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Operations Manager 2007 SP1 Released
Service Pack 1 (SP1) for System Center Operations Manager has been released to manufacturing and is now available for download online.
Microsoft this weekend announced that Service Pack 1 (SP1) for System Center Operations Manager has been released to manufacturing and is now available for download online.
According to the company, this new version of Microsoft's monitoring solution
features a number of updates, including better overall reliability and performance,
improved reporting capabilities, simplified creation of management packs, and
new Visio VDX export capability.
"This release of SP1 marks an important milestone for the System Center
Operations Manager 2007, making the product easier to support, easier to use
and easier to deploy," the company said of the release on its System Center
The upgrade for current System Center Operations Manager users is available
on Microsoft's Web site here.
An evaluation version is available here.
Microsoft released System Center Operations Manager 2007 -- its replacement for Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) -- last year.
Becky Nagel is the vice president of Web & Digital Strategy for 1105's Converge360 Group, where she oversees the front-end Web team and deals with all aspects of digital projects at the company, including launching and running the group's popular virtual summit and Coffee talk series . She an experienced tech journalist (20 years), and before her current position, was the editorial director of the group's sites. A few years ago she gave a talk at a leading technical publishers conference about how changes in Web browser technology would impact online advertising for publishers. Follow her on twitter @beckynagel.


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We take a look at the best smartphones available for under £200
Microsoft Surface Pro
Microsoft’s Surface Pro – the high-profile, full-fat, Windows 8 tablet – is finally available in the UK. Launched back in February in the US, the Surface Pro is going live in the UK on 23 May.
MSN Tech thought it was only right then that we take the much anticipated tab for a spin, putting it through its paces to see how it measured up.
Click through the gallery for our hands-on impressions…
related stories on msn
latest tech videos
Microsoft and Carphone Warehouse have teamed up with artist Caleb Charland to wirelessly charge a brand new Lumia 930 smartphone using 800 apples and potatoes.
Date 25/07/14, Duration 1:51, Views 970

domain: news


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Fintech focus at AfricaCom 2019
There will be a special focus on fintech at the AfricaCom 2019 conference and exhibition, to be held from 12 to 14 November in Cape Town.
One of the streams at the 22nd annual AfricaCom event is Fintech Africa, featuring panel discussions, talks and case studies that will unpack how AI, blockchain, mobile payments and the digital economy will shape the continent’s financial services landscape.
Some of the sessions include:
- Panel discussions on future of digital financial services in Africa; innovation and financial inclusion; and AI’s role in m-commerce.
- A case study on fund raising, presented by Herman Singh, CEO of Future Advisory, detailing the largest ever equity crowdfunding in Africa ($2.5m) for Intergreatme on the Uprise Africa Platform.
- A presentation on the ‘Bankable farmer, looking at using data analysis and connecting the traditional banking sector with small commercial farmers.
- A talk by Clickatell co-founder and CEO Pieter de Villiers on the rise of chat commerce, outlining how businesses can unlock chat-platforms as a new stream of revenue.
One of the highlights of the fintech stage will be a live showcase of fintech solutions.
The Fintech Live Showcase, takes place on 13 November from 15:20, and will be chaired by Dominique Collett, head of AlphaCode, Rand Merchant Investment Group’s support programme for finservices entrepreneur and Clive Butkow, Kalon Venture Partners CEO. and
Early bird registrations for AfricaCom have closed but there is still time to register for an all-access delegate pass.


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After all is said and done and the dust has settled, Venice locals may indeed get to drink some freshly-poured Firestone Walker beer by early as next month. That’s according to this response from a Facebook post regarding the company’s recent hiring slew, wherein a rep for the company says on February 16 that the opening was "about a month or so out."
Though it’s been seriously delayed — first there was a planned September launch, and then notification that we wouldn’t see the finished product until 2016 — now seems to be the time for the Central Coast-based brand to open the doors and let in the world.
It’s been a long time coming, but fans of the massive craft beer property have been only too happy to wait if it means easier access to the company’s slew of easy drinking beers. Per previous reports, the building should be more than just a taproom, too; Firestone Walker looks to add a downscaled version of their Buellton Barrelworks facility (where the company makes their award-winning sour beers) in the form of a small lounge, while also running a number of dedicated taps and growler fills from elsewhere in the facility. There will also be room for an on-site pilot brewhouse, as well as space for a full-fledged dining room, just like their Paso Robles original (which has also been undergoing a refresh).
Of course all that takes money (and time). But thankfully Firestone Walker is relatively flush these days, having sold themselves off in a rumored $250 million sale to Duvel in July. At the time, co-founder David Walker referred to the sale — which keeps the brand out of the claws of the gigantic beer conglomerates that snapped up Golden Road last year as well — an "elegant solution."
Reps for Firestone Walker won't peg a particular opening date just yet, but have indicated in the past that March is likely. Expect a more nuanced announcement (along with plans for a party) in the coming days or weeks.
Firestone Walker Venice
3204 Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA


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KME, a member of REV Group, has announced that the Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department has awarded it an order for 20 custom pumpers. The purchase includes a contract provision for fire departments nationwide that allows them to “tag-on” to the contract and take advantage of the discounted pricing until December 31, 2016. The apparatus will be built on KME’s Severe Service™ cab and chassis. The pumpers have 500-hp engines and air ride rear suspensions for improved vehicle ride and handling. The pumping systems feature 1,500-gpm midship pumps and 250-gpm auxiliary pumps for pump-and-roll operations. The trucks feature 500-gallon water tanks and 25-gallon Class A foam tanks. Each apparatus is equipped with a KME Lock-N-Load™ hosebed cover.
AMKUS RESCUE SYSTEMS has announced its intent to acquire 911 Tools, a U.S. vehicle stabilization equipment and lifting systems manufacturer. The 911 Tools rescue strut product line, which is marketed under the RescueStrut brand name, includes accessories that allow emergency responders to transform vehicle stabilization struts into other life-saving rescue tools such as manual hydraulic rams and shoring struts, as well as tripod, bi-pod, and mono-pole adapters for use in rope rescue scenarios. The RescueStrut line of equipment will be marketed under the AMKUS brand and distributed by AMKUS and 911 Tool distributors within their existing territories.
SAFE FLEET has announced a number of new hires. Each new associate will be focusing on the Safe Fleet Emergency Market brands: Elkhart Brass, ROM, FoamPro, and FRC. Jay White, a former Los Angeles (CA) firefighter, joined Safe Fleet as the western regional sales manager. His territory includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Dean Hutt joins Safe Fleet as midwest regional sales manager. His territory includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Jason Witmier is the new Safe Fleet northeast regional sales manager. His territory includes Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Vermont.


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Were you hoping to have a new Samsung Chromebook 2(s goog) at the turn of the month? I was but it doesn’t appear likely: Joe Wilcox reported at BetaNews on Friday that Samsung is delaying availability of its new Chromebook. This follows official pre-orders that Samsung began on April 7 with expected delivery in 14 to 21 business days.
According to Wilcox, Samsung’s press group provided this simple but terse statement: “The product is now shipping at the end of May”. I checked Amazon’s(s amzn) pre-order page for the new Chromebook 2 and saw release dates of May 29, which supports Wilcox’s story. He had pre-ordered the 13.3-inch model prior and has been seeing the date slip:
“I ordered one on April 8 from Amazon with delivery date of April 29, which put expected launch a day earlier. But then on April 10, Amazon emailed that my new delivery date would be May 2 and the website indicated availability on the 1st. Last week, Amazon changed the date to May 15 and by the beginning of this week to May 29.”
Without an official reason for the delay, we can only speculate as to the issue. It could be a simple production problem. But there’s really little difference in most of the Chromebooks being built and sold today. The biggest two for the Samsung Chromebook 2 are the 1920 x 1080 resolution display on the larger model — most Chromebooks use 1366 x 768 screens — and the eight-core Samsung Exynos 5 chip that will power the new laptops.
My gut says that if there is a technical issue, it has to do with the latter difference.
Chrome OS may not be optimized to take full advantage of the octo-core Exynos 5 processor. If that’s the case, the Chromebook 2 performance may not be as good as Samsung would like. And performance could be a key attribute for those considering the Chromebook 2 because the Intel(s intc) Haswell-based Chromebooks offer great performance at a lower cost; Samsung is planning to sell the Chromebook 2 laptops for $319.99 and $399.99, depending on the model.


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- Sports News : Manu Samoa Team for Northern tour announced [19/10/2017 - Samoa]
- News Feature : Pacific Women in Agriculture acknowledged for their contribution [19/10/2017 - Vanuatu]
- News : Vanuatu Council of Ministers approves repatriation of people from Ambae back to their island [19/10/2017 - Vanuatu]
- News : Pacific islands brace for cyclone season [19/10/2017 - Vanuatu]
- News : Former Vanuatu PM Moana Carcasses on parole [19/10/2017 - Vanuatu]
- News : Fiji Military calls up civilians for duty [19/10/2017 - Fiji]
- News Feature : A dynamic future for young agripreneurs [19/10/2017 - Vanuatu]
- News Feature : Governments endorse UN-backed plan to tackle cancer, diabetes and other deadly diseases [19/10/2017 - Switzerland]
- Business News : Trade missions to help business in PNG and Australia [19/10/2017 - Papua New Guinea]
- News : NZ First puts Labour back in power, Jacinda Ardern to be Prime Minister [19/10/2017 - New Zealand]
- News : SPC’s restructure plan for land resources division referred back to members for more consultation [19/10/2017 - Vanuatu]
- News : PNG death row inmates denied full protection of the law, Stay on execution of prisoners: Court [19/10/2017 - Papua New Guinea]
- Sponsored : Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC)
The Tongan Government through the Ministry of Fisheries has kick-started an initiative to sell fish at an affordable price to locals to ensure people are eating healthy food.
Radio Tonga News reported last week that the Ministry of Fisheries sold six tonnes of fish at the Tuimatamoana wharf, to offset the hike in the price of meat such as chicken and mutton during the festive season.
CEO of Fisheries, Dr Tu'ikolongahau Halafihi told Radio Tonga News this was the second shipment of catch partially offloaded in Tonga as part of an agreement with a Taiwan fishing vessel to provide part of their catch to be sold in local market.
Fish was sold at between TOP$2.50 to TOP$7 a kilo (US$1.10 – US$3.08) to ensure locals can afford to buy fish.
This is part of the Ministry's initiative to make affordable healthy food for Tongans as the country fights against rising non-communicable diseases.
The Ministry of Agriculture is also working on amending the island kingdom's Food Act to ensure proper labelling of all food items sold in shops.
If approved, Tonga's Food Authority will work with businesses to make sure all food items are properly labelled with instructions of ingredients and other necessary information.
Metuisela Falesiva of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food told Radio Tonga News they hope the amendment to come into effect soon will ensure that locally produce food items are safe for consumption..
SOURCE: RADIO TONGA NEWS/PACNEWS
Pacific Islands News Association
Who & What is PINA?
International News Safety Institute (INSI)
Media Helping Media


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With the promotion of global industrialization, information technology, Electronic manufacturing, communication and information technology, automobile, national defense and aerospace and other related industries, as well as the continuous progress of measurement technology, the demand for replacement of general electronic test and measurement instruments has been accelerated. , the global general electronic test and measurement instrument market will continue to grow steadily. According to Technavio data, the market size of the global general electronic test and measurement industry in 2019 was US$6.118 billion, and the market size is expected to reach US$7.768 billion in 2024, with an average annual compound growth rate of 4.89%.
In May 2020, the State Council issued and implemented the “Guiding Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Promoting the Western Development and Forming a New Pattern in the New Era”, which provided guidance for deepening the Western Development and the upgrading of Western industries. At present, the development of electronic information industry clusters in Sichuan Province has formed five industrial clusters of digital audio-visual, integrated circuits, military electronics, software, network and communication products. In 2019, the electronic information industry in Sichuan Province completed the main business income of 1,025.99 billion yuan, achieving an increase of 13.8%, ranking first in the central and western regions. Chongqing, on the other hand, drives the development of the electronic information industry with PC production, and has become an important PC industry base and mobile phone manufacturing base in the world. In 2019, Chongqing had 639 electronic information enterprises above designated size, and its main business income ranked 7th in the country, forming an intelligent terminal industry chain integrating operators, brand owners, foundries and supporting suppliers.
Thanks to the country’s continuous promotion of the western development strategy, the strategic position of the core cities in the southwest region has been improved, and it has also provided a good support for the rapid development of the electronic information industry. In order to make full use of the huge influence and radiation effect of the western China market in China, seize the new opportunities for the development of the electronic information industry, and create a new first-tier electronic information industry annual event in the new first-tier cities, the 2021 China (Western) Electronic Information Expo will be held. From July 15th to 17th, it will be refurbished at the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center. With the theme of “New Pattern, New Pole and New Opportunities”, this exhibition focuses on building 5G and intelligent terminals, intelligent driving, big data storage, ultra-high-definition Display, integrated circuits, test and measurement and microwave radio frequency, intelligent manufacturing, electronic components, The nine core exhibition areas of network security fully display the development achievements of the electronic information industry and promote the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.
As one of the nine exhibition areas, the test and measurement exhibition area is the traditional advantageous exhibition area of the 2021 China (Western) Electronic Information Expo.Rohde & Swartz, Fluke, CLP Siyi, Puyuan Precision, Saibao LaboratoryMany domestic and foreign test and measurement companies will participate in the exhibition, and they will use this platform to bring their latest technological achievements to the exhibition and “show” their innovative skills. In addition, as an important military, aerospace, radar, and space technology industrial base in China, Chengdu has gathered a large number of excellent microwave and radio frequency device manufacturing enterprises and scientific research institutes, covering the entire microwave and radio frequency industry chain. Based on this, the “2021 Western China Microwave and Radio Frequency Technology Seminar and the 26th International Electronic Test and Measurement Seminar” will be held at the same time. Build an exchange platform for discussing new technologies. The seminar invited Liu Zushen, Chief Scientist of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Professor Liu Changjun of Sichuan University, and representatives of well-known domestic and foreign companies such as Qorvo, Rochester, TI, ADI, Keysight, CLP Siyi, Lizhi Technology, and Jiuzhou Difei. , to communicate and discuss together on the test and measurement of microwave radio frequency technology and applications, and jointly promote technical cooperation and achievement transformation.
The annual event of the western electronic information industry is about to debut. On July 15, Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center invites you to witness it together.
Scan the QR code above to get the ticket quickly


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Global death figures from smoking top 6 million (80% were from low- and middle-income countries, according to new research from health lobby campaigners) as Revenues from global tobacco sales are estimated to be close to £316bn.
British American Tobacco and Imperial are two of the biggest companies. Whilst BAT sells very few cigarettes in the UK, it is a big player in many emerging economies. In Turkey it sells Viceroy and Pall Mall brands; its Kent cigarettes are big sellers in Russia, while Gold Flake and John Player Gold Leaf are popular in Pakistan. Rothmans in Nigeria and Kent and Montana in Iran are also important for BAT. India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Iraq, Egypt and Yemen are also promising markets for the company.


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When I travel across Ohio, I hear from business owners who have successfully expanded their companies, created jobs, and sold their products in foreign markets. In 2013, Ohio exports totaled a record-breaking $50.8 billion. To quantify that, every $1 billion in exports supports nearly 5,000 domestic jobs. And in Ohio, more than one quarter of our state’s manufacturing jobs rely on exports.
Last week, I joined United States Trade Representative Michael Froman in a visit to Jet, Incorporated; a small business in Cleveland that is creating jobs by designing, manufacturing, and exporting innovative wastewater treatment systems to 33 countries all over the world. Exports comprise more than 20 percent of Jet’s sales and, in 2012, the company received the President’s “E” Award for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. Companies like Jet, Inc. are the reason that U.S. exports reached $2.3 trillion in 2013, a new record for a fourth straight year.
Last month, Congress agreed on a short-term reauthorization for the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank). This important entity, which offers loans, guarantees, and insurance for American businesses seeking to export their products, will now be funded through June 30, 2015. While I’m relieved funding did not lapse for the Ex-Im Bank, I am worried that this short-term reauthorization will create uncertainty for Ohio businesses who are looking to sell goods overseas. Our foreign competitors in Europe and Asia know that their versions of Ex-Im Bank will be there for them. We need to provide our businesses with the same certainty. That’s why I plan to work with my Senate colleagues on a long-term solution for the Ex-Im Bank when Congress reconvenes.
In addition to boosting American exports, we need to address unfair foreign imports made in countries that violate international trade law. When countries undervalue their currency or flood the market with underpriced goods, it is Ohio workers and suppliers who pay the price.
In July, I went before the International Trade Commission (ITC) on behalf of Ohio’s steel tube workers and businesses, testifying that the influx of cheap foreign Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) hurt the competiveness of Ohio manufacturers and threatened the jobs of their workers. Because foreign countries were pricing their OCTG below market value, an unfair and illegal trade practice, American companies were being shut out. In August, the ITC ruled that six countries had illegally “dumped” their goods in the U.S. market and levied trade tariffs against the offending countries.
Supporting Ohio’s workers and suppliers requires a commitment to trade enforcement and export strategies. Trade enforcement means ensuring a level playing field for Ohio manufacturers by defending them from unfair trade practices, and supporting export strategies means creating and maintaining jobs for manufacturing communities across the state and nation. By supporting the Ex-Im Bank and enforcing our nation’s trade laws, we can help Ohio businesses explore new markets and new opportunities.


text: Outdoor lifestyle brand Snow Peak has recently released key pieces to its upcoming Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The Japan-based brand has been executing well-crafted apparel for the outdoors – among its myriad of other outdoor products – since the late ’50s, and with time, comes improvement. For this year’s upcoming seasons, Snow Peak offers up a range of mostly outerwear and tops- wind resistant parkas, sweat hoodies, denim pullovers, elongated shirts and cotton jackets to name a few – together with a pair of insect shield pants to round things off. The products range from less than $200 USD to its top tier products at just under $700 USD – but with high price comes high quality, and you can definitely expect as much from a brand like Snow Peak. Look out for the collection to become available from Snow Peak’s website soon.


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The Federal Trade Commission investigating exactly why it is that McDonald’s McFlurry machines are always broken.
In an attempt to get to the bottom of why this is such a common occurrence, the FTC reached out to franchise owners and bluntly asked what was going on with their machines.
The machines apparently have a heat-cleaning cycle every night that lasts for 4 hours but it often fails, putting the machine out of order until a repairman can get to it.
Franchisees are frustrated with the failure of the ice cream machine, which makes up 60% of the dessert sales for the chain.
Some staff are so frustrated they’ve trained their staff to fix the machine themselves.
Taylor Commercial Foodservice, the manufacturer of the McFlurry machines, says the machines are fine and it’s the lack of knowledge about the equipment causing the issues.
A company called Kytch had designed a product that could maintain the machines, but McDonald’s disallowed their use saying they were not sanctioned and could pose a safety hazard.
Kytch has filed a lawsuit claiming a franchisee and Taylor were conspiring to steal Kytch’s design and use it themselves.
This likely stems from an executive order signed by Biden in which he said Americans should be allowed to repair any goods they purchase on their own.
Taylor said they don’t stop franchisees from repairing the machines how they see fit, but the machines will no longer be under warranty.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]


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NZ supermarket Countdown celebrates 20 years selling online
Countdown is celebrating 20 years since the New Zealand supermarket dipped its toes into the world of online shopping.
Developed in the days before web browsers, in 1996 Countdown sent 100 customers more than a dozen floppy disks containing the online shopping program that connected, via dial-up internet, to a central server containing product and price details. The shopping process was laborious, with each item taking around 30 to 45 seconds to load and the average shop taking over an hour.
The original 1996 customers paid by submitting a direct debit form and ID via fax, before the order was faxed to the store where two specially trained personal shoppers packed the groceries to be delivered to the customers’ doorsteps.
Today Countdown processes 20,000 online orders every week and more than 80,000 Kiwis are regular online shoppers with the supermarket.
To mark the anniversary, Countdown is partnering with Samsung to show off the South Korean brand’s Family Hub Refrigerator, a wi-fi enabled fridge that allows shoppers to order groceries from their kitchen.
Sally Copland, Countdown’s new head of online, said the online shopping experience has come a long way from dial-up days and the business continues to innovate and improve on the service.
“We pushed the boundaries in 1996 when we started with 100 online trial customers, and we’re continuing to push boundaries and innovate in the online shopping space today for the same reason, to make things easy for Kiwis,” said Copland.
“With the introduction of services such as click & collect in every Countdown store nationwide and the future of online shopping with collaborations like the new Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator, we continue to lead and improve the online shopping experience for New Zealanders.”
“We’re really proud to have introduced New Zealand to online supermarket shopping, and to grow it to what it is today,” said Copland. “It’s hard to believe that online shopping was developed at a time when the internet itself was in its infancy. This required incredible foresight and commitment by our team 20 years ago, as well as the confidence of Kiwi shoppers who placed their trust in Countdown to pick, pack and deliver fresh, quality products to their homes,” she said.
Countdown will be showcasing the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator at select locations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch over the next month, including the Auckland Food Show.


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DORNBIRN, Austria — June 13, 2022 — The 61st anniversary of the Dornbirn GFC Congress will take place LIVE this year and we are expecting a high number of participants as usual. Further, the exhibition of young innovative companies in the Dornbirn GFC Innovation Hub form meanwhile an integral part of the innovation network at the congress.
Top level Keynote speakers on the Opening Day from:
Board Members of Lenzing and Indorama, the biggest global players from the fibre industry, the CEO of Paboco, the most innovative company in the packaging industry and a highly reputated professor from Oxford University will open the congress. Further, top companies from the digital sector like Servicenow and PwC will show us how they will support to create a sustainable future for the industry.
Key topics will be innovation, sustainability & circular economy and the and the final panel discussion “CEO Panel” with the above leaders will show us the way forward and how current and future challenges will be managed.
93 expert lectures from industry, universities and research institutes:
Top lectures on latest innovations will take place in parallel in 3 lecture halls.
20 pitches of young growing companies:
A dedicated lecture hall will provide all necessities for young companies to present their innovations and business models to the relevant parties – an active matchmaking is granted as Dornbirn GFC, RWTH Aachen, PwC, Vagabond and other collaborators will accompany the young companies on their journey of success.
Exhibition area and Innovation Hub: 20 established exhibitors and ca 20 young innovative companies are using their booth as contact point & advertising space
Dornbirn GFC 2022 Topics:
- Fibre Innovations
- Sustainability and Circular Economy
- Machinery & Equipment
- Smart & Functional Surface
- Nonwovens & Technical Textiles
- Sustainable Packaging
- Apparel & Sports
Thanks to our ambitious partners and sponsors, we are able to attract a global audience. This will foster the global exchange of ideas and innovations in the fibre industry and along the value chain of textiles and nonwovens and well into the packaging industry.
Oher interesting ideas and topics will follow. Please join us and register: www.dornbirn-gfc.com
Posted: June 13, 2022
Source: Dornbirn GFC


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ITALIA DIGITALE: webinar on Formez Pa's 2022 Report 'The Digital Transition'
Publishing 28 March 2018
t33 counts and celebrates differently. 11, 22, 33… an unusual series for corporate anniversaries. And on the subject of unusual...
Is Ancona a usual place to base a consultancy working for the EU institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg? working mainly in English with a team speaking altogether 9 languages?
Is it standard to rotate the sole director, with the founder leaving the floor to the fourth partner joining the company?
Is it common for an Italian company to export about 97% of services in 2016 and 2017?
Is it typical for a growing Italian company in a medium-sized town to be in the city centre where car parking costs a fortune? (We’re opting for local transport, rather than going to the suburb where local companies are.)
If you have answered “no” to at least three of these questions, you’ll forgive us for celebrating in a different way. More importantly, you can celebrate our 11th anniversary with enthusiasm. Thanks for this.
What an extraordinary group of people make up t33… and how far we are going to go together.


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General Motors is recalling more than 50,000 of its full-size crossover SUVs, specifically the 2011-2012 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and the GMC Acadia.
Read This Article
The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 will be the most powerful trucks on the road, when a new V-8 engine debuts this fall.
No, this isn’t a sequel to a Samuel L.
GM has redesigned its full-size SUVs, and they are more fuel-efficient than ever.


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Rubber glove giant Top Glove Corporation has submitted an application to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), with a plan to undertake a global offering of its shares under the Proposed Dual Primary Listing.
Top Glove, which is already listed on the Malaysia and Singapore bourses, said it hoped the listing would enable it to raise capital for its global business growth, as well as worldwide expansion and strategic investments.
“We aim to increase our production capacity, upgrade our facilities, and invest in new technologies to improve our offering and response time for our customers around the world, which will help to further strengthen our position as the world’s largest manufacturer of gloves and to enhance stakeholders’ long term value,” Top Glove chairman Lim Wee Chai said.
Top Glove is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of gloves, producing some 93 billion pieces every year.
With more than 20,000 employees worldwide, it has over 2,000 customers and exports to more than 195 countries.
Top Glove is among those whose profits multiplied by billions of ringgit in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Its profits jumped to RM2.38 billion in three months ending November 2020 from RM111 million in the same period the previous year. This was on the back of RM4.76 billion in revenue.


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Ed Stack, the chairman and chief executive of Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc., arrived at work the Monday after a gunman killed 17 people at a school in Parkland, Fla., nearly certain the outdoor retailer should limit sales of some guns.
While most weapons are sold by small independent retailers, Dick’s is one of the country’s largest sellers of guns with 861 U.S. stores. “I had written up a statement of what I thought we should do,” including raising the gun-buying age to 21 and ending sales of assault-style rifles, said Mr. Stack, speaking at a Wall Street Journal conference Tuesday.
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Managing Director of Google Indonesia Randy Jusuf pointed to the rapid growth in the digital economy in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. The report also shows extraordinary transformation of the Indonesian economy that serves as a driver of dynamic growth in Southeast Asia.
"We forecast Indonesia's internet economy to reach US$40 billion this year and to move up further to over US$133 billion in 2025," Jusuf stated at a press conference at the Google Indonesia office in Jakarta on Monday.
Related news: Indonesia's digital economy growth highest in ASEAN: Bekraf
The newest research reports Indonesia’s growth rate at 49 percent, the highest in Southeast Asia, with potential of up to US$133 billion in 2025," he remarked.
The digital economic growth covers the five sectors of e-commerce, online media, online transportation, tour and travel, and digital financial services, according to the report.
During the four-year period, the report forecast Indonesian e-commerce to climb 12 folds and the growth of online transportation to jump six folds. The financing business in Indonesia also has the potential to exceed the 2018 record.
Jakarta and its surrounding areas, including Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), will remain the key driver of growth in Indonesia. Users residing in those areas spend US$555 per capita (in GMW) in comparison with $100 per capita by those living outside large cities.
Translator: Mentari Dwi Gayati/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019


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This September Opentable, in partnership with Mastercard will run a campaign called ‘Dine Local‘ aimed at encouraging diners back into restaurants following the Covid-19 lockdown and are encouraging venues to get involved. The initiative will be UK wide and offer diners a wide range of incentives and offers exclusively for that month.
The campaign Opentable are introducing will be the first-ever month long promotion, which for diners, will follow on from the Eat Out to Help Out government campaign this August.
Opentable suggest a stunning 95%* of diners say supporting local restaurants is important to them. Why? Because they want local restaurants to survive. Equally heartening: more than half* of respondents indicated they are likely to dine out at least as often as before COVID-19.
(*Source: OpenTable survey on restaurant visits leading up to the the lifting of the lockdown regulations for restaurants, conducted amongst more than 32,000 people between 25/06/2020 and 03/07/2020.)
Entry to the campaign is pretty easy, just put together a special menu or offer to entice guests in. these can be current offers already running in-house which can be amplified through Opentable’s marketing.
In addition, Opentable will rebate 50% commission for all seated offer covers for the duratio of the campaign to help your business get back on track.
Marketing campaign support will include:
- Full coverage across Opentable sites, emails and social channels including Facebook and Instagram
- Be featured in dedicated email campaign newsletters
- Offer bespoke landing pages for all regions
- Be promoted via the Opentable app
- Organic and paid social
- Display across travel brands
- E-shots across travel brands
- Supported by the Mastercard partnership
Deadline for submission: 19th August 2020


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Image source: PNG Tourism Promotion Authority
By Kiwiana Ngabung – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
There is no doubt a beautifully diverse country like Papua New Guinea has immense potential in the tourism industry. According to a recent publication, tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world, and whatever it takes to develop the industry in PNG is a step towards the right direction.
The PNG Tourism Industry Association (PNGTIA) will facilitate a three-day intensive training on Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals that will begin tomorrow. The training workshop is focused on sustainable development and tourism, and its link to business and policy.
Participants will learn about the SDGs and its importance to policy, participants will also go on site visits to acquire knowledge on how they can apply minimum international standards to their respective businesses.
Getting participants and other tourism stakeholders to understand the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and aligning those goals with their policies and businesses towards attaining sustainable tourism is very important.
Concurrently, the Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals – Journey to 2030 states:
“To unlock tourism’s full potential towards achieving the SDGs, the sharing of knowledge and good practices between all stakeholders – governments, businesses, the UN system, the donor community, academia and civil society – will be vital for the long road ahead.”
In an interview last year with UN News, Secretary-General of UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, spoke about the impact of tourism and sustainability.
“Sustainable development is not just about the environment. It’s about the environment, it’s about the community, empowerment, it’s about the relationship with people making their lives better, and so on and so forth. And tourism can contribute to that definitely without doubt.”
The training that will begin tomorrow is a great investment for the sector. It is the first that PNGTIA is holding and is the start of more similar training this year. PNG Tourism Industry Association is in partnership with PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, and in association with Pacific Asia Tourism and Global Sustainable Tourism Council in hosting the training.


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One of the biggest names in comedy is coming to Sioux City to perform.
Kevin Hart brings his “Irresponsible Tour” to the Tyson Events Center on Saturday, January 20th,
Hart was the first comedian to sell out an NFL stadium, selling over 50,000 tickets in one show.
Earlier this year,Hart’s book “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons” debuted at Number One on the New York Times Bestseller list.
He will also soon appear in the Sony reboot of the film “Jumanji” alongside Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black.
Tickets for the comedy show go on sale this Friday, October 20th, at 9am at the Tyson Center Box Office and online at TysonCenter.com.


text: In its position of official importer, Orange launched the new iPhone 4 to Romania at a price much higher than in developed states, but lower than in online shops, reads the ‘Evenimentul Zilei’ daily. While the mobile telephony operator sells the most expensive version of the device (with 32 GB of memory) at EUR 823, online shops have it on display at a price tag between EUR 1,100 and 1,250. The early hours of the morning when Orange put the iPhone 4 on sale found clients already queuing up for the Apple gadget. Many had reserved the 32 GB version online, so many fans who came to the Orange Concept Store to buy this version of the phone found it out of stock. Only 6 such phones were still available for sale in the store, that morning. The majority of those who queued for an iPhone 4 on Friday at the Orange store were aged between 20 and 30.


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UPS Adds 300 Alternative Fuel Vehicles
UPS is adding 306 alternative fuel vehicles to its “green fleet” by placing an order for 167 Compressed Natural Gas delivery trucks while taking delivery of 139 new propane delivery trucks in North America. Additionally, the company has launched an initiative to use biodiesel fuel in its ground support vehicles at the UPS Worldport air hub in Louisville.
The CNG trucks will be deployed early next year in Dallas, Atlanta and four California cities – Los Angeles, Ontario, San Ramon and Fresno. They will join more than 800 such vehicles already in use in the U.S. The propane vehicles are joining nearly 600 propane trucks already operating in Canada and Mexico.
UPS’s global alternative-fuel fleet now stands at 1,629 vehicles – the largest such private fleet in the transportation industry, according to the company.
Energy Manager News
- Wisconsin Power & Light Files for Higher Residential Base Rates, Lower Commercial Rates
- NMPRC Orders Extension in PNM Rate Case
- US Military Taking No Risks by Going Green, Saving Lives and Energy
- Affordable Housing Pushes Energy Efficiency
- Controlling Air Conditioners
- ZTE, Tancent Develop Modular Data Center
- First Quarter 2016: Green Energy Growing Faster than Natural Gas
- Delmarva Power Asks for Over $80M in Electric and Gas Base Rate Hikes


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Lack of access to funding, government regulation and an inconsistent response among industries causing mid-size businesses to fall behind on sustainability.
- Both very large and mid-size companies investing more in sustainability since start of pandemic.
- Only 2 out of 10 medium-sized businesses say sustainability is currently a boardroom priority, but this is set to change considerably over next four years.
London, 25 May 2021 - Research by Addleshaw Goddard has revealed that large European businesses are making faster progress on sustainability than medium-sized businesses1, with the gap expected to become even more pronounced over the next four years.
The law firm found that financiers intend to turn off the funding tap to companies within at least two key sectors by 2025 if they fail to provide a carbon transition strategy, with real estate and healthcare most at risk. The combination of these factors could disproportionately impact the ability of medium-sized businesses to thrive in the medium term.
Based on the views of 1,000 business and finance leaders, the research reveals that medium-sized businesses are falling behind on sustainability for several reasons. These include:
- a lack of a joined-up response among industry (a barrier for 76% of mid-size businesses vs 50% of very large businesses);
- difficulty in raising new equity finance (75% vs 56%);
- government regulation (73% vs 52%); and
- a lack of access to good quality sustainability data (75% vs 60%).
Both mid-size and very large businesses cite pressure to keep costs low as the biggest barriers preventing them from becoming more sustainable (81% of mid-size businesses vs 75% of very large businesses).
Sustainability was found to be a top-two boardroom priority for only 17% of mid-sized businesses compared to over a quarter of very large businesses (26%). 72% of medium-sized businesses expect that sustainability will become a top-two boardroom priority by 2025, compared to 82% of very large businesses.
Amanda Gray, Partner, Addleshaw Goddard said:
“Small and mid-size businesses are in a bind, because they don't have the clarity they need to develop and invest in a zero-carbon strategy, but without one financiers are likely to cut them off within the next few years.
“The government must work hard to provide every bit of certainty it can, for example through setting out binding interim targets. This will allow businesses of all types to be confident in the knowledge that they are responding to the right metrics and that there is a level playing field among competitors.”
The largest businesses also report having increased their financial investment in sustainability significantly since the start of the pandemic (41%), with 38% claiming that their boards have spent more time on improving ESG performance during the same period. This compares to under a quarter of medium-sized businesses that have increased spending (24%) and time spent by the board (23%).
The research also highlights that mid-sized companies are less likely to be taking a strategic approach to ESG. Fifty-five percent of very large organisations say that ESG considerations are at the heart of their business strategy and shape everything they do, compared to 43% of medium-sized organisations. And almost half (47%) of medium-sized organisations admit to performing the minimum level of ESG reporting for legal and regulatory compliance, compared to 23% of very large organisations.


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Crypto-companies are allegedly spending millions to get the sports sponsorship for the Super Bowl telecast on February 13, 2022. Coinbase Global, FTX, and Crypto.com will all have a commercial during the game, according to the Wall Street Journal.
According to Adweek, these firms are shelling out over USD 7 million for 30 seconds of NBC ad time. According to Pew research only 16 percent of Americans had invested or were trading in cryptocurrencies as of the end of last year.
Bitcoin’s price has dropped about 50percent from its peak last year as of early this month. JP Morgan, for example, cut its long-term price prediction for Bitcoin from USD 150,000 to USD 150,000. The bank believes that their new price projection for gold is USD 38,000, based on the asset’s volatility and market size. Many people are reminded of the “Dot-Com Super Bowl of 2000” in the wake of this uncertainty for the incoming class.
In the Dot-Com Era, the Super Bowl included advertising from 14 online startups and several IT corporations, according to Adweek. Crypto-megacorporations have placed a significant bet on the mainstream by drawing a total of 96.4 million viewers across all media in a sports event.
Crypto.com spent USD 6.5 million for a 30-second broadcast on NBC, while FTX paid USD 20 million for a comparable spot, according to an AMBCrypto article. According to Sprout Social analysis, after two months of Crypto.com’s ad launch in late October, the number of unfavourable crypto-tweets quadrupled from 8percent to 16percent.


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Over three million Australians engaged with online journals, blogs and forums over the past year, new data by Roy Morgan Research has revealed.
In the 12 months to June 2016, a total of 3,024,000 Aussies aged 14 years and over (15 per cent) read or added comment to blogs or forums, or managed a blog themselves in an average four-week period.
Within the blogosphere, 1.7 million Aussies read or added comment to someone else’s online journal or blog, 1.2 million viewed or contributed to online forums, and 480,000 created or managed an online journal or blog themselves.
Newspaper publishers have also capitalised on people’s interest in blog content as a means to reach and engage audiences, according to Roy Morgan.
In an average four-week period, almost 1.1 million of us read or commented on an online newspaper blog, with some publishers’ digital audiences more keen than others.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine noted that the number of Australians engaging with blogs and forums online has grown consistently over the past four years.
“In an average four weeks, three million of us now read, add comments to or manage a blog or forum, up 28 per cent overall since 2012,” she said.
“All this growth in blogging activity has been driven by rising visitation via mobile phone. Newspaper blogs in particular have benefited from the rise of smartphones. Visitation via computer has been fairly flat since 2012, but quadrupled on mobiles. Nearly 1.1 million Australians read or add comment to newspaper blogs, and 52 per cent now do some or all of their newspaper blog reading and posting via mobile phone.
“With many newspapers now live blogging major events online and hosting blogs on a wide range of topics, mobiles have become the ideal device to refresh posts, scroll through updates and read the latest comments throughout the day.”
In this opinion piece, Alpha Digital’s head of performance Amir Rezaee outlines the impact to brands of a potential banning of TikTok in Australia The six weeks or so since TikTok announced its local Australian office has been a busy period. Aiming to make a similar impression on SMBs as it has on its 1.6m […]
Amid the sadness of magazine closures, the challenges of COVID-19, and industry concern as companies merge or change hands, some magazines are thriving. NextMedia titles such as the much-loved frankie and ABC Gardening Australia magazine have been enjoying a surge in sales during this period of home isolation. Gardening Australia retail sales have been robust […]
In this guest post, MINT’s publicity director, Nathan McIlroy (pictured below), explores the new norm for Australian media and says Bauer’s/Mercury Capital’s recent mag closures should be viewed as an exciting opportunity for the brave… Last week’s announcement that new owners Mercury Capital were to permanently close eight of Bauer Media’s magazines sent shockwaves through […]
In a first for the Australian insurance market, Club Marine, Australia’s largest provider of boat and pleasure-craft insurance, has released a new series of videos to help explain insurance cover. With a few familiar Aussie personalities to help out, Club Marine is helping its members, as well as the broader boating community, to understand the […]
Junkee Media and parent company oOh!media have launched a powerful new way to reach young Australians – the Junkee Network. Combining Junkee Media’s content platforms with oOh!’s leading Out of Home assets in venues and universities across the country, the Junkee Network will be the largest and most influential youth content network in the country. […]
Australian small business owners are turning to skilled local freelancers and upping their digital marketing spend as they move online to connect with customers and keep cash flow positive. The Federal Government’s pandemic response has earned a tick from small business owners as have those of New South Wales and Queensland, but one in three […]
In the last 12 months, Optus’ AI Assistant Chatbot has surpassed two million conversations, with 1 in 6 Optus customers having their queries resolved immediately, providing a seamless experience without needing to speak to a person. Optus Assistant greets every customer that comes through My Optus App Messaging and its Web Messaging service with on average […]


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Log in to myFT Daily Digest to be the first to know about retail news.
What social networks have done to society, they are now doing to the markets.
Notice the similarities between last January’s riots in the U.S. Capitol and the capital riots on trading platforms like Robinhood, which goes public this week. Just as Washington was stormed by Trump supporters organizing a flash mob online, the new high-speed trading platforms have allowed retail “brothers” to team up in a multiplayer game that can only be pumped and dumped can denote various “meme” stocks and cryptocurrencies.
The bloodshed of the riot made it a much more serious event. But in both cases those involved were driven by a feeling of being somehow manipulated or undermined by a system beyond their control. By using digital networks to organize, they could strike back in some way – be it by terrorizing members of Congress or by offering GameStop to harm some hedge funds.
We understand the threat to democracy posed by platform technology. But the dangers for our financial system were less talked about when “likes” become “purchases”.
Some people, including the founders of Robinhood, claim that the online broker is “democratizing” funding by allowing beginners to bet on anything from stocks to complicated derivatives in a split second, just like the pros do. But this connects the idea of the voice with that of making a profit.
I would argue that high-speed trading platforms designed to attract the weakest of beginners (the average age of 18 million users is 31 and the average account balance is $ 240) are simply a new and more nefarious type of surveillance capitalism.
First, consider the asymmetry of power. We have no idea of the real value of the personal data sold to advertisers by platform giants like Facebook or YouTube as a hidden fee for the supposedly “free” services we enjoy online. Similarly, Robinhood users have no idea that the reason they and their retail counterparts can trade “for free” online is because their order streams are shared with bigger, richer fish.
Meanwhile, digital nudges developed by behavioral scientists whose job it is to create the most addicting interfaces make them act as much as possible and as fast as possible. Just as digital “loot boxes” get kids to play online video games and, in some cases, spend real money on things within the game, the nods to trading platforms – push notifications, happy reward icons, hot stock lists and the like – are about to get the endorphins going and the money will flow. Nobody receives any special reward for buying and holding an asset. Is it surprising that Robinhood’s growth is being led by trading complex and speculative assets such as options and NFTs?
More trading, of course, means more losses for individuals. But even for those who aren’t into this type of gamified trading, there is a downside – bizarre market volatility, driven in part by this new crop of petty speculators (think not just of the “investing” meme, but the Role of the retail platform traders in the case of large commodity price fluctuations in the past year).
It can be argued that it is unfair to stop the little guy from doing what the pros do. But there are also widespread questions about the social value of high-speed trade. “It’s all so wasteful,” says Hilary J Allen, a professor at Washington College of Law who specializes in fintech regulation. Not just gamified trading, but “the idea that we could drill holes through mountains to run fiber optics to cut someone a millisecond of trading. I mean come on! “
All of this underscores how far our market system is from its original goal of mediating between savers and borrowers by channeling money to where it is most productive. Investment apps like Robinhood are the opposite of that. They are not interested in real investments, let alone the financial system. You turned the system into a game yourself.
Technology has made markets faster, but arguably not better. It certainly didn’t make them cheaper. As scholars like Thomas Philippon have shown, none of the many technological “innovations” in financial markets since 1880 has actually reduced the cost of financial intermediation. Someone makes as much money as ever. Fintech just makes it harder to identify who.
How can you fix things? It is possible that Robinhood will fall prey to its own success. The company offers users at least 20 percent of the IPO shares, but knows what the flash mob will do with it in the long term.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, which has already fined the company for various offenses, should force platforms like Robinhood to clarify what “free” trading really means. How and to whom are user data passed on? The same should of course apply to any broker. Regulators should also apply existing anti-fraud and tampering rules to subreddit forums often used by retailers online (chat rooms are already being monitored).
I also think it is time to resume the discussion on the design of a US financial transaction tax, which is already in use in some European countries. All proceeds could be used to strengthen the digital capacity of regulators. You will need it.


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Hello AI Weekly subscribers,
Bill Ridenour here, CRO at AI Weekly / Essentials, sending a quick note about a great milestone we've achieved recently and also a great opportunity for you, our subscribers!
First of all, I want to let you know that our AI Weekly / AI Essentials has now grown to 400k audience overall and that on top of the AI Weekly newsletter we now offer 8 highly specialized AI sub-topics including 2 new ones about "AI For Good", focusing on sustainable, inclusive and positive use cases of AI and "The Business of AI", focusing on investment news, startup news, transactions and overall business activity in the AI world. Try out these subtopics. There are 64 newsletters from Essentials, covering 8 industries, including the latest newsletter on Metaverse. Click here to see the full list of newsletters.
Second, AI Weekly Pro! we’re thinking about future features and pricing. We’d like to include you in that conversation. Would you be willing to take this 2-minute survey?
Thirdly, the team at Essentials knows that a lot of you within this community are looking for ways to engage proactively with the AI community and as such, we're offering you a very special 35% discount for you to run an advertising campaign within our AI Weekly and AI Essentials publications. Use this to promote your event, webinar, product, find users, etc.
Simply reply to this email if are interested in hearing more about this opportunity.
Global Chief Revenue Officer
Faveeo / AI Weekly / Essentials


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Aishwarya Rai sure is the Queen of not only Bollywood but also of Cannes now. Aishwarya has been turning heads at Cannes International Film Festival. This year, the actress made her 15th appearance at Cannes, and like every year, she looked incredible.
Bollywood queen raised the glamour stakes when she stepped out sporting in a purple Rami Kadi gown and purple lips! Yes, the ‘Sarbjit’ actress debuted purple lips on the red carpet and this bold move of her’s has been generating mixed reviews on social media.
Keeping jewellery in the back burner Ash stunned everyone with her lipstick which really kept the attention on her for a long time.
It is so like Ash to come up with something as ingenious as this and only she can carry off this lipstick hue with so much elan and confidence. Whilst the world was spending time choosing accessories Aishwarya just chose a colour and proves to the world why she is the undisputable fashion icon.


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August 24, 2016
Heartland Discloses Theft that Could Include Unencrypted PII
June 1, 2015
New Jersey-based payment processor Heartland Payment Systems has disclosed a theft that includes computers containing personally identifiable information by way of the payrolls the company processes for employers. Heartland posted a notice on the California Attorney General’s Website notifying the public that its Santa Ana, Calif. office was broken into on May 8 by thieves who removed “many items, including password protected computers belonging to Heartland. One of these computers may have stored your Social Security number and/or bank account information processed for your employer.”
In 2008, Heartland was the victim of one of the largest network breaches ever, when the credit-card accounts of 130 million consumers were compromised. Some experts in published reports have seized on the wording of the statement to speculate that the computers that were stolen were “password protected” but not encrypted. It is not yet clear if that is the case. In its statement, Heartland was optimistic, but did not disclose if the information contained in the stolen computers is encrypted.
“We have seen no evidence suggesting that the data has been accessed on the stolen computers or used in any way, and we have no reason to believe any such use will occur,” the statement said. We have involved state and federal regulatory and law enforcement agencies to assist us in determining how to proceed with the matter at hand. Heartland continues to monitor the situation carefully and has increased its internal security and review procedures to watch for any unusual activity.”


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1 posts tagged "Ever"
L.A. might’ve lost its official fashion week earlier this year, but that doesn’t mean the city is entirely bereft of fashion shows. They’re just sprouting up in unlikely places—for instance, the shopping mecca The Grove. Tomorrow night, Barneys Co-Op labels Trovata, Petro Zillia, Genetic Denim, Ever, and Twelfth Street Cynthia Vincent will kick off the new Fashion @ The Grove series with a catwalk presentation of their Spring collections. “There is an unbelievable amount of talent here on the West Coast,” says designer Michelle Mason, who will show her Mason collection (pictured at left). “I’m excited that all who enjoy fashion will have the opportunity to experience this show.” She means it when she says “all.” The runway show and designer meet-and-greet start at 9 p.m. along The Grove’s Bow Street, and it’s open to the public. Even better, Barneys will stay open late for a post-show shopping event in case you see something you simply must have.


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BOLD ORANGE SELECTED AS 2023 FAST 50 HONOREE BY MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Minneapolis, MN, October 27, 2023 – Bold Orange Company announced today they have been named the second fastest growing company by Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Fast 50 awards recognize 50 privately held companies based in the Twin Cities with the fastest revenue growth between 2020 and 2022.
When asked about the recognition, Bold Orange’s Founder & CEO, Margaret Murphy said, “In just a few years, we’ve disrupted the landscape for agencies and led by example. We’re changing the way brands think about their customer experience, we’re leveraging the most innovative technology and we’re strategically identifying opportunities to help our clients reach their customers. These awards aren’t just about growth; it’s about the impact we’re making in the world of customer experiences and we’re only getting started.”
This is the second year in a row Bold Orange has secured the #2 spot on the list. The announcement comes on the heels of Bold Orange’s latest award as Adweek’s #1 Fastest Growing Agency in the Midwest. The company was #26 overall on the national list.
Honorees are featured in the Business Journal’s annual Fast 50 publication Oct. 27, where their rankings on the list and growth rates are revealed. Honorees were also celebrated at a private awards event Oct. 26 at U.S. Bank Stadium, during which each companies’ profile was published online as the countdown from No. 50 to No. 1 progressed.
To be eligible for the Fast 50, companies must be independently owned, privately held, for-profit businesses headquartered in the Twin Cities 24-county metro area. They also must have year-over-year revenue growth for each of the three most recently completed fiscal years and at least $1 million in revenue for the base year of the project (2020).
Participating companies also had to submit financial statements to our accounting partner for this year’s project, EisnerAmper, which was tasked with analyzing those documents to ensure eligibility and verify revenue numbers.
About Bold Orange Company
Bold Orange Company is a leading customer experience company focused on helping brands outperform in the areas of acquisition, engagement, growth and retention. They believe authentic human connections are the single most important driver of business and societal progress. They exist to create those connections and driving relevancy between businesses and their customers is what they do. Solutioning through strategy, content, technology, media and analytics is how they do it. Human-led, purposeful, brave, future-focused. That is who they are.
About Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal is a multi-platform media company providing in-depth coverage of local business communities and breaking news reaching hundreds of thousands of readers each week. Through print, digital products such as its twice-a-day emailed news digests and face-to-face events, the Business Journal offers business leaders many avenues for making connections and gives them a competitive edge locally, regionally and nationally. Visit us at mspbj.com to learn more.


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Companies are heavily adopting low-code/no-code, without realizing the risks it employs nor their part in the shared responsibility model,” said Zenity co-founder and CEO Ben Kliger. “We empower CIOs and CISOs to seamlessly govern their low-code/no-code applications and prevent unintentional data leaks, disturbance to business continuity, compliance risks, or malicious breach
I’m Rajeev Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO of Markovate, an innovative digital product development firm with a focus on AI and Machine Learning. With over a decade in the field, I’ve led key projects for major players like AT&T and IBM, specializing in mobile app development, UX design, and end-to-end product creation. Armed with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Scrum Alliance certifications, I continue to drive technological excellence in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.


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Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for MP3.
In a universe filled with overvalued Internet stocks,
may be the most staggering story of all. The Web-music start-up offers songs no one wants through a technology it doesn't own. Its market: anyone bored enough to rummage through the offerings of more than 30,000 artists in the hope of finding the next
But wait, there's more. MP3.com's top executives include Thomas Spiegel, who ran a California savings-and-loan into the ground a decade ago, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion, according to regulators. Spiegel, obsessed with personal security, built two antiterrorist bomb shelters at his S&L's headquarters. A 1990
Los Angeles Times
story reported that he had as many as 19 private security officers protecting him, some armed with automatic weapons.
MP3.com hired Spiegel in July. He's in charge of "strategic business opportunities."
For all this, investors have rewarded MP3.com with a valuation of more than $3.5 billion. Even for an Internet stock, that valuation is generous, at roughly 50 times MP3's projected 2000 revenue. (Yes, that's revenue, not profit. Like most Internet companies, MP3 isn't expected to be profitable for the foreseeable future.) By way of comparison, the average Internet stock trades at about 20 times next year's expected revenue, according to
Day of Reckoning
But the day of reckoning may be approaching for MP3.com, which faces increasing attacks from both traditional record companies and other Internet music sites. The announcement last Tuesday that
will open a true Internet music label,
Jimmy and Doug's Farm Club
, is only the first shot in the coming battle among traditional record companies to retake the Internet. (Since Seagram's announcement, MP3.com stock has fallen to just over 50 from 60.
wrote about Seagram's announcement.) Meanwhile, MP3.com must fight for consumer attention with newer Web start-ups like
, which features news and songs from established artists at its
"Most consumers of music want music that they already know they like," says Dave Goldberg, Launch's chief executive. "What is MP3 doing? They're basically making unsigned artists available to consumers. That's pretty easy to replicate. The bigger question is, do consumers care?"
To be sure, Goldberg has his own bias, since he's staked his company's future on working closely with major labels. But independent industry analysts agree with his assessment.
"I do not see anything that MP3.com has or has built up that protects it from more recognizable music from people we know and trust," says Mark Hardie, a senior analyst covering entertainment for
, the technology consulting firm, which as a policy won't disclose whether it has consulted for companies mentioned in this story.
With its huge variety of bands, MP3.com is a "flea market" of music, Hardie says. "But a flea market is not where most people shop on an regular basis. ... In discussions around the music industry, I think there is very little support for MP3's model as the future of the music business." Three other independent analysts echoed that sentiment but asked not to be identified.
Indeed, very few of the people who visit MP3.com buy music from the site. In October, for example, about 470,000 people visited the MP3.com site on any given day, according to the company's figures, but the company sold only 18,300 CDs for the entire month -- or just 600 a day. In other words, barely one person in a thousand found music worth buying at MP3.com. In addition, while the number of unique visitors to MP3.com continues to increase, the number of pages each person views per visit has fallen from 6.7 in July to 5.6 in October. That drop is more proof that MP3.com is having a tough time keeping visitors interested in its offerings.
So what's MP3.com's long-term plan? The company's not saying. After repeated requests for an interview for this story, MP3.com responded that only Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Robertson could speak for the company and that Robertson didn't have time to comment.
The sell-side analysts who follow MP3.com, all of whom work for investment banks that underwrote the company's July offering, also didn't return requests for comment. But their research reports downplay the importance of MP3.com's music sales to its overall revenue growth.
Credit Suisse First Boston
estimates that only 7% of MP3's revenue next year will come from sales on its site, with the rest coming from advertising, both online and at the music tours that MP3.com is sponsoring. That revenue split makes clear that despite its talk of revolutionizing the record business, MP3.com isn't really selling music to consumers. It's selling eyeballs to advertisers. Unfortunately, without good music, eyeballs may soon be hard to come by.
Ace in the Hole
Still, MP3 does have one big ace up its sleeve: a rich agreement from
, a private French investment company that controls the luxury conglomerate
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton
. Arnault will spend $150 million over the next three years on advertising, marketing and promotional services from MP3.com.
In addition, the agreement is set up so that MP3.com will get $5 million this year, $40 million in 2000, $70 million in 2001 and $35 million in the first half of 2002. That structure means MP3.com, which had only $6.5 million in revenue in the first nine months of this year, is guaranteed to see its revenue soar for the next two years. In fact, based on analyst estimates, it appears that the Arnault agreement will represent about half of MP3.com's total revenue over the next two years.
Arnault, which has set up a $550 million investment fund called
to invest in the Internet, also agreed to buy about 3.3 million shares of MP3 stock at 28 when the stock went public in July, a $92 million investment that so far is solidly in the black. Tuesday the stock TKTK.
Groupe Arnault doesn't publicly discuss its investments or Internet strategy, but one person at the company says it views MP3.com as "a unique marketing opportunity that could work not only for the companies under the LVMH umbrella but also for some of the companies that Groupe Arnault has invested in. ... We do believe in the concept and the overall approach that MP3.com is taking."
They don't have much company. And long before the Arnault agreement expires in 2002, the music may stop for MP3.


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- Google's Pixel 4 comes with radar technology known as Soli, which lets you operate the device using touch-free gestures and can sense when you're nearby.
- While Google's approach may be different, it's far from being the first company to add motion controls to smartphones. Companies like LG and Samsung have done so in the past, but neither of these firms have succeeded in making motion-detection feel truly useful.
- Whether or not Google's motion-sensing features will actually provide value to the user experience remains to be seen. But it could be laying the breadcrumbs for a future in which our phones become more intelligent about their surroundings.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
At first blush, Google's new Pixel 4 may look and feel a lot like other smartphones.
It has many of the features that have become the norm for today's mobile devices, such as a large, vibrant screen and an advanced camera system made up of more than one lens.
But just above the display there's a critical component not found on any other phone: a compact radar system known as Soli, which enables the Pixel 4 to understand when you're nearby and respond to touchless gestures. Google's Advanced Technology & Projects group has been refining the technology for five years, making it small enough and powerful enough to work in a device like the Pixel 4.
Other than the Pixel 4's improved camera, the phone's new Soli-powered Motion Sense features were the centerpiece of the search giant's presentation about its new smartphone on Tuesday. With Google's Soli technology, you'll be able to skip songs on apps like Spotify and YouTube and snooze alarms just by waving your hand. Two new apps — "Pokémon Wave Hello" and "Headed South" — also take advantage of the tech, making it possible to interact with or control game characters with a wave.
And while Google's approach may be unusual, it's far from being the first company to add motion controls to smartphones. Companies like LG and Samsung have done so in the past, but neither of these firms have been successful.
Rival smartphone makers have failed to find a way to make motion detection useful
While the Pixel 4's radar technology may be impressive from an engineering and design standpoint, its unclear how valuable consumers will find the new Motion Sense features.
The Pixel 4 may be the only phone with a radar sensor, but it's certainly not the first mobile device to support touchless gestures. Samsung and LG have previously implemented features in their mobile devices that make it possible to control a smartphone without physically touching it.
Take LG's G8 ThinQ as an example. That phone has a front-facing 3D sensor that can scan your hand and detect motion, which it uses to power a feature LG calls Air Motion. Through Air Motion, you can perform tasks like launching apps or turning up the volume by holding your hand above the phone and performing gestures.
Back in 2013, Samsung also introduced a similar feature on the Galaxy S4 that allowed you to skip songs, swipe through pictures in your photo gallery, or answer a call by waving your hand above the display.
Neither of those features, however, appeared to be a hit. Reviewers criticized LG's Air Motion for being gimmicky, useless, or difficult to use. While critics weren't quite as harsh on Samsung's gesture technology in 2013, the reaction to the Galaxy S4's motion recognition features was lukewarm at best. Suffice it to say that the ability to manipulate your phone without touching it was not a selling point for either device. With the Pixel 4, Google will have to prove that its Soli technology will be different.
But Motion Sense could be laying the groundwork for bigger advancements in the future
Of course, the radar technology in Google's new smartphone can do a lot more than just respond to your hand movements. Perhaps the most compelling use for Soli is its ability to sense when you're nearby, which helps it unlock the phone more quickly as you're reaching for it and intelligently turn off the display when you're away.
Such functionality could be hugely important for Google as it carries out its vision for mobile devices down the line.
Google's Mario Queiroz, who previously served as the vice president for the Pixel business before moving to a new position in the office of CEO Sundar Pichai, previously told Business Insider that bringing more intelligence to your smartphone will be critical for premium smartphones future.
"We're really moving to a world of ambient computing," Queiroz said to Business Insider several months ago ahead of the Pixel 3a's launch. "I really think that this transition to ambient computing, where your smartphone becomes even more intelligent about what's going on around you and even more helpful to you based on that information, is one of the [industry] trends."


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List of Top Ten Cryptocurrencies
This week saw a lot of the correction in the cryptocurrency market that has been due for the last two months. After exploding from $200 billion market cap at the beginning of December 2017, to a high of $850 billion in the second week of January, the market is entering a phase of correction and consolidation. The week started at around $700 billion cap. KryptoMoney bring another weekly list of top ten cryptocurrencies based on market capitalisation.
Anyone who has been in the cryptocurrency market for more than a year has seen correction similar to and even worse than this. Bitcoin (down 16% w-o-w) evangelists from Wall Street have said that Bitcoin could touch $100,000 this year but that is unlikely to be a straight ride up. All major cryptocurrencies have continued to see downtrend of about 10-20% this week, continuing last weeks fall. The most affected cryptocurrencies in the top 10 have been Bitcoin Cash (down 16% w-o-w) and Stellar (down 25% w-o-w). There does not seem to be a clear pattern among the cryptocurrencies which have seen significant downtrend except that market is in a correction phase.
The market could continue to go down further if investors panic sell and lose confidence in the market however that is unlikely. Since the incredible amount of growth that the market has seen in the last two months, there are a lot more people that are interested in entering the crypto market. So if the rumours about South Korea banning cryptocurrencies would die down, the market could quickly start seeing positive growth.
List of Top Ten Cryptocurrencies as on 21 January, 2018
KryptoMoney.com publishes a list of top ten cryptocurrencies on every Sunday. This is our third weekly list for the year 2018 and the previous one was published on 14 January,2017
|S.No||Name||Market Cap||Price||Supply ( in Circulation)|
|4||Bitcoin Cash||$29,950,807,645||$1,769.72||16,924,038 BCH|
*Market Capitalization is calculated by multiplying the price with the supply of coins in circulation.
KryptoMoney.com publishes latest news and updates about Bitcoin, Blockchain Technology , Cryptocurrencies and upcoming ICO’s.
Subscribe to our newsletters and join our Telegram Channel to stay updated.


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Existing Industries Expansions
Nissin Brake Expands, Adding 30 New Jobs
Rock Spring, GA (December 31, 2013) - Nissin Brake Georgia, Inc., is finishing a 50,000-square-foot expansion and adding 30 new jobs at its Rock Spring, Georgia facility. This nearly $33 million investment will bring the factory's total size to about 150,000 square feet and its workforce to 235 employees.
Woodbrige Expansion to Create 70 New Jobs
Chattanooga, TN ( October 31, 2013) - The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that the Woodbridge Group's new manufacturing plant in Chattanooga will employ 70 full-time workers. The international automotive supplier will invest $8.5 million to add a new formed plastics facility to the the two plants the company already operates in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga, TN (August 15, 2013) - WNA known as American Plastics for a number of years, unveiled plans to invest nearly $22 million to add a new production line to one of its two local operations and create 53 new jobs over three years. The company employs about 270 workers in Chattanooga.
$88 Million Expansion Underway at LaFayette, Georgia Roper Corporation
LaFayette, GA (August 7, 2013) - GE announced an $88 million expansion at its LaFayette, Geogia-based cooking products plant, as part of a $1 billion investment the company is making in its appliances division.
Convergys Adding 400 Jobs
Chattanooga, TN (August 6, 2013) - Convergys Corp. is creating 400 jobs at its Chattanooga call center. Convergys has a 65,000-square-foot operation at Eastgate Town Center. These 400 jobs along with the announcement of 500 jobs earlier in the year will bring employment for the company to upward of 1,700 people.
Benton Steel Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony
Dunlap, TN (July 12, 2013) - Benton Steel Fabrication held a groundbreaking ceremony in celebration of their plans to construct a new 400,000 square foot facility in Dunlap, Tennessee.
HomeServe USA Announces Expansion
Chattanooga, TN (June 5, 2013) - HomeServe USA officials announced today the company will expand its Chattanooga, Tennessee operations. The expansion will add an additional 100 customer service positions in Hamilton County and represents an investment of $65,000.
Transcard LLC Plans Expansion at Chattanooga Operations
Chattanooga, TN (May 2013) - TransCard LLC officials announced plans to expand their operations in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The expansion represents a $925,000 investment and will create 69 new jobs in Hamilton County.
IBI Power Expansion Adds 60 New Jobs, $5 Million in Investment
Chattanooga, TN (Sept. 20, 2010) - IBI Power, a custom power packaging and integration solutions provider headquartered in Caldwell, Idaho, will locate its expansion to the Southeast in Chattanooga. The expansion represents an investment of $5 million and will create at least 60 new jobs.
IBI manufactures metal generator enclosures, metal equipment centers that hold electronic switchgear components and metal battery housings and control buildings, among other products
Chattanooga Announces Only 1 Gigabit Broadband Service in U.S.
Chattanooga, TN (September 13, 2010) - EPB Fiber Optics, Chattanooga's municipally-owned fiber-to-the-premises network, and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced the only 1 Gigabit broadband service in the United States for residential and business customers is now available citywide in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Whirlpool Expansion Adds to Big Area Projects
Cleveland, TN (September 2, 2010) -- Whirlpool unveiled plans to build a $120 million plant in Bradley County adding130 jobs to its existing work force of 1,500, which assembles ranges and ovens.
Region Gets $21 million for Web Upgrades
LaFayette, GA (August 18, 2010) -- Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama received a $21.2 million federal stimulus package grant to expand broadband access, speed and realibilty through out the Applachian Region.
Southern Tool Steel Expansion Adds 25 New Jobs
Chattanooga, TN (April 28, 2010) -- The ripple effect of the Volkswagen project is illustrated by a $1.7 million expansion planned by Southern Tool Steel, Inc. (STS), a Chattanooga-owned distributor of metals and plastics. The project will double the production capacity of the operation and add 25 new jobs within the first year of completion.


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Over a year into the global pandemic, businesses have had to pivot to survive and adjust to new ways of conducting business. Now, more than ever, Asia Pacific business leaders are making the necessary strategic changes to meet the needs of a vastly changed business landscape — and deciding where legal expertise may be needed most to limit and manage disruption and soften risks.
The State of Play Supply Chains and Trade Realignment report delves into how businesses view rising protectionism, regulatory scrutiny and foreign investment restrictions, and how these views are directly impacting their supply chain strategies.
Key highlights include:
- Top concerns for businesses including trade disputes, rising protectionism and regulatory scrutiny
- Shifting investment trends and plans for supply chain diversification in the region
- Key risk areas around strategic transformation for business renewal
- Forward-looking perspectives on regional efforts, sustainability and more
Access the full report here.


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The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is unveiling a legislative agenda that includes lifting major restrictions on how alcohol is sold and distributed in the state.
Under the plan unveiled today, the Chamber is not only pushing for Sunday retail alcohol sales and cold beer at convenience and grocery stores but also allowing beer, wine and spirits to be sold as long as a party has a valid permit.
Currently, retailers are restricted by what they can sell, based on the permit. Chamber President Kevin Branigear tells Indy Politics this would allow for a more free-market approach to the state’s alcohol market.
The Chamber also supports tougher restrictions and penalties to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.
In addition to rewriting the state’s alcohol laws, the agenda also includes improving workforce development and opposing legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes since it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
You can hear Brinegar in the Leon-Tailored Audio above. It runs about 17 minutes.


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In July 2012, Gauthier Biomedical moved its offices and factory to a $10 million, 80,000-square-foot building in Grafton. The company has invested $8 million in equipment, including more than $4 million in the past two years. It now employs more than 80 people, with plans to hire an additional 25 this year. That growth came by reinvesting profits and without money from outside investors. Read the full Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here.
- InsideWis:January 23, 2020
- BizTimes Milwaukee: Economic Trends: 20 Milwaukee startups to watch in 2020January 20, 2020
- Diverse group of judges, investors to screen entries for 2020 Governor’s Business Plan ContestJanuary 16, 2020
- Navigating choppy waters to do business overseas topic of Feb. 4 Tech Council luncheon in AppletonJanuary 16, 2020
- Wisconsin student entries welcome by Jan. 31 for 2020 Governor’s Business Plan ContestJanuary 16, 2020


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Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto dominate the screen in “House of Gucci,” an epic telling of the Italian fashion dynasty.
The new Ithaca College fashion organization, Human By Design (HBD), was created by students with a mission to put humanity into the fashion industry.
The Passion Project is dedicated to self-empowerment, embracing youth culture, inspiration and social issues within and beyond Ithaca College.
The IC International Club held its annual Interfashional Night at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24. The fashion show spotlighted clothing from around the globe.
Ithaca College senior Gabby Jorio is using her passions for art history and fashion to revolutionize the fashion industry and society’s definition of beauty.
Quasi Culture Club is a new fashion line founded by IC freshmen Josh Glass and Zac Collopy, where the clothing is made from upcycling pieces from thrift stores.
For our Fall Break Trip, the majority of Flat #5 ran off on a Bus2Alps trip to Italy, the great Latini homeland! My favorite stop was Venice, a city in which there are more canals than streets. On the first day of our visit, the streets were so flooded that we needed to walk on ramps…


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Khalifa Fund, F&B Manufacturers Group and Hunter Foods join efforts for the future entrepreneurs!
ABU DHABI, 26th October 2021
Khalifa Fund and the F&B Manufacturers Business Group (FBMG) have revealed the official outcomes from the year-long F&B Innovation Lab, an initiative that aimed to discover, guide and mentor the UAE’s next innovative F&B products, which were rooted in sustainability, health, and convenience.
Khalifa Fund revealed during a ceremony held in the Department of Economic Development that Al Ain Farms, UAE Macaroni Factories, and Hunter Foods have entered the final stages before commercialising 4 Emirati projects, pitched by UAE entrepreneurs: Bakhita Ziad Raeisi, Bisher Zumot, Meera Al Khayyal, Rowayyah Abdulla Ali Al Hefeiti and Shaima Surour Mubraka Al Zaabi, through the F&B Innovation Lab initiative. The initiative gave talented UAE entrepreneurs with innovative F&B concepts the opportunity to convert their ideas into marketable products by connecting them with the largest F&B manufacturers in the UAE.
Rashed Al Blooshi, Vice Chairman of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, stated, “As part of Khalifa Fund’s contribution towards enhancing the UAE’s F&B sector with innovative new solutions, we’re beyond proud to round-off the first edition of the F&B Innovation Lab with these original and innovative UAE projects which will now take the next steps towards the market. Following an extensive programme, which comprised of product design, incubation and now commercialisation, our manufacturing partners Al Ain Farms, Emirates Macaroni Factory and Hunter Foods have identified key concepts that will provide the UAE’s F&B sector with scalable products that offer consumers with solutions rooted in sustainability, convenience and health.
He added, “The F&B Innovation Lab was the first-of-its-kind initiative for the F&B sector in the UAE, and it’s undoubtedly proved to be a successful platform for developing Emirati talent in the F&B sector. We look forward to potentially seeing these innovative concepts hit the market, and help shape the future of the UAE’s F&B sector.”
Saleh Lootah, Chairman, UAE Food & Beverage Manufacturers Group, said, “We believe that the biggest, long term investment the F&B Manufacturers can do is to invest in the human capital of UAE by creating opportunities for the nationals to play an active role in this sector. F&B Innovation Lab programme is designed to tap into the synergies that can be brought out of the collaboration of different ecosystem players to drive this human capital development drive in UAE.”
The F&B Innovation Lab is set to return for its next edition in 2022. Aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike can register for the opportunity to participate in the coveted initiative, by following


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Refugee resettlement could boost produce sector, say Aussie industry leaders
In a release, Voice of Horticulture (VoH) chair Tania Chapman emphasized horticulture was the largest agricultural industry employer in the country, and was very reliant on seasonal workers including both backpackers and those on temporary work visas.
"The industry is worth about [AUD]$10 billion (US$712 million) at farm gate and while mechanisation of the industry is increasing, pruning and harvesting is still labour intensive," she said.
The group said Middle Eastern migrants from Iraq and Afghanistan had made a significant contribution to the sector in the Goulburn Valley and elsewhere.
"Middle Eastern workers have distinguished themselves by their work ethic, ability to pick up and apply skills as well as their commitment to the industry," said Craig Boyce, CEO of pome fruit and stonefruit consortium Integrity Fruit.
Apple and Pear Australia Ltd CEO John Dollisson said the horticulture was very accommodating with new migrants, who had provided the industry with a well needed supply of pruning and harvesting skills.
"Since the first wave of post-war migration, Italian, Greek and Turkish migrants have established themselves in the horticulture sector and are now major players and Vietnamese and Cambodian horticulturalists are now also prominent in the vegetable growing industry," Dollisson said.
The Voice of Horticulture is actively engaging with major employers and growers across Australia and seeking meetings with politicians to ensure that the labour hire arrangements are both attractive and flexible.
The horticulture industry currently employs more than 60,000 people across Australia, and will need more as plantings increase and demand for Australian fruits, vegetables and nuts grows in Asia, where recent free trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan and South Korea bode well for exporters.
The Voice of Horticulture, which represents horticultural growers and businesses across fruit, nuts, mushrooms, turf, nursery plants and cut flowers, has been discussing the need for increased flexibility in the minimum hours worked in relation to 417 (working holiday) visa workers as well as the possibility of a Green Card system to promote the increased transparency and traceability of imported seasonal workers.
The horticulture industry is the third largest agriculture industry by value and the largest agriculture industry employer and therefore an important contributor to the economies of many growing regions.


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Bugatti is set to be sold by VW - and it isn't hard to see why
Sky's Ian King says it is not difficult to understand why VW would be tempted to let go of some of its luxury brands.
Thursday 17 September 2020 22:37, UK
It is one of the world's most famous luxury brands and maker of the world's fastest production car - and it could soon have a new owner.
Bugatti is set to be sold by its current parent, Volkswagen, to the Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, according to the German magazine Manager.
A sale would mark the end of an inspiring story and mark a partial unravelling of the empire built by Ferdinand Piech, the engineering genius who rescued VW from bankruptcy and, over several decades, made it one of the world's biggest and most profitable carmakers.
Dr Piech, who died last year, did more than anyone to make Bugatti a success.
It is perhaps no surprise that, barely a year on from Dr Piech's death, VW is looking to sell the brand he revived and which he described as his "favourite toy".
The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt VW an immense blow.
Following a 23% drop in sales, the company reported a pre-tax loss of €1.4bn (£1.3bn) for the first six months of this year, compared with a profit of €9.6bn (£8.8bn) in the same period last year.
With net debt of around €162bn (£148bn), it is the world's most indebted company, at a time when it is needing to invest billions of euros in developing electric and driverless vehicles.
Research and developments costs during the first half of 2020 alone came to €6.7bn (£6.1bn). It needs to spend every penny carefully and a "hobby brand", as Bugatti has been seen in some parts of VW, is no longer a priority.
Nor is this the first time that a sale of Bugatti has been mooted. There was speculation five years ago, following the "dieselgate" emissions scandal, that VW could dispose of the brand to raise money.
Mr Rimac, who has been nicknamed "the Elon Musk of Croatia", also knows VW well.
Porsche, which owns 53.3% of VW, took a 10% stake in his electric supercar company, Rimac Automobili, which it has since raised to 15.5%.
At the time of its original investment, in June 2018, Porsche talked openly of transferring Mr Rimac's technology to both Bentley and Bugatti. Since then, Peter Tutzer - a key player in the development of the Veyron - has joined Mr Rimac as its senior technical adviser.
And Mr Rimac has famously compared his flagship vehicle - in which another former Top Gear presenter, Richard Hammond, was almost killed in 2017 - to the Bugatti.
The emotional wrench to the Piech and Porsche families of offloading Bugatti could be tempered, according to the magazine, by putting Porsche at the heart of any sale. It is being suggested that any sale of Bugatti would not see any cash change hands but see Porsche raise its stake in Mr Rimac.
The magazine's Europe editor, George Kacher, wrote: "If the future of motoring is electric, not 1500 horsepower petrol-powered hypercars that sell in the hundreds, then getting their hooks further into Rimac, a company with a reputation for stellar electric vehicle technology, sounds very beneficial indeed."
Bugatti was founded in 1909 by the Italian-born entrepreneur Ettore Bugatti in Molsheim, now part of France but then, part of Germany. The company was a pioneer in grand prix racing - a Bugatti won the first ever Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 - and the marque also won accolades after triumphing at Le Mans. Its cars were driven by monarchs and heads of state and the brand was lauded for turning fast cars into art.
But a series of disasters conspired against the business.
Mr Bugatti's eldest son, Jean, was killed in 1939 test-driving a racing car while Bugatti's factory was left in ruins during the Second World War. Mr Bugatti subsequently sought to revive the business but died in 1947. And so, it seemed, did this most romantic of marques. Production ended in the 1950s and the business ended up merging with its rival Hispano-Suiza. The combined business, in turn, was bought in 1968 by Snecma, the French aircraft engineering group famous for its work developing Concorde.
The brand was picked up in 1987 by the Italian businessman Romano Artioli who, in partnership with Mr Bugatti's youngest son, Michel, opened a new factory at Modena in Italy in 1990 to make a new model, the EB 110, capable to speeds of up to 325km per hour.
The company subsequently acquired Lotus, the famous British sports car marque, but a planned stock market flotation in 1994 floundered. In September 1995, having built just 139 cars over four years, the business went bankrupt. Mr Artioli retained ownership of the Bugatti brand.
Enter Dr Piech, fresh from losing a drawn-out battle with rival BMW for ownership of Rolls-Royce Motors, the most famous luxury car brand of them all. Having already bought Lamborghini, he was keen to own more luxury and supercar brands to take VW upmarket, enabling it to compete more effectively with both BMW and Daimler-Benz.
Mr Artioli was persuaded to sell VW the Bugatti brand in June 1998 and, just a few months later, unveiled a Bugatti concept car at the Paris Motor Show. The EB 118 was greeted with disbelief. Designed by Dr Piech himself, it was the first passenger car to have an 18-cylinder engine. Other versions followed and the fourth concept car became the Bugatti Veyron, launched in 2005, boasting a top speed of 407km per hour (253mph) - faster than a Formula One car.
It won vast accolades including, from among others, the BBC's Top Gear programme which, in 2009, named it best car of the decade after racing it against an aircraft.
In 2008, presenter James May drove the car at its top speed, stating at the time: "I'm pretty confident that's as far as I'm ever going to go in a car. Incredible. It's made my eyes water. It's a bit disorientating."
Three years later, he drove it at a new top speed of 417km per hour. Colleague Jeremy Clarkson described it as "cartoonishly fast".
By then, the Veyron had been officially named the world's fastest car in the Guinness Book of Records, but while it was an engineering triumph, in financial terms, it was anything but. VW is estimated to have lost $5m (£3.9m) for each Veyron built.
For Dr Piech, that was never the point. His aim was to show that a supercar could be designed and built from scratch. Throughout, he insisted that a Bugatti had to be distinctive but immediately recognisable, frequently reminding people of Mr Bugatti's original mantra: "If it's comparable, it's not a Bugatti."
The Bugatti Chiron followed. Named in honour of Louis Chiron, the famous French motor racing driver who had worked at the Molsheim site, it was launched in 2017 with a UK price tag of £2.5m.
Despite its past losses, more recently, VW has insisted that Bugatti has made a "positive contribution" to its financial performance.
Such a sale is unlikely to be the end of VW's pruning of its portfolio. The speculation is that, if it offloads Bugatti, disposals of Bentley and Lamborghini could follow.