the new GST tax regime from next month, driven by small and medium businesses.
The IT hardware industry body MAIT has also sought clarity from the government on two rates of proposed for printers under goods and services tax (GST).
Everyone knows that HP Inc is a PC and printer major but the company doesn't only focus on delivering technology for today but is looking to build products for the future while keeping a tab on the demographic and socio-economic changes globally, a top company executive has stressed.
It can be accessible to any third party app or person with access to your laptop.
For the first time since 2007, PC market experienced shipments below 63 million in the first quarter of 2017 -- a decline of 2.4 per cent from the first quarter of previous year, a new report said on Wednesday.
Sumeer Chandra will replace Srivastava as managing director and general manager of HP India, it said in a statement.
Vivek Naidu, VP-information management, Kodak Alaris India, told ET that the share of software and services as part of the overall business would go up in the next two years.
The facility is dedicated to demonstrating innovative solutions developed locally that have the potential to digitally transform the country.
Many of the assumptions based on which the company is built is not going to be valid in the future (low cost English speaking resources delivering low skilled technology work).
Budget 2017: Focus on making India a digital payment economy will help cos like HP, says Rajiv Srivastava
The Union Budget 2017-18 is extremely positive for the common man, farmers, small and medium businesses and would drive significant growth in Indian economy.
There have been innovative form factors like 2-in-1s and thin and light notebooks, as well as technology improvements, such as longer battery life.


text:
As Walmart battles Amazon, investors tally up the damages.
Walmart has been sinking millions of dollars into setting up an e-commerce network that can rival Amazon’s stranglehold on the industry. In some sectors, it’s managing to put up a decent fight; one of its most successful ventures so far has been online grocery pickup. By the end of Q3, over 3,000 of its locations supported online grocery pickup, and over 1,400 of its locations featured same-day grocery delivery. However, in its brute force approach to e-commerce, Walmart has burned a not-so-insignificant amount of money on ventures that didn’t pan out. These include several failed apparel labels, as well as specialized delivery services in more affluent neighborhoods. Altogether, Walmart has lost at least $2 billion on its e-commerce ventures. So when are things going to start looking up?
Analysts have varied opinions on the matter. Some believe that after a couple of years of taking licks, Walmart has amassed enough experience and connections that it can make an actual go at competing with Amazon this year. The grocery delivery services will be the lynchpin of these efforts. Others, however, see more multi-billion dollar losses on the horizon. These fears have been stoked by coronavirus concerns, since many of Walmart’s products, both of their own branding and of other brands, are Chinese-made.
For Q4, analysts are predicting a $1.44 per share price tag on $142.54 billion in revenue. That is about a 2.7% growth compared to last year, so Walmart is definitely getting somewhere with its efforts, but whether it’ll get there before the damages rise too high is still uncertain.


text:
LME inventories rose 19100 tons to 1131675 tons on Friday, and aluminum for three-month delivery closed up 0.81% at $1552.5 a tonne. Shanghai Aluminum's weekly inventory fell 5922 tons to 528072 tons, and Shanghai Aluminum's main contract closed up 0.51% at RMB11755.
On the macro side, the Ministry of Commerce: car sales fell by 37% of the total social zero from January to February. The central government has set an appropriate increase in the fiscal deficit ratio and determined to issue special treasury bonds. The British Prime Minister confirmed on Friday that the epidemic abroad has greatly expanded. As of 07:58 on the 30th, there were more than 140000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States. There are more than 720000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. Global manufacturing has been hit hard, crude oil has plummeted, non-ferrous metals have weakened, Lun aluminum has risen slightly, and Shanghai aluminum shock is strong, but it is still running below 12000.
In terms of industry, Guinea declared a national health emergency for 30 days. As the largest importer of bauxite in China, it is worth paying attention to whether Guinea will take measures to lock up the country and seal up the city. The price of alumina continues to fall, and there is a small transfer of profits in the industrial chain, but under the collapse, the loss of electrolytic aluminum is still serious. at present, some electrolytic aluminum production capacity has stopped production, but the volume is still small, and there is still news of new production capacity and resumption of production in the near future. the pressure of excess supply of electrolytic aluminum is greater. A number of overseas auto companies have stopped production, and negative expectations of exports constitute a significant negative for medium-term fundamentals.
Overall, the current price of Shanghai Aluminum has cost support, but the demand side is poor, the trend of aluminum price is still weak, and the trend has not been reversed yet. At present, the electrolytic aluminum industry has suffered substantial losses, and the scale of production reduction may be expanded. We believe that the downward space of aluminum price is limited and may fluctuate in the current position.
Shanghai aluminum has a pressure of 12000 above and a support of 11000 below.
Contact Person: Mr. James Wong
Tel: 0086 186 6296 3676


text:
There's a newcomer to Trumbull Center.
Parkers Steaks and Scotch is scheduled to open in May in the building formerly housing Dunkin' Donuts, a video store and Courtesy Carpet.
According to a press release, owner Patrick J. Fahy, owner of the Parker Eatery & Bar in Stratford, said, "I am very excited to be part of the ongoing revitalization of Trumbull Center. The property owners have made amazing renovations to the building we will occupy and have provided me with a tremendous opportunity.”
He added, “It is a great feeling to open a business in the Town where I grew up, and Trumbull officials have been more than cooperative in helping us with every phase of this project.”
Trumbull's Economic Development Director Ed Lavernoich deferred comment to First Selectman Tim Herbst. Economic and Community Development Commission Chairman Scott Wich was not immediately available for comment.
The property is on the west side of Trumbull Center, which used to house a video store, carpet store and Dunkin' Donuts. The owners "have invested millions of dollars in capital improvements to rehabilitate the center," Herbst said.
Interested in Trumbull's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Trumbull Patch daily newsletter, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Fahy said the restaurant will have "an upscale but casual feel and will serve quality food, great wine, and an endless selection of scotch.”
Fahy said the restaurant will feature a "beautifully built covered patio for outdoor dining."
Herbst said recent investments made to Trumbull Center are part of an overall strategy that is attracting new tenants and new interests to Trumbull’s downtown.
“As I meet people throughout our community, time and again I hear then say there is a need for more restaurants in Trumbull. The addition of Parker’s Steak and Scotch to Trumbull will be one of three restaurants that will open in Trumbull this spring alone. I am very pleased to have another quality restaurant in Trumbull. This commitment by a Trumbull-grown entrepreneur is a validation of the recent renovation work that the Trumbull Center ownership has undertaken,” according to Herbst.
“Trumbull residents have made their entrepreneurial mark throughout the region; it is a great thing when one of them comes back to Trumbull to make a business investment, and I hope we can convince others to do the same.”


text:
Making reviews trustworthy
New Zealand tech experts are leading a launch for the internet’s first ever blockchain platform for online ratings, where good reviewers could be paid in a new kind of cryptocurrency.
Several Kiwi tech heavy-hitters have been involved in the platform’s development including NZTech chief executive Leigh Flounders, NZTech and FintechNZ chair Mitchell Pham.
Also involved is Greg Kushnir, known for his role in the early development of worldwide messaging app, Viber.
The platform is called Lina.review, and Pham said using blockchain would mean all interactions and payments between reviewer and reviewee were replicated on every server using the Lina platform.
That was the answer for several problems online reviewing culture faced.
‘‘The industry is currently not at all transparent about ratings that are contributed about a business so we actually don’t know if reviewers have been paid to write good reviews.’’
Pham said there have been issues in the online reviewing business, such as when businesses paid to have bad reviews removed or hidden, that a blockchain system could solve.
He also said a cryptocurrency incentive would sustain quality reviewers on a site.
The global initiative also involved Kiwi company Blockchain Lab NZ co-founders Paul Salisbury and Mark Pascall as technical advisors.
Blockchain Lab NZ has previously helped raise over US$300m (NZ$410m) via initial coin offerings, or ICOs.
ICOs have become a popular way for a company to raise real world money. By creating its own cryptocurrency and selling it to investors, Lina.review raises real world money from those buying the coins.
Pascall said the team behind Lina was pretty confident about raising US$150m (NZ$205m) through its ICO.
Two-thirds of the currency will be locked in smart contracts and released over the course of 10 years.
The company has no plans to mine any more beyond the initial 900 million coins mined earlier this week in Geneva. What is left of the remaining third of the currency will become available on public exchanges in April.
Pham said he did not see companies like Yelp or TripAdvisor as competition, but hoped they would adopt the blockchain platform.
However, a TripAdvisor spokeswoman said the company was already ‘‘very effective at maintaining the integrity of the reviews’’ on the site.
She said that the company had shut down more than 60 ‘‘optimisation companies’’ since 2015.
In May 2016, Yelp, US’s leading restaurant and service review website, issued 59 notice warnings to consumers about businesses paying for better reviews.
Issues with trust, accountability and traceability are pillars for which blockchain has been heralded as the silver bullet, but there are still issues that are getting lost in the hype, one IT executive says.
Managing director of Catalyst IT, Don Christie, said he had concerns
Afterpay Touch shares are at a record high after the-buynow-pay later service revealed its underlying annual sales are on track to reach more than A$2 billion (NZ$2.19b) and flagged a potential foray into the US.
In the three months to December 31, Afterpay’s underlying quarterly sales hit A$551 million, up from A$367 million the previous quarter.
Sales for the first half of the current financial year were A$918 million, Afterpay said on Tuesday.
Afterpay Touch also announced was it was exploring expansion into the US market.
Lina was ''looking for ways to use blockchain to improve the levels of trust we have in our interactions with other actors on the internet''. Don Christie
blockchain weas being applied randomly as a universal remedy to issues around identity and security, some of which could be solved in more straightforward
The company’s shares closed up 16.9 per cent at A$7.62, the highest level since the company listed on the ASX in June last year at A$2.50.
Afterpay is rapidly growing its customer base, which in New Zealand includes TradeMe. Customers grew to more than 1.5 million by the end of second quarter FY18, an increase of 400,000 on the previous three months.
It has also lifted its number of merchants to 11,500, from 8,700 the prior quarter.
‘‘The market dynamics that provided the opportunity for Afterpay’s launch and rapid growth profile in Australia and New Zealand appear just as prevalent in the United
‘‘There are still many technological issues around blockchain that still need resolving, not least the one about the extraordinary levels of computer power required.’’
Digiconomist.net’s Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index estimated the annual cost of the electricity used to mine bitcoin was about $2 billion, roughly the same amount of energy the country of Hungary consumes in a year.
But for Christie, Lina.review didn’t fall under the category of businesses using the technology unnecessarily.
In fact, he took his hat off to the States,’’ the company said.
‘‘These dynamics relate to a number of macro factors including the retail culture and growth of online commerce, as well as millennial trends in relation to lifestyle, shopping, finance and payments.’’
Afterpay pays the retailer for a purchase, and the customer pays fortnightly instalments to Afterpay, with the benefit of no interest payments or up-front fees for up to 56 days.
Afterpay is the largest but not the only service of its kind in Australia, with Zip Pay, Ezypay and zipMoney among other buy now-pay later platforms in the market.
Lina team who were ‘‘looking for ways to use blockchain to improve the levels of trust we have in our interactions with other actors on the internet, whether those are machines or actual people’’.
‘‘They are thought leaders willing to push the boundaries.’’
Christie predicts the technology will eventually fade into the background of tech.
‘‘My view is that blockchain, or something like it, will simply become a somewhat useful part of the underlying infrastructure of the internet and we will stop talking about it breathlessly as though it will solve all the problems of electronic life as we know it.’’


text:
Deja Vu: OLED and 4K Will Dominate CES 2013 TV News
The television industry has been in flux in the last few years. Marquee Japanese names like Panasonic, Sharp and Sony are struggling, new technologies like voice and gesture control and 3D aren't compelling enough to warrant upgrades, and demand is expected to stay flat for 2013. Amidst this atmosphere of regrouping and consolidation, there are likely to very few surprises at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
What we're going to see at the show are several technologies that have debuted in previous shows, such as OLED and 4K.


text:
Casualties of Democracy as Warfare
NFF Apologises to Nigerians, Reads Riot Act to Eagles over No Show
FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Now in Nigeria
Kaduna Trade Fair Begins March 29
The 40th edition of Kaduna International Trade Fair earlier scheduled for February 23 and March 9, 2019 has been shifted to Friday, March 29 to Sunday, April 7, 2019, due to the general elections holding on the earlier date.
The fair which focuses on the theme: ‘Consolidating Interface between Industry and Agriculture for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development,” will take place at its usual venue, Kaduna International Trade and Investment Centre, Kaduna/Zaria Road, Kaduna State.
According to the Director-General, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), organisers of the annual event, Malam Usman G. Saulawa, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), the official opening ceremony of the fair would be performed on Saturday, March 30, 2019.
Saulawa, said all participation forms and other necessary information concerning the trade fair were in circulation, adding that the Chamber was in contact with both local and international exhibitors concerning the fair.


text:
One by one, nearly all the major U.S. airlines hiked their fees to check a bag this winter up to $35 or more each way within the U.S. Sun Country, too, will soon charge more to check a bag or bring a carry-on, but the Minnesota low-cost carrier is doing something the bigger airlines aren't – and that's a good thing.
While Sun Country is set to raise bag fees for flights departing April 30 and onward, the airline isn't raising prices for travelers who prepay for a carry-on or checked bag online during checkout. So until the airline raises those rates, too – and a spokeswoman says there are no plans to do so – Sun Country flyers may not have to pay another dime.
That's right: Pay for your carry-on or checked bag when you buy your Sun Country ticket, and your bags won't cost any more than they do today. Sure, Sun Country might charge more for bags than its hometown competitor, Delta. But these are easy savings.
It's all spelled out on the airline's bags and optional services page and dedicated baggage calculator:
- Soon, adding either a carry-on bag or checked luggage during check-in will cost $50 – a $5 increase
- Wait until you get to the airport, and that $5 hike brings it to $55
- The cost of checking a second or third bag with Sun Country, meanwhile, will jump by another $10 to at least $60 – or $65 at the airport
That's largely all in line with the increases bigger airlines like Alaska, American, Delta, and others announced earlier this year – though Sun Country actually set these increases in motion last fall, long before the rest of the industry raced to raise fees.
But so long as you add those bags when you purchase your Sun Country ticket, nothing is changing.
Sun Country's baggage rates during online checkout vary from route to route, so the price you'll pay during checkout hinges on where you're going. In general, you can expect to pay anywhere between $25 and $50 when prepaying for a bag – with a checked bag typically costing a few bucks more than a carry-on with Sun Country.
But whether you fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Phoenix (PHX) next week or in May when these changes take effect, you'll pay the same price: $34 each way for a carry-on bag or $36 to check luggage.
Sun Country spokeswoman Wendy Burt confirmed pre-paid luggage prices aren't increasing and added that's “where the vast majority of bags are purchased.”
Of course, nothing rules out Sun Country raising those fees to prepay for luggage down the line, even in the near future. But for now, Sun Country is bucking an industry trend even while it raises other baggage fees.
Low-cost carriers like Sun Country, Spirit, and Frontier are notorious for nickel-and-diming passengers with extra fees that only seem to go up. Sun Country itself rubbed customers the wrong way last year after we reported the airline had quietly introduced a “passenger interface charge” of at least $22 each way: essentially, a fee for booking flights online.
But by leaving prepaid baggage fees untouched, Sun Country stands out even against some legacy airlines. United Airlines and JetBlue have long offered customers a flat, $5 discount when prepaying for checked luggage. But as both airlines raised bag fees by $5 or more, the cost to add a bag before check-in also increased to $35.
On paper, Sun Country is raising bag fees – surprise, surprise. Much like other carriers, most bags will soon cost you another $5 – whether you pack in a carry-on or check luggage. Those increases are set to take effect for flights on April 30 and onward.
But in practice, Sun Country flyers won't pay another dime for bags – at least so long as they pay for them while checking out online.