text:
With this acquisition, the Bengaluru-based startup will now offer courses in data and business analytics in addition to web development and UI/UX design as it aims to become a one-stop destination for outcome-based education in India, Masai School founder and chief executive Prateek Shukla told ET.
Prepleaf, founded in 2017 by IIT Kanpur alumni Ankit Agrawal, Amit Saharan and Aman Singhal, offers 5-month-long courses in data analytics.
This is Masai School’s second acquisition after Bengaluru-based institute Design Shift Academy to offer courses in user experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design, in addition to its full stack web development course.
It comes after the company announced an undisclosed sum of funding from the likes of Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Cred founder Kunal Shah in October and had raised a Series A round led by Omidyar Network India earlier in the year.
“We have over 700 hiring partners recruiting skilled developers from us,” Shukla said. “This acquisition helps us increase the offering for our hiring partners.”
Prepleaf has around 250 students enrolled in the data analytics test preparation courses.
Like Masai, it offers courses through an income share agreement, where students study at zero-upfront fees and only pay if they earn more than Rs 5 lakh per annum after course completion. Prepleaf’s average placement rate is 90% with an average salary package Rs 7.5 lakh.
“Prepleaf was founded with the single-minded focus of creating a paradigm shift in access to quality tech education and jobs in data and business analytics,” its cofounder Ankit Agrawal said. “We are certainly thrilled to be part of the Masai family and make this ambition a reality by transforming the way skill-based education is delivered today and creating a world-class talent pool from India.”
Masai School’s Shukla said the company constantly evolve its curriculum to offer the most relevant skilled resources to recruiters. “Over 50 startup CTOs (chief technology officers) help us develop the curriculum so people can start working immediately with relevant skillsets.”
He said the company is on track to report annualisedrecurring revenueof $18 million by the next financial year. “We hope to have over 30,000 students graduating next year,” he said.
“Earlier we used to think that we should expand to other geographies, but we realised that post-Covid global companies are hiring from us anyway,” Shukla said. “So, we will continue to focus on the India market.”
Masai School’s 700+ hiring partners include Samsung, Sharechat, Urban Company, Instamojo, Airmeet, GlobalLogic, Lendingkart, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Nobroker, and Paytm.
Around 65% of its full-time students come from non-computer science backgrounds with at least 20% joining after their 12th standard without undergraduate degrees. Over 70% of these students come from tier 2 and 3 cities. Engineering students usually opt for part-time courses.
Founded in 2019, Masai School offers courses online and through its offline campuses in Bengaluru, Patna, Pune and Indore. It works with NBFCs to underwrite the students’ fees.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Brands & Companies
- Indices End 8-Day Rally Ahead of US Jobs Data
Indian equities reversed their eight-day winning streak Friday, taking a pause on their record-breaking path as traders trimmed bullish bets ahead of key US jobs data and carried lighter positions to next week amid a negative undertone in global markets.Luxe EV Sales on Full Charge, Push up Waiting Period
Luxury carmakers are seeing unprecedented demand for high-end electric vehicles (EVs), with the well-heeled snapping up models such as the Mercedes Benz EQS, BMW iX and Audi e-tron.OpenAI’s Chatbot Thinks Out of the Box, Comes up with Detailed Answers
A new chatbot created by artificial intelligence non-profit OpenAI Inc has taken the internet by storm, as users speculated on its ability to replace everything from playwrights to college essays.
ETPrime stories of the day
10 mins read
8 mins read
9 mins read


text:
International digital bank ING has been focusing on “meaningful” marketing activity throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
ING head of retail banking Melanie Evans says instead of releasing a statement or an ad that said the bank was “here to help”, the bank took an “actions speak louder than words” approach.
“Instead of shifting our marketing strategy and our brand spend directly on advertising and more traditional forms of marketing, we wanted to make sure that we really understood what customers wanted from us,” Evans told AdNews.
“When you sit down and speak to a customer, very few people say, ‘I want to see an ad’.”
As a digital-first bank, ING didn’t need to focus its efforts on teaching customers how to bank online or over the phone.
Instead, it began with making more traditional brand acts such as offering customers repayment holidays and bonus savings products.
As the nation got settled into working from home though, Evans says it became clear that people’s behaviours were also changing.
This prompted the launch of a month-long partnership with Uber Eats where ING paid the delivery fee on all orders paid for with an ING card.
ING head of marketing Danielle Hamilton says the results were a marketer’s dream come true.
“In terms of amplifying this offer, we sent one email to our active customer case and that was it,” Hamilton says.
“There was no traditional spend. That organic goodwill and share of voice led us to having over 100,000 customers apply for the promo code.”
Spun together in 10 days from concept to delivery, Hamilton says it was the right time and right proposition that helped make the offer so successful.
For ING, partnerships only make up a small part of its marketing mix.
“I don’t want to sponsor the cricket, but if I can actually add value to a customer [like with Uber Eats] that is a really compelling partnership proposition,” she says.
Likewise, Evans says the partnership was the perfect alignment with ING’s brand promise and focus on providing real utility and financial value.
Following the partnership and some of the traditional brand acts it had executed, the next phase of ING’s marketing strategy was to launch a content series, Real Talk, with the help of one of its agencies CHE Proximity.
“It’s all about helping Australians navigate uncertainty - whether that’s about employment, saving, renovation,” Evans says.
“Instead of using typical banking types, we’re partnering with more reputable financial advisors and lifestyle influencers to try and break through the jargon and actually give people some meaningful tips.”
Among those to feature in the series are Glen James from podcast My Millennial Money; DJ, TV host and social media influencer Flex Mami; Australian cook and Masterchef winner Larissa Takchi; and financial planner and founder of Sugar Mumma TV, Canna Campbell.
Building upon Real Talk, the bank is soon to launch Real Support which will see it offer customers free one-on-one financial counselling for customers under significant financial strain.
Evans says the bank recognised that many of its customers are going through financial hardships at the moment that wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for the pandemic.
“We can help them put together a budget with a money coach or a financial counsellor and give them practical help in getting themselves out of the pick that they might find themselves in,” she says.
“Now, would anyone have ever thought that a marketing budget would go towards offering customers one-to-one money counselling and coaching sessions?”
While the idea for Real Support was born initially from the pandemic, she says it is something the bank will continue to offer customers for the long-term as part of its ongoing brand promise.
With the foundations of its meaningful brand acts now fully laid, Hamilton says the bank finally felt it was the right time to release an ad.
“We felt like we had demonstrated enough tangible brand acts and gestures,” Hamilton says.
“And it was a really nice moment to remind our customers that we’re by their sides, sitting in a similar spot to them.”
Throughout the pandemic, ING has been conducting human-centred research to inform its decisions on all marketing activity including for Real Talk and Real Support.
One thing the research revealed was an increasing desire for customers to talk to a real life human during these periods of self-isolation.
This was backed up by feedback from its call centre that noted customers were spending more time on the phone just to “have a chat”.
The bank used these insights as the basis to launch a TVC, created by Ogilvy, to put a face to its digital business.
Evans says all the people featured in the commercial are staff members who are based out of ING’s call centre on the central coast of New South Wales.
“We have a wonderful group of humans on the central coast of New South Wales who were not only going COVID as people themselves, but they had the added complication of having to do their job from their living room or kitchen table,” Evans says.
“We just thought it was a really great opportunity to put a human face to our very digital bank.”
Behind the scenes shooting the ING TVC.
From sisters who live together to babies bouncing on laps and furry friends, the ad takes viewers inside the homes of those people they are actually speaking to on the phone, alongside the ING contact centre where another team member is still working.
The campaign has rolled out across digital and social channels as well television with media handled by UM.
It will also be featured across ING’s owned channels and will be used to support the bank’s other activity like Real Talk, Real Support and some of the other brand acts it has made during this period.
As it continues to make brand acts, Evans says the bank has been well-placed to stand out among competitors as it had been prior to the pandemic.
While other banks have been focused on regaining trust, she says ING has been able to continue living up to its promise of being customer led.
“Our brand promise is different. Our culture is different. Obviously we’re a smaller, more agile organisation and essentially we’re Australia’s first fintech,” she says.
“So, I would say those points of differentiation are exactly what they were before COVID. COVID has just amplified them to some extent.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at email@example.com

domain: news


text:
Database: See details on Reno area's 'primary' businesses
There’s a new “A” list in the Reno-Sparks business community. To make it, you have to be a so-called “primary” business -- that is, bring in new revenue from outside the region, not just recycle local dollars. Thus, you’re helping funnel a net gain of money into the local economy.
And with primary businesses being a coveted target for economic development, one agency, EDAWN, is compiling a list of those companies for the greater business community to network with, and it’s growing.
An example of a primary company is the recently expanded CustomInk in south Reno.
“They’re serving the entire world versus maybe a professional services company that might market just to businesses that need services in the area,” McCormick said last week.
Now there’s a list to help people find them, and help them find each other in the Reno area. Currently there are just over 300 businesses listed, but the number is expected to grow.
Primary companies are businesses that generate much of their revenue from outside the region, according to Nancy McCormick of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada.
EDAWN has compiled an initial list of those companies. The list is growing daily, according to an EDAWN announcement, and will be updated as needed. It contains names, locations and descriptions of primary companies in Washoe, Storey and Lyon counties.
McCormick serves as a matchmaker of sorts for Northern Nevada businesses. She visits firms to help them make partnerships and figure out local resources for parts, services and expansion.
EDAWN hopes the new list will encourage business-to-business “buy local” activity.
“One of the best ways to support these companies is to do business with them,” said Mike Kazmierski, CEO of EDAWN, in a press release announcing the list.
-- Yvonne Beasley and Bill O’Driscoll


text:
Britain On Show
VisitBritain is set to welcome more than 120 international travel trade buyers for a series of educational visits across Britain.
The educational trade visits, underway from Jan. 28, are a mix of three-to-five-day itineraries to destinations across England, Wales and Scotland, showcasing the latest tourism products to international buyers.
Buyers from 16 international markets are taking part in the educational visits including representatives from the UK’s three largest inbound markets the USA, France and Germany, as well as from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, India, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, South Korea and Spain.
Paul Gauger, VisitBritain’s Executive Vice President, The Americas, Australia & New Zealand said: “Canada is an incredibly important market for the UK for inbound tourism. Working closely with international travel trade is crucial to selling travel to Britain, and we look forward to continuing our work and building towards a strong recovery in 2023.”
Gauger continued: “We are delighted for this opportunity to bring together many of our industry partners to share updates and offer first-hand experiences of the outstanding and varied tourism products on offer in Britain.”
VisitBritain’s in-country teams have worked in partnership with destination management organizations and destination management companies across England, Scotland and Wales to develop itineraries tailored to each market.
All itineraries include London before the buyers embark on visits to destinations including Manchester, Liverpool and the Lake District; Bath, Bristol and the Cotswolds; Newcastle and Northumberland; Cambridge; Somerset; the West Midlands; the English Wine Region; Edinburgh; Cardiff and other regions of Scotland and Wales.
The hosted visits are part of the national tourism agency’s ‘Showcase Britain’ event, which gets underway with a networking event for the international buyers and travel media at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Jan. 26. The buyers will be officially welcomed by VisitBritain Chairman Nick de Bois CBE followed by updates from the agency’s trade teams as well as from London & Partners, VisitScotland and Visit Wales on the latest products, experiences, hospitality and accommodation.
Before heading off on their educational tours, the buyers will also attend the ‘Britain and Ireland Marketplace’ (BIM) on Jan. 27. There they will have a full day of appointments with tourism suppliers and destinations from across Britain.
The educational visits come as VisitBritain also gears up to host its flagship global trade event ExploreGB Virtual from Feb. 27 to March 2.
VisitBritain is also set to launch a new GREAT Britain marketing campaign in February to drive bookings, inviting visitors to ‘See Things Differently’, showcasing Britain as a dynamic, exciting and inclusive destination.
The campaign is also capturing major events in 2023 including the Coronation of King Charles III in May, with an additional Bank Holiday announced, and Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, on behalf of Ukraine, also in May, timely and valuable opportunities to promote Britain’s welcome, creativity and ability to host events of the highest calibre.
VisitBritain’s latest forecast for 2023 estimates 35.1 million inbound visits to the UK, 86% of 2019 levels and 18% higher than levels seen in 2022. Its forecast for overseas visitor spending in the UK this year is £29.5 billion, a projected record high for annual inbound visitor spend.


text:
Reliance Jio’s attempts to disrupt the handset segment with low-cost 4G-enabled feature phones appears to be moving ahead at a brisk pace. Having stirred up a storm in the telecom industry with its low mobile data and free voice calling services, the Mukesh Ambani-owned firm now wants to rope in new users through an affordable 4G-enabled feature phone.
According to India TV, the Mumbai-headquartered firm is learnt to have signed up Intex as a vendor to assemble its 4G VoLTE feature phone.
Intex is set to begin production from next month and the ‘ Made in India’ devices will be priced by Jio through a subsidy model. Besides, the new telco will also manage the marketing of the handsets. Reports had it that Jio’s new 4G feature phone will be priced as low as Rs 500, a markdown from the Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 range speculated earlier.
Nidhi Markanday, director and business head, Intex Technologies, informed that the handset maker will have no say in both the aspects.
Jio’s 4G feature phones will serve two purposes. One, it will help the new entrant regain momentum in terms of bringing in more subscribers into its fold. While its entry sparked a euphoria in the telecom market, the lack of availability of 4G-capable phones at prices that masses can afford has slowed down its growth in subscribers. The company has registered over 112 million subscribers as of April 2017.


text:
Nokia have released a promotional video that features the Nokia E7's lead industrial designer, Shunjiro Eguchi, explaining the inspiration behind the device's design: 'making the complex simple'. It explains some of the thinking behind the keyboard, the mechanics and physical properties of the new high end Symbian^3 device. There's also a behind the scenes look at the E7's factory production line, concept sketches and more.
The Nokia E7 is expected to start shipping soon. The device recently became available for pre-order in Nokia Finland's online store with an availability date of February 2011.
Nokia E7 behind the scenes
When it came to designing the Nokia E7, lead industrial designer Shunjiro Eguchi sought success by making the complex, simple. This video follows him from his studio to the factory floor to explore the story behind the Nokia E7.


text:
The wine industry wants the hormone-based weedkiller 24D banned
The wine industry is calling for ban of the hormone-based weedkiller 24D after another case of spray drift wiped out several hectares of vines across a number of vineyards. The herbicide is a synthetic plant hormone that is used to control weeds - and makes up almost 7 percent of total pesticide use in New Zealand. Brian Howard, Hawkes Bay winegrower who lost six hectares of vines when they were destroyed by a weedkiller that drifted over his vineyard. He says it will cost him several hundred thousand dollars; and Philip Gregan, chief executive of New Zealand Winegrowers.


text:
Though it may seem like things wind down after spring break, there are plenty of cheap events around the city to take advantage of this weekend for a relaxing break from the return to the cycle of classes and work.
Life On The Moon
If you want to watch a free theater performance, the Gallatin School of Individualized Study Theatre Troupe will premiere its show “Life On The Moon” at 7 p.m. on Thursday to Saturday at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts. The show is about Spencer, a member of the U.S. Army, who encounters tensions with his family when he goes home for Christmas. Tickets can be reserved at eventbrite.com.
Nic and the Squad’s Variety Hour
Nic Hanson, a rising musician who was recently featured on MSNBC’s “All In” program, will perform Sunday at the DROM music venue at 9 p.m. The hour-long show is open to ages 18 and up. Hanson’s performance will be preceded by a performance by the High Class Hoodlums at 7 p.m. and a performance by Molly Chapman at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5.
Westbury Market Fair Grand Opening
If you’re in the mood to go thrift shopping, flea market shopping or shopping in general, the Westbury Market Fair will have its grand opening this Saturday. The market sells everything from antiques and collectibles to wholesale items. It will be open from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. and is located in Westbury on Long Island. It is a great excuse for those wanting to get out of the city and look for good deals.
Stop and Smell the Roses
If you love flowers and want to celebrate the coming of spring, go to the free Macy’s Spring 2015 Flower Show at Herald Square, open only until April 4. You can view beautiful flower art displays in Macy’s and enjoy other Macy’s events including Thursday’s runway show featuring Emme, the first plus-sized supermodel.
Bike or Hike
With warmer weather and bathing suit season right around the corner, take the opportunity to exercise outdoors. A beautiful place to hike or bike is Freshkills Park on Staten Island. The park is fairly new, opening in 2012 and will continue to expand to become three times the size of Central Park. It’s currently opening in phases, but if you’re really curious you can book a tour to see the park’s unopened parts. Another popular and beautiful park on Staten Island is Willowbrook Park, which has hiking trails and barbecue areas, so you can bring several friends and pack a lunch.
A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, March 26 print edition. Email Amanda Morris at [email protected]


text:
Bacteria made quick work of the tons of methane that billowed into the Gulf of Mexico along with oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout, clearing the natural gas from the waterway within months of its release, researchers reported Friday.
The federally funded field study, published online in the journal Science, offers peer-reviewed evidence that naturally occurring microbes in the Gulf devoured significant amounts of toxic chemicals in natural gas and oil spewing from the seafloor, which researchers had thought would persist in the region's water chemistry for years.
Walmart coupon: $20 off your $50+ order
60% off running shoes and apparel at Nike
Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair
- The Home Depot:
$50 discount sitewide - Home Depot Coupon
- Ulta Beauty:
Today's Ulta Beauty promo code: 20% off your order
Hotels.com October Deals - Save 20% or more


text:
One of the “naturally” deepest ports on North America’s East Coast, the Port of Halifax in Nova Scotia is currently undergoing an expansion and positioned to handle more European and Southeast Asian trade in 2020.
As North America’s first inbound and last outbound ocean gateway, the Port of Halifax in Nova Scotia is two days closer to Europe and one day closer to Southeast Asia (via the Suez Canal) than any other East Coast port. This puts the port in the unique position of being able to serve a wide range of destinations from its deep, wide, ice-free facilities.
One of the “naturally” deepest ports on North America’s East Coast, Halifax has two container terminals that feature depths of over 16 meters. Undergoing continuous improvement projects, Halifax connects some of the world’s largest shipping lines to over 150 different countries worldwide. Managed by the Halifax Port Authority (HPA), on behalf of the Government of Canada, the port encompasses 265 acres of land and includes a diverse selection of properties and assets.
Those properties include the Halifax Seaport and its mix of retail businesses; two containerized cargo terminals; and two non-containerized cargo terminals. Working under a long-term capital improvement plan, HPA is increasing the port’s size and its capabilities, resulting in a collection of assets that makes Halifax a port of choice for the cargo industry.
The port’s containerized cargo is managed mainly by Ceres Halifax and PSA Halifax, which operate the Fairview Cove Container Terminal and South End Container Terminal, respectively. The latter is currently undergoing a pier extension that will increase its existing pier face by 135 meters, bringing it to 800 total meters in length.
On track to be completed in early-2020, the pier extension will help Halifax accommodate the longer vessels that want to use the port as a gateway. “We’ve seen increasingly larger containerized cargo vessels, including ultra-large ships with over 10,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), coming here since 2017,” says Lane Farguson, HPA’s Communications Manager.
“With our existing berths, we can easily accommodate one of those very large vessels,” Farguson continues. “With this new extension, we’ll be able to service two vessels over 350 meters in length simultaneously.”
As the closest full-service port to Europe in North America, Halifax has long benefitted from that strategic geographic position. The port also serves as a major gateway for trade to and from Southeast Asia—a route made easier by the continued improvement and expansion of the Suez Canal. In 2018, roughly 50% of the port’s shipments moved to and from Southeast Asia, while about 36% involved European trade.
For years, Farguson says the port has worked to develop trade lanes to both Europe and Southeast Asia. It’s now seeing the benefits of its efforts. “It’s partly about building relationships,” he explains, “and partly due to some of the changes in global infrastructure that make that connection between the East Coast North America through Halifax to Southeast Asia more efficient.”
For example, the addition of a new lane to the Suez Canal (in 2015), followed by the expansion of the Panama Canal (2016) and the raising of the Bayonne Bridge in New York (2017), all allowed for increasingly larger vessels to be efficiently deployed along the East Coast of North America. As a large, deep-water port, Halifax benefitted from all three developments. The additional Suez Canal lane, for example, enabled much more efficient connectivity between Halifax and Southeast Asia.
More to Come in 2020
Along with finding new ways to accommodate larger ships, Halifax is also working to improve its land logistics networks. With all cargo operations requiring at least some degree of movement by truck—and with the areas around ports becoming more and more urbanized—HPA has had to balance vibrant downtown renewal with the need to get trucks to and from its facilities.
“We’ve seen an increase in the number of people living downtown, and that’s not always harmonious with truck transport,” says Farguson, whose organization works closely with local municipalities, the federal government, and rail provider CN Rail to come up with viable solutions. “Our goal is to get 75% of the port-related trucks out of downtown Halifax.” (Funding for the initiative was approved in June 2019 and it’s now in the consultation/design phase.)
Looking ahead, Farguson says the port is also investing in technology that will help it transfer most of its analog systems over to a digital platform. Once in place, that platform will help HPA better utilize data and information in order to enhance both efficiency and productivity.
“This has been a huge focus of ours for the last couple of years, and continues to be as we move into 2020,” says Farguson. “We’re now giving cargo owners and shippers much more visibility and information on their cargo as it moves through the Port of Halifax.” (The port’s current Global Connectivity Tools are detailed online here.)


text:
Agriculture is, and will remain for years to come, the main driver of economic development in Africa, he says in an article posted on SciDev.net. Vegetables such as cowpea in West Africa and the common bean in East Africa are an important source of cash and nutrition.
Vegetable and horticultural crops will soon become more important due to increasing urbanisation. But they are plagued by insect pests and diseases that can reduce yields by up to 80 per cent.
Farmers often resort to using chemical pesticide sprays to mitigate the problem. But pesticides are usually applied without taking basic safety precautions such as protecting oneself against the spray mist, or using the correct dosage and intervals between applications.
The problem is compounded by aggressive selling strategies, where retailers target barely literate growers to market toxic pesticides of dubious quality that are sometimes inappropriate — for example destined for use on cotton, not vegetables.
As a result pesticides can pose risks to the health of consumers, the environment, and producers. They include acute and chronic side effects including the development of skin and neurological disorders. And indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum insecticides can wipe out pests' natural enemies.
Most growers ignore the natural ways in which pests and disease can be managed. Yet biopesticides — derived from plants as well as microorganisms such as viruses and fungi — have virtually no adverse impact on environmental and human health.
Click here to continue reading :


text:
According to a recent survey by Ipsos and Consumers for Quality Care (CQC), consumers want clarity, more straight forward information and lower costs in their health care experience. Unfortunately, reading Kathleen Moore's Jan. 5 piece, “Hospitals disclose cost of procedures, actual costs remain unclear,” tells us that the new federal mandate for hospitals to publicly provide pricing information won’t deliver the actionable information consumers want and need to make decisions.
Between hard-to-find lists, pricing data that is provided in machine-friendly algorithms totally unreadable by consumers and the potentially hundreds of pages to scan through to pinpoint the procedure a consumer is interested in, there is little likelihood that the new rule will bring much help to the 74 percent of American consumers who report hospital fees and unexpected bills are the most frustrating thing about health care. While the rule isn’t yet producing consumer friendly results, the data is compelling and has already highlighted the wide variance in hospital pricing, with one hospital in Michigan charging $791,000 on average for a heart transplant, while a New York facility reports charging $1.7 million for the same procedure.
Based on our survey findings, CQC recently launched the Cut Consumer Costs campaign. This effort aims to shine a light on practices and procedures that should be changed to ensure higher-quality, lower-cost consumer health care and to provide some real tools consumers can use to take health care into their own hands. We urge hospitals, insurers and other health care industry leaders to provide information in ways that consumers can easily understand and act on. Consumers are looking to the health care sector to make real reforms that lower their costs without sacrificing quality.
Jason Resendez, Board Member, Consumers for Quality Care, Catharpin, Virginia


text:
Photo By: Ellie Van Houtte/Town Crier
More than 200 customers visited Alys Grace during the first three hours of the store’s grand opening last week. The downtown Los Altos boutique is the third Alys Grace location for owners Phil and Tiger Bachler.
To some degree, an electrical fire sparked the success of Alys Grace, a women’s fashion boutique that last week opened its third location, this one in downtown Los Altos.
Phil and Tiger Bachler said the 2008 fire that occurred six months after they opened their first boutique, Calla, in Menlo Park, led them to brainstorm ways to expand the business’ reach.
“When we bought Calla, our intent was not to rebrand, because it had such a loyal following,” said Tiger, who worked as a merchandiser for The Gap Inc. for more than a decade. “But when the fire happened, we thought, ‘You know, what we’re going to do is use this (situation) as an opportunity to rebrand.’”
The couple renamed the store Alys Grace – an ode to Phil’s late mother, Alys, and their daughter, Isabella Grace – and reopened 18 months later. The Bachlers have not only retained the loyal following of former Calla customers, they said, but also gained a plethora of new ones.
“I think we did such a good job in that process,” said Tiger, who started her career at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s in New York. “Really, the brand is just so true to who we are.”
The Bachlers opened a second location in Burlingame soon after and debuted in Los Altos Thursday, welcomed by more than 200 customers in the first three hours of operation.
The store is located at 208 Main St., former home to another women’s clothing store – Gemma Boutique.
Tiger said Alys Grace strives for the personal touch. The Bachlers aim to provide a relaxed, small-business atmosphere where customers feel at ease.
“We want to be considered everyone’s neighborhood store,” she said. “We like being that small business to the local community.”
“The nice thing about our business is that it’s all community-oriented,” Phil added. “Wherever we go, we look to do things like support our business community and charities in the area.”
Opening a shop in Los Altos seemed a natural fit, Tiger said. She called the opportunity a “serendipitous” one – noting that it was the couple’s friendship with the owners of Gemma that ultimately led them to take over the retail site.
“We obviously had to think long and hard about opening a third store, but we felt this was such a good opportunity that we couldn’t turn it down,” said Tiger, whose stores carry a total of 60-65 designer clothing lines. “We really feel we know how to cultivate the feeling of a neighborhood store.”
As for first impressions, Tiger said the Los Altos community hasn’t been shy about rolling out the welcome mat.
“We have just felt so welcomed by our community here,” she said, noting that several downtown business owners helped promote the boutique’s opening. “It’s just really, really exciting.”
For more information, visit www.alysgrace.com.


text:
Department of Public Relation's press release
December 20, 2016
State Security Service, State Border Service and State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan have launched a joint operation in order to prevent smuggling of large amount of gold and jewelry products out of the country.
On December 18, 2016, suspects, the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan - F.Allahverdiyev, F.Mammadov, A.Rahimov, E.Huseynov and E.Seyidov were detained at customs checkpoint of Bilasuvar customs department, attempting to smuggle out of country gold bullions and other products with 2.145 kg total weight.
Investigative-operational measures are continued.


text:
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, the newly-elected President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), stated on Sunday that Pakistan has to "connect with Silicon Valley" and that it is critical to employ contemporary technologies to get into new markets for trade diversification.
“Without re-establishing trade ties with emerging markets, including Russia, Central Asian region, Africa, Turkey, South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and regional trade integration, the country's economy will not improve,” he said while talking to APP.
He also said that by concentrating on a few key industries, such as information technology, alternative energy, and the halal food industry, Pakistan's exports might exceed their potential.
Currently, 65 percent of the country's commerce is with ten nations, with essentially little trade with regional and friendly countries, he continued.
According to Sheikh, Pakistan's yearly exports in the IT sector might reach $5 billion. He compared that to India, which exports up to $110 billion in the same industry. He stated, "We need to link with Silicon Valley."
The president stated that Pakistan's software companies would need to establish liaison offices in California in order to push for this and join the global commerce in order to boost home exports.
He stated that the government currently has to focus more on the agriculture sector, where the application of modern technologies and techniques in the agricultural sector may enhance production per acre.
Sheikh stated that Pakistan has no major market share in the $1.2 trillion halal food business.
According to him, Pakistan's gems and jewellery trade industries have a $30 billion potential, but it is now untapped owing to a lack of infrastructure.
"We need to focus on alternative energy, which is giving better chances for energy generation in the country," the president stated about alternative energy.
He also mentioned the country's tourist industry, which he claims has the potential to generate billions of dollars in revenue.
Sheikh reaffirmed his intention to establish a research wing that will provide suggestions to the government on how to strengthen the economy and submit government ideas in the next budget.
This content is published on behalf of the above source. Please contact them directly for any concern related to the above.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Release ID: 121001


text:
August 06, 2020
(1:05 p.m. EDT) -- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) President and CEO Frank Del Rio announced it has no plans to sell any of its ships from its three cruise brands, as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
"We absolutely have no plans to divest of any of our vessels," Del Rio said during NCLH's second quarter earnings call with investors and media Thursday morning.
The corporation, which counts Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas as its brands, reported an adjusted net loss of $666.4 million in its second quarter. Due to the complete suspension of sailings during the quarter, revenue decreased to just $16.9 million across all brands, compared with $1.7 billion in the same quarter last year.
Despite the decrease in revenue, Del Rio remained confident that NCLH had secured the required liquidity to weather the ongoing global health crisis that has seen cruise operations largely suspended across the world.
"It's a tough environment but we have a good liquidity runway to see this through," he told investors.
One of the first questions posed to Del Rio from investors was whether NCLH had planned to divest itself of any of its cruise vessels. In recent weeks, the sale of ships from Carnival Corporation brands has been strong, with over a dozen vessels either being sold off or scrapped outright. Royal Caribbean has also sent two vessels from its collapsed Pullmantur subsidiary, Monarch and Sovereign, to the breakers.
Del Rio states that isn't in the cards for NCLH brands at this time.
"We have a young fleet," he remarked, commenting on the fact that the company had just injected a massive amount of capital into the 1998-built Norwegian Spirit prior to the pandemic as part of a sweeping refurbishment plan. "We love our capacity. We're the smallest of the big three cruise brands, we're always wanting more. We not only have the youngest fleet, but we have nine incredible vessels on order."
Asked about the status of the NCLH fleet, Del Rio noted that the majority of the corporation's vessels will be entering cold layup, also known as "minimum manning", within the next 30 to 45 days. A total of seven vessels, which were not named, will be kept in warm-layup status due to port regulations.
"The layup of a vessel is a complicated endeavor," Del Rio remarked. "Port location is important, as areas prone to tropical storms like the East Coast and Hawaii must crew vessels to a minimum standard. Port authorities also have different requirements regarding minimum manning and tying up ships together. "
Del Rio noted that the goal is to staff vessels with the minimum level of manning needed to bring ships back online quickly. The corporation estimates it currently has a cash burn of $160 million per month on operational costs even after significant reductions in expenditures.
Operational costs per vessel work out to $5.6 million per vessel, per month, at this time. In a typical operating year, NCLH EVP and CFO Mark Kempa noted the company spent 40 percent of all revenue on costs related to fleet operations.
Asked about the resumption of cruise, Del Rio stated that while the final two months of 2020 could see a limited return to operations, NCLH does not expect the majority of its fleet to re-enter service until the second quarter of 2021. The restart of the entire fleet would take approximately six months once the green-light is given.
Pent-up consumer demand is still driving bookings for 2021, according to NCLH, which notes that the corporation had $1.2 billion in advance ticket sales as of June 30. Approximately $0.8 billion of that is future cruise credits.
While noting that roughly 60 percent of people on cancelled cruises are now electing to take full refunds, NCLH notes that cumulative bookings for 2021 remained within historical ranges, something Del Rio credits the company's diverse itineraries with.
"We've not seen any major shift in consumer behaviour," Del Rio told investors with regard to booking patterns. "We've not altered our itineraries. The same itineraries that were available for purchase before the pandemic for 2021 are still available today.
"If they're (consumers) showing favoritism for close-to-home-cruising, we're not seeing it. Our bookings are still relatively strong, and we believe our itineraries are still attractive to our customers."
On the subject of using Future Cruise Credits (FCC) to entire consumers on cancelled voyages to move their sailing rather than request a refund, NCLH's Kempa notes that having consistency in already-marketed itineraries is key.
"It's relatively easy to move people from an itinerary in a region to another ship," said Kempa. "Over time, we've seen customers are willing to make those kinds of changes. You may have to sweeten the pot with a shipboard credit or a cabin upgrade, but overall (it's) not an overwhelming obstacle."
"It's more complicated if you're asking someone who booked a four-day cruise to the Bahamas to book a 12-day cruise to Europe," concluded Kempa.
Del Rio noted the next 30 to 90 days would be critical for the cruise industry, pointing out that the Healthy Sail panel that NCLH entered into with Royal Caribbean Group was set to deliver its preliminary findings to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by the end of August.
Those findings would coincide with the CDC's public Request for Information, or RFI, that requests information from cruisers on how to best restart and regulate the industry. The public can submit comments to the CDC until September 21.
Comments left by the public, together with the findings issued by the Health Sail panel put together by NCLH and Royal Caribbean Group, would then be analyzed by the CDC to form a framework for the resumption of cruise.
Asked about the recent outbreaks on smaller vessels that had attempted to restart, Del Rio was blunt.
"There's no way to spin the initial re-emergence of COVID onboard vessels," he said. "It's an opportunity to learn from them. This virus teaches us something every day. While it's disappointing, I'm glad that these cruise companies have handled the situation very well."
De Rio noted again that NCLH has secured the liquidity and reduced operating expenses to the point where it feels it can successfully weather the COVID storm. He admitted, however, that an exact restart date is still elusive.
"People are confident we're going to be coming back," noted Del Rio. "They miss it (cruising). This is temporary. The question is, how temporary is temporary?"


text:
Total Music shook up the digital distribution industry when Universal announced it in October 2007. The idea was to provide unfettered, DRM-free subscription access to music from all the big four record labels for the equivalent of around $5 per month.
The twist with Total Music was that, instead of directly charging consumers the monthly fee, Universal would work with manufacturers to bundle the subscription and its price with devices, therefore making it look to consumers as if the music was practically free. While much of the plan's inner workings and details were never made public, we are not likely to hear much more about Total Music for the foreseeable future. Universal Music and Sony BMG have confirmed that Total Music is totally done.
Sources at Universal and Sony BMG, a partner brought on after Universal's original announcement, have confirmed that Total Music is "over," according to Billboard.biz. Citing limited resources in a tough economy, iTunes Store's continued dominance of the marketplace, and the rise of free, ad-supported streaming services like Last.fm, the labels have pulled Total Music's plug. In the same breath, however, one representative states that "we realized we could accomplish the same thing in some other areas where we were working." Representatives from Sony BMG and Universal have so far been unavailable to return Ars' request for further comment on what these "other areas" may be.
Total Music's demise is quite unfortunate in light of the current marketplace. Subscription plans have so far failed to gain much traction with the public due to painfully restrictive DRM, and even revenue from Microsoft's promising Zune Marketplace and ecosystem that offers a $15 per month subscription saw a 54 percent drop, or $100 million, in 2008. Perhaps Microsoft's new "keep 10" perk, introduced only in November 2008, just hasn't had enough time to catch on yet.
Of course, a DoJ probe into Universal and Sony BMG over Total Music's potential for shutting out vendors and otherwise improperly bending the industry to the partner's wills didn't help matters either. With the recent news that Ruckus, a similar university-centric subscription service that Universal's Total Music entity acquired, could not even give away music, it seems that music subscriptions may simply not be meant for the mainstream right now.
Subscription efforts are not completely dead in the water just yet, however. Nokia just recently launched its Comes With Music subscription plan that ties music downloads to handsets, and Nokia's dominance in the cell phone industry could give Comes With Music some wings. Plus, Universal may still have something up its sleeve with those plans for "other areas," and ultimately, there is nothing stopping it from resuscitating Total Music at a later date.
For now, however, one of the most promising consumer-friendly and P2P-stomping music subscription models has been scrapped.


text:
7-Eleven Returns to Jacksonville After 22-Year Hiatus
The city, whose motto is "Where Florida Begins," will perhaps become "Where 7-Eleven Returns" once it opens new convenience stores here.
The occasion will be celebrated with a 10:30 a.m. press conference at Jacksonville Landing, reported The Florida Times-Union. Joe DePinto, CEO of 7-Eleven Inc. and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown are expected to be on hand at the event, where free Slurpees will be provided to the public.
According to the news outlet, 7-Eleven left Jacksonville in 1990 when it sold 16 convenience stores to Gate Petroleum. The world's largest c-store chain has not returned since.
The newspaper added that it is unknown how many Jacksonville c-stores 7-Eleven will open, but sources have stated the number will be 15.
7-Eleven has been gearing up for its return to Jacksonville by posting a slew of signs around the city. The signs state, "I'm Back Jacksonville. 7-Eleven is coming back and we're bringing more stores, more jobs and more franchise opportunities. Let's Take Back Jacksonville Together."


text:
Kodak president Antonio Perez said that Eastman Kodak and Motorola are planning to release a cameraphone that makes use of a Kodak imaging sensor, called CMOS. While Perez would not release details about the Moto deal or the device itself, he did say that Kodak was phasing out its lower lines of digital cameras, perhaps because of the rise cameraphones.
"Our CMOS sensors have been well advancing for many years. And now we will have the ability to embed the sensor in the phone with all the richness we have with our imaging software," Perez said. "It will allow us to make the sensor, the most important part of the camera, able to manage the light, color, and the like."
For more on the Kodak-Moto deal:
- see this article from News.com


text:
Closing but still creating.
That is what the three women who used to own and run the Baroke Design Shoppe said during the store’s last day on March 11.
The feeling in the little home was bittersweet as customers came in and out of the doors, shifting through the last of the inventory with “sold” tags stuck on almost every piece of antique furniture left.
“It’s been crazy busy. The yard was packed by noon … we even sold the light,” Lisette Neva-McCracken, part owner said with a laugh.
The little house, built in 1936 located off of Highway 579, between the Water Valley Saloon and the Hardware store, was packed last Saturday as the owners hosted the final closing sale.
Opened five years ago by friends, Nikki Davidson, and Lisette Neva-McCracken – both from the Water Valley area – and Martha Guy, from Cochrane, who joined in 2012, the intimate shop featured a variety of crafts from more than 15 different contributors, including artisans from the area. Shoppers from near and far browsed the merchandise throughout the three-room home on weekends.
“We started small and slowly built ourselves. We sold at small markets and then decided to open a shop in 2011,” Davidson said in-between selling what was left of the inventory.
“It’s been amazing. We learned a lot but it is time to take a different avenue.”
While most stores shuttering these days are doing so as a result of the depressed economy, Baroke Design is shutting its doors for a reason most would not expect.
“Lots of people thought we were closing because we were too slow but we were too busy,” Davidson said with a laugh.
In addition to business-owners and artisans, the ladies also all carry the title of mother, with eight children between the three.
Guy was not at the shop on the final day as she was ready to give birth any day.
“It’s a hard balance of family and work … we wanted to do less managing and more creating,” Neva-McCracken said.
“Giving up the business is really hard, but we are viewing it as another step forward.”
While the keys to the tiny home will be transferred to another group of ladies from the Water Valley area, the three friends said their crafts will still be available through their website and at the Market Junction in Cremona.
“We want more free time to create and spend time with our families,” Davidson said.
“A big huge thank you to all our customers, consigners, and fellow makers – there are so many people who helped us be successful … we are not going away. Just starting a new adventure.”
To stay up to date on the creative ladies and their latest designs, go to barokedesign.com


text:
Raised offer at emission unit auctions could bring in €15 mln
Hungary will offer a combined 5.17 emission unit allowances (EUA) instead of the earlier announced 3.46 million at two auctions on the European Energy Exchange (EEX) next week, EEX said on Friday. Hungary can raise about €15 million through the auctions, based on the secondary market price which recently dropped to about €3 per EUA. The Leipzig-based EEX said Hungary's National Development Ministry instructed it to increase the offers. The sales will be from the quotas effective between 2008 and 2012, which have to be sold by the end of April. The auctions, taking place on April 23 and on April 25, will be the first emission unit sales by Hungary this year. Last year it sold a total of 2.5 million EUAs at two auctions, raising about €16.2 million.
SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.


text:
A business marketplace will extend Amazon's role as a middleman for third-party vendors, which account for about 40 percent of its sales.
Amazon.com's move poses a potential threat to other online referral and business rating services, including Angie's List, Yelp and Thumbtack.
Amazon is launching a home services marketplace that will connect customers with electricians, plumbers and painters.
Amazon has considered using the RadioShack stores as showcases for the Seattle-based company's hardware as well as potential pickup & drop-off.
The company is made up of five regional fashion companies - Dafiti, Lamoda, Jabong, Zalora and Namshi, each established brands in their regions.
Amazon is expanding its travel service online, dubbed Amazon Destinations, the latest effort by the e-commerce site to bolster its service offerings.
Cote ruled that Apple played a "central role" in scheming from late 2009 into early 2010 with five publishers to raise e-book prices and impede competitors such as Amazon.com Inc .
Snapdeal is planning to set up such outlets across 65 cities and over 70,000 rural areas by the end of this year as it tries to steal a march on rivals.


text:
We’ve already received confirmation from LG that their upcoming smartphone will have a 6-inch FullVision OLED display and be called the V30, and now we’re hearing the device will officially have a huge f/1.6 aperture in the rear camera’s lens.
By building an f/1.6 lens into a camera on a smartphone, LG says the V30 will bring in 25% more light than an f/1.8 aperture that’s featured on phones like the iPhone 7 or last year’s V20. To deliver better quality, LG will also use a glass lens which should make your pictures clearer and sharper. Additionally, the secondary wide-angle lens on the back of the V30 will have a third less distortion so you won’t get such a fish eye effect on your photos. The phone will also come with laser detection AF, optical image stabilization, and electronic image stabilization.
A quote from one of LG’s presidents expresses the company’s interest in delivering this level of innovation to the market the V series of smartphones was created for.
“LG boasts an unrivaled heritage in smartphone photography and our decision to adopt glass in the V30 camera is specifically because this has traditionally been the realm of DSLRs,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “For the users for whom the V series was designed, this kind of innovation is significant.”
The LG V30 will be unveiled on August 31st during IFA 2017 and be 30% smaller than the V20. It’ll sport a 6-inch display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and Android Nougat.


text:
- MSCI Asia-Pacific index down more than 1%
- Turkey has doubled tariffs on some U.S. imports, notably alcohol and tobacco, as a response on what is allegedly deliberate US attacks on the Turkish economy.
- Trade war squabbles continue with China saying that US solar tariffs violate trade rules and lodge a WTO complaint.
- Dollar rises to a 13 month high which pressures commodities, forcing gold to hit an 18 month low.
Asian overnight: Asian markets traded in the red overnight, with Australian stocks providing the one bright spark over the session, closing out the session in positive territory. Chinese markets were chief amongst the losers once more, with yesterday’s data highlighting a slowdown in growth of several economic metrics. Emerging market stability remains a concern, with the Turkish Lira declining against the greenback as markets shift into the dollar as a safe-haven play.
Ongoing trade tensions and emerging market fears (induced by the crisis in Turkey) are among the key themes in the market place right now. The dollar has resumed its strengthening trend and in turn we are seeing metal prices under pressure, with gold now trading well below $1200/oz and platinum trading below $800/oz.
UK, US and Europe: European trading is likely to be lessened in volumes today, with French and Italian markets respecting a national holiday. However, the UK remains the centre of focus, with the latest inflation data released this morning. Market expectations of an upward shift would put further pressure on the Bank of England, despite the recent rate hike. The US focus will be upon the release of retail sales and industrial production figures, alongside the empire state manufacturing survey. Crude traders will also be keeping a close eye on the inventories data released later in the day.
South Africa: The rand has also started to weaken after clawing back some strength yesterday. Tencent Holdings is trading 3.3% lower in Asia amidst a selloff in technology stocks and news that Chinese regulators halted the approval of game licenses. Tencent Holdings is also set to release results today. Naspers, a major holding company of Tencent, is expected to trade lower in lieu.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in BST)
9.30am – UK CPI (July): expected to be 0.2% MoM and 2.6% YoY, from 0% and 2.4% respectively. YoY core CPI to be 2.2% from 1.9%. Market to watch: GBP crosses
1.30pm – US retail sales (July): forecast to grow 0.3% MoM from 0.5%. Markets to watch: US indices, USD crosses
3.30pm – US EIA crude inventories (w/e 10 August): forecast to see stockpiles rise by 750,000 barrels, from a 1.35 million barrel drop a week earlier. Markets to watch: Brent, WTI
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
- Balfour Beatty said that first-half pre-tax profit rose to £50 million from £29 million a year ago, but total revenues dropped to £3.22 billion from £3.54 billion. Revenue is expected to be flat in the second half of the year.
- Admiral reported a 9% rise in first-half pre-tax profits, to £211 million, while turnover was up 14.5% at £1.7 billion. More home insurance policies helped drive the performance, while the motor insurance business saw an 11.3% rise in profits to £249.5 million.
Amundi upgraded to overweight at Morgan Stanley
Mitchells & Butlers upgraded to buy at HSBC
Esure upgraded to hold at Berenberg
Greene King upgraded to hold at HSBC
Bayer downgraded to hold at Jefferies
Valeo downgraded to hold at HSBC
Curetis downgraded to neutral at Ladenburg Thalmann
Leifheit downgraded to sell at Berenberg
Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.


text:
Mason Dixie Biscuit Company has a competitor.
Posts Tagged ‘Flying Fish Coffee and Tea’
Some wild theories about the future of Capital City Diner. [#dinerrumors] Good Stuff Eatery's Spike Mendelsohn is back on TV again. [Eater] Get the empanadas at Fujimar. [Post] Barcelona Wine Bar is coming to 14th Street NW. [Twitter] Sushi Taro's regular Thursday ramen special is canceled this week. [Twitter] Toki Underground will be closed on […]
When Nana, an adorable clothing boutique, relocated in March from U Street to Mt. Pleasant Street NW, I had a feeling the neighborhood would gain more new and shiny shops pretty quickly. The evidence begins with Flying Fish Coffee and Tea, expected to open next week. (Check its Facebook page for details.) Owner Michael Visser shares that same […]


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Time: 7:30 am - 9:30 am
Place: Georgia Aquarium
WebMD to announce "massive" layoffs Tuesday
Send this to a friend
Health information provider WebMD Health Corp. is expected to cut nearly a third of its workforce, Atlanta Business Chronicle has learned.
The layoffs, which will be announced Tuesday, are expected to be "massive” and “across every aspect of the company,” according to a source.
An WebMD (NASDAQ: WBMD) insider said the cuts could involve half the Atlanta workforce, according to a source. The company employs about 250 in Colony Square 400 building in Midtown Atlanta.
The cuts, which include software development, Information Technology, editorial, video production and sales employees, will affect Atlanta and other offices.
New York-based WebMD was founded by Atlanta entrepreneur Jeff Arnold in 1998.
WedMD is expected to announce the layoffs in a press release at 8:30am Tuesday. A call to the company was not immediately returned Monday afternoon.
WebMD’s business has taken a hit from a slowing economy and changes in the way consumers browse for healthcare information.
The company is seeing a decline in Big Pharma advertising as several brand-name drugs lost patent protection in 2012. The Food and Drug Administration has also tightened regulations on how big pharma can advertise.
WebMD is also facing increased competition for those shrinking ad dollars from several healthcentric websites, including ShareCare, a social website aimed at consumers seeking health-related information.
Sharecare is founded by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and backed by platinum-plated media brands: Harpo Studios, Discovery Communications Inc. and Sony Pictures Television.
Urvaksh Karkaria covers Technology.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- Atlanta Streetcar involved in second accident
- CDC: Just 30 percent in U.S. with HIV have virus under control
- Buckhead Beef sues former employees over competing meat company
- Property damage, 23 arrests in Atlanta protests (UPDATED)
- Two from Georgia named Rhodes Scholars
- Anonymous messaging app Yik Yak raises a reported $62M
- Fire Chief suspended over his book calling homosexuality "unclean"
- Coca-Cola to push new kind of milk
- Mayor Reed: City has $900M backlog of infrastructure improvements
- Gov. Deal shuffles state agency chiefs
Stay up-to-date with the latest health-care news from Atlanta.
Senior Lecturer in Business Analytics Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA
Work For: ChannelAdvisor ChannelAdvisor | Morrisville, NC
Sales Account Associate Advanced-IT-Solutions | Denver, CO
Chief Human Resources Officer Public Health - Seattle & King County | Seattle, WA
CDL CLASS A DRIVERS Cardinal / Greatwide | Peachtree City, GA


text:
GHCL''s ''operation turnaround'' of Romanian plant shows results
13 January 2006
A month after its acquisition of the Romanian soda ash maker S C Bega Upsom S A, GHCL has already ramped up production in the plant; the current production rate is 650 tons per day, a 34 per cent increase from last year's per day average of 486 tons (from January 2005 to November 2005). In addition, GHCL has put in place cost reduction measures to control input costs of raw materials and utilities.
GHCL acquired a controlling stake of 65 per cent in the Romanian firm at $19.50 million with a requirement to make a public offer to purchase the remaining 35 per cent stipulated by local Romanian regulations.
It is now in the midst of efforts to successfully turn around the soda ash business by optimising operations to increase production capacities, modernise the plant and improve price points within identified market segments.
Commenting on the turnaround strategy, Sanjay Dalmia, chairman, GHCL Ltd, says, "GHCL is India's lowest cost producer of synthetic soda ash and our endeavour is to leverage and replicate our Indian experience to make this plant the lowest cost producer of soda ash in Europe, given its strategic location to tap East and Central European markets having substantial reserves of natural resources required for production of Soda Ash."
company is on its way to becoming a dominant player in
global soda ash industry; upon completion of expansions
underway in India and Romania. The company's global capacity
is expected to rise to 1,800,000mtpa.


text:
The battery technology is one of the bigger bottlenecks for mobile devices. If we are to believe scientists at Northwestern University this may finally be a thing of the past. In five years we can have batteries that charge in 15 minutes and keeps your phone alive for a hwole week.
The scientists at Northwestern University have managed to manipulate the material of modern lithium-ion batteries to increase capacity many times over. By drilling a bunch of microscopic holes – 20 to 40 nanometer in diameter – in the graphene layers that makes the battery they have managed to optimize the charge times as this makes it easier for the ions to find their places when the battery is recharged. The result is a charge time of 15 minutes for a regular mobile battery.
By switching silicon layers to silicon clusters there is more room for ions on a given surface, which would enable the battery to power your phone for an entire week.
With that long battery time the scientists estimates that you will no need no more than 150 charges to keep you phone up for a whole year. The problem is that there is a big loss in efficiency after these 150 charges, the battery simply loses power fast after a certain number of charges. They claim that efter 150 charges you will have a battery that is up to 5 times more efficient than regular lithium batteries.
Already in five years it hopes to bring the technology to the market, but until then it will do more work on the cathode, since it has focused on the anodes in the lithium technology.


text:
HP has its sights set on India’s PC market – the refurbished one. While it’s still in the beginning stages, HP Inc. is beginning to explore India’s refurbished PC market for first-time buyers, affordable products, and second-hand computers.
Refurbished computers are second-hand computers that are either fixed up or pieced together from recycled parts in order to be resold at a lower price.
“One of the big pillars we are focusing on affordability in India. We know in India we have to give the price value proposition. We are looking at is the refurbished market in India. It is a large market and it is largely unorganized,” said Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director of HP Inc in India. “We are looking at it and seeing if there is a way we can participate in the market, either by providing our own refurbished product or come up with an alternate product that would compete with the refurbished product.”
The major targets of HP’s push for affordable products in India are students and first-time PC owners – and this isn’t the company’s first time in the space. HP recently released a line of mini-desktops geared towards Indian students and schools.
The market potential is definitely there. While over 350 million people use smartphones in India, PC adoption has been slow. HP is looking to provide the solution to bridge that gap.
“We do believe that if we can provide a quality solution then we can see more customers walk into that, their willingness to try will be much higher and help drive better adoption. It will help acquire new customers, bring in first time buyers and over time they will buy a new computer,” said Chandra.
As for the refurbished market, HP may be on to something. Flipkart, a site that specializes in selling refurbished electronics, says the market could grow to $20 billion in 5-6 years.


text:
The J.M. Smucker Co. has agreed to sell its Rachael Ray Nutrish, 9Lives, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Nature’s Recipe and Gravy Train pet-food brands, as well as its private-label pet-food business, to Post Holdings Inc.
The transaction is valued at approximately $1.2 billion, consisting of $700 million in cash and approximately 5.39 million shares of common stock of Post, and includes the manufacturing and distribution facilities in Bloomsburg and Meadville, Pa., and Lawrence, Kan.
J.M. Smucker expects these brands to generate net sales of approximately $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023, in the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment. The company acquired the Rachael Ray pet food brands
just five years ago.
Mark Smucker, chair of the Board, president and CEO, said the divestiture of these businesses
supports prioritization of investments and resources around dog snacks and cat food brands Milk-Bone and Meow Mix, which it believes to offer the strongest growth and profit potential.
Meanwhile, the acquisition gives Post Holdings an entry point into the pet-food business. The company said in its own separate statement
that it will create a new pet-food platform within Post Consumer Brands, with president and CEO Nicolas Catoggio managing both the North American ready-to-eat cereal and peanut butter business as well as the new pet-food business. More than 1,000 employees are expected to transition to Post Holdings employment through the acquisition.
The transaction is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of J.M. Smucker’s current fiscal year ending April 30, 2023, and will be discussed by J.M. Smucker
at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference Feb. 22, and in the release of third quarter fiscal financial results on Feb. 28.


text:
Simply called Singapore Airlines Academy, the new arm will be offering courses on operational excellence.
Christmas is around the corner and as part of its annual holiday promotions, Starbucks has unveiled its planners for 2021.
After recently releasing the #SmileStrong campaign, Colgate rolls out "Made for Greatness" for SEA and ANZ, starting with Thailand.
Malaysia-based user car dealership platform aims to broaden its network by establishing new inspection centers by the fourth quarter this year.
Marketing platform iZooto joins forces with publishing platform Quintype for digital advertising strategies for digital publishers.
Consumer brand Godrej HIT releases a Diwali-themed advertisement focused on 'festive anticipation' for the annual celebration.
The First-of-its-kind integrated partnership will see Marriott and Grab collaborate across multiple verticals including food delivery, advertising, loyalty and rewards, payment and transport services.


text:
Barbie will soon be able to answer back.
The popular doll is getting a digital makeover so she can have two-way conversations with kids, reports Consumerist.
A new Internet-connected version of the favorite children's toy will see her telling stories and cracking jokes.
She will also listen to her owner's chatter and, over time, gradually adapt to respond to particular questions and statements.
"The No. 1 request we hear from girls around the world is that they want to have a conversation with Barbie," a spokeswoman for the toy's maker Mattel told the BBC.
"Now, for the first time ever, Barbie can have a two-way conversation," she added.
A prototype of the $74.99 doll, dubbed "Hello Barbie," was unveiled at the New York Toy Fair on Saturday.
It has been developed by start-up ToyTalk and will have an hour's worth of playtime. The exact release date has not yet been revealed, but is expected to be on shelves during the holiday season 2015, according to Consumerist.
ToyTalk's CEO Oren Jacob said that initial conversations would include questions about favorite colors and school.
Speech-recognition software would collect users' replied in the cloud, allowing writers to prepare other exchanges.
"The idea is they're going into the things that kids aspire to be and the career paths that Barbie represents, from a scientist, mathematician, surfer, painter, writer, all of the things that Barbie has been," Jacob told Consumerist.


text:
#PinkShirtDay was full on again today at Urban Impact!
For the last four years, the entire Urban Impact team participated in Pink Shirt Day by wearing Anti Bullying pink t-shirts.
Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and over the Internet.
Urban Impact is really proud to wear pink to stand up against bullying and harassment.
Over the month of February, and throughout the year, CKNW Kids' Fund's Pink Shirt Day aims to raise awareness of these issues, as well as raise funds to support programs that foster children’s healthy self-esteem.
Funds raised through official Pink Shirt Day merchandise sales and donations to help hundreds of kids affected by bullying.
Since it all started back in 2007, the CNKW Orphan’s Fund have raised over $2.1 million for anti-bullying initiatives in BC, helping support children’s self-esteem, empathy, compassion and kindness.
Urban Impact went fully pink today!
Employees wore pink t-shirts, our recycling trucks sported pink bows on their front grills, and we awarded teddys dressed in pink shirts to the team members that really embraced #PinkShirtDay @UIRecycling.
We also served the so popular Moore’s Bakery Pink T-shirt cookies!
This year ‘s PinkShirtDay theme was Cyber Bullying – something that is more prevalent than ever.
We loved #thinkingpink on February 27th and sending a message that kindness matters. A simple act of wearing a pink shirt can start conversations - conversations can that we hope will be a big step towards healing and helping!


text:
Cameras are an essential part of any smartphone or tablet, but so far they’ve rarely been encountered on a smartwatch, and never on an Apple Watch. That could change though, as Apple has now been granted a patent for an Apple Watch camera system.
The patent, which was filed with the USPTO (opens in new tab) (United States Patent and Trademark Office) and granted on February 7, 2023, has now been spotted by Phone Arena (opens in new tab) and others, and it details both a camera built into an Apple Watch, and an unusual strap to help you use it.
The camera detailed here is on the bottom of the Apple Watch, which of course means you can’t use it while wearing the watch – at least, unless all you want is an extreme close-up of your wrist. But that’s where the strap comes in.
The body of the watch would be connected to the strap via a deployable attachment mechanism – such as a magnet or a latch – so you can quickly and easily remove the watch from the strap. Then you could hold it up to take a picture, using the screen as a viewfinder, and just as easily lock it back into the strap when done.
Of course, you could use this camera with a normal strap too, by taking the whole thing off your wrist, but that’s potentially fiddlier than this solution.
That said, this still sounds more cumbersome than just using your phone, and is likely to deliver worse results. But if your phone’s battery has died or you’ve left your phone at home – which you might even intentionally do if you have a cellular Apple Watch – then there would definitely be a use case for this.
Whether it would be worth the extra cost involved in adding a camera to the wearable, and the potentially increased size of the watch as a result, is less clear though.
Still, if you like the idea of a camera on your Apple Watch then you don’t actually have to wait for Apple to add one. A third-party strap called the Wristcam (opens in new tab) has cameras built in, and you don’t even need to remove the Apple Watch from the strap to use these ones. Though as a result the strap itself is rather chunky.
Analysis: not the first Apple Watch camera patent, and unlikely to be the last
Apple has been exploring the idea of a camera in the Apple Watch for a long time, with a number of other patents offering alternate solutions to the one above. We’ve seen, for example, a patent for an Apple Watch with an under-display camera, and one with a camera built into the Digital Crown.
So this is just the latest in a long line of Apple Watch camera ideas and there’s no reason to think this one will make it to market when the others haven’t.
In fact, the majority of patents like these don’t end up getting used, so there’s every chance we’ll keep seeing new patents for new versions of the idea, with no finished product.
Still, the fact that it’s something Apple continues to explore suggests there’s hope that one day we might see an Apple Watch with a camera, it just probably won’t take this form – and almost certainly won’t happen in time for the Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is expected in 2024


text:
News Story: SC attorney general’s opinion on raw hemp leaves Upstate CBD store owners confused, fearful
Top Hat Tobacco and Cigar owner Todd Smith was on his way out of town July 13 for a rare day off when his phone rang. A friend manning the store for him was on the other end, and told him Anderson County deputies were in the shop to confiscate its smokable hemp.
Smith pleaded his case to the deputies over the phone, but ultimately, the officers left with about two pounds of hemp worth thousands of dollars.
“It was a big surprise to us,” he said. “They’re lumping it in the category with marijuana, but the South Carolina Department of Agriculture defines it as scientifically a different plant.”
According to an incident report, the deputies went to Top Hat in reference to the “illegal sale of marijuana,” and asked if the store sold hemp flower, as advertised on its front window. When Smith’s friend showed them four jars filled with smokable hemp, which the report refers to as a “green, leafy, plant-like substance,” officers confiscated them and informed the employees the product was “illegal to sell to the public.”
The report lists the incident type as the “unlawful sale of marijuana,” but no one was charged, and Smith said he was not selling marijuana.
The seizure came three days after the state Attorney General’s Office issued an opinion regarding raw hemp to the State Law Enforcement Division, sending shock waves through the state’s hemp community.
(Story continues at this link.)


text:
Contact: Melody Daversa
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Karl Strauss Two Tortugas Belgian Quad Wins Big at GABF!
San Diego, CA –
Two Tortugas is the second installment of the Company’s 12 Days of Christmas holiday series, naming each beer with a San Diego twist. After several test batches, the brewers landed on a recipe that showcases dark fruit flavors and a spicy Belgian yeast character. The winter warmer finishes smooth at 11.1% ABV, making it an ideal beer to enjoy this season, or lay down and enjoy for years to come. “We wanted to brew a big, complex Belgian beer that will continue to develop and change over time,” said Karl Strauss Head Brewer, Matt Johnson. “Right now the beer is very malty with a definite warming character. Over time, the spiciness will become more prevalent and the caramel malt flavors will evolve into dark fruit flavors like raisins and plums.” The Holiday ale will be available to the public in mid-November, with a preview tasting at the “Reverse Tap Takeover” LA Beer Week event on October 13, 2011.
The winners were announced during the Members-Only session of the GABF at the Denver Convention Center. The GABF is the world’s largest beer competition, with more than 3,930 beers entered from 526 breweries in 48 states. Karl Strauss was one of 466 breweries pouring their beer to more than 49,000 festival attendees. In addition to attending the festival, Matt Johnson judged five categories in the competition that the company did not enter. “After going through the judging process, this win means even more,” says Matt. “The judging is completely blind and each judge really takes the process very seriously. To win in a category with so many entries and so many rounds of judging, feels like a huge accomplishment.” The GABF winners were selected by an international panel of 167 beer judges from 11 countries. Judges critiqued 83 beer categories covering 134 beer styles, choosing the best commercial examples to represent each style.
For more information about the Great American Beer Festival winners visit http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com. To purchase tickets to the “Reverse Tap Takeover” visit www.karlstrauss.com. Share it, cheers.
San Diego may not top the list for birdwatchers but it certainly tops the list for beer-drinkers. And while you’re more likely to spot a Sea Turtle than a Turtle Dove, tracking down a world class beer is easy. Two Tortugas is the 2nd addition to our less than literal “Twelve Days” series of holiday ales. This Belgian-inspired Quadruple Ale has a delicate union of toffee, dark fruits, and warming spices that will continue to develop with age. Raise a glass to 2011 or save a bottle for 2021, this turtle’s got legs.
Malts: Pale, White Wheat, CaraBelge, Cara Munich II
Hops: Bravo, Willamette
Yeast: Belgian Abbey
Adjuncts: Dark Belgian Candy Sugar
Available: 22oz and on draft mid November, 2011
About Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Karl Strauss Brewing Company is celebrating 22 years of brewing in San Diego. From humble roots, a big vision, and the desire to share handcrafted beer with America’s Finest, Karl Strauss has grown from one brewery restaurant to a local institution—brewing 34,000 barrels in 2010 and operating six successful brewery restaurants across Southern California. The company has not strayed from its pioneering roots with new releases like Big Barrel IIPA and Whistler Imperial Pils, while still capturing hearts and the 2010 WBC and GABF gold medals for long-time favorites like Red Trolley Ale. With distribution solely in California, Karl Strauss is ranked #44 on the list of the country’s top craft breweries. For more information visit www.karlstrauss.com or call the brewery at (858) 273-2739.


text:
On the one hand, semiconductor solutions help to save energy and lower emissions, but on the other, manufacturing them uses up considerable resources. Stakeholders along the entire semiconductor value chain are therefore increasing their efforts to make microchip production more sustainable.
Semiconductors are a key technology when it comes to climate protection. In photovoltaic cells they generate electricity from light, and they convert energy in converters such that it can be fed into the electricity grid with minimal losses. Semiconductors make drive systems more efficient, monitor all manner of systems integrated into the energy chain in sensors, and use the Internet of Things to link sustainable energy generation up to consumers in such a way that the supply and demand are in perfect balance with each other.
A large ecological footprint
On the other hand, however, semiconductor production is a field that consumes huge amounts of resources. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), chemicals and gases are responsible for considerable emissions of a wide range of greenhouse gases. There is a high consumption of water and chemicals, and recycling by-products is complex and expensive. During dry etching or cleaning of the chambers for chemical vapour deposition (CVD), for example, greenhouse gases such as fluorinated compounds are used. Gases such as SF6 and NF3 have a global warming potential that is many times higher than CO2. According to the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in Belgium, studies have shown that almost 75 per cent of the CO2 emissions generated by a mobile device during its entire lifetime are caused during production – and almost half of this can be traced back to the chip production.
Furthermore, due to the cleanroom conditions required and the extremely complex systems, the semiconductor industry is a particularly high consumer of energy. Greenpeace estimates, for example, that TSMC’s annual electricity consumption is 4.8 per cent of the total electricity consumption of Taiwan – which is more than the capital Taipei consumes. According to the IMEC, the consumption of resources is also increasing in line with ever-smaller chip patterns. If you compare the production of a 28-nanometre pattern with that of a 2-nanometre pattern, the electricity consumption increases by a factor of 3.46, the consumption of ultra-pure water by a factor of 2.3 and greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of 2.5 per wafer.
Value chain is set to become more sustainable
However, the semiconductor industry is already starting to have a rethink. More and more companies feel a sense of commitment to the aim of making the value chain within semiconductor production more sustainable. The large foundries such as TSMC and Samsung, and IDMs such as Intel, have now launched specific programmes for this. TSMC thus announced it is striving to operate emission free by 2050 and to increase the proportion of renewable energy sources to 40 per cent by 2030. In July 2020, TSMC signed, for example, a 20-year contract with the Danish company Ørsted to buy up the entire energy produced by two wind turbines.
Globalfoundries (GF) is also aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions – by 25 per cent from 2020 to 2030, whilst at the same time expanding global production capacities. “We recognise climate change is an unprecedented global challenge, and Journey to Zero Carbon is GF’s commitment to growing responsibly and reducing our emissions in a meaningful way,” said GF CEO Tom Caulfield.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
According to the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA), in Europe the industry was able to reduce absolute emissions of fluorinated gases by 42 per cent from 2010 to 2020. In the same period, the European semiconductor industry also reduced its overall emissions by 54 per cent. This was achieved by measures including optimising the manufacturing process so that fewer PFCs are used and emitted, using alternative chemicals with a lower global warming potential, as well as installing systems for reducing emissions.
Suppliers also play an important part in the efforts of the semiconductor industry to improve its environmental footprint. Merck, for example, has launched “green” solvents on the market for use in photolithographic processes during the manufacture of semiconductors. Each time materials are applied to a silicon wafer, it is necessary to carefully clean the wafer to remove any unwanted residues from it. Here, solvents are indispensable as a cleaning agent. “Our new chemical products are completely environmentally friendly. This improves the environmental footprint of the production plants in which they are used considerably, and also simplifies wet-chemical processes for the customer,” explained Anand Nambiar, Global Head of the Semiconductor Materials business unit at Merck. “As varnishes can therefore be removed with less than a third of the amount of solvent usually required, the customer can save costs and the environmental damage associated with such substances entering global waste streams is reduced.”
More energy-efficient production plants
The manufacturers of the systems required for chip production are also playing a part in fabs being able to reduce their consumption of resources. Lam Research, a provider of systems and services for wafer production, has launched new plasma etching systems which enable the energy needed for each etched wafer to be reduced by 10 to 20 per cent. Furthermore, in collaboration with ASML and IMEC, Lam Research has introduced dry photoresist technology for patterning with extreme ultraviolet, which needs five to ten times fewer chemicals and two times less energy.
Semiconductor customers demand sustainability
The efforts of the semiconductor industry to improve its environmental footprint are also being driven by its customers’ demands. More and more companies are looking at their suppliers’ sustainability. Apple is one example – the company has set itself the ambitious target of being climate neutral across the entire supply chain and the product life cycle by 2030. “Every company should be a part of the fight against climate change, and together with our suppliers and local communities, we’re demonstrating all of the opportunity and equity green innovation can bring,” said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.


text:
Hordes of cannabis enthusiasts—some wearing tie-dye shirts with “Weed makes me happy” written on them—wrapped around the block of Broadway and Walnut streets in Redwood City on Saturday in keen anticipation of the grand opening of Embarc, the first cannabis dispensary on the Peninsula.
Hundreds of people filed in and out of the dispensary, and although Embarc, which is located at 1870 Broadway St., is the first and only cannabis dispensary in Redwood City, it won’t be for long.
Embarc is one of six cannabis dispensaries that received permits to operate storefronts in Redwood City, and the store’s launch is the culmination of an over two-year approval process with the city.
“I think we chose Redwood City, but Redwood City chose us too. So far, the receptiveness from this community has been incredible,” Lauren Carpenter, Embarc’s CEO said. “Cannabis is obviously still an emerging market and I think the city took a brave step in wanting to be at the forefront of bringing responsible legal cannabis to this community.”
The City has also issued permits to six other storefront retail cannabis businesses: Juva Retail RWC Inc, located at 2301 Broadway St.; Runway Services Inc, at 928 Whipple Ave.; Flor Peninsula at 620 El Camino Real; Element 7 Redwood City at 615 Woodside Rd, Suite 1; and MMD Redwood City Inc at 1764 Broadway.
As Redwood City struggles to plug a $10-million a-year hole projected for its budget over the next eight years, officials said cannabis dispensaries will generate between $500,000 to $700,000 in revenue to fund city services in their first full year of operation or by the end of 2023. All cannabis businesses must fund a 4% general tax on gross receipts paid directly to the city, in addition to the state’s 15% tax and the City’s near 10% sales tax, city officials said in a statement.
However, not all locals are so welcoming. Although Redwood City resident Peg Hall strongly opposes the Whipple Avenue store’s mixed-use location, she said her objections span all cannabis retail fronts. She said the city didn’t survey enough community members. In response, Hall gathered about 94 signatures in a petition against the store’s opening and presented it to the council.
“The City is counting on the tax dollars and may not be considering a greater outlay of expenses that could easily occur,” Hall said.
To Hall, externalities may include decreased property values and increased traffic, security risks and public smoking. She is also concerned about the potential effects on recovering addicts and alcoholics, as Hall is also a part of the recovering community.
“People could be clean, initially see marijuana as being harmless—which is basically how they’re promoting it at this point—and legal and think ‘why not?’” she said. “Any number of these addicts could easily end up going back to harder drugs or alcohol.”
In response to the disapproval, Carpenter asks residents to give them a chance.
“For folks that have questions or concerns, I would never try and change their mind. Everybody is absolutely entitled to their own perspective and feelings, but what I would ask is that you give us a shot, come down and meet with our team,” she said. “This train was leaving the station, so to speak, and it’s really important that we make sure locals are sitting on that train with us and helping guide its direction.”
Carpenter hopes that Embarc’s ample community involvement will help assuage residents’ worries.
Embarc has pledged 1% of gross receipts to a community investment fund, which will be directed by a community advisory board, a group of eight local leaders and stakeholders who will soon announce their participation.
“What makes [the board] really special is that you have voices from different sections of the community,” Jeri Daines, Embarc’s local franchise owner, said, citing the board’s business, nonprofit and religious leaders, “You’re going to see that the advisory board is diverse and everybody there will bring something to the table.”
The advisory board will allocate the funds based on where they believe the community needs the most help. Daines and Carpenter anticipate that the board will zero in on funding youth services, education and engagement—but not about cannabis. She said she receives consistent feedback from concerned parents about their children’s exposure to marijuana retail fronts.
Hall is also concerned about the potential effect on children and would prefer that cannabis retailers open up shop in industrial areas. One of her chief criticisms of the Whipple Avenue retail location is that it neighbors a swim school and the newly proposed mixed-use development project on 1125 Arguello St., which will include a childcare facility.
“The more often young people see these stores, the more likely they are to be curious and want to try it, especially with gummies, edibles and all sorts of gimmicky stuff,” she said. “Redwood City has outlawed sales of flavored tobacco and vapes. It seems a bit hypocritical to then legalize candy and cookie-like THC products.”
According to the city, security surveillance videos from the cannabis retailers will be provided to the Redwood City Police Department to monitor for possible criminal activity. Cannabis retailers are required to check for identification and are not permitted to sell to individuals under the age of 21, or 18 if they are medical patients. According to the city, retailers are also not allowed to be within 600 feet of schools, childcare facilities, public parks, youth centers, and libraries.
Carpenter believes that bringing leading voices in youth education and drug prevention into the advisory board will help keep the company accountable and transparent.
“It’s continuously a holistic approach to figuring out ‘How do we come into Redwood City?’” Daines, who is a parent herself, said.
Although the company is in uncharted territories, they said they aim to listen and integrate into the community.
“Cannabis is wellness, and for some people, that’s sleep. For others, it’s something to take the edge off,” Carpenter said. “The reality is that safe tested cannabis is what is provided in legal dispensaries and so I think we need to take responsibility, open these stores and provide a place where folks can come in and ask questions.”


text:
The loss of a major account has led to the closing of a New York state trucking company.
New York Express and Logistics announced it will close down March 31 and layoff some 107 employees due to the loss of an account with DHL, the parcel delivery company that is a division of the German corporation Deutsche Post DHL.
New York Express and Logistics is a subsidiary of North East Freightways Inc., of Londonderry, New Hampshire. The company provides freight transportation and cargo hauling services. It has facilities in Depew near Buffalo, Rochester, Dewitte near Syracuse and Latham near Albany.
The company filed a WARN notice with the New York State Department of Labor Dec. 30.
The announced closing of New York Express and Logistics is one of the first in the trucking industry in 2020. Last year saw numerous closings including Diboll, Texas-based Fleetwood Transportation Services, Inc., which closed at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, putting some 250 drivers out of work.


text:
This tech billionaire is Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung (29 years old), founder and CEO of Sky Mavis, a 25-member game development company based in the city. Ho Chi Minh City, behind the Axie Infinity storm that sweeps everywhere.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung – Founder of Sky Mavis.
Axie Infinity is a game created on the Blockchain technology platform. Unlike traditional games that are simply entertainment, Sky Mavis has taken Axie Infinity to a new level: helping its users earn additional income through the opportunity to invest in the AXS (Axis Utility Token) cryptocurrency.
Thanks to being an entertaining and investment game, Axie Infinity quickly attracted a large number of players. Specifically, the game currently has about 350,000 regular players, mainly Americans, Venezuelans and Filipinos. Basically, Axie Infinity is a virtual pet game inspired by Pokémon. Players will collect, raise, and battle pets (called Axies) to slowly build their own pet kingdom. New players starting out can buy Axies from other players in the Marketplace (at least 3 Axies as capital).
And the part that many people are most looking forward to: players can earn money by raising their pet Axies to sell on the market, or let the Axies participate in battles to compete for positions on the leaderboards,… Readers interested parties can download it HERE.
In a short time, Axie Infinity has become the highest-grossing Blockchain game in the world. According to Crytoslam, Axie Infinity’s revenue as of early July 2021 reached $386 million and according to data from Token Terminal, Axie’s revenue in the last 30 days was $90 million. Thanks to extremely rapid revenue growth, the AXS coin price also rose rapidly, helping Sky Mavis’ capitalization reach $1.3 billion (July 14) and currently up to $2.44 billion.
So, in the 4 years since Sky Mavis was founded (2017) and 3 years since Axie Infinity (2018) was released to the community, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung and his colleagues have raised the company’s value to a 2% of 440 million dollars. This is a record time in the Asian technological world.
To learn more about the latest news about the game, readers can like and follow the fan page:
Any comments on the article, providing information or contacting the article should be sent to Mr. Duy (Editor-in-Chief) email address: [email protected]