text:
“These are the top smartphones releasing in India in the month of July”
Several new smartphones are coming to India next month. Brands such as Xiaomi, Realme, LG, Samsung, and Vivo among others, have all planned to release smartphones in the month of July. Some of these devices are flagships, while others are mid-range and budget offerings. So if you’re looking to purchase a new phone, then take a look at the list below to see if the waiting for some more time might be worth it.
Xiaomi’s Redmi K20 series’ India launch will happen in the month of July. The company has touted it as the flagship killer 2.0, taking a potshot at OnePlus. The K20 siblings feature a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and an in-display fingerprint scanner. They also share the same 4,000mAh battery, but the Pro variant gets 27W fast charging compared to 18W on the affordable variant. The K20 is powered by the Snapdragon 730 chipset, while the K20 Pro gets the Snapdragon 855 SoC under the hood. Both devices also sport a triple rear camera setup, though the sensors are different. For selfies, both smartphones offer a pop-up camera with a resolution of 16MP.
This is the first smartphone from Realme to feature a fullscreen display and a pop-up selfie camera. The Realme X is powered by the Snapdragon 710 chipset and comes with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. There’s a dual-camera setup on the back with a primary 48-megapixel Sony sensor and a front-facing 16MP shooter. A 3,765mAh battery fuels the device. The phone also comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Related read: Realme X first impressions
The Vivo Z1 Pro launch in India is scheduled for July 3rd. The mid-range offering will be available to buy from Flipkart. The handset is powered by the Snapdragon 712 processor and has a 6.53-inch FHD+ LCD display with a punch-hole on the top-left corner. This will be the first smartphone in India to come with the SD 712 chip. The processor will be paired with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone will also feature a a trio of sensors on the rear and a 32-megapixel selfie camera. As for the battery, a 5,000mAh cell is present on the phone.
LG recently announced three new budget and mid-range smartphones in India. A higher-end variant of the LG W30 (first impressions), the W30 Pro also features triple rear cameras. It comes with a 6.21-inch HD+ display with a V-shaped notch that houses a 16-megapixel sensor. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 632 chipset and comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage onboard. It also gets a large 4,000mAh battery that boasts fast charging support.
We expected Samsung to launch the funky Galaxy A80 sometime this month, but that did not happen. Now as per reports, the phone will arrive in India in the month of July. The USP of the Galaxy A80 is its rotating camera setup. The back of the phone raises and rotates the triple rear camera setup so that it can be used for selfies as well. The handset comes with a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and is powered by the Snapdragon 730 chipset. This is paired with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The camera module consists of a primary 48-megapixel sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 3D TOF camera. The device packs a 3,700 mAh battery that supports 25W fast charging.
Tecno, a Chinese smartphone maker, will be launching a new phone next month. The phone is expected to be called the Phantom and feature an under-display fingerprint scanner. While there’s no way to ascertain its features, we can expect them to be the same as the recently-launched Phantom 9 in Kenya. This phone sports a triple rear camera array and an in-display fingerprint reader. The phone is said to be powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 processor and will feature a 6.4-inch AMOLED display. The Tecno Phantom 9 comes with a 3,500mAh battery with support for fast charging.
These are some of the top upcoming phones that will be available in India in the month of July. Which one are you most excited about?


text:
For those who grew up in Leesburg prior to the mid-1980s, the sight of Santa Claus circling the skies in a helicopter may not have been unfamiliar.
It was a town tradition for the better part of a quarter century starting in the 1960s. Santa would land in a field behind the shopping center and be greeted by a large crowd of delighted spectators, young and old alike.
This year, the tradition returns.
New Virginia Village owner Brian Cullen, who acquired the property from the Ours family in the summer, said he discovered old photographs of the Santa landings when he was looking at the property.
“So I got this harebrained idea,” of bringing it back, he said.
Cullen checked with the local authorities—the town, aviation experts, etc.—to see whether landing a helicopter at the shopping center would even be allowed. When he got the all clear, he and his PR firm connected with Rusty Foster, of BowTie Strategies, to help plan the event.
Foster recalls the event as a young boy growing up in Leesburg, and said when he spoke to his mother about it, she, too, waxed nostalgic, recalling Santa’s aerial expeditions and his arrival at the Ben Franklin store, to the delight of young ones. He believes the Dec. 16 reincarnation of the event will bring together up to three generations—including those who had witnessed the past events, and young ones seeing the start of what both he and Cullen hope to be a renewed tradition.
Activity at the Virginia Village shopping center begins early Saturday, Dec. 16, with the regularly scheduled Leesburg farmer’s market, which will go on as planned in the parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. There will be a few special holiday touches, including a wreath maker and mistletoe vendor.
During the day, the Loudoun County High School marching band will provide a musical backdrop for those staged in the parking lot. The high school’s art club is designing a “bullseye” for the helicopter’s landing spot, Foster said.
Santa is expected to arrive around 10 a.m., and will begin hearing children’s wishes in a specially designed Santa’s workshop that will be set up in currently vacant retail space next to Bicycle Outfitters. Pictures and face time with St. Nick will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A photographer will be on hand taking pictures, which will be uploaded to a site where parents may download them for free. In addition to sharing wish lists with Santa, children will also have the opportunity to make a special ornament gift for mom and dad inside the workshop. Hot chocolate and cider will also be provided free of charge.
Visitors to Santa’s workshop are asked to bring a new toy, book or piece of athletic equipment to be donated to the Loudoun County YMCA.
Outside of the workshop, there will be several food trucks with food for purchase. Confirmed to exhibit are Spitfire, which offers Mediterranean food, SunDay Chicken, and a dessert food truck, Foster said.
The event will take place rain or shine. A backup plan is in plan if weather conditions make an aerial arrival too perilous. Event-goers are asked to park across from the shopping center at Destiny Church, or in the side parking lot of Rite Aid.
If early indications ring true, it expects to be a popular event. Foster said online RSVPs for the event have already climbed north of 350 attendees, and expectations are for up to 1,000. Cullen said he wants to rebuild the event into an annual community tradition, one example of his company’s, Keane Enterprises’, commitment to Leesburg even as he evaluates redevelopment options for the property in the years ahead.
“This is reinforcing that we’re not here to just knock [the shopping center] down and start over,” he said.
Adding to the nostalgic nature of the event, the iconic Santa in his sleigh with reindeer displayed at the shopping center is the one that long hung in the downtown area between King and Market streets.
Although the event is free, attendees are asked to RSVP so organizers can have a good idea of headcount. To RSVP or for more information, go to SantaVirginiaVillage.com.

domain: news


text:
STOCKHOLM (02/09/2000) - Nokia Corp., the world's leading mobile phone supplier, expanded its lead over second-placed Motorola Inc. as worldwide sales reached almost 284 million units in 1999, a healthy 65 percent increase over the previous year, according to a new report released yesterday.
Europe in 1999 retained its position as the world's largest regional market for mobile phones, but the Asia-Pacific region surpassed the U.S. to grab second place, said Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Group Inc., in a statement. The Latin American market grew the fastest however, with shipments increasing by 103 percent over 1998.
Despite all the hoopla surrounding WAP (wireless application protocol) and other Internet and data-enabling wireless technologies, growth in unit sales was fuelled by entry-level handsets, Dataquest said. The trend towards data-enhanced handsets, however, should not be dismissed as mere hype, the statement said.
Nokia shipped a total of 76.3 million mobile phones last year, giving it almost 27 percent market share, ahead of Motorola's 47.8 million units and 17 percent market share, Dataquest said.
While Nokia almost doubled its shipments, which grew by nearly 98 percent year on year, Motorola lost some ground as shipments grew slower than the overall market at just over 43 percent, Dataquest said.
The Dataquest figures were largely in line with Nokia's own estimates. The Espoo, Finland-based vendor last week said its mobile phone shipments reached 78.5 million units in 1999, out of a total of 275 million handsets shipped worldwide. [See "Strong Handset Sales Boost Nokia's 1999 Results," Feb. 1.]Third-ranked L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co., meanwhile, lost over four percent market share, shipping 29.8 million units in 1999 for a 10.5 percent market share, while fourth-placed Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea, saw shipments grow by a whopping 277 percent to almost 17.7 million units, giving it a market share of 6.2 percent.
Samsung was able to rapidly increase its market share on strong sales of CDMA (code division multiple access) handsets in its home market and the Americas, as well as a good performance in the GSM (Global Systems for Mobile Communications) markets in Asia and Europe, Dataquest said.
The South Korean vendor was followed by Panasonic, one of the brands owned by Japanese consumer electronics giant Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co. Ltd., with a market share of 5.5 percent on shipments of 15.6 million handsets.
Dataquest, a unit of Gartner Group located in Stamford, Connecticut, can be contacted at +1 203-964-0096, or at http://www.dataquest.com/.


text:
Has BMW already secretly sold 6 motorbikes in Pakistan even before the formal launch?
The German automaker's BMW Motorrad division deals with the production, marketing, and sales of motorbikes.
The news of BMW now penetrating the Pakistani market has excited the motorbike enthusiasts already! However, some sources have revealed that BMW is not ‘coming’ to Pakistan, it already is here.
According to Pakistan’s top auto-blog Pak Wheels, BMW has already sold 6 bikes in Pakistan even before its formal launch.
”Our sources have told us that the company has already sold 6 bikes, without an official launch in the country. However, the name and models of the sold bikes are unknown yet. They further said the German company is still planning an official launch”, Pak Wheels said.
BMW Motorrad in Pakistan!
Ever since the new generation of motorists and motorcycle-enthusiasts took over Pakistan’s motorcycle industry, it has been building up quite a significant potential. Deewan Motors, BMW’s official dealer, has recently decided to capitalize on this potential. Therefore, the motor company is planning to launch the BMW Motorrad in Pakistan.
The German automaker’s BMW Motorrad division deals with the production, marketing, and sales of motorbikes. A wide variety of motorcycles, including sports bikes, superbikes, street bikes, trail bikes, adventure bikes, and long journey cruisers, are produced and sold under the BMW Motorrad. It should be noted that the BMW Motorrad is a premium brand that is globally renowned for its impeccable build quality.
Deewan Motors noticed the long-term potential of Pakistan’s booming motorcycle market and decided to capitalize on the opportunity. As the official distributor of BMW passenger vehicles in Pakistan, the motor company plans to introduce a BMW bike lineup.
While there are reports that confirm the launch of BMW motorcycles in Pakistan, none state which motorbikes will be offered. Some sources speculate that the German automaker will sell smaller displacement motorcycles in Pakistan, like the 310 series and 400 series bikes.
These motorcycles will enter the Pakistani market as Complete Built-up Units (CBU). Therefore, these BMW vehicles will be twice as expensive in Pakistan than the markets they are locally produced in because of taxes and duties.
Due to their extravagant price tag in even the ‘non-import’ markets, the BMW motorbikes will target a small niche of enthusiasts with adequate purchasing power.
Regardless, the presence of BMW Motorrad in the Pakistani market is a positive development for the country’s motorcycle industry. The news is likely to attract other foreign brands to consider expanding to the Pakistani market.
What are your thoughts on this? Please share with us in the comment section below.


text:
Healthcare research firm KLAS released its annual rankings of the best-performing medical equipment vendors. The 2015 Best in KLAS: Medical Equipment and Infrastructure report ranked companies in 21 market categories. Eight vendors earned the Best in KLAS distinction in various market segments including computed tomography (CT), digital X-ray, automated medication dispensing for 200 or more beds and ultrasound.
Based on evaluations submitted by thousands of healthcare providers in and outside the United States over the past 12 months, KLAS rankings measure a vendor's performance in areas like product quality, implementation, and service and support. A Best in KLAS award is reserved for top-rated companies in a select group of the largest and most impactful market segments.
Shimadzu Medical Systems USA, has been bestowed the 2015 "Best in KLAS" achievement award for the X-ray Segment category for 2015. "This is the first year that KLAS has an all-in segment category award," said Tom Kloetzly, Shimadzu's vice president of national sales & marketing. "We have received the "Best in KLAS" achievement award for the RADspeed table system in the "digital X-ray" category five out of six years", Kloetzly stated. The RADspeed DR table was awarded the "Best in KLAS" in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 prior to this new award by KLAS.
Shimadzu's trend setting MobileDaRt Evolution Wireless was awarded the "Category Leader" for Digital X-Ray – Mobile, 3 out of four years (with the first award presented in 2011). Shimadzu Medical Systems USA President, Tetsuo Imanishi explains how " this new award by KLAS for "Best In KLAS" for the X-Ray Segment, considers all the products within the X-Ray group which includes both the RADspeed DR table and the MobileDaRt Evolution EFX systems. We are extremely happy and honored to receive such an award.
For more information: www.shimadzu.com


text:
June 27, 2018
Sorry, No followers
View all 1413 Related Articles
Related Articles (1413)
Instagram has deprecated much of its public API effective immediately. In a changelog published today, the popular Facebook-owned social media sharing platform announced that the endpoints for Follows and Relationships, Public Content Commenting, Likes and User Search have been removed.
For music, there's Pandora. For film, there's Netflix. And now for art, there's Art.sy. Art.sy is an online storehouse of fine-art images as well as an art appreciation guide. This start-up's mission is to make all the world's art freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection, and is aimed specifically at those already comfortable with browsing image-driven websites on monitors and tablets. The Art.sy API helps promote accessibility on a developer level.
After originally launching v4 of the Facebook SDK in 2015, Facebook has now announced the end of support date for v3. Starting June 1, 2017, Facebook will no longer support v3. Older versions will continue to operate; however, developers will lose support and access to new features.


text:
THREE DMM POSTS AT NM GET FILLED FROM THE RANKS
Byline: Holly Haber
DALLAS — Building up its ranks after a string of departures, Neiman Marcus this week elevated three executives to become vice presidents and divisional merchandise managers.
Over the past year, five divisional merchandise managers and two senior vice presidents left. However, with these latest appointments, all the divisional slots are now filled. Just one senior vice president position, for marketing and creative services, is still open and a search is on. Mary Krug, former director of merchandising placement in executive human resources, was promoted to vice president and divisional merchandise manager of couture II and designer eveningwear. Krug succeeds Cynthia Marcus, who continues as vice president and divisional merchandise manager but is now in charge of women’s shoes, and Marcus succeeds Jodi Bruce, who resigned last year to join Cole-Haan Corp. as vice president of stores.
Stacy Staiger, who had been buyer of leisure sportswear, was promoted to vice president and divisional merchandise manager for intimate apparel and hosiery. She succeeds Leslie Freytag, who resigned last month to join Jackson & Perkins, an Oregon cataloger. Staiger joined Neiman’s in 1984 in the executive training program.
Krug, who joined Neiman’s as a buyer in 1983, assumes her new post Jan. 15 with responsibilities for St. John, Louis Feraud, Steve Fabrikant, YSL Encore and designer eveningwear. Marcus joined Neiman’s in 1977 as an associate buyer for oriental galleries and limited edition collections. She is the wife of Cary Marcus, grandson of Herbert Marcus, co-founder of Neiman’s.
Neiman’s also promoted Jerry Kenan to the new post of vice president of operations and telecommunications. Kenan has been with Neiman’s since 1988, first as director of the data center and then as director of operations and communications. There are no plans to fill the executive vice president of merchandising position, which was vacated a year ago.


text:
DETROIT - Chrysler said Monday that they are adding more than 137,000 Jeep Liberties to an on-going safety recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety administration website said that that lower control arms in the rear suspension of the Liberty can rust and break, possibly causing a crash.
The agency said Chrysler added the 2006 and 2007 model years to the recall which now totals nearly 347,000 vehicles.
The recall covers vehicles in 20 states and Washington, D.C., where salt is used to clear snow and ice from the roads.
Chrysler said in March that it was recalling about 200,000 Jeeps from the 2004 and 2005 model years for the same problem.
Chrysler said it will inspect the parts and replace them for free if needed and the company knows of no crashes or injuries from the problem.
READ MORE: Autmotive headlines
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Australia was still chosen as the top destination despite the lower chances of making financial gain.
(PRWEB UK) 2 August 2013
According to News.com, an Australian news site, research has found that Australia is the most popular place in the world for expats. International workers are attracted to Australia to take advantage of its outdoor lifestyle, friendliness and work/life balance and are more likely to settle in Australia permanently than any other country. The annual survey which was completed by 3000 expatriates in over 100 countries focused on the affecting lifestyle factors such as accommodation, finances and the ability to make friends. Australia was still chosen as the top destination despite the lower chances of making financial gain. HSBC Bank Australia head of retail banking and wealth management Graham Heunis said:
“While financial rewards are career prospects are obviously important, the report suggests expats are putting lifestyle and wellbeing ahead of money and Australia wins hands down on this front.”
The latest research by HSBC revealing Australia as the most popular destination for expats comes as no surprise for Interdean, an international moving company. Interdean moves British expats to Australia providing a range of moving and immigration services including shipping, air freight and free visa assessments. A spokesperson from Interdean added:
“Australia has long been a favourite destination for the British and the new research shows that this is also felt by other nationalities who praise its relaxed lifestyle and great weather. Australia is the destination of choice for Interdean’s customers too, with removals to Australia on a regular basis.”
Interdean offers affordable, reliable and timely services for expats moving to Australia.
Interdean has been helping families, expats, backpackers, travellers and students move overseas since 1959. Offering a range of services including international moving assistance, excess baggage help, shipping, air freight and storage solutions to worldwide destinations such as Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, the USA and New Zealand. Interdean also offers further support such as visa and immigration services, relocation and marine and pet insurance, as well as student focused packages at affordable prices from 123 offices worldwide. The competitively priced company also offer help for moves throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland and is FIDI FAIM Plus accredited.


text:
The recent Mobile World Congress was in many way about apps, 4G networks and getting smartphone technology into the hands of the 5bn people in the world who have yet to experience internet.
The most decisive change for me in the two years since I last attended was how tablet devices have taken over. In 2010, no one was carrying a tablet computer (the iPad didn’t debut until March 2010). In 2012, every single stand and every second punter was carrying one.
This does not mean smartphones didn’t shine – they shone gloriously. Quadcore phones such as the HTC One Series cut quite a dash.
Also setting a new trend was the 41-megapixel PureView smartphone from Nokia. The constant refrain whenever Nokia was mentioned at the congress was: ‘Expect big things from Nokia this year’.
The Samsung Beam was a revelation, too – the ability to project a 50-inch screen onto a wall in high-definition from a tiny mobile device opens up a myriad of possibilities.
You could say 2012 was the year LTE became omnipresent at the congress, with Telefónica blanketing the entire Fira district of Barcelona with its own LTE 4G network with average wireless speeds of up to 50Mbps. This is based on lightRadio technology developed in Dublin by Bell Labs’ R&D team.
I got to test this on a Samsung Android tablet and have to say the experience was blisteringly fast.
Watch a video of the first look at the HTC One X smartphone at the Mobile World Congress 2012 here:
Mobile and broadband for all
But the most predominant trend that was evident was this burning desire by all the industry to bring the mobile and broadband revolution to the developing world. This means cheaper smartphones, and more widely deployed, dense wireless networks.
This was best encapsulated in Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt’s keynote speech where he spoke about connecting the next 5bn people to the internet. He has a point. In the past year the world surpassed 7bn people. Two billion of these people are online and of these 1bn own smartphones.
“For every person online there are two that are not,” Schmidt noted. He said that today Android smartphones cost $200 on average – in a few years time, Android smartphones could cost less than $20, and he wants to put one in every pocket on earth.
“The weak will be made strong and those with nothing will have something,” he said.
Telefónica Digital thinks likewise and along with Mozilla demonstrated a new phone architecture that relies entirely on web-based HTML 5 applications and run via the Firefox web browser.
The implications of this? Cheaper, ultrafast smartphones with all the expensive and slow middleware taken out. This opens up opportunities for entrepreneurs and developers in developed and developing economies to take part in the burgeoning apps economy.
“We are very conscious of markets like Latin America, where smartphone penetration is very low,” said Telefónica Digital’s Carlos Domingo. “We are taking the software stack developed with Mozilla to develop low-end devices with smartphone capabilities and bring smartphones to the masses.”
Microsoft is no slouch in this regard and the software giant’s Microsoft’s Windows Phone lead for Western Europe Tom Vandendooren said the company is working to make sure its Windows Phone architecture appears not only on pricey business phones, but also on lower-price phones that cost less than $200.
Nokia was first off the ramp in this regard with a Lumia 610 device that will retail for €185. A particular highlight of the show for me was the number of Irish technology companies that were present this year – an estimated 70 companies – and perhaps the biggest stand I’ve seen from an Irish company was that of Ezetop’s.
The company developed technology that enables mobile phone users to send top-up value to one another worldwide and it was impressive to see a large screen showing how top-ups were being sent from places like Africa and South America to India and elsewhere.
Irish companies at Mobile World Congress 2012
Another Irish company I discovered at the impressive Enterprise Ireland stand was BoxPay, a Dublin start-up that is helping telcos unlock the value of their billing relationship with consumers.
Dublin electronics and software company S3 is also cutting a swathe into the digital entertainment space of smart devices and smart content delivery.
Another company to watch is Tango Telecom, which is striking deals in countries in Africa, giving operators the ability to price voice services dynamically based on cell load, location, time of day, subscriber type and/or subscriber activity. It won an award at the Mobile World Congress last year for Best Customer Care and CRM solution for its work with Airtel in Africa.
And finally I met The Now Factory, which is helping telecoms operators to combat declining revenues with its Rapid App Identification (RappID) service that identifies the emergence of smartphone and Over-the-Top (OTT) mobile applications on data networks within days.
Mobile World Congress 2012 shows we are only at the dawn of a truly innovative age. I’ll leave the last words to Schmidt, who predicts that self-driving cars and robots will be with us sooner than we think: “The ultimate achievement will be when technology actually disappears and becomes a part of every day life. Instead of worrying about cables and where content is stored it’ll just be there, like electricity seems to have just always been there.”
Read more on the Mobile World Congress 2012:


text:
Change is inevitable in this industry. Whether it's by design or happenstance, it is this constant change that allows us to continue evolving. Lidl US is currently undergoing an internal evolution as its Chairman, Roman Heini, plans to step down after serving in this role since May 2019.
Heini initially joined the team in October of 2018, bringing with him an extensive leadership background in retail. Before Lidl US, Heini served in a variety of executive management roles for Aldi Süd for over 20 years.
“This week, Roman Heini informed leaders at Lidl of his decision to leave the company to pursue other professional interests and to spend more time with his family,” the Lidl US team said in a statement. “We appreciate Roman’s commitment and contributions to Lidl throughout his tenure, which have helped position Lidl for greater success in the future.”
Upon his move up to Chairman, Heini had relocated to the company’s Arlington, Virginia, headquarters to collaborate with the management team, led by Lidl US CEO Johannes Fieber.
“Lidl will continue its expansion in the United States under the direction and guidance of its CEO, Johannes Fieber. Johannes assumed responsibility for Lidl US as CEO in May 2018 and will continue to work closely with the Lidl International team to drive the business forward,” the company said.
This seems to promise a seamless transition, as the team will reportedly continue to focus on supporting and optimizing Lidl’s U.S. store operations, its Best Market integration in New York and New Jersey, and the grocer’s ongoing expansion into new markets along the East Coast.
Best of luck to Roman Heini on the next step in his journey!


text:
The video game sales chart for the week ending on November 19 in the UK did contain a few surprises, mainly that Ubisoft’s follow up to their 2014 game Watch Dogs has entered the list at number 2 while Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection is also new addition to the list, taking the number 10 spot and proving that the franchise remains as popular as ever.
The Ezio Collection is a remastered edition of old Assassin’s Creed classics like Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations, which were extremely popular back in the day and surprisingly gamers still clearly have a desire to play these games, the last of which (Revelations) came out in 2011.
This is despite the fact that Assassin’s Creed had been suffering from “franchise fatigue” in the last few years, and also that no new mainline Assassin’s Creed will be hitting the shelves this year. But here’s hoping that the new Assassin’s Creed game, which is rumoured to be set in Egypt, helps make gamers fall in love with the series all over again though…
Also, it appears Ubisoft has another winner in its hands with Watch Dogs 2 which is now at number 2, although surprisingly sales are down 80 % when compared to its not-so-loved 2014 predecessor as reported on gamerant.com, despite the fact that this Watch Dogs sequel is a superior game in almost every regard.
Something similar can be said regarding the no.1 top-seller on this list, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which despite not selling as well as last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III (meaning it can be argued that Activision’s long-running franchise might be losing its magic touch) is still the best-selling game of the holiday season thus far.
Also, it’s not surprising to see some of the year’s most eagerly anticipated video games like FIFA 17, Battlefield 1 and Dishonored 2 make this top-sellers list too, and given that 2016 is nearing its end we are beginning to see which games are likely to end up being the top best-sellers, in a year that has already seen quite a few great video games to date.
Here follows the top 10 UK sales chart for the week ending on November 19:
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Watch Dogs 2
- FIFA 17
- Battlefield 1
- WWE 2K17
- Forza Horizon 3
- Dishonored 2
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection


text:
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
- A OnePlus executive revealed a white OnePlus 9 Pro.
- OnePlus later confirmed that it was just a prototype.
- This is not the first time OnePlus has shown canceled color options.
Update: August 6, 2021 (1:25 AM EST): After we asked for more details about this white OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus has now returned to us. The company has confirmed that this is indeed just a prototype.
“The white OnePlus 9 Pro released on Weibo is just a prototype,” a representative told Android Authority“There are no plans for mass production of this equipment.”
Either way, it still looks like a very beautiful color option, so hope we see it return to OnePlus devices.
Original: August 4, 2021 (7:12 AM EST): OnePlus 9 Pro is currently available in a variety of colors, namely morning fog, pine green and stellar black. One option missing here is a simple white color scheme, but it turns out that the company did consider this color scheme.
OnePlus COO Liu Fengshuo Posted a picture on Weibo, Showing the white OnePlus 9 Pro. It looks pretty slick, although it’s not as vibrant as the cancelled gold OnePlus 7T that the company showed off in 2019. Look at the white device in the image below.
My driver According to the report, the white back also does not attract fingerprints, indicating that it has a matte finish or similar oil repellent. The outlet also claimed that this new model will not be mass-produced, so don’t expect to get the device through official retail channels.
We have asked OnePlus to confirm whether the white OnePlus 9 Pro will appear, and will update the article accordingly if/when they reply to us. Nonetheless, you can be sure that this may not be the only one abandoned OnePlus 9 Pro color scheme. The company has previously pointed out that it will look at “dozens” of color options before deciding on some colors for the final product.


text:
Withings teases New announcement, Nokia, Others to follow at MWC 2017
Nokia had spelled a big game since the beginning o f 2017 when it went big to the CES 2017 with the unveiling of the Nokia 6 device where it was sold out in the first minute when introduced on JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce store.
The company has been said to be working on a full range of Android-powered device after tasting the success of the Nokia 6 which gathered about two hundred and fifty thousand registrations in twenty-four hours after it was officially unveiled. The Nokia 6 proceeded to gather as much as over a million registrations in three weeks before its official release into the market which further solidifies the success of the company. However, it came as a sad news when HDM Global announced that the device would only be available for the Chinese market.
Apparently, to make up for the selective availability of the Nokia 6, the tech company was rumored to be planning a release of about three more devices including the latest addition of the legendary Nokia 3310 reborn.
Knowing that the devices will get officially unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2017 is however not enough to calm tech enthusiasts as a new tweet from Withings has pointed to the possibility of unveiling a new wearable at the event scheduled to hold in Barcelona.
Withings on its Twitter page mentioned that it would be joining Nokia at the Mobile World Congress in just under a week to make a significant announcement in which tech lovers sure don’t want to miss.
The tweet, however, does not provide a whole array of information as to what to expect at the announcement during the Mobile World Congress, but there have been several speculations as regards what the tech company may be planning for the tech world. It is however not hard to imagine that it could launch a wearable alongside its parent company at the event.


text:
Strava and Nike tie-up to reach 300+ million athletes worldwide
May 18, 2023
Strava has today announced a partnership with Nike that will, for the first time, give members the ability to track and share their activity, inspiration and community across both company’s platforms.
Later this summer, millions of Nike Run Club and Nike Training Club users will be able to upload their activity into Strava to share with their community across platforms. Endurance.biz


text:
KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 – The Ministry of Health (MOH) today assured Malaysians that not a single type of medicine has completely run out yet.
Pharmaceutical regulators said this is because there are other brand alternatives for most drugs with the same indication, or same use to treat a particular disease.
“Manufacturers have also increased manufacturing capacity to fulfil high demand,” Norhaliza A Halim, senior director of the MOH’s pharmacy services division, said in a statement.
“The Health Ministry is currently obtaining further information from the industry on the actual status of the supply of medicines that are either produced in Malaysia or imported, along with other related issues.”
Norhaliza said that MOH’s pharmacy services division met with the Malaysian Association of Pharmaceutical Suppliers (MAPS), the Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI), and the Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia (PhAMA) yesterday to discuss the reported medicine shortages in the country.
“According to the industry, there has been a surge in demand for various types of medicines, such as pharmaceutical products with paracetamol active ingredients (to treat fever and mild pain), vitamin C, and cough and flu medications for children.”
CodeBlue reported earlier today that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), which is under MOH’s pharmacy services division, had asked local pharmaceutical suppliers and manufacturers, as well as multinational drug makers – represented by MAPS, MOPI, and PhAMA respectively – to quickly help address the medicine shortage, according to a source who attended yesterday’s meeting.
CodeBlue reported earlier yesterday complaints from private general practitioners (GPs) that various prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications — such as antibiotics, and medicines for fever, flu, cough and cold, as well as paediatric cough and flu syrups — are already out of stock.
The shortages affect both generic and original medications; mouth ulcer sprays are also running short due to the current surge of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreaks
Local pharmaceutical suppliers expect Malaysia’s medicine shortages to worsen until September or end of the year, with MAPS projecting drugs to run scarce across all therapeutic segments in the mid- to long-term.
MAPS attributed the “critical” medicine shortage to the two-month lockdown in Shanghai, China, and the Russia-Ukraine war that disrupted global supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and pharmaceutical intermediates and excipients — raw materials needed to create finished pharmaceutical products.
Malaysia’s entire supply of finished pharmaceutical products are either directly imported or indirectly imported through the import of those raw materials for the local manufacture of medicines.
MAPS had said Malaysia was “severely affected” by the Shanghai lockdown and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine because Malaysia depends on the global supply of both APIs and finished pharmaceutical products. China is the world’s number one supplier of APIs and pharmaceutical intermediates.
Global pharmaceutical supply challenges mean that medicine shortages would likely hit Malaysian health care facilities across the board in both the public and private sectors.


text:
Apple steps up COVID-19 protocols for WWDC 2022 attendees
Apple is tightening its COVID-19 protocols for those traveling to Apple Park to attend WWDC 2022 in person.
Spotted by MacRumors, the company sent in-person attendees updated guidance on its COVID-19 safety procedures. Under the new requirements, attendees will need a negative FDA-approved COVID-19 antigen test the day before the keynote address. Apple now also requires attendees to wear an N95 mask when inside Apple Park.
I saw the updated email from WWDC saying you need an FDA approved negative COVID antigen test the day before and N95 masks are needed inside (yes)! Does this just mean I can carry rapid tests in my luggage?
— Christian Selig (@ChristianSelig) May 24, 2022
The new requirements build on Apple’s previous plan, which only required a negative COVID-19 test within three days of the event and made masks optional.
To ensure the health of everyone at Apple Park, attendees must follow Apple’s health and safety protocols, which also take into account the latest requirements and guidance from public health authorities regarding COVID-19. This includes providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test no later than three days before the event. Skins are currently optional. We will provide details of the final requirements to attendees prior to the event.
Apple is certainly increasing its COVID-19 protocols in response to rising cases in the United States. The company also reinstated its mask requirement for employees at its outlets. However, customers are not currently required to wear a mask when visiting an Apple Store.
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in a new window)


text:
US justice department targets big tech firms in antitrust review | Technology
The US justice department is opening a broad antitrust review into whether dominant technology firms are unlawfully stifling competition.
“The Department’s review will consider the widespread concerns that consumers, businesses and entrepreneurs have expressed about search, social media, and some retail services online,” DOJ said in a statement.
“Without the discipline of meaningful market-based competition, digital platforms may act in ways that are not responsive to consumer demands,” added the assistant attorney general Makan Delrahim, of the antitrust division.
The review will investigate practices of online platforms including Facebook, Alphabet’s Google, Amazon and Apple.
Facebook, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


text:
Ha Noi’s real estate market will continue its strong recovery until the end of 2022
The apartment market in Ha Noi is expected to see a new supply of 11,726 units in the second half of 2022 from 14 new projects and the next phase of the two projects.
“Financial requirements are changing, while legal issues and open borders have been resolved. With the abundant supply in the future, selling prices will adjust to ensure a stable and sustainable market,” said Do Thu Hang, Senior Director, Consulting and Research Development, Savills Ha Noi.
“Prices will not come down quickly by the end of the year. Investors facing financial pressures may sell, reducing prices but not by much,” Hang said.
In the first six months of this year, the Ha Noi market saw a decline in the number of transactions in the apartment for sale segment but an increase in selling prices. Category B apartments accounted for 71% of units sold.
The average primary selling price was VND 45 million per square meter in the first six months, up 6% quarter-on-quarter and 20% year-on-year.
Since 2018, the average primary sale price has increased by 10% each year, while the secondary sale price has increased by 3% each year.
In the first six months of 2022, the average primary sale price was 44% higher than the secondary sale price. This price difference was much higher than the 14% difference in 2018.
The limited new supply as well as the rise in primary prices could make the secondary market hotter.
Meanwhile, according to Hang, in the market for villas and townhouses, the sale price is now quite high while the supply is limited, resulting in a low absorption rate. Transactions are mainly made on the secondary market between investors. The liquidity of this market will improve when supply with more reasonable selling prices comes back into the market.
In the market for villas and townhouses, only 302 transactions were recorded in the first half of 2022. Buyers tend to look to projects in satellite provinces such as Hung Yen, as the Ha Noi market has not meets demand, according to Savills.
In the first half of 2022, the Ha Noi market saw strong growth in secondary sale prices compared to the same period last year, with increases of 37% for villas, 22% for boutique houses and 20% for townhouses.
Primary supply fell by 34% over one quarter and 49% over one year to reach its lowest level in five years. Thus, in the first six months, the sale price of villas doubled and the price of townhouses increased by 67% compared to 2018.
The potential for higher prices is one factor that keeps land products popular with investors.
By the end of 2022, the market for villas and townhouses will welcome more than 2,100 units from thirteen projects. But this offer comes up against the fact that buyers are losing interest in the housing market in Ha Noi.
A report by Batdongsan.com.vn showed that in the first six months, buyer interest declined by 11% YoY for the villa/townhouse market and 14% YoY for the shophouse.
For the serviced apartment market, the city center will supply 82% of the total future supply. Infrastructure projects have increased connectivity between provinces and cities, contributing to an increase in demand.
According to Savills Viet Nam’s Ha Noi property market report, the total supply of serviced apartments in the first half of this year was 5,719 units across 62 projects, up 1% quarter-on-quarter and 3% over one year. Supply in the city center accounted for 60% of the total. Class A units accounted for most of the market.
The average rent increased by 2% per quarter and 1% per year, reaching 550,000 VND per m² each month. Rent in Nam Tu Liem district was the highest at 640,000 VND per sq m each month.
Meanwhile, economist Dinh The Hien said real estate prices are expected to drop sharply until the end of this year by 30-40% in rural areas lacking infrastructure which have seen a sharp rise in housing prices. prices over the past two years, according to Infonet.
The price of real estate products in suburban areas with urbanization potential would decrease by 10 to 20 percent, while the price of real estate in areas with available infrastructure could decrease or increase slightly, he said. —VNS


text:
Scam artists are targeting older people more than ever, making off with huge amounts of money. Consumer Reports has investigated fraud against seniors and interviewed victim after victim. Some fall for IRS imposters claiming they owe money. Others are fooled by bogus promises of big prizes or mail notifications of a huge sweepstake win. And then there are people defrauded by unscrupulous financial advisers.
The elderly are vulnerable to financial abuse for several reasons. They have money in retirement savings, they may be lonely or isolated, and in some cases, there’s cognitive decline.
To protect against fraud, Consumer Reports advising using caller ID and don’t answer calls with numbers you don’t recognize. That will thwart many robocallers with phony offers. You can also opt out of commercial mail solicitations for five years through the website dmachoice.org.
And always check out contractors through the Better Business Bureau and local licensing agencies. Families should make sure that seniors are out there in the community and aren’t isolated. Isolation is a major reason people are victimized.
If you or someone you know has been defrauded, contact the government’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force at : http://www.stopfraud.gov/report.html. You can report the scam and get resources for seniors and family members.
Another resource is the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which as a toll-free fraud hotline at (855) 303-9470.
You can get more tips on protecting seniors at: ConsumerReports.org.
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars and trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website. Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.


text:
The drive-thru coffee chain achieved 33% sales growth during the period, alongside improved profitability and sustained outlet growth
Dutch Bros opened 39 new stores in the third quarter, including its first outlets in Alabama and Kentucky | Photo credit: Dutch Bros
Oregon-based Dutch Bros has posted record third quarter revenues and remains confident on achieving full-year sales and outlet growth targets.
The drive-thru coffee chain achieved 33% year-on-year sales growth in the three months ended 30 September 2023 to reach $264.5m, with nearly 72% of revenues generated from company-operated stores.
High costs associated with Dutch Bros’ rapid outlet expansion contributed to annual net losses in 2021 and 2022, however, the coffee chain appears on track to achieve full-year profitability this year. Net income increased 38% on the previous quarter to reach $13.4m – its third consecutive quarterly profit during 2023.
Read related news:
Buoyant US branded coffee shop market exceeds 40,000 outlets for the first time
Dutch Bros opened 39 new stores in the third quarter, including its first outlets in Alabama and Kentucky, to reach 794 outlets across 14 US states.
The coffee chain, which has since reached 800 outlets following a wave of new store openings in the first few weeks of October 2023, opened 122 new stores in the first nine months of the year and plans to open at least another 28 before the year ends.
“By all accounts, Q3 was a fantastic quarter, and we are extremely pleased with our unit openings, same shop sales, revenue, and profitability results. I am encouraged by the strength of the underlying business as we execute on our plan. Even as we demonstrate our commitment to profitable growth, it is vital that we continue investing in the business. Our focus will therefore remain on recruiting and retaining top talent and keeping our operations efficient and competitive long-term,” said Joth Ricci, CEO, Dutch Bros.
Dutch Bros also completed a follow-on public offering of its stock during its third quarter, raising approximately $330m. Ricci said the follow-on equity offering, coupled with an upgrade of its credit facility, unlocked almost $500m in incremental liquidity which positions the coffee chain’s balance sheet ‘to support a long runway of growth’.
“We intend to continue confidently pursuing high-quality investments in new shops on our path to 4,000,” he added.
Dutch Bros, which will be led by current President Christine Barone from 1 January 2024, forecasts its full-year revenues will exceed $950m.


text:
Dispatches from the front
Tech Presses Printers
The traditional printing industry -- fundamentally unchanged for hundreds of years and formerly inseparable from publishing -- is peeling away and spiraling down under attack from various technologies.
The trend, beginning about 20 years ago with PC-driven typesetting and layout software, has lately accelerated into a sort of perfect storm with increasingly efficient and cheap direct-to-press and direct imaging devices, the emergence of alternative media like the Internet, and declines in advertising industry sales. The upshot is brutal price competition and rapid industry consolidation.
As one example, according to Printing Industries of America, the number of Illinois printers shrank nearly 9% in the period 1998 – 2001, and some printers report that jobs are now fetching half the prices they did five years ago.
Winners & Losers
While the overall picture is one of declining dollar demand, certain forms of printing are faring better or worse than the average, according to Printing in the Age of the Web & Beyond by the Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF). Reckoned to substantially diminish in absolute page count are printed products for sale -- those produced by book, periodical, catalog, directory, newspaper and other publishers. Among all printed material, such publishers drove demand for nearly 34% of printed pages in 2000, but this share is forecasted to drop to 22% by 2020. Key reasons for the decline are the rise of on-demand publishing technologies, which reduce print over-runs, and the migration of classified advertising to the Web.
The printed page market share lost by publishers will be gained by business and creative services users. Classed as business users are corporate purchasing and marketing departments and the small business (SOHO) market, with EDSF anticipating this group to increase its market share from about 43% to 50% by 2020. However, it is the creative services function that EDSF sees as the big market share winner, growing from about a 16% market share to 23% in this period. Creative services are defined as advertising agencies, graphic design services and related services.
In the printing industry, the big loser is the small, neighborhood shop, unfortunately the industry’s most common player, as their customers find cheaper PC-based solutions to their printing needs and as they fail to keep pace with the re-investment required to compete efficiently. Analysts place the total number of US printers at about 75,000, with nearly 80% of these employing less than 20 people and nearly half employing less than five. Said another way, only three percent employ more than 100.
Technology Knives at the Smaller Printer’s Throat
Some of the technologies that are driving such radical printing industry restructuring are:
• High-speed digital communications networks move print data files instantly through -- and permit automating chunks of -- workflow management. As a result, customers are becoming less tolerant of time-consuming, expensive document Fedexing back and forth.
• Computer-to-plate (CTP) technology eliminates the use of film, with its messy chemical processes and expense. CTP also generates faster and more precise registration of the image on paper, and since it moves the image data directly to the printing machine’s plate, speeds job turn-around.
• Variable data printing, made possible by electronic presses, permits personalized direct mail and books on demand for very short runs: the economics can even support a run of one. Related to this customization is technology that allows the electronic insertion of advertising into publications as they move through CTP.
• Faster, better, cheaper copying machines and printers are increasingly taking printers out of the loop as their former customers design and run short jobs in-house. Illustrating the impact that technology is having on where printing takes place, consider the following: in 1995, RIT Analyses figured that 76% of all pages were printed at the printers. By 2020, RIT estimates that 60% will be printed there, with 40% occurring in the office or home.
Printing on the Wall
The last time we saw an industry under such technological and economic pressure was when we examined encyclopedia publishing 10 years ago. That business, then beset by PC’s, was cratering at the rate of 20% per year, and didn’t stabilize until its managers found new, much smaller but at least receptive markets in third-world countries. Printers’ salvation does not lie in going overseas, however, but rather in embracing and exploiting the very technologies that are fostering their discomfort.
To us at least the writing is clear: to stay in business, most printers must step up to the capital expenditures necessary to differentiate themselves from the printing alternatives increasingly available in-house, or find other specialized services not easily otherwise reproducible by their customers. For those without the financial resources or the energy and creativity, now may not be a bad time to sell.


text:
AUCKLAND, Monday: oOh!media New Zealand has added six new digital advertising panels to the newly upgraded Lower Albert Street bus interchange, a bustling transportation hub in the heart of Auckland’s CBD.
Servicing the second-busiest bus route in New Zealand, the Lower Albert Street bus interchange provides oOh!media and its clients an opportunity to reach commuters and tourists as they move across the city.
oOh!media NZ product innovation & solutions director Rick Goodwin said: “Located next to premiere shopping precinct Commercial Bay and within walking distance of notable places of interest such as major retailers and businesses, international cruise ship berths, the Auckland ferry terminal, Britomart railway station, supermarkets, and inner-city residences the transport hub delivers almost one million contacts every week.
“oOh!media joined forces with Youthline to inaugurate the newly installed screens”
“The six new digital advertising panels are installed as three double-sided assets, and are set up in a consecutive fashion, enabling advertisers to appear on three panels at once, facing north and south along Lower Albert Street.
“We are excited to extend our consecutive screen locations to 15 across New Zealand, with the launch of Lower Albert Street.
“The creative synchronisation across multiple panels, coupled with significant weekly audience volumes and dwell time, delivers impact at street level. We look forward to creating more unmissable opportunities for advertisers to engage audiences in Auckland’s CBD.”
“As part of its oOh! Community initiative, oOh!media joined forces with Youthline to inaugurate the newly installed screens, using the platforms to promote the current Walk the Talk campaign.”
Share this Post


text:
Penumbra, fresh off its latest entry into the peripheral vascular market, last week registered for an initial public offering worth $115 million. Alameda, Calif.-based Penumbra also makes devices for treating neurovascular conditions including hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. The company reported sales of $125.5 million last year, up 41.3% over 2013. Founded in 2004, Penumbra said it employs […]
A former sales rep for Cardiovascular Systems (NSDQ:CSII) is suing the company, alleging that it ran a kickbacks and off-label marketing scheme to boost sales of its orbital atherectomy devices in violation of the False Claims Act. The lawsuit, filed by ex-rep Travis Thams in July 2013 and unsealed this week, accuses St. Paul, Minn.-based CSI of inducing […]
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) today touted results from its VeClose clinical trial of its VenaSeal varicose vein treatment, saying the device posted a 96.8% closure rate at 12 months. Results from the study were presented by principal investigator Dr. Nick Morrison of the Morrison Vein Institute in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the the European Venous Forum 2015 in St. Petersburg, Russia. VenaSeal […]
Terumo (TYO:4543) said today that it launched the Misago RX self-expanding peripheral stent in the U.S. The announcement was made at the Society for Vascular Surgery’s annual meeting in Chicago. The stent is designed to treat patients with peripheral artery disease in the superficial femoral artery or proximal popliteal artery, the Tokyo-based company said. “The Misago stent […]
Shockwave Medical announced $40 million in funding for its novel balloon catheter designed to treat calcified lesions in the peripheral vasculature.
Intact Vascular said it brought in a $38.9 million Series B round it plans to use to get its Tack endovascular device through the FDA approval process.
Intact Vascular said a 1st-in-human study of a device designed to repair arterial dissections after angioplasty has produced encouraging results.


text:
KFC, Pizza Hut, Carls Jr, Starbucks workers go on strike
Strike action could close several fast-food chains on Saturday.
Some KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Jr, and Starbucks restaurants around the country could close on Saturday as staff walk off the job for more pay.
Workers from the chains, owned by Restaurant Brands, plan to go on strike after the company refused a pay rise of 10 cents an hour each year, for three years.
That rise would increase workers' pay to 30c an hour above the minimum wage by 2019.
Shift supervisor Tawera Paapu, 29, was sick of being on a lower wage than the cooks she often trained.
"As a supervisor you're trained to do front of house, all the paperwork, and you're also trained on cooking. Whereas the cooks only know the cooking area, and they're getting roughly $1.80 more than me," she said.
The refusal to increase pay comes after Restaurant Brands announced on Thursday a profit of $26 million after tax , up $1.9m from the previous year.
Unite union national director Mike Treen said: "Some stores will definitely close. We need to show we're serious."
"Our three main concerns are getting workers off the minimum wage, getting supervisors onto a living wage, and pay equity," Treen said.
KFC supervisors, who were mostly women, were being paid $1.80 an hour less than cooks who were mostly men. Cooks were given a $2.50 pay rise last year.
Unite national secretary Gerard Hehir said something needed to be done.
"Unite doesn't begrudge KFC cooks getting a pay-rise, they deserve a living wage as well, but it has highlighted just how underpaid the shift supervisors are.
"These are not school kids. They are qualified and experienced workers, who can run a store on their own - managing staff, managing a retail store and [managing] a food production facility. They deserve a living wage and Restaurant Brands can afford to pay them a living wage," said Hehir.
The Government announced a $2 billion package to address pay inequity in the predominantly female aged-care sector this week.
It was expected to have a flow-on effect to other industries, and the Government hoped it would encourage businesses to make greater moves to address the overall gender pay gap in New Zealand.
"We think the new pay equity processes may apply and we are gathering information to begin that process," Hehir said.
In October, Restaurant Brands bought Pacific Island Restaurants, the sole Pizza Hut and Taco Bell operator in Hawaii and Guam, with 82 stores.
It's expected to add $180 million in annual revenues to the company.
"They have paid their chief executive a million-dollar bonus. Tomorrow the workers, who actually make and sell their products, have to go on strike to get a few cents above the minimum wage," Hehir said.
Restaurant Brands chief executive Russel Creedy was paid a $1m bonus in 2015 for keeping the company's share price above $4 a share for 40 consecutive trading days.
Unite also accused Restaurant Brands of refusing to offer redundancy payment for workers. Workers are given one week's notice if they are fired.
From noon on Saturday workers from all the restaurants will protest outside six KFC restaurants around the country.
Restaurant Brands chief executive Russel Creedy would not answer questions about why cooks were paid more than shift supervisors.
In a statement Creedy said the company had made an offer to workers that was rejected and it was disappointed workers were striking.


text:
Fife business delegates all in a spin at Fishers in Cupar
Fishers Laundry, Scotland’s largest commercial laundry and textile rental business, today (Thursday 19th January) hosted a visit from members of Fife Chamber of Commerce.
Fishers is headquartered in Cupar, and the visit took place at its Prestonhall laundry in the town, one of six locations from which the company operates. Twelve representatives of companies from across the Kingdom were given a guided tour of the facility, learning how Fishers washes, dries and irons more than 2 million items a week in peak season.
They were hosted by Joe Mcdonagh, General Manager of Fishers’ Prestonhall facility, and Scott Inglis, the company’s Commercial Director. Scott Inglis said:
“We’re always proud to show people what we do and to explain how we support the Scottish hospitality sector to provide the warmest of welcomes for Scotland’s tourists and visitors. More than that, we’re a major employer here in Fife and we are only too pleased to swap experiences with other Fife companies.”
Ken Richards, Interim CEO at Fife Chamber of Commerce, said:
“These visits to our member companies represent an important and fascinating part of the Chamber’s “Fife Learn” programme. Today’s behind the scenes visit to Fishers was a great opportunity for our members to develop a deeper understanding of one of Fife’s highest profile businesses that provides a vital service to the Scottish hospitality and tourism sector.”


text:
Jul 30, 2017
Frozen yogurt fans were invited to submit photos that featured Menchie's and Num Noms on Instagram. The cutest photo contest winner, @db_pottery, won a limited edition Menchie's Sweet Friends Num Noms starter pack.
Jul 28, 2017
The first creative froyo flavors contest sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association invited frozen yogurt fans to share their far out flavor ideas. The winning flavor, White Peach Oolong Tea, was selected.
Jul 19, 2017
The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) announced the launch of the Menchie's Num Noms photo contest. In this Instagram photo contest, IFYA is looking for the cutest photo that features Menchie's.
Jul 04, 2017
The Far-Out Froyo Flavors Instagram contest invites frozen yogurt fans to share their most creative and appealing frozen yogurt flavor ideas with the International Frozen Yogurt Association.
Apr 11, 2017
International Frozen Yogurt Association members will receive up to 30% off their first purchase from FrozenDessertSupplies.com. FrozenDessertSupplies.com is the #1 online supplier of frozen dessert supplies, including cups, spoons and more.
Aug 17, 2016
The International Frozen Yogurt Association's quality seal program recognizes frozen yogurt shops for their commitment to frozen yogurt excellence. Notties joins a global roster of top quality frozen yogurt shops that the IFYA has recognized.
Aug 09, 2016
The International Frozen Yogurt Association's quality seal program recognizes frozen yogurt shops for their commitment to frozen yogurt excellence.
Jul 28, 2016
This was the first froyo poetry contest sponsored by the IFYA. The winning poem was submitted on Instagram by @db_pottery. The prize included a $25 Menchie's gift card and other froyo items.
Jul 01, 2016
Frozen yogurt fans are invited to submit original poems about frozen yogurt for a chance to win a froyo prize package that includes a $25 Menchie's gift card, Yogurtland keychains and more.
Sep 01, 2015
The new contest for Southern California frozen yogurt shops is sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association and Flavormine. Up to 13 winners will receive cases of mochi and cases of frozen yogurt.


text:
Travel Republic says lower price points which have made cruise more accessible to mainstream holidaymakers encouraged its entry into the sector.
However, the leading UK online travel agent said it would be wrong to assume what its customer will buy, claiming to be seeing wallet values rise and an increase in four and five star holiday sales.
The Kingston-upon-Thames based agent started selling cruise on Tuesday through a tie-up with fellow dnata Travel-owned agency Imagine Travel, that will fulfil calls over the phone.
At launch there is no online booking engine, and exclusive deals for as little £599 per person per week are being promoted.
Ian Simmons, managing director commercial B-C Europe at dnata, said although cruise remains a more difficult sale than other sectors, it has become mainstream.
“It has taken a reasonable chunk of the package holiday market and it has been expanding for a number of years and more ships coming to the UK has increased awareness.
“That has made price points more accessible to people. You have pretty much got a price point for everyone today. It has definitely moved to the mainstream and that’s a real opportunity.”
Simmonds said Travel Republic has lots of consumers, and many of those take cruise holidays but currently have to go somewhere else to buy them.
The agency will sell a full range of cruises from leading lines, including a mix of exclusive deals provided by Imagine and cruise line packages.
But he said: “It’s really important not to assume what our customers want. We do not know. Early in the summer we did a few email blasts with Imagine and got some learnings from that.
“We have such a broad customer base it would be dangerous to assume that our customer would not take a higher price point or go somewhere more exotic.
“Our average price point varies by season, but when you look at our customers one thing that might surprise people is we have got a lot of people taking four and five star accommodation.
“We offer the whole broad spectrum of holiday options from two star to six star which is something Travel Republic has always championed through the many travel partners we have.
“What we have seen over the last few years, while traditional European beach destinations are still really important, there has been a definite uplift in more exotic long-haul destinations.
“They are all performing really well for us as confidence starts to return in the market and people are starting to trade up. Wallet size is starting to increase and that opens up some destinations.”
As well as existing customers who already cruise, Travel Republic believes its entry into the market will expose a sector for the first time to a new audience.
Cruise lines highly value agent partners who are able to drive new-to-cruise bookings but have to date been more inclined to work with cruise specialist retailers.
The cruise sector has been bedevilled by rampant discounting in the past due to the relatively high commissions which agents have used to compete for bargain-seeking customers.
Travel Republic’s entry into cruise has been broadly welcomed by the trade, including other agents and operators, although that goodwill was tempered with concern about the impact on prices.
Simmonds said bookings were coming from day one of offering cruise on the site and he did not rule out the possibility that Travel Republic might offer an online booking engine in the future.
He said this would be determined by what the customer wants. An initial marketing campaign expected to continue throughout January and beyond will take place online and via email.
“The natural place for us is pushing cruise through our online channels. It’s early days and we have seen some interesting and quite exciting results already.
“We are optimistic we will be able to beat our targets. If you look at where we’ve featured it on our website, we’ve given it quite good prominence.”
Imagine has taken on a small team of agents dedicated to fulfilling Travel Republic leads and Simmonds said there could be opportunities in the future for some of its head office staff.


text:
- April 01, 2022
Catching up with Hem Narayan Das Chaudhary
We recently caught up with Hem Chaudhary (Mathematics and Chemical-Biological Engineering '23) who is currently conducting an independent research project related to agriculture and the reduction of pesticide residue in Nepal. Read the interview with Hem below to learn more!
Can you describe the problem being addressed by your research?
The presence of high pesticide residue in vegetables in Nepal is a well-established problem. Surprisingly, Nepal is the fourth most vulnerable country to climate change according to the UNDP. Hence, the problem of high pesticide residue will worsen due to climate change as it’ll become harder to manage novel weeds, pests, and emerging diseases. The over-reliance of Nepali farmers on chemical pesticides is harmful to both environmental and human health.
How does your research address the issue? Have you encountered any obstacles?
In collaboration with Agriculture and Forestry University, Chitwan, we initially provided plant-pathogen diagnostic and nutrient testing services to farmers for more than a month. However, farmers still weren’t ready to pay for the services and as a result it became unsustainable. For a few weeks, we tried combining the services with farm-input retail services, meaning we’d give farmers the testing services for free if they’d buy farm input from us. Farmers were more positive toward this scheme, however, we had to match the prices to what they’d pay if they bought directly from local wholesalers and we discovered that farmers pay discounted rates when they buy in large quantities. So, even with this scheme, we were losing money and didn’t have enough funding to keep pursuing it. Moreover, we realized that farmers have a strong incentive to overuse chemicals and pesticides because their only income source is their crops and they’re unsure about the quality of the chemicals, so they overuse to be safe. Finally, we realized that they are really sensitive to consumers' preferences. Therefore, we have made a pivot.
How did you pivot your research to better address the overall problem?
We’re now creating brands reflecting agricultural practices to facilitate farmers to get paid for adopting environmentally conscious, human health conscious, and climate change resistant agricultural practices. We’re creating detailed guidelines or recipes and are working with local educational institutions and agricultural product importers to facilitate farmers to adopt good agricultural practices. More specifically, we’re planning to work with two brand concepts, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and No-Pesticide brands in tomatoes. The goal of the IPM will be to minimize chemical pesticide usage by helping farmers adopt preventative measures, while the goal of the No-Pesticide brand will be to replace chemical pesticides with biological control methods that exploit the ecological predator-prey-symbiont relationship in nature.
We believe increasing awareness among consumers about the impact of agricultural practices on the environment and their health will drive the adoption of environmentally conscious, human health-conscious, and climate change-resistant agricultural practices among farmers.


text:
Tanker drivers continue operations as lockdown enters week 2
As the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Nigeria enters week two, petroleum tanker drivers have sustained the distribution of petroleum products across the country to ensure availability of products while the restriction lasts.
In a statement, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, commended the tanker drivers’ selfless service during the lockdown, adding that their sacrifice had ensured smooth distribution of petroleum products.
The corporation had earlier launched an appeal to law enforcement agencies across the country to allow tanker drivers free movement during the lockdown ordered in some parts of the country.
Spokesperson of NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, said in a statement that the exemption granted by President Muhammadu Buhari to certain categories of essential workers covered the operations of petroleum products tanker drivers.
Obateru added that government was counting on the support of the law enforcement agencies across the country to ensure smooth distribution of petroleum products across the nook and cranny of the country during the period of the restriction.
While commending the tanker drivers for their sacrifice in ferrying petroleum products across the nook and cranny of the Country during the lockdown, NNPC said its retail outlets are wet with sufficient petroleum products, ready to serve the public.
The corporation quoted the Managing Director of its Retail Ltd., Mr. Billy Okoye, as saying that over 600 NNPC Retail Ltd’s filling stations, across the country, were to remain operational throughout the period of the lockdown to meet the energy needs of Nigerians.
Okoye maintained that the company’s retail outlets are stocked with sufficient petroleum products, with PPMC depots holding its products in various states of the federation, adding that NNPC Retail Ltd’s products are daily being trucked to stations strategically located across Nigeria, urging consumers not to engage in panic buying.
“Our major responsibility is to ensure that there is fuel supply in our stations. We have enough products at all our storage tanks and at our depots; we also have a large quantity of products in transit to our stations. Nigerians don’t need to panic,” he said.
He also thanked state governors for allowing petroleum tankers to crisscross their states despite the movement restriction order and commended the security agencies, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and all other service providers in the downstream value chain for their support.
He further commended Nigerians for their understanding during this period, assuring that the NNPC Retail stations would remain open to avoid any shock in the supply and distribution of petroleum products across the Country.


text:
A new report sheds light on the iPhone SE 4’s design and camera setup. Apple’s next budget iPhone will use a modified iPhone 14 chassis that’s slightly lighter.
Based on the current development status, Apple’s next budget iPhone is unlikely to launch before 2025.
iPhone SE 4 might sport a single rear camera
A MacRumors report says the iPhone SE 4 will mark the end of the iPhone 8-like design Apple has followed for its budget iPhone. Instead, the phone could feature an all-screen design like the iPhone 14, with the same T6 aluminum chassis. It seemingly won’t have a home button, with Apple relying on Face ID for biometric authentication.
There were rumors of Apple integrating the Touch ID sensor into the Side key on its next budget iPhone, but that does not appear to be the case.
The report claims Apple will use a single rear camera on the iPhone SE 4. It will get a bump in resolution from 12MP to 48MP, though. The single-camera setup could also explain why the iPhone SE 4 will weigh 165g — 6gms lighter than the iPhone 14 — despite using the same chassis and design. Additionally, it will help Apple keep the phone’s price in check.
Action button could come to iPhone SE 4
Two other key changes planned for the iPhone SE 4 include an Action button and USB-C port instead of Lightning. Apple has already switched its iPhone lineup to USB-C this year, so the latter is not surprising. Plus, the EU mandate, which forced the company to make this change, goes into effect in 2024.
As for the Action button, a rumor indicates the user-configurable button will come to the entire iPhone 16 lineup in 2024. So, the company adding the same to the iPhone SE 4 makes sense.
There have been a lot of conflicting reports about the iPhone SE 4’s launch. The last such report claimed Apple had put its plans to launch the device on hold for a couple of years. This report also indicates that the device is scheduled for a 2025 launch.


text:
GST Council hikes tax on caffeinated beverages, cuts rates on hotel tariffs
The all-powerful GST Council on Friday more than doubled the tax on caffeinated beverages to 40 per cent and slashed the rate on hotel room tariffs
The all-powerful GST Council on Friday more than doubled the tax on caffeinated beverages to 40 per cent and slashed the rate on hotel room tariffs.
Briefing reporters after a meeting of the panel, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the GST on caffeinated beverages has been hiked to 28 per cent plus additional cess of 12 per cent as against the current rate of 18 per cent.
For hotels, she announced nil tax for those with tariffs of up to ₹1,000 per night. Hotels charging ₹1,001 to ₹7,500 per night room tariff would be levied with 12 per cent tax as against the existing 18 per cent.
Similarly, the tax on room tariff of above ₹7,500 has been slashed to 18 per cent from the existing 28 per cent.
Also, tax on outdoor catering has been reduced to 5 per cent from existing 18 per cent with input tax credit, she said.
The GST was also cut on marine fuel to 5 per cent while the same on railway wagons, coaches, roling stock has been increased from 5 per cent to 12 per cent.
Exemption from the GST has been given to imports of specified defence goods that are not manufactured in India.
A uniform GST rate of 12 per cent will be levied on woven/non-woven polyethylene bags. The cess levied on top of the maximum 28 per cent tax rate on petrol vehicles with capacity to carry 10-13 persons has been reduced to 1 per cent and the same for diesel vehicles has been cut to 3 per cent.
The tax on almond milk has been set at 18 per cent, she said adding all rate changes would be effective from October 1.
The GST on slide fasteners (zips) has been reduced to 12 per cent from 18 per cent earlier. Also, the tax on diamond job work has been reduced to 1.5 per cent from 5 per cent earlier. The same on supply of machine job cut to 12 per cent from 18 per cent
Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Google News, Instagram
Join our official telegram channel (@nationalherald) and stay updated with the latest headlines


text:
2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty Release Date, Concept, Review, Specs – Ford Motor Company has revealed an entirely revitalized industrial truck collection, such as a new 2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty that slot machine games among the Ford F-550 and Ford F-650 to offer clients with better adaptability.
2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty Concept and Review
The arguable celebrity of an influx of shows created at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis on Tuesday is the all-new 2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty Chassis Cab, which offers Class 6 abilities in a lot more workable Class 5 Super Duty body design. Bridging the space among the Ford F-550 and F-650, the Ford F-600 Super Duty comes along with three engine alternatives: Ford’s all-new 7.3-liter gasoline V8, which had been announced before this year for the Super Duty; the 3rd-technology 6.7-liter Power Cerebrovascular accident diesel, and the 6.2-liter V8.
Furthermore, Ford uncovered the new and enhanced 2020 Ford Transit, 2021 F-650 and F-750 Medium Duty, 2021 E-Series cutaway and removed chassis, and 2020 F-53 and F-59 removed chassis. Each and every vehicle will get built in modems with 4G LTE Wi-Fi abilities and become provided with Ford Telematics and Ford Information Professional services. The 2020 Ford Transit will provide normal driver-aid systems by means of Ford Co-Pilot360, and components of the safety collection will be available for the 2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty, F-650 and F-750, E-Series, and F-53 and F-59.
“For 34 years, Ford has regularly offered a lot more industrial vehicles every single year than every other maker due to the fact we tune in to our clients then be able to job creating the items and systems they require,” stated Mark Buzzell, Ford director of fleet, rent, and remarketing procedures. “The updates we are stating nowadays had been motivated by our customers’ focus on enhancing safety, lowering cost, and growing up-time and productiveness. Providing our consumers the freshest selection plus driver-aid systems and connectivity is an excellent instance of Ford supplying wise vehicles for a wise community.”
2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty Release Date
More information on features is going to be forthcoming nearer to start. The 2020 Transit will likely be coming this fall, the 2020 Ford F-600 Super Duty Chassis Cab is established to reach in mid-2020, and manufacturing for the 2021 F-650 and F-750 is scheduled to strike away in January 2020.


text:
Yesterday, we spotted a report on a French site that said Asus was about to introduce a new version of its popular Eee PC sub-notebook with a larger display. As it turns out, Asus did in fact unveil the machine at CeBIT. The new laptop is dubbed the Eee PC 900, and the folks at Engadget have gotten up close and personal with it at Asus’ CeBIT booth.
The gadget site has a whole gallery of photos of the new Eee PC, including shots that depict the system running Windows XP. The new notebook has an 8.9″ display with a 1024 x 600 resolution that looks noticeably roomier in both Windows XP and Linux than the current Eee’s 7″ 800 x 480 display. The new Eee also seems to have a larger track pad than its predecessor, which should make dragging around the cursor on the larger display easier.
The larger display and higher resolution should take care of one of the chief criticisms of the Eee, which is that its small display size that forces users to do a significant amount of scrolling to surf the Internet or read long documents. Although that didn’t stop us from giving the Eee PC 700 our Editor’s Choice Award, some reviewers were more negative—including Wall Street Journal technology correspondent Walt Mossberg, who said the device was “too cramped.”


text:
BRIEF-Semba Tohka Industries completes off-floor distribution of 182,800 shares
Dec 14 Semba Tohka Industries Co Ltd :
* Says it completed an off-floor distribution of 182,800 shares on Tokyo Stock Exchange on Dec. 14
* Says offering price of 467 yen per share
* Says previous release disclosed on Dec. 13
Source text in Japanese: goo.gl/41KBeo
Further company Coverage: (Beijing Headline News)
WRAPUP 4-Warren Buffett rails against fee-hungry Wall Street managers
NEW YORK, Feb 25 Billionaire Warren Buffett, whose stock picks over several decades have enriched generations of Berkshire Hathaway Inc shareholders, delivered a black eye to the investment industry on Saturday, urging ordinary investors to buy plain-vanilla index funds.
Bottega Veneta plays in Milan an ode to rigour and elegance
MILAN, Feb 25 Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta composed an ode to sharp, rigorous yet elegant shapes on its Milan catwalk on Saturday, in its first true combined men and women's show.


text:
India withdraws ‘no photocopying Aadhar card’ warning
India’s press information bureau has withdrawn a warning on photocopying of Aadhar cards, after it caused panic among members of the public. The warning prohibited residents from leaving copies of their Aadhar card, warning that they could be misused. People however pointed out that it had become practice to leave copies of the card at establishments such as hotels, leading to a viral debate on social media.
The warning reignites debate on the increasing use of Aadhar for identification, even though a 2018 Supreme Court Judgement had prohibited the government from making it mandatory.


text:
Continental joins forces with Amazon Web Services to create platform for automotive software
Continental and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be working together going forward within the scope of a new development cooperation. The goal of the long-term collaboration with AWS serving as the preferred cloud provider is to develop Continental Automotive Edge (CAEdge) – a modular hardware and software platform that connects the vehicle to the cloud and features a virtual workbench offering numerous options to develop, supply and maintain software-intensive system functions.
This will allow drivers to integrate the functions they want going forward during the entire service life of their vehicle by downloading quick and convenient software updates, Continental reveals.
To bring the Continental CAEdge platform to market, more than 1,000 Continental developers will exploit the full potential offered by the latest technologies, backed by the support of AWS. The CAEdge platform is already being tested in an automotive manufacturer’s series development and will be available to other customers beginning at the end of 2021.
“Software is at the forefront of innovation in cars,” explains Dirk Abendroth, CTO at Continental Automotive. “With our CAEdge platform, we are establishing a new approach to developing vehicle architectures and software in the automotive industry. We have found a strong collaborator in AWS to help us accomplish this task and will continue to expand our leading role in the field of automotive software,” Abendroth continues.
In a first step, Continental and AWS will train more than 1,000 of Continental’s 20,000 software and IT experts in AWS cloud technologies with a focus on machine learning so that they can continue to improve CAEdge and work together with automotive manufacturers on new mobility solutions.
Around 20,000 of the more than 51,000 engineers working for Continental are already experts in the areas of software and IT. Continental already employs more than 900 experts in AI, and by 2022, it will have about 1,900. Value creation with software is recording double-digit percentage growth each year. Continental is the first automotive supplier ever to supply a central computer for Volkswagen’s ID series. The mobility supplier already has orders from several automakers for high-performance computers worth more than €4 billion.


text:
Workers at Foxconn’s largest iPhone factory are complaining about the strict COVID-19 restrictions imposed on campus to curb the outbreak. The employees recently vented about unpunctual food deliveries and the lack of medical care provided by the company.
Foxconn iPhone Factory Workers Are Worried and Angry
South China Morning Post reported that workers from Foxconn’s largest iPhone factory in China turned to social media to air their concerns. The workers sought help amidst the stricter COVID-19 restrictions imposed last week. Worrying about their current working conditions inside the campus and dormitories, the workers shared texts, photos, and videos of chaotic scenes within the Foxconn campus. The workers voiced their anger on social media platforms including Weebo and Douyin. The latter is the Chinese version of TikTok.
Among the complaints raised by the Foxconn workers is the alleged underreporting of COVID-19 cases. They fear that this might put employees more at risk of getting infected by the virus. Indeed, the actual number of positive cases found in Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant remains unknown. Likewise, the workers are also not aware of how many workers are currently in quarantine. The Henan provincial health authorities reported on Thursday that 25 new cases were recorded, with 20 of them being asymptomatic. However, while these cases were found in Zhengzhou province, the reports did not say whether the infected were Foxconn workers.
Foxconn Wants Steady Supply of iPhone 14 Amidst Virus Outbreak
Earlier, Foxconn offered an additional daily allowance of 50 yuan ($7) for workers who show up for their shifts. The company wants to ensure that there will be a steady supply of the iPhone 14 series. At the same time, workers have complained about poor food quality and delayed food delivery.
The situation seems even worse for those who were infected. According to some social media posts, there isn’t adequate medical care being provided to the employees. Some photos and videos posted on social media outlets showed garbage piling up within the campus, along with hundreds of workers lining up for food,
Workers also expressed their fear, especially since infected workers remain in the dormitories together with the uninfected. This means there are no isolation facilities within the Foxconn campus. Hence, it seems the situation is getting worse as some workers, especially those infected, are not provided proper care.


text:
As has been known, Google Stadia is going to launch in 2020 for devices with Android TV. This integration has already been confirmed, something that many users were waiting for, but which is finally made official. Throughout 2020 it will take place, so that you can also play on a TV with this version.
In any case we will follow this integration with interest. Also the launch of Google Stadia, which promises to be an interest bet, which will generate many comments. But in which from Google they believe with confidence, so we will see what they have to offer us in this field.


text:
The rise of start-ups in the 21st century has been a standout business trend in the post-Great Recession era. From household names like Uber and Airbnb to Instagram and Zoom, the boom of the last decade and a half has been a remarkable time for bootstrapped, tech-driven businesses to make their mark. The spurring of entrepreneurship after the 2007-2008 crash can be tied to all manner of factors however the need for employment without oppressive overheads urged on innovation with research from Robert W. Fairlie asserting that, “The Great Recession caused many businesses to close their doors or file for bankruptcy protection, but the rapid rise in unemployment also drove an increase in entrepreneurship.” Ultimately, the ecosystem created urgency around innovation and many people who had already lost a lot or were experiencing a limited job market had no choice but to pivot quickly and leverage the business benefits of technology in the process.
In the time since, the start-up economy has gone from strength to strength which is consistent with trends for the staying power of businesses started during an economic downturn. In fact, one report found that 57% of Fortune 500 firms in 2009 had gotten their start during previous recessions. When we jump forward to the present, start-ups are still a major feature of the global business landscape yet an emerging niche is female-led start-ups. Previously actual investment dollars for these companies was not just limited, they were proportionally underfunded. In the last five years this has taken a dramatic shift as venture capitalists started to turn their attention to female-led or co-led businesses resulting in unprecedented investment. Subsequently, there has been a historic period of ‘unicorn’ valuations for female-led businesses with 21 of these start-ups valued at over $1 billion US dollars in 2019 ‒ a number that’s seen explosive growth since 2015.
This infographic ‘Female-Led Start-ups Changing The World in 2020’ is a resource for anyone interested in entrepreneurship and innovation from Trainwest. The graphic delves into the topic of these start-ups in more detail with a roundup of nine of the most groundbreaking female-led or female-co-led start-ups shaping a range of industries and civic spaces from all over the world. With a broad range of start-ups, their solutions target complex problems from service delivery, medical technology, direct-to-consumer beauty, and sustainable consumerism. After reading the guide, you will have learned more about their journeys, their vision, and their flourishing impact in the market as well as the start-up economy at large.


text:
Allegro has unveiled its first environmentally friendly parcel lockers in Poland and plans to expand the network during the summer, with customers able to collect their first parcels from new lockers this autumn.
The first Allegro parcel locker was set up at Nowy Rynek in Poznań, near Allegro’s new headquarters. The other three machines are in Rejewskiego, Kabacki Dukt and Romera Street in Warsaw.
“Our parcel lockers will be powered by renewable energy sources and provided with air quality sensors, and we’re going to publicly share our metrics,” said Marta Mikliszańska, head of public affairs and sustainability at Allegro. “Noise and visual pollution are also our key considerations. Wherever possible, the front side of the machine will be covered with 10m2 plant walls. We’ll also work with local governments to select locations where we’ll invest in green walls on buildings. This year alone, we’ll create about 21,000m2 of green space.”
Currently, as many as 80% of all parcels ordered on Allegro reach customers within one to two days and are delivered to 31,000 locations that make up Poland’s largest network of pick-up points. With the growing number of buyers and their increased shopping frequency, Allegro is investing in its own logistics solutions with the launch of Allegro Punkty pick-up points at 600 Kolporter stores. In the second half of the year, the company is also planning to launch Allegro Fulfilment, allowing merchants to ship products from the Allegro warehouse near Warsaw.
“We went ahead with our previously announced plan to build a network of own Allegro pick-up points and parcel lockers. We’ve already ‘planted’ the first machines in Poznań and Warsaw, with more to be set up in the next few days in Łódź, Toruń and Wrocław. Allegro parcel lockers will be added to delivery methods on our platform once the necessary density is reached in those cities, which is expected this autumn. According to our schedule, we will have launched 1,500 automated lockers by December and plan for much more ahead,” said Grzegorz Czapski, business development officer at Allegro.
“In addition to such standard aspects as the location safety and proximity to customers, we have taken into account environmental considerations, how the equipment integrates into the surroundings, and made sure these can be easily used by people with disabilities.”


text:
2020 Cadillac CT5: Check Out the Upcoming Luxury Sedan
A new Cadillac is on the horizon! The 2020 Cadillac CT5 will make its official debut at the New York Auto Show and show off its powerful engine and luxury features.
Which 2019 Chevrolet Blazer Trim Fits You?
If you’re taking a look at the all-new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, you’re probably wondering which of its options is best for you!
2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Confirmed!
There have been rumors flying about a mid-engine Corvette for months, and now there’s finally confirmation! The next-generation 2020 Chevrolet Corvette will officially make the switch to a mid-engined layout.
All About the All-New 2019 Chevrolet Blazer
The new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer brings back an iconic name with modern utility! Check out the latest family SUV for the modern era.
How to Choose the Right Cab Size for Your Truck
Make sure the cab of your truck will work for you!
How to Tow With the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado
Everyone has to start somewhere with towing, and if you’re new to your truck’s towing equipment, Chevy has introduced a couple features on the newest Silverado that will help you out. The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado offers helpful features from a checklist to advanced braking features to help keep you safe and capable on the road.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Open House Event
Forest Lake Chevrolet Cadillac is hosting a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado Open House Event on February 20th, 2019 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
Which 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Is Best For You?
If you’re a fan of Chevrolet’s mighty Silverado 1500 pickup, you might be eyeing the new 2019 versions of this classic truck. If you’re wondering which of the all-new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engine options and towing capabilities fits your needs, take a quick look here at how the available trims and powertrains compare!
Big Black Friday Sales Event
Are you ready for this year’s amazing deals to come around on Black Friday? Well, don’t wait any longer! Forest Lake Chevrolet Cadillac is bringing the deals to you all month long!