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It's sad but true. If you're looking for a caffeine fix in Palm Beach and Broward counties, you won't find much in the way of truly good coffee. Outside of a few independent coffee shops -- some brewing organic and small-batch roasts -- the options remain nothing but Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks.
In the past few years, a handful of local roasters has been able to break into the craft coffee scene, however. Their goal: to introduce South Florida to small-batch, artisanal brews (the java kind). Now, thanks to Subculture Coffee in West Palm Beach -- which opened in March 2013 as one of the area's first microroasters -- the trend could be growing.
A stellar first year, combined with plenty of positive feedback, has partners and Subculture Coffee cofounders Sean Scott and Rodney Mayo looking to open their second location in Palm Beach County.
The new Subculture Coffee shop is a move that Mayo and former Habatat Coffee founder Scott say is part of their original vision to expand the microroasting brand over the next few years.
In a recent interview, Scott confirmed that he and Mayo have signed a lease for a space off east Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach. The space, located between Tramonti and Sazio, was originally slated to become a Cake bakery in conjunction with Rhino Coffee and Doughnuts, Scott said, but when the space became available a few months ago, he and Mayo agreed it would be a good location for a second store.
Subculture Coffee Delray Beach is still in the planning stages and is expected to open sometime in December. The coffee shop will act as a roasting facility and -- like the original West Palm Beach store -- will be open late serving food, craft beer, and wine.
A true artisan, Scott painstakingly sources beans from various regions across the globe, from Central and South America, to Africa and the South Pacific. For him, roasting is a passion that involves more study, knowledge, practice, and skill than any other beverage-making process. Just a tick too high on the thermometer, he said, can mean the difference between a bitter, acidic cup -- or a sweet, smooth finish.
At Subculture Coffee in West Palm Beach, Scott roasts three out of seven days, producing 35 to 50 pounds of small-batch beans each day. The new coffee shop will also have a roaster onsite, said Scott, but won't begin producing its own product immediately.
"We've had so much success already, and we're excited to see the love and support from the community," said Scott. "I'm looking forward to the new location. It's definitely what downtown Delray needs, and I feel the late-night concept will work even better there than it does in West Palm Beach."
Nicole Danna is a food blogger covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.
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Sony and Polyphony Digital have announced that the 1.41 update for Gran Turismo Sport will be released tomorrow, July 31.
This new update adds five new vehicles to the game alongside some new GT League events. Those who are fans of Porsche will probably really like this update. The new cars include the following:
- Honda S800 ‘66
- Honda Civic Type R (EK) ‘98
- Jaguar D-type ‘54
- Mazda Roadster Touring Car
- Porsche 911 Turbo (930) ‘81
For the GT League events, you can find new rounds of the World Hatchback Championship, Nostalgia 1979 and X2019 Competition Endurance Series.
Let us know in the comments what you think of this latest update.

domain: news


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The last half of the century has seen most industries we buy our goods and services from become concentrated in the hands of fewer, larger, often global companies. With this shift, employment has migrated to these companies. At the same time, individual people, regardless of age, socioeconomic status or gender are creating their own ventures to become self-sufficient and fill the voids left by these large businesses. The situation we are currently experiencing is both a global phenomenon and opportunity for any person that enters the marketplace. Continue reading
Tag Archives: MangaCorta
Manga Corta redesigned site aims to be the Threadless of Chile and Latam
Manga Corta, founded by Alan Earle, has just released a new version of their website.
Originally selling t-shirts to earn some extra income, Alan says that he never thought selling t-shirts would become a full time endeavor. But indeed it has become that and so much more. To meet the demand of his growing market, the new MangaCorta website allows individuals to open their own store as well as upload and sell their own t-shirt designs. Shop owners earn money/commissions each time someone pays for their design. And even better, setting up an online store is free for designers.
However, staying true to their original vision and mission to sell a cool t-shirt, MangaCorta customers can still go online and order a t-shirt based on a variety of factors, using MangaCorta’s sophisticated search platform. As they continue to make updates on the new website and work through some coding tweaks, customers can continue visiting and shopping on the original MangaCorta website.
Chilenos or those living in Chile:
where are some of your favorite places to buy t-shirts?


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[July 9, 2012 — Article updated to include more foods; see below]
After it received some customer complaints about animal illness and small bird deaths, PMI Nutrition International LLC, a unit of St. Paul, Minnesota-based Land O’Lakes Inc., has recalled four varieties of LabDiet and Mazuri feed products for guinea pigs, small birds,maned wolves and primates.
The recalled products have the potential for elevated vitamin D levels, which can be harmful to animals if fed for extended periods, PMI reported.
The lot numbers are laser-printed on the back of each bag, near the top, the company reported.
The products were manufactured at PMI’s plant in Richmond, Indiana, and distributed throughout the United States and to some international customers.
PMI reports it has contacted dealers and has asked dealers to notify customers and retrieve the products. The diets should not be fed, the company reported.
The recalled products are:
Customers who purchased the product will receive a full refund and are urged to contact their local dealer or PMI’s customer service (855-863-0421, ext. 224) for more information about the recall. PMI’s customer service line operates Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. EDT.
As of July 6, 2012, PMI Nutrition International expanded its recent recall to include three additional varieties of Mazuri feed products. The company recalled the products due to the potential for elevated vitamin D levels, which can be harmful to animals if fed for extended periods, PMI reported.
The products were manufactured at the Richmond, Ind., feed plant and were distributed starting April 12, 2012, through July 6, 2012. PMI contacted dealers and asked them to hold the products and to notify and retrieve the products from customers.
Customers who purchased the product will receive a full refund, PMI said. The company can be contacted Monday through Friday at 855-863-0421 ext. 224 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
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More Australian homes have internet access via a TV than a Tablet. Nielsen
• 33 percent of Australian homes have a TV that can connect to the internet vs. 31 percent with a tablet computer
• Simultaneous consumption on the rise, with dual screening increasing from 60 percent in 2011 to 74 percent in 2012
• Forty-three per cent of Australians watch TV content delivered via the internet
Sydney: March 11, 2013 – For the first time ever, more Australians have access to internet-connected television (33%) than tablets (31%), according to a report released today by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy.
The annual Australian Connected Consumers report found that the significant growth in internet-connected TV anticipated in 2013 signals a major opportunity for marketers and advertisers to broaden their reach through new channels. Already, more households have access to online content via their TV screen than via a tablet computer, and anticipated acquisition of Smart TVs and devices facilitating a connection to the TV is strong for 2013.
Melanie Ingrey, co-author of the Nielsen report and Research Director, Media, Nielsen APMEA, says there is growing potential and opportunity for marketers and advertisers to deliver content through new channels that have never before been utilised.
"Australians are becoming increasingly connected to devices which are changing the way they consume content and can be served content," says Ingrey. "Where consumers once only had access to content through traditional channels such as print, broadcast TV and radio, growth in access to new technology such as smart phones, tablets and internet-connected TV is driving a media revolution and blurring traditional definitions."
Ingrey points out that the former definition of 'online' is a thing of the past. "The latest report explores the new 'new media' environment where consumers increasingly have a range of connected devices at their disposal, often simultaneously. What's more, the mobility of these new devices facilitates online media access across a range of locations and situations, providing brands an opportunity to cut through the noise and engage consumers at the right time, in the right place."
Nielsen found that evening 'prime time' is no longer the exclusive domain of broadcast television, with the continued growth in popularity of online media. During this coveted timeslot, online media consumption grew 11 percent in 2012, with 64 percent of online Australians logging in between 6pm and 8pm. While broadcast television enjoys a single 'peak time' during the evening, online media also sees a morning peak, with 57 percent of online Australians accessing the internet between 9am and 12pm and consumption remains strong throughout the day.
"Dual screening increased from 60 percent of online Australians in 2011 to 74 percent in 2012, with 'social TV' coming out as a key trend," commented Lillian Zrim, co-author of the report and Associate Research Director of Nielsen Insight and Innovation, Australia. "In 2012, we found more than one in three online Australians engaging in social media activity in line with television consumption, whether it is posting comments about TV programs or reading comments about programs being watched."
Zrim pointed out that internet television is where the real opportunities exist for television media owners. "There is still a major opportunity to own the internet television space in Australia, which remained relatively flat in uptake during 2012. Almost half (43%) of the Australian online population watched TV content via internet services and sources, and the NBN rollout will facilitate a surge in the demand for streamed TV and movie content in Australia in coming years."
Other key findings include:
• Australians now spend more time than ever online, browsing for 23 hours 18 minutes in an average week (up by 1 hour 24 minutes from 2011), with men spending, on average, three hours longer than women on the internet, per week.
• 'Mobile internet' is now commonly the first daily media access point for Australian consumers (up 6% compared to 2011).
• For the first time ever, Android has taken over iOS as the leading smartphone operating system, with 45 percent of online Australians utilising Android technology versus 38 percent using iOS. However, iOS users access more content compared to Android users.
Ingrey concludes: "The need to reach consumers on multiple platforms may seem daunting to some marketers and advertisers, however in the future the most successful brands will be those that effectively navigate the media matrix to connect with consumers across multiple platforms, at the most effective times throughout the day."
The report by Nielsen delivers detailed analysis of trends in consumer behaviour and interaction with digital platforms and devices to provide a holistic view of the market place and crucial insights for today's advertisers and content developers.
About the Nielsen Australian Connected Consumers report, 2012/2013
The Australian Connected Consumers Report (formerly known as The Australian Online Consumer Report) is a culmination of Nielsen's two annual studies of online consumers: The Australian Internet and Technology Report, published 1997-2009; and The Australian Social Media Report, published 2007-2009. The 2012 report analysed the responses of 5,034 online Australians aged 16 years and above (2,407 males and 2,627 females) through an online survey methodology. All responses were collected between 3rd and 20th December 2012.
N.B. Due to the approaching saturation of internet penetration in Australia, Australian Connected Consumers focuses on online Australians. There is no analysis of the behaviours or profile of Australians who do not use the internet.
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows, and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA, and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
Tel: + 61 403 074 864
Hannah Crafter (ICON International Communications)
Tel: +612 8235 7600 or +61 430 058 500


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Nexus 10 & Nexus 7 Needs More Apps
It’s been less than a week since the launch of Nexus Duos, Nexus 10 & 7 and it is not even went out of US but still experts believe that it’s the high time now and the job is Google is not finished just by expanding the line up. Google and Samsung, both should encourage app Android app developers to come up with fabulous apps for both these lovely and the demanding Android tablets.
No doubt that Google and Samsung has put the top notch hardware for these upcoming best android tablets and they have got high resolution display, internal memory, camera and many more things which I guess are enough to compete to the charisma of Galaxy S3 and most importantly with the iPad saga, but what these duos are lacking behind is in terms of Software which can add value to these devices.
While the hardware and specs are the best in both the devices, gadget enthusiasts and even the regular consumers would prefer to go with the device which offers them the best in terms of all and not just the high capabilities of hardware.
As per the recent outcome on the Nexus 7, it has been driving ultimate excitement among the users and the developer community. On the other hand, Nexus 10 has been seen as the best and the ideal alternative to the charisma of New iPad and Galaxy 10 inches tablet.
Google Play has boasted to the market of 700,000 apps but still there are less number of apps for tablet when you compared it to Apple iTunes which has got more than 270,000 apps for iPad.
Google really has to think fast as they might run out of time, when the charm of Windows 8 based tablet will be spread all over and especially where Apple has been the leader since last couple of years. Google has got the finest hardware now and all they need to do is to come up with some lucrative and useful apps for launched lineups.


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Digital print giant Epson has confirmed that it will exhibit at the rescheduled The Print Show in 2021, saying the event is the “best platform in the UK” to showcase its solutions to the market.
Epson had signed up to appear at the original event in September 2020, but after The Print Show was moved due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the manufacturer instead switched to next year’s event.
A long-time supporter of The Print Show, Epson plans to display a selection of its printing kit at the event, which will take place from September 28th to 30th at the NEC in Birmingham.
Phil McMullin, sales manager, ProGraphics at Epson UK, says while virtual events can temporarily fill the exhibition hole, they are not a long-term substitute for the real thing, and therefore The Print Show will be key for Epson next year.
“The Print Show remains the best UK platform for us to show off new systems to a large number of print service provides in a short space of time,” McMullin says.
In terms of how Epson has reacted to the Covid-19 crisis, McMullin says that the manufacturer remains in a strong position, explaining it is a global organisation with a wide array of technologies at its disposal.
“Epson UK has not furloughed any members of staff and all have continued to work as normally as possible from home,” he says, adding: “In the large-format print side, we have seen record unit sales over lockdown in the signage and textile market segments.
“Some areas of our business have been extremely strong through out lockdown but its fair to say that the photo market has been hard hit without the usual wedding, event, holiday and school photo trade.
“We expect this area to remain soft for some time, particularly if local lock downs are required to address infection spikes. Despite this we plan product launches for the photo market that we believe will help our commercial customers recover their profitability in 2021.”


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Primula Cheese is expanding its soft cheese range with two new products.
Kerrygold has moved beyond butter and launched into the cheese category with a Mature Irish Cheddar…
A huge opportunity in cheese is provenance. This month Pilgrims Choice launched a new Territorials range, which includes favourites Red Leicester, Double Gloucester and Wensleydale.
Budweiser Brewing Group has launched a pilot to create a can with the lowest ever carbon footprint for an AB InBev beer can produced in Europe.
The collection is also free from dairy, gluten, egg and nuts.
Mondelēz International says the packaging will contain up to 30% recycled plastic.
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Majid Al Futtaim – the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia promises to create an unforgettable experience for all its customers this Eid Al Adha inviting visitors to spectacular Eid Al Adha performances and daily ‘Happy Eidiya’ rewards for shoppers.
Performing for the first time in Bahrain, the multiple Guinness world record-holding Hungarian acrobatic troupe FACE TEAM will be coming to City Centre Bahrain to perform a highly engaging 5-day action packed show with jaw-dropping sports and acrobatic tricks exclusively for the mall’s visitors from 21-25 August 2018.
The 15-member team are famed for their thrilling performances of sports-related shows, full of energy, with a focus on performing the most difficult acrobatic tricks. Their unique act is filled with plenty of mesmerising slam dunks, high flying acrobatic tricks, combined with amazingly precise teamwork while presenting a spectacular and perfectly choreographed entertainment programme.
City Centre Bahrain is also rewarding shoppers to daily ‘Happy Eidiya’ rewards, inviting customers shopping for BD 30 or more to enter a draw for mall gift cards worth BD 500. Ten lucky winners will win the ‘Happy Eidiya’ reward worth BD 500 each day, valid between 19-25 August 2018.
”Eid Al Adha is a special time when family and friends come together to celebrate and create lasting memories,” says Duaij Al Rumaihi, Senior Mall Manager, at Majid Al Futtaim – City Centre Bahrain. “Majid Al Futtaim’s vision is to create great moments for everyone, everyday, and this unique, high energy performance by FACE TEAM will deliver a compelling and memorable Eid experience. City Centre Bahrain is thrilled to bring this entertainment for the first time ever to be enjoyed by all audiences – young and old, families, individuals and sports fans alike. We are also excited to reward shoppers during Eid Al Adha with a chance to win BD500 in gift cards each day during the special occasion.”
FACE TEAM literally somersaulted into the Guinness Book of World Records with the world’s longest spinning slam dunk and the team hold five world record titles in total. They have performed all over the world and even reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2012.
City Centre Bahrain will be hosting FACE TEAM 5-day action packed show during Eid Al Adha at the mall’s central galleria, three times daily at 5pm, 6:30pm and 8pm, each show lasting 30 minutes each.
For more information about City Centre Bahrain, please visit the mall’s customer service desks
or visit: www.Facebook.com/CityCentreBahrain or www.citycentrebahrain.com


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EMP: Electric Appoints Global Vice President of Sales and Global Vice President of Product
Electric Hires Global VP of Sales & Global VP of Product
Press Release from Electric
SAN CLEMENTE, CA – Electric announced today that Colin Madden has joined the company as Global Vice President of Sales and Mike Nelson as Global Vice President of Product.
“These much needed strategic positions will help us to better service our customer base and provide resource to our global teams; ensuring that our brand maintains consistency in culture and a strong level of execution on the road ahead. Colin’s diverse background will be a great compliment to our existing team. Mike’s product development and design expertise will elevate our internal processes, as well as bring consistency and clarity of message to our growing product portfolio.” – Eric Crane, CEO
“I’m really excited about joining Electric. It is an honor to be chosen to be part of a young, forward thinking group of people who have a clear vision on where they want to take the brand. By partnering with Electric’s global retailers, I’m confident we have a bright future ahead of us.” – Colin Madden
“I’ve been a fan of Electric since it’s beginning. I’m super excited to be a part of such a talented team. The amazing work all of the people behind the brand have done to this point has really put us in a great position. My plan is to continue to bring the heat and help contribute to Electric’s success as a world class accessories brand.” – Mike Nelson
ABOUT COLIN MADDEN
Colin brings to Electric more than 16 years of experience, previously Director of Sales at Burton and later DC Shoes, Vice President of Sales at Neff and most recently Vice President of Sales at Holden.
ABOUT MIKE NELSON
Mike brings to Electric more than 8 years of experience, previously Technical Product Category Manager at Nixon, Creator of Destroyer Equipment, Director of Product at Frends and most recently Creative Director at Fossil.
Electric is a global, premium sport and lifestyle accessory brand rooted in Southern California’s rich action sports, music, art and customization culture. Electric designs and markets an extensive line of watches, sunglasses, snow goggles, snow helmets, bags, apparel and accessories throughout the globe. In 2011, Electric became part of the Kering group, a world leader in apparel and accessories.
For more information go to: www.electriccalifornia.com


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Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt Says Man With Gun Made Daughter 'Fear For Her Life'Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt says a man who brandished a gun this week at a Starbucks made her daughter “fear for her life.”
Starbucks, Walmart Issue Mask Mandates For All CustomersWalmart and Starbucks are joining the growing list of companies requiring that all customers wear masks. The Walmart requirement will go into effect on Monday and Starbucks went into effect Wednesday.
Starbucks Halts Use Of Personal Cups At Its Stores Due To CoronavirusStarbucks is halting the use of personal cups and in-store ware due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Facing South Florida: Potential Presidential Candidate Howard Schultz Discusses Issues Important To South FloridiansFacing South Florida host Jim DeFede discusses a possible Presidential run by former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
Already Available In Miami, Starbucks Is Expanding Its Delivery ServiceYour morning routine could be getting a little more convenient if your morning ritual includes a Venti Latte.
Starbucks Whips Up Creepy Coffee Concoction For HalloweenStarbucks has a new creepy coffee concoction. It unveiled a Halloween-themed "Witch's Brew Frappuccino," to be sold for a limited time.
Starbucks To Open In Select Publix Stores In South FloridaPretty soon shoppers at two Miami Publix stores and one in Ft. Lauderdale will be able to enjoy a freshly brewed Starbucks coffee, espresso, Frappuccino, smoothie, or iced coffee during their visit.
Starbucks Closes 8,000 Stores Tuesday For Anti-Bias TrainingEight-thousand Starbucks restaurants around the country will be closing Tuesday afternoon for training purposes. Employees will undergo anti-bias instruction.
Starbucks Set To Close Over 8,000 Stores For Anti-Bias TrainingStarbucks locations across the country will close on Tuesday afternoon.
Starbucks Changes Policy, Don't Need To Buy Anything To Hang OutStarbucks stores are now open to all — no purchase necessary.
Two Men Arrested At Philly Starbucks Settle With CityTwo men whose arrest at a Starbucks in Philadelphia sparked a national outcry over racial profiling have settled a lawsuit with the city.
Philly Police Commissioner Apologizes For Infamous Starbucks ArrestsThe two men who were arrested for trespassing at a Philadelphia Starbucks have received an apology from the city's Police Commissioner.
Starbucks To Close Stores On Afternoon Of May 29 For Bias TrainingThe coffee giant Starbucks is trying to resolve perhaps the company’s worst PR problem in its history.
Starbucks To Train Workers On 'Unconscious Bias,' CEO SaysA new piece of training is coming to Starbucks employees after last week’s controversial situation at a Pennsylvania location.
Protests Follow Racially Charged Arrest Of Two Black Men At StarbucksProtesters gathered at a Starbucks in Philadelphia on Sunday to speak out against the racially charged arrest of two black men at the same Starbucks.


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Zentia celebrates National Apprenticeship Week with a hat-trick
Gateshead-based ceilings manufacturer Zentia set to take on three apprentices for National Apprenticeship Week.
Leading UK ceiling solutions manufacturer Zentia is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week this week (February 6-12) with the launch of three new apprenticeships at its headquarters in Gateshead, and more to come later in the year.
The company, which has two factories at Team Valley, formally launched its Apprenticeship Scheme in 2021 with the recruitment of five apprentices, in functions ranging from mechanical engineering to health and safety.
It was such a success that the business formerly known as Armstrong Ceiling Solutions is now committed to increasing the number of apprentices year on year, with a further three apprentices recruited in 2022.
Zentia has partnered with Gateshead College and Gateshead Council to support and promote apprenticeships in the region in the future. But even before it made its apprenticeship scheme official, Zentia was recruiting this way. Now some of its engineers have been with the business for more than 30 years.
The three new opportunities on offer are Lean Manufacturing Operative Level 2 apprenticeships.
Future apprentices can expect the optimum blend of practical and classroom learning, with the majority of their time spent in one of Zentia’s two factories – its mineral tile factory on Kingsway South or its ceiling grid factory on Dukesway. Some may also spend one day a week at college.
Zentia’s Head of HR, Nicky Gallagher, said: “Here at Zentia, we believe that our people are our greatest asset. That belief underpins every decision we make in our business, not just in making our apprenticeship scheme a formal programme. It’s why we invest so heavily in people development, helping our colleagues develop their skills and experience so they can progress their careers and drive Zentia to new heights. Not only is it great for Zentia, it’s also important for the North-East to continue developing these critical manufacturing skills.”


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Food and drink bosses have urged the government to investigate “crippling” price hikes that are causing alarm in the beer supply chain.
Brewers face a 400 per cent price increase for CO2, which could lead to beer shortages.
Meanwhile, meat producers said they can see “little justification” for the massive hikes which have also hit their factories in the pocket.
There is a growing concern about CO2 supplies as production of the gas was halted at a plant in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, due to sky-rocketing energy prices, and another in Teesside temporarily ground to a halt.
Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, told The Mirror that he could see “little justification” for rocketing prices from wholesalers and called on the government to address “crippling” increases.
Bosses say the price of gas has risen since CF Fertilisers, last month, said it was stopping production at its remaining UK ammonia plant in Billingham, near Middlesbrough, after soaring energy costs made production “uneconomical”.
The company is one of the UK’s biggest producers of CO2, which is a by-product from the production of ammonia.
Mr Allen said: “We have been reassured by Government sources that, despite the imminent closure of CF Industries’ remaining Billingham plant and the shutdown for maintenance of the Ensus plant in Teeside, there will not be a supply issue because of a boost in supply from new entrants to the UK CO2 market and continued access to imported gas.
“This does not, however, mean there won’t be a price issue. Even before these shutdowns, our members were reporting huge price hikes from the CO2 wholesalers which we can see little justification for.
“We’d like to see Government get to the bottom of where these crippling price rises are originating and intervene to stabilise the situation.”
Meanwhile, brewers have warned the impact of CO2 supply issues is having a catastrophic effect.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: “There is currently extreme volatility in the supply of CO2 to brewers and pubs, causing increasing uncertainty for their businesses.
“Some brewers have reported week on week price increases of more than 400%, a cost they simply can’t pass onto customers.
“Without a reliable, sustained supply of CO2 to our industry there will be a real, genuine threat of beer shortages from our great British brewers.”
It comes after Ranjit Singh Boparan – nicknamed “the Chicken King” – whose 2 Sisters Food Group provides poultry to giants including M&S and Tesco, warned earlier this month that the UK’s food security is under threat.
Mr Boparan said his business faces a £1 million-a-week increase in the cost of CO2, which is used to stun chickens.
He said: “What is very sad is that it’s the UK shopper who will ultimately pay the price and CO2 suppliers are, in effect, holding consumers hostage.”
A government spokesperson said: “We are aware that CF Fertilisers has taken the decision to temporarily halt ammonia production Billingham but we are confident CO2 stocks are secure for the coming winter.
“While the market’s resilience has improved in the past 12 months with additional imports, further production from existing domestic sources and better stockpiles, the government is continuing to examine options for to improve this over the longer term.
“It is still essential that the industry acts in the interests of the public and business to do everything it can to meet demand.”
Source: Read Full Article


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- How long will 3g phones be supported?
- Is Verizon discontinuing 3g?
- What happens when Verizon shuts down 3g?
- Will Verizon 3g phones work in 2020?
- What flip phones will work in 2020?
- How do you know if your phone is 3g or 4g?
- What happens when a phone is no longer supported?
- Can you still use 3g?
- Will a 3g phone work on 4g?
- Will 4g phones be obsolete?
- Is the 3g network shutting down?
- Will 3g flip phones still work in 2020?
- Are flip phones being phased out?
- How can I upgrade my 3g phone to 4g?
How long will 3g phones be supported?
Here’s why it’s time to start thinking about upgrading.
As the ramp up to 5G continues, AT&T says it will stop providing service to 3G devices by early 2022..
Is Verizon discontinuing 3g?
As reported by Droid Life, Verizon confirmed that it will stop activating 3G CDMA devices as it prepares to discontinue service on that network by the end of 2019. “For several years we’ve been publicly saying that our 3G CDMA network will remain available through the end of 2019.
What happens when Verizon shuts down 3g?
However, when Verizon closes its 2G and 3G networks at the end of 2020, 3G phones will become obsolete and non-VoLTE LTE phones will not be able to make or receive calls. VoLTE means voice over LTE, and it’s required for making calls over LTE networks. Phone calls use LTE data networks over older voice networks.
Will Verizon 3g phones work in 2020?
Verizon Wireless customers with older devices still reliant on 3G CDMA technology will be able to continue using them on Verizon’s network until the end of 2020. The wireless giant confirmed this week it is postponing its retirement of 3G service for a year.
What flip phones will work in 2020?
The 10 Best Verizon Flip Phones for Seniors 2020Easyfone prime A1. 549 Reviews. … Nokia 3310 3G. … Samsung Convoy 3, Gray (Verizon Wireless) … LG Exalt, Black (Verizon Wireless) … Kyocera DuraXV, Verizon, Gray, 4 GB. … Samsung Convoy 2 SCH-U660 3G. … Plum Ram 7-3G. … Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4G.More items…
How do you know if your phone is 3g or 4g?
How do I check if my mobile is 3G or 4G?Dial *#06# on your phone to display your IMEI number.Go to www.imei.info, enter your IMEI number and select Check.A report will be produced. Look at the LTE section – it will display all the frequencies that your phone can use.
What happens when a phone is no longer supported?
It means that your phone will no longer receive any OS upgrades/ updates and Security Patches from your device manufacturer. It will remain in the same level of OS and security patch forever (unless you root it). It is pretty common in Android phones.
Can you still use 3g?
According to global carrier organization GSMA, nearly 20% of US wireless connections were still using 3G at the end of last year. That data lines up perfectly with OpenSignal’s recent findings. Fortunately, the majority of these 3G-only users could easily shift to using 4G by merely upgrading their mobile plans.
Will a 3g phone work on 4g?
Unfortunately, the ability to access the 4G network depends on your phone’s capability. So, if you have a 3G phone, you won’t have access to the 4G network. On the CDMA network, a 3G phone can access the 3G network, a 4G phone can access the regular 4G network and an LTE phone can access the 4G LTE network.
Will 4g phones be obsolete?
This transition is different from earlier cellular generation shifts, which means 4G could be useful a lot longer. 5G is here, but 4G isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, the ramp-up to 5G means your 4G phone may actually get better. …
Is the 3g network shutting down?
5G network slicing promises a taste of the future It no longer sells 3G-only post-paid phones, and will stop selling 3G-only prepaid devices in March 2020. Affected devices include the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S, with Apple launching its first 4G-capable phone in 2012 in the iPhone 5.
Will 3g flip phones still work in 2020?
Most wireless providers are expressing the same reasoning as to why they’re shutting down the 3G network. But what exactly is 3G? … So your phone may still work in 2020, but according to the chart above, after December 31, 2020, if your phone is 3G or older, you won’t be able to use the wireless services for Verizon.
Are flip phones being phased out?
This is a common misconception, becuase most older devices that are on the CDMA network are “flip phones” and customers are getting notification that their phones will no longer work after July 5th, they believe it is “flip phones” being discontinued. This is not true, you can INDEED upgrade to a 4G cabable flip phone.
How can I upgrade my 3g phone to 4g?
7 Easy Steps to Convert Your 3G Phone to a 4G PhoneOpen your phone’s dialer and start typing this code *#*#4636#*#On running the above code you’ll land into a testing screen where you’ll see four options phone information, battery information, usage statistics, and Wi-Fi information.Click on ‘phone information. … Scroll down until you see ‘set preferred network type.More items…•


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News from The Business Journals
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A leadership transition is on the way for Craft Brew Alliance.
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Nov 7, 2013, 10:12 am EST
The nation’s third-largest craft brewer arrives in Columbus next month.
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Mar 4, 2013, 9:51 pm EST
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Kona Brewing Co. is catching Columbus’ craft brew wave.
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Haggerston's Burley Fisher Books flourishes during year of Covid
- Credit: Holly Chant
Crowned London’s best independent bookshop of the year, Burley Fisher Books has flourished by setting up an innovative book delivery service during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sam Fisher and Jason Burley set up the Haggerston shop as an events community bookshop in 2016.
The business did not have an online shop when the pandemic struck a year ago, or even a proper website.
“We weren’t at the best starting point at the beginning of the pandemic,” owner and bookseller Sam said.
But, he says, over 12 months there has been a “total transformation of what we do”.
The bookseller said the first four months of 2020 were “terrible” because the shop did not have a system set up to sell books online, and was down 40 per cent in profits for the first quarter.
However, by the end of December it had experienced its best year ever.
- 1 Great Christmas markets in and around north London
- 2 CCTV: Dog walker helped raped woman, 19, call the police in Hackney
- 3 Operation Mincemeat: Role of Hackney mortuary marked in Colin Firth film
- 4 Homerton LTN to be made permanent despite division among residents
- 5 Possible travel disruptions for central London this week
- 6 Boxpark reveals plans for Shoreditch rooftop garden
- 7 Five convicted for 'horrifying' Broadway Market stabbing
- 8 'It was like a scene from a movie': Hackney man facing jail for 2017 shooting
- 9 Stoke Newington residents go without running water for days
- 10 Protesting workers in wage war with Hackney Council
Before the first lockdown commenced on March 23, 2020, Burley Fisher Books tweeted to people starting to self-isolate and asked if they wanted a recommendation based on their last favourite read, delivered straight to their door.
The service, he says, gave the bookshop a boost and some time to build a new website.
They “spun” the Twitter recommendation idea into a Guest Bookseller feature and also started a podcast called the Isolation Station to highlight local and first time authors.
Sam explained: “That was really fun and it gave us a way of staying in touch with one another."
The bookshop also renovated its event space in order to sell second-hand books collected from house clearances to prepare for the planned reopening of non-essential shops on April 12 and, as the shop’s e-commerce developed, they started hosting digital events like book launches and panels on YouTube.
Sam says it has been difficult but fun to try things out and is excited to see what they carry through into the future.
Looking back on the year, he added: “It feels like it's gone by in a flash and also, It's kind of that strange train travelling at 100 miles an hour and never leaving the station type feeling.”
The bookseller thanked the community for supporting the shop when “they could have ordered from Amazon” and said winning the British Book Award for London Independent Bookshop of the Year this month was a testament to how hard everyone at Burley Fisher Books has worked.


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International and regional leaders in marketing, media and public relations will address delegates at the two-day event, which is being run in conjunction with the Media & Marketing Show at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A series of interactive panel discussions will debate topics such as how media agencies and marketers can build effective working relationships; how PR can command a greater share of marketing spend; the future of free- to-air TV in the region; how to get effective consumer insights; and the potential of online advertising.
Topping the bill of speakers is Max Clifford, the UK's most well-known and influential PR practitioner and publicist.
Clifford, who has been working in PR for more than 40 years, has made his name looking after the interests of a variety of clients, including a host of celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali.
Clifford started his career promoting the Beatles at EMI records in London.
Also speaking at the conference is Joseph Ghossoub, chairman and world president of the International Advertising Association and CEO at The Holding Group; Antoine Choueiri, chairman of The Choueiri Group - whose company is the dominate force in television advertising sales across the region; Hala Badri, vice president of corporate communications at the UAE's newest telecom operator Du; and Jan Zijderveld, chairman of Unilever Middle East and the GCC Advertisers' Association.
For further details on the Campaign Conference 2006 and to book your place, please visit www.campaignme.com


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Xiaomi products will be sold on Amazon India and Snapdeal
Xiaomi’s stronghold is no longer just limited to its Chinese markets. The company is spreading its wings in the welcoming Indian market and has announced the availability of its Mi devices on major two e-commerce sites of India along with other offline retailers. The company’s entrance into the country was initiated by a joint retail partnership with Flipkart and it got a pretty amazing response as it managed to sell millions of devices within the first five months. This gives the company enough reason to increase its customer base and further pave the way for increased sales.
Don't Miss: Nintendo Switch: Everything You Need To Know
Manu Jain, the head of Xiaomi India, says that the devices will be available from all 800 outlets of The Mobile Store and also from the operator Airtel. On the other hand, Hugo Barra, the company’s head of international, says that Indian customers will be able to purchase Xiaomi products from Amazon India and Snapdeal which are the biggest online retailers in the country.
In further attempts to drive sales, the company no longer requires users to pre-register for its flash sales. This was quite a hectic procedure for the users but this was in place to ensure that the company sells the stock which it actually holds. Now that the company has dropped this requirement, we suspect that it has enough room for more allocations of phones.
These strategies are quite the opposite to what the company is following in its home region China where it controls its own online sales pipeline. But the brand hasn’t really made that mark yet in India and this explains why it needs the support of external retailers which the public already has trust in.
Don't Miss: Incredible Pokemon Gifts


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One of today’s smartest pieces of mobile software doesn’t come from Apple, Google or even Microsoft. That crown has quietly gone to Cyanogen, which, as of Wednesday, is going to start competing with Android directly by going mainstream. According a post on Cyanogen’s blog, the side project is now an official company—as of this past April, actually—and is allegedly working with an unnamed hardware manufacturer to develop a consumer device.
Cyanogen, essentially, is a replacement firmware based on official Android releases with original and third-party code. The great thing about Cyanogen’s work is the additional features and flexibility it introduces to the Android platform, which is already feature-rich in and of itself. Currently, CyanogenMod has more than 8 million users—probably more—so there are definitely people interested in the platform. The project is being led by Boost Mobile co-founder Kirt McMaster, and will focus solely on building Cyanogen as its own platform.
The company will first introduce an app to the Google Play store in a few weeks that will make it super easy to install CyanogenMod. The current plan is to hit “a smaller group of CyanogenMod-friendly devices,” but the eventual goal is to support as much hardware as possible. As of now, it’s unclear what devices Cyanogen is going after, the company insisted the platform will be expanded as much as possible in the coming months, with possible features such as CyanogenMod accounts and Device Finder services.
By going legit, Cyanogen is hoping to secure its place as the third most popular mobile operating system. Having used CyanogenMod on an S III myself, the company certainly has the portfolio and wherewithal to achieve that goal. Cyanogen says it’ll stick to its familiar model of basing its software off of official Android builds, and attempt to improve some of Android’s biggest problems, including bloatware and fragmentation.
Securing a hardware partnership is one big step, now it’s just a matter of releasing an actual device, and introducing a Cyanogen app that everyone can easily install. Would you ditch TouchWiz and Sense for Cyanogen?


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It's been a YEAR since Korea's free trade deal with the world's biggest economy -- the United States -- went into effect after years of back and forth negotiations.
So what has Korea gained from the implementation of the trade pact?
Arirang's Hwang Ji-hye joining us live in the studio to explain.
Ji-hye, how would you describe the impact of the KORUS FTA on Korea's overall trade?
Korea's exports to the U.S. have risen to nearly 54-billion U.S. dollars since March last year, an increase of more than 2-and-a-half percent from the same period a year earlier.
This is a huge jump, since the nation's total export volume fell one-and-a-half percent amid the sluggish global economy.
Imports of U.S. products, however, have dropped more than 7 percent, while Korea's total import volume fell less than 3 percent.
That's given Korea a trade surplus of almost 15 billion dollars, an increase of 44 percent.
It's no surprise then that a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows that the majority of Korean exporters doing business with the U.S. say that they have benefited from the bilateral trade deal.
I recently visited one of these export companies, a manufacturer near the capital of Seoul, to take a closer look.
This manufacturing company exports its products to many countries, including the U.S..
Its CEO says the free trade deal with the U.S. has definitely produced new opportunities for his company.
"More foreign buyers have shown interest in our company since the Korea-U.S. free trade deal went into effect. We expect a sales increase of around 100-thousand dollars this year."
The industries that have benefited the most from the bilateral trade deal are the auto parts, petroleum products and machineries industries.
The auto parts industry has benefited the most with exports to the U.S. rising over 25-percent since the trade pact went into effect.
Petroleum products exports have also risen more than 30 percent, while machineries exports have gone up by almost 15 percent.
Experts say the bilateral trade pact with the U.S. served as a buffer against an overall drop in overseas demand.
"Korea's trade volume amounted to over one-trillion dollars last year for the second straight year due in part to the sharp rise in exports to the U.S., despite the global economic slump prompted by major economies such as the countries in Europe, which are seeing slow growth."


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In public, Toyota is running apologetic TV ads and vowing to win back customers' trust. Behind the scenes, the besieged carmaker is trying to learn all it can about congressional investigations, and maybe even steer them if it can.
It's part of an all-out drive by the world's biggest automaker to redeem its once unassailable brand — hit anew on Tuesday as Toyota's global recall ballooned to 8.5 million cars and trucks. The day's safety recall of 440,000 of its flagship Prius and other hybrids, plus a Tokyo news conference where the company's president read a statement in English pledging to "regain the confidence of our customers," underscored a determination to keep buyers' faith from sinking to unrecoverable depths.
In Washington, Toyota is working through its lawyers and lobbyists to salvage its reputation. The strategy includes efforts to sway upcoming hearings on Capitol Hill and is based on experiences by companies that have survived similar consumer and political crises — and those that haven't.
Toyota, which reported spending more than $4 million on lobbying last year, declined to discuss details of its plans. The company has "beefed up our team" by hiring additional lobbyists, lawyers and public relations experts to "work with regulators and lawmakers collaboratively towards a successful recall effort, ensuring proper, diligent compliance," spokeswoman Cindy Knight said in an e-mail to the Associated Press.
Toyota also faces congressional hearings about floor mats that get caught under accelerators, sticky gas pedals and brake problems, and what the company and federal regulators knew about them.
Professionals who have waged major damage-control struggles say the best strategy mixes apology, openness and details about a specific fix — plus a little help from friends on Capitol Hill.
In recent days, American TV viewers have seen ads in which a soft-spoken announcer talks about Toyota's dedication to safety and its customers.
Toyota is expected to turn to its natural allies — lawmakers from states with Toyota plants or offices, which include Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Toyota has been encouraging dealers to contact local members of Congress, said Bailey Wood of the National Automobile Dealers Association. About 60 of the 1,200 U.S. Toyota dealers intend to visit Washington this week, weather permitting, said Cody Lusk, president of the American International Automobile Dealers Association. Their message: Toyota employs 34,000 people in the United States and accounts for 164,000 other jobs.
Toyota flew 23 workers from plants around the country to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers' staffs, emphasizing that the people who make the parts and build the vehicles care about quality.
One worker who tests cars and trucks said he takes it personally that he never found the gas pedal problem.
"I feel that I failed customers by not finding this issue," said Jim Shuker, who works at Toyota's Arizona Proving Grounds in Wittmann, Ariz. "We were not able to duplicate it."
In the meantime, Toyota president Akio Toyoda wrote an opinion column in Tuesday's Washington Post in which he promised an outside review of company operations, better responses to complaints and improved communication with federal officials.
Toyota problems have sparked the highest-profile congressional investigation of the auto industry since a slew of deadly accidents prompted the Firestone tire recall in 2000. Most of the tires were on Ford Explorers.
Both companies suffered damage to their reputations, but both bounced back. Ford was proactive, briefing officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Congress and stressing that the safety of its customers was paramount. Firestone offered to replace its tires for free.


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February 16, 2012
InStyle's February 2012 issue reports that "statement nails" are having a major moment in today's fashion.
Keywords: 3D nail art celebrities decals fashion glitter nail art
February 13, 2012
Nicki Minaj has two major beauty launches hitting stores, according to the February 2012 issue of Essence magazine.
Keywords: nail trends OPI Products polish
February 10, 2012
Nail Labo educator Max Estrada demonstrates deco nail art, a "kawaii" Japanese style using Nail Labo's Nail de Dance sculpting powders and Hello Kitty embellishments.
Keywords: 3D nail art colored acrylics embellishments gel overlays Nail art
February 10, 2012
According to Lucky magazine's February 2012 issue, celebrity nail tech Jenna Hipp and RBG owner Gina Carney collaborated on this line of four gorgeous neutrals called Nail Foundation. The nail stylist was on a quest to create the perfect nude shades and answered a few questions along the way.
Keywords: fashion nail trends polish
February 8, 2012
Auckland, New Zealand-based nail tech Leah Light is an international nail correspondant for Perez Hilton's blog. Here, she shows viewers how to make their own sugar scrub. View more of her videos at http://cocoperez.com/category/leah-light.
Keywords: blogs celebrity nail techs foot scrubs nail trends scrubs
February 7, 2012
Jennifer Mather of Polished Nail Design Group in Burlington, Ontario, Canada creates a fun technique combining CND Retention+ liquid and powders, CND Black Pigment, Cerulean Blue Pigment Effect, Titanium Pearl Pigment Effect, and Velcro — yes, Velcro!
Keywords: acrylics CND doing nails for photo shoots gel overlays nail trends
February 3, 2012
Cosmopolitan, in its February 2012 issue, suggested that women try dousing their nails in crimson colors, such as Nicole by OPI's Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi.
Keywords: fashion nail trends Nicole by OPI polish
January 31, 2012
VB Comsetics' quick-drying polish Dazzle Dry was featured on the Today Show yesterday along with other top nail products as hosts Jordan Sparks and Hoda Kotb went over the latest in manicure trends.
Keywords: Dazzle Dry nail trends VB Cosmetics
January 27, 2012
According to Marie Claire's January 2012 issue, an ethereal sea-nymph look has been spotted all over the runways. To "catch" on, try offering SpaRitual's Nail Lacquer in Ebb & Flow.
Keywords: fashion nail trends SpaRitual trends
January 26, 2012
According to the January 2012 issue of Self Magazine, a surprising 82 percent of Self.com readers would wear a trendy snakeskin mani. Here are a few tips on how to achieve the look.
Keywords: CND Nail art nail trends polish
January 25, 2012
Lucky magazine's January 2012 issue shows readers how to give a successful self-adhesive nail wrap manicure.
Keywords: beginner nail art Essie nail trends polish adhesion Tweezerman
January 24, 2012
| Photo Gallery
We saw tons of custom nail designs – created to specifically complement the presented garments. There were some fierce brights, inspired by the ’60s.
Keywords: China Glaze CND Color Club Dashing Diva Essie
January 13, 2012
Lucky magazine's January 2012 Beauty Spy reports that red is one of the season's best shades. Whether for a manicure or pedicure, you can't go wrong with this classic color.
Keywords: Deborah Lippmann Essie fashion nail trends OPI Products
January 12, 2012
Katie Cazorla, reality TV star of TV Guide Network’s The Nail Files, posted photos of the seven unnamed polishes on the salon’s Facebook page, then had her fans suggest names.
Keywords: celebrity nail techs Katie Cazorla nail trends Nubar
January 11, 2012
Lucky magazine, in its January 2012 issue, suggested turning a client's favorite outfit into a manicure. Elizabeth Monson, a Lucky blogger, was inspired by Prabal Gurung's pop-art floral blouse.
Keywords: Color Club fashion floral nail art handpainted nail art manicures


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The Skills Guide for Facility Managers details 10 must-have traits for those new to the industry
This peer-to-peer networking session will cover best practices for working with young facility professionals
Accessibility continues to bedevil institutional and commercial facilities, nearly 30 years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While education and government buildings most often seem to find themselves in the crosshairs of accessibility complaints, the nation’s airports and airlines also can present a host of roadblocks to accessibility.
Business travel is often exhausting and tedious, and travelers who have disabilities face an extra set of problems on top of this, since a lack of information about accessibility at airports, hotels, and car services can turn an average work trip into a gamble, according to Skift.
Michael Swiatek, chief strategy and planning officer for Avianca, spends part of his time raising awareness about the importance of accessibility in travel. Swiatek, who is legally blind, travels frequently for work and believes that the lack of attention paid to accessibility is the main reason business travel can be such a hurdle for many people.
While the ADA went a long way to ensure legal protections and minimum accessibility requirements, information about accessibility features is often still hard to find. This lack of awareness has made traveling with a disability so uncertain that some people avoid it. For many employees, this could mean missing out on opportunities to network, learn new skills, and advance their careers.
Unreliable describes much of the travel industry when it comes to accessibility features. Delta, for example, has a relatively good customer service group, according to Swiatek, which allows him to get information and specify what he needs. Meanwhile, many airlines invest much less in accessibility features, and hotels are even more challenging.
“Many disabled people just don’t travel,” he says.
Dan Hounsell is editor-in-chief of Facility Maintenance Decisions.


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OMV petrom the largest energy company in South-Eastern Europe and Eldrive, the leading charging points operator in the region, plans to install 30 charging points for EVs in Romania and Bulgaria, the project will be implemented in the next 2 years. The first two units in the project have already been installed and commissioned in Bulgaria, in Daskalovo (Struma Highway) and Golyamokonarsko road (near Plovdiv).
According to OMV’s press release, as a result of this initiative, Romania and Bulgaria will be connected through an infrastructure of 50 kW fast-charging points located in the OMV stations.The new network will allow drivers to charge up to 80% of their electric vehicle’s battery in approximately 40 minutes.
Three years ago, OMV Petrom was the first energy company in Romania to install, as part of a pilot project, a fast-charging point for electric vehicles at an OMV-branded filling station. OMV Petrom is present on the fuel distribution market in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Serbia, operating a network of 800 filling stations under OMV and Petrom brands.
“We believe that the future of mobility will entail a mix of fuels, conventional and alternative, that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Regarding alternative solutions, for passenger cars and light-duty vehicles, on short distance transport, electric cars can be a choice. For heavy-duty applications and long distance transport, we consider as potential solutions CNG and LNG, due to a higher energy efficiency and lower emissions. We are pleased to offer our customers the opportunity to quickly charge electric vehicles while receiving other services offered in our filling stations”, said Radu Căprău, member of OMV Petrom Executive Board responsible for Downstream Oil.
Stefan Spassov, CEO of Eldrive also had this to say
“This partnership is a crucial step for the development of our charging network, as well as for the electric mobility in the region. The new charging stations will allow the owners of electric vehicles to travel without worries in Bulgaria, Romania and between the two countries. We are very proud that Eldrive is not only the largest EV charging network in the region, but one of the largest networks in SEE as well. The partnership with OMV Petrom is a big recognition for us and we very much look forward to executing the project”
At the end of last year, there were approximately 400 charging stations for electric cars in Romania, while newly registered electric and hybrid vehicles represented 2.75% of the total in the first four months of 2020 in the country. The Eldrive charging network has more than 210 charging points in Bulgaria and Romania. It operates via the smartphone app Eldrive.


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GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo explains the group’s strategy at the first GS executive forum in January. (GS Group)
GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo urged company executives Wednesday to pay more attention to new consumer trends, adding digital transformation based on mobile and artificial intelligence will become more active in the future.
His remarks came at the GS executive forum held for the second time since he took the helm early this year. The forum was attended by around 30 senior executives from all affiliates.
“The political, social and economic shocks and changes caused by the pandemic are creating a new normal. These changes will continue for some time,” he said at the forum.
“At the same time, uncertainties in the global economy are deepening due to the reignited US-China trade dispute and the increased volatility of oil prices.”
The chairman highlighted the importance of sustainable management through eco-friendliness, asking the group to innovate internal capabilities in line with these external changes.
He told the executives to prepare for the post-coronavirus era by strengthening digital capabilities in the face of the spread of the digital and untact (non-face-to-face contact) economy.
“The pandemic has caused a significant drop in demand in the energy industry while mobile and online dependence is rapidly increasing in the field of distribution.”
To overcome this, Huh urged the management to actively secure new growth engines, such as digital, environmental and clean energy.
By Shin Ji-hye (email@example.com


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A federal judge’s ruling that Live Nation Entertainment Inc. is not a monopoly has been upheld by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Maryland-based It’s My Party Inc. and It’s My Amphitheatre Inc., the companies behind the 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post Pavilion, alleged in a 2009 lawsuit that multiple artists and bands were coerced to appear at Nissan Pavilion, the Live Nation-owned, outdoor concert venue in Northern Virginia now known as Jiffy Lube Live, or at least skip appearances at Merriweather while in the region.
But Senior U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz ruled last year that there was no evidence Live Nation had monopolized a market or pressured acts to perform at its venues.
On appeal, the 4th Circuit panel last week upheld Motz’s ruling, finding the demand for concerts is local and the concert promotion and venue market is highly localized despite I.M.P.’s argument that the business is a national one which can be managed from afar.
The “tying arrangement” alleged by I.M.P., where Live Nation compels artists who hire them for promotion to perform at Nissan and only gives access to other amphitheaters if the artist performs at Nissan, was not convincing, according to the unanimous three-judge panel.
“What causes these anticompetitive harms and distinguishes tying from ordinary market behavior is not the mere bundling of two products together but rather the coercion of the customer,” Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III wrote.
Offering two products in a single package to enhance the appeal is not itself coercive, Wilkinson added, and I.M.P. presented no evidence of coercion except that artists promoted by Live Nation disproportionately perform at Nissan rather than Merriweather. But there may be many other reasons an artist could choose to work with Live Nation, from convenience to preference for Nissan over Merriweather, the judge wrote.
“We applaud the Fourth Circuit’s ruling and appreciate the panel’s judicious verdict which eradicates claims of anti-competitive conduct by asserting that the ‘purpose of antitrust law is to penalize anticompetitive practices, not competitive success,'” Live Nation said in a statement released Wednesday.
Representatives from I.M.P. declined to comment Wednesday.
Wilkinson wrote that I.M.P. made a sweeping attack on Live Nation’s size but did not provide further evidence of an antitrust infraction.
“Upon further inspection, what plaintiff characterizes as illegal conduct turns out to be lawful pro-competitive behavior,” he said. “To hold otherwise would have the most serious implications.”
Businesses can offer package sales of multiple goods and be consistent with the Sherman Antitrust Act, according to the opinion, but offering an “attractive package” would become indistinguishable from anticompetitive conduct as I.M.P. defined it. I.M.P.’s “expansive tying definition” could restrict otherwise constructive forms of integration.
Bundling products and services can save costs for the customer, as Live Nation does by offering promotion and a series of concern venues.
“Artists do not have to seek out and transact with separate sellers for each of the services offered by [Live Nation],” Wilkinson said. The ultimate harm if such practices were forbidden would be the consumer’s ability to freely contract for goods and services.
The appellate case is It’s My Party Inc. et al. v. Live Nation Inc., 15-1278.
Live Nation had previously been involved in multidistrict litigation over similar antitrust claims. Those 22 cases were settled and dismissed in June 2012, according to court records.


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04 Sep 2022 | Abstracted from Straits Times"...an electric vehicle movement is taking place nonetheless - not on four wheels, but on two and three.
"Electric mopeds and three-wheeled rickshaw taxis that sell for as little as US$1,000...
"Indian automakers sold 430,000 electric vehicles in the 12 months that ended in March, more than three times as many as a year earlier. Most were two- and three-wheeled vehicles, with cars accounting for just 18,000..."
Become a patron and help spread the good news of the world of electric vehicles.
Not yet ready for primetime.


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Netflix's (NASDAQ: NFLX) international expansion is continuing along its planned growth path, with the subscription video on demand provider announcing its first French-produced series, Marseille, slated to premiere in late 2015. Meantime, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is sticking with its pilot-to-series original content model, debuting five new pilots this week for viewers to rate and review.
Amazon Studios' third pilot season includes three half-hour comedies: Red Oaks, The Cosmopolitans and Really, and two hour-long dramatic thrillers: Hand of God and Hysteria. Viewers can watch the pilot episodes on Amazon Instant Video via their mobile devices or streaming devices, or online at amazonoriginals.com.
User feedback is, of course, an integral part of the pilot plan. Its second pilot season, in February, resulted in six series being greenlighted for further production, including its best-received pilot to date, Transparent--whose 10-episode season will premiere Sept. 26 in the U.S. and UK.
"It's an exciting time at Prime Instant Video, with new, original shows coming to the service every month for the rest of the year," said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, in a prepared statement.
Transparent's director and executive producer, Jill Soloway, said Amazon was supportive throughout the series' production. "Artistically, it's been a dream come true. I absolutely got to make the show I wanted to make."
In the meantime, Netflix is continuing with its plans to develop original content both for a global audience and for audiences in the countries in which it is debuting. Marseille is a political thriller set in the infamous port city.
"Netflix has given us a blank page to create a House of Cards in French that breaks through unspoken hypocrisy. This is a writer's dream and a great opportunity for French producers and creators to enter a new world," said Dan Franck, series creator and writer.
Director Florent Emilio Siri is hoping the series will give him artistic freedom he's been seeking. "The movie business in France today confines itself to comedy or what is called 'author cinema.' TV series give movie directors the potential of a new opportunity to be able to explore and express their talents within the full extent of their art," he said. "This is why I'm really eager to work on Marseille."
Production on Marseille will start in spring 2015, with the series expected to premiere in all Netflix territories sometime in the fall of 2015. It's being produced by Paris-based Federation Entertainment in partnership with the SVOD provider.
- Netflix has this release
- Amazon has this release
- and this release
Amazon tries to add heart to data-driven content creation
Amazon to spend $100M on original online video content in Q3
Netflix turns to original content, innovative formats to continue growth
Chelsea Handler signs with Netflix, plans on-demand talk show


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The creature editor in the forthcoming EA/Maxis game "Spore" will allow players to create any kind of creature they want. "Spore," by "Sims" creator Will Wright, was the one game that seemed to be on everyone's lips at this year's E3.
Blizzard Entertainment's "World of Warcraft" booth is guarded by a fearsome creature from the popular online game's forthcoming "Burning Crusade" expansion.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the hit game "Frogger," Konami had a life-size version of the game's iconic character on hand at E3. Classic games drew a lot of interest from nostalgic gamers at this year's show.
Players addicted to "World of Warcraft" try the online game's "Burning Crusade" expansion at Blizzard Entertainment's E3 "WoW" booth.
At the booth for THQ's "Smackdown vs. Raw 2007" masks and outfits from champion wrestler Rey Mysterio are on display.
People waited in line for nearly two hours to get a demonstration of Electronic Arts' "Spore," one of the most anticipated video games still in development.


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AFTER two challenging years of start-stop Covid-19 restrictions, the travel industry is sputtering to life again as borders across Southeast Asia reopen in rapid succession in recent weeks.
“I feel like screaming for joy at the top of my lungs to say that recovery has finally arrived in our region, and more importantly, we truly believe that it’s here to stay,” Hermione Joye, sector lead of Travel & Vertical Search APAC at Google said in her opening statement at ‘Asia Arising: Reopening Safely & Emerging Stronger’, a hybrid conference organised by organised by WiT and Travel Weekly Asia on April 22.
“The release of travel restrictions across Southeast Asia has meant the pent-up demand has finally converted to realised demands,” Joye said. “People get to take action and they’re doing it really fast. Because governments have eased restrictions, it means that individuals are feeling safer about travelling more freely.”
Singapore is a prime example of this. When Singapore announced on 24 March that the country will open to vaccinated travellers from around the world beginning 1 April, Google saw a 107% surge in search queries for the destination just three days after the announcement.
Google’s data also reveals that Australia is leading the recovery, closely followed by Philippines and Indonesia. Other Southeast Asian countries are similarly showing healthy returns for both outbound and inbound travel, which translates to more regional traffic and travel, and a greater willingness for long-haul travel.
“The revenge traveller is sitting in the Australia and Southeast Asia regions” she added, “and we need to go after them and make their experiences exceptional.”
Joye revealed that in March, the top three markets for outbound traffic to Southeast Asia and Australia were Bali, London and Singapore.
Go online, tap Asia’s digital awakening
During the pandemic, more than 440 million people came online just in South-east Asia, and internet penetration has soared past 72%, according to Joye.
The digital acceleration has resulted in digital dependency, especially in Asia where “there are very few moments that we experience now that don’t have some type of digital engagement, between maps, payments, security check-ins, reviews, entertainment and social media and video, you will need to have digital touchpoints to make your experience complete.”
Interest and search queries are being converted into bookings faster than ever before. People are now booking travel in under 60 days, where as previously before Covid, it takes a traveller approximately 70 days from their first Google search of a destination to follow up on making travel arrangements.
“It means you need to be moving fast especially when consumers are researching and taking action,” Joye said. “If you want to win the hearts and minds of travellers, it’s crucial to be digitally prepared.”
* Watch the full presentation here.
* This article was first published in Travel Weekly Asia.
• Featured image credit: DisobeyArt/Getty Images


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Merck (Darmstadt, Germany) announced on Wednesday that it has proposed acquiring Versum Materials for $5.9 billion in cash, surpassing the all-stock, $4-billion offer Entegris and Versum announced in January.
Merck says a combination with Versum would create a “deep and complementary portfolio” of electronic materials, equipment and services for the semiconductor and display industries with combined proforma annual performance materials sales of €3.5 billion ($3.98 billion). “The combined R&D capabilities would enable faster innovation cycles and strengthen the product offering to customers,” Merck adds. “They would offer increased scale, product and service depth, an enhanced global presence and a strengthened supply chain, which would help drive leading innovation supported by long-term tailwinds in the industry. Moreover, they would provide an additional source for innovation through leading positions in attractive segments.”
Versum said, however, that it continues to believe in the strategic and financial rationale of the proposed merger of equals with Entegris. “Consistent with its fiduciary duties, and in consultation with its independent financial and legal advisors, Versum’s Board of Directors will thoroughly review the Merck proposal,” Versum adds.
Merck’s $48/share offer is a 51.7% premium to Versum’s price 25 January 2019, the last trading day prior to Entegris’s announcement, and a 15.9% premium to Versum’s current price. It reflects an enterprise value for Versum 13.3 times 2018 EBITDA multiple.
In a letter to Versum’s board of directors, Merck says Entegris’s offer “significantly” undervalues Versum. “Instead of the speculative value offered by the Entegris transaction, the all-case proposal would deliver immediate and certain cash value to Versum stockholders and employees, shielding them from the significant integration, operational, and market risks posed by the all-stock Entegris transaction,” the letter adds. Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck, says the company anticipates €60 million in annual cost synergies to be fully realized by 2022, with the deal closing in the second half of 2019. Entegris and Versum had expected their merger to generate more than $75 million within 12 months of the deal’s close.
Entegris and Versum had expected their merger to generate more than $75 million within 12 months of the deal’s close.
Merck has engaged Guggenheim Securities, LLC as its financial advisor and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as its legal counsel. Entegris did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
By Rebecca Coons
Source: Chemical Week
The US State of New York is introducing two new bills to combat over-packaging, poor recycling rates and litter issues, including an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program requiring companies such as McDonald’s and Amazon to pay for the cost of packaging disposal and recycling.
The new organization’s mission is to redesign the critical steps of the plastics sorting and recycling system for post-consumer lightweight packaging (LWP) to speed up circularity, born from a need to meet the rising market demand for high-quality recyclates for use in high-end plastic applications.
Starbucks and Hubbub have launched a £1 million (US$1.22 million) “Bring It Back Fund” to increase the uptake of reusable packaging in the F&B industry. The funding will go toward innovative ideas that make it easier for customers to use alternatives to single-use packaging by supporting pilot projects that help shift consumption habits.


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What you need to know
- New renders show an Apple Watch Series 7 with squared sides.
- The renders are based on images of the real deal to protect sources.
All being well Apple Watch Series 7will be announced later this year, replacing the current Apple Watch Series 6 device. New renders, based on leaked information, claim to show what that new wearable will look like. And it's a big departure.
As the images show, Apple Watch Series 7 looks set to do away with the curved sides we've seen since Apple Watch first arrived. They'll be replaced with a squared-off design, says Jon Prosser, giving the wearable a much more boxy look.
That boxy look fits in with existing devices that have seen similar refreshes, including iPhone 12 and iPad Air. If the leaks are accurate, this will be the biggest change to Apple Watch yet.
However, a word of warning. Prosser also notes that his source doesn't specifically know that this is Apple Watch Series 7 because of the codenames used inside Apple. However, previous reports by Ming-Chi Kuo have also pointed to a sizeable refresh this year so things do look promising.
There is still plenty of time to bag an Apple Watch deal before the new watch arrives, of course. The current crop of watches are stunning as they are, and with the new Apple Watch Series 7 not expected to have any display changes, those square edges might be the biggest differentiator here. A new, speedier chip will no doubt be present, but few people would say Apple Watch Series 6 is slow, would they?
Now, we wait. With Apple unlikely to announce its next Apple Watch for a few months at least, there's plenty of time for more leaks before then.


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While the Internet has made it easier to plan a trip on your own—and to see how much you’re saving—it also requires you to wade through hundreds of destination search sites, hotel and rental options, and countless alternatives. of the flight path, becoming an amateur travel agent along the way.
But this summer, several travel platforms have created or announced fixes designed to make travel planning easier, by refining search, creating more informative maps and improving loyalty programs.
Now, whether you want to find a vacation home on an island, a hotel a 15-minute walk from your nephew’s bar mitzvah, or an electric car, Airbnb, Google, and Skyscanner, respectively, make it easier.
Analysts say these and other platforms are not yet done. “Travel information, pricing and bookings are still so fragmented and disjointed that I fully expect we’ll continue to see more brands develop and improve these types of features in the future,” said Madeline List, an analyst at senior research in Phocuswright, a journey. market research firm.
Improving rental searches
Finding the right vacation rental can seem like hunting for a needle in a haystack when it comes to sifting through search results. Among the measures Airbnb adopted this summer to make renting easier: the creation of 56 home categories aimed at helping you find rentals identified as, say, tiny houses, castles, “ski -in/out”, near national parks, houses. with “amazing pools”, and even an “OMG!” category for unusual architectural options.
Additionally, the new “split stay” feature aims to help renters who want to split their time between two locations. The tool suggests nearby rentals available for part of the trip, making it easy to pair two rentals for longer stays and simplifying the booking process for both.
“People are much more location agnostic than they were before the pandemic,” said Jamie Lane, vice president of research at Airdna, a market research firm specializing in short-term rentals, noting the rise of extended commutes associated with remote work. . “Airbnb is making it easier to put together a long-term trip by helping you find listings that meet your criteria and are open for the duration of that trip.”
Another new addition, a free policy known as AirCover, automatically included with every rental, protects consumers by guaranteeing a similar stay or a refund if the host cancels within 30 days of your trip.
“I see it as wanting to compete better with hotels,” Mr. Lane said. “Guests can feel comfortable knowing they will get what they booked or receive a refund.”
Expedia’s new “unfaithful” program
Expedia Group wants your loyalty. Named for its flagship online travel agency, Expedia, the collection of travel companies includes online agencies Travelocity and Orbitz, vacation rental platform Vrbo, discount hotel booking site Hotwire.com, car rental site CarRentals .com and more. In early 2023, it plans to bring them together under One Key, a loyalty program spanning its 12 brands, meaning points earned by booking a flight on Expedia can be applied towards the cost of a rental upcoming on Vrbo.
Exploring America’s National Parks
The glories of the US national park system attract hundreds of millions of visitors each year.
“It’s so hard for people to keep track of programs and rewards,” said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands, the group’s consumer division, who added that the idea for an integrated loyalty program came to him when he launched his program . travel wallet filled with dozens of membership programs and credit cards.
“It struck me that our superpower opportunity was to create connections between all of our brands in the minds of customers and at the same time make the various programs easy to understand,” he added.
Some of the brands, including Expedia, Orbitz and Hotels.com, already have loyalty programs — with a collective enrollment of 154 million members — and the company has not yet disclosed One Key’s conversion formulas or rates for earning and using points.
While most loyalty programs encourage members to stick with one brand, One Key will allow users to apply points across categories in a scheme that Mr.
“Expedia’s expanded loyalty offering can attract more people to the brand umbrella with flexible options to earn and burn points on whichever Expedia brand offers the most suitable options for a given trip,” said Ms. List of Phocuswright, adding that the loyalty program eases “friction” between Expedia’s often overlapping brands.
New features in Google Travel, announced in May, map things like road trips and dense restaurant neighborhoods, providing a visual sense of geography in areas visitors might not know about before booking.
When searching for hotels on the platform, a Google map already showed hotels with corresponding prices. New icons representing transportation, dining, attractions and shopping—what Google calls “interest layers”—allow users to, for example, overlay a public transit map to see where transit lines are compared to hotels. Attractive shopping or dining icons shade the map in neighborhoods with lots of shops or restaurants. Clicking on the attractions icon adds things like museums to the hotel map.
At the bottom of the map, users can slide the bar next to a walking figure to see the radius the average person can walk from a given location in up to 30 minutes (there’s also an option to map the range of motion). This feature could be useful in identifying hotels near a wedding or meeting venue, the company suggested.
“There’s always been the option to figure this out in Google Maps using addresses, but that takes a lot of guesswork,” said Craig Ewer, a Google spokesman.
Its new Explore tool identifies destinations within a few hours’ drive. Clicking on a road trip destination brings up attractions, hotels and directions there.
“We saw during Covid a growing preference for road travel and non-airport travel,” said Mr. Ewer. “With the Explore tool, we tried to bring inspiration.”
For those looking for a bargain, Google Flights now lets you track prices between a pair of cities – departure and destination – and click on “any date” to monitor the platform’s fares for the lowest prices over the next six months.
Using tracking, like most other Google features, requires you to sign in or create a free Google account. For travel purchases, such as flights and hotels, the platform connects users with those online businesses or travel agencies.
Electric options and comprehensive stays
Two other platforms are helping consumers refine their searches by providing more targeted results.
Travel search engine Skyscanner has added a new car rental filter for electric vehicles. After entering dates and location, users can check the electric box – alongside other search filters such as unlimited mileage or 4-wheel drive – to see all available EVs
The initiative came from a similar green filter Skyscanner launched on flight searches a few years ago, showing choices with lower carbon emissions than average for each search.
The car rental filter helps travelers “understand the environmental impact of travel and how to reduce it,” said Martin Nolan, Skyscanner’s sustainable travel expert.
Online travel agency Booking.com aims to make it easier for LGBTQ travelers to find welcoming accommodations. It has introduced a partner training program for hotels on its platform on the challenges facing LGBTQ travelers.
Since last August, the free program, known as Proud Hospitality, has certified more than 10,000 properties in 95 countries and territories. The certification includes a Travel Proud digital badge in its listing.
“As a global travel leader, we have a responsibility to take action and help pave the way for a more inclusive industry, with the ultimate goal of making it easier for everyone to experience the world as they are,” said Arjan Dijk, Chief Marketing Officer. officer and a senior vice president at Booking.com, in a written statement.
Elaine Glusac writes the Frugal Traveler column. Follow him on Instagram @eglusac.


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This week legislation was introduced in Washington that calls for improvements in sports-equipment safety standards and a crackdown on false advertising regarding such gear. It’s great news.
U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Wednesday introduced the legislation, whose goal is to protect youth athletes from sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
A lot of unsubstantiated claims are made by manufacturers of gear such as football helmets, and that needs to stop. This proposed law would do that.
The Youth Sports Concussion Act will help “ensure that safety standards for sports equipment are up to date and informed by the latest science,” according to a press release from Udall’s office. The bill will also increase potential penalties for using false injury prevention claims to sell youth sports equipment.
“We want our children to be active and participate in sports, but we must take every precaution to protect them from traumatic head injuries,” Udall said in a statement. “There will always be some risk, but athletes, coaches and parents need to be aware of the dangers and signs of concussion. And in order for them to best protect the young athletes, we must make sure they are using safe equipment and curb misleading advertising that gives them a false sense of security.”
Rockefeller issued a statement, as well.
“Parents and coaches must be able to have confidence in the sports safety equipment they buy for their children and the protection it claims to offer,” Rockefeller said.
“Unfortunately, many parents are still deceived by sports equipment manufacturers who make false promises about their products’ ability to prevent or reduce concussions,” he said. “This has to stop. Major sports leagues, players associations, pediatricians, scientists, and consumer groups all agree, and it’s why they support our bill. We need to make sure that protective sports equipment is sold based on the latest science, not false or deceptive claims.”
At Rockefeller and Udall’s urging, this past October the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences said it was forming a committee to assess how best to protect young athletes from sports-related concussion.
The Senate Commerce Committee also held a hearing in October 2011, which found that sports-equipment manufacturers have repeatedly made claims that their equipment “prevents concussions” or “reduce the risk of concussions” without scientific evidence to prove them.
Sports are the second-leading cause of TBI for people who are 15 to 24 years old, behind only motor vehicle crashes, according to Udall’s press release. And medical research now indicates that repeated blows to the head in numerous sports may lead to lasting brain damage, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, CTE. That disease has been diagnosed in dozens of former NFL players from postmortem studies of their brains.
“For over 30 years, I’ve worked as a health care provider caring for and treating student athletes on the field, so I have seen the damages of concussions first hand,” Timothy Acklin, former president of the New Mexico Athletic Trainers Association, said in a statement.
“Coaches, athletic trainers and parents not only have to make sure the equipment fits properly in order to reduce trauma, but we have to trust that the protective gear is based on scientific findings, not unfounded promises,” Acklin said. “I support the efforts of Senators Udall and Rockefeller to reduce the risk of head traumas that have real, lasting effects on our children.”
The Youth Sports Concussion Act will:
- Instruct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to review the findings of a forthcoming National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on sports-related concussions in youth;
- Authorize the CPSC to make recommendations to manufacturers and, if necessary, promulgate new consumer rules for protective equipment based on the findings of the NAS report; and
- Allow the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to impose civil penalties for using false claims to sell protective gear for sports. State attorney generals could also enforce such violations.


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Though virtual and augmented reality have largely been seen as consumer-focused, there are growing indications the technology could quickly gain traction in the enterprise.
WorldViz is among the companies that see a bright future for virtual reality (VR) as a corporate tool. The company has been involved in VR for more than 15 years now, selling software development tools and building applications for customers.
Next month, WorldViz plans to launch a new service, Vizible, designed to connect sales staff and clients – delivering an immersive VR experience that will “help close deals faster,” according to CEO Andy Beall.
“We want to make a point that this technology can be handed to the front lines of your company,” Beall said in an interview. “It doesn't need to be just kept in a corporate showroom: this can be handed to the outbound sales staff going out and [bring] in the revenue for the company.”
The idea is that Vizible’s VR presentations can help sales staff sell more complex products without meeting face to face or relying on PDFs and video calls. Users can view and annotate 3D mock-ups such as building floor plans or engineering designs for automotive or aerospace firms within the virtual environment, while communicating via voice chat. Vizible supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.
Despite growing interest in VR, the technology is still unfamiliar to many. One of the main advantages of Vizible, said Beall, is that it is easy to use, with a drag and drop interface that doesn’t require significant technical expertise. That allows a sales team to define which objects can be interacted with once clients have joined the virtual meeting, for example.
He described it as similar to well-known office productivity tools such as PowerPoint. “Our goal right now is to open the addressable market to us in a big way and in some ways to democratize VR for professional users,” he said.
“In a nutshell, our new launch is like a cross between PowerPoint and GoToMeeting for VR.”
Moor Insights & Strategy associate analyst Anshel Sag, who has demoed WorldViz Vizible, said that the use of VR as a sales tool takes teleconferencing to “a whole new level.”
“It also allows sales people to bring a headset or headsets with them and to show their customers in VR exactly what they're selling, be it an airplane, a building or any kind of high-detail device that might benefit from the buyer being able to experience greater immersion,” he said.
VR is already being used “extensively” in enterprise settings, Sag said. “In fact, many of the new developments that are going on in VR right now are aimed at the enterprise market.”
Because many companies see the business benefits of deploying VR, they’re willing to absorb expenses associated with the technology “in order to reduce development times and costs.
“Lots of prototyping is being done in VR now with faster iteration because the designers and engineers can see their designs at scale without having to build a single physical object,” he added.
A number of other companies are investing in VR and augmented reality for enterprise collaboration. Microsoft’s “mixed reality” HoloLens is aimed at business collaboration, with Ford testing out the technology to speed the vehicle design process with engineers across the globe.
Cisco has also introduced Spark in VR, which provides a way to collaborate with coworkers and interact with documents and whiteboards. Meanwhile, Slack and social VR platform Altspace announced an integration last year that allows users to connect in a virtual environment.
While Vizible is initially targeted for use by sales teams working with clients, Beall said it can also be used for internal collaboration or training.
“You can make a presentation that walks you through a user's manual, or guides you through a maintenance procedure, or even an HR personnel training course,” he said. “It can certainly be used for many equal purposes – [such as] training, design review, team collaboration.”
While the technology and content are still evolving and maturing, Beall sees big potential for connecting workers. “My vision for this is that the headset can be the phone of the future. Five or 10 years from now it is going to be the collaboration tool.”
Vizible, is set to be launched in October and is still available in beta. It will be sold on a subscription basis, at a cost of $250 per user per month.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


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Some more big gaming news today coming down the pipeline. With GREE’s expansion, thanks to merging with OpenFeint after buying it, a slew of big name developers have already signed on to be part of the service including the likes of Sega, Capcom, Square Enix, and Namco-Bandi to name a few.
The merger, along with the new mobile platform, is set to launch in Q2 2012 if all goes according to plan. So what are some of the titles that will be heading our way when this happens? Well some of the first titles to land on Android (and iOS) will be mobile versions of Resident Evil VS, Monster Hunter, Yakuza (yes the major mafia game), Dynamic Hunting and Dance Dance Revolution. That’s not all though as there will be other very popular Japanese franchises making their way over as well.
There is one small catch though and that is a lot of these titles may still end up being Japan-only. Yakuza, however, hasn’t listed supported regions so there is hope for that one at least. Sega, Capcom and Square Enix are all making pushes into Android right now as well so expect more titles from them when this launches also. It’s going to be an exciting year next year already by the sounds of it.


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9 to 5 Mac reports that Apple has included facial recognition software and APIs into iOS5. While Apple doesn't plan on making an app of their own, developers can jump on it and turn out Kinect-ish apps after tinkering with it. [9 to 5 Mac] »7/26/11 12:54pm 7/26/11 12:54pm
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